What Myers-Briggs Personality Type are you?

[twocentnews]

INFJ - I got this a bunch of times throughout college.

It's funny though, the pattern emerging. ENFJ, ENTJ, INFJ, and INTJ are the most common. It looks like the future doctors (or at least us future doctors) share a common N and J.

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[Excelsius]

INTJs are supposed to represent only like 5% of the population or something like that, yet we have a huge representation here. I am not sure whether INTJ represents doctors though or simply those who choose to hang around in a forum. Does anyone know of a similar poll in a non-med forum? The other explanation is that it is the profession combined with the need to spend so much time on the forum that brings out INTJ. Still, at least in my case, I rarely spend much time here. When I worked in engineering, our manager was into these tests and he asked everyone to take the test before our meeting. Then as we were lined up outside into groups, I was the only INTJ there out of over 30 people. That's less than 5% even in a heavily scientific field. I was told though that there were several managers who were INTJs in physics/theoretical departments.

The percentages of each letter are very important as well. If you are an I at 55%, then a single answer could tip you over to E and you're borderline. The percentages are pretty dynamic too. Over a year ago my T was around in the 80s. I just retook the test to see whether my personality has changed from an INTJ only to notice that now I am a 100% T! I tend to think that more balanced numbers are helpful to more easily interact in our society without a lot of effort. And for some reason medicine is not one of the listed professions for INTJ, but according to SDN, that conclusion is apparently wrong.

Edit: According to Keirsey Mastermind's are less than 1% of the population. Though some other sources place it at 3-5%.

 

[quirks]

INTJs are supposed to represent only like 5% of the population or something like that, yet we have a huge representation here. I am not sure whether INTJ represents doctors though or simply those who choose to hang around in a forum. Does anyone know of a similar poll in a non-med forum? The other explanation is that it is the profession combined with the need to spend so much time on the forum that brings out INTJ.

I think it's that.

The percentages of each letter are very important as well. If you are an I at 55%, then a single answer could tip you over to E and you're borderline. The percentages are pretty dynamic too. Over a year ago my T was around in the 80s. I just retook the test to see whether my personality has changed from an INTJ only to notice that now I am a 100% T! I tend to think that more balanced numbers are helpful to more easily interact in our society without a lot of effort.

According to most recent MBTI theory I've read, you are only one type and will remain that one type. There's eight functions (So for Thinking, Intuiting, Sensing, and Feeling, there's an introverted and an extroverted function) and what the letters tell you is which four functions are your dominant functions. Everyone uses all the functions though, so while your dominant functions determine your base personality, you can over time develop a decent use of the other functions (and it's good to do so, like you said).

The online tests are pretty good at giving you an idea of what your base personality is, but the percentages don't really mean too much, I find. I used to test as an INTP and thought I was one. Then I met my bf, who really is an INTP, and I'm definitely an INFP instead.

Oh, and yeah, I definitely see different trends on different forums. I've never seen anywhere as INTJ heavy as this before! Lots of NTs and NFs on the internet though, especially in specialized forums, but SPs and SJs are the majority of the general population.

(I used to be obsessed with this stuff. )

 

[unleash500]

The best personality type INTP!!

Sorry you INTJs are close to first..
Just get rid of that annoying J quality.

 

[bkz]

vote, bishes!!!

 

[Stroganoff]

I oscillate between ENTJ and INTJ. I tried voting for both, but I couldn't push my mouse hard enough?

 

[angeladav]

I oscillate between ENTJ and INTJ. I tried voting for both, but I couldn't push

my mouse hard enough?

Should have tried harder

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

And for some reason medicine is not one of the listed professions for INTJ, but according to SDN, that conclusion is apparently wrong.

It is listed as a profession for INTJs on this site:

http://www.personalitypage.com/INTJ_car.html

 

[Excelsius]

The ones here are hilarousYou INTJs get to be dictators too and neurosurgeonsENTJs get to be cardiologists, and bounty hunters

That's the first time I am seeing not only "medicine," but the specialty I am interested in listed under my personality type. Maybe I should use it on my application? Hahahaha.

