Pretty much everyone and their grandma knows what MBTI they are these days. Like blood types and zodiac signs, it’s the one thing to expect any self-respecting Gen Z and millennials to know. Are you the fun and bubbly ENFP, or the ever-introspecting INFJ? Are you a debater? Then you must be ENTP.
But, like, have you ever taken a step back and think more deeply about it? It sounds neat and all, but 7 billion people that exist on planet Earth can’t be conveniently placed into 16 different categories, can they? That seems too easy, too simplistic. People are complicated after all and reducing their personalities to four little words just doesn’t seem fitting.
It’s a tricky little thing, personality tests. You wouldn’t be able to accurately measure things because personalities exist on a spectrum, after all. So, it begs the question, how accurate is MBTI?
Sceptics will say that MBTI is just another proof of the Barnum effect, where the information is vague enough to be relatable. Then you have the MBTI fanatics that lie on the other far end of the spectrum.
The answer might be a little more complicated. In social science, there are 4 markers that people use to decide whether the test is good enough. The markers are reliable, valid, independent, and comprehensive. Unfortunately, the answer for MBTI IS no, no. no, and no.
This isn’t that surprising. If you ever tried taking an MBTI test, you’ll know how the results can change with your mood. It isn’t uncommon to hear people’s type changing every time they take the test.
How would that explain scores of people who fit perfectly within the 16 MBTI categories? Surely this means that MBTI is doing something right?
To understand this, we must go back to MBTI’s roots. Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, created the test in the early mid-20th century. Katharine was influenced by the work of Carl Jung and thus, came up with MBTI. It was in the midst of World War 2, that Isabel believed that if people understood each other better, the world would be a better place.
One of the main goals of MBTI testing was to find the type of occupations best suited for each of the MBTI types. Career preference and satisfaction do seem to have a link to which personality type you are, however, this doesn’t guarantee career performance.
So, is MBTI complete hogwash? Of course not! There is at least a scientific basis for MBTI testing. However, what MBTI reality does is offer people an introduction to the world of personality theories and how they can understand themselves better. There are other scientifically more accurate tests out there, for example, the rigorous Hogan test, which has 206 questions and is based on socioanalytic theory.
All in all, despite the flak MBTI testing, has been receiving, it is undeniable that for most people it is their first foray into personality testing. Undeniably, MBTI left a huge mark in pop culture and it’s not going away anytime soon. We wouldn’t want them to, anyway.
Three cheers for MBTI! (Can you tell I’m an ENFP?)
Author
About the Author
There are some interesting closing dates on this article but I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There is some validity however I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as nicely
I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. I’m quite sure I will learn plenty of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
Hello.This post was really fascinating, especially because I was investigating for thoughts on this topic last Tuesday.
Very interesting subject , appreciate it for putting up.
I haven¦t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I¦ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
I have been surfing on-line more than 3 hours today, but I by no means found any fascinating article like yours. It is lovely price sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made good content material as you probably did, the internet shall be much more useful than ever before.
Simply a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding style and design.
I feel that is among the so much significant information for me. And i am glad reading your article. But should commentary on few normal issues, The site taste is ideal, the articles is in point of fact excellent : D. Just right task, cheers
hey there and thank you to your information – I’ve certainly picked up anything new from proper here. I did on the other hand experience some technical points the usage of this website, since I skilled to reload the web site a lot of occasions prior to I could get it to load correctly. I had been considering in case your web hosting is OK? Now not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will very frequently have an effect on your placement in google and could damage your quality ranking if ads and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot extra of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again soon..
After study a number of of the blog posts in your web site now, and I actually like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website record and will likely be checking again soon. Pls take a look at my website online as effectively and let me know what you think.
I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my problem. You are wonderful! Thanks!
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I’m very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there.
I’m just writing to let you be aware of what a beneficial experience my wife’s princess undergone viewing the blog. She discovered too many pieces, not to mention what it is like to possess an awesome teaching style to let a number of people very easily learn about specified grueling subject matter. You truly did more than her expectations. I appreciate you for producing the powerful, trustworthy, edifying and unique guidance on your topic to Sandra.
Hi there, I found your blog by means of Google whilst looking for a related subject, your site came up, it appears to be like great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
I have been browsing on-line more than 3 hours these days, yet I by no means discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is lovely worth sufficient for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content as you probably did, the net will probably be much more useful than ever before. “Dreams have as much influence as actions.” by Stephane Mallarme.
Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a high risk decision great post! .
Throughout this awesome scheme of things you actually secure a B- with regard to effort and hard work. Where you lost everybody was first on the details. You know, people say, the devil is in the details… And that couldn’t be much more true in this article. Having said that, allow me inform you exactly what did work. Your authoring is definitely quite powerful and that is possibly why I am taking the effort in order to comment. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Secondly, even though I can easily notice a leaps in reason you make, I am not sure of exactly how you appear to unite your ideas that help to make the final result. For now I shall yield to your issue however hope in the near future you actually link your facts much better.
Awsome post and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is actually the best place to ask but do you guys have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thx 🙂
This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
I do enjoy the manner in which you have framed this particular difficulty plus it really does provide me personally some fodder for consideration. Nevertheless, through just what I have experienced, I just simply trust as the actual commentary pack on that folks stay on issue and not start upon a tirade involving some other news of the day. Anyway, thank you for this fantastic point and though I can not necessarily agree with it in totality, I respect the standpoint.
Great website! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am bookmarking your feeds also.
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I?¦ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your website?
Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Cheers
Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all. Nevertheless think about if you added some great visuals or videos to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and clips, this website could certainly be one of the greatest in its field. Wonderful blog!
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
magnificent post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I’m confident, you have a huge readers’ base already!
I am just writing to let you be aware of what a wonderful experience my daughter developed reading the blog. She came to find so many details, not to mention how it is like to have an awesome teaching style to let a number of people very easily grasp a number of impossible subject matter. You really did more than people’s expected results. Many thanks for coming up with the great, safe, revealing and fun thoughts on that topic to Ethel.