ENTJ…Wait, What?
If you're trying to figure out if this is an ENTJ, read the article.
I recently asked my staff to take the Myers-Briggs personality indicator test. We’re going to have a session led by a trained counselor so we can understand each other better and work together as best as possible as a staff.
I took the test 3 years ago when I started the job. At the time, I scored an INTJ (low I, low N, high T, high J). When I took the test yesterday, I expected the results to be almost the same, except maybe I’d be a slightly lower T (hi, I’m Jamey, I’m 29, and I’m starting to learn about feelings). Most of all, I thought I’d be a higher I. Over the past few years, I’ve fully embraced my inner introvert. If I want time to myself, I make it happen. I don’t struggle against it. It’s who I am, and I’m happy with it.
And then I went and scored an ENTJ today. Not just low E, but middle E. According to the test, I’ve become a mid-level extrovert. (Everything else remained the same.)
I’m trying to make sense of this result, but I’m truly baffled by it. However, I am pleased by the description of my personality type according to Wikipedia:
ENTJs are among the rarest of types, accounting for about 2–5% of those who are formally tested. They tend to be self-driven, motivating, energetic, assertive, confident, and competitive. They generally take a big-picture view and build a long-term strategy. They typically know what they want and may mobilize others to help them attain their goals. ENTJs are often sought out as leaders due to an innate ability to direct groups of people. Unusually influential and organized, they may sometimes judge others by their own tough standards, failing to take personal needs into account.
It’s not spot-on, but it’s pretty accurate. And it’s always nice to be a rare breed.
What’s your Myers-Briggs score? How has it changed over time?
Daily Quickie: I’ve made a delicious Vietnamese sandwich called Banh Mi three times this week, culminating in the masterpiece you see in the photo here. It’s a buttered and toasted baguette topped with seasoned and grilled pork strips, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, Thai peanut sauce, and ginger sesame dressing. Amazing.
I’m a very strong INFJ. Rare and an “odd”personality…a description I embrace.
It’s common for tests to vary a little like that according to random things like your mood when tested or your personality development over time. (Especially if someone has faced trauma or big life changes.) But I do want to hear how they break your scores down and explain the change to you. I’m high in all my letters, so I doubt I’m changing.
I understand that the scores can vary based on mood and other factors…it still surprised me, though. Like I said, I’ve fully embraced my introvertism. Perhaps doing so has given me the freedom to enjoy my extroverted side when I choose to exert it.
This is INFJ:
“INFJs are quiet, private individuals who prefer to exercise their influence behind the scenes. Although very independent, INFJs are intensely interested in the well-being of others. INFJs prefer one-on-one relationships to large groups. Sensitive and complex, they are adept at understanding complicated issues and driven to resolve differences in a cooperative and creative manner.”
The odd thing is, that describes me. I’m very behind-the-scenes at work, and I like that. Sensitive…that may not be me. I have to fake being sensitive. I don’t like when people are intentionally harsh or hurtful, but I like it when people can just say what they mean and not let their feelings impact their decisions. That’s why INTJ fit the bill for me. I guess those days are gone…
Every time I have taken that test I am an ENTJ. It never changes. The last sentence of the description is something I have always had to work on. In my early leadership days I have had a tendency to hold my staff(s) that I have had to a tough standard and a “There’s no crying in baseball” philosophy. I have learned to soften that with coaching methods instead thanks to a great boss in the early days who helped me see that ball busting isn’t always the way to go.
I’ve had to do the same thing at my work. I’m not really a ball-buster at work, but I like people to track their work and be accountable for their productivity. That’s tough to do at a church.
I had to take it when I first entered college…a long time ago so I don’t even remember my score. Tonight I got this(beware, it’s long):
ISJF– “Conservator”. Desires to be of service and to minister to individual needs – very loyal.
ISFJs account for about 9–14% of the population. ISFJs tend to be quiet and reserved. They generally prefer interacting with a few close friends rather than a wide circle of acquaintances, and they expend energy in social situations.ISFJs tend to be more concrete than abstract. They focus their attention on the details rather than the big picture, and on immediate realities rather than future possibilities. ISFJs tend to value personal considerations above objective criteria. When making decisions, they often give more weight to social implications than to logic. ISFJs tend to plan their activities and make decisions early. They derive a sense of control through predictability.
