Can a person's Myers-Briggs personality type change?
I am not the OP, but I will update the question details instead of asking a new question.
I tested, very consistently, as ISTJ for about 25 years or so, regardless of the test source or style, and found the narrative description to be quite true. However, I came out to myself in February 2012, and transitioned in December of the same year. When I next took an MBTI inventory, I tested out as ESFP, which has also been consistent for the last year and a half to two years.
I can understand a single letter shift, but this is a total personality shift, and does feel more true to how I am, at least how I am now. Is this a common occurrence, either in the public at large, or in the case of trans people?
I tested, very consistently, as ISTJ for about 25 years or so, regardless of the test source or style, and found the narrative description to be quite true. However, I came out to myself in February 2012, and transitioned in December of the same year. When I next took an MBTI inventory, I tested out as ESFP, which has also been consistent for the last year and a half to two years.
I can understand a single letter shift, but this is a total personality shift, and does feel more true to how I am, at least how I am now. Is this a common occurrence, either in the public at large, or in the case of trans people?
18 Answers
Do you mean can your personality type change, or can the results change? Those are different things.
Your personality can certainly change over your lifetime, though it usually won't change significantly in a short amount of time. Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type (MBTI) is merely a reflection of your personality (and a poor one at that).
Your MBTI type can easily change in a span of weeks, or even minutes or hours. When people were tested just weeks apart on MBTI, 50% of the people had their personality type change.
One of the major failures with MBTI is how the results are interpreted. The results are actually a bell curve, but people pretend as though it's a two-humped curve.
For example, if you talk to people about their MBTI scores, they'll say something like "I'm an ENTJ." They probably won't say "I'm 60% E, 55% N, 52% T, and 70% J." And then they'll likely proceed to read a description of what "ENTJs" are. They'll tell you that they're "The Executive" personality type.
But are they? Not really. They're only 52% T -- and 48% F. And only 55% N and 45% S. They are almost exactly as close to being "The Giver" as they are to being "The Executive", and pretty darn close to being "The Guardian" and "The Caregiver" too. And these personality types are all pretty different:
This isn't a crazy edge case. This is, in fact, the normal case. MBTI types are predicated on the assumption that people are strongly one type or the other -- that is, that there's two "humps" on each attribute -- when in reality the MBTI tests show a bell curve. The smallest thing can edge you over from one side to the other on any of four attributes. And then that one thing happening indicates a totally different personality type. Yikes!
No wonder the MBTI isn't well respected by many psychologists. It doesn't even match up with its own data.
Courtesy The New Yorker Digital Edition : Oct 29, 2012
Your personality can certainly change over your lifetime, though it usually won't change significantly in a short amount of time. Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type (MBTI) is merely a reflection of your personality (and a poor one at that).
Your MBTI type can easily change in a span of weeks, or even minutes or hours. When people were tested just weeks apart on MBTI, 50% of the people had their personality type change.
One of the major failures with MBTI is how the results are interpreted. The results are actually a bell curve, but people pretend as though it's a two-humped curve.
For example, if you talk to people about their MBTI scores, they'll say something like "I'm an ENTJ." They probably won't say "I'm 60% E, 55% N, 52% T, and 70% J." And then they'll likely proceed to read a description of what "ENTJs" are. They'll tell you that they're "The Executive" personality type.
But are they? Not really. They're only 52% T -- and 48% F. And only 55% N and 45% S. They are almost exactly as close to being "The Giver" as they are to being "The Executive", and pretty darn close to being "The Guardian" and "The Caregiver" too. And these personality types are all pretty different:
- "The Executive": Portrait of an ENTJ
ENTJs are natural born leaders. They live in a world of possibilities where they see all sorts challenges to be surmounted, and they want to be the ones responsible for surmounting them. They have a drive for leadership, which is well-served by their quickness to grasp complexities, their ability to absorb a large amount of impersonal information, and their quick and decisive judgments. They are "take charge" people.
- "The Giver": Portrait of an ENFJ
ENFJs are people-focused individuals. They live in the world of people possibilities. More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills. They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others. ENFJ's main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people. They are focused on understanding, supporting, and encouraging others. They make things happen for people, and get their best personal satisfaction from this.
- "The Guardian": Portrait of an ESTJ
ESTJs live in a world of facts and concrete needs. They live in the present, with their eye constantly scanning their personal environment to make sure that everything is running smoothly and systematically. They honor traditions and laws, and have a clear set of standards and beliefs. They expect the same of others, and have no patience or understanding of individuals who do not value these systems. They value competence and efficiency, and like to see quick results for their efforts.