There are so many different websites with different careers that I am beginning to wonder how these are derived. What is the original source? If we go down the list of every website out there, eventually we'll find every specialty under the sun for any personality type.

 

[unsung]

I can't vote in the poll for some reason. I am INTP.

I'm actually almost 50-50 on T vs F, pretty heavily N, and also vacillate a bit between J and P. Fairly solid introvert.

Yeah, I don't think INTJ is nearly as prevalent amongst physicians as this poll may seem to indicate. It's probably just the analytical types who like to hang around this forum... especially after getting accepted lol. A lot of people use this place to get the info they need, ask a few Qs, etc., then they leave. The people who stick around, ask a bunch of neurotic questions and/or answers are more likely to be the NTs...

 

[quirks]

http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/humor.htm
INTJ: "Crackpot"
All facts which don't fit their theories are just wrong. The more all-encompassing and less applicable to reality the theories, the better.

If INTJ's were a cat:
INTJ "The Limit-Setter": If you have to be around, fine, but he'd prefer that you just showed up once a week to drop off a case of canned food. If you stay home sick, he'll glare at you, since after all it's his scheduled day to have the house to himself.


http://jeffreyellis.org/blog/?p=18
Serenity Prayer:
INTJ - Lord, keep me open to others’ ideas, wrong though they may be.

And a tongue in cheek guide to the best religions for each type (Spoiler: NTs don't get any)
http://player2000gi.host-ed.net/religion_and_type.htm

The more and more I read about INTJs, the more I definitely would say that personality colors these forums.

 

[dw2158]

that religion thing is hilarious-- there is only one choice under ISFJ, and that's me. i feel so... typical!

 

[atomi]

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[Excelsius]

In my opinion, this test is flawed to produce INTJ results. Choosing the ideal attributes for the questions (whether or not people actually have them or not, they are the ones that an intelligent human being would desire) will produce an INTJ type.

The E is less desirable than the I. E's depend on others for self-worth and satisfaction. Being dependent is a non-desirable.

The S is less desirable than the N. Human beings use their minds to interpret information. Animals rely on their senses to produce automatic reactions. Animals do not crunch data to figure things out. The S is therefore lower level and basic while the N is higher level and more evolved.

The F is less desirable than the T. Again, the mind is what differentiates a human from an animal. To act based on a rational and well-though-out platform is more logical and more human than to act based on whimsical and often irrational emotions. Someone who acts based on feelings rather than higher-order though processes surrenders the rational for the irrational.

The P is less desirable than the J. This type describes how you interact with the world in which you live. A P trusts everything he or she senses. The P type is not concerned with critical decision making - just processing data to formulate an automatic response. The J type thinks about the data that is received, correlates with other known truths and values, and then rationalizes the best decision, which may or may not be different from the automatic response, but certainly represents the better response.

The ESFP represents the lowest level of evolution, it is the most animal-like and the most corporal (Keirsey calls this type the "performer").
The INTJ represents the highest level of evolution, it is the most human-like and the most cerebral (Keirsey calls this type the "mastermind").

Would you rather be a performer, like a dog begging for attention by doing tricks, or would you rather be a mastermind, who is 100% self-confident and controls every aspect of his own destiny?

Most semi-intelligent humans will recognize the attributes of the INTJ to be the most desirable and will therefore choose them, whether or not they accurately represent themselves. It is therefore no surprise, that on a board of pre-meds, the INTJ type is overwhelmingly self-selected.

The test is totally bogus in my opinion. For what it's worth, I came out INTJ first, but then when I went back and really thought about what I was and made some concessions that I was not perfect, I scored INFP. I would guess that there really are only 1% INTJs (supposedly the rarest personality type), but way, way more than that self-select that type inaccurately.

Wow! Your entire reasoning is FLAWED. I is better than E? S is "less desirable" than N? Man, what you don't get is that you impose these values on others because in your opinion they are inferior. People who are S don't wish they were N. It is a personality type. I is often a handicap in the society. For you to suggest that I is better than E only shows that you are a staunch introvert and can't see another point of view. P is less desirable than J? That one left me confused. No, your interpretation is wrong. Let's just say that Einstein was a P.

