share my Myers-Briggs personality type with other 43Ters

I’m what Keirsey classifies as The Teacher which is appropriate, since I am a teacher.
Here’s what I got on the Humanmetrics site after doing the test there:
Etraverted 33%
Intuitive 50%
Feeling 50%
Judging 56%
I think that it is fairly accurate for me!

the Leadership program I am about to participate in is having us do a Myers-Briggs II analysis! It is supposed to provide a more detailed profile. I am interested to see where I come out at this time in my life with this new analysis. Will report when I know.

I’ve actually taken this test for a few different things… when I worked at the library, and for a job application, and for my Freshman Success class, and now this, and I always get INFP.

Apparently I’m a creative, sometimes quiet, spur-of-the-moment, observer.

The best-fitting description from this I’ve gotten so far was when I took the test for my Freshman Success class, and I got my “Career Insights”

“INFP’s need to believe in their work; they need their work to reflect their values of harmony, unity and friendship. Their careers often reflect their ability to improve other people’s lives through verbal skills. They work best when they have the freedom to respond creatively to the needs of the moment for short periods of time. The type of careers that honor these traits include fine arts, counseling, writing, teaching (art, music, drama), library work and entertainment.”

It even listed all the careers I’ve considered at the end exactly. Back when I was in high school art classes, the art pieces I got awards for always involved my friends somehow. And they were always done within hours of the due date… my best essays and writing projects are done in hours.

I’m pretty happy with my INFP status. It suits me well :)

INFP
Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving

Keirsey says:
Healer Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in striving for their ends, and investigative and attentive in their interpersonal relations. Healer present a seemingly tranquil, and noticiably pleasant face to the world, and though to all appearances they might seem reserved, and even shy, on the inside they are anything but reserved, having a capacity for caring not always found in other types. They care deeply-indeed, passionately-about a few special persons or a favorite cause, and their fervent aim is to bring peace and integrity to their loved ones and the world.

Healers have a profound sense of idealism derived from a strong personal morality, and they conceive of the world as an ethical, honorable place. Indeed, to understand Healers, we must understand their idealism as almost boundless and selfless, inspiring them to make extraordinary sacrifices for someone or something they believe in. The Healer is the Prince or Princess of fairytale, the King’s Champion or Defender of the Faith, like Sir Galahad or Joan of Arc. Healers are found in only 1 percent of the general population, although, at times, their idealism leaves them feeling even more isolated from the rest of humanity.

Healers seek unity in their lives, unity of body and mind, emotions and intellect, perhaps because they are likely to have a sense of inner division threaded through their lives, which comes from their often unhappy childhood. Healers live a fantasy-filled childhood, which, unfortunately, is discouraged or even punished by many parents. In a practical-minded family, required by their parents to be sociable and industrious in concrete ways, and also given down-to-earth siblings who conform to these parental expectations, Healers come to see themselves as ugly ducklings. Other types usually shrug off parental expectations that do not fit them, but not the Healers. Wishing to please their parents and siblings, but not knowing quite how to do it, they try to hide their differences, believing they are bad to be so fanciful, so unlike their more solid brothers and sisters. They wonder, some of them for the rest of their lives, whether they are OK. They are quite OK, just different from the rest of their family-swans reared in a family of ducks. Even so, to realize and really believe this is not easy for them. Deeply committed to the positive and the good, yet taught to believe there is evil in them, Healers can come to develop a certain fascination with the problem of good and evil, sacred and profane. Healers are drawn toward purity, but can become engrossed with the profane, continuously on the lookout for the wickedness that lurks within them. Then, when Healers believe thay have yielded to an impure temptation, they may be given to acts of self-sacrifice in atonement. Others seldom detect this inner turmoil, however, for the struggle between good and evil is within the Healer, who does not feel compelled to make the issue public.

Butt says:
Introverted Feeling

INFPs live primarily in a rich inner world of introverted Feeling. Being inward-turning, the natural attraction is away from world and toward essence and ideal. This introversion of dominant Feeling, receiving its data from extraverted intuition, must be the source of the quixotic nature of these usually gentle beings. Feeling is caught in the approach- avoidance bind between concern both for people and for All Creatures Great and Small, and a psycho-magnetic repulsion from the same. The “object,” be it homo sapiens or a mere representation of an organism, is valued only to the degree that the object contains some measure of the inner Essence or greater Good. Doing a good deed, for example, may provide intrinsic satisfaction which is only secondary to the greater good of striking a blow against Man’s Inhumanity to Mankind.

