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Information from Gifts Differing by Isabel Briggs Meyers on Personality Types

Extraverted Introverted

-The afterthinkers. Cannot understand life until they have lived it.

-Attitude relaxed and confident.

-they expect the waters to prove shallow and plunge readily into new and untried experiences.

-Minds outwardly directed, interest and attention following objective happenings, primarily those of the immediate environment. Their real world therefore is the outer world of people and things.

-The civilizing genius, the people of action and practical achievement, who go from doing to considering back to doing.

-Conduct in essential matters is always governed by objective conditions.

-Spend themselves lavishly upon external claims and conditions which to them constitute life.

-Understandable and accessible, often sociable, more at home in the world of people and things than in the world of ideas.

-Expansive and less impassioned, they unload

-The forethinkers. Cannot live life until they understand it.

-Attitude reserved and questioning

-They expect the waters to prove deep, and pause to take soundings in the new and untried.

-Minds inwardly directed, frequently unaware of objective environment, interest and attention being engrossed in inner events. Their real world therefore is the inner world of ideas and understanding.

-the cultural genius, the people of ideas and abstract invention, who go from considering to doing and back to considering.

-conduct in essential matters is always governed by subjective values

-Defend themselves as far as possible against external claims and conditions in favor of the inner life

-Subtle and impenetrable, often taciturn and shy, more at home in the world of ideas than in the world of people and things

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their emotions as they go along

-Typical weakness lies in a tendency toward intellectual superficiality, very conspicuous in extreme types

-Health and wholesomeness depend upon a reasonable development of balancing introversion

-Intense and passionate, they bottle up their emotions and guard them carefully as high explosives

-Typical weakness lies in a tendency toward impracticality, very conspicuous in extreme types

-Health and wholesomeness depend upon a reasonable development of balancing extraversion

QuestionsAre you an extrovert or an introvert? Both or neither? Why do you think this?Tell me about a time when you were extroverted or introverted.

Anyone preferring sensing to intuition is interested primarily in actualities

Anyone preferring intuition to sensing is mainly interested in possibilities

The sensing types depend on their five senses for perception. Whatever comes directly from the senses is part of the sensing types’ own experience and is therefore trustworthy. What comes from other people indirectly through the spoken or written word is less trustworthy. Words are mere symbols that have to be translated into reality before they mean anything and therefore they carry less conviction than experience

The intuitive are comparatively uninterested in sensory reports of things as they are. Instead, intuitive listen for the intuitions that come up from their unconscious with enticing visions of possibilities. As stated earlier, these contributions from the unconscious process vary from the merest masculine “hunch” and “woman intuition,” through the whole range of original ideas, projects, enterprises, and inventions, to the crowning examples of creative art, religious inspiration, and scientific discovery.”

The sensing types are not in such close communication with their unconscious. They do not trust an answer that suddenly appears. They do not think it prudent to pounce. They tend to define intelligence as soundness of understanding a sure and solid agreement of conclusions with facts; and how is that

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possible until the facts have been considered? Therefore in reaching a conclusion they want to make sure of its soundness like an engineer examining a bridge before deciding how much weight it can safely bear. They will not skim in reading, and they hate to have people skim in conversation. Believing that matters inferred are not as reliable as matters explicitly stated, they are annoyed when you leave things to their imagination. (Intuitives are often annoyed-if not actually bored-when you do not)

For sensing children to exercise their special gift of realism they must have access to the facts and time to assimilate them. Whereas the intuitive children like to learn by insight, the sensing children prefer to learn by familiarization. The sensing types are most likely to shine in courses involving many solid facts, like history, geography, civics or biology.

Sensing Types Intuitive Types

-Face life observantly, craving enjoyment.

-Admit to consciousness every sense impression and are intensely aware of the external environment; they are observant at the expense of imagination

-Are by nature pleasure lovers and consumers, loving life as it is and having a great capacity for enjoyment; they are in general contented

-Desiring chiefly to possess and enjoy, and being very observant, they are imitative, wanting to have what other people have and to do what

-face life expectantly, craving inspiration

-Admit fully to consciousness only the sense impressions related to the current inspiration; they are imaginative at the expense of observation

-Are by nature initiators, inventors, and promoters; having no taste for life as it is, and small capacity for living as it is, and small capacity for living in and enjoying the present, they are generally restless

-Desiring chiefly opportunities and possibilities,

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other people do, and are very dependent upon their physical surroundings

-Dislike intensely any and every occupation that requires the suppression of sensing, and are most reluctant to sacrifice present enjoyment to future gain or good

-Prefer the art of living in the present to the satisfactions of enterprise and achievement

-Contribute to the public welfare by their support of every form of enjoyment and recreation, and every variety of comfort, luxury, and beauty

-Are always in danger of being frivolous, unless balance is attained through development of a judging process

and being very imaginative, they are inventive and original, quite indifferent to what other people have and do, and are very independent of their physical surroundings

-Dislike intensely any and every occupation that necessitates sustained concentration on sensing, and are willing to sacrifice the present to a large extent since they neither live in it nor particularly enjoy it

-Prefer the joy of enterprise and achievement and pay little or no attention to the art of living in the present

-Contribute to the public welfare by their inventiveness, initiative, enterprise, and powers of inspired leadership in every direction of human interest

-Are always in danger of being fickle, changeable, and lacking in persistence, unless balance is attained through development of a judging process

QuestionsAre you the sensing type or the intuitive type? Both? Neither? What makes you think this?Tell me about a time when you were this type.

