Myers-Briggs Test: Is it Informative or Garbage?

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In summary, the conversation on the humanmetrics.com website discusses the accuracy and usefulness of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. The participants share their own results and opinions about the test, with some finding it to be informative while others view it as unreliable. The conversation also touches on the idea of introversion and extroversion on the internet, as well as the potential for the MBTI test to be used in job recruitment.
  • #36
I scored as an ENTJ, but could flip-flop with INTJ. When in a group, I just can't stand to see things so badly mismanaged (as seems the norm to me), so end up leading. things just go better that way :wink: I manage programming teams and I often think the only reason I'm the one in charge is that 'E'.
 
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  • #37
The experience I most strongly identify with is the sense that group interaction feels largely meaningless; people seem to talk about absolutely nothing. Hello, we've got a world! We've got problems to solve! How about we talk about something constructive, meaningfull? Nope, apparently not. I'm not antisocial by any stretch of imagination, but interacting with groups of "ordinary people" tires me out very quickly; it's as if people just do their best to act like each other, and it all gets very, very stale. I generally try to mix things up as much as possible, deliberately saying "out of place" things, or very strongly opposing something people automatically agree on. It really createst interesting reactions in people; Some respect the confidence to do it, some are "afraid", and some hate me because I screw up the inherent hiearchies.
 
  • #38
BTW, introverted versus extroverted does not mean what we usually think it means. It's not about talkative versus quiet.

Introverts get their energy from solitude. eg. In a workshop meeting with other colleagues, they will need to return to their desks and process the meeting mentally before they are ready to proceed.

Extroverts get their energy from interaction. eg. In the same workshop, they will be at their best when directly interacting with people, and may come out the of the meeting feeling they've accomplished what needs to be done.
 
  • #39
DaveC426913 said:
BTW, introverted versus extroverted does not mean what we usually think it means.

Introverts get their energy from solitude. eg. In a workshop meeting with other colleagues, they will need to return to their desks and process the meeting mentally before they are ready to proceed.

Extroverts get their energy from interaction. eg. In the same workshop, they will be at their best when directly interacting with people, and may come out the of the meeting feeling they've accomplished what needs to be done.

Ah, that makes sense.
 
  • #40
TubbaBlubba said:
The experience I most strongly identify with is the sense that group interaction feels largely meaningless; people seem to talk about absolutely nothing. Hello, we've got a world! We've got problems to solve! How about we talk about something constructive, meaningfull? Nope, apparently not. I'm not antisocial by any stretch of imagination, but interacting with groups of "ordinary people" tires me out very quickly; it's as if people just do their best to act like each other, and it all gets very, very stale. I generally try to mix things up as much as possible, deliberately saying "out of place" things, or very strongly opposing something people automatically agree on. It really createst interesting reactions in people; Some respect the confidence to do it, some are "afraid", and some hate me because I screw up the inherent hiearchies.
How odd then that you came up as a Nurturing Tan.

Nurturing Tans are the "Teachers". The most common thing heard from an NT's mouth is "Are we all in agreement? Does everyone feel that way?"

Frankly, I trust my own judgment of people's colours more than the test.
 
  • #41
DaveC426913 said:
How odd then that you came up as a Nurturing Tan.

Nurturing Tans are the "Teachers". The most common thing heard from an NT's mouth is "Are we all in agreement? Does everyone feel that way?"

Frankly, I trust my own judgment of people's colours more than the test.

Well, my view is more "Why do you feel that way?"
 
  • #42
DaveC426913 said:
BTW, introverted versus extroverted does not mean what we usually think it means. It's not about talkative versus quiet.

Introverts get their energy from solitude. eg. In a workshop meeting with other colleagues, they will need to return to their desks and process the meeting mentally before they are ready to proceed.

Extroverts get their energy from interaction. eg. In the same workshop, they will be at their best when directly interacting with people, and may come out the of the meeting feeling they've accomplished what needs to be done.

Exactly...I can't tell you how many people I've tried to explain this to. Introvert <> shy!
 
  • #43
DaveC426913 said:
BTW, introverted versus extroverted does not mean what we usually think it means. It's not about talkative versus quiet.

Introverts get their energy from solitude. eg. In a workshop meeting with other colleagues, they will need to return to their desks and process the meeting mentally before they are ready to proceed.

Extroverts get their energy from interaction. eg. In the same workshop, they will be at their best when directly interacting with people, and may come out the of the meeting feeling they've accomplished what needs to be done.

These are excellent examples.

My wife received ENFP on the humanmetric test. Parties and social gatherings literally give her energy, while I will usually feel tired and drained after such events. I wouldn't say that either of us talks more than the other, but as you've pointed out, it's more to do with how we respond to interaction, than with how many words either of us produces. She enjoys talking with multiple people at the same time and is quite adept at tracking multiple conversations/topics concurrently, while I'll usually snag someone and head to a corner somewhere to talk one-on-one.

