Friday some friends and I were discussing the Myers-Briggs test. When I first took this personality test years ago I was INTJ, but in 2010 my results said I was ENTJ. I was curious to see if the 2010 test results held up or if anything else had changed, so I retook the test.
I’m still an ENTJ. This time I saved the numbers.
Extravert(11%) iNtuitive(62%) Thinking(25%) Judging(33%)
Explaining the different personality types is always a challenge, but the article What’s Your Animal Personality Type? actually makes it fun by matching your score with an animal. The ENTJ is the Lion.
Independent and logical thinkers who are also persuasive leaders, ENTJs are business-minded and ambitious. They refuse to allow any subjective emotion to enter into their decision-making process, and as a result they can be seen as callous and cold. But these fierce individuals tend to be highly effective, successful, and incredibly powerful. They are truly the kings of the proverbial jungle.
That ENTJ description doesn’t exactly ring true to me. I actually think I am more like the INTJ Octopus.
INTJs are independent types, wildly intelligent and creative — but rather un-interested in what anyone else is doing. They are often considered the most independent of all the personality types, and they work best when given freedom. They are acutely aware of their own intelligence, as well as what they don’t know, and their passion often lies in conceptualizing ideas and processing complex theories.
Maybe I’m somewhere in between.
Me and a real lion. Chiang Mai, Thailand 2009.
How about you? What is your Myers-Briggs type and animal?
Erica
Aug 27, 2013 — 1:42 am
I love MBTI! I’m an INFP. 🙂
I find a lot of biohackers and self development bloggers are most likely INTJ’s … I’ve asked some and been confirmed.
Types actually don’t change and I personally think that the dichotomy of the letters is what often confuses people. As it is really based on the functions that many people don’t even know about.
ENTJ functional stack: Te, Ni, Se, Fi
INTJ functional stack: Ni, Te, Fi, Se
They share the same functions which can confuse some people who are trying to figure out their type in the beginning. The only thing I find helpful about the letters is I vs E. Most people know if they are extroverts or introverts. The question to answer is.. Where do you get your energy from? Introverts get their energy from being alone and lose energy from being around people. Extroverts do the opposite.
Besides the actual MBTI test I prefer this free test..
http://www.keys2cognition.com/explore.htm
It can help you with the functions in knowing which you truly prefer. ENTJ’s and INTJ’s have the same ones, but the order truly makes a difference. I’ve known both (my father is an ENTJ) and they are very distinctly different personalities imo.
This can help in understanding functions better for your two possible types if you’re interested. Maybe you will know which one is most likely you after reading them.
ENTJ: http://personalityjunkie.com/entj-profile/
INTJ: http://personalityjunkie.com/the-intj/
MAS
Aug 27, 2013 — 10:15 am
@Erica – sorry your comment was held. That happens when multiple links are added.
I took the keys2congition test and got ISFP, which is the exact opposite. I found many of the questions confusing or unclear, so I just picked the middle option. This would make me a Sloth on the animal chart. Not me.
Erica
Aug 27, 2013 — 12:16 pm
I figured that’s why it needed moderation.
Hmmm that’s strange. Yeah, I don’t know you of course, but I’d never guess ISFP. LOL.
Obviously though if the questions were confusing then you can’t answer them well enough to get a read. I’m assuming you read the instructions.. it should have explained some of what to do with the questions that you didn’t understand.
Did you check out the last two links… they explain each of your most likely types very well. You would probably know which one you truly are or at least have a better grasp on them.
MAS
Aug 27, 2013 — 1:08 pm
@Erica – After reading Personality Junkie, I am convinced I am really INTJ.
Erica
Aug 27, 2013 — 1:15 pm
That was my guess… but I wasn’t sure if you considered yourself an introvert or extrovert. 🙂
As an INFP we love the INTJ/ENTJ’s LOL. My last function is Te which basically means I suck at all things Te and usually have Te envy. INTj’s do so well with personal development.. I wish it was that natural for me. INFP’s are notoriously horrible at planning anything and especially sticking to any kind of plan. We live in our alternate idealistic reality in our heads. Which is nice and all, but horrible for how this world is set up for the most part. At least I’m a meerkat which is a cute and fun animal! 😉
MAS
Aug 28, 2013 — 10:02 am
@Erica – I’ve become more of an extrovert in the last 5 years, but I still probably walk the line between E and I.
Anemone
Aug 28, 2013 — 10:56 am
INTJ. I was misdiagnosed in my 20s as INFP, but it never felt right. I’m on the border between T and F, and between J and P, so I can see how the results were off. (It was the super long test you take through counselling services.)
I think your scores can go off if you’re exploring underdeveloped parts of your personality – they can loom larger in the short term and get picked up on the test even if they don’t describe you that well in the long term.
I hadn’t seen the animal totems before. That’s always fun, though I’m not so sure about octopi. I think my father and brother are classic beavers, though. Can’t argue with that one.
Robert
Aug 30, 2013 — 9:43 pm
I was an INTJ the last time I took the test and the description of an octopus captured many elements of my personality (to the extent that it was eerie). I always imagined myself as more of a solitary sea turtle, though.
M
Jan 6, 2014 — 4:12 pm
Functions are the most important and useful part in determining mbti type.
While ISFP may seem ‘way off’ because its the ‘opposite’, this actually means it shares all the same functions as ENTJ, just in the reverse order.
As a result I would say these are definitely the functions you use.
ISFP functions are Fi, Se, Ni, Te
ENTJ: Te, Ni, Se, Fi
INTJ: Ni, Te, Fi, Se
I think you scored as ISFP because your Ni is greater than your Te, making you an INTJ. You also probably have well developed Fi for an INTJ causing this to show up in the test as your dominant function. As healthy INTJ with balanced functions is likely to score ISFP on a cognitive function stack test.
Hope this makes sense.
People need to realise that MBTI isn’t a flawless test and we can’t give flawless answers about ourselves. It also isn’t a scale. To really understand it you have to understand functional stacks. These are the most important and useful part for learning about yourself.
MBTI is not about reading a type description and saying ‘that’s me’. It’s about understanding your type, your individual differences and why you have individual differences and how you PROCESS information (which is your cognitive functions).
Anyway, you’re certainly an INTJ (just a more balanced and healthy one than average)
M
Jan 6, 2014 — 4:19 pm
And @Anemone,
You also mistyped (not misdiagnosed – its not as disorder lol) as INFP due to high levels of Fi.
You aren’t as such on the border between P/J, T/F this is just how your cognitive function test reveals itself in real life. You are likely strongly intuitive, meaning you will show both Ne and Ni even though Ni is your natural inclination, causing confusion on the test. Under stress or as a young person your shadow functions were probably skewing the test.
Your comment about underdeveloped parts of your personality is very true.