Back in February our Staff Writers and editors opened up about our Enneagram types and now we’re here to talk about our Myers-Briggs personality types. The MBTI test was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, and it’s based on Jungian philosophy. Basically, it’s supposed to tell you what your desires and motivations are, and how those two things manifest themselves in the way you interact with the world around you. There are 16 MTBI types and they’re anchored in four dichotomies: extroverted/introverted; sensing/intuition; thinking/feeling; judging/perception. You can take a free version of this test right here and let us know your feelings about your type and your feelings about our feelings in the comments!
Alaina, Staff Writer, INTP
I feel pretty closely aligned with INTP, even though I’ve gotten INFJ on unofficial tests and that one also makes some sense. Am I an introvert? Yes. Do I think abstractly, and sometimes too big for real life? Yes. I’m super objective and logical, sometimes to a fault, and I, like Aaron Burr, prefer to “wait for it,” instead of going for things when I’m not sure what the outcome will be. Also, INTPs are witty and charming, and I am both of those things – please invite me to your next dinner party. INTPs are also terrified by the prospect of failure. Haha, no comment!!!!
Creatrix Tiara, Staff Writer, ENFP
Every time I’ve taken the test across my life I’ve gotten ENFP — the E/I can go 50/50 but the rest are pretty solid. The part I’m most vocal about is the extroversion, mostly that I’m very annoyed at the assumption that extroverts are all overly gregarious party people to the point that people contort themselves to avoid calling themselves “extroverts!” I keep seeing “extroverted introvert” in dating profiles or articles that are all “You May Be An Extroverted Introvert If” and they all hinge on the assumption that extroverts never want to be alone or have quiet time, ever. I know I function better around company, hence the extroversion, but I am super socially awkward and prefer smaller gatherings where people generally know each other to large parties (which actually feel much more isolating). And sometimes I get overstimulated and need to be by myself for a bit! I’m frustrated that “extrovert” has become some kind of dirty word because it carries the connotation of “too much” or “overbearing” — which gets even worse when it’s gendered and racialised. It’s OK to admit you’re an extrovert, really, no one’s going to force you to go to a rave if you don’t wanna.
Mey, Staff Writer, ENFP
Sometimes I’ve gotten ENFJ, but I think this is where I’m at right now. I’m guessing I’m going to be one of the few extroverts on the staff, most writers and queer women that I see online tend to be introverts. But I love being an extrovert and I feel like it guides the rest of who I am. The way I interact with others and the world and every decision I make is based on me wanting to be around other people and have a good time with them. People give me energy and make me happy and I want to make them happy too. The profile says I’m very popular, which I love, and that I’m extremely emotional, which I both love and hate. It also says I’m like Michael Scott from The Office which is very true.
Cee, Tech Director, INTJ-A
I’m definitely an INTJ. The “A” letter is new — it says I’m 92% assertive which sounds about right. Reading the description of some of the traits of an INTJ is a little sobering and has reminded me to chill out a little.
A.E. Osworth, Staff Writer, ENFJ
I have been an ENFJ since high school and wowie, is that ever accurate. One of my friends looked at me once, cocked her head to the side and rattled off all the letters she thought I was and yup, ENFJ. I definitely get energy from being around people and I will happily talk to just about anyone. The one that sometimes surprises people is judging until you realize that I have a list of my six favorite sandwiches I have ever eaten, ranked. The J starts to make sense after that.
Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, Staff Writer, ENTJ/INTJ
I was much more extroverted in my youth than I am now, so I tend to gravitate more toward INTJ these days, but I still have my ENTJ moments. Also I remember I got ESTJ the very first time I took the test? I’m all over the place I guess! Idk, I don’t love MBTI as much as I do enneagram, and I think it’s because I feel kind of disconnected from a lot of aspects of INTJ. And I didn’t like when I was an ENTJ because my mom is an ENTJ!
Heather Hogan, Senior Editor, INFP
Unlike the enneagram test, I’ve never learned (or been forced to confront) surprising things about myself from Myers-Briggs. Idealist? Check. Searching for ways to make things better? Check. Inner flame and passion? Check. A lot of writers are INFPs because it means they get to stay home and be by themselves a lot, for one thing; but also because they’re just naturally good at communicating, at pulling on different threads of dozens of ideas and weaving them into a tidy narrative or metaphor or parable. I don’t really care what famous people share my personality type but I love talking about what fictional characters might share my personality type (the most INFP thing ever). All the tests say it’s Anne Shirley and Bilbo Baggins, which is a hoot because I’m absolutely in the center of that Venn diagram with its gentle overwrought sense of noble purpose and inability to not take everything just so super seriously.
“Yes, this is Anne Shirley,” said Marilla.
“Spelled with an e,” gasped Anne, who tremulous and excited as she was, was determined there should be no misunderstanding on that important point.
