CHAT The Myers-Briggs personality test and it's origins

Just some interesting notes on the origin of this pervasive personality test. Not many people are aware of Carl Jung's influence.


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The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people's lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.

"Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and skills."

In developing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator [instrument], the aim of Isabel Briggs Myers, and her mother, Katharine Briggs, was to make the insights of type theory accessible to individuals and groups. They addressed the two related goals in the developments and application of the MBTI instrument:
The identification of basic preferences of each of the four dichotomies specified or implicit in Jung's theory.
The identification and description of the 16 distinctive personality types that result from the interactions among the preferences."
Excerpted with permission from the MBTI® Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®

Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).


Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).


Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).
cont

Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).


Your Personality Type: When you decide on your preference in each category, you have your own personality type, which can be expressed as a code with four letters.


The 16 personality types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument are listed here as they are often shown in what is called a "type table."
Shown at link

or a description of your MBTI type, place your cursor over the box containing your four-letter type code. You may also wish to browse through all of the 16 type descriptions.


If you do not know your MBTI type, you may wish to take the instrument.


Type tables can also be used to gather and facilitate analysis of information about teams or specific groups of people.


All types are equal: The goal of knowing about personality type is to understand and appreciate differences between people. As all types are equal, there is no best type.


The MBTI instrument sorts for preferences and does not measure trait, ability, or character. The MBTI tool is different from many other psychological instruments and also different from other personality tests.


The best reason to choose the MBTI instrument to discover your personality type is that hundreds of studies over the past 40 years have proven the instrument to be both valid and reliable. In other words, it measures what it says it does (validity) and produces the same results when given more than once (reliability). When you want an accurate profile of your personality type, ask if the instrument you plan to use has been validated.


The theory of psychological type was introduced in the 1920s by Carl G. Jung. The MBTI tool was developed in the 1940s by Isabel Briggs Myers and the original research was done in the 1940s and '50s. This research is ongoing, providing users with updated and new information about psychological type and its applications. Millions of people worldwide have taken the Indicator each year since its first publication in 1962.

How Carl Jung Explained Astrology

If you listen to the radio often enough, you will hear Sting singing about synchronicity, from an album by The Police called Synchronicity.

It’s the word that explains how astrology accurately predicts the future and defines people’s personalities. Sting is a fan of horoscopes too – he wrote a cover quote for the book, The Inner Sky, by astrologer Steven Forrest. Sting made Carl Jung a household name all over again when the song and the album became a global hit.

When astrology makes accurate news predictions, sometimes to the exact day, sometimes years before they happen – people ask me how it works and why it works. I say – ‘Synchronicity. Jung.’


Another way to explain these spot-on forecasts, using horoscopes, is to talk about the nature of time. Astrology is alternative timekeeping. History repeats itself and astrologers noticed. We look at the patterns and read the story.

The word synch is hidden in synchronicity. It’s a good word to use when explaining astrology. The heavenly bodies are in synch with us. The biggest changes in the world – the really major headlines – always tally with the heavenly bodies and the signs they move through.

When Pluto was in Cancer during the First World War, people’s families were torn apart, their houses were bombed and their patriotism was so intense, they were prepared to die for their country. Cancer rules families, homes and patriots – and always has.

The First World War began in July 1914 when the Sun, New Moon, Mercury, Neptune and Pluto were in Cancer. That’s an unusually high cluster of heavenly bodies in the sign we associate with nationalism. ‘My country right or wrong.’

Pluto was in synch with the global mood. What is really impressive about astrology is that he had not been discovered in 1914. He was found and named in 1930.

By flicking through The New American Ephemeris for the 20th Century 1900-2000 ( a kind of time telephone directory) we can see Pluto is in Cancer, but in 1914 no astrologer on the planet had even heard of it!

Here’s a good example of Saturn currently being in synch with us. At the moment, Saturn is in Sagittarius. Saturn rules fear. Sagittarius rules foreigners.

As I write this in February 2016, Donald Trump is trading on that in the lead-up to the American election. Meanwhile, Britain is about to vote on its membership of the European Union.

