On a recent work trip, my co-workers and I started talking about teamwork, and the topic of personality types came up. A co-worker brought up the 16personalities test, which is inspired by the famous Myers-Briggs (MBTI) personality test. He found it to be really useful as an introspective exercise, but also as a way to better understand his teammates’ communication and working styles. This inspired the full group of us to take the test that night, and share our results.
Here’s a weird thing about me—I actually enjoy taking personality tests. I’ve taken many of them: Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, DISC, the Big Five, and I often take them again after 6 months or so. I’ve found it’s a way to better understand myself, and see if I am changing over time. And if so, it’s a way to measure those changes. It’s a way to be more self-aware of my strengths and my weaknesses when I am interacting with others.
16personalities.com focused on the MBTI test, which is designed to identify your personality type across four different dimensions:
Introverted (I) vs. Extroverted (E)
Intuitive (N) vs. Observant (S)
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
Judging (J) vs. Prospecting (P).
It also evaluates you on a fifth dimension: Assertive (A) vs. Turbulent (T).
Here were my results: INFJ-A
What’s fascinating about my breakdown is that aside from the introverted dimension, every category was within 5% of being on the other side of the scale. In other words, I was very close to 8 (50%) of the other personality types. The one I ended up with (INFJ), however, is considered the rarest personality type of all.
So what exactly does it mean to be an INFJ? Below is a summary of my results:
Advocates (INFJs) may be the rarest personality type of all, but they certainly leave their mark on the world. Idealistic and principled, they aren’t content to coast through life – they want to stand up and make a difference. For Advocate personalities, success doesn’t come from money or status but from seeking fulfillment, helping others, and being a force for good in the world.
While they have lofty goals and ambitions, Advocates shouldn’t be mistaken for idle dreamers. People with this personality type care about integrity, and they’re rarely satisfied until they’ve done what they know to be right. Conscientious to the core, they move through life with a clear sense of their values, and they aim never to lose sight of what truly matters – not according to other people or society at large, but according to their own wisdom and intuition.
Advocates tend to carry around a sense of being different from most people. With their rich inner lives and their deep, abiding desire to find their life purpose, they don’t always fit in with those around them… they sometimes feel misunderstood or at odds with the world.
I was fairly surprised by how accurate much of this was. Anyone who knows me knows I pride myself on being principled. In fact, one of the few things that frustrates me is when others force me to compromise on my principles.
The piece around seeking fulfillment through helping others resonated with me, too. Earlier this year, I re-defined my life mission, which aligns closely to the above: To raise the aspirations, life satisfaction, and success bar for the people around me. One of the key ways I aim to achieve that is by educating and mentoring others, including students and aspiring product people.
Finally, many of my close friends have probably heard me call myself misunderstood. Because I tend to have a different mindset than most people, I often feel like I don’t fit in with others around me. Reading my results gave me some peace of mind that I wasn’t crazy, and also that I’m not totally alone.
You can find a full breakdown of the INFJ-A personality type here, but I’ve broken down my personal highlights from the different sections. I hope this gives you more insight into who I am as a friend, partner, co-worker, and person.
On Strengths
Creative – People with this personality type embrace their creative side, always on the lookout for opportunities to express themselves and think outside the box.
Insightful – These personalities strive to move beyond superficiality and seek out the deeper truths in life. This can give them an almost uncanny ability to understand people’s true motivations, feelings, and needs.
Principled – Advocates tend to have strong beliefs and values, particularly when it comes to matters of ethics. When Advocates talk about topics close to their heart, their conviction and heartfelt idealism can inspire and persuade even the sternest of skeptics.
Passionate – Advocates crave a sense of purpose in life. Rather than living on autopilot or sticking to the status quo, they want to chase after their ideals.
Altruistic – People with this personality type aren’t happy to succeed at another person’s expense. Advocates want to use their strengths for the greater good, and they rarely lose sight of how their words and actions might affect others. In their heart of hearts, they want to make the world a better place, starting with the people around them.
On Weaknesses
Sensitive to Criticism – Advocates aren’t averse to feedback, unless they believe that someone is challenging their most cherished principles or values. When it comes to the issues that are near and dear to them, people with this personality type can become defensive or dismissive.
Reluctant to Open Up – Advocates value honesty and authenticity, but they’re also private. They may find it difficult to open up and be vulnerable about their struggles, not wanting to burden someone else with their issues. Unfortunately, when Advocates don’t ask for help, they may inadvertently hold themselves back or create distance in their relationships.
Perfectionistic – Advocates might find it difficult to appreciate their jobs, living situations, or relationships if they’re continually fixating on imperfections and wondering whether they should be looking for something better.