- "The Caregiver": Portrait of an ESFJ
ESFJs are people persons - they love people. They are warmly interested in others. They use their Sensing and Judging characteristics to gather specific, detailed information about others, and turn this information into supportive judgments. They want to like people, and have a special skill at bringing out the best in others. They are extremely good at reading others, and understanding their point of view. The ESFJ's strong desire to be liked and for everything to be pleasant makes them highly supportive of others. People like to be around ESFJs, because the ESFJ has a special gift of invariably making people feel good about themselves.
This isn't a crazy edge case. This is, in fact, the normal case. MBTI types are predicated on the assumption that people are strongly one type or the other -- that is, that there's two "humps" on each attribute -- when in reality the MBTI tests show a bell curve. The smallest thing can edge you over from one side to the other on any of four attributes. And then that one thing happening indicates a totally different personality type. Yikes!
No wonder the MBTI isn't well respected by many psychologists. It doesn't even match up with its own data.
As others have pointed out before MBTI is not a very useful tool to get consistent results. It is a fascinating framework, however, to analyse your individual perception of the world and how you make decisions. If you really want to know your type you need to look at the eight cognitive functions. According to MBTI your primary function puts you into a flow state if used correctly but you need your second, third and forth function to balance you out.
For an ISTJ these functions are:
1. Introverted Sensing
2. Extraverted Thinking
3. Introverted Feeling
4. Extraverted Intuition
For an ESFP these functions are:
1. Extraverted Sensing
2. Introverted Feeling
3. Extraverted Thinking
4. Introverted Intuition
Notice: The 2. and 3. functions are the same but they have a different order. The first function is Sensing but with a different orientation each time (one is introverted, the other extroverted).
I don't think your personality has changed. You are just using your functions differently. You might have mistyped as an ISTJ all these years because you suppressed your true second function. Introverted feeling is all about your individual beliefs, feelings and morals. A MBTI podcast I listen to even nicknames this function "Authenticity". It is possible that you didn't develop this function until your coming-out when you decided to acknowledge who you truly are. It might be why this function had a lower score on the tests you took prior to your coming-out. Instead of developing your second function you probably focused on your third function: Extraverted Thinking. It deals with understanding, organizing and controlling the external world. It could be considered a "useful skill" for people who want to keep their true identity a secret. Since you used this function more often it came out as second.
As for your first function: A big difference between Introverted and Extroverted Sensing is that Extroverted Sensing is all about the present moment and the outer world. A person who has this as a main function wants to go out and experience the richness of the world with all of their five senses. Introverted Sensing, in turn, relies on the past and the inner world. Users of this function love to engage in traditions and memories. Maybe you didn’t go out a lot before your transition because you felt uncomfortable and this is why (again) the test showed a different result after your coming-out.
Courtesy: A Little Bit of Personality
Sources:
Cognitive Functions
Personality Development - Personality Hacker
For an ISTJ these functions are:
1. Introverted Sensing
2. Extraverted Thinking
3. Introverted Feeling
4. Extraverted Intuition
For an ESFP these functions are:
1. Extraverted Sensing
2. Introverted Feeling
3. Extraverted Thinking
4. Introverted Intuition
Notice: The 2. and 3. functions are the same but they have a different order. The first function is Sensing but with a different orientation each time (one is introverted, the other extroverted).
I don't think your personality has changed. You are just using your functions differently. You might have mistyped as an ISTJ all these years because you suppressed your true second function. Introverted feeling is all about your individual beliefs, feelings and morals. A MBTI podcast I listen to even nicknames this function "Authenticity". It is possible that you didn't develop this function until your coming-out when you decided to acknowledge who you truly are. It might be why this function had a lower score on the tests you took prior to your coming-out. Instead of developing your second function you probably focused on your third function: Extraverted Thinking. It deals with understanding, organizing and controlling the external world. It could be considered a "useful skill" for people who want to keep their true identity a secret. Since you used this function more often it came out as second.
As for your first function: A big difference between Introverted and Extroverted Sensing is that Extroverted Sensing is all about the present moment and the outer world. A person who has this as a main function wants to go out and experience the richness of the world with all of their five senses. Introverted Sensing, in turn, relies on the past and the inner world. Users of this function love to engage in traditions and memories. Maybe you didn’t go out a lot before your transition because you felt uncomfortable and this is why (again) the test showed a different result after your coming-out.