We are both sending the same amount of traffic, it's just that she multicasts and I unicast. :smile:

On calls at work, I usually get uncomfortable when people start talking about their personal lives, or what they did with their families over the weekend. I used to think that it was somewhat unprofessional, and it might be, but perhaps it's because I want to keep things on topic, making sure that I don't have to mentally process information that I don't need. I want to use brain cycles on my work, not what so-and-so did at Disneyland for spring break!
 
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  • #44
lisab said:
Exactly...I can't tell you how many people I've tried to explain this to. Introvert <> shy!

I can't count how many times I've been told something along the lines of: "I thought you were shy, but as soon as someone brought up <insert nerd topic here>, you lit up like a firework!"
 
  • #45
Dembadon said:
I can't count how many times I've been told something along the lines of: "I thought you were shy, but as soon as someone brought up <insert nerd topic here>, you lit up like a firework!"

I can't help but tease people with things like "THAT REMINDS ME OF THE TIME WHEN I GOT MY NEWEST GIANT ROBOT FIGURE..."

I love watching their reactions.
 
  • #46
I would guess that the most common reaction is confusion? As for the aura test... I will say that there is nothing quite as emasculating as seeing this:
Blues are the caregivers. They are nurturing, feeling, crying, intuitive, sensitive, thoughtful, emotional, selfless, compassionate and social. They are usually female.
Maybe I should have projected more my scientific side. They didn't seem to take into account my answer that I never cry and that I am seldom social.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, though, I can usually force tears into my eyes by thinking of something extremely sad...
 
  • #47
Tedjn said:
... As for the aura test... I will say that there is nothing quite as emasculating as seeing this:

Maybe I should have projected more my scientific side. They didn't seem to take into account my answer that I never cry and that I am seldom social. ...

I am actually envious of you. It's not emasculating at all.

I'll tell you what's emasculating - Struggling to meet the emotional needs of one's partner, and failing...
 
  • #48
Tedjn said:
I would guess that the most common reaction is confusion? As for the aura test... I will say that there is nothing quite as emasculating as seeing this:

Maybe I should have projected more my scientific side. They didn't seem to take into account my answer that I never cry and that I am seldom social.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, though, I can usually force tears into my eyes by thinking of something extremely sad...
I know several male Blues.

The thing is that it's not so much that male Blues are rare, it's that Blue is a very common colour and there are lots of female Blues - it's probably the most common colour for women.
 
  • #49
Your Type is
INTJ
Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
11 50 38 11

I usually show up as either INTJ or ENTJ. My level of introversion/extroversion is usually quite balanced with the need to balance solitude with social interaction is evident in my life. If I spend too much time at one, I crave the other.
 
  • #50
INTP: Introverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiving: 44-12-12-44
You are:
*moderately expressed introvert
*slightly expressed intuitive personality
*slightly expressed thinking personality
*moderately expressed perceiving personality
*overall a great, hard-to-find kinda guy personality

"Mathematics is a system where many INTPs love to play, similarly languages, computer systems--potentially any complex system. INTPs thrive on systems. Understanding, exploring, mastering, and manipulating systems can overtake the INTP's conscious thought. This fascination for logical wholes and their inner workings is often expressed in a detachment from the environment, a concentration where time is forgotten and extraneous stimuli are held at bay. Accomplishing a task or goal with this knowledge is secondary."
 
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  • #51
EnumaElish said:
INTP: Introverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiving: 44-12-12-44
You are:
*moderately expressed introvert
*slightly expressed intuitive personality
*slightly expressed thinking personality
*moderately expressed perceiving personality
*overall a great, hard-to-find kinda guy personality
LOL!

I came out an INTJ again, but the percentages are different. It depends on my mood when I take the test.

Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
56 12 50 1
 
  • #52
Your Type is
INTJ
Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
67 38 38 22

You are:
distinctively expressed introvert
moderately expressed intuitive personality
moderately expressed thinking personality
slightly expressed judging personality

Of course I would be the 'J' type.
 
  • #53
I still test INFJ, I've had people tell me (unrelated to the test) that my personality was rare so that might be right. What do we do with the information, is it to place us in boxes or can we use it to our advantage? I know some employers require the test (as was discussed earlier in a similar thread), but can they really take action based on it? Like promote one person over another based on the test result?
 
  • #54
Monique said:
What do we do with the information, is it to place us in boxes or can we use it to our advantage?

We can use it as ice breakers when we try to pick someone up at a bar. It's not as cliche as asking about Zodiac signs, plus there's 16 personality types and only 12 Zodiac signs - so it's got to be better.
 
  • #55
Your Type is
INTJ
Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44 62 75 78

always turns out the same way
 
  • #56
I always get INTJ whenever I take one of these
 
  • #57
Nice :smile: we have a crazy number of INTJs here!
 
  • #58
BobG said:
We can use it as ice breakers when we try to pick someone up at a bar. It's not as cliche as asking about Zodiac signs, plus there's 16 personality types and only 12 Zodiac signs - so it's got to be better.