I am very surprised how you can impose these values on others without realizing that these are your own values. Just because you are an N, you think that everyone wants to be one. You have a lot to learn yet. If you have ever worked in a group, you would not say any of those things you said here. People are very different and they are not ashamed of what they are. Just like you view S as inferior, S can view you as a heartless POS. I am not talking about a test here, I am talking about a test combined with human interaction, which is what we did at my workplace to understand one another better.

One of the reasons for taking this test is to understand that there are many different personality types out there and that you need to keep these in mind when you approach various people. Some people, like NTs, only want bare facts to be convinced of an idea. Other people, like SFs, don't care only for the raw data - they want to feel good about it. So you would present your finding to them in a more humanistic approach that involves feeling. You are taking this test the wrong way and it seems to have the opposite effect on you. INTJs are not the absolute superiors. There are at least ENTJs and INTPs that I know of that can be better in some scientific endeavors.

 

[sunset823]

You INTJs get to be dictators too and neurosurgeons

haha, awesome list;
What I am right now (research assistant) is in that list; what I'm probably going to be (researcher, and likely political analyst - I've aspired to be one of those talking heads on CNN for ages) is also on there.

But what I really want to be
dictator, fighter pilot, or maybe both...

As for the list of traits, my favorites are
1) does not think they're weird but others do
2) familiar with darkside

 

[atomi]

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[atomi]

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[dw2158]

Also, this is a little bit hypocritical. You say that one type is not superior to another, but then you go on to say that people will these two types excel in some endeavors. I wasn't talking about which type is 'better' but rather which type is the most evolved and highest-level. The highest-level type may not always win when dealing with other people. For instance, when an irrational person compels them through force or blackmail.

oh no you di'int! i'm a cavewoman because i'm an SF?

this thread has become so toolish. i'm out.

 

[ToBeAnMD]

I'm ENTJ too, doesn't seem to be many of those

 

[Excelsius]

Guess I struck a nerve, huh? You ignored the logic of everything I said -- your feelings got in the way. I'm sorry you workplace put you through seminars of understanding each others feelings. When people at our workplace get together, it's to use our heads to design the best product we can, not to talk about feelings. The INTJ is objectively the highest-level type for the reasons I have already stated. As I said, I self-identified as INFP. I realize not everyone meets the INTJ 'mastermind' level, and that does not make them bad people.

The important issue here is that you can't characterize a personality with four stupid letters. People are more dynamic than that. Maybe I am an INFP today and an INTP tomorrow. The test is bogus, is what I what I was trying to get at.

Again, wrong interpretation (I edited my post after you quoted it). My work had to do with hardcore engineering. Personality types were taken to enhance communication between various scientific departments that had trouble communicating their ideas and the institution was not better for it. I was glad to participate because I am very interested in human psychology. Plus it makes you a more influential person since it gives you the tools to push the right buttons to achieve a certain result by understanding all types of personalities.

I wasn't going to say this, but since you can't understand what I am trying to convey, maybe an example will serve best: First, you say my "feelings" got in the way, yet you seem to have missed that I am a strong INTJ and never use feelings in my decisions; however, because we often have to communicate with others who value feelings a lot, I have been trying to learn and act the feeling route to convince others of an idea. I am not good at this because using feeling to communicate something is pure acting for me, but the fact that I can recognize what I lack is half the battle. Second, everyone I know who took the test consistently got the same personality type through different tests at different times. This is true for me as well. In fact, it is very hard to change your personality. I have been trying to become a bit more extraverted, but that has barely worked. There is a reason why human resources in some great institutions use this test for job applicants. If your score is all over the place, then you are not honest with yourself. Like you said, you look at the test from the point of view of inferior/superior and answer the questions according to those. For once, just answer them in a way that corresponds to your lifestyle, not what you think the ideal should be. Third, I guess by your own admission you are "inferior" to me. I am an INTJ. If you contest the validity of that test, consider that my original test that I took was the paid one as designed by Keirsey - it doesn't get any more accurate than that. If you contend that one type is better than the other, I sure hope that you are also logical enough to trust that the people who designed these personality types in which you so strongly believe are also very capable of administering the right test.

