Why Is the Myers-Briggs Personality Test Actually a Complete Bullshit?

living on earth nearly eight billion people, as well as having different fingerprints to different personalities also has. Of course, it is possible to encounter common characteristics of people, but we cannot say that no two people are alike. For example, even though fraternal twins have common characteristics, they have very different personality traits.

Many people try to get to know their character and see through someone else’s eyes It uses various methods to. If one of these methods is Myers-Briggs created by MBTI (Myers–Briggs Type Indicator) named personality test. We will discuss why this test, which is solved by approximately 2 million people every year, is actually meaningless.

First, let’s look at what exactly MBTI is.

MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) The paid version of the test consists of approximately 100 questions and these questions “You make new friends on a regular basis.”, “You usually stay calm, even under a lot of pressure.” And “Even a small mistake can cause you to doubt your overall abilities and knowledge.” It consists of judgments such as. “I completely agree” to the questions. and “I don’t agree at all.” You give answers between. At the end of the test, you find out which of the 16 personalities you are.

Of course The free version of this test is easily accessible on the internet. You find out which personality you have with this test, which consists of approximately 30 questions. In the paid version, the results are more detailed and additional information is provided. You can access the free version here.

According to current data from 16personalities.com, this test takes more than 778 thousand is being solved, and people have learned what personality you have more than 961 million times so far. Even in Turkey more than 7 million Once this test is solved!

The story of the creation of this personality test is also quite interesting.

early 1940 Katharine Cook Briggs And Isabel Briggs Myers The mother and daughter named created this test to help women entering the workforce find the job that best suits their personalities. Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst to create the personalities obtained at the end of the test Carl Jung’s theories benefits.

Carl Jung in 1921 “Psychological Types” He publishes a book called (Psychological Types). According to this book, people are mainly divided into two groups: Sensors And They are judgmental.

While perceivers can be divided into those who tend to step with their feelings and those who act intuitively, judgers can be divided into thinkers and feelers. is categorized. As a result, we get four people. However, these four personalities can be considered as introvert and extrovert.

The personalities revealed as a result of the MBTI test are formed as a sequence of several letters.

Although these letters have different meanings, To identify personality differences Different rankings are used.

Introverts (I)

People in this group consist of cautious people by nature. In a quiet structure They also have good observation skills. They like to act on their own and accept help from very few people. Establishing sincere and warm relationships is not their thing.

Extroverts (E)

In contrast to introverts, extroverts are close and intimate relationships They like to build. They become the most loved person in their circle of friends. They get along well with everyone at work, they love organizing events, and they are all social butterflies.

Common Sense (S)

They are people who can analyze everything that happens around them well. observation abilities They are high, curious and love to research. These people, who have developed practical intelligence, can immediately persuade the other person.

Intuitives (N)

Intuitive people think about something at every moment of the day. Most bright ideas comes to their mind. Their imagination is developed and they always trust their feelings. But sometimes their feelings can confuse them.

Thinkers (T)

People in this group always He is a man of logic. They manage to override their logic and emotions and look at things objectively. They are stubborn and if there is something they want, they want it immediately, so they are a little impatient. They care about their principles and have an egalitarian nature.

Feelers (F)

These people who love helping each other are understanding and always helpful to those around them. They want to help. They care about people’s feelings and are committed to their values. However, their emotions are at the forefront when it comes to decision-making, so they tend to make irrational decisions.

Those who judge (J)

They act in a planned and programmed manner. Being punctual is their way of life, they try to obey the rules and especially to make rules They faint. They are managerial people, so they do not hesitate to control the lives of the people around them.

Perceivers (P)

They never like routine and can always be thrown in different directions. People in this group who are adventurous are more productive than the people around them. It’s pretty exciting. They are fond of their pleasures and their comfort always comes first for them.

As a result of the arrangements of these letters, 16 personality types are obtained and these personalities are divided into 4 groups.

Logic works: Analysts.

Analysts, events lens It consists of people who love to look. They have high mathematical intelligence and like to give orders and control. While their argumentative side is strong, they love to look at things from different perspectives. That’s why their imagination is highly developed.

They have high imagination: Diplomats

diplomats, listening abilities It consists of highly developed people. They are empaths, they can immediately understand the other person and understand what they are feeling. Their enterprising spirit prevents them from being alone and they always have different people around them.

Managers usually come from this group: Watchers

Watchers, practical intelligence iThey are people who manage to come to the fore. Rights defenders are in this group, they oppose injustice and love to defend themselves. The concepts of right, law and justice are indispensable for them. They also have helpful aspects.

The way is open, hit the road: Explorers

Explorers often mobile and active defined as people. Thanks to their energetic nature, they take on an adventurous spirit and impress the people around them with the adventures they experience. For them, there is no place or time to have fun, they can have the opportunity to have fun with many things. They have high manual skills.

That’s all well and good, but why isn’t this test valid?

Carl Jung’s theories, which Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers used and based on when creating the test, It has no scientific basis. Jung’s classifications about personalities are entirely his own. It was based on his observations and personal experiences. Moreover, in an article published in Sage Journals, even Jung stated that personality types are strictly defined. outside classifications He says it should be kept!

Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers did not receive any psychological training, although they benefited from the theories of psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung. A personality test created by two people who do not have any competence in the field of psychology. how reliable Whether it is is a matter of great debate.

If you ask people their opinions on feeling, thinking, intuitiveness, common sense, or judgment, they will often say something of all of them. Jung; He states that no human being can be purely judgmental, extroverted or intuitive. Moreover, squeezing people into a category and dividing them into groups may be contrary to nature.

In the letter sequences obtained as a result of the personality inventory, there is no There is no negative adjective. Instead of selfish, arrogant, lazy or malicious definitions, concepts such as hardworking, observant, stable, determined, emotional and compassionate are used. This shows us that this test actually categorizes people rather than categorizing them. make them feel happy designed to provide.

According to the data obtained, the test does not have any scientific basis.

As we mentioned before, this test, which is based on Carl Jung’s personal experiences and theories, does not have any scientific basis. Again in Sage Journals According to another published article, as a result of two studies, one published in 1993 and the other in 2006, there is not enough evidence to support that this test can be used professionally.

As a result, experts say that the MBTI personality test does not make accurate judgments about people. not trustworthy says. Although this test is solved for entertainment purposes, it does not give us an idea about the individual’s moral value or success at work.

So why has this quiz been solved by millions of people and why is it still so popular?

Of course, although the personality profiles obtained say general things, people definitely a piece of themselves they find and this ‘Barnum Effect’ we say. Just as people feel the desire to define themselves with these types of personality tests or horoscope interpretations, belonging to a community They also meet their needs. In this way, they see themselves as part of that group and do not feel alone.

Also, basically, we trying to understand others We can get into a mess and the first thing we cling to is people. tag is happening. As a result, trying to recognize a person by looking at an adjective or a label can save time and be fun. But one judge by this personality test We do not recommend it.