Personality Test

[FunkyFreedom]

I just retook an MBTI test suggested on this thread and tested as an ENTJ. A long time ago I first tested as an INTJ. I'm moderately more E than I, N than F, T than S, and slightly more J than P.

[jacob]

I just retook an MBTI test suggested on this thread and tested as an ENTJ. A long time ago I first tested as an INTJ. I'm moderately more E than I, N than F, T than S, and slightly more J than P.

That's almost straight down the middle and would conventionally be written something like entX, where lower case "e" signifies moderate/weak preference (60-80%), upper case E signifies strong preference (80-100%) and X signifies no particular preference (40-60%) until you switch to the other letter with e.g. i (20-40%) and I (0-20%).

I recommend reading this post viewtopic.php?p=276699#p276699

Add: These percentages are not precise and people might use smaller or larger ranges for a given case. It's just a way to more easily see the difference between someone who is 96% introvert and someone who is 54% introvert. Ideally people will give numbers, like on OCEAN, instead of letters.

[FunkyFreedom]

I recommend reading this post viewtopic.php?p=276699#p276699

Thank you, Jacob! This was helpful for me.

-FF

[Bytore]

ISFP; not from the test linked to on this thread but from the MBTI website.

[Lemur]

I struggled with understanding my MBTI score for a while. Mostly because I was conflicted between ISTJ and INTJ. In the end, ISTJ resonated a little better when I looked into Enneagram and tested as 1w9 (which when reading the results felt like I was reading my own biography).

In any case, what I finally came to realize is that at the core I'm pretty Si-dominant (I spend most of my time at work predominantly refining processes, enhancing documentation, and preferring to do that as opposed to innovating new things) but when it comes to ERE, reading on these forums, systems thinking, studying geopolitics, etc., my Ni-dominant hat gets turned on...as if this forum has over-time altered the way in which I think about things. Especially when it comes to trying to predict future events. This requires being a bit more abstract.

From ChatGPT:

The core difference between Si-dominance (ISTJ, ISFJ) and Ni-dominance (INTJ, INFJ) is how they process and interpret information over time:

Si-Dominance (Introverted Sensing - ISTJ, ISFJ) → Past-Focused & Concrete

• Relies on past experiences and stored sensory details to navigate the present.
• Seeks stability, consistency, and proven methods rather than abstract theories.
• Prefers step-by-step processes and real-world data over speculation.
• Notices small details and values precision (e.g., remembering how something was done before and repeating it exactly).
• Example Thought Process: "Last time I did this, it worked well, so I’ll follow the same method."

Ni-Dominance (Introverted Intuition - INTJ, INFJ) → Future-Focused & Abstract

• Focuses on patterns, symbolism, and deep insights rather than direct experience.
• Prefers to anticipate the future rather than rely on the past.
• Processes information holistically—instead of recalling details, they see overarching themes.
• Thinks in terms of long-term strategy, vision, and abstract connections rather than immediate facts.
• Example Thought Process: "I see where this is leading in the long run, so I’ll adjust my strategy now to optimize future outcomes."

Key Contrast:

• Si is retrospective → looks backward to apply past knowledge.
• Ni is predictive → looks forward to anticipate the future.

[jacob]

I struggled with understanding my MBTI score for a while. Mostly because I was conflicted between ISTJ and INTJ. In the end, ISTJ resonated a little better when I looked into Enneagram and tested as 1w9 (which when reading the results felt like I was reading my own biography).

In any case, what I finally came to realize is that at the core I'm pretty Si-dominant (I spend most of my time at work predominantly refining processes, enhancing documentation, and preferring to do that as opposed to innovating new things) but when it comes to ERE, reading on these forums, systems thinking, studying geopolitics, etc., my Ni-dominant hat gets turned on...as if this forum has over-time altered the way in which I think about things. Especially when it comes to trying to predict future events. This requires being a bit more abstract.

DW is IStJ and I'm INTj, so I have 20 years of practical experience with how Si works.

chatGPT is correct in that Si is backward looking. Si always defers to historic data/experience or to the rules that describe this data. A typical Si-argument would be how something can't happen because it hasn't happened yet or because there's a rule against it (e.g. running a red light), whereas a typical Ni-argument would be to watch out for anything that could technically be imagined and imagine that. As such Ni is less forward looking as it is "potentially"-looking.

Insofar you're ISTJ, your second paragraph confuses Ni for Ne which would explain a lot if and only if you're ISTJ. Looking into the ISTJ stack, it's Si-Te (hence history+logical rules) followed by Fi-Ne (interested in ideas that feels right). Ne is a Perceptive function that constantly looks around for new ideas. Being extraverted it looks around for inspiration and connections, reading around, gathering data, but it doesn't generate them internally like Ni.

If Ne is your 4th function vis-a-vis having Ni as a 1st function, the difference would materialize in the passive/active sense. Going back to the traffic lights: ISTJ would enjoy learning about new ideas about how to run an intersection but when it came down to it, they would approach each intersection as if existing rules and experience applied: EVERYBODY STOPS AT RED LIGHTS... and get really offended by anyone doing otherwise. Conversely, INTJ would see each intersection in terms of everything that could possibly go right or wrong... as such whatever happened at the last intersection doesn't matter.