 

[NickNaylor]

Guess I struck a nerve, huh? You ignored the logic of everything I said -- your feelings got in the way. I'm sorry you workplace put you through seminars of understanding each others feelings. When people at our workplace get together, it's to use our heads to design the best product we can, not to talk about feelings. The INTJ is objectively the highest-level type for the reasons I have already stated. As I said, I self-identified as INFP. I realize not everyone meets the INTJ 'mastermind' level, and that does not make them bad people.

The important issue here is that you can't characterize a personality with four stupid letters. People are more dynamic than that. Maybe I am an INFP today and an INTP tomorrow. The test is bogus, is what I what I was trying to get at.

I don't think you're surprising anyone by saying that you can't "characterize a personality with four stupid letters." I'm pretty sure everyone understands that this doesn't throw you into a category of people that are exactly like you.

Your interpretation of the test, however, is pretty weak and goes against this point. By saying that the test is bogus, you completely invalidate your own point in the quoted post. You assume that all INTJs are some kind of super-human while everyone else is something "below" that. That, I think, is a good example of putting too much stock into those "four stupid letters."

Also, what you see as "good" or "advantageous" is not necessarily what everyone believes. You formed that opinion based on a variety of factors, some I'm sure you're not even aware of (as Excelsius said). And that's ok, no one's saying that one outlook on life is worse than another (except you). You should be able to understand and accept, though, that your own experience has heavily dictated your own world-view. For example, why, exactly, is being entirely self-reliant viewed as positive? I guess if you don't want to have to rely on people it can be, but there's no way to say this is better than wanting to interact with and be accepted by others. They're simply two different ways to approach living your life. One isn't really "better" than another; you only think one is better than another because of your own experiences.

I'm an ENFJ, in case we're still taking note.

 

[maaza1]

This is really cool; I'm an ISFP

 

[quirks]

The important issue here is that you can't characterize a personality with four stupid letters. People are more dynamic than that. Maybe I am an INFP today and an INTP tomorrow. The test is bogus, is what I what I was trying to get at.

The test is a watered down version of the real thing. Proper typing requires paying for the real test and having someone who's certified administer it to you.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that you can fit most people into sixteen personality groupings. There's lots of different theory models that make for very handy ways to group people. And these models are tools. They're useful tools for understanding other people and learning to work with other people, and even for day to day interactions.

Of course people are more dynamic than that, but sometimes you gotta be a bit more general than that. And it's fun. I mean, people love Astrology and that's a ton more bogus than this, in my opinion.

 

[element0]

Intj

 

[quirks]

I used to administer the test to clients, and all it involved was telling them to answer the questions as the way they saw themselves, not as the way they'd like to be...then scoring the answer sheets with a hole-punched key .

Huh, I guess I was wrong. I always assumed it was a little more involved than that. Ah well. I still like the theory!

 

[schrizto]

INTJ. Always get INTJ.

 

[wasvsdal]

Weaknesses of INTJ:

Not naturally in tune with others feelings; may be insensitive at times
May tend to respond to conflict with logic and reason, rather than the desired emotional support
Not naturally good at expressing feelings and affections
Tendency to believe that they're always right
Tendency to be unwilling or unable to accept blame
Their constant quest to improve everything may be taxing on relationships
Tend to hold back part of themselves

Honestly, ENFJ's are probably the "best" personality type. Its true that they take criticism too personally, and feel happy when others around them feel happy but gosh isnt that how we want our society to be.

 

[greatnt249]

INTP here.

 

[puravida85]

ENTP- I was borderline on the E/I and that makes perfect sense. I am an 'I' because I'm sort of weird behind closed doors , but an 'E' because I love socializing with people and anything outdoors (surf&snowboard, played all the sports, and thoroughly enjoy traveling the world). Thomas Edison & Nikola Tesla were "also" ENTP's as well as Alexander the Great & Teddy Roosevelt, that explains why I'm so into Electrodynamics and Kicking Some Ass! The jocks of physics have arrived, move the f' out of the way!

