MBTI Conversations

Extroverted Thinking (Te):

Compelled to accumulate and contribute useful, productive, and relevant information

May accumulate factual knowledge in matters useful to their chosen field, area of interest, or they suspect may be useful in the future

Believes they must know and make sense of how the external environment works to function at an optimal level and maintain control over their experience

Constantly searching for and involving themselves in practical projects and other avenues where their knowledge is useful

Typically comfortable asserting their knowledge or correcting factual inaccuracies of others

Good at offering logical advice or information that can be applied to the external world to produce positive or productive results

Often highly pragmatic, diligent, and proactive

Often uncomfortable and restless if unable to pursue their goals and productive ventures

Inclined toward highly active schedules and lifestyles

May tend to find themselves “busy” most of the time (prone to workaholic tendencies)

Easily able to arrange, define, or organize the external environment in order to maximize their own or others’ potential

Often concerned with matters of efficiency and productivity; able to offer suggestions on improving the environment, under these principles

May not actively seek leadership roles, but won’t shun them; prone to stepping in if they feel others are unqualified or that nonintervention would lead to negative outcomes or inefficiency

Has a direct, formal style of communication and interaction, tends to speak quickly and to the point

Values clear and unambiguous communication; expects the same from others; does not suffer fools lightly, and believes in sharing factually correct information

Tends toward strong opinions about others’ ideas

May be critical of widely accepted viewpoints, seeing them as grounded in popular mythology rather than fact

Introverted Intuition (Ni):

Future-oriented in their thinking

Inclined to consider the consequences, implications, and long-term strategies of their actions

They pay less attention to the immediate details of carrying out their ideas than the future implications or impact of their idea

Often better at big picture thinking than detail-oriented thinking

Inclined, due to this, to take the job of consultant or innovator, preferring to leave the details and implementation to others

Commonly possess an entrepreneurial spirit and seeks to advance their own vision of a paradigmatic innovation or improvement

Feels an internal need to maintain sovereignty over their affairs and schedules

Become impatient if outside circumstances limit or hinder their productivity

May feel stifled unless they have a degree of flexibility in which to change their plans as situations change

Most comfortable when vigorously occupied with many things to do

Prone to intense mental activity, which can sometimes manifest in reflective, philosophical or detachedly contemplative behavior

Prone to constant reevaluation over practical matters before them

Can direct their mental energy toward developing new analogies or metaphors for conceptualizing their understanding, juxtaposing concepts and thinking about the same material in different ways

Extroverted Sensing (Se):

Can sometimes get mired in the little details of their work

Can be avoidant, neglectful, indecisive or scatterbrained in daily affairs

May have trouble motivating themselves through force of will to take care of menial details and decisions

May lack the willpower and tenacity to resolutely pursue their goals, and appreciate others who push, encourage, or support them toward these ends

Appreciates those who break them out of inactivity

Desires a sense of control over their environment; resistant to external control or “interference”

Prone toward a desire to “appreciate the finer things in life”

May over-indulge in the pleasures life has to offer (sex, food, expensive clothing, fashionable or fast-paced lifestyles)

Prone toward occasional impulses and sensory-driven pursuits, sometimes at the cost of a higher purpose or ideal 

Introverted Feeling (Fi):

Often poor at gauging others opinions of them or reactions to them

May struggle to discern the state of their personal relationships

Can underestimate others’ emotions and fail to meet their emotional needs

Prone to dismissing emotional decisions as irrational

Not naturally in tune with their own internal emotional state

May be fixated or perpetually in doubt of the emotional perceptions and hidden motivations of those around them

May have difficulty making character judgments or assessing what behavior or intentions they should expect from others

Requires sustained and clear discussions of feelings in order to feel secure about their relationships

Takes their own feelings seriously

Often highly principled

May place a great deal of emphasis on personal integrity

Drawn toward relationships where personal and private experiences can be shared free of judgment in an atmosphere of mutual trust

Comfortable in a relationship where shared sentiments and ethical beliefs make external expressions of emotions unnecessary

Often proactive in engaging others but rarely confident of their ability to correctly evaluate emotional intimacy

Best complimented by others who establish and reinforce a sense of intimacy

May be shy at establishing close friendships

Believes actions speak louder than words, and will go to great length to fulfill others’ needs when interacting with those with whom they share kinship and respect

May consult others for guidance in actions to ensure they’re following a clear set of ethical principles

Heidi Priebe

ENFP

Stereotype: ENFPs are hyperactive social butterflies who never stop spewing off about their feelings.

Reality: ENFPs have intuition and thinking as their extroverted functions, meaning they’re much more comfortable posing questions and debating ideas than they are talking about their feelings. They are also highly reflective and need more alone time than any other extrovert – many ENFPs actually initially assume themselves to be introverts!

