To put it simply: MBTI cannot truly define us, and it certainly cannot be used as a means of choosing a career. MBTI is not a rigorous science; MBTI test results will change; be careful to use MBTI results to label yourself. Of course, MBTI is such a hot topic now, and it can indeed become a good social tool for us workers to bring us closer to our friends and colleagues.
Mbti Is Not a Rigorous Science
The scientific nature of MBTI itself is questionable. You can Google the source of MBTI.
The MBTI was constructed based on Jungian psychology by two Americans, Catherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers.
Both the mother and daughter of these two founders received family education in their early years. My mother never went to school before she was 14 years old, and she studied agriculture after she entered college. Her daughter received a family education from her mother since she was a child, and she studied politics after she entered college. After the two discovered that their son-in-law’s personality was different from that of their own family, they began research, which led to the creation of a self-report questionnaire with the MBTI structure.
This scientific aspect is quite adequate. At the time, this research was still meaningful and could help ordinary people at that time determine what kind of job they were suitable for, but it also had historical limitations. Not to mention, today’s workplace environment has turned upside down.
Mbti Test Results Can Change
Most of the early MBTI tests required a choice between two options.
But many times, we cannot just frame ourselves in terms of extroversion, introversion, rationality, and sensibility.
For example, in a Japanese or Korean company with a stronger sense of hierarchy, if you have no friends of your age, you may behave more reservedly. In a company with a relatively peaceful corporate culture and surrounded by many peers, you may be more cheerful and outgoing.
Therefore, in different moods and environments, you make different choices, and the final test results are also different.
Don’t Limit Yourself with Mbti
MBTI cannot determine who I am, it is just an auxiliary tool. For those of us who are confused, we can use it to help us understand ourselves. But its test results cannot determine our future.
If the results of the MBTI test say that I am an “I” person, then I think I can only accept this and show the personality that an “I” person should have. I cannot do “E” type things. That will only limit your own development and opportunities.
For example, many young people insist: I can’t do sales because I am an “I” person. But in fact, I have seen many excellent salespeople who are all “I” people.
Excellent sales does not mean that you must be eloquent and eloquent; truly excellent sales should clearly understand the needs of customers, so they are most likely to be good at listening.
Why can’t I do sales? In fact, we have a better way that can help us understand ourselves: find friends around us who understand ourselves, let them evaluate ourselves, and let them post some keywords for ourselves. Direct feedback from friends can often give us a clearer understanding of our own characteristics than a survey.
Mbti Can Be a Tool for Workplace Socialization
Like horoscopes and hometowns, the MBTI is an effective tool for starting conversations with strangers.
For example, you need to communicate with the new leader and try to allow the leader to have more boundaries when managing. Then, you can start to understand leadership style from MBTI.
Of course, sometimes understanding your own and others’ personalities can also reduce internal friction in the workplace. Sometimes, it’s not that you haven’t done a good job, but that the other person is not in tune with your personality. This can be a problem for both parties. We can find targeted solutions.
Conclusion
So, back to the question itself, my opinion is that MBTI is just an auxiliary tool. What you need to pay more attention to is:
- What type of things/jobs am I passionate about? What kind of things make me feel accomplished?
- What type of work am I good at? What things am I familiar with and have some experience in?
- What kind of companies in the market are willing to pay for something I love and am good at? Approximately how much do you have to pay? Can I accept it?