In all seriousness, this test must be taken with a half dozen grain of salt. We're much more dynamic then 4 umbrella terms. But, quite entertaining to say the least, especially the few people here who've secreted a little too much cortisol over this. Did anyone mention ENTP's being comedians? Get outside and enjoy this beautiful summer Monday you geeky INTJ's !

 

[phrenology]

I'm an INFP.

There are some resources out there about medical specialties vs. Myers-Briggs tests, i.e. this book: http://books.google.com/books?id=t7...cialty+infp&num=100&ei=JbRkSsjhMYP-lQTYvcG_Dg
(start on page 38).

Not totally sure how reliable this is but according to the book, INFPs might like psychiatry, which is definitely something I'm interested in.

 

[atomi]

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[Excelsius]

Feelings are not what make us human. Our capacity for independent rational thought is what makes us human. I wish you luck on your career in HR!

Man, you really don't get it. Did I ever say feelings are important at all, much less "what makes us human"? I mentioned "feelings" in the context of communicating with others, even if you have to act. You are not able to comprehend what is being said, even from someone who cares not about feelings when making a judgment. You will need every last drop of that luck you wished me to be able to survive in life, be it medicine, any other field, or personal relationships. Guess what? The vast majority of human population is NOT rational. Your inability to grasp the importance of understanding the tools to communicate or control these people (in terms of leadership) is your great weakness.

I am also not sure how you will do on the verbal passages on the MCAT.

 

[red10]

ESTJ- "The Supervisor"

yea...did you get the memo?

 

[fried rice]

I was an INTJ a few years ago...just took the tests and maybe recent activities have biased me but I scored an ESFP and then an ISTJ on the abbreviated version.

 

[unsung]

Feelings are not what make us human. Our capacity for independent rational thought is what makes us human. I wish you luck on your career in HR!

TNG's Data would disagree with you on that point.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

To expand on what atomi said earlier, the MB personality system is pretty unscientific. Check out the references to this wikipedia article.

 

[afugazzi]

I know the MB types aren't supposed to be ranked, but if one were to, I would put ENFJ in the running for the best (I'm just another INTJ), just according to the correlations with the Big Five, which sound pretty inherently good/bad. According to the wikipedia page on Myers-Briggs, E correlates with Extraversion (duh), N with openness, F with agreeableness, and J with conscientiousness. It's not obvious whether E or I is better, but I'd say for the other three, open, agreeable, and conscientious all sound better than their counterparts...

 

[Kimaris]

INTP all the way.

 

[Uisa]

Come to find out I am an ENTJ

You are:

• distinctively expressed extravert
• moderately expressed intuitive personality
• slightly expressed thinking personality
• moderately expressed judging personality

 

[Narmerguy]

I think everyone is missing the point. A level of balance between all the characteristics is probably the best option. Logic to the exclusion of feelings is out of touch just as feelings to the exclusion of reason is senseless. You need both to succeed. The same goes for all the others. There is no ultimate type.

That said, I don't necessarily agree with the protrayal of the test as being pretty useless as many here would attest. I think when using the test that you simply have to understand it's purpose, which it succeeds pretty well at. The purpose is certainly not to explain [insertnamehere] to the smallest detail. Not even [insertsamenamehere] could probably do that.

 

[HereGoesNothing]

INTJ. I don't feel very unique.

 

[atomi]

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[Macaiah1005]

Esfj

 

[Uisa]

Your inability to reject the irrational and unwillingness to demand the rational is your great weakness. No great leader accepts behavior that does not make sense or writes it off as a simple personality quirk. Thanks for the analysis, again, enjoy your career in HR, I'm sure you will rise quickly! If it doesn't work out, there's always the federal government!

Oh, by the way, I did just fine on the MCAT by using rational thought, how did you do? You have taken the MCAT, haven't you?

Now now kids, let's stop the fighting...

