In the last blog post, I went over the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and what each of the letters stand for. So, today, I’ll go a little deeper into each of the 16 personality types of the MBTI.
The 16 Personality Types
There are 16 different personality types in the Myers-Briggs. Each one is made up of 4 letters, one from each set.
I or E — Introversion vs. Extroversion:
Introverted types find socializing more tiring. So, they may prefer being alone or in small groups. Extroverted types, on the other hand, get more energy from social activities.
S or N — Sensing vs. Intuition:
Sensing refers to paying attention to details, reason, and concrete facts. Intuition, then, refers to looking at more abstract ideas and focusing on the bigger picture.
T or F — Thinking vs. Feeling:
Thinking types make decisions based on logical thought. And, unsurprisingly, Feeling types make decisions based on their emotions.
J or P — Judging vs. Perceiving:
Judging individuals prefer to make concrete plans and follow structure. Perceiving individuals prefer to leave their options open and go with the flow.
Now, onto the 16 Personality Types!
And, to make matters even more confusing, those 16 types are divided into 4 general groups. These groups all have 4 personality types with certain commonalities.
(But, in all honesty, all you really need to know is which one type you are.)
Analysts
Analysts are intuitive thinkers (N,T). They are rational and open-minded, intellectually curious and imaginative.
INTJ
The Mastermind — Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging
INTJ’s are highly intelligent and analytical with a curious and rebellious streak.
These personality types are very ambitious, goal-oriented, and independent.
They are fairly unemotional and can be seen as cold or overly critical of others.
Famous INTJ’s: Elon Musk, Jay-Z, Hillary Clinton
INTP
The Scientist — Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving
INTP’s are logical and creative thinkers who value truth, knowledge, and philosophical ideas.
They enjoy speculation and creative problem-solving. They’re also good at it, being both objective and open-minded.
Because of how logical they are, they can be seen as aloof or insensitive.
Famous INTP’s: Tina Fey, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep
ENTJ
The CEO — Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging
ENTJ’s are assertive and confident leaders who get things done.
They are charismatic and outgoing with a flair for public speaking. These personality types like to be in charge and they tend to have strong leadership skills. In fact, they are often called the Commander or the Executive.
Of course, that can lead to them being viewed as impatient, stubborn, or even arrogant.
Famous ENTJ’s: George Clooney, Steve Jobs, Jim Carrey
ENTP
The Visionary — Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving
ENTP’s are creative, outspoken, and quick thinkers who are always up for a debate.
They are confident, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. They’ve got a playful and rebellious streak as well.
They love a spirited debate (they’re also known as the Debater) which can be seen as argumentative. They’re also quite prone to procrastination.
Famous ENTP’s: Tom Hanks, Amy Poehler, Ryan Reynolds
Diplomats
Diplomats are intuitive feelers (N, F). They focus on empathy, cooperation, and creativity.
INFJ
The Counselor — Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging
INFJ’s are creative, insightful, and passionate motivators who have a quiet power to them.
These personality types are unique, persuasive, and values-driven. They’re also extremely intuitive about others.
However, they can be overly sensitive and even secretive at times.
Famous INFJ’s: Lady Gaga, Martin Luther King Jr., Nicole Kidman
INFP
The Idealist—Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving
INFP’s are kind, creative, and open-minded empaths with an idealistic attitude and flair for the arts.
They tend to be highly emotional, passionate, and imaginative.
However, they can also be unrealistic and moody; often prone to anxiety or depression.
Famous INFP’s: Kurt Cobain, Johnny Depp, Audrey Hepburn
ENFJ
The Giver— Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging
ENFJ’s are outgoing, supportive, and loyal friends who want to bring people together.
These personality types are extremely encouraging and reliable. They have strong humanitarian desires.
At times, though, they can be unrealistic and overly intense in their principles to the point of seeming condescending.
Famous ENFJ’s: Jennifer Lawrence, Oprah Winfrey, Ben Affleck
ENFP
The Inspirer — Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving
ENFP’s are enthusiastic, warm, and altruistic people who can easily get along with anyone.
I refer to them as the “golden retrievers” of the MBTI family because of how friendly and excitable they are. They’re also very open-minded and compassionate.
They can be disorganized and overly eager to please, though.
