Myers-Briggs Personality labels me an INFJ, what about you? |
Loading ...Once upon a time I took a personality test at a sales conference. I don’t remember what classification it was, but recently I came across a similar test, composed of 70 or so questions. It doesn’t take too long to complete.
Myers-Briggs Personality Sorter is intended to be a:
… general, universal personality ID that divides people into one of sixteen distinct personality types, along axes if introverted (I) or extroverted (E), Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N), Thinking (T) or Feeling (F), and Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).
Hat tip to Xeromag.com who labels me and all other INFJ’s conspiracy theorists. Not a chance.
Portrait of an INFJ describes INFJ as (emphasis mine):
gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals. Artistic and creative, they live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities. Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types.
Any readers part of the INFJ club? Not sure about the whole “living in a world of hidden meanings” part (???), but it sounds like 007 which is true. How much do I seriously buy into this stuff? About as much as horoscopes (I’m a Libra, BTW), but they are fun for water cooler conversation and comparison, kind of like the Walk Score for our homes.
This test is misrepresenting itself. The percentages do not represent the “strength of preference” — all those numbers reflect is how confident you are that it is true of you. And truthfully? Your scores aren’t all that extreme, which may indicate your result isn’t accurate.
In other words, it’s very likely you are mis-typed.
FWIW, the venerable MBTI is only accurate 70% of the time, so I wouldn’t put much faith in these internet freebie quizzes which have no validation to them.
Psychological type is a valuable model — it’s a useful way of understanding oneself and others. But the “tests” that are designed to help you discover your pattern are highly flawed.
Don’t mistake the quiz for the theory behind it. The theory is sound; the tests are not.
Comment by Rachel — August 10, 2007 @ 10:33 am PST
I don’t trust any of these tests, Rachel. Internet freebie or paying somebody to come in and administer them like they did at the sales meeting I was at.
Comment by TDavid — August 10, 2007 @ 10:51 am PST
I’m an INFJ also — the only result that was close was INTJ, and when I read the profile for that type, I knew it wasn’t me at all.
I like being compared to Gandhi!
I actually attended a gathering of all INFJ folks! They were on a mailing list and the gathering happened to be local.
http://www.anitarowland.com/journal/1998/082998.html
Comment by Anita Rowland — August 10, 2007 @ 1:51 pm PST
I got labeled with a ISTJ “The Inspector” and it doesn’t seem too far off. I also try to not put too much stake into these test, but they are fun to take once in a while.
Comment by thatedeguy — August 10, 2007 @ 10:51 pm PST
Inspector Gadget, thatedeguy? I always liked that cartoon.
Comment by TDavid — August 11, 2007 @ 7:38 am PST
yeah, I used to like that show too. They’ve got a version of it called Inspector Gadget’s travels or some such. Pretty lame compared to the actual cartoon. All it is is IG overlaid over some video and pictures of different places in the world as he acts as a “tour guide” for the place. We only get the one channel, so we are stuck watching it two times a week.
Kind of reminds me of a TV star that has fallen on hard times and has to take whatever he/she can get.
Comment by thatedeguy — August 11, 2007 @ 8:16 am PST
I am an INTJ. Once upon a time I was actually a certified MBTI interpreter. The test has proven pretty accurate over the years (it is over 25 years old), but that’s the full blown instrument, not a quickie Internet version.
As you get older and more “adept” at using your weaknesses (more well rounded) your scores will tend to converge.
Comment by FranciscoIV — August 13, 2007 @ 8:27 am PST
I am an infj,(perhaps a bit of an infp esp when younger). I thought it a little depressing we are the rarest type, but perhaps the numbers are actually going up not down, anyone know? I think I read INFJs are the most likely to get depressed anyway. My art is full of the hidden meanings you mentioned, I suppose this can be explained by my type(see website if curious). I thought it was interesting Beethoven has been reckoned to be an INFJ as he has long been a hero of mine, something about how I imagined he went about the creative process, not to mention the works themselves. My dad was the same type as Clint Eastwood ISTP, I think it is interesting he felt quite an affinity with him too.
Comment by David Nicholls — August 16, 2007 @ 11:56 pm PST
Re:INFJs as Conspiracy Theorists. I think INFJs are likely to get paranoid when stressed or immature, just as other types are likely to become psychopathic (say ESTP), narcissistic (probably ENTJ or ENFJ)or obsessive compulsive(ESFJ)in similar circumstances. Not necessarily anything to worry about.
I (an INFJ) have been a bit of a paranoid conspiracy theorist at times but there are plenty of days I love (almost) everyone.
Comment by David Nicholls — August 17, 2007 @ 3:50 pm PST
I was an INTJ. Pretty dead-on, that. I don’t put too much stock in these things, but it’s fun to find one that is seemingly accurate. The problem with what “seems to be” is that it isn’t always “what is.”
Fun link.
Comment by Scott Hallford — September 13, 2007 @ 7:31 pm PST