A Deeper Look Into What MBTI Means
So What is MBTI?
In short, MBTI is a personality identifier and a genius one at that.
What are the 16 Personality Types and What does that even mean?
| Sensor | Sensor | Intuitive | Intuitive |
| ISTJ – Logistician | ISFJ – Defender | INFJ – Advocate | INTJ – Architect |
| ISTP – Virtuoso | ISFP- Adventurer | INFP – Mediator | INTP – Logician |
| ESTP – Entrepreneur | ESFP- Entertainer | ENFP – Campaigner | ENTP – Debater |
| ESTJ – Executive | ESFJ- Consul | ENFJ – Protagonist | ENTJ – Commander |
What are the key components to the different types?
Sensor (S) – Straightforward, matter of fact, in the now and practical
Intuitive (N) – big ideas, abstract thought, idealism
These personality identifiers aren’t all set in stone. However, I bet we can all think of someone who fits these key words or recognize their behaviors quite well. Perhaps the person you know may even be a mediator or an architect.
The point is, these types will have many reference points. But the majority of the time you will read or hear references such as Sensor and Intuitive. These are the key components to the type indicator. The rest fills in how you are, how you react and your strengths, weaknesses, preferences and thinking patterns and more.
What are your Strengths and Weaknesses?
We all play a pivotal role in our daily walks whether we recognize it or not. How we interact with people, what we say and how we contribute to society affects our lives in a complicated interwoven web.
While some of us have a personality type that is good at analyzing the situation and then acting. However, many of us act and then process the situation later. Regardless, no personality is wrong or weaker or better than another. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. It’s how you use them that defines your character and moral fortitude.
Sensors – the here and now
Typically, sensors have strengths in understanding what is right in front of them. Many times you may know someone who is a “just get it done” personality type. That’s a strong sensor. However, with every strength there is a weakness. And you may find that the same person saying “just get it done” does not understand how much time and effort it will take to just “get it done” but they have already moved on to another task.
This can be frustrating to other personality types because they know it will take five people and ten hours to complete the task, but the sensor can come in and simply say “get it done” and walk away. Sometimes this is a strength, other times it’s a weakness. It’s all about work environment situations and personal life situations that can influence that aspect.
Intuitive – the abstract/bigger picture
On the other hand, intuitive people have a strength in understanding “the big picture” or everything that is going on and figuring out how they fit one of the pieces to the puzzle into the picture. So being more abstract and global, an intuitive person will “intuitively” pick up or figure out the needs or situation before you have stated it directly. In a work scenario, they may be the one who brings in donuts on a “bad day” without anyone actually saying it’s a bad day.
Or look at the situation and instinctively know what to do. In many ways, intuitive people are gatherers of information or feelings (depending on the other aspects to the typing) and can adapt instinctually with a relatively high amount of accuracy to the situation making it successful.
Your MBTI – What do you prefer?
- Do you prefer to have a Christmas tree set up the day after Thanksgiving every year without wavering?
- Do you prefer to have a checklist instead of general ideas for the day?
- Do you need a reason for every task you make or is it random?
- What expectations do you have for yourself and others in the day to day grind at work, school or in relationships?
- Do those dishes have to be done right now or can they be put off until later?
The energy you spend on tasks…
We all have preferences that are borne out of a multitude of experiences, hurts or joys, positive or negative relationships, goals and more. So how does this relate to personality type? It generates the energy towards the tasks we take. Preferences either big or small can add up over the course of a day or week and define who we are and make us uniquely our own.
What choices do you make?
I have found that emergency or stressful situations highlight MBTI personality types the best. Whether we want the situation or not, we all run into those stressful moments or chapters in our lives that bring out our personality in a full display of color (sometimes not a pleasant color). The choices we make are influenced by our drive and energy from our personality.
If we are sensor oriented, those choices will generate from the here, now, fix it and get it done aspect of our brain wiring. If we are intuitive oriented, we may make choices that generate from the long term, bigger picture and end goal aspect with perhaps more fluidity, flexibility or time in between those choices.
MBTI Personality Types Breakdown:
| S/N | I/E |
| Sensors will make choices in the moment with practicality and reason for what is in front of them. Intuitive people will make global and instinctive choices based on the situation. | Introverted and extroverted will depend largely on the energy and effort it will take with the people and situation. |
| T/F | J/P |
| Thinkers will make choices from logic and strategy Feelers will make choices based on emotion and influences | Judgers make choices in the now, get it done and have it “off shoulders” Perceivers will make choices slowly, eventually or not at all. |
I’m a perceiver and my husband is a judger…
Getting ready for church on Sunday, I (ENFP MBTI personality type) wait until ten minutes before leaving to get dressed up and get my hair ready. My husband, (INTJ personality type) has been dressed and sitting waiting with his shoes on for the past twenty minutes, impatient and annoyed that I am not even close to ready. Choices. Could I get ready thirty minutes ahead of time and be waiting like him? Sure, but I don’t even begin to think that way. In fact, the idea of being ready early is nauseating. Our choices stem from many different factors but one of the key components is how we think. Easier said than defined but it is true.
How do you think?
Our brains are a complex wonder that after thousands of years, we as human beings are still studying and trying to understand God’s complex creation of this three pound machine in our heads. How we see the world, take in information and respond are affected by our situations, stressors, joys, preferences and environments. But personality is a huge component in the way we react to our environment.
The MBTI Introvert/Extrovert — Thinker/Judger and more…
Someone who lives in a city apartment and works at a local factory every day is going to think and act differently than someone who lives on a country farm and works in the field for the spring and summer months. Thinking can also stem from motivations and reactions to those around us.
Introverts will think differently than an extrovert (or now ambiverts come into play) because they think about their tasks singularly and not with a group of people. The same is true for intuitive who generate thoughts based on big ideas and idealism, not concrete ideas.
A thinker will truly “think” about an issue or problem with fact and logic whereas a feeler will think with emotional context and words that affects their choice and thought patterns.
Judgers are quick to make decisions and think through a problem to completion whereas a perceiver is in a fluid state of thinking and always wondering but maybe not always completing the task or thought.
Your personality, your teaching, your homeschool journey…
As difficult as it is to explain all the wonders and complexities of your MBTI personality, thought, choice and influences, the fact remains that God created us uniquely and wonderfully with our own thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Knowing more about who you are as a parent, teacher, friend can influence and greatly help impact the way you teach your child or children in your homeschool journey.
Does personality really affect the way you teach and the way your children learn? We think so. It opens the door to a wonderful and beautiful mind that is creative and intelligent. Learning more about your personality type and others around you is just the start to a deeper connection with your child and will help you teach better.