According to Myers-Briggs, ISFJs are interested in maintaining order and harmony in every aspect of their lives. They are steadfast and meticulous in handling their responsibilities. Although quiet, they are people-oriented and very observant. Not only do they remember details about others, but they observe and respect others’ feelings. Friends and family are likely to describe them as thoughtful and trustworthy. According to Keirsey, ISFJs, or “Protector Guardians”, are most concerned with taking care of people by keeping them safe and secure. They are modest caretakers who do not demand credit or thanks for their efforts. But while they are essentially compassionate—and in fact exercise more patience in dealing with the disabled than perhaps any other type—their shyness with strangers can lead others to misread them as standoffish. Only among friends and family may this quiet type feel comfortable speaking freely. ISFJs are serious people with a strong work ethic, not inclined to self-indulgence. They believe in being meticulous and thrifty. They work well alone. While they may enjoy taking care of others, they do not enjoy giving orders.
Wikipedia compared me to Mother Theresa though, that’s kind of fun.
I don’t think I could handle a Jamey personality, sounds mean
So does that description fit you? Always nice to be compared to Mother Theresa.
My personality isn’t mean! It’s just cut and dry.
It’s actually not too far off. I do love being of service and helpful to people, and it nailed me on the whole “control through predictability” thing. I hate surprises, mostly b/c they aren’t predictable and I can’t control them. Lets see, what else…yes I remember random details about people, especially if I like them. I think I’m a bit more social than they say I am. I’m not going to be the center of attention, but if I have something to say then I will.
It’s very mean, cut and dry is the same thing as mean. It sounds like you have no heart, villian
My family had t-shirts made with our types on them after we took them. (Jamey, if you search back in your memory bank, you probably have a memory of one of us with these on. They were maroon with white letters.) My mother was a certified scorer or evaluator or whatever you call them back in the day. I took the test for the first time when I was way too young to fully grasp all the questions and scenarios. I’ve taken it a couple times since then. I’m always an INTP.
My memory bank doesn’t go quite that far back, but I like the idea of those shirts. I kind of wish I had taken it at a young age to see how consistent the test is or if I’d changed significantly over time.
So, apparently I’m an INFP.
“INFPs focus much of their energy on an inner world dominated by intense feeling and deeply held ethics. They seek an external life that is in keeping with these values. They are curious to understand those around them, and so are accepting and flexible except when their values are threatened.
The polite, reserved exterior of INFPs can at first make them difficult to get to know. They enjoy conversation, however, taking particular delight in the unusual. When INFPs are in a sociable mood, their humor and charm shine through. Disposed to like people and to avoid conflict, INFPs tend to make pleasant company.
INFPs develop these insights through reflection, and they require substantial time alone to ponder and process new information. While they can be quite patient with complex material, they are generally bored by routine. Though not always organized, INFPs are meticulous about things they value. Perfectionists, they may have trouble completing a task because it cannot meet their high standards. They may even go back to a completed project after the deadline so they can improve it.
INFPs are creative types and often have a gift for language. As introverts, they may prefer to express themselves through writing. Their dominant Feeling drives their desire to communicate, while their auxiliary intuition supplies the imagination. Having a talent for symbolism, they enjoy metaphors and similes. They continually seek new ideas and adapt well to change.”
I feel that’s pretty darn accurate. People I know well can be surprised to hear that I’m introverted, but I need a lot of alone time and I’m really uncomfortable around new people. Wikipedia mentioned that William Shakespeare was probably an INFP. Hmmmmm…
That’s great that yours is so accurate. And being in the same group as William Shakespeare must be nice. (Although I bet every Myers-Briggs group has someone flattering as part of it. I hope there’s one group that has someone completely unflattering. “ENFP…damn, Bill the Butcher was ENFP!”)
