As you can imagine, human interest in studying different personality types is nothing new. How old is it? Some theories say it is older than modern psychology itself!
Learning about different theories of personality traits and our psychological tendencies is useful in both our personal and professional lives, in a context where we have to work together with people who are different from us to achieve a common goal.
So, do you want to know what your personality type is? Take our test!
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Modern Theories of Personality
The earliest records of research into human personality come from Ancient Greece, with the theory of temperaments (or bodily humors). Even without a solid scientific basis, this theory already showed that each individual feels, thinks, and acts differently.
Several thinkers in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance continued to theorize about personality and temperament, but it was not until the 20th century that the first modern theories of personality truly emerged. It was during this period that personality ceased to be explained solely by philosophical speculation or isolated clinical observation and began to be investigated in a theoretical, empirical, and systematic way. This gave rise to the main currents that still influence contemporary psychology.
Studies suggest that personality tends to become more conscious, stable, and responsible with age, especially between the ages of 30 and 50.
One of the most influential figures in this field was Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. Unlike his predecessors, Jung proposed that individual differences were not random, but the result of consistent psychological patterns.
In the early 1910s, Jung introduced concepts such as:
- Introversion and extroversion: described the predominant direction of an individual's psychic energy.
- Psychological functions: divided into thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition.
According to Jung1, each person tends to develop some of these functions more than others, forming a relatively stable personality pattern. This approach was innovative in suggesting that psychological differences do not indicate pathology, but rather natural variations in human functioning.
The Development of the MBTI
A few years after Jung's first ideas were disseminated, a typology emerged that would change the way we look at psychological preferences.
In 1944, American writer Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers published the Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook2. This typology expanded Jungian theory by structuring four dichotomous dimensions:
- Extroversion (E) × Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) × Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) × Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) × Perceiving (P)
The combination of these different dimensions results in 16 personality types, designated by a four-letter acronym:
| MBTI Type | Dichotomous Dimensions |
|---|---|
| ISTJ | Introversion (I) – Sensing (S) – Thinking (T) – Judging (J) |
| ISFJ | Introversion (I) – Sensing (S) – Feeling (F) – Judging (J) |
| INFJ | Introversion (I) – Intuition (N) – Feeling (F) – Judging (J) |
| INTJ | Introversion (I) – Intuition (N) – Thinking (T) – Judging (J) |
| ISTP | Introversion (I) – Sensing (S) – Thinking (T) – Perceiving (P) |
| ISFP | Introversion (I) – Sensing (S) – Feeling (F) – Perceiving (P) |
| INFP | Introversion (I) – Intuition (N) – Feeling (F) – Perceiving (P) |
| INTP | Introversion (I) – Intuition (N) – Thinking (T) – Perceiving (P) |
| ESTP | Extraversion (E) – Sensing (S) – Thinking (T) – Perceiving (P) |
| ESFP | Extraversion (E) – Sensing (S) – Feeling (F) – Perceiving (P) |
| ENFP | Extraversion (E) – Intuition (N) – Feeling (F) – Perceiving (P) |
| ENTP | Extraversion (E) – Intuition (N) – Thinking (T) – Perceiving (P) |
| ESTJ | Extraversion (E) – Sensing (S) – Thinking (T) – Judging (J) |
| ESFJ | Extraversion (E) – Sensing (S) – Feeling (F) – Judging (J) |
| ENFJ | Extraversion (E) – Intuition (N) – Feeling (F) – Judging (J) |
| ENTJ | Extraversion (E) – Intuition (N) – Thinking (T) – Judging (J) |
In 1956, the Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook was renamed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), as we know it today. This self-administered questionnaire—which is more complex than a simple personality test—allows for practical application of the results and is useful in contexts such as career counseling, education, organizational development, and self-awareness.
Studies show that in today's society, women are more likely to identify with F (Feeling) or E (Extroversion), while men tend to be T (Thinking) and J (Judging).
Although widely used outside academia, the MBTI was initially criticized for its statistical limitations. Still, its cultural and educational impact is virtually undeniable, especially for popularizing the idea that there is no single correct way of thinking or acting.
The Different Personality Types
Although each of the 16 personality types has its own value and importance, some often stand out for their social influence, leadership, innovation, or human impact, especially in a professional context. In this article, we will focus on five of these profiles: ENTJ, INTJ, ENFP, INFJ, and ISTJ:
Throughout the 20th century, other schools of thought helped broaden our understanding of personality theories: Freud's psychoanalysis, B.F. Skinner's behaviorism, and Gordon Allport's personality trait theories. These and other approaches converged into more integrated models that are accepted in current scientific psychology.
Why Are These Theories Important?
In addition to their usefulness in academic and scientific contexts, personality theories remain extremely important today because they help us understand, predict, and improve human behavior in various areas of life.
Learning more about different personality types allows us to improve our interpersonal relationships, personalize learning, improve self-awareness and mental health, and enhance work dynamics in a professional context. It's all advantages!
Recent studies show that people who know their personality type are more satisfied with their lives and perform better professionally.
And you, what is your personality type? Tell us more in the comments below!
References
- Jung, Carl Gustav. "Psychological Types: Introdução das funções psicológicas e dimensões introversão/extroversão", 1921.
- The Myers-Briggs Company: https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/Explore-Solutions/MBTI
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