If I were to really push the predictability of the stack model: ISTJs enjoy museums a lot more than INTJs.

[delay]

As Wikipedia says:

Briggs and Myers began creating their indicator during World War II (1939–1945)[9] in the belief that a knowledge of personality preferences would help women entering the industrial workforce for the first time to identify the sorts of war-time jobs that would be the "most comfortable and effective" for them.

An ENTJ is ideal for an Army Officer and an ISFP is ideal for a Music Composer. So how does this test work for someone who is suited to be both an army officer and a music composer? Placing this person in either square is only half right, yet that's what we do as a society. Each worker or partner takes on a role and adjust to its expectations.

It also shows that humans can change. As you write:

In any case, what I finally came to realize is that at the core I'm pretty Si-dominant (I spend most of my time at work predominantly refining processes, enhancing documentation, and preferring to do that as opposed to innovating new things) but when it comes to ERE, reading on these forums, systems thinking, studying geopolitics, etc., my Ni-dominant hat gets turned on...as if this forum has over-time altered the way in which I think about things.

This reads like you shift MBTI type in response to your environment. That happens often. Someone who aspires to be an inspector can become an inspector, and as a result of adapting to his job, his MBTI test results will shift to ISTJ.

MBTI helped me see that my opposite also has a proper role. Strife between MBTI types is natural and constructive. A department that employs a variety of MBTI types is more fun to work at.

Going back to the traffic lights: ISTJ would enjoy learning about new ideas about how to run an intersection but when it came down to it, they would approach each intersection as if existing rules and experience applied: EVERYBODY STOPS AT RED LIGHTS... and get really offended by anyone doing otherwise. Conversely, INTJ would see each intersection in terms of everything that could possibly go right or wrong... as such whatever happened at the last intersection doesn't matter.

That brings back memories! One of the people I cycled with followed the rules and stopped for red lights. I look around and cross when I think it's safe. The interesting thing is that we both had a similar number of close calls. The rule follower would expect vehicles to stop and crossed even when a BMW was approaching at high speed. I would miss something important and be surprised when the red light was correct. While it was easy for me to change my habit, the rule follower was inflexible and would never cycle through red. MBTI theorizing can be fun!

[7Wannabe5]

An ENTJ is ideal for an Army Officer and an ISFP is ideal for a Music Composer. So how does this test work for someone who is suited to be both an army officer and a music composer? Placing this person in either square is only half right, yet that's what we do as a society. Each worker or partner takes on a role and adjust to its expectations.

It just seems like MBTI works in a narrow role-defined way from the perspective of Traditional (everybody has a role in society) towards Modern (that role is a job title.) From the perspective of Post-Modern (I can be anything! You can be anything!) towards Post-Post-Modern (I can be many things!- within pragmatic limit. You can be many things! -within pragmatic limit.)

Some personality types are better suited for roles that are easily defined within the current Modern paradigm; others not so much. For example, with eNTP, Ne is a dominant function that is difficult to peg with a particular Modern job title, because basically synonymous with being a cutting edge Generalist. Even when tied with secondary Ti or a relatively strong tertiary Fe, you just get something like "General interest in Math/Science" or "General interest in Humanities."

Basically, how effective you can be in Modern paradigm as measured by how much money you will likely earn is pretty strongly correlated with how far up your stack Te is found. Te moves Science towards Engineering, Economics towards Finance, and Abstract Math towards Applied Math. Te makes thinking manifest in the real world. It brings forward pragmatism. It is decisive. It gets things done! This is why ISTJ and ESTJ, which are types well represented in male population, but not female population, are the two highest earning S types. This is why primary/secondary Te types often drive their SOs nutz in retirement if they don't find another outlet beyond household management for their Te, such as dealing with the decisions required by frequent travel, or the management of large chunk of land, or the possibilities of virtual game space, etc.

Anyways, at Kegan5, the practice of polyamory and marriage kind of merge, because you become open to the possibilities of the many types within the Type that is your partner, inclusive of the additional T/A (turbulent vs. assertive) added to the MBTI model and feminine vs. masculine energy and Dominant vs. submissive posturing (watch recent video of Trump and Macron meeting, for hilarious example of Dominant posturing), etc. etc. etc. ISTJ and INTJ can often be a very good functional pairing, because dominant Ni has Vision, joint secondary Te is effective/efficient, and Si takes care of the detail work. My InTJ FIL's happy third marriage was with an IStJ woman, and the funny thing was she would not infrequently kind of double-check with me about his tactical rules of order, as in "He makes me scrape all of the fat off of the soup, what do you think about that?" OTOH, the downside of a Level Trad/Mod INTJ/ISTJ pairing is that you maybe wouldn't want to suffer the double-down-on-pragmatism fate of the chipmunks discovered to be living in their attic. Whereas, if an INTJ/ISTJ pair was closer to Kegan 5, one of them would be more likely to suggest the possibility of dealing with the chipmunks more empathetically within wider systems perspective due to ability to expand Fi functioning within context of greater abundance.