Personality Type is a great way to understand more about your preferences, strengths and weaknesses.  It can also help you understand a great deal about why you find some things easier or more difficult than friends, family members or co-workers.  

 

There are four components that are measured.  You will tend to lean more to one side than the other.  If you lean heavily to one side of any component, you will find that you have a hard time relating to others who lean heavily to the other.

 

In relationships, you will find that you are fairly compatible with those who share two or more of your characteristics and tend to have more conflict with those who are complete opposites.

 

The goal should be to develop balance in each area so that you can tap into the strengths of each and minimize the limitations that being polarized towards one extreme creates.

 

These are the four personality dimensions:

a) Extravert (E)   .........   Introvert (I)

b) Sensing (S)  .........   Intuiting (N) 

c) Feeling (F)   .........   Thinking (T) 

d) Judging (J)   .........   Perceiving (P) 

 

In each of these four sets of qualities below, you will have a preference for one or the other quality. This will give you your "letter". Just because you prefer to act in one way, doesn't mean that you can't be the other way in certain situations. It's a little like handedness - Although you have one hand you use most, you can use your other hand if necessary.  There is no "good" or "bad" trait - each has their own strengths and limitations.

 

As you consider the pairs of qualities outlined below, you will notice that you probably prefer one way of being to the other. It will tend to be your "first instinct" and what feels just a little more comfortable to you. If you are not sure, ask others who know you. 

 

 

Introverted / Extroverted

 

Select The Characteristics That Are True Of You Most Of The Time:

• You deal with a stressful day by:
  a) SHARING your experiences with people you’re close to or
  b) By spending time ALONE in a favorite activity, immersed in a book or on a screen
  
  

• If you have a difficult day does it help to:
  a) TALK about it with a friend or family member or
  b) By being ALONE and doing something that puts it out of your mind?
  
  

• Do you show your enthusiasm:
  a) EASILY or do you prefer to
  b) Maintain your COMPOSURE?
  
  

• Do others find it:
  a) EASY to get to know you quite soon after they meet you or
  b) Get to know you only if you let them in?
  
  
• At a gathering with lots of people that you don’t know, do you enjoy
  a) Spending time getting to know many new people or
  b) With one or two that you have SOMETHING IN COMMON with?

 

3 OR MORE (a) ANSWERS = EXTROVERTED (E)

3 OR MORE (b) ANSWERS = INTROVERTED (I)

 

If you are an Extravert (E) you probably:

 

-Recharge by being around others and getting out to be in the world interacting with others

- Determine best what you think and feel once you’ve processed them out loud with someone

- The idea of meeting people you haven’t had a chance to talk to before feels exiting

- Like making things happen rather than sitting back and watching them unfold

 

• I am seen as "outgoing" or as a "people person."
• I feel comfortable in groups and prefer to work with others I get along with rather than alone
• I get to know people easily and tend to enjoy doing things with groups more than one on one or alone
• I sometimes jump too quickly into an activity and don't allow enough time to think it over.
• Before I start a project, I sometimes forget to stop and get clear on what I want to do and why.

 

If you are an Introvert (I), you probably:

 

- Recharge by spending time alone, particularly after being in formal settings with people you don’t know well or aren’t close to.

-Spend most of your time doing things alone or with one or two people you feel a close connection with

-Take time to consider things and get them right before taking action

-Ideas are real things to you.  Sometimes ideas can even be better than the real thing.

• I am seen as "reflective" or "reserved."
• I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.
• I prefer to know just a few people well.
• I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don't move into action quickly enough.
• I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience.

 

Sensing / iNtuitive

 

Select The Characteristics That Are True Of You Most Of The Time:

• Do you prefer doing things that:
  a) You know thoroughly and have a well-developed routine or
  b) Does it excite you to do something you haven’t done before where you can work out new solutions?
  
  

• Do you prefer things to be:
  a) Practical and useful or do you
  b) Prefer new ways of doing things and new ideas for their novelty?
  
