Surely, if you've been around social
media at all in the past couple of years, you've heard of the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI for short). It was developed
around 100 years ago by mother/daughter team, Katharine Cook Briggs
and Isabel Briggs Myers, who piggy-backed on work done by
psychologist Carl Jung.
You may have seen internet memes that
show what different types do in certain situations, or memes showing
which character from a movie or book is what type and that sort of
thing.
I'm sure everyone has seen tests going
around online such as this one here, that allow you to answer a
number of questions and gives you a result with four letters (like
ENFP, INTJ, ISFP, ENTP, etc), and a summary of what that means.
What's My Type?
YEARS ago, my husband and I took one
such test, and read the results for fun. I don't think I put too much
stock into it at that time, and quickly forgot about it.
In recent years, people like Megan
Tietz (now of the Sorta Awesome Podcast) and other bloggers have
written enthusiastically about this personality typing system, and
hearing about it piqued my interest. I took the test again, and got
another result and read another assessment, and dismissed it as not
being very accurate.
Well, I kept hearing about it, and
really wanted to know. I took the test again, and read the
assessment, and began this ridiculous process of questioning.
Is this really me? Is that how I actually behave? Listen to this,
dear...does this sound like me? Oh, yes, I'm definitely this!
Wait...am I? No, I act more like this type, so I must be that. Yes,
this one fits much better. Wait...
How I FINALLY figured out my type-
Sometimes, it's as easy as taking a
test, and getting a result. For whatever reason, it wasn't as cut and
dried as that for me. My results from tests would vary, and so I
began reading the different type descriptions. This helped me, but
also confused me a bit, too! (Not all type descriptions are created
equal!)
I kept hearing about the cognitive
functions (thanks, Megan!) I decided to look into it and learn more
about them. It turns out, that these eight functions are WAY more
revealing and in depth than the surface four letter "code"
for each type. And guess what? Those four letter codes don't amount
to very much! On the surface, two types may seem like they are pretty
close, but when you look into the cognitive functions, you'll see
that they operate very differently. They may not even share a single
cognitive function!
What are the Cognitive Functions?
The cognitive functions are extraverted
thinking (Te for short), introverted thinking (Ti), extraverted
feeling (Fe), introverted feeling (Fi), extraverted sensing (Se),
introverted sensing (Si), extraverted intuition (Ne), and introverted
intuition (Ni). Whew! You can read about these functions here, and
various other places online. (Try searching Google for the specific function you are interested in learning about).
Something to keep in mind as you test
and try to discover your own type is to not focus on questions like,
"am I a feeler, or a thinker?" Listen: everyone is a
feeler. Everyone is a thinker. What is important, is what kind
of feeler or thinker you are. You might be an introverted feeler,
which is so different than being an extraverted feeler. Also
important, is your preference for these functions, meaning, which of
these functions are you more at ease with or more developed in your
mind? If you can figure out which of these functions you use most,
you will be well on your way to learning your actual type, and how best to use that knowledge.
How it's helped me
Once I finally figured out my type, I
looked into what type my husband might be. Like me, he took the
tests (reluctantly at times), and got a couple different results. Outwardly, he didn't seem
to fit the descriptions of the common behavior of that particular
type. Once I began reading about how his type functions cognitively,
I started to understand. I was able to understand (and make peace
with) something that has been a challenge in our marriage for the
longest time. I realized my husband doesn't need fixing (as I long
believed) but that he was wired to think and behave a certain way.
And this way was just foreign to me. Not wrong.
I've learned a lot about myself, too! I
learned that I'm an INFP (not INTP, as I expressed before), and
finding a group (or three) on Facebook of fellow INFPs helped me to
realize that some of the struggles in my life are not unique to me!
I'm also not wrong and in need of fixing! (Of course, we all
remain in need of spiritual growth, but that's not really what I'm
talking about here).
Learning about the cognitive functions
(not just mine) has helped me to realize that we all value different
things. And in this valuing, we are not better, or more mature, or
more spiritual, or anything than anyone else. God uses each of these
eight cognitive functions (each of the 16 types primarily use four of
these functions in different orders of preference) to bring glory to
Him and to do the work that He would have His people accomplish in
the earth. (And of course, God is not bound by cognitive functions or
Myers-Briggs or anything else mankind can use to explain how He made
us!)
What type are YOU?
Do you know your Myers-Briggs type?
That four letter code, though not necessary to know, can be very
helpful to you in your daily life. It can also help you understand
better where others are coming from. If you know your type, did you
have any trouble figuring it out? How has it helped you in your
day-to-day life?
My Favorite MBTI Resources:
Personality Hacker (be sure to check out their podcasts!)
Personality Junkie (they do a great job of breaking down the cognitive functions).
16Personalities (for a good overview)
This post has been shared at the following blogs:
Thank Goodness it's Monday at Nourishing Joy
Teaching What is Good
A Little R & R
I Choose Joy
This post has been shared at the following blogs:
Thank Goodness it's Monday at Nourishing Joy
Teaching What is Good
A Little R & R
I Choose Joy