I don’t think for one moment that Donald Trump, Prime Minister David Cameron, or indeed any other politician, is deliberately planning any of this, just because the world is experiencing a Saturn in Sagittarius cycle This is synchronicity at work. Astrology is in synch with us.

We have Carl Jung to thank for giving the phenomenon a name and taking it seriously enough to put it to the test – and to even engage with the most famous scientists of the 20th century on the subject.





SYNCHRONICITY, CARL JUNG AND ASTROLOGY
Astrology works and we all know it. It’s written into history. Carl Jung came up with the best way to explain it, last century – but his theory of synchronicity applies to everything our ancestors were experiencing. What was the original synchronicity? Menstruation.

Women had their periods on a four week repeated cycle. Like The Moon, which also repeats her phases and shapes, on a four week cycle. The Moon does not ‘make’ women bleed every month. Its patterns coincide with that. What are the odds of the Moon turning on that kind of show? Crazy odds. That’s synchronicity. It makes no sense but it’s part of who we are, and it works.

Old inscribed Moon calendars, left behind by the Ancients suggest they may have known all about this and been using the Moon as a period or pregnancy predictor. Why else bother to painstakingly make so many detailed records? Alternatively, the Moon may have been monitored for agricultural or fishing reasons.

This is fundamental astrology and synchronicity. The Moon is, against all odds, a visible time reckoning device in the sky which correlates with basic human needs. Food. Fertility. As above, so below. The Moon is the building block of what became the sophisticated astrology we use today.

Carl Jung knew that the Moon loomed large in marriages, too. He also knew the Moon didn’t ’cause’ anything in these marriages. He carried out tests to prove the Moon’s importance to husbands and wives. Nobody ever calls him an astrologer, but that’s what he was doing. Synchronicity.

Prediction is synchronicity. It’s a law of nature. The law of synchronicity can also tell you about the present. It can explain the meaning behind things. This horoscope, set for Christmas Day 1066, when England became England, was not calculated before the event. Nobody planned the birth of the nation based on astrology. Yet – look at the cluster of horoscope factors in the sign of Capricorn, above. They occur right at the top of the chart.

Capricorn is the goat who climbs. It is the sign of ambition. It rules mountains and high places. England, ever since 1066, right through her colonial phase, has been one of the most ambitious nations in the world. Her landscape is notable for its White Cliffs at Dover. Its mountain ranges. Its hills.

Here is another example of synchronicity. Let’s say you read about Pisces the fishes in an astrology book and then later that day, walking down the street, you actually find a fish. (It happened to Jung). You then encounter a variety of Piscean themes/stories/people/events, clustering around the time you found the fish.





Synchronicity uses symbols as time markers. It does not use the clock or calendar. Neither does astrology.

Carl Jung was the only great thinker of the 20th century to even bother addressing the phenomenon seriously, to his credit.
Carl Jung was born with Psyche at 24 Taurus in exact square to Saturn at 24 Aquarius. We use Psyche in modern astrology because it’s the daughter of Venus. She’s in the family tree of astrology, that we now have instant access to, thanks to computers. Jung has a striking Psyche pattern. He also popularised the term ‘psyche’. That’s synchronicity.

In Jung’s day there was no software and no internet. There is no evidence he ever knew he had Psyche in his horoscope at all. Yet he coined the word ‘psyche’ to describe the essence of a person. Including himself.

Psyche is in Taurus, clashing with Saturn in Aquarius. Aquarius rules groups.

Not a lot of people know that Jung was the prime mover behind Alcoholics Anonymous. He inspired it. What else does Aquarius rule? Friendship. His friendship with Freud is famous.

Psychology and astrology are most fascinating to me. Wish I had more time to study in-depth. I've always been interested in why people behave the way they do.

I would love to get a reliable birth chart done. I'm a Capricorn - Aquarius cusp and often I just feel like the two fight each other .