According to the official myersbriggs website, your type shouldn’t change – check out this interesting article on type development:
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/understanding-mbti-type-dynamics/lifelong-type-development.asp
Also, could you post a link to a reliable, free website for undergoing the assessment? I have no memory of the letters assigned to me in high school, but I could only find free versions that were based on the myersbriggs – not the real thing.
Unfortunately, I don’t have such a link, but maybe one of the other commenters do.
For some odd reason, I felt like that hint was aimed at me. Since I like being helpful, here’s the link to the test that I got my results from. It’s free and I’m pretty sure it’s the real deal Myers-Briggs test. I also then used Wikipedia to find more information on my type.
http://sminds.com/mbti/
Thank you Amanda for listing that website! I was unable to find one, I too took the test in the past and couldn’t remember my results.
ENFJ were my results and I’m also 2-5% of the population! Abe Lincoln and Pope John Paul the II are my peeps:) (Considering John Paul had an appreciation for the arts,…this makes sense:) )
Uh…I just re-checked the scores, apparently the website said that the score was 50/50 for Thinking and Feeling…it just broke the tie randomly, is it possible to be two personality types? As everyone was saying above you can vary from time to time, but this happened the last time I took the test from what I remember. What does one do when they’re 50/50 on something? What do you declare?
Honest Abe and JP2–that’s good company!
Thank you! I like to think so.
Thank goodness it wasn’t someone like Ivan the Terrible!
Found on Google.
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm
Thank you, that actually solidified the F!
Just a quick response about Meyers Briggs testing. It is not unusual to present a different preference at work and at home. Meyers Briggs is a test about preferences, meaning a person can and does operate in all areas, it is in degrees. Also it is known that as a person ‘grows older’, they dabble in their weaker preference thereby developing all preferences over time. Understanding Meyers Briggs is more complex than at first glance.
My test stayed the same over the last four years. According to the test I am an INTJ (strong I, Strong J, Medium T, Low N). I may be more of an ISTJ, but for now let’s go with the test. Also, the bleak outlook in the relationships section of the description below offers me no solice. But then again, this is “scientific” astrology, right?
INTJs are one of the rarest of the sixteen personality types, and account for about 1–4% of the population.
INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion “Does it work?” to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake … INTJs are known as the “Systems Builders” of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play … Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ’s Achilles heel … This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals … Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense.
INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. They tend to be insightful and mentally quick; however, this mental quickness may not always be outwardly apparent to others since they keep a great deal to themselves. They are very determined people who trust their vision of the possibilities, regardless of what others think. They may even be considered the most independent of all of the sixteen personality types. INTJs are at their best in quietly and firmly developing their ideas, theories, and principles.
Hallmarks of the INTJ include independence of thought and a desire for efficiency. They work best when given autonomy and creative freedom. They harbor an innate desire to express themselves by conceptualizing their own intellectual designs. They have a talent for analyzing and formulating complex theories. INTJs are generally well-suited for occupations within academia, research, consulting, management, science, engineering, and law. They are often acutely aware of their own knowledge and abilities—as well as their limitations and what they don’t know (a quality that tends to distinguish them from INTPs). INTJs thus develop a strong confidence in their ability and talents, making them natural leaders.
In forming relationships, INTJs tend to seek out others with similar character traits and ideologies. Agreement on theoretical concepts is an important aspect of their relationships. By nature INTJs can be demanding in their expectations, and approach relationships in a rational manner. As a result, INTJs may not always respond to a spontaneous infatuation but wait for a mate who better fits their set criteria. They tend to be stable, reliable, and dedicated. Harmony in relationships and home life tends to be extremely important to them. They generally withhold strong emotion and do not like to waste time with what they consider irrational social rituals. This may cause non-INTJs to perceive them as distant and reserved; nevertheless, INTJs are usually very loyal partners who are prepared to commit substantial energy and time into a relationship to make it work.
