The material below was synthesized
and developed originally by Bill
Kirby and revised, adapted, and
posted with permission by Leslie
Wilson
The order of
the descriptions below follow the
sequence and tradition of
Myers-Briggs� personality profiles.
The progression of individual 4
letter profiles indicates choices
from oppositional variables in areas
deemed �attitudes� and �functions.�
Four letter combinations yield 16
types, or 16 sets, of preferences in
areas representing: energizing,
attending, deciding, and living.
MBTI 16 profiles are as follows:
|
ESTJ |
ESTP |
ENTJ |
ENTP |
ISTJ |
ISTP |
INTJ |
INTP |
|
ESFJ |
ESFP |
ENFJ |
ENFP |
ISFJ |
ISFP |
INFJ |
INFP |
EXTRAVERSION
vs. INTROVERSION are
�attitudes� and explain how we are
energized, and how we prefer to relate
to the world and others
SENSING
vs. INTUITING describe
oppositional �functions� and show how we
prefer to attend, or take in
information. (The N is used here
because the I has already been
used for introversion.)
THINKING
vs. FEELING indicate are
also �functions� and describe how we
like to make decisions
JUDGMENT
vs. PERCEPTION are
�attitudes� that speak to our
preferences in living, and how we
organize our lives.
Please keep in mind that the
descriptions below are the extremes
of each variable. To some degree
each of us is a mixture of all 8
elements � we certainly have the
potential to use all 8 aspects.
However, at some point in our lives,
(usually in the early to late
twenties) we develop decided
preferences for one end of each set
variables as opposed to the other.
This
set of �attitudes� relates to how people
are energized and how we relate to the
world and others.
|
Extraverts |
Introverts |
|
Sociable -
Extraverts
are sociable and are
generally energized through
interactions with
stimulating environments and
others. They enjoy talking
to people and being in a
group and may dislike
spending time alone.
Extraverts literally take in
energy from people and
external stimuli and may
need to spend time winding
down after interactions
before they can relax or
sleep. Extraverts also think
best outside themselves �
they must �air� their ideas
aloud, either through
conversations with others or
through audible self-talk. |
Territorial -
Introverts
tend to prefer privacy, in
both the mind, or in
environment. Although they
can be quite friendly and
sociable, they may find
these interactions and
events exhausting. This
aversion to high levels of
external stimuli may cause
them to want to leave a
social event early, or even
to be reluctant to attend.
It is important for others
to honor their needs for
solitude and periods of
quiet. |
|
Expressive -
Extraverts
express most of their
thoughts and feelings as
they are having them.
Sometimes they find out what
they are thinking by hearing
what they say. They need
discussion with others to
think best.
|
Quiet
- Introverts are more likely
to listen to others and
develop their own ideas in
silence and through
reflection. They may only
tell trusted people what
they really think or feel. |
|
Other
-
-
Extraverts tend to be
aware of and react to
outside stimuli in their
field of vision or
hearing.
-
Extraverts prefer
breadth.
-
Extraverts' attention is
turned toward the
outside world.
-
Extraverts will show
their dominant
�function� readily to
others.
|
Other
-
-
They tend
to be more absorbed in
their own thoughts and
are less alert to
outside stimuli.
-
Introverts are more
attracted to depth.
-
In the
beginning Introverts'
attentions may be more
focused on their
internal states.
-
Introverts will hide or
protect their dominant
�function,� sharing it
with only those who are
trusted. This lack of
disclosure is one of the
primary differences
between introverts and
extraverts.
|
These �functions�
relate mostly to how people prefer to
attend, obtain, or take in information.
|
Sensors |
iNtuitives |
|
Practical
- Sensors want to live in a
world of facts. They are
interested in history, past
experiences, and the actual.
Being grounded in what is
natural to them; abstract
notions are of little
interest. Instead, they are
drawn to things that are
no-nonsense, factual and
sensible. |
Innovative
- What might be or could be
is of great interest to
Intuitives. They are highly
aware of what they imagine,
and can find being too
grounded in what is
boring and stifling.
Possibilities and
speculation excite them.
They are constantly thinking
of �what if.� |
|
Details
- Sensors are interested in
the details of things. They
get great satisfaction from
taking care of all the
little things. They tend to
focus on the trees and not
the forest. |
Big picture
- Intuitives see the big
picture. Details are often
missed or ignored, and can
seem trivial. They are
sometimes "absent-minded"
since they tend to be more
aware of their internal
images than their sensory
input. These are the people
who can't remember where
they parked their car
because they were too busy
thinking of their mission. |
|
Realistic
- Sensors gather information
mostly from what they see,
smell, hear, feel, etc. If
asked to describe a picture,
they will tell the colors,
the locations of things, and
what is happening in it.
