Skip to content
Contact
Cadran — International Executive Coaching
Marc Prager

Myers Briggs Type Indicator: MBTI Characters

The MBTI is a powerful tool, developed by a mother-daughter duo, for understanding the diversity of personality types across the world. Personality stems from psychological preferences and approaches — a unique lens that helps people make good decisions and navigate the world more effectively.

What Is MBTI Used For?

MBTI stands for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Different personality types prefer different things and see the world through distinct lenses, and understanding your own worldview plays a key role in thriving in your role. The test helps people learn about themselves and others, supporting better decisions and stronger relationships. Armed with these insights, people can sharpen their personality to become more effective.

Origins of the Myers-Briggs Test

Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. When Katharine met her daughter's future husband, she was struck by how differently he thought and perceived the world. That encounter convinced her that everyone sees things through their own lens. Their research then revealed a strong resonance with Jung's theory, and in 1943, the first MBTI questionnaire was published.

Do MBTI Characters Change with Time?

Character types are rooted in personal preference. Since our psychological preferences stay fairly constant from childhood, MBTI types tend to remain stable over time too. Learning how people think helps reveal how they prefer to manage things, and anyone can discover their type by taking an online test and getting results in minutes.

It's fascinating to put this into practice in management. In the workplace, it helps team leaders get to know each other better and build group spirit — what we call team building with MBTI.

Take an appointment

+33 6 73 69 39 75marc.prager@cadran.pro

Contact us

What are MBTI Characters?

MBTI characters are what most people call MBTI personality types. Four pairs of opposite traits combine to form each type, giving every personality a distinct four-letter code. In total, there are 16 types, built from the following four dichotomies:

  • Extraverted / Introverted
  • Intuition / Sensing
  • Feeling / Thinking
  • Judging / Perceiving

What MBTI Characters Describe in a Person?

The 16 personality types show whether a person is driven more by the external or internal world. Someone oriented inward shows introversion and enjoys time alone, while an extraverted person thrives on social life. The types also reveal how people prefer to decide — based on facts or ideas — and whether they tend to work in an organised way. Finally, they show how a person perceives the world around them.

16 personality types
Each individual has their own worldview.

Types of MBTI Characters

A person's unique traits can make a real difference, both in their personal life and within the organisation they work for. Knowing everyone's strengths and weaknesses helps build effective teams and strong families. When people work together, respecting their differences and appreciating their similarities, the positive and negative traits of the group balance each other out. The 16 Myers-Briggs types, each with its own potential and blind spots, are: ISTJ, ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP, ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ, ENTJ.

In short, personality assessments deserve serious consideration before making any major life decision. The better you know yourself and others, the easier it becomes to choose the most effective strategy for the outcome you want. Unsurprisingly, this tool is now widely used by organisations, both for hiring new employees and for better understanding the ones they already have.

This article was written by Marc Prager.