  

• Do you prefer being involved in projects:
  a) After they have been developed and there is a clear concept of what will be done or
  b) At the beginning of the project where you are called on to develop new and innovative ideas?
  
  

• Do you tend to solve problems
  a) As they appear or do you
  b) Find yourself determining potential problems and figuring out how they can be avoided?
  
  
• Do you do best handling a situation when you are:
  a) Presented with the details necessary to accomplish the project or do you
  b) Feel most comfortable when you have a firm grasp of the underlying principles and figure out the details yourself?

3 OR MORE (a) ANSWERS = SENSING (S)

3 OR MORE (b) ANSWERS = INTUITIVE (N)

 

If you are a Sensor (S), you probably:

 

-Like to concentrate on what you're doing at the moment and generally don't wonder about what's next

-Like things to be detailed, accurate, and prefers to do tasks in a "step-by-step" way

-Would rather work with facts and figures than ideas and theories.  You tend to find it difficult to "think outside the box"

- Understand the world around you in a practical sense by what is perceivable, present, and real.  You learn best when you see how to use what you’re learning, so showing you works better than describing it to you.

• I remember events as snapshots of what actually happened.
• I solve problems by working through facts until I understand the problem.
• I am pragmatic and look to the "bottom line."
• I start with facts and then form a big picture.
• I trust experience first and trust words and symbols less.
• Sometimes I pay so much attention to facts, either present or past, that I miss new possibilities.

 

If you are an iNtuitive (N), you probably:

 

- Tend to give general answers to questions and don't liked to be pushed for specifics

- Find the future and its possibilities more intriguing than frightening

- Like to think about the "big picture" and abstract ideas and tend to do things in new and different ways. You likely have problems with details and accuracy.
- You like to work out the big picture to make sense of the details.  You come up with solutions by mental leaps between different ideas and possibilities.  You’re interested in new ideas and what’s possible and imagine the future more than reflecting on the past. You like to work out abstract ideas and theories, even if you don't have a pressing need to use them.
You remember events more as an impression of what it was like than as actual facts or details of what happened.

 

• I remember events by what I read "between the lines" about their meaning.
• I solve problems by leaping between different ideas and possibilities.
• I am interested in doing things that are new and different.
• I like to see the big picture, then to find out the facts.
• I trust impressions, symbols, and metaphors more than what I actually experienced
• Sometimes I think so much about new possibilities that I never look at how to make them a reality.

 

Feeler / Thinker

 

Select The Characteristics That Are True Of You Most Of The Time:

• Do you tend to
  a) Go out of your way to make sure everyone you deal with is happy and that they like you or do you tend to
  b) Be selective and go out of your way to be pleasant to those you have real respect for and are less interested, critical of people you don’t care for?
  
  

• In challenging and stressful situations, would others characterize you as:
  a) More involved in helping others feel better in the situation (the situation is resolved when those feeling uncomfortable are happy again) or
  b) More involved in solving the problem (the situation is resolved for you when the problem is resolved)?
  
  

• In dealing with critical situations are you inclined to:
  a) Be tactful, discussing the situation avoiding hurt feelings if possible or
  b) You’re direct even if someone’s feelings may be hurt because it is important to be clear about the situation?
  
  

• When doing a job are you most satisfied when:
  a) People appreciate you and your work or
  b) Do you feel the most satisfaction when you have realized the solution or completed the job to your own satisfaction?
  
  

• If someone comes to you with a problem are you more inclined to:
  a) Help them feel better about the situation or
  b) Make sure they understand the solution to their situation?

 

3 OR MORE (a) ANSWERS = FEELING (F)

3 OR MORE (b) ANSWERS = THINKING (T)

 

If you are a Thinker (T), you are probably:

 

-Able to stay calm, and objective in situations when others are upset

-Prefer to make decisions based on what is fair and truthful rather than on what will make people happy

-Are more firm-minded than gentle-hearted

-When you make a decision you like to find the basic truth or principle to be applied, regardless of the specific situation involved. You like to analyze pros and cons and then be consistent and logical in deciding. You try to be impersonal so you won't let my personal wishes--or other people's wishes--influence you.

