While most of the people around me are absolutely fascinated with personality types, and the idea of personality psychology, naturally, a lot of people have issues with the idea of type as a fixed, static label.
Many ask me: Erik, can people really fit into 16 personality types?
Is personality psychology really scientific?
So that’s why I made the video: The Problem with the MBTI, where I address the number one issue with how the MBTI is used online.
This is what I tell them:
Ofcourse not. There are billions of people in the world. We just use these 16 rough categories to approximate and study behaviour in an easy way. Everyone has their own unique personality. Your type is just your best-fit type, the one you relate to/fit in with the most.
There is no scientific validity to the idea of type as an absolute, fixed, or static category. But there is plenty of scientific studies showing the benefits, and usefulness of using personality types to help track and study people’s behaviour, values, and thought patterns. We know the MBTI is genuinely helpful in careers and relationships, when used the right way.
Still, a lot of people in the community use the MBTI in an unscientific manner, to label, stereotype, and criticize people online.
So often, I have to deal with people telling me I’m mistyped, and that my true personality is something else. Online, there are loud arguments on whether I’m an ISFJ, INTP, ENTP, or ENFP. Any amateur can come forward and say anything online. But who do you think you are, to tell me who I am? I’m the only person who spends 24 hours a day with myself.
Today, the 28th of January, is my birthday, and now, I’ve officially spent 32 years getting to know myself. I know more about myself than anyone else. I’ve seen many creators and experts in the community become demoralised or stop posting content because of trolls and anonymous critics online. I understand that it can hurt to have your identity and how you see yourself questioned. But I enjoy making content and I get a lot of value from exploring psychology and expressing myself online, and I’m happy to have a generally very supportive and appreciative audience. So a few trolls won’t stop me.
Personality type is not an absolute category, or a perfect label. Not two experts can completely agree on any celebrity’s personality type online, and while we can all speculate on what type might fit someone best, there’s nobody out there to enforce a set language or definition on what’s interesting or most relevant when deciding somebody’s personality. There are many ways to approach personality psychology, and many systems. It doesn’t matter which one you use, as long as it’s useful and helpful to you. Even if we can’t agree, we can use type to decipher accurate, meaningufl insights into your personal tendencies, and behaviour. That’s why my personality typing report is 35 pages long. Your type is just one word. It’s all the underlying things that matter the most. You can learn so much about yourself, using type, but don’t just stop at the type. Genuinely sit down and reflect on yourself. There’s so much to discover.
Personality psychology provides an amazing framework to in a simple and easy way have conversations about your values, needs, and personality.
But the most interesting thing is not what label a person uses to describe themselves. It’s why they chose a certain type, and what they relate to in different personality types.
You can disagree with which label somebody uses for themselves, but trust that ultimately, even if a person doesn’t type themselves the same way you would, they know objectively more factual things about themselves, their tendencies, behaviours, values, and motivations. Instead of getting hung up with what label they use, start getting to know the person, learn about their pet peeves, thoughts, and inner world. Ask them about their cognitive functions, thought processes, decision making.
Sit down, and treat every single person as a unique individual, with their own inner workings.
Stop looking for an expert to emerge who will objectively settle and decide everyone’s type for them.
In individuation psychology, we know that the most healthy individuals choose their own identity and define themselves.
People who look to another person to define them, become people pleasers, lose their sense of self, and struggle with individual decision making.
You gotta figure it out on your own.
While you can ask other people for help, and insights, and ask others how they perceive you, ultimately, it’s you who decides who you want to be and what kind of life you choose to live for yourself.
And type can be the framework which helps you find your true passion in life, helping you set better goals, helping you live a more healthy and happy life for yourself.
Ofcourse, stay honest. Be real with yourself. Practice authenticity. Don’t hide from how you really feel. Don’t lie to yourself about what you want or what is right or wrong. You have a moral compass, your own ethics, and your own personal feelings about life.
You just got to learn to listen to yourself.
If you want help to figure out and decide on your own personality type, my coaching is there for you.
I offer a coaching program where you get questions and a space that allows you to really sit down and recognize yourself and how you really feel and think.
My sessions help you become more clear-headed, more confident, and more secure in yourself.
My insights and exercises and feedback can help you get closure and stronger security in who you are.
Even if who you are is something which can change over time.