INFP

Stereotype: INFPs are fragile emotional snowflakes who cannot deal with facts or hard logic.

Reality: Though INFPs certainly prefer using emotion over logic, they are more than capable of getting things done when they need to. This type can actually be incredibly resourceful and organized, as they will go to any lengths necessary in pursuit of what they believe is right. As a highly pensive type, INFPs are quite focused and often even mistype as judgers.

ENFJ

Stereotype: ENFJs are emotionally invasive and never stop probing others about their feelings.

Reality: ENFJs are actually quite adept at setting boundaries and respecting the privacy of others. If they are asking you highly personal questions, it’s not an act of exploitation – it’s because they genuinely want to help you resolve a problem and require a better understanding of where you’re at in order to do so.

INFJ

Stereotype #1: INFJs are rare snowflakes who are wildly unlike any other type and are incredibly difficult to understand.

Reality: Though they are statistically the rarest type, this does not mean that INFJs are the most creative or the most individualistic type (that would be INFP on both counts). In reality, INFJs have extroverted feeling, which means they’re highly in tune with social norms and value fitting in with a group above expressing their individuality. They are statistically rare in the sense that their specific combination of cognitive functions is uncommon, but this does not mean that they are the misunderstood artists of the world (Again, that would be INFPs or ISFPs).

Stereotype #2: INFJs are the natural counselors of the world, who want nothing more than to care for and nurture you.

Reality: Though they certainly do care for others, INFJs can often come across as cold if you don’t know them well. They lead with introverted intuition, which makes them infinitely more interested in analyzing big-picture problems than helping you sort out your relationship issues – they are empathetic to a fault but they’d usually rather be analyzing than empathizing.

ESTP

Stereotype: ESTPs are too impulsive to be reliable or faithful.

Reality: ESTPs see what they want and they go for it – which means that when your interests are aligned, nobody will be more devoted or attentive than an ESTP. This type can certainly be impulsive, but their extroverted feeling keeps them in line with how their actions affect others and once they make a commitment to someone, they are often quite adept at seeing it through. “I don’t want a relationship,” means, “I don’t want a relationship.” But on the other hand, “I do,” means, “I do.”

ISTP

Stereotype: ISTPs are daredevil adrenaline-junkies who live, breathe and sleep extreme sports.

Reality: Though ISTPs are highly sensory-oriented, their first mode of information processing is introverted thinking – meaning they’re much more interested in discovering how things work than they are in simply experiencing them. Some ISTPs have a tendency toward extreme sports but others are too rational to justify the risks of such activities – they prefer staying safe over risking their livelihood at the mercy of their auxiliary function.

ISTJ

Stereotype: ISTJs are unbearably rigid and set in their ways.

Reality: Though they do enjoy the tried-and-true method above the experimental ones, many ISTJs are incredibly analytical by nature. They are constantly taking in new facts and measuring them up against each other for practicality and efficiency. If a new method beats out an old one, they have no trouble swapping it out and bringing on the new.

ESTJ

Stereotype: ESTJs are bossy know-it-alls who only want to control the people around them.

Reality: Though ESTJs do tend to err on the side of know-it-all-ism, they do so as a genuine attempt to help the people they care about. This type is not malicious or spiteful – they simply see the most efficient way to do something and want to share. This type actually cares quite deeply about the people they’re close to and always wants to help them achieve the best results possible.

ESFJ

Stereotype: ESFJs are shallow and petty, only caring about the latest gossip and who’s dating who.

Reality: ESFJs lead with extroverted feeling, which mirrors the values of those around them. This means that if they are raised in an environment that values education, analytical analysis and personal growth, they will take on those values with a passion. ESFJs are only as petty as the people around them – their natural first instinct is to be supportive and inclusive to a fault.

ISFJ

Stereotype: ISFJs are neurotic and uptight – they are desperate to secure a partner and have a family as quickly as possible.

Reality: Though ISFJs do tend to make excellent parents, they’re not all in a rush to shack up and pop out a few. Their first function is a perceptive one (introverted sensing), which means that their feelings come second to their interests. Because they aren’t dominant judgers, this type also isn’t neurotic as a rule. On the contrary, they can often veer toward type B personalities – they’re more interested in keeping the peace than getting exactly what they want.

ESFP

Stereotype: ESFPs are shallow, one-dimensional party animals who are only interested in having a good time.

Reality: ESFPs are incredibly emotionally intelligent – they can dissect peoples motivations and desires with incredible accuracy and employ their findings effectively. This type is highly observant and can figure out just about any system or pattern that they put their minds to – their realism works to their advantage and makes them infinitely sharper than they let on.

ISFP

Stereotype: ISFPs are superficial and flakey.