Avoiding the Ordinary – Advocates yearn to do extraordinary things with their lives. But it’s hard to achieve anything extraordinary without breaking it down into small, manageable steps. Unless they translate their dreams into everyday routines and to-do lists, Advocates may struggle to turn their grand visions into reality.
Prone to Burnout – People with this personality type can exhaust themselves if they don’t balance their drive to help others with necessary self-care and rest.
On Friendships
Advocates may be introverted, but they value deep, authentic relationships with others. Advocates enjoy meaningful conversations far more than small talk, and they tend to communicate in a way that is warm and sensitive. Advocates tend to act with great thought and care, and it can frustrate them when other people don’t recognize their good intentions.
While Advocates may seem quiet or reserved to the world at large, they absolutely light up around their close friends. Few things bring them more pleasure or delight than talking through their passions, interests, and beliefs with a kindred spirit. People with this personality type enjoy the pleasure of their own company, but Advocates still find it liberating to let their guard down and be completely and utterly themselves with a friend they know they can trust.
Advocates are known for having great expectations – not just for themselves but also for their friendships. High on this list of expectations is authenticity. Another expectation that Advocates bring to their friendships is mutual support and growth. This is a tall order, and Advocates may feel that it’s difficult to meet the sort of friends they’re seeking. Advocates may meet relatively few people who really remind them of themselves.
On Romantic Relationships
It can take time for Advocates to find a compatible partner. Some people might think that Advocates are too choosy, and it’s true that these personalities can be prone to unrealistic expectations. With their perfectionistic, idealistic nature, Advocates might be tempted to hold out for a “perfect” partner or relationship that ultimately doesn’t exist. The good news? Advocates’ idealism – if balanced with just enough realism – can actually enhance their love life.
People with this personality type create a depth to their relationships that can hardly be described in conventional terms. Because of their sensitivity and insight, Advocates can make their partners feel heard and understood in beautiful ways. Advocates aren’t afraid to express their love, and they feel it with all their hearts.
On Career Paths
Advocates long to find a career that aligns with their values and their dreams – a career that allows them to fulfill their unique mission in this world. For these personalities, a job isn’t satisfying if it doesn’t offer a deeper sense of purpose – no matter how good the salary is. The good news is that people with this personality type can use their creativity and determination to find work that suits their needs in just about any field.
Many Advocates are passionate communicators. This explains why they are often drawn to careers in writing, creating many popular books, blogs, stories, video games, and screenplays. For people with this personality type, the opportunity to tell stories for a living can be nothing short of a dream come true. Many Advocates find that creative side hustles offer a much-needed outlet for the themes and ideas that occupy their imaginations.
On Workplace Habits
Many Advocates seek out more flexible, autonomous positions – or branch off altogether to start their own businesses. They may also find it gratifying to create bridges between seemingly disparate professional fields – for example, by writing about psychology. Such hybrid careers can offer plenty of opportunities for Advocates to exercise their creativity and their love of learning.
Advocates crave opportunities to learn and grow alongside the people they are helping. When this happens, Advocates may finally feel that they are fulfilling their life’s mission, contributing to the well-being of humanity on a personal level. To be truly happy, they need to find work that aligns with their values and allows them some independence.
As colleagues, Advocates can be quite popular and well respected. People with this personality type are often seen as helpful, eloquent, and capable coworkers. Among their greatest strengths is their ability to identify others’ motives and understand the root causes of conflict before anyone else even senses a disturbance.
I wasn’t expecting a personality test to offer such valuable gems. While the parts about my strengths and friendship style were definitely true, those sections mostly included information I already knew: I tend to focus on fewer, more authentic friendships, and many of my strengths come from my balance of genuineness and empathy with the insight, perspective, and principles I embody.
I found my weaknesses, the romantic relationships, and the workplace habits sections to be the most intriguing and insightful. They helped me realize my perfectionistic tendencies have drawbacks, including making me more prone to burnout and often avoiding the idea of “good enough”. This was a common theme across the board in my friendships, relationships, and workplace interactions.
One way I am improving upon my weaknesses is by writing this newsletter. While I am often reluctant to open up with new people in person, I find it easier to share and be vulnerable through my personal writing.
As a final note, I would encourage you to take the MBTI personality test on 16personalities.com. It offers a great deal of insight into who you are, but also provides a way to better work, communicate, and interact with teammates, friends, partners, and loved ones. Once you take it, feel free to share your results in the comments or with me individually. I’d love to talk and learn more about it.
Hey Nikil, I’ve always been a fan of personality types as well! It’s been a habit of mine to ask the people I’m close with for their personality type, whether it be my friends, roommates, or even coworkers. I use it to understand their personality and as a starting point as to how to work with them. For example, some personality types are more sensitive to criticism than others, so I’ve since became more cognizant of that when giving them feedback.