Wednesday 12 January 2011

Meyers Briggs personality test. So interesting!

Yesterday I took a Meyers Briggs personality test. I got curious after people spoke about it in repsonse to this POST of mine last Thursday. My result was INFP (Introverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving - Introverted Feeling with Extraverted Intuition). And I tell you, I can't believe how acurate this thing is. I'm not going to quote the whole personality summary because it's quite long, but I am going to quote some parts that I'd like to share with you and explain a little bit of personal history that proves some of these things right.

"Generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease. Although they may be reserved in expressing emotion, they have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people. This sincerity is sensed by others, making the INFP a valued friend and confidante. An INFP can be quite warm with people he or she knows well."
I do like to think that I am thoughtful and considerate, and I don't judge on appearance - ever. I think it's a nice quality to have. But it can work against me. It means I don't take enough care of myself and sometimes get myself down. I also read that depression is very common in INFPs. This is true with me too. And I think this could be one of the reasons for it. I also find this amazing in relation to my writing, because I love to explore relationships. Notice though the words 'Generally' and 'warm with people he or she knows well'? These are significant phrases. I can also be very cold and heartless with people who don't seem to care or who seem a threat to ruining my mood. I put up a wall.

"INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFPs place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. They focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don't really care whether or not they're right. They don't want to feel badly. This trait sometimes makes them appear irrational and illogical in conflict situations."

This is so true. And I think this is why I let myself stay in bad relationships too long because I can't bear the thought of the conlict that will arise if I try to end them. In both romantic relationships and basic friendships/aquaintences. I also, especially with my partner, never argue about right or wrong, we argue about how he makes me feel sometimes. He says: But I didn't say anything wrong!" I say: It was the way you said it, I don't like being spoken to like that, it makes me feel shit."

"When it comes to the mundane details of life maintenance, INFPs are typically completely unaware of such things. They might go for long periods without noticing a stain on the carpet, but carefully and meticulously brush a speck of dust off of their project booklet."

LOLOL! Yes. That's me to a tee.

"INFPs may have problems working on a project in a group, because their standards are likely to be higher than other members' of the group. In group situations, they may have a "control" problem. The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living. Without resolving this conflict, they will never be happy with themselves, and they may become confused and paralyzed about what to do with their lives."

Yes. Yes. Yes. I am a loner. I like to be alone and work alone where people are not hanging over my shoulder telling me what to do or blabbering on and on. And yes yes yes, when I was young, I used to try to control every single group project I was involved in and I would get SOOO frustrated when things didn't go my way. But I have learned to control this, thank goodness. Now, if I happen to have to do something in a group, I take the backseat. Because if I let myelf get too involved I'll get stressed and disappointed in the results.

"INFPs are usually talented writers. They may be awkard and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally, but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they're feeling on paper."

OMG, yes. If you ever meet me face to face, you'll seriously wonder whether I hire someone to write for me, because I can't verbally string a concise sentence together without falling over myself. So those of you who will meet me next year when I come to the US. Brace yourself. Seriously.



So have you ever taken this personality test? What was your result? Did you agree with your result? I'd love to hear!!!


32 comments:

  1. Loved the post, as for warning the US about you going there next year,
    I think I ought to warn them I shall be there next month, Heaven help them.

    Yvonne.

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  2. Haven't taken it yet, although I imagine it will tell me I have higher standards as well.

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  3. Interesting! I studied psychology in college, so I learned all about this test. When I take it, I get an almost perfect split among four different personality types. I guess I don't fit into the test writers' theory very well. Most people do.

    My husband consistently gets an error score when he takes this test, and he's answering the questions honestly. Maybe that's why we're such a good match! We have also both scored high on eccentricity measures, which could have something to do with our nonsensical Meyers Briggs results. :)

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  4. Hi Jessica

    I took a test a while back and came out as an INFJ, and I have to say that I pretty much agree with the explanation below. In fact, it is pretty much me to a T.
    Cheers
    Kim

    Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.

    INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ.

    "There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.

    INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.

    Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.

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  5. I haven't. But seriously, that sounds so much like me. Where's the linky to take the test. I'd love to check it out.

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  6. ENFJ here, and I remember the first time I took the Meyers-Briggs test. Reading the description of my results had the hair on my arms standing up. It was beyond spot-on! About a year later, I took it again and got the same results. That day, I had my husband take the test. His results, though I'd have to look up what they were, were also eerily perfect. THEN, I did some clicking around on the website, and found where you can see what personalities you're best suited to work with, socialize with, have a loving relationship with...and when I clicked that last one, hubby's personality trait came up as a match for my ENFJ. How cool is that!

