MBTI Personality Types: Who are You?

Established in 1944, the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) has grouped countless people into one of sixteen personality types. These personality types are based on four main traits: Extroverted (E) or Introverted (I), Sensing (S) or Intuition (N), Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) and Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). Individuals can only have one of each pair of traits—the abbreviated letters of these traits are then combined to form a single personality type such as ESJP or ISTP. Based on responses to a set of questions, the MBTI aims to give an individual an “understanding of type” and to make “perceptions clearer, judgements sounder, and life closer to your heart’s desire.” However, some BHS students disagree with the MBTI’s true utility.

“The MBTI can provide shallow generalizations but isn’t specific enough to encompass who you are as a whole,” senior Evan Hsueh said.

It’s easy to indulge in the fantasy that the MBTI completely portrays your personality, but it often misses key traits. For example, the MBTI assumes that certain personality traits are mutually exclusive, such as Feeling and Thinking. However, while people might have tendencies towards one or the other, very rarely do they entirely rely solely on either, yet the MBTI’s results are purely binary.

Additionally, studies have shown that the MBTI has low re-test reliability: those who retake it, even after short periods of time, get different results far more often than what would be expected. Nevertheless, Hsueh conceded that the MBTI can be a fun way to articulate your general personality—just take it with a grain of salt.