Types Of Personality- Different Kinds Of Personality

It was long believed that “personalities are unique” and that they cannot be classified. But in ancient world the Greeks used their “four humor theory” for doing the same. But still there were doubts about the rationality of these and in the modern world no progress was made on them. This was until Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist introduced his theory in which he believed that there were two basic "functions" in human psyche; “how we take in information or perceive” and “how we make decisions”. In both these functions we can work in two different ways like in perceiving we can be sensible or intuitive and while making decisions we can be logical or emotional. Jung believed that all human being use these four functions in varying proportions and thus classified personalities in eight groups. But later on, Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers introduced the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in 1962 which expanded his work. They decided that in energy flow related to our personalities can either show ”Extroversion“ or “Introversion”, and then again for our perceptions, we are either “Sensing” or “Intuitive”. The next function is decision making in which we are either “Thinking” or “Feeling” and finally our lifestyle is either “Judging” or “Perceiving”. Based on these four functions, Katherine and Isabel named sixteen different types of personalities spread across four temperaments. The codes used for traits are normally the first alphabet in their name like “T’ for thinking but in case of Intuition “N” is used to avoid confusion with Introversion. The nomenclature of a personality will include four alphabets each denoting a trait , for e.g. If ESTJ is a type of personality it will exhibit the following traits extraversion (E), sensing (S), thinking (T), judgment (J). Here we will describe all of these types briefly.

Different Kinds Of Personality

The sixteen types are dividing into four temperaments; Protectors, Creators, Intellectuals and Visionaries.

Protectors (SJ)

These are people who feel the need for maintaining a secure environment for everyone. They are people who expect everything and everyone to fit into routines and behave accordingly. Popular SJ examples will be “Monica” from the sitcom Friends and “Tony soprano”.

Types of SJs

ESTJ – Overseer: Hardcore realists these are the people who don’t believe in theories at all, they believe in facts and work in a structured manner. They like being the leaders and enjoy authority.
ESFJ – Supporter: They have more importance for relationships and feelings than the Overseers but show the same amount of importance to routines but instead of being leaders they are better team players and hosts.
ISTJ – Examiner: Examiners are introverts and don’t socialize much. Honesty and integrity are prime importance for them and they work by the clock .They have a keen sense of right and wrong in the fields they like.
ISFJ – Defender: These are the people who have a keen urge to help and serve others. They are too good to people and sometimes overly emotional too.

Creators (SP)
Creators follow their senses and value life. They are artistic by nature and have a keen eye for details. They believe in living life to the maximum and never leave a single chance to enjoy. Important people who belong here include Pablo Picasso, Jack Nicholson and Ernest Hemingway.

Types of SPs

ESTP – Persuader: These are the risk takers. They believe in the phrase “Just Do It...Now!!” with utmost sincerity. They are realist and believe in trying out something rather than believing in theories.
ESFP – Entertainer: These are the people who love to perform for others. Whatever be the field they work in, they always perform well and make you stand up and take notice. They are fun loving people and enjoy life.
ISTP – Craftsman: These guys are adaptable, spontaneous and inquisitive too. They need their own space and rights to make their own decisions. They are adventurous and strive on adrenaline.
ISFP – Artist: These are people who are creative and have a vivid sense of art. They have highly developed senses and have keen vision of art. They are nice and good natured but are mostly introverts.

Intellectuals (NT)

NTs are practical and unsentimental in their approach for knowledge. They are the real innovators and pioneers in their fields. Wile E. Coyote from the Roadrunner is one the most popular fictional NT (poor thing!). Some real life examples include Lance Armstrong and Bill Gates.

Types of NTs

ENTJ – Chief: Born leaders, they are usually outspoken and voice their opinions without fear. They understand complex business structures easily and can easily generate ideas for improvement. They lead efficiently too.
ENTP – Originator: They are the inventors. They normally pursue new avenues with such vigor that they forget about all other areas of life. They are hardcore non conformists and introspective. But they can be good company as they tend to talk very well.
INTJ - Strategist: These are the people who are masters in bringing conceptions into reality. They work hard and try to be competent; on the flipside they expect the same from others. They are good leaders but they prefer being in the background not in the limelight.
INTP – Engineer: They are logical and curious folks but they also tend to be individualistic and reserved. Naturally good at debates and discussions, they have the ability to focus intently on subjects. They appreciate intelligence in others.

Visionaries (NF)

Visionaries are highly idealistic and intuitive. They believe more in feelings than facts. NFs are imaginative, creatively inclined and passionate about their choice causes. They hate conflict and will do anything to help others get along. Popular NFs are Nicole Kidman and Charles Dickens.

Types of NFs

ENFJ – Mentor: They are naturally supporting and have excellent way of dealing with people. They place utmost importance on helping others grow. They are charismatic and possess excellent language skills. They are introspective and positive.
ENFP – Advocate: They are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events.
INFJ – Confidant: They are introspective, caring, sensitive, gentle and complex people that strive for peace and derive satisfaction from helping others. They are highly intuitive, empathetic and dedicated listeners. INFJs are the rarest breed of people less than 1% in the world, so you are lucky if you know an INFJ.
INFP – Dreamer: They are easygoing, patient and selfless people who are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and serve humanity. They have great imagination and flair for language.

How to Cite

Types Of Personality

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Society'