I've tested as INTJ on the Myers-Briggs but I might re-take it just for fun.

abby normal said:

Psychology and astrology are most fascinating to me. Wish I had more time to study in-depth. I've always been interested in why people behave the way they do.

I would love to get a reliable birth chart done. I'm a Capricorn - Aquarius cusp and often I just feel like the two fight each other .

I've tested as INTJ on the Myers-Briggs but I might re-take it just for fun.

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Ah... another one! Female INTJs are the rarest personality type, and I think most of them are members here!

Taking the test and then learning about the various types helped me immensely in understanding myself and why I've never "fit" in the niches where society says I belong.

Summerthyme

Aww heck! That stuff's all too complicated. I'm just effin' nutz!

INTJ virgo with sagittarius rising and a redhead.

Looks Harmless said:

INTJ virgo with sagittarius rising and a redhead.

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former INTJ now testing for some reason as INFJ (yeah I know I'm odd)

compchyk said:

former INTJ now testing for some reason as INFJ (yeah I know I'm odd)

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I have taken the test several times. Most often I'm INTJ but occasionally I get INFJ. Horrormones? Moon cycle? Who knows...

You can change over time.
That makes sense astrologically too.

A female INTJ here who considers astrology total crack-pottery.

WalknTrot said:

A female INTJ here who considers astrology total crack-pottery.

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And here you are identifying yourself with a system developed from astrology.
Irony. I totally love it.

Looks Harmless said:

I have taken the test several times. Most often I'm INTJ but occasionally I get INFJ. Horrormones? Moon cycle? Who knows...

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I waver between INTJ and ISFJ depending on what side of the bed I woke up on. The I and J never change, but the sense/intuition and thinking/feeling vary by a point or so, and the margin on those is so small that just about anything could affect it.

I took the test and it says I’m a ISFJ-T

Cardinal said:

a system developed from astrology.

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Haha! That's a reach.

Took it, no classification. Not a big believer in tests anyway.

WalknTrot said:

Haha! That's a reach.

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I'm guessing you did NOT read the articles I posted.....

Cardinal said:

I'm guessing you did NOT read the articles I posted.....

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You betcha I did. In my opinion, the articles tracked poorly and made some real big leaps. Manipulated to fit a pro-astrology agenda, and oddly enough, astrology is exactly what the author sells.

summerthyme said:

Ah... another one! Female INTJs are the rarest personality type, and I think most of them are members here!

Taking the test and then learning about the various types helped me immensely in understanding myself and why I've never "fit" in the niches where society says I belong.

Summerthyme

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Yep! Most of us women here are. V

ENTP. No idea what it means...

summerthyme said:

Ah... another one! Female INTJs are the rarest personality type, and I think most of them are members here!

Taking the test and then learning about the various types helped me immensely in understanding myself and why I've never "fit" in the niches where society says I belong.

Summerthyme

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Yep, it's hard being a female INTJ in the meat world, other people just don't think the way we do. Got a friend back home who told me she absolutely loves me... she ahd finally found another female who thinks like she does, lol. She comes from a large family and is the only introvert.

Looks Harmless said:

INTJ virgo with sagittarius rising and a redhead.

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INTJ Virgo, forget which house I'm rising in, was born a redhead and now have almost black hair, and no I don't dye my hair.

WalknTrot said:

You betcha I did. In my opinion, the articles tracked poorly and made some real big leaps. Manipulated to fit a pro-astrology agenda, and oddly enough, astrology is exactly what the author sells.

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OK, go find some stuff on your own about Jung then....
It's evidently what Jung "sold" too.

packyderms_wife said:

INTJ Virgo, forget which house I'm rising in, was born a redhead and now have almost black hair, and no I don't dye my hair.

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I was born strawberry blond, now am platinum. Daddy (the redhead whose genes I got) went platinum by the time he was in his mid 30s.

.

Cardinal said:

And here you are identifying yourself with a system developed from astrology.
Irony. I totally love it.

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In my chart how do I figure out which house I'm rising in?

packyderms_wife said:

In my chart how do I figure out which house I'm rising in?