As mates, INTJs want harmony and order in the home and in relationships. They are the most independent of all types[16]. They will trust their intuitions about others when making choices of friends and mates, even in the face of contradictory evidence and pressures applied by others. The emotions of an INTJ are hard to read, and neither male nor female INTJs are apt to express emotional reactions. At times, both will seem cold, reserved, and unresponsive, while in fact INTJs are almost hypersensitive to signals of rejection from those for whom they care. In social situations, INTJs may also be unresponsive and may neglect to observe small rituals designed to put others at their ease. For example, INTJs may communicate that time is wasted if used for idle dialogue, and thus people receive a sense of hurry from an INTJ which is not always intended. In their interpersonal relationships, INTJs are usually better in a working situation than in recreational situations.
That is exactly who I am. Screw the E. I’m an INTJ.
Yours doesn’t sound so bad, and relationships are overrated anyway.
Okay, coming in late, but I took the test that someone linked to above, so who knows it’s it’s real or not, it’s only 47 questions. Anyway, here’s my result:
ESTJ:
Extroverted (E) 78.79% Introverted (I) 21.21%
Sensing (S) 59.38% Intuitive (N) 40.63%
Thinking (T) 56.25% Feeling (F) 43.75%
Judging (J) 51.43% Perceiving (P) 48.57%
So…. I’m kind of a ENFP too. Both descriptions given on wikipedia describe me in certain aspects, both negative and positive. It’s a little odd. Some of the questions were hard to answer. I kept thinking, “Well, what do they MEAN by that?” I hate that, when questions aren’t specific enough. Or they ask questions that should be opposites but are slightly altered. Something like this (taken from the test I took):
29) I am interested in systems and patterns. I wrote Very Accurate
30) I am extremely interested in abstract ideas. I wrote Very Accurate
But how can I be both? But I am. I like to see the systems and patterns in people, events, website coding, languages, cultures, and that sort of thing. But I also like to talk about God and faith and very intangible things. And in many ways, my like of systems/patterns is in itself abstract. SIGH. So what do they MEAN by that, by systems/patterns? Plus what’s the difference between interested and extremely interested? Why isn’t that in the instructions?!
Or this one:
35) I think in a very non-linear fashion. Very Inaccurate
43) I can seem illogical. Very Accurate.
First off, who am I seeming illogical to? Myself or others? If myself, then I’d have to change it to Very Inaccurate. But to others, I might not say my whole thought out loud–so I move topics/tangents out loud very quickly or in no logical pattern. But in my mind everything is making sense and going in a linear way. An example: Me and boyfriend are discussing Manchester United.
Me: I think they’re going to do really well this year.
Boyfriend: Me too. Scholes is really great this year, like back in his glory days.
Me: I can’t wait for Eclipse to come to the $3 theater so we can drink while we watch it!
So, there’s this huge WTF moment here for my boyfriend (well, he’s used to it by now lol). But my MIND went like this:
Me: I think they’re going to do really well this year.
Boyfriend: Me too. Scholes is really great this year, like back in his glory days.
Me: Right, he has glory days cuz he’s old like Ryan Giggs. Ryan Giggs is Welsh, so is Doctor Who, well sort of. It’s shot there in Cardiff anyway. But Michael Sheen is Welsh. Hm, I wonder when Eclipse is going to come out in the cheap theater. Too bad Michael Sheen isn’t in it. ‘Beller is alive and well after all.’ hehe. New Moon was so fun to watch at the $3 theater while drinking those yummy porters! I can’t wait for Eclipse to come to the $3 theater so we can drink while we watch it!
See, that makes perfect sense how I would move from one thought to another. Scholes and Giggs are from the same era. I think Giggs is hot so I immediately gravitate towards thinking about him. I also think David Tennant and Matthew Smith are hot as the Doctor in Doctor Who AND I want nothing more than to be part of their writing team, so since it’s shot in Cardiff I think about that because Giggs is Welsh. Then I remember Michael Sheen and how wonderful he was in New Moon and quote his funny line in his accent in my head. Then I want to see Eclipse in the theater! I mean, how is that NOT logical and linear? But out loud, it makes NO SENSE that Paul Scholes and Eclipse would go together.
Anyway, I’m not sure what this really does for us (this test and the results).
The most shocking part of all this is that you think Giggs is hot. He looks like he’s 50!
[...] spent the last month being an ENTJ. It’s exhausting. I’ve been to countless happy hours, film openings, $500-plate [...]
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