Sources:
Cognitive Functions
Personality Development - Personality Hacker
Your personality can easily change. and will certainly do so in the course of dramatic events, and in some cases this will happen in moments
Here are some common cases where it does
In regard to the question, it assumes that your personality is rather like your height and shoe size. It is not
Your personality is the outcome of circumstances, most of which are not in your control
You are the non-smoking, non-drinking war hero, religious, democratically elected charasmatic leader called Hitler, who wanted to be a painter but got turned down by the Art school. You become a mass murderer
Or you are an alchoholic, smoker, prone to depression, with a history of failed projects, who aged sixty, takes on the most difficult job in the world, and by chance, also wanted to be a painter. He was called Churchill, and became a hero
Today, like every day, you will assume the world will be fairly much like it was yesterday, and hopefully, will be like tomorrow
It might be for you
But it might not be
Today you are the one reading the news
Tomorrow you might be the one making the news
If you are, the person you are today will not be the same one tomorrow
Here are some common cases where it does
- You are in a situation where you can save yourself or save a friend. What do you do?
- You are an easy going nice person who doesn't stand out particularly in your social circle. Suddenly events change and you are the only person who is in the position to take over in charge.
You now have to tell your close friends what to do, and even order them to do it. You may have to live separately or wear uniform, or associate with those of a higher status.
You are no longer socially acceptable in your old group, and you will have to adapt very fast.
It is well known that nice people do not make good leaders - You are a typical working person with no great ambitions or special interests.
You win a lottery and find yourself extremely rich.
You no longer have to work, and are initially very excited and happy, but also find all your previous friends now distance themselves from you.
They do not want gifts from you, and you now become distrustful of anyone who is particularly nice to you.
You do not know how to handle your situation, and start to act inconsistanly - You are a popular outgoing person with a much to look forward to in life
You have many plans and ambitions. Everyone feels you are going to be a success. One day your life changes in seconds
You have an accident, or discover you have a serious illness, or you are attacked, or someone very close to you disappears from your life.
You are distressed with inconsolable grief. You withdraw totally from life - You are someone who is never noticed in a crowd. You have a low profile and keep yourself to yourself
You happen to be in a catastrophic situation like a train crash, and you luckily survive. Without thought, you start helping others. You are totally unaware of what is going on around you, of even that you have some injuries yourself
Much to your surprise, you find yourself a hero. Your instinctive actions have save many. You are the centre of attention. You are bewildered by it at first, but then have to adjust to it, and present yourself in a different way as everyone is treating you in a different way - You have a certain talent which is accepted, but does not affect your life much
You go in for competitions as a matter of course
One day you win one of great significance. You suddenly see all your dreams about to come true
Your lifestyle changes, and you become totally focussed on your future
In regard to the question, it assumes that your personality is rather like your height and shoe size. It is not
Your personality is the outcome of circumstances, most of which are not in your control
You are the non-smoking, non-drinking war hero, religious, democratically elected charasmatic leader called Hitler, who wanted to be a painter but got turned down by the Art school. You become a mass murderer
Or you are an alchoholic, smoker, prone to depression, with a history of failed projects, who aged sixty, takes on the most difficult job in the world, and by chance, also wanted to be a painter. He was called Churchill, and became a hero
Today, like every day, you will assume the world will be fairly much like it was yesterday, and hopefully, will be like tomorrow
It might be for you
But it might not be
Today you are the one reading the news
Tomorrow you might be the one making the news
If you are, the person you are today will not be the same one tomorrow
Since my gender transition, my overall personality has become more open, and I've become much more capable of feeling and expressing emotions after a lifetime of them being largely muted.
I consistently used to show up on tests as INTP or occasionally right on the INxP line. Now I find myself to test out as an ENFP, a personality type that seems to fit my worldview perfectly well.
MBTI enthusiasts would say that I was always an ENFP and that my situation was causing it to not be correctly expressed. I am open to this claim, it's certainly possible.
I consistently used to show up on tests as INTP or occasionally right on the INxP line. Now I find myself to test out as an ENFP, a personality type that seems to fit my worldview perfectly well.
MBTI enthusiasts would say that I was always an ENFP and that my situation was causing it to not be correctly expressed. I am open to this claim, it's certainly possible.