Thinking is essentially impersonal. Its goal is objective truth, independent of the personality and wishes of the thinker or anyone else.

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Thus, in teaching, in acting and the other arts…it is feeling which serves as the bridge between one human being and another.

Thinking Types Feeling Types

-Value logic above sentiment.

-Are usually impersonal, being more interested in things than in human relationships.

-If forced to choose between truthfulness and tactfulness, will usually be truthful

-Are stronger in executive ability than in social arts.

-Are likely to question the conclusions of other people on principle-believing them probably wrong

-Naturally brief and businesslike, they often seem to lack friendliness and sociability without knowing or intending it

-Are usually able to organize facts and ideas into a logical sequence that states the subject, makes the necessary points, comes to a conclusion, and stops there without repetition

-Suppress, undervalue, and ignore feeling that is incompatible with the thinking judgments

-Value sentiment above logic

-Are usually personal, being more interested in people than in things

-If forced to choose between tactfulness and truthfulness, will usually be tactful

-Are stronger in the social arts then in executive ability

-Are likely to agree with those around them, thinking as other people think, believing them probably right

-Naturally friendly, whether sociable or not, they find it difficult to be brief and businesslike

Usually find it hard to know where to start a statement or in what order to present what they have to say. May therefore ramble and repeat themselves, with more detail than a thinker wants or thinks necessary

-Suppress, undervalue, and ignore thinking that is offensive to the feeling judgments

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-Contributes to the welfare of society by intellectual criticism of its habits, customs, and beliefs, by the exposure of wrongs, solution of problems, and the support of science and research for the enlargement of human knowledge and understanding

-Are found more often among men than women and when married to a feeling type naturally become guardian of the spouse’s neglected and unreliable thinking

-Contribute to the welfare of society by their loyal support of good works and those movements, generally regarded as good by the community, which they feel correctly about and so can serve effectively

-Are found more often among women than men and when married to a thinking type frequently become guardian of the spouse’s neglected and harassed feelings

QuestionsAre you a thinking type or a feeling type or both? Neither? What makes you think this?Tell me about a time when you were this type.

The judging types believe that life should be willed and decided

The perceptive types regard life as something to be experienced and understood

Judging types like to settle things, or at least to have things settled,

Perceptive types prefer to keep their plans and opinions as open as possible so that no valuable experience or enlightenment will be missed

Judgment is externally coming to conclusions-with the finality the word implies. Judgment really likes to dispose of things, even without the spur of necessity. Frequently judging types settle not only what they are to do themselves, but what others are to do. Given a little provocation, they settle what others are to think. The person who says “What you ought to do…” ten minutes after meeting someone new is marked judging type

Judging Types Perceptive Types

-Are more decisive than curious-Live according to plans, standards, and customs not easily or lightly set aside, to which the situation of the moment must, if possible, be made to conform-Make a very definite choice among life’s possibilities, but may not appreciate or utilize unplanned, unexpected, and incidental happenings.-Being rational, they depend on reasoned judgments, their own or borrowed from someone else, to protect them from unnecessary

-Are more curious than decisive-Live according to the situation of the moment and adjust themselves easily to the accidental and the unexpected-Are frequently masterful in their handling of the unplanned, unexpected, and incidental, but may not make an effective choice among life’s possibilities-Being empirical, they depend on their readiness for anything and everything to bring them constant flow of new experience-much more than they can digest or use

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undesirable experiences-Like to have matters settled and decided as promptly as possible, so that they will know what is going to happen and can plan for it and be prepared for it-Think or feel that they know what other people ought to do about almost everything, and are not averse to telling them-Take real pleasure in getting something finished, out of the way, and off their minds-Are inclined to regard the perceptive types as aimless drifters-Aim to be right-Are self-regimented, purposeful, and exacting

-Like to keep decisions open as long as possible before doing anything irrevocable, because they don’t know nearly enough about it yet-Know what other people are doing, and are interested to see how it comes out-Take great pleasure in doing something new, until the newness wears off-Are inclined to regard the judging types as only half alive-Aim to miss nothing-Are flexible, adaptable, and tolerant

QuestionsAre you the judging or perceptive type? Both? Neither? What makes you think that?Tell me about a time when you were this type.