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Your rising sign is the one on your first house. Mine actually straddles my 12th house and my first.

ISTJ-A
ISTJs are often called inspectors. They have a keen sense of right and wrong, especially in their area of interest and/or responsibility. They are noted for devotion to duty. Punctuality is a watchword of the ISTJ. The secretary, clerk, or business(wo)man by whom others set their clocks is likely to be an ISTJ.

As do other Introverted Thinkers, ISTJs often give the initial impression of being aloof and perhaps somewhat cold. Effusive expression of emotional warmth is not something that ISTJs do without considerable energy loss.

ISTJs are most at home with "just the facts, Ma'am." They seem to perform at highest efficiency when employing a step-by-step approach. Once a new procedure has proven itself (i.e., has been shown "to work,") the ISTJ can be depended upon to carry it through, even at the expense of their own health.

ISTJs are easily frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when the second parties don't keep their commitments. But they usually keep their feelings to themselves unless they are asked. And when asked, they don't mince words. Truth wins out over tact. The grim determination of the ISTJ vindicates itself in officiation of sports events, judiciary functions, or an other situation which requires making tough calls and sticking to them.

Their SJ orientation draws the ISTJ into the service of established institutions. Home, social clubs, government, schools, the military, churches -- these are the bastions of the SJ



And, I am a Gemini.

No clue what that all means...

INTJ here too. Nice to see i'm in such good company.

Your personality type is:
Architect
INTJ-T

Mind
This trait determines how we interact with our environment.
18%

82%
EXTRAVERTED
INTROVERTED
Energy
This trait shows where we direct our mental energy.
64%

36%
INTUITIVE
OBSERVANT
Nature
This trait determines how we make decisions and cope with emotions.
68%

32%
THINKING
FEELING
Tactics
This trait reflects our approach to work, planning and decision-making.
58%

42%
JUDGING
PROSPECTING
Identity
This trait underpins all others, showing how confident we are in our abilities and decisions.
49%

51%
ASSERTIVE
TURBULENT

My understanding of the Myers Briggs is that even though it has been around for a while, it lacks research support and is more commonly used in vocational settings - where the categorical subtyping of personality can be used to make decisions about which jobs to pursue (again - without clear empirical support). Thus, I would take the "types" with a grain of salt.

A much more robust model of personality is the Five Factor model - Revised NEO Personality Inventory - Wikipedia. This model has undergone far more research evaluation, and has linked the five personality dimensions to various important life outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and productivity, relationship quality, physical health outcomes, etc). The new DSM-5 also published an "alternative model of personality" in Section III, which essentially maps the pathological ends of the Big Five domains - which is based on a number of very cool studies in the last decade. Interesting stuff...

JimmyC said:

My understanding of the Myers Briggs is that even though it has been around for a while, it lacks research support and is more commonly used in vocational settings - where the categorical subtyping of personality can be used to make decisions about which jobs to pursue (again - without clear empirical support). Thus, I would take the "types" with a grain of salt.

A much more robust model of personality is the Five Factor model - Revised NEO Personality Inventory - Wikipedia. This model has undergone far more research evaluation, and has linked the five personality dimensions to various important life outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and productivity, relationship quality, physical health outcomes, etc). The new DSM-5 also published an "alternative model of personality" in Section III, which essentially maps the pathological ends of the Big Five domains - which is based on a number of very cool studies in the last decade. Interesting stuff...

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And here's a perfect example of an INTJ INTJing a subject/thread!

bw said:

Took it, no classification. Not a big believer in tests anyway.

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That's because you're an android.

Ragnarok said:

ISTJs are often called inspectors. They have a keen sense of right and wrong, especially in their area of interest and/or responsibility.

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So I'm thinking... Karens?

Ragnarok said:

And, I am a Gemini.

No clue what that all means...

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It means you're an ass.