Reality: Of all the sensor types, ISFPs are perhaps the most intuitive and spiritual. This type is highly observant and highly analytical – they are even apt to confuse themselves with intuitive types. Though they may appear to be off in la-la land regularly, the ISFP’s mind is always reeling – they are constantly analyzing what’s going on around them and what it means on a deeper level.

INTP

Stereotype: INTPs are emotionless and socially awkward.

Reality: INTPs are incredibly deep thinkers and correspondingly deep feelers. They are just as capable as (if not more capable than) any other type when it comes to experiencing deep emotions – they just aren’t as keen to express them. In the same vein, INTPs are not socially awkward by default – they are definite introverts but they are more than capable of developing their extroverted intuition to interact with the world around them. Enjoying social interaction and being capable of it are two different things.

ENTP

Stereotype: ENTPs have no follow through and cannot commit to anything for the life of them.

Reality: Though they do flit quickly between ideas, ENTPs are highly motivated to achieve and they possess impressive follow-through when they set their minds to something. They don’t care much for externally imposed attention to detail but when they’re self-motivated to get something right, they’ll cross every I and dot every T until it’s exactly how they imagined it.

ENTJ

Stereotype: ENTJs are alpha personalities who will squash or betray whoever it takes in order to get to the top.

Reality: Though they certainly are top dogs, ENTJs take social relationships incredibly seriously and would never want to tarnish their good name by going against their word. They can also be surprisingly sensitive when it comes to sticking up for the underdog and will often go to great lengths to ensure that they are giving fair and equal treatment to all.

INTJ

Stereotype: INTJs are narcissistic know-it-alls who think that everyone else is intellectually inferior to them.

As stated in our description we share actual conversations that we have with each other or that we have with other people or that we observe or things that we do. I’m sorry that you’re not open to being friends with people of all types. That could make for a small world. If you don’t like what we share, you don’t have to read it but trash talking our lives is a crap move. You do you and we’ll do us. You’re lack of belief in how our family and friends interact is irrelevant. We’ll continue living our lives and sharing our experiences.  ~ENFP

Introverted Feeling (Fi):

Tuned in to the mental and emotional atmosphere

May be introspective or constantly in a state of trying to sort out how they really feel

Values their own sense of fidelity and life stability

Tries to treat others with fairness and decency

Highly reliant on their attitude toward others when making decisions

This can sometimes lead them into difficult situations

Enjoys building connections but chooses friends carefully

Seeks a mutual respect for others in developing friendship bonds

Desires to interact with empathy, compassion, and loyalty

Values mutual understanding above all things

May be skeptical or distrusting toward strangers

May be private, uncommunicative, or individualistic

May feel they can see into others’ motivations or characters

Inclined to judge harshly and quickly

May have difficulty forgiving past transgressions or react coldly to those they see as immoral or reprehensible

May struggle between friendliness and distrust

Prides self on emotional sincerity

Prefers honest, forthright discussion when working through conflict

Extroverted Sensing (Se):

Eagerly seeks out new experiences

Is highly attuned to their sensory environment

Desires to “engage” rather than “observe” activities

Needs little foreknowledge to adapt to new situations

May be confrontational or physically aggressive

Enjoys challenging others toward acting in ways they feel is in their best interest (driving them toward greatness)

Can come across as matter of fact or direct

Is interested in success in the material world

May practice a variant of “tough love”

Enjoys challenging themselves, but may struggle beneath excessive self-criticism and unreasonable self-expectations (FiSeNi)

Has a keen sense of style and seeks aesthetics for pleasure

Sometimes inclined to retreat from and avoid others

Highly proactive and prepared to engage or push others toward an active state

Introverted Intuition (Ni):

Sees life as a gradual process of learning and new experiences

Tends toward inner reflection in making sense of experiences

Desires to discern what lessons or methods for self-improvement experiences have taught them

Can orient themselves toward long-term thinking

Shows interest in the future consequences of present decisions

Can focus on a long-term goal or vision for their life

Desires to be less impulsive and avoid later regret

Decisive in dealing with immediate situations

May fear “running out of time” to accomplish things

Trusts their “gut instincts” about people and situations

Has flashes of profound insight about others

Can sometime accurately get a “sense” of a person’s true self

Extroverted Thinking (Te):

Often unconfident in their ability to gather and apply new information related to productivity or life conditions

Unsure about how critically evaluate new information

May turn to others for explanations or information

Often unaware of and un-inclined to think in terms of the best or most efficient way of getting something done

Has difficulty conceptualizing what schedule, activity, or methodology they should follow to meet goals

May struggle to evaluate whether they’ve done enough or if their work is effective

Often admires efficiency in others

Tends to act on their feelings

Shows authoritarian behavior under stress

Prefer concrete explanations to theory

May see little point in endeavors that cannot improve their well-being

Often deeply invested in learning useful skills to assist them in daily life

Can be straightforward and prefers other blunt individuals