Myers-Briggs Personality Analysis

According to the Myers-Briggs Foundation website (2013), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a “psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.” This test is based on four principal psychological functions by which we experience the world: sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking (Myers-Briggs Foundation, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to determine my individual MBTI, and analyze how relevant this indicator is to my true self.

Focusing on the four psychological functions of MBTI, I have had the opportunity to determine that I am an INFJ. As an INFJ, I am essentially “the Protector (Portrait of an INFJ, 2013).” This means that I am mostly “internally focused,” take things in via intuition, and deal with situations based on “how I feel” about them. This often results in stubbornness as well as perfectionism. Furthermore, INFJ’s are perceived as gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals that place great importance on having things orderly and systematic. They have uncanny insight into people and situations, yet are deep, complex and secretive about personal matters. In addition, “Portrait of an INFJ (2013),”states that INFJ’s “seek to care about and internalize matters about others leading to health issues when they are under a great deal of stress.” They are natural nurturers, yet creative, artistic and meticulous all in one.

Reflecting upon these traits of INFJ’s, and relating them to my “true” self, I do see many of the characteristics aforementioned. For example, I have often been told that I am emotional and “think with my heart before I think with my head.” However, I feel that this trait within myself leads me to be very sensitive and caring toward others, possibly why I chose a caring profession such as nursing for my career. Furthermore, I feel that I do strive for perfection in many aspects of my life—ie: trying to be the best at my job; getting all A’s in school; eating well and staying thin; obsessively cleaning my house; etc. However, this, at times, does cause a great deal of pressure, stress and anxiety, leading to stomach aches, headaches, etc. I have been told throughout my life that I need to “lighten up” and enjoy my successes rather than continually “beating myself up” with no break. If I could accomplish this, and relax more, I feel that I could appreciate the friends, family and other aspects of the world around me a lot more.

Lastly, I do feel that my intuition is true to the INFJ description, as I have often been told by both my parents that I “see things differently” and am “very self-reflective.” However, as I have aged, this same insight is now portrayed as “paranoia” by close friends who often do not see the world in the same way that I do. Overall, I feel that I do not view the world as black and white, yet seek to explore that “gray” area in between, whereas my friends need to have everything laid out before them without the need to further analyze. Sometimes I feel that this part of me is closely related to my ability to “think outside of the box” and come up with some great, creative ideas as well. Although many of the attributes associated with the MBTI relate to my personality 99% of the time, I still feel that at any moment, due to my mood or situations surrounding me, that I could be a mixture of all types.

In fact, I feel that as people change, life changes, or situations change, that personality “shifts” as well. It is as if we all have, as human beings, a “primary” personality that is shaped by our genes and our environment. However, this primary personality is moldable and can be altered at any point dependent upon the situations that surround us. Although I may be an INFJ, I have noticed periods, for example, when I am more of an extravert (E) than introvert (I), especially when in the company of close friends and family versus a crowd of strangers. In conclusion, the MBTI is a great indicator for determining the primary personality of an individual to give us a basic idea of where we stand the majority of the time. This MBTI indicator can aid in guiding us in towards the right career path, social experience etc to name a few. However, as I have mentioned, I do feel that situations can alter this primary personality type slightly to reflect other indicators designated in the MBTI.

References

“Myers-Briggs Foundation .” Retrieved on January 8, 2013 from http://www.myersbriggs.org. “Portrait of an INFJ.” Retrieved on January 8, 2013 from http://www.personalitypage.com.