All 16 MBTI Personality Types Explained: Complete In-Depth Guide

In today’s world, knowing yourself is more important than ever before, and using MBTI Personality Types is one of the best ways to do it.

MBTI stands for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and it was developed by Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers.

It was heavily inspired by the work of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung, although he never commented on the MBTI himself. The first fleshed-out MBTI manual was published in 1962, and 6 decades later, it’s as relevant as it ever was.

In this article, we’re going to explore what are MBTI personality types and dive into the uniqueness of each individual type.

Overview of the 16 MBTI Personality Types

There are 16 MBTI personality types, each having its own strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. These types differ in 4 dimensions which are called cognitive functions.

Each function is dichotomous and has two contrary poles. Those functions are Extraversion or its opposite Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving.

Each person has one of 16 possible combinations of these cognitive functions, which results in his personality type.

It’s important to point out that there isn’t the “best” personality type. Each personality type has its own strengths and weaknesses and excels in different situations and scenarios.

That being said, let’s take a look at some benefits of using the MBTI personality test.

Benefits of Finding Out Your MBTI Personality Type

Get to know yourself
Identify personal strengths
Identify personal weaknesses
Cultivate better relationships
Develop unique strengths
Increase self-awareness
Create a future plan
Improve interpersonal skills
Minimize conflicts and arguments
Increase self-love
Increase coherency in the team
Increase self-appreciation
Aid romantic relationships
Reduce stress
Reduce uncertainty in the future
Improve career prospects
Improve work-flow
Increase life stability
Reduce neuroticism
Increase conscientiousness
Develop rationality
Improve sensibility
Minimize setbacks
Help you deal with emotions
Increase self-confidence

16 MBTI Types with Explanations

INFJ

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (N) – Intuition, (F) – Feeling, (J) – Judging

INFJ Personality type is called the “Advocate”. It’s because they are creative and always try to find connection and meaning in everything and everyone that surrounds them.

People with this personality type have high expectations for themselves and others, and because of that can sometimes be disappointed easily.

They have a firm value structure that helps them to act in the world and develop a clear vision of their life.

INFJs work deliberately towards implementing their ideals. As a result, they are rather stubborn and sensitive.

INFP

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (N) – Intuition, (F) – Feeling, (P) – Perceiving

INFP is also called the “Mediator”. They live according to their values and help to bring the best out of the people around them.

Despite that, they are still flexible and can easily adapt to new situations, unless their value structure is breached. INFPs are very loyal and value personal relationships, but are difficult to approach and become friends with.

ENFJ

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (N) – Intuition, (F) – Feeling, (J) – Judging

ENFJ is known as the “Giver”, because people with this personality type are always taking care of others, sometimes to their own detriment. They possibly possess the best “people skills” out of all personality types, are warm, compassionate, and love both, talking and listening.

ENFJs are great partners and friends, but because of their great social skills, they can also be dangerous manipulators.

ENFP

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (N) – Intuition, (F) – Feeling, (P) – Perceiving

ENFP is called the “Champion”. ENFPs are extremely energetic, and enthusiastic and possess great emotional intelligence. They are flexible, love spontaneity, and dislike routine.

Because of that, ENFPs flourish in environments where they are allowed to do what they want. One drawback of such energy and creativity is that they can be easily distracted and sometimes procrastinate on important tasks up until the very last moment.

ISTJ

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (S) – Sensing, (T) – Thinking, (J) – Judging

ISTJ is the “Inspector”. They are very pragmatic, realistic, and responsible. Because of their high conscientiousness, they are very dependable and you can trust them in both, personal and working relationships.

ISTJs are very detail-oriented and prefer logic and rationality over emotions, which can make them rather judgemental and insensitive. They don’t like new things and would rather put their trust in tradition.

ISFJ

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (S) – Sensing, (F) – Feeling, (J) – Judging

ISFJ or the “Protector” is a personality type that is very detail-oriented and practical. Naturally, ISFJs enjoy routine in organized and harmonious environments, where everything goes according to plan.

They are also sensitive and tend to negate their own emotions for the sake of other people. These characteristics make them great workers, but they are sometimes exploited in work environments.

ESTJ

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (S) – Sensing, (T) – Thinking, (J) – Judging

ESTJ is dubbed the “Director” because this personality type values tradition and rules, and are likely to hold other people accountable. It makes them great in civic and law-enforcement careers and ESTJs are great at leading and managing other people.

However, the same characteristics that make them great at it, can cause problems in personal relationships. They can be too controlling and stubborn, following their own code of living and making everyone around them follow the same rules.

ESFJ

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (S) – Sensing, (F) – Feeling, (J) – Judging

ESFJ or the “Caregiver” is outgoing and enjoys helping other people in need. This personality type is great at getting to know other people and understanding what makes them tick.

ESFJs are great social organizers, always volunteering to schedule and organize social events and group travels. They are also a kind of social “sponge”, absorbing the values and the ways of thinking of other people surrounding them.

ISTP

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (N) – Intuition, (T) – Thinking, (P) – Perceiving

ISTP is dubbed the “Crafter” because they enjoy new experiences and hands-on work. They are very crafty people, usually being naturally skilled at various skills and possess several talents in a wide area of expertise.