Never took this test. I'm just a Claxton fruit cake trying to make it in this world

I'm a Libra though, if that means anything.

skwentnaflyer said:

I waver between INTJ and ISFJ depending on what side of the bed I woke up on. The I and J never change, but the sense/intuition and thinking/feeling vary by a point or so, and the margin on those is so small that just about anything could affect it.

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Same here, always borderline - of which I'm proud. I don't particularly see the "T" as all that much of an advantage, and likewise deeply "F" is not good. In my opinion, borderline "F" - "T" is just about right.

WalknTrot said:

You betcha I did. In my opinion, the articles tracked poorly and made some real big leaps. Manipulated to fit a pro-astrology agenda, and oddly enough, astrology is exactly what the author sells.

Click to expand...

I understand your concerns. Even knowing that Myers-brigs can trace back to Jung, and back again to the ancient greeks and their four temperament models, I might be hard pressed to give much serious weight to a thesis that made some of those claims in the article's manner.

Here's a thesis on the tangential areas that better makes the connections from those Greek models to Jung's psychological and astrological theory and how it is clearly related.

His book Psychological Types from the 1920's, read by anyone with a good grasp of astrological fundamentals, will not be fail to support the correlations.


This link is to a paper out of Sweeden
Astrology in the field of psychology
A study of Jung’s typology and four astrological elements
Catarina Campagnola 2010
Uppsats, kandidatnivå, 15 hpReligionsvetenskapReligionsvetenskapmedinriktning mot kultur och identitet (61-90)Handledare: Åke TilanderExaminator: Jari Ristiniemi

2Content
1.0 Introduction
21.1 Purpose and uestions
31.2 Method
41.3 Definition and demarcation
41.4 Disposition
41.5 Literature
52.0 Astrology through the ages
52.1 The Zodiac
62.2 Astrology in the field of psychology
72.3 The zodiac as mandala
73.0 Extroverts vs. introverts
93.1 The four Jungian types
113.2 The division of psychological types
123.3 The two pairs of psychological functions
154.0 The four astrological elements
164.1 Fire and intuition
174.2 Earth and perception
194.3 Air and thinking
204.4 Water and feeling
215.0 Discussion -

Similarities and differences between the two systems
225.1 Summary and final word
256.0 References
261. Introduction

I have the usual story of an INTJ woman in school having to fight off the existing labeling machines: The tests of the day, and IQ tests, got everyone in a tizzy because I was in the 150s, and my verbal scores "should" have been standard deviations higher than my math, but my math/science was equally weighted- thus started the tug of war over my future.

Fortunately I already had enough astrology at the time to stare down these mentors of my 10th grade self, and inform them that my North Node/Venus/Moon/Pluto was going to have to have the final say on what path all the future incarnations of "me" would follow. Fortunately, it was no big surprise to me, as it was the same message the lord had writ on my soul and been whispering in my ear since I was a toddler: I was built and designed to love, and heal traumatic and "taboo" type wounds via the application of a healthy love. In other words, I am a momma & I kiss boo-boos : )

Eventually those fighting over my "potential" as they saw it in their lil test also got their ways- though I never did get my harvard education (thank you lord!) I did publish for a while, and later built up business using the sci/maff schtuff to develop a breeding program for a sorta/kinda new breed.

My point I think is that it is awesome to have a categorizing system we can use, but the bottom line edict should always reach beyond that and be: know thyself. I'm guessing that MB has served it's useful purpose, and is due for an overhaul or update to better reflect todays' realities. I'd even go so far as to suggest that it's main benefit was just to introduce the idea that some folks were best suited for some things, and others, another.

I hate hearing all the arguing lol... should a radish feel superior to a grain of salt? Um, nope. They are what the good lord made them to be, and may they each bless us in accordance to whatever that is.

I'm an INFJ. Scorpio with saturn in Scorpio 12th conjunct asc, next is sun, merc, venus all in Scorpio in first house. Gem moon in 8th, pluto in 10th in leo. The hi school counseler left my papers & me alone for a few moments, I snooped. She said I should be a mechanic, but back then, females didnt do that. I was a draftsman most of my adult life.

I took the test and found out that I'm AB positive.