Extraverted iNtuition

Extraverted intuition faces outward, greeting the world on behalf of Feeling. What the observer usually sees is creativity with implied good will. Intuition spawns this type’s philosophical bent and strengthens pattern perception. It combines as auxiliary with introverted Feeling and gives rise to unusual skill in both character development and fluency with language—a sound basis for the development of literary facility. If INTPs aspire to word mechanics, INFPs would be verbal artists.

Introverted Sensing

Sensing is introverted and often invisible. This stealth function in the third position gives INFPs a natural inclination toward absent- mindedness and other-worldliness, however, Feeling’s strong people awareness provides a balancing, mitigating effect. This introverted Sensing is somewhat categorical, a subdued version of SJ sensing. In the third position, however, it is easily overridden by the stronger functions.

Extraverted Thinking

The INFP may turn to inferior extraverted Thinking for help in focusing on externals and for closure. INFPs can even masquerade in their ESTJ business suit, but not without expending considerable energy. The inferior, problematic nature of Extraverted Thinking is its lack of context and proportion. Single impersonal facts may loom large or attain higher priority than more salient principles which are all but overlooked.

I’ll have to get more into this later, though… Gotta get to class…

I had just written a followup entry about some things I discovered about my type, and it is…nowhere…? Basically, I didn’t know much about what it meant to be ESTP; it was just a label someone stuck on me when I was 19. So, I did some checking, and found that, yes, ESTP fits me.

Dominant function: Extraverted sensing. Yes.
Auxiliary function: Introverted thinking. Oh, yes.
Tertiary function: Extraverted feeling. I’m not really sure what that means, but OK.
Inferior function: Introverted intuition. For me, yes, this is vastly inferior.

I also discovered a site that revealed that ESTPs need to consider long-term goals because we have a tendency to get caught up in the details here and now. Oh, Lordy, yes. I keep a notebook for exactly this purpose, because if my long-term goals are not written down somewhere (which doesn’t mean they never change), I will never see the forest because I will be here agonizing over this one bloody tree.

It also seems that ESTPs turn ugly under duress. We withdraw and go quiet. We develop extremely negative feelings about others (and even whole countries, in my case) and don’t hesitate to express them. Oh, unfortunately, yes. That’s me. I did know that about myself before, and I have taken steps to correct it by reducing stress. For me, stress reduction is the only way to remain functional, really, because too much stress turns me bitter, hostile, and makes me do things like break up with my fiance whom I love because he wasn’t there for the miscarriage. Mmm, yeah. I do tend to be extremely productive under limited, controlled amounts of stress. But if it goes on to long or if I feel I can no longer control it (and this usually happens when I am lost in the details of it and can no longer see the big picture), major freak out.

By back reasoning, I am guessing my husband is an ISTJ. I’m fairly certain he would test as an IST and I’m guessing the J because of what I think his dominant function is: sensing. I think this is why I often feel I need him. He sees the big picture. He is calm and orderly. And those times when I feel he is being overly picky and argumentative – apparently, that’s one thing ISTJs do. So, I’m guessing that he would test that way. It would be interesting to get him to take the test and see if I’m right – how well do I know my husband?

It was decided when I was 19 or so that I was an ESTP. I am not sure if it would come out the same if I took it now. I don’t know if the result should theoretically change, but life does change you sometimes.

When I took it, my two strongest categories were the E and the T, and I think those are both still accurate now. There is really no question that I am a thinker and not a feeler (although I reluctantly admit to having feelings, sometimes), and I am certainly extraverted, with an introverted twist.

At that time I also tested quite strongly S, but I just read that ESTPs don’t like theory and see rules and laws as guidelines rather than mandates – wha?? I like theory, but I adhere to the idea that the data should drive the theory rather than the other way around, which I think is what tips the balance toward S. I also think it’s what made me good at linguistics, although, no doubt the T helped…as for being good at philosophy, I think this is the T and the fact that my S is outward but my T is inward – does that make sense? I like to gather data externally and then infer rules through individual, internal analysis, synthesis, deduction. I am very attracted to Kant’s ideal of an internally held moral law, one built and maintained by the individual. Unlike Kant, though, I will readily change my theories in the face of new data. I don’t know what goes on with these people who never change their beliefs or ideas – to me, it’s like they just stopped living.

Anyway, and then the P. This category I’m a bit more mixed in, and I think that at some point, I moved closer to being a J. What I actually like best is a measured amount of chaos. If things get too messy or out of control for too long, I will start to hate it, but I will start to hate an excess of order even faster. My husband is very orderly, and so I purposely introduce measures of chaos into our lives, because otherwise I would wilt.

But, basically, the notion that the ESTP types are “doers” and have excellent people skills and live in the here and now without a great deal of fretting about the future or the past is quite true about me. I also make decisions quickly, based on the information at hand.