Famous ENFP’s: Jennifer Aniston, Pete Davison, Robin Williams
Sentinels
Sentinels use sensing and judging (S, J). They are cooperative and practical people who work hard and show great stability.
ISTJ
The Duty Fulfiller —Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging
ISTJ’s are honest, responsible, and hard-working people who maintain a strong sense of integrity.
They are calm and practical and crave stability. Because of that, they’re drawn towards traditional establishments and structure.
They can struggle with understanding others’ emotions and their high morals can make them seem judgmental.
Famous ISTJ’s: Natalie Portman, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon
ISFJ
The Defender — Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging
ISFJ’s are caring, devoted, and social nurturers who always want to help others.
They are easily the most “extroverted” of all the introverted personality types. They’re warm and compassionate people who are also responsible and practical.
Because of their generosity, they can easily overload themselves. And though they are understanding of others’ feelings, they may repress their own.
Famous ISFJ’s: Kate Middleton, Kim Kardashian, Bruce Willis
ESTJ
The Supervisor — Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging
ESTJ’s are practical, honest, and hard-working organizers who represent tradition and order.
They are loyal, focused, and charismatic. These types also tend to excel at giving guidance and organizing events and gatherings.
They can, however, be viewed as stubborn or overly judgmental as they often expect others to be as diligent as they are.
Famous ESTJ’s: Michelle Obama, Emma Watson, Alec Baldwin
ESFJ
The Caregiver — Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging
ESFJ’s are popular, hospitable, and generous hosts who love to be around other people.
They have a strong sense of morality and responsibility and crave harmony. They’re warm and compassionate and can easily connect with others.
Their rigid morality can make them seem judgmental or overly opinionated, though, and they tend to care a lot about their own social standing and image.
Famous ESFJ’s: Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans, Taylor Swift
Explorers
Explorers use sensing and perceiving (S, P). They are spontaneous, practical, and intelligent.
ISTP
The Craftsman—Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving
ISTP’s are practical, impulsive, and energetic risk-takers who excel at making and building things.
These personality types can be a bit of a puzzle. They’re both rational and curious, calm and spontaneous, friendly and reserved.
They can be stubborn and insensitive, though. And they can become easily bored, often engaging in reckless behaviors to compensate.
Famous ISTP’s: Tom Cruise, Megan Fox, Clint Eastwood
ISFP
The Artist — Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving
ISFP’s are kind, sensitive, and adventurous artists who love to try new things.
They are warm and friendly souls who genuinely care about others. They’re also passionate, creative, and curious people who are both quiet and charming.
On the other side, they can become easily stressed and may struggle to follow through.
Famous ISFP’s: Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears
ESTP
The Entrepreneur — Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving
ESTP’s are friendly and action-oriented thrill-seekers who seek to push the boundaries and learn new things.
They’re honest, straight-forward, and rational people who often make great leaders. They also tend to be bold, energetic, and highly perceptive of their surroundings.
These personality types can be defiant and impatient. They can also be overly direct at times.
Famous ESTP’s: Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
ESFP
The Entertainer — Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving
ESFP’s are spontaneous, outgoing, and fun-loving performers who enjoy being the center of attention.
Although they love the spotlight, they’re also warm and sensitive to the feelings of others’. They’re generous and practical, always willing to lend a helping hand or shoulder to cry on.
They can be overly sensitive, though, particularly to criticism. Their need for excitement can also make them self-indulgent and unfocused.
Famous ESFP’s: Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Miley Cyrus
Which of the MBTI Personality Types Are You? Let me know!
10 Comments
Hey hey! I’m the inspirer. Wahoo!
Nice!! I always find it interesting to see other people’s types
Hmm, think i’m a bit of a mixture to be honest. INFJ / INFP
Those have a lot of similarities, so I can see how you might be a mixture.
This is interesting to know about the personalities. I’m trying to find mine in this list.
I find mine so incredibly accurate!
This is a really interesting and detailed post. I didn’t know much about this topic at all. Thank you for sharing about these!
Lauren
Thanks for reading! I hope it was helpful!
I love these! I actually wrote a post a while back on how my various personality traits affect my business. My Myers-Briggs was for sure one of them. I’m a Mediator. It fits perfectly with being a Helper on the Enneagram. I love all sorts of personality tests.
I’m an INFP too, but I think my enneagram was different. I can’t remember now though.