They are in tune with the
reality of the situations
they find themselves in, in
life. |
Imaginative
- Intuitives interpret what
they see and believe their
interpretations. If asked to
describe a picture, they
will tell you a little about
the subject of the picture
and then tell you what might
happen next or something
(imagined) about the
relationships of people in
the picture. |
These
�functions� describe to how people
prefer to make decisions.
|
Thinkers |
Feelers |
|
Logical
- Thinkers base their
decisions on rational
thought and logic, and they
tend to be objective. They
like justice and standards.
Thinkers tend to be more
interested in ideas, and the
reasoning behind decisions
or concepts. For them,
emotions are secondary, or
passing, and of less
importance. To Feelers, they
may seem cold-hearted and
remote. |
Personal
- Feelers' decisions are
often based on "gut
feelings." Their outlook is
more subjective. They like
harmony and often energized
though appreciation and
encouragement. For Feelers,
emotion is more important
than reasoning, rationality,
or logical discourse. To
Thinkers, they may seem
soft-hearted and illogical. |
|
Emotional
Responses
- Thinkers are as likely as
Feelers to experience
emotions. However, they are
less likely to show those
emotions; in fact, emotional
reactions can be
embarrassing to them. |
Emotional
Responses -
Feelers are
more likely to wear their
hearts on their sleeves.
However, if this preference
is combined with
introversion they will not
share their feelings
openly.
|
Notes
on gender distributions
� Within the historic data collected
from the MBTI, the functions of
thinking vs. feeling is the only
variable that has shown a gender
trend. About 60% of men reported
they are Thinkers, while %60 of
women reported they are Feelers.
These percentages fall into cultural
stereotypes about males emphasizing
thinking, and women feeling.
However, as we move into a new
century as gender lines and roles
are becoming blurred, and gender
roles less definitive in modern
cultures it will be interesting to
see if these statistics change.
_______________________________________________________________________________
These �attitudes�
relate to preferences in living. In the
MBTI they are indicators for whether we
are more comfortable in gathering
information, or more comfortable in
making decisions. Indeed, it is this
last letter preference that indicates
which of the function (sensing,
intuiting, thinking, or feeling) is our
strongest preference.
|
Judgers |
Perceivers
|
|
Decision
making
� Judgers like plans,
closure, well-defined
deadlines and
certainty. They like to know
what to expect especially in
time commitments and
outcomes. They prefer to
make decisions quickly, and
are often uncomfortable with
indecision or situations
requiring some level of
spontaneity. The advantage
of this preference is that
much can be accomplished,
quickly.
|
Decision
making
� Perceivers would rather
postpone making a decision
until they have gathered
what they consider to be
�enough� information. They
are willing to wait and see
what will turn up, and thus
tolerate open-ended
situations well. This can
have the advantage of in
that when things are done,
they are done fully and
completely. Some perceivers
are so uncomfortable with
decision making that they
might continue to wonder if
it was the right one for
years after making it.
|
|
Goal oriented
� Judgers may be more likely
to have a plan and want to
complete it. They can become
impatient with interruptions
or deviations from the path
to their goals. |
Laid back
� Perceivers may be more
likely to view life in a
relaxed way. Since they tend
to see things in terms of
what needs to be done
instead of a series of tasks
with deadlines, they may be
freer to simply live each
moment as it is best lived.
They may also become less
stressed in chaotic
situations.
|
|
Time
orientation
� Judgers like to know how
long something is planned to
take and they like it to
take just that long, neither
more nor less. They usually
believe that punctuality is
an important virtue, one not
to be slighted. Judgers
tend to literally know what
time it is, without having
to look at a clock. They
tend to know how long some
period of time has
been. They can be seen as
driven by the clock by
perceivers. The Judgers�
time orientation is more
acceptable in western, and
especially American,
culture. |
Time
orientation
� Perceivers are willing to
let a task take as long as
necessary to do it well and
are uncomfortable with
having to watch a clock. As
a result, they may lose
track of time or not be able
to estimate in advance how
long a task will take. If
they are late for something,
they will be sorry, but
surprised. The Perceivers�
time orientation is more
generally practiced in
non-Western cultures. In
some parts of the world,
people might arrive around 5
o�clock for meetings
scheduled for 3:00 PM and
not be considered late. |
|
Tolerance
� A Judger may be more
disturbed by things not
going according to plan.
They are more likely to be
concerned with how something
�should� be than allowing it
to develop on its own. Their
tolerance level is high for
actions that might shorten
the time something takes to
be completed. |
Tolerance
� Because
they tend to work to needs
instead of deadlines,
Perceivers may sometimes
appear to be more tolerant.
For instance, when working
with stages of child or
human development,
Perceivers are less likely
to decide the given
individual is �late� and
�should� be at the next
stage NOW! Their
expectations are more
organic. |
|