Well-developed or not, everyone has a shadow side. Just as the conscious personality is the product of the best developed process, the shadow is the product of the least developed part which a person rejects and disowns. The shadow uses relatively childish and primitive kinds of judgment and perception not intentionally in the service of conscious aims, but all on its own in an escape from the conscious personality and in defiance of conscious standards. The shadow is something that happens when a person isn’t looking.

Extraverted Thinking Types ESTJ / ENTJ-Are analytical and impersonal-May be executive, legal, technical, or interested in reform-organize the facts-and everything else within reach-are decisive, logical, strong in reasoning power-aim to govern their own conduct and other people’s in accordance with thought-out conclusions-value truth in the form of fact, formula, and method-have an emotional life that is accidental-have a social life that is incidental

Introverted Thinking types ISTP and INTP-are analytical and impersonal-are interested primarily in the underlying principles-are organized in relation to concepts and ideas (if INTP) or facts (if ISTP)-but not people or situations, unless of necessity-are perceptive, not dominating, as the decisiveness of the thinking usually shows only in intellectual matters-are outwardly quiet, reserved, detached, perhaps even aloof except with friends-Are inwardly absorbed in the current analysis or problem-are inclined toward shyness, especially when young, as the chief interests of introverted thinking are little help in small talk or social contacts

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Extraverted Feeling Types ESFJ and ENFJ-value above all harmonious human contacts-are best at jobs dealing with people and in situations where needed cooperation can be won by goodwill-are friendly, tactful, sympathetic, able almost always to express the feelings appropriate to the moment-are sensitive to praise and criticism and anxious to conform to all legitimate expectations-possess outwardly directed judgment which likes to have things decided and settled-are persevering, conscientious, orderly even in small matters and inclined to insist that others be the same-Are idealistic and loyal capable of great devotion to a loved person or institution or cause-may use thinking judgment occasionally to help in appreciating and adapting to points made by a thinker but thinking is never permitted to oppose feeling aims

Introverted Feeling types ISFP & INFP-value above all harmony in the inner life of feeling-are best at individual work involving personal values-in art, literature, science, psychology, or the perception of needs-have feelings that are deep but seldom expressed, because inner tenderness and passionate conviction are both masked by reserve and repose-maintain independence from the judgment of others, being bound by inner moral law-direct judgment inwardly toward keeping all lesser values subordinate to the greater-have a strong sense of duty and faithfulness to obligations but no desire to impress or influence others-are idealistic and loyal capable of great devotion to a loved person, purpose, or cause-may use thinking judgment occasionally to help in winning a thinker’s support of feeling aims, but is never permitted to oppose those aims

Extraverted Sensing Types ESTP & ESFP-are realistic-are matter of fact and practical-are adaptable, usually easy going, very much at home in the world, tolerant of others and themselves-are endowed with a great capacity for enjoying life and a zest for experience of all kinds-are fond of concrete facts and good at details-are apt to learn most and bet from experience making a better showing in life than in school-are usually conservative valuing custom and convention and liking things as they are-are able to absorb an immense number of facts, like them, remember them, and profit by them

Introverted Sensing Types ISTJ & ISFJ-are systematic painstaking and thorough-carry responsibility especially well but ISTJ generally likes it better than ISFJ-are very hard working; they are the most practical of the introvert types

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-are outwardly matter of fact, inwardly entertained by extremely individual reactions to their sense impressions-are conspicuous for patient and willing application to detail-make an excellent adaptation to routine-absorb and enjoy using an immense number of facts

Extraverted Intuitive Types ENTP & ENFP-are alert to all the possibilities-are original, individual, independent, but also extremely perceptive of the views of others-are strong in initiative and creative impulse, but not so strong in completing projects-have lives that are likely to be a succession of projects-are stimulated by difficulties and most ingenious in solving them-operate by impulsive energy rather than concentrated willpower-are tireless at what interests them, but find it hard to get other things done-hate routine-value inspiration above everything else and follow it confidently into all manner of opportunities enterprises ventures and adventures explorations researches mechanical inventions promotions and projects-are versatile often startlingly clever enthusiastic easy with people and full of ideas about everything under the sun-at their best, are gifted with insight amounting to wisdom and with the power to inspire

Introverted Intuitive Types INTJ and INFJ-Are driven by their inner vision of the possibilities-are determined to the point of stubbornness-are intensely individualistic, though this shows less in INFJs who take more pains to harmonize their individualism with their environment-are stimulated by difficulties, and most ingenious in solving them-are willing to concede that the impossible takes a little longer-but not much-are more interested in pioneering a new road than in anything to be found along the beaten path-are motivated by inspiration which they value above everything else and use confidently for their best achievements in any field they choose-science, engineering, invention, political or industrial empire building, social reform, teaching, writing, psychology, philosophy, or religion-are deeply discontented in a routine job that offers no scope for inspiration-are gifted, at their best, with a fine insight into the deeper meanings of things and with a great deal of drive

Which Type Do You Think You Might Fall Under? Or not.

