What do the letters of my Myers-Briggs personality type mean? with Brit Kolo

In this episode of Marketing Personalities, Brit Kolo breaks down the letters in your Myers-Briggs personality type so you know exactly what each of them means. By knowing what these letters stand for, you will know more about yourself and how you interact with the world around you.

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Learn more about the letters in your personality type from 16personalities.com

What’s Your Marketing Personality Type? Find Out Here

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Letters of My Myers-Briggs Personality Type Episode Summary:

Welcome to another episode of the Marketing Personalities Podcast! I’m Brit Kolo and I’m here solocast style to break down the letters in your Myers-Briggs personality type so you can know exactly what each of them means. By knowing what these letters stand for, you will know more about yourself and how you interact with the world around you.

Know the MBTI Framework

Here at Marketing Personalities, we use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to understand your personality type and then make marketing suggestions specifically tailored to your type.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) considers five different aspects within your personality and combines them to indicate your 5-letter type (i.e. INFJ-A).

The five aspects that we’ll uncover in this episode are aspects of the Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity.

Not sure of your Myers-Briggs personality type yet? Visit 16personalities.com for a free assessment.

If at any point in this article you’d like to read more about any of these aspects, I highly recommend studying this article from 16personalities.com.

What the Letters of Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type Mean

Introverted vs. Extraverted

I vs. E

Whether you are introverted or extraverted, this aspect of your personality type relates to your Mind and how you interact with your surroundings.

Introverted individuals tend to be more sensitive to external stimuli and in response to this sensitivity, prefer to sustain their minds with few, if any, people around them.

Extraverted individuals tend to be less sensitive to external stimuli and in response, prefer to sustain their minds by seeking out external stimulus around more people.

Not what you were expecting, eh?

There are plenty of misconceptions about this aspect and I’m sure you’ve heard and maybe even believed a number of them.

Based on the actual differences between these two aspects, you can see that what makes an Introvert different from an Extravert is NOT:

Whether you’re socially awkward or socially adept
Whether you dislike people or like people
Whether you prefer to not engage in conversation with others or talk all the time
Whether you tend to be quiet or loud

This aspect primarily reflects how sensitive you are to external stimuli. Introverts are more sensitive, so they seek surroundings with less stimuli. Extraverts are less sensitive, so they seek surroundings with more stimuli.

What about ambiverts?

There’s a modern trend of people who identify as ambiverts. That is, someone who falls “in the middle” between introversion and extraversion.

All aspects are on a spectrum and yes, you can be somewhere “in the middle.” And yet, I still think if we’re honest with ourselves, we do fall on one side of these tracks most of the time.

The tricky part is identifying which side we most naturally prefer because the questions we’re asked to figure this out are sometimes misleading and/or difficult to answer.

As 16personalities.com demonstrates in their article, “On the Topic of Ambiversion,”…

“When you are asked whether you would rather go to a party than read a book, you might counter by saying ‘depends on the party and the book.’ This is a perfectly reasonable response – even the most withdrawn Introvert might choose to go to a party with 2-3 close friends as opposed to reading a boring book. Likewise, even the most Extraverted and dedicated party-goer might want to take some time off and check out the latest fad in the book world. Does this mean that they are ambiverts? Probably not.”

So be careful here.

And if you truly do fall “in the middle,” as always, I recommend blending your top two Marketing Personality Types to find the absolute best strategy for you.

What's your Marketing Personality Type? Find out here!

Intuitive vs. Observant

N vs. S

Whether you are intuitive or observant, this aspect of your personality type relates to your Energy and how you view the world and take in information.

Intuitive individuals tend to pay attention to internal information and cues, which leads them to being imaginative, open-minded, and curious. Because they’re not as focused on the “brass tax” of the situation, they are often creative with a belief in vast possibility of the future.

Observant individuals tend to pay attention to external information and cues, which leads them to being pragmatic and grounded. Because they are focused on the “brass tax,” they are often realistic, knowing what has happened or is happening in the here and now.

Thinking vs. Feeling

T vs. F

Whether you are a thinking or feeling individual, this aspect of your personality type relates to your Nature and how you make decisions and deal with emotions.

Thinking individuals tend to make decisions based on numbers and cold hard facts, which helps them be objective, rational, and logical. By preferring thinking over feeling, they tend to hide or stuff down their feelings so they can focus on the facts and prioritize efficiency.

Feeling individuals tend to make decisions based on their senses and emotions, which helps them be empathetic and caring. By preferring feeling over thinking, they tend to be emotionally expressive and prioritize social harmony.

Judging vs. Perceiving

J vs. P

Whether you are a judging or perceiving individual, this aspect of your personality type relates to your Tactics and how you approach work and decision-making.

Judging individuals tend to see more of a black and white picture when they look out at life, so they find it easier to make clear decisions and boundaries. They prefer clarity and closure and therefore, organization and structured plans of action.

Perceiving individuals tend to see more of a gray picture when they look out at life, so they often keep their options open, while staying flexible and relaxed. They prefer scanning for opportunities and options, “going with the flow,” and dealing with situations as they arise.

Does Judging mean “judgemental?”

Let me be super clear – NO. Judging does not mean judgemental. Being “judging” means being “discerning” and seeing clearly defined lines between object A and object B, option A and option B.

Assertive vs. Turbulent

A vs. T

Here at Marketing Personalities, we don’t factor this aspect into your best marketing strategy suggestions, but you can still apply what you know about this final aspect to your Marketing Personality Type.

Whether you are assertive or turbulent, this aspect of your personality type relates to your Identity and how confident you are about yourself, your abilities, and your decisions.

And unlike the other aspects, this final letter in your personality type unpins all other aspects. It tells us how confident you are in all other aspects of your personality.

Assertive individuals tend to be self-assured and confident in who they are, what they stand for, how able they are, and what decisions they make.

Turbulent individuals tend to be self-conscious and questioning of who they are, what they stand for, how able they are, and what decisions they make.

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