That might complicate things, http://intjforum.com/showthread.php?t=2909" :smile:
 
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  • #59
Monique said:
That might complicate things, http://intjforum.com/showthread.php?t=2909" :smile:

My favorite quote :smile::smile:

Man, sometimes you INFJ's really need some bitchslapping. Don't you have any respect for yourself?

It almost sounds like the guy fell in love with an inexperienced vampire.

But I've changed my mind. There has to be some use for this, but I don't really know what yet.
 
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  • #60
BobG said:
My favorite quote :smile::smile:



It almost sounds like the guy fell in love with an inexperienced vampire.

But I've changed my mind. There has to be some use for this, but I don't really know what yet.
A match site for geeks?
 
  • #61
I took this test and I'm apparently a INTJ. :bugeye:
 
  • #62
INTJ
89 50 50 33

Wee ^_^

The descriptions for INFJ and INTP fit me well too.
 
  • #63
DaveC426913 said:
BTW, introverted versus extroverted does not mean what we usually think it means. It's not about talkative versus quiet.

Introverts get their energy from solitude. eg. In a workshop meeting with other colleagues, they will need to return to their desks and process the meeting mentally before they are ready to proceed.

Extroverts get their energy from interaction. eg. In the same workshop, they will be at their best when directly interacting with people, and may come out the of the meeting feeling they've accomplished what needs to be done.

Thank you for this! I am an ISTJ (didn't see any other PF members with this?). I used to believe that my preference of solitude was wrong because it was considered anti-social, but in the past few years have come to embrace it.
 
  • #64
For what it's worth:

Your Type is INTJ

Strength of the preferences %
28 81 25 33

Blending in the crowd of 1%?
 
  • #65
Well, I haven't taken one of these tests in about 4 years, so I took this one. I used to score ESTP very strongly, but this time...

Your Type is
ENTP

Strength of the preferences %
67 75 62 56

It's not surprising, considering that at the earlier time I was more of a daredevil and worked in sales jobs. Now I work in a job where I am constantly troubleshooting complex processes.
 
  • #66
BobG said:
We can use it as ice breakers when we try to pick someone up at a bar. It's not as cliche as asking about Zodiac signs, plus there's 16 personality types and only 12 Zodiac signs - so it's got to be better.

That is probably the best use for this and any test which seeks to categorize a healthy personality. Evo's comment about her mood being a strong influence is another fine example of the subjectivity of this test, because few people don't have a self they wish to be. That image of yourself changes to some degree, and 70+ questions which purport to measure semi-obsolete concept seem suspect to me. It is this kind of thing which leads people to be suspicious of psychology, and dismiss other specialized tests such as the Rorschach Inkblot, which is useful for some perception disturbances.

There is no universal window into the personality of a person unless they are ill, and even then the complexity is often staggering.
 
  • #67
Can we do a poll of user's here for percentage of each type? Might not be useful, but would be interesting.
 
  • #68
19 of the three rarest personality types (INTP, INTJ, INFJ)
13 of the other personality types
0 of the three most common personality types

What strange results.
 
  • #69
Not only do INTJs have their own internet forum, but there's even a 1-900 number for INTJs.

I dialed 1-900-INTJ*** once:

"Hello, you obviously have dialed a wrong number. We do not do sex talk. We do not do sex. If you believe that you have dialed the correct number, and require mental stimulation, push
1 for politics,
2 for quantum physics,
3 for philosophy,
4 for morality,
5 for freudian and jungian beliefs about non-existent relationships,
6 for relational composition and complexity in music and the comparison to calculus and astronomy,
7 for those of you who believe you are INTJ and simply wish to appear intelligent,
8 for computer programming,
9 for the voice of god who will tell you you are always correct and not a narcissist and
0 for an ENFP who will sympathize with you for 10 seconds before this number disconnects.

Thank you for you attention. This call is $7.99 a minute, and will be charged to your home or cell phone account."
 
  • #70
BobG said:
Not only do INTJs have their own internet forum, but there's even a 1-900 number for INTJs.

I dialed 1-900-INTJ*** once:

"Hello, you obviously have dialed a wrong number. We do not do sex talk. We do not do sex. If you believe that you have dialed the correct number, and require mental stimulation, push
1 for politics,
2 for quantum physics,
3 for philosophy,
4 for morality,
5 for freudian and jungian beliefs about non-existent relationships,
6 for relational composition and complexity in music and the comparison to calculus and astronomy,
7 for those of you who believe you are INTJ and simply wish to appear intelligent,
8 for computer programming,
9 for the voice of god who will tell you you are always correct and not a narcissist and
0 for an ENFP who will sympathize with you for 10 seconds before this number disconnects.

Thank you for you attention. This call is $7.99 a minute, and will be charged to your home or cell phone account."

:smile: I'm calling that from a friends house. :)
 

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