Laura M, Staff Writer, ENTJ
I emailed these results to myself on July 5, 2015:
ENTJ Extravert(9%) iNtuitive(78%) Thinking(6%) Judging(12%)
You have slight preference of Extraversion over Introversion (9%)
You have strong preference of Intuition over Sensing (78%)
You have slight preference of Thinking over Feeling (6%)
You have slight preference of Judging over Perceiving (12%)
I feel like everyone is always asking this and I can never remember the answer, nor do I want to retake the quiz. (Which is why I emailed it to myself so I can just give them an efficient answer and move on. I assume this is because I’m a Capricorn Ravenclaw.)
Now you know all of the things about me. And no I do not agree with the test that I’m an extrovert; I just play one at work, sometimes, because it’s expedient to getting what I want.
I strongly prefer enneagram type.
Erin, Staff Writer, INFJ
According to Wikipedia I share this introversion, intuition, feeling, and judgement combo with Nicole Kidman, Adam Sandler, and Nelson Mandela. What a dynamic trio! Honestly not what I was expecting, but then again I had to look up what INFJ meant, so I imagine if I shared this MBTI with the Barefoot Contessa, Shaquille O’Neal, and Paul from the Bible I’d be as surprised.
Apparently INFJs operate more off feeling, and I would say that intuition very much commands my brain/heart ship, so it’s an accurate assessment. How’d this bitch know that I’m soft-spoken though? Also got a real read in the weakness department: a leaning toward perfectionism and extreme privacy which lead to an inevitable burn out!!! We have fun.
Valerie Anne, Staff Writer, INFP
“The Mediator.” If I was writing a memoir, I could have a whole chapter called The Mediator and I could fill it with tales of times I was a literal mediator and it would only be a fraction of the stories I could tell. Between my parents, between friends; even now sometimes between coworkers. I’m the one people use to pass messages between each other and I do my best to filter out the words spoken from a place of anger to get to the root of the problem, attempting to diffuse any conflict. INFPs are rumoredly rare, apparently only 4% of the population, and maybe because it’s harder than it seems. On the one hand, I’m very empathetic and can express my feelings or explain someone else’s feelings using (often extensive) metaphors, or channel through fictional characters. I’m relentlessly optimistic, very go-with-the-flow, and I’m always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. On the downside, I can sometimes overlook the practical for the idealistic, I can take things extremely personally even when I logically know it wasn’t a direct reflection on me, and despite my generally cheerful disposition, I have a lot more walls up than people realize, and once they start to run into them, I imagine it can be extremely frustrating. Especially since I’m the type of person the cab driver tells their whole life story to, and people often say they feel comfortable opening up to me very quickly; the feeling isn’t usually mutual. This also means the few people who DO get past those walls have to carry the whole burden of my inner turmoil; congratulations?
Molly Priddy, Staff Writer, INFP
Oh god, of course it’s the Mediator. I’m the middle of five girls in my family, and all I’ve done my whole life is talk to people older and younger and madder and nicer than I am. I’ve been a communicator my whole life, and people have always opened up to me, whether I wanted that or not. As a kid, other kids would tell me terrible secrets about their families, and I didn’t know how to deal. It kept happening to me all through my life, finally culminating in some serious depression in college because I didn’t know how to deal with people always wanting to drop their worst and darkest and hardest on me. But! Through therapy, I figured out how to make people keep their own monkeys on their own backs, and now, as a journalist, people wanting to talk to me on a deep level very quickly works very much to my advantage. Another funny thing about INFP is that people talk to me, but I will rarely, if ever, open up to others. That takes a long time, and trust and effort. But the part about being an INFP I feel the most is the fascination with fantasy worlds — I’m pretty sure I’ll end up with the Elves from Lord of the Rings.
Alexis, Staff Writer, INFP/INFJ
So we took this test in high school, and I just carried around INFP forever. I took it a couple of years ago and had a mini existential crisis because I was INFJ? So I just claim them both but INFP like 9% more.
So according to 16Personalities, INFP is “The Mediator”, and means I look for the good in every situation and hope for the best in people and fits with me being a Hufflepuff (I want you to know how badly I want to be Slytherin (SO BAD) but I’m too scared of the dark). I’m guided by principles rather than logic, and move forward because of my intent not because of repercussions or consequences (which as someone who applies to any and everything that makes my heart skip a beat, is extremely true.) I talk in parables and metaphors which makes me great fun at parties and creative work is where I live. I don’t talk to a lot of people, I can hermit with the best of them, but no matter my imbalance, I always end up coming back to myself (usually with a little help from my friends). Mediators like me are Alicia Keys who I’m claiming for my younger self, Amelie Poutain, Mr. Rogers, Luna Lovegood, Virginia Woolf, Fiona Apple, Dr. J, Luke Skywalker, Chloe Sevigny, Emily Blunt, and the fire dragon queen Emilia Clarke.
