In a social gathering, how do you behave? Do you introduce yourself, or are introduced? Do you talk to everyone, or would you rather stay in a discreet place and have more of a private conversation?
What about at work? Are you the type that likes to explore new ideas, or rather prefers walking on known land?
The psychologist Carl Jung developed the theory of psychological types, published in 1921. Summed up, the theory suggests that we have opposite ways of relating to the world:
Directing and Receiving Energy: (Extraversion or Introversion – E / I)
Taking in Information: (Sensation or Intuition – S / N)
Deciding or Concluding from Information: (Thinking or Feeling – T / F)
Addressing the Outside World: (Judging or Perceiving – J / P)
We use all of these 8 pairs, part of the time, but we prefer to side with one pole over the other more often. Knowing who we are, who our partners are and the differences between us, can be used to our advantage.
Perhaps the first thing to make clear when we talk about psychological types is that although these words are known to us, the meaning applied by Jung is different. An introverted person, for example, is not necessarily shy. A person who prefers judgment, is not an outspoken judge, criticizing everything and everyone.
The second thing is that the interaction between the different poles makes each individual a unique type. Therefore, the fact that a person is extroverted does not necessarily mean that she will arrive at a party and introduce herself. She will do so only if her type has a facet that we call a “starter”.
You will see that we use the terms: prefered, or nomally when speaking about a pole. With psychological types, we do not put a person in a box. People are dynamic and can be influenced by their environment. They develop skills and different preferences inherent to their pole of action.
What, then, is meant by the names Jung used?
In psychological type categorization, one who has a preference for extroversion, is normally energized by interaction with others. It may be that he has a facility to expose his thinking, depending on other aspects of his personality. An introvert, though, is energized by reflection, he prefers to be alone, and may find work interruptions distractive. In a team, for example, it is important that the people involved are aware of the types, and make sure that introverts are also heard.
The person who assimilates information through sensation believes in what is palpable, based on experiences he has had. Those who prefer intuition tend to see possibilities, and are very open to what is new. The two poles enrich a team, when properly explored.
Those who use thinking more often as a tendency, make decisions by weighing pros and cons, trying to see the logic in each process. Those who prefer feeling normally evaluate first how a decision may affect others in the group. Consulting people from different poles before making decisions can bring balance and efficiency to a process.
Individuals who prefer to address the outside world through judgment, look for conclusions and decisions. They tend to like plans and agendas, while those who prefer perceptions like to collect as much information as possible and focus on the process.
All poles have their strengths and weaknesses. People who prefer judgments can be more organized and reliable with respect to time limits. They can however rush to make a decision without collecting enough information.
Those who prefer perceptions can get a better idea of the big picture, but there is the risk of delaying a decision if they lose themselves in the process of collecting information.
MBTI® – Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a tool for self-knowledge, dedicated to the identification of psychological types, based on Carl Jung’s theory. Developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabelle Briggs Myers, mother and daughter, this instrument is used worldwide by companies and individuals to help understand how personality types affect communication, professional and personal relationships and choices. The instrument helps to clarify strengths and prepare for challenges and stressful situations, as well explore what the different types bring to a team, and how to solve conflicts and respect differences.
Four letters representing the preferences form the MBTI types, and the dynamics between the poles is what makes this study very rich. An ESTJ (extraverted, sensing, thinking, judging type) is motivated by the use of knowledge, skills or experience to solve problems, while an ESTP (extraverted, sensing, thinking, perceptive type) is motivated by having the autonomy to do things his way.
An ISTJ, like me, has sensing as a dominant function, which means I use this pole more comfortably. Intuition is an inferior function of mine, which needs to be developed. My challenge is to be able to see the situation as a whole and explore other possibilities. In stressful situations, the lower function is activated, and because it is not commonly used, it appears in a distorted way. In the case of an ISTJ, imagination, for example, can be used in a catastrophic sense. For a person with feeling as an inferior function, they may misinterpret everything somebody says or does.
MBTI@ is a powerful tool that can enrich teams, guide leadership, and help solve conflicts between people (weather they work or live together), as it bring awareness to the differences amongst people and helps explore ways of working with the best of them. When you know what is important for a type and what you can expect, cooperation become easier weather between colleagues or couples. As a tool for self-awareness, this can guide people in searching for a career and a way of working that feels more organic, respecting what feels more natural to you. The report also points to areas to be developed and brings light to situations that can give you stress, in order to be more aware and prepared.
If you want to know what your type is and how to use it to your advantage, please contact us to arrange a conversation.