I never, ever, however, break traffic laws. Seriously. So, I’m not sure what to make of that. Perhaps it can be explained by the fact that I believe that, statistically, people and societies that follow traffic laws have fewer traffic accidents. So, perhaps this is simply another case of my having examined the data and made a rule – but I do stick to this rule.

It was a sliding rule thing… agree a lot to disagree a lot (using different words) which I usually find to be more accurate.)

= = = =

The Inspirer

As an ENFP, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit in with your personal value system.

ENFPs are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it.

ENFPs have an unusually broad range of skills and talents. They are good at most things which interest them. Project-oriented, they may go through several different careers during their lifetime. To onlookers, the ENFP may seem directionless and without purpose, but ENFPs are actually quite consistent, in that they have a strong sense of values which they live with throughout their lives. Everything that they do must be in line with their values. An ENFP needs to feel that they are living their lives as their true Self, walking in step with what they believe is right. They see meaning in everything, and are on a continuous quest to adapt their lives and values to achieve inner peace. They’re constantly aware and somewhat fearful of losing touch with themselves. Since emotional excitement is usually an important part of the ENFP’s life, and because they are focused on keeping “centered”, the ENFP is usually an intense individual, with highly evolved values.

An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals. Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving.

Most ENFPs have great people skills. They are genuinely warm and interested in people, and place great importance on their inter-personal relationships. ENFPs almost always have a strong need to be liked. Sometimes, especially at a younger age, an ENFP will tend to be “gushy” and insincere, and generally “overdo” in an effort to win acceptance. However, once an ENFP has learned to balance their need to be true to themselves with their need for acceptance, they excel at bringing out the best in others, and are typically well-liked. They have an exceptional ability to intuitively understand a person after a very short period of time, and use their intuition and flexibility to relate to others on their own level.

Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery. They place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks, and will frequently remain oblivous to these types of concerns. When they do have to perform these tasks, they do not enjoy themselves. This is a challenging area of life for most ENFPs, and can be frustrating for ENFP’s family members.

An ENFP who has “gone wrong” may be quite manipulative – and very good it. The gift of gab which they are blessed with makes it naturally easy for them to get what they want. Most ENFPs will not abuse their abilities, because that would not jive with their value systems.

ENFPs sometimes make serious errors in judgment. They have an amazing ability to intuitively perceive the truth about a person or situation, but when they apply judgment to their perception, they may jump to the wrong conclusions.

ENFPs who have not learned to follow through may have a difficult time remaining happy in marital relationships. Always seeing the possibilities of what could be, they may become bored with what actually is. The strong sense of values will keep many ENFPs dedicated to their relationships. However, ENFPs like a little excitement in their lives, and are best matched with individuals who are comfortable with change and new experiences.

Having an ENFP parent can be a fun-filled experience, but may be stressful at times for children with strong Sensing or Judging tendancies. Such children may see the ENFP parent as inconsistent and difficult to understand, as the children are pulled along in the whirlwind life of the ENFP. Sometimes the ENFP will want to be their child’s best friend, and at other times they will play the parental authoritarian. But ENFPs are always consistent in their value systems, which they will impress on their children above all else, along with a basic joy of living.

ENFPs are basically happy people. They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas. Many go into business for themselves. They have the ability to be quite productive with little supervision, as long as they are excited about what they’re doing.

Because they are so alert and sensitive, constantly scanning their environments, ENFPs often suffer from muscle tension. They have a strong need to be independent, and resist being controlled or labelled. They need to maintain control over themselves, but they do not believe in controlling others. Their dislike of dependence and suppression extends to others as well as to themselves.

ENFPs are charming, ingenuous, risk-taking, sensitive, people-oriented individuals with capabilities ranging across a broad spectrum. They have many gifts which they will use to fulfill themselves and those near them, if they are able to remain centered and master the ability of following through.

Is what I was labeled this time.

I have found my results to jump around from time to time and I usually prefer the numbered type tests that ask you to rate yourself on a scale. I found it challenging to answer “Yes” or “No” to this particular test.

These summaries are pretty on the mark, except for the Intuition score, which I would have to disagree with as my intuition is rather keen and I use it regularly.

You are:

distinctively expressed extravert (Julie note: yet I enjoy solitary walks and need to get away from large crowds to rejuice myself – which is rare for a “true” extrovert, I am told.)

moderately expressed intuitive personality

very expressed feeling personality

slightly expressed judging personality

The description below does fit to a large degree… and I admit it is pretty cool to say I am rare… (only 2-3% of the population are like me, including Mikhail Gorbachev…)

The Idealists called Teachers are abstract in their thought and speech, cooperative in their style of achieving goals, and directive and expressive in their interpersonal relations. Learning in the young has to be beckoned forth, teased out from its hiding place, or, as suggested by the word “education,” it has to be “educed.” by an individual with educative capabilities. Such a one is the eNFj, thus rightly called the educative mentor or Teacher for short. The Teacher is especially capable of educing or calling forth those inner potentials each learner possesses. Even as children the Teachers may attract a gathering of other children ready to follow their lead in play or work. And they lead without seeming to do so.

