According to the paper written by psychologist Carl Jung, and the conclusions drawn by Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers, there are sixteen basic categories into which humans can be typecast.
Known as the Jungian Type Scale or Myers-Briggs Type Indicators, the theory is that every individual has a primary mode of operation within just four categories:
our flow of energy
how we take in information
how we prefer to make decisions
the basic day-to-day lifestyle that we prefer
The scale uses four basic personality dichotomies:
Introversion (I) vs. Extroversion (E)
Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
Feeling (F) vs. Thinking (T)
Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
We “prefer” to be either:
Extraverted or Introverted:
Extraverts are action oriented, while introverts are thought oriented.
Extraverts seek breadth of knowledge and influence, while introverts seek depth of knowledge and influence.
Extraverts often prefer more frequent interaction, while introverts prefer more substantial interaction.
Extraverts recharge and get their energy from spending time with people, while introverts recharge and get their energy from spending time alone.
Extraverts are action oriented, while introverts are thought oriented.
Extraverts seek breadth of knowledge and influence, while introverts seek depth of knowledge and influence.
Extraverts often prefer more frequent interaction, while introverts prefer more substantial interaction.
Extraverts recharge and get their energy from spending time with people, while introverts recharge and get their energy from spending time alone.
Sensing or iNtuitive: (nonrational feelings)
sensation—perception by means of the sense organs;
intuition—perceiving in unconscious way or perception of unconscious contents.
intuition—perceiving in unconscious way or perception of unconscious contents.
Thinking or Feeling:
thinking—the function of intellectual cognition; the forming of logical conclusions;
feeling—function of subjective estimation
feeling—function of subjective estimation
Judging or Perceiving
judging—structured and organized decision-making
perceiving—keeping the options open and putting off decisions
The sixteen basic categories are as follows:
Extraverted Sensing (ESFP, ESTP)
Introverted Sensing (ISTJ, ISFJ)
Extraverted Intuition (ENFP, ENTP)
Introverted Intuition (INFJ, INTJ)
Extraverted Thinking (ESTJ, ENTJ)
Introverted Thinking (ISTP, INTP)
Extraverted Feeling (ESFJ, ENFJ)
Introverted Feeling (INFP, ISFP)
Extraverted Sensing (ESFP, ESTP)
Introverted Sensing (ISTJ, ISFJ)
Extraverted Intuition (ENFP, ENTP)
Introverted Intuition (INFJ, INTJ)
Extraverted Thinking (ESTJ, ENTJ)
Introverted Thinking (ISTP, INTP)
Extraverted Feeling (ESFJ, ENFJ)
Introverted Feeling (INFP, ISFP)
The tests available on the Internet are quite diverse, but fun to take.
You might want to try a couple of them to get an idea of how you are perceived by others.
If you’re a writer, you can take the test as your character, and thereby get a good indication of how that character might develop. A lot of writers use this method of character development, to make their characters as human as possible.
Try it—it’s fun and a great tool. Here are some sites where you can take the tests for free. The first one is good for writers because it has a long form test and a short form if you want to take the test to determine someone else’s personality type.
Trish Jackson, Author 