Vanessa, Community Editor, ENFP
My girlfriend always remembers what my Myers-Briggs personality is and I never do, so before I wrote this answer I said, “Babe, what am I again?” and she said, “Are you ENFP?” and I was pretty sure she was right, because she always remembers it right, but I took the test just to be sure and yep, sure enough, here I am: ENFP, reporting for duty! The thing is, it’s not that I think this answer is wrong (it checks out pretty well actually) but whenever I take these kinds of tests I can always tell the questions that are pulling me from one extreme to the other (embodying the E vs. the I, for example) and sometimes I want to yell at my computer “ACTUALLY IT IS BOTH!” Like, hanging out with people can be energizing, and it can also be fucking tiring! Of course sometimes I want to stay in with a good book BUT I ALSO LIKE GOING TO THEME PARTIES. I dunno, what if these personality tests lack nuance?! WHAT IF I CONTAIN MULTITUDES?! On the other hand yeah, duh, I fucking love community and making social and emotional connections with others and sure, if you want to call me “charming, independent, energetic, and compassionate” I will both accept and agree so FINE, I guess even without the special snowflake nuance I desire, this test is pretty on point.
Reneice, Staff Writer, ENFJ
I found out my Myers Briggs type when I was in high school and my mom sent me to get a battery of psychological assessments. I’ve always felt it’s an accurate depiction of me and the way I work. I’m very extroverted and intuition and feelings are the way I make and approach pretty much every decision. This drives a lot of people in my life nuts, especially my mom. She bought me a book for christmas once called “unglued” that is about how to navigate life as an overly emotional person that can’t make decisions without putting feelings aside. So there’s that.
Carolyn, NSFW Editor and Literary Editor, INTJ-T
Okay so “The Architect.” “Imaginative yet decisive, ambitious yet private, amazingly curious, but they do not squander their energy”? You flatter me. I am a little hesitant to embrace the “I” part of this, because I learned last year that I actually really like being around people (I scored introverted but only at 56%), but a tendency to apply strategic thinking to interpersonal relationship building is unfortunately dead-on. I’m also not sure I “radiate self-confidence and an aura of mystery” but I’m working on it.
KaeLyn, Staff Writer, ENFP
Dang, there’s more of us ENFP’s on staff than I anticipated. According to 16 Personalities, only 7% of the population is ENFP, so I feel like we have an oversample here at AS, for sure. I think these personality tests are fun but not very serious, like when I took the tests in Seventeen mag about what my favorite lip gloss says about whether my crush likes me or not. I also like that Myers-Briggs was designed by women. That’s extra fun! I’m not gonna’ live my life by it, though. Then again, it ain’t wrong. I am a creative thinker who likes to come up with original solutions and values freedom and is often put into leadership positions because of my big personality. I do dislike administrivia or things that don’t exercise the creative or compassionate parts of my brain. I do value social relationships and spend a lot of time exploring them at all levels. So, like, yeah, ENFP. It me.
Stef, Vapid Fluff Editor, INFJ
Says here that INFJs are very rare? Apparently I’m the Advocate, which means I get very passionate about things and have a kind of all-or-nothing approach guided mostly by my moral code. I can definitely err towards perfectionism (with the occasional burnout) and am far, far too sensitive for my own good. I define myself by the work I do, usually to a fault, and always like to know that what I’m doing has some degree of meaning or purpose. The description also says that my eloquence and persuasiveness can lead to a lot of unwanted popularity, which I cannot say has been my experience, but let’s pretend. I have a feeling if you asked anybody who knows any of us to pick which two of us would have the same personality type, Erin and I would be a very unlikely combination. It’s a true honor, pal. This test also said that I was 88% turbulent, which seems rude.
Riese, Editor-in-Chief, INFJ
It’s funny that INFJs are supposed to be so rare ‘cause I seem to know a lot of ‘em… but… here’s a theory! So far on this roundtable, Stef and Erin have both identified solely as INFJs. The other hotspot of INFJs in my life are people in the Runagays/Blackhearts cabins at A-Camp, which is composed entirely of people who ranked their relationship to Autostraddle.com very high when filling out their camp registration forms. Stef and Erin are both humans who read my blog back in the day, as are many Runaways, but even those who never read my blog are people who are huge fans of the website in general. Also Yvonne is an INFJ even though she hasn’t done this roundtable yet, and she’s obviously also a pretty big fan of Autostraddle. So it makes sense that this rare type of human seems to be everywhere in my life, because my INFJ nature probably has some kind of underlying impact on a lot of what Autostraddle started out as and still is sometimes underneath it all. Eh? How’s that? Anyhow I wish “advocates find it easy to make connections with others” was true, but wow who knew that me and Alanis Morissette had so much in common. Also, it’s true that I only wanna bother with friendships.
Abeni Jones, Staff Writer, INFP
I just took the test for the first time in a few years, and my type changed! I’ve always been an INFJ but this test told me I’m an INFP, which is fascinating. It doesn’t seem that different, to be honest? Apparently INFPs are almost as rare as INFJs. I’m hypersensitive and empathetic and like to just think about things a lot. I have a hard time sleeping because I just lay in bed thinking about some idea, or having a conversation in my head, for hours.
This describes me too well: “If they are not careful, Mediators can lose themselves in their quest for good and neglect the day-to-day upkeep that life demands… Mediators often drift into deep thought, enjoying contemplating the hypothetical and the philosophical… Left unchecked, Mediators may start to lose touch, withdrawing into “hermit mode”, and it can take a great deal of energy from their friends or partner to bring them back to the real world.”