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  7. I might have taken it, I can't remember. I heard it's a great test to put your characters through. There's one book on writing dialogue that breaks down how people would communicate based on the different personality types from this test.

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  8. I've not taken this test but for the most part, your answers sound like me!

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  9. +JMJ+

    I had to take this test in high school. I'm an INTJ!

    Yes, isn't it uncanny how accurate a personality test it is?

    By the way, where did you get the motivational posters? Did you just google for images of your type? I'd like some of my own! LOL!

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  10. I haven't taken the test but you've got me wanting to run over and see what I am and seeing if I'm okay with the answers.

    Stay tuned :)

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  11. I've taken this a couple of times--once in school and once for a job...I know, the job one sounds weird, but it was supposed to give us insight about our colleagues and how they might take in information so we could be better managers. I am an INTP, so we're pretty close!

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  12. I took the one that analyzes your blog posts and came out as an ISFP, but I haven't taken the actually personality test to see how close those match up.

    It is scary when you find something that's that spot-on about you, isn't it?

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  13. I took this test a while back and remember thinking is was pretty accurate. I'm an ENFJ, I think, though I'm not sure about the second letter.

    Anyway, cute post. I love the picture of the guy with his head in the ground like an ostrich.

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  14. Wow, that sounds a lot like me. That's weird. I can see how it would be helpful when creating characters!

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  15. I took that test years ago and can't remember the exact result, but some of what you've detailed here sounds VERY familiar :-)

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  16. Oh my gosh. I think I'm INFP! You totally described me. =)

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  17. I'm an INTJ and it's so accurate. I love that test.
    CD

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  18. If I remember correctly, I'm an INFJ. Oh, and I just love those posters--they're a hoot. :)

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  19. I took the test years ago and came up as an INFP. It still applies.

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  20. That's really cool to know about you Jessica. I've taken this test a number of times, though not for many years. If I remember correctly I'm an INSP. I also try to use this phylosophy with my characters becuase it's a good tool to determine how they relate to others and the world around them. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. I do don't stuff like this because I was over analyzed by so many shrinks as a kid that I got traumatized. Still, the info you have here is really interesting.

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  22. Um yeah, that's supposed to say "don't do."

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  23. I've not taken that test yet, but it sounds interesting. :)

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  24. Yes, Temperament Theory is the closest thing I have to a religion. Twelve years of reading about it have helped me with every relationship I've had since then- it's an invaluable tool to understand yourself and those around you.

    Last year I even did a short series of videos for YouTube talking about what it's like to be INFJ because there were so few up there in comparison to other types. Then, being the 10 on the Keirsey introversion scale that I am...soon after I took them down *laugh* Felt a little too 'out there'. I still have them somewhere.

    True story.

    I've never tried the MBTI version, but I'm sure the results would come out the same. Now I'm going to have to look up the INFJ posters and see what they look like *nervous...*

    Great post!

    ~bru

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  25. Sounds a lot like me, too. I'm repeating myself from our email, but I think it might be neat forme to try it again. I was an INFJ when I took it, and the description fits me greatly. But the INFP description of you fits me really great too ;p

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  26. I took this before but I can't remember exactly which one I was. I think I might have actually be an enfp but I can't really remember. I know it was one of the rare ones which made me happy. Makes me want to take it again.

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  27. Here's to one INFP to another! ;) We're a rare breed.

    Love this personality test. Spooky how accurate it is.

    If you get a chance, please stop by to read this week’s anonymous critique and share your feedback!

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  28. I'm INFP. VERY INFP. Glad to meet another. :)

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  29. I am an INFP too and smiled to read these descriptions of myself :) wouldn't it be fun to have a big poll of writers and see which Meyers comes out on top?

    Just read your testimony about publishing with Lucky Press on Michele's blog, that post was fascinating. Really opened my eyes. Definitely looking forward to your publication date!

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  30. This sounds pretty awesome, I'll give it a shot. I've got no clue what it'd say, though I'd imagine introversion would be in there somewhere. I wouldn't be a geek without it!

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  31. Part 1 Of 2:

    AlliAllo ~
    The following comes from my old blog bit titled “O’Dogherty Interviews McCarthy (Or, Dumb Yaks With Dumber, Or Vice Versa)”.

