Welcome! I’m so glad you’ve joined us to discover your personality type. This video will help you to understand the four key facets of personality based on the Myers Briggs theory, and you’ll learn how to put these facets together to find your own, unique four-letter personality type.

The Myers Briggs theory of personality is a way to describe differences in the way people think, make decisions, and approach the world around us. It can help you to understand why you communicate better with some people than with others, why some jobs seem more appealing to you, and why you approach relationships the way you do. Understanding your unique type opens up a wealth of knowledge about who you are and why you do the things you do.

Myers Briggs type is based on four facets of personality. For each facet, you must decide which style you prefer out of two options. Are you Extraverted, or Introverted? Sensing, or Intuitive? Thinking, or Feeling? Judging, or Perceiving? We’ll talk about each facet in depth so that you can better understand where your preferences lie.

The first facet, Extroversion/Introversion, describes how you get your energy and where you prefer to focus your attention. Extroverts prefer to focus outward, on the world around them. They are energized by activities like meeting new people, talking about their ideas, speaking in front of groups, and being in active environments.

Introverts prefer to focus inward, on their own thoughts and impressions. They are energized by activities like thinking quietly, reading, listening to music, or talking with small groups of people they know and trust. Take a moment to think about which sort of activities you find more energizing. If you have a pen and paper handy, write down your preference for E or I.

The second facet, Sensing/Intuition, describes how you take in information about the world around you. Sensors focus on facts and details, and take in information using their five senses. Intuitives focus on meaning, interpretation, and possibilities, and take in information using their intuition. So how do you tell if you’re a Sensor or an Intuitive? Let’s try an exercise. Take a look at this cup. Think for a few moments about how you might describe it. If you have a pen and paper, write down a few words to describe the cup. Now, let’s take a look at the way Sensors and Intuitives might respond.

Sensors tend to give facts about the cup. They might say, the cup is three inches high, it is white, and it’s made of styrofoam. It’s shaped like a cone and has a lip around the top edge. Intuitives are a different story. They might compare the cup to other things or make up a little story about the cup.

An Intuitive might mention that styrofoam is bad for the environment, that these cups are very flimsy when filled with hot liquid, or that the cup reminds them of the Sunday school meetings they go to every week. Take a moment to think about how you take in information. Mark down your preference for S or N.

The third facet, Thinking/Feeling, describes how you like to make decisions. Thinkers like to base their decisions on objective data and logical analysis. A Thinker might ask, what are the pros and cons? What are the logical consequences? What is the most reasonable course of action?

Feelers like to base their decisions on their values and sense of what is right. They also like to consider relationships and the impact of choices on other people. A Feeler might ask, what is the right thing to do? How will other people feel about this decision? How can I create a sense of harmony and cooperation?

Remember, Myers Briggs is about the style that you prefer. Most people use some Thinking and Feeling when they make their decisions, but usually feel more comfortable using one style over the other. Think about the type of information you trust most in making a decision: is it objective and logical, or values-based and personal? Take a moment and mark down your preference for T or for F.

The fourth and final facet of personality is Judging/Perceiving. This facet describes how you prefer to organize your life. Judgers are people who like to make decisions, and seek out structure and organization. They tend to like schedules and to-do lists and want to know what the rules of the game are before they start. They usually dislike surprises and last-minute changes and want to know what to expect. They get satisfaction out of finishing tasks.

Perceivers are people who like to leave things open-ended, and want to be free to be spontaneous and go with the flow. They tend to like flexibility and situations where there are not too many rules. They are excited by surprises and often enjoy responding to urgent situations. Perceivers are open to things happening in the moment, and get satisfaction out of having many options available. Take a moment now and mark down your preference for J or P.

Now it’s time to put it all together. The four letters you have chosen are combined to create a code for your personality type. It might be INFP, ESTJ, ISTP, ENFJ, or any one of sixteen combinations. For each personality type, your preferences combine in a unique way to create an overall style of interacting with the world. Now that you’ve discovered your preferences, you’ll want to see how they work together.

The next step is to read a personality type profile based on your four-letter code. This will help you to understand how the preferences work together, as well as help you verify that you selected the preferences that best suit you. As a starting point, we recommend visiting our website, where we feature detailed descriptions for each of the sixteen personality types. For each type, you can read about common characteristics, key facts, top careers, relationships, and more. Get started by visiting www.personalitydesk.com/types.

Thank you for joining us today to discover your type. I hope this video has started you on a path to better self-awareness and a true understanding of yourself and others.