 

[BennieBlanco]

ENTJs unite

 

[BennieBlanco]

Wow! Your entire reasoning is FLAWED. I is better than E? S is "less desirable" than N? Man, what you don't get is that you impose these values on others because in your opinion they are inferior. People who are S don't wish they were N. It is a personality type. I is often a handicap in the society. For you to suggest that I is better than E only shows that you are a staunch introvert and can't see another point of view. P is less desirable than J? That one left me confused. No, your interpretation is wrong. Let's just say that Einstein was a P.

I am very surprised how you can impose these values on others without realizing that these are your own values. Just because you are an N, you think that everyone wants to be one. You have a lot to learn yet. If you have ever worked in a group, you would not say any of those things you said here. People are very different and they are not ashamed of what they are. Just like you view S as inferior, S can view you as a heartless POS. I am not talking about a test here, I am talking about a test combined with human interaction, which is what we did at my workplace to understand one another better.

One of the reasons for taking this test is to understand that there are many different personality types out there and that you need to keep these in mind when you approach various people. Some people, like NTs, only want bare facts to be convinced of an idea. Other people, like SFs, don't care only for the raw data - they want to feel good about it. So you would present your finding to them in a more humanistic approach that involves feeling. You are taking this test the wrong way and it seems to have the opposite effect on you. INTJs are not the absolute superiors. There are at least ENTJs and INTPs that I know of that can be better in some scientific endeavors.

agreed.

Blue is better than green.

And right is better than left.

 

[Excelsius]

Your inability to reject the irrational and unwillingness to demand the rational is your great weakness. No great leader accepts behavior that does not make sense or writes it off as a simple personality quirk. Thanks for the analysis, again, enjoy your career in HR, I'm sure you will rise quickly! If it doesn't work out, there's always the federal government!

Oh, by the way, I did just fine on the MCAT by using rational thought, how did you do? You have taken the MCAT, haven't you?

What the hell are you talking about? Ok... The only reason I tried to discuss this with you was because I thought you were an older, experienced, and intelligent non-trad because you shared my background in engineering. At this point I feel like I am arguing with a sub-20 year old. If you are, then I guess no hard feelings. If you're not, then you have missed the train my friend. This is not my business, but it would benefit you to try and analyze whether your problems instigating avoidance of engineering are really going to be remediated by your entrance into the medical field. Maybe you didn't know, but you still will have to deal with a lot of people in medicine. Anyway, good luck to you.

 

[Longshanks]

No fellow ENTJ's?

ENTJ here! Too many introverts here....

Though admittedly, these questions make me seem a bit more an extrovert than I am, kind of in the middle there. Well, scored a 56% on extrovert so I guess that's accurate that I'm moderately leaning that way.

 

[hal9000]

The heated atomi vs excelsius argument got me thinking.

I can semi-see where atomi is coming from. He isn't saying that INTJ is the best personality period. He seems to be saying that given the field we are all considering (medicine), INTJ seems to be ideal. This goes back to another poll I saw on this site between PhD vs MD, where 95% said they think the PhD is a "higher degree" (whatever that means), and 50% of the posts completely discarded the PhD as garbage.

The thing is, INTJ is no better than ESFP... Excelsius made it a point that personality types cannot be better or worse... and I agree. Steve Irwin was an ESFP. Does that mean that anyone who is an INTJ is better than Steve Irwin? No. Nor does it mean INTJ's are worse. However, taking medicine as a scientific field demanding lots of studying into account, I over E, N over S, T over F, and J over P seems to (somewhat) make sense. I think Mr. Irwin would've had some trouble wrestling alligators while reading an MRI.

I also say "somewhat" because what about the compassionate doctors (F over T)? Or the Emergency Med quick thinker types (S over N)? I guess, if you assume "House, MD" is the perfect doctor... then yea, INTJ IS PERFECT. But not every doctor is House, and there are plenty of great (REAL!) doctors out there--even if television doesn't show them--who are not House. Believe it or not, you don't have to be an introverted, critically thinking, scientific puzzle solver d-bag to be a great doctor...it just helps in getting into med school, and surviving the tests.


Edit: Now of course, there is an exception to all this: the INTP. We rock a little more than others.

 

[EnemaFairy]

i took the test and it says INTJ hmmm interesting