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Up until now, I had happily gone on without any knowledge of what MBTI was. I'd never even heard of it until, one day, my sister asked me if I'd ever done the quiz before. When I answered no, she proceeded to explain to me what MBTI was. Now, it’s a topic which I enjoy learning more about, and in turn, helped me understand myself better.
MBTI is an acronym for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: it is a series of questions that, once answered, would indicate your personality type. In total, there are 16 different types but this doesn't mean there are only 16 types of personalities in the world. Your personality type is a broad umbrella and two people who share the same type won’t be the exact same, but will share the core qualities of the personality type.
Four dichotomies are used to determine your personality:
Introvert (I) or Extrovert (E)
Intuitive (N) or Sensory (S)
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)
The I vs E is pretty self explanatory. If you are an introvert, having some alone time is your way of recharging. But for extroverts, you get recharged by being around people.
I found it quite challenging to understand the difference between intuitive and sensory. Put simply, intuitive people look to the future and imagine, whereas sensory types focus on the present and are rather practical.
There’s often some confusion between people who think and those who feel. If you are a thinking type, it doesn't mean you don't feel. For example, I am an INTJ, and my sister is an INFJ. The only difference between our types is that I am a thinking type and she is a feeling type, yet I am the one who cries during the sad scenes in movies - this applies to all personality types. Just because you have one letter doesn't mean you don't experience the other. It just shows which one you experience and use more. Thinking and feeling depends on how you make decisions. Do you make decisions based on feelings or logic?
And last but not least, judging versus perceiving. Judging is about planning for the future, and people who are judgers prefer certainty and not chaos. On the other hand, perceivers enjoy spontaneity and flexibility to make choices.
By learning which type I am, I have understood myself and my actions better. It also helps me think about what’s best for me. By recognising my strengths and weaknesses based on MBTI, I also learned what I should improve and how to put forward my strengths. You can also learn what types of people you are compatible with and which types you would, typically, get along best with. That’s why I think MBTI is such a great tool in order to understand yourself and enjoy life to the fullest.
If you would like to learn more about MBTI, you can visit YouTube channels such as Frank James, or take the MBTI quiz today on https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test