However, ISTPs get bored easily and tend to jump from one thing to another, which results in being a jack of all trades, a master of none.

ISFP

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (S) – Sensing, (F) – Feeling, (P) – Perceiving

ISFP or the “Artist”. Just like popular culture depicts artists as reserved, creative and unique people, so are ISFPs. They tend to spend most of their time alone working on something they love.

However, unlike most actual artists who enjoy dreaming about unique ideas, ISFPs tend to be more realistic and enjoy practical hands-on activities, instead of abstract endeavors.

ESTP

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (S) – Sensing, (T) – Thinking, (P) – Perceiving

ESTP is also called the “Persuader”. People with this personality type possess great people skills, are quick on their feet, and enjoy spontaneity. ESTPs hate planning things out, and prefer to just go with the flow and see how things turn out to be.

Because they’re also impulsive and action-oriented, they are susceptible to easily avoidable mistakes. However, it also makes them fun people to be around, as their enthusiasm and spontaneity never get boring.

ESFP

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (S) – Sensing, (F) – Feeling, (P) – Perceiving

ESFP or the “Performer” is a personality type mostly characterized by its tendency to be the center of attention. They are natural at entertaining other people and have a strong desire to do so.

Because of that, they are usually the class clowns or lives of the party, bringing everyone’s attention to their act. ESFPs are always looking for something new to do, and dislike routine and rules.

INTJ

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (N) – Intuition, (T) – Thinking, (J) – Judging

INTJ is dubbed the “Architect”, because of their tendency to think big. They have high expectations and prefer to indulge in abstract and theoretical concepts, that might have little practical value.

INTJs are hard-working, and their grandiose ideas usually become implemented in reality at least to some degree. However, as they cannot fully fulfill their ideas in the real world, they usually get disappointed with the outcome of their work.

INTP

Meaning: (I) – Introversion, (N) – Intuition, (T) – Thinking, (P) – Perceiving

INTP personality type is called the “Thinker” because they love engaging in difficult and abstract ideas. INTPs usually prefer to just spend time reading and thinking about things, instead of socializing with people.

That being said, INTPs value people who are close to them. They have a small, but tight-knitted circle of friends and are very loyal to it. INTPs are one of the best “out of the box” thinkers, but they also tend to overthink menial things and are plagued by self-doubt.

ENTJ

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (N) – Intuition, (T) – Thinking, (J) – Judging

ENTJ or the “Commander” is a personality type characterized by innate leadership qualities and assertiveness. ENTJs are great at organizing things and are good at making decisions.

In case there’s a problem to solve, ENTJs will be the first in line to do so. That being said, they usually have a poor understanding of their own emotions. Despite that, ENTJs love being with other people and possess great social skills. Some of the drawbacks of ENTJs are that they are often stubborn, insensitive, and impatient.

ENTP

Meaning: (E) – Extraversion, (N) – Intuition, (T) – Thinking, (P) – Perceiving

ENTP is called the “Debater” because people with this personality type have great verbal ability and can communicate complex ideas with ease. ENTPs love talking to various people, and they usually turn simple and lighthearted conversations into heated debates.

ENTPs love learning new things and studying the world around them. They are also creative, dislike routine enjoy freedom. They dislike when someone tells them what to do and rather go their own way, trusting their own instincts instead of someone else’s.

MBTI Personality Type Indicators Explained

We’ve already briefly mentioned that each personality type consists of a combination of four dichotomous functions.

In this section, we’re going to separately explain each component of personality types.

Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I)

This dichotomy shows how a person interacts with the outside world. Personality types with Extraversion cognitive function are most likely to enjoy spending time with other people and attending various events.

On the other hand, personality types with the Introversion function are more likely to spend time alone and prefer a smaller social circle.

Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)

People with sensing functions prefers factual and pragmatic information over abstract ideas. They like to see the world in numbers and concrete figures. Contrarily, people with intuition function like abstract ideas and theoretical concepts.

Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)

The thinking function makes people more rational. They like to view their emotions through a lens of logic. They try to deal with emotions in a calculated way. People who have the feeling function are more emotional, and compassionate and can express their emotions more easily.

Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)

People with the judging function are conscientious. They enjoy order, harmony, and routine. Most commonly, they have their lives sorted out, and live in an organized routine. People who have perceiving function prefer spontaneity over routine, like to have their options open, and can easily adapt to novel situations.

Fun Facts About MBTI Personalities

MBTI types were developed by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers in the 1940s.
ENTJ is the rarest MBTI personality type. According to the Myers-Briggs Foundation, only 1.8% of people have this personality type.
According to the Myers-Briggs Foundation, ISTJ is the most common MBTI personality type. 14% of people have this personality type.
Some online surveys have shown that ESFP is the most well-liked MBTI personality type.

MBTI Types FAQ

What is the best MBTI personality type?

Every type has their benefits and drawbacks, and while one may succeed in a certain career, one may struggle in another. It is therefore impossible to state which type is the best, although ENTJs and INTJs tend to do the best career-wise and financially.