I Am An INFP, An ESFJ and An ENFP – Or Am I An Enigma?

I love to do tests.  Tests that tell me about myself.  Much like horoscopes, I tend to take the words and descriptions and find how they actually apply to me in real life. 

I decided to do a Myers Briggs personality test and see if I agree with the findings.  In fact, I decided to do 3 Myer Briggs tests to see if the results were consistent.  What I found was that based on wording of questions and how they were scored, I got 3 different results.  Funnily enough, I could find truth in all of the results. 

For those that know me or think they know me, which assessment do you think is more accurate?

Test 1 Results – INFP

The Idealist

 
You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.
Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.
It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.
But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.

In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.
You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings.

At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.
You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual

When other people don’t get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

Test 2 Results – ESFJ

Providers take it upon themselves to insure the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the Guardians, and thus are the great nurturers of social institutions such as schools, churches, social clubs, and civic groups. Providers are very likely more than ten percent of the population, and this is fortunate for the rest of us, because friendly social service is a key to their nature. Wherever they go, Providers happily give their time and energy to make sure that the needs of others are met, and that social functions are a success.

Highly cooperative themselves, Providers are skilled in maintaining teamwork among their helpers, and are also tireless in their attention to the details of furnishing goods and services. They make excellent chairpersons in charge of dances, banquets, class reunions, charity fund-raisers, and the like. They are without peer as masters of ceremonies, able to speak publicly with ease and confidence. And they are outstanding hosts or hostesses, knowing everyone by name, and seemingly aware of what everyone’s been doing. Providers love to entertain, and are always concerned about the needs of their guests, wanting to make sure that all are involved and provided for.

Friendly, outgoing, neighborly – in a word, Providers are gregarious, so much so that they can become restless when isolated from people. They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind. Friendships matter a great deal to Providers, and their conversations with friends often touch on good times from years past. Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, Providers show a delightful fascination with news of their friends and neighbors. If we wish to know what’s been going on in the local community, school, or church, they’re happy to fill us in on all the details.

Providers are extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, which makes them perhaps the most sympathetic of all the types, but which also leaves them somewhat self-conscious, that is, highly sensitive to what others think of them. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved in return. In fact, Providers can be crushed by personal criticism, and are happiest when given ample appreciation both for themselves personally and for the tireless service they give to others.

Test 3 Results – ENFP

outgoing, social, disorganized, easily talked into doing silly things, spontaneous, wild and crazy, acts without thinking, good at getting people to have fun, pleasure seeking, irresponsible, physically affectionate, risk taker, thrill seeker, likely to have or want a tattoo, adventurous, unprepared, attention seeking, hyperactive, irrational, loves crowds, rule breaker, prone to losing things, seductive, easily distracted, open, revealing, comfortable in unfamiliar situations, attracted to strange things, non punctual, likes to stand out, likes to try new things, fun seeker, unconventional, energetic, impulsive, empathetic, dangerous, loving, attachment prone, prone to fantasy

With the results of each of these tests, I can see myself in all of them. 

But did I really learn anything about myself?  Hard to say, really.  If I had done 3 tests and come out with same results each time I might be more apt to believe in the test.  Considering I did 3 tests and answered all the questions honestly, who is to say which one is right – or are any of them right?  Shouldn’t I just trust myself? 

It’s scary that companies use tests like these to determine if you are a good “fit” for their company’s culture.  How do they know that the test they are using is going to give them the best definitive answer of that individual’s personality?  Clearly, depending on which test you take, the results can differ, and would that have an effect on your ability to be hired?  Does knowing you are taking a personality test change your answers?  I hope these are all good questions.

However, there really is only one true Myers-Briggs Type Indicator but I didn’t want to pay $150.00 to take it.  I guess I’ll just have to settle for being an enigma.

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