What is a personality type?
Many people describe themselves as a personality type, like the INFJ “Philosopher” or the Enneagram 5 “Sage”. People describe themselves as “Manly”, “Nerdy”, or “Highly Sensitive People“. Most people want to belong to a group or be a part of something.
Carl Jung advised us to, instead of trying to fit in with a specific personality type or adjective, to pursue Individuation. Individuation is the goal of becoming a complex, unique person with your own interests, motivations, and values. Instead of trying to follow a map or fit in, realize you were always born to stand out.
That said, personality psychology can be a really interesting way to trigger introspection and personal discovery. I advise the smörgåsbord model of personal growth. Instead of avoiding personality psychology or labeling it unscientific, reflect on how you embody the traits of each of the 16 personalities. Think about how and when you show up the most like an ESFP Adventurer or an INTJ Strategist. Personality types are a fun starting point for getting to know and learning about different motivations and interests.
Let’s discover the different personality traits in ourselves and others!
C.G
Jung
Personality psychology
Your consciousness is made up of intuitions, feelings, thoughts, and sensations. Some of these can be quiet and introverted; others can be loud and extroverted. Some can be playful and spontaneous, and others can feel serious and important.
Introversion and Extroversion
The quieter, more sensitive, and more modest your conscious experiences are, the more introverted you are. The louder, more vivid, and more intense, the more extroverted. But when integrated, the two become one and the same. Your introversion can give you insights that you can share with others later. Your extroversion can inspire personal insights later.
Intuition and Sensing
The more imaginative, conceptual, and theoretical it is, the more intuitive it is. The more concrete, practical, and visual it is, the more sensory it is. But when integrated, the two become one. Your ideas want to be made real. Your practical observations can fuel groundbreaking new ideas and discoveries.
Feeling and Thinking
The more emotional, authentic, honest, and vulnerable something is, the more Feeling it is. The more rational it is, the more structured it is, the more impersonal it is, the more Thinking it is. Integration is when your brain stops fighting your heart. Your Thinking can help you make your dreams come true. Your Feelings can help you live your truth.
Judging and Perceiving
The more planned, the more goal-oriented, the more Judging it is. The more spontaneous it is, the more open-ended it is, the more Perceiving it is. But you need vision to take a crazy whim and turn it into a consistent practice. And you need chaos within yourself to not just formulate a plan, but to live it.
Personality Types
The 16 personalities are combinations of the above traits. The INFP tends to be most conscious of their introverted, intuitive, feeling, and perceiving traits, and least conscious of their extroverted, sensory, thinking, and judging traits. Ultimately, it’s about your consciousness, what you are aware of, and what you’re not yet aware of.
The Cognitive functions
Because of their different traits, each personality type has unique thinking patterns, which we map out and explore as cognitive functions.