Further Information on Personality Types

Intuitive Types Need Sensing Types Sensing Types Need Intuitive Types

-to bring up pertinent facts

-to apply experience to problems

-to bring up new possibilities

-to supply ingenuity on problems

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-to read the fine print in a contract

-to notice what needs attention now

-to have patience

-to keep track of essential details

-to face difficulties with realism

-to remind them that the joys of the present are important

-to read the signs of coming change

-to see how to prepare for the future

-to have enthusiasm

-to watch for new essentials

-to tackle difficulties with zest

-to show that the joys of the future are worth looking for

Feeling types Need Thinking Types Thinking Types Need Feeling Types

-to analyze

-to organize

-to find the flaws in advance

-to reform what needs reforming

-to hold consistently to a policy

-to weigh “the law and the evidence”

-to fire people when necessary

-to stand firm against opposition

-to persuade

-to conciliate

-to forecast how others will feel

-to arouse enthusiasm

-to teach

-to sell

-to advertise

-to appreciate the thinker

Extraverted Types Introverted Types

-like variety and action

-tend to be faster, dislike complicated procedures

-like quiet for concentration

-tend to be careful with details, dislike sweeping statements

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-are often good at greeting people

-are often impatient with long slow jobs

-are interested in the results of their job, in getting it done and in how other people do it

-often do not mind the interruption of answering the telephone

-often act quickly, sometimes without thinking

-like to have people around

-usually communicate freely

-have trouble remembering names and faces

-tend not to mind working on one project for a long time uninterruptedly

-are interested in the idea behind their job

-dislike telephone intrusions and interruptions

-like to think a lot before they act, sometimes without acting

-work contentedly alone

-have some problems communicating

Sensing Types Intuitive Types

-dislike new problems unless there are standard ways to solve them

-like an established way of doing things

-enjoy using skills already learned more than learning new ones

-work more steadily with a realistic idea of how long it will take

-usually reach a conclusion step by step

-are patient with routine details

-are impatient when the details get complicated

-are not often inspired and rarely trust the inspiration when they are

-seldom make errors of fact

-Tend to be good at precise work

-like solving new problems

-dislike doing the same thing repeatedly

-enjoy learning a new skill more than using it

-work in bursts of energy powered by enthusiasm, with slack periods in between

-reach a conclusion quickly

-are impatient with routine details

-are patient with complicated situations

-follow their inspirations good or bad

-Frequently make errors of fact

-dislike taking time for precision

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Thinking Types Feeling Types

-Do not show emotion readily and are often uncomfortable dealing with people’s feelings

-May hurt people’s feelings without knowing it

-like analysis and putting things into logical order

-can get along without harmony

-tend to decide impersonally sometimes paying insufficient attention to people’s wishes

-need to be treated fairly

-are able to reprimand people or fire them when necessary

-are more analytically oriented-respond more easily to people’s thoughts

-tend to be firm-minded

-Tend to be very aware of other people and their feelings

-enjoy pleasing people, even in unimportant things

-like harmony-efficiency may be badly disturbed by office feuds

-often let decisions be influenced by their own or other people’s personal likes and wishes

-need occasional praise

-dislike telling people unpleasant things

-are more people oriented-respond more easily to people’s values

-tend to be sympathetic

Judging Types Perceptive Types

-work best when they can plan their work and follow the plan

-like to get things settled and finished

-may decide things too quickly

-may dislike to interrupt they are on for a more urgent one

-adapt well to changing situations

-do not mind leaving things open for alterations

-may have trouble making decisions

-may start too many projects and have difficulty in finishing them

-may postpone unpleasant jobs

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-may not notice new things that need to be done

-want only the essentials needed to begin their work

-tend to be satisfied once they reach a judgment on a thing, situation, or person

-want to know all about a new job

-tend to be curious and welcome new light on a thing, situation or person

Type Description of

Personality Type

ISTJ Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized - their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.

ISFJ Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.

INFJ Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed

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to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

INTJ Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance - for themselves and others.

ISTP Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.

ISFP Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.

INFP Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.

INTP Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.

ESTP Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them - they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.

ESFP Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.

ENFP Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency

ENTP Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging

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problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.

ESTJ Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.

ESFJ Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.

ENFJ Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

ENTJ Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.

Activity

Choose 2 of the personality types and create original characters who exhibit those 2 personality types to some degree. Have them engage in a dialogue in accordance with their personality type and have them act according to their personality type. Since these are original characters, please don’t have them be carbon copies of the personality type as it is described. Add your own ideas about your character to your character. Have these two characters be a part of your original story.