Behind Our MBTI

Written by: Abigail Tng (24-O1)

Designed by: Rachael Chong (24-O1)

Do the four letters “MBTI” sound familiar to you? If so, you’ve most likely taken the renowned MBTI test, or heard your friends talk about it before. The Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular psychological tool designed to help people better understand their decisions and actions, comprises 16 different personality types. This article will provide you with a clearer understanding of how we understand our MBTI and make use of it! 

MBTI is defined in four letters, each letter portraying a different aspect of one’s personality.

The first letter: 

I (introversion) VS E (extroversion) 

The first letter of your MBTI generally defines how you recharge, whether you prefer socialising regularly to feel recharged or if staying at home and being alone helps you feel more rejuvenated. The first letter may also be interpreted as how well one thrives in social situations, and whether they’re  a more avid speaker or listener. People who tend to lean toward introversion on the scale generally enjoy their own company more than those who lean towards extroversion, as the latter  may feel less comfortable being alone. This attribute from your first letter is mostly translated into your actions around groups of people as well as attendance in social events. 

The second letter: 

S (sensing) VS N (intuition) 

The second letter, which is typically the letter that most people do not completely understand, refers to one’s understanding of practicality towards information. People who are sensing tend to be more focused on the present, and would rather be presented with hard facts and tangible information, enjoying structured routines and predictability. On the other hand, people who lean more towards intuition prefer to look at abstract concepts and consider future possibilities. They often look more towards the big picture in ideas and look forward to change and innovation that can cater to their imaginative nature. Despite the major difference in these two personalities, this letter is commonly the most interchanging letter for people across time, as they come to find different methods and understandings towards the way they view the world. This may even allow most people to grasp the ability to strike a balance between being sensing and intuitive, leading to more rational and appropriate approaches towards different circumstances. 

The third letter: 

F (feeling) VS T (thinking) 

The third letter of our MBTI corresponds mostly to your feelings and thoughts, which in turn is reflected in your actions. People who are more ‘feeling’ tend to make decisions with their heart instead of their head, letting their emotions and personal values guide them. These people tend to be more emphatic and value good relationships with others, and are generally more in tune with their emotions. ‘Thinking’ people are thus the opposite, making decisions based on sound logical arguments and reason. They are people who are more inclined to use their head instead of their heart, and possess analytical skills that aid them in their decision-making as well. With the major differences in both feeling and thinking personalities, it is often said that it is simple to distinguish people as feeling or thinking people, as the way they react and act to similar situations may be completely different from one another.

The fourth letter in the MBTI: 

P (perceiving) VS J (judging) 

This  letter in your MBTI is representative of how you work and carry out your daily routines. People who tend to be more perceiving rely on spontaneous bursts of energy and flexibility each day. This allows them to be adaptable and open-ended with plans, and while this allows them to be very receptive to changes in plans or routines, they may also struggle to focus on finishing tasks such as projects on time . On the other hand, people who have more judging personalities prefer to keep a structured routine and are very detailed with their plans to ensure that they are able to follow schedules without any unexpected  events. This allows for ‘judging’ people to be task-oriented and reliant on predictability, which gives them a sense of control, but  may result in them struggling to adapt when plans or events have to be changed. 

These four letters make up the conventional MBTI model which everyone is familiar with, and allows us to better understand ourselves through the way we work and interact with others. With that said, why is the usage of MBTI so common amongst workplaces or even among friends to get to know each other better? 

Designed to give people a way to better understand their personalities, MBTI is essential for understanding ourselves for personal growth, which can eventually help us in career development, building interpersonal relationships and communication with others. By understanding each other and ourselves better, we are able to reduce conflicts, instilling  confidence in ourselves as we drive ourselves to improve by identifying our weaknesses and building up on our strengths. This ensures that we are able to continue to strive for improvement and excellence within ourselves, continue fostering good teamwork with others, and build up on leadership qualities. 

However, while many people believe in the usage  of MBTI, there are some who may criticise and question its scientific validity, finding it less ideal of a way to better understand their personalities. Some people find the 16 personality types too inconsistent and unrepresentative of the complexity of actual human personalities and therefore not an accurate reflection of our personalities. Furthermore, there are people who may misuse their MBTI results by justifying their actions with their “personality”, which may result in the worsening of relationships instead. These concerns on the misuse of MBTI applications in real life may therefore cause people to feel sceptical about relying on MBTI to coordinate with others and make decisions. 

How then, should we make effective and good use of our MBTI personalities instead of misunderstanding its proper uses and misusing it? While our MBTI can be an indicator of our personalities and work ethics, the versatility of personalities in different people stretches far beyond the scope that MBTI tests can provide. Therefore we should learn how to wisely make use of MBTI to get a general understanding of ourselves, while continuing to attempt to improve and work on bettering ourselves, regardless of our results in our MBTI tests. While personality tests such as MBTI show us the extremes of behaviour and personality, we should eventually learn to strike that balance and strive to reach our full potential. With that, you don't have to take the personality test too seriously, just use it to get a better understanding of yourself and your friends atthis stage!

So, it’s time for the big question: what is your MBTI?