    To save you the trouble of scrolling through a long blog bit you wouldn’t take the trouble to scroll through, I’ve pasted the relevant “stuffs” below:

    O’DOGHERTY: What’s your personality type?

    McCARTHY: I’m glad you asked me that. If you hadn’t done so, I probably would have brought it up myself.

    In June of 2008, my buddy Mr. Paulboy Prodigalman the Sixth turned me on to this Jungian personality test. I took it at that time and was categorized as an “INTJ.” That means “Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking and Judging” type. Or to more explicitly put it in their estimation: "Introverted intellectual with a preference for finding certainty. A builder of systems and the applier of theoretical models. 2.1% of total population.”

    The analysis breakdown went . . .
    Introverted (I) 61.76% - Extroverted (E) 38.24%
    Intuitive (N) 57.89% - Sensing (S) 42.11%
    Thinking (T) 53.66% - Feeling (F) 46.34%
    Judging (J) 61.11% - Perceiving (P) 38.89%

    I read their description of this type, and with a few notable exceptions, I thought it pegged me pretty well. I retook the test 14 or 15 months later – in late October last year - and the results were the same. So, both the test and I seemed quite consistent.

    The explanation of my results stated two things that really struck me as being entirely correct. It said “INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them.” This is something I had absolutely come to recognize about myself years earlier. That really made me sit up and take notice.

    Another thing it said was that “To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of ‘definiteness’, of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature.”

    This too struck me as being spot on. I have often felt that a lot of people perceive me to be arrogant when, in fact, there is little or no arrogance in me. It’s just that I KNOW what I know. And I take the time and make the effort to come to a state of Knowing because Truth is very important to me. In fact, it’s about the only thing I’m interested in. To hell with what I want reality to be; it’s only what reality IS that matters. So, I study – and I study hard – and when I come to the point where I can say “Such and such is SO”, I can not only tell you that it’s SO, but I’m convinced I can tell you WHY it’s SO.

    Continued Below...

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  32. Part 2 Of 2:

    I think a lot of people are satisfied to just go on believing what they choose to believe. But, as I’ve often said, "I would rather KNOW an unpleasant truth than BELIEVE a pleasant lie". So I study and I drive on until I am satisfied that I know The Truth about something. That’s not to say that I’m always right. I’m certainly fallible, and I’ve proven that innumerable times. But when I’m wrong, it’s an HONEST wrong; it’s an unfortunate misinterpretation of facts which I believed in good faith that I was contemplating and applying in an intellectually honest way.

    But I shall always be grateful to Mr. Paulboy for turning me on to that personality test because it answered a question for me that I had often entertained and been bothered by. It wasn’t until sometime after I had taken the test for the second time that the full implications of the results occurred to me. One day it just suddenly dawned on me why, throughout my life, I have had difficulty relating to most people and why many people have had difficulty relating to me. I suddenly realized, for example, why I have always had few real friends and why my writings and my Blogs do not attract much of a readership.

    INTJ is the third least common personality type; it’s estimated that only 2.1% of the total population shares it. In other words, a small number of the people I’ve met in my entire life think very much like I do. If only 2.1% of the population processes and interacts with “this world” in a precisely similar manner, how could I ever acquire a large pool of friends? How could my writings appeal to a significant number of people? How could I affect a large segment of the population? Is it any wonder I’ve always been a misfit, and even a misfit among misfits?

    So, in a way, this personality test sort of gave me some newfound peace of mind because it logically explained why everyone hates me.

    OK, that last bit was a joke, but you get my point.
    I am intensely curious to see all of my friends take this same test at some point, and interested in having them share their results with me. I would find learning what personality type all of my friends are very fascinating. Most of them, I’m guessing, must be “outsiders” like I am or they probably wouldn’t maintain a friendship with me and vice versa.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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“I'm using my art to comment on what I see. You don't have to agree with it.” ~John Mellencamp

“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace” ~Judith S. Marin

“I don't ever try to make a serious social comment.” ~Paul McCartney

“I'd make a comment at a meeting and nobody would even acknowledge me. Then some man would say the same thing and they'd all nod.” ~Charlotte Bunch

“Probably what my comment meant was that I don't care about the circumstances if I can tell the truth.” ~Sally Kirkland

“We're not going to pay attention to the silliness and the petty comments. And quite frankly, women have joined me in this effort, and so it's not about appearances. It's about effectiveness.” ~Katherine Harris