Teachers expect the very best of those around them, and this expectation, usually expressed as enthusiastic encouragement, motivates action in others and the desire to live up to their expectations. Teachers have the charming characteristic of taking for granted that their expectations will be met, their implicit commands obeyed, never doubting that people will want to do what they suggest. And, more often than not, people do, because this type has extraordinary charisma.

The Teachers are found in no more than 2 or 3 percent of the population. They like to have things settled and arranged. They prefer to plan both work and social engagements ahead of time and tend to be absolutely reliable in honoring these commitments. At the same time, Teachers are very much at home in complex situations which require the juggling of much data with little pre-planning. An experienced Teacher group leader can dream up, effortlessly, and almost endlessly, activities for groups to engage in, and stimulating roles for members of the group to play. In some Teachers, inspired by the responsiveness of their students or followers, this can amount to genius which other types find hard to emulate. Such ability to preside without planning reminds us somewhat of an Provider, but the latter acts more as a master of ceremonies than as a leader of groups. Providers are natural hosts and hostesses, making sure that each guest is well looked after at social gatherings, or that the right things are expressed on traditional occasions, such as weddings, funerals, graduations, and the like. In much the same way, Teachers value harmonious human relations about all else, can handle people with charm and concern, and are usually popular wherever they are. But Teachers are not so much social as educational leaders, interested primarily in the personal growth and development of others, and less in attending to their social needs.

Mikhail Gorbachev is an example of a Teacher Idealist.

Some of my heroes are on the list, too…. Albert Schweitzer (although he is under the “healer” category) and then there is Mahatma Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt under the “Mentor” category. Pretty cool – - lots of people I admire.

I’ve taken this a couple of times and I’ve always come up as INFJ. Here’s a short description:

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.

• are on a lifelong search for a unique identity and meaning;
• can be hard to get to know, depending on the other person (reciprocity)
• are sometimes seen by others as cold and hard on the outside
• can be difficult to “peg”; sometimes INFJs may not even recognise fellow members of their own type
• may find it easier to express their deepest feelings and sentiments non-verbally or in writing
• are sometimes looked upon by others as naive, mostly due to our idealism
• can be quite gullible; many INFJs build up a protective armour over the years to protect against this and being “used” by others
• enjoy thoughtful discussion but dislike arguing for argument’s sake, as this often degenerates into ugly conflict
• are bookworms, love bookstores and libraries
• are affiliative; get stressed and cannot survive for extended periods without company
• rarely get into conflict, but when it erupts, can be very bitter
• love personality tests and other self-improvement tools
• need to confide in others and express opinions and feelings about others: Fe-ing (Feeling extraverted)
• are “Directors” who give advice, though usually more subtly than most other Directors.
• are interested in ESP, paranormal, “new age,” or psychic experiences
• “Mute withdrawal is a major INFJ defense.”

I haven’t ever taken the actual Myers-Briggs indicator, but I’ve taken similar free tests online and almost always come up INFP, with a few exceptions. I’ve always been perched precariously on the border between “I” and “E” (as well as P/J), and sometimes it wavers to the other side of the line.

Interestingly enough, though, I just retook one of the tests and came up INFJ (with I and J only slightly expressed)

So, in summary, I am:

Mostly Introverted, sometimes Extroverted: Generally my focus turns inwards, unless I find a large group of people I can easily relax around, in which case I can display extrovertedness. This is difficult for me, though, and generally I am happiest with regular periods of socialization with large groups, interspersed among longer periods of solitude or interaction with close friends only.

iNtuitive

Feeling: This is the most strongly expressed of my traits. I’m firmly convinced that while reason and logic are useful tools, we should never ignore our feelings when making decisions. It’s what makes us human rather than automatronic. I tend to be very swayed by my emotions, and have deep wells of empathy. I don’t always cry in movies, but I am almost always deeply affected, and the people I know seem to be getting used to the deep silences I sink into after leaving the movie theater or finishing a particularly powerful book: I’m processing my thoughts, but most of them are based in feeling rather than reason.

Perceiving/Judging: The one that expresses most clearly is dependent on my mood, I think, but my judging nature is tempered by my poetic nature so that I’m not sure that I’m quite one or the other, regardless of what the test says. Or maybe I just have trouble seeing myself clearly in this sense.