• I notice inconsistencies.
• I look for logical explanations or solutions to most everything.
• I make decisions with my head and want to be fair.
• I believe telling the truth is more important than being tactful.
• Sometimes I miss or don't value the "people" part of a situation.
• I can be seen as too uncaring, indifferent or task-oriented.
• I enjoy technical and scientific fields where logic is important.

 

If you are a Feeler (F), you probably:

 

-Take others' feelings into account and prefer to avoid conflict

-Will overextend yourself to meet other people's needs

-Enjoy providing needed services to people

-You make decisions by weighing what people care about and the points-of-view of others involved in a situation. You are concerned with what is best for the people involved. You like to do whatever will establish or maintain harmony. In your relationships, you appear caring, warm, and tactful.

 

• I am concerned with harmony and nervous when it is missing.
• I look for what is important to others and express concern for others.
• I make decisions with my heart and want to be compassionate.
• I believe being tactful is more important than telling the "cold" truth.
• Sometimes I miss seeing or communicating the "hard truth" of situations.
• I am sometimes experienced by others as too idealistic, mushy, or indirect.
• I have a people or communications orientation.

 

Judger / Perceiver

 

Select The Characteristics That Are True Of You Most Of The Time:

• Are you happiest:
  a) After decisions have been made and you know your precise plan or
  b) Before the decision has been made and you have options to choose from?

• Do you insist on:
  a) Getting work out of the way right away so that you know how much time you have to do other things or do you
  b) Prefer to do what you enjoy first and fit in things that you don’t enjoy closer to their deadline?

• Do you have the greatest amount of enthusiasm:
  a) After you have completed a project and can see what you have done and the quality of your work or
  b) Before the project starts and are working on developing your ideas and innovative solutions?

• Do you prefer:
  a) Knowing what you are getting into or
  b) Adapting to the situation as it develops

• Do you maintain organization by:
  a) Having specific places for everything and are neat and orderly at home, in your vehicle and at the office or
  b) You remember where you left things last and you know better than anyone how you have organized things because your system is very novel, maybe somewhat chaotic to others?

 

3 OR MORE (a) ANSWERS = JUDGING (J)

3 OR MORE (b) ANSWERS = PERCEIVING (P)

 

If you are a Judger (J), you probably:

 

-You make plans and are committed to finishing what you start

-Don't like surprises, and make this well known to everyone

-Thrive on order; you have systems for your desk, home and car

-You use my decision-making (Judging) preference (whether it is Thinking or Feeling) in your outer life. To others, you seem to prefer a planned or orderly way of life, like to have things settled and organized, feel more comfortable when decisions are made, and like to bring life under control as much as possible.

• I plan ahead to avoid feeling rushed by deadlines.
• I feel good getting things done so I know exactly how much time I have to do the things that I enjoy
• I keep track of important details and feel calm when there is order
• I like to get my work done before playing.
• I appear to be task oriented.
• Sometimes I focus so much on the goal that I miss new information.

 

If you are a Perceiver (P), you probably:

-Flexible and adaptable.  You love to change your routine and explore the unknown.  You'd rather start a new task than finish an old one.

-Are easily distracted; you can lose your car in the parking lot

-Have to depend on last-minute spurts of energy to meet deadlines

- You prefer a flexible and spontaneous way of life, taking in new experiences and information.  You’re more interested in understanding the world than driven to organize it.

• I like to stay open to respond to whatever happens.
• I keep plans to a minimum and deal with things as they come up
• I like to approach work as play or mix play and distractions with work.
• I work in bursts of energy.
• Completing things tends to happen with the pressure of a deadline.
• Sometimes I stay open to new information so long I miss making decisions when they are needed.

 

Your combined answers will create one of these 16 personality types:

Click on a link below to read more about your personality type.  If what you read isn't "bang-on", you are either very balanced or you have chosen the wrong type and need to ask a friend to help you answer the questions more accurately.