Why People Love Personality Typologies
On one hand, it’s easier when you have a template, script, or system that helps you understand “what kind of person” is in front of you and “why does this person act this way?” But on the other hand, this often kills a person’s individuality.
When I write reports after profiling interviews, I pay close attention to how the signs of a particular personality type show up in this specific person and how these traits combine with their tendencies (their secondary personality type).
Let’s look at different approaches.
The Most Famous Division: Extraverts and Introverts
Probably the most well-known way to categorize people is the division into extraverts and introverts, proposed by Carl Gustav Jung.
He suggested that there are four main psychological functions: thinking, feeling, sensing, and perceiving. Each person has one or more of these functions that are most prominent. For example, according to Jung, an impulsive person is dominated by the functions of “feeling and perceiving” over “thinking and judging.”
Based on this, Jung identified two main personality types, each with its own unique features.
Extraverted Personality Type
This type focuses on external reality and the surrounding world, rather than their inner world. These people make decisions based on how their actions will affect the world around them, not just themselves. Their choices and actions are influenced by what others might think. They can fit into almost any environment, are suggestible, easily influenced, and tend to imitate others. Recognition from others is very important to them.
Introverted Personality Type
This type is more interested in themselves, their feelings, interests, and thoughts. They act according to what they feel and think, even if it goes against external reality. They don’t worry much about the outside world or how their actions might affect others. What matters most is what satisfies them internally.
Personality Types According to Jung
By considering the four main psychological functions and the two main personality types, Jung described eight different personality types:
- Thinking Extravert
These people are often seen as objective and intelligent, with actions based almost entirely on logic. They can be called “digitals”—they only accept as true what can be proven with enough evidence and facts. This type isn’t very sensitive and can be tyrannical or manipulative toward others. - Thinking Introvert
These individuals have high intellectual activity but often struggle with social interaction. They are stubborn and persistent when it comes to achieving goals and completing tasks. - Feeling Extravert
This person has a great ability to understand others and build social relationships. However, they try hard to stand out from the crowd and suffer when they are ignored by those around them. - Feeling Introvert
From the outside, they may seem lonely and have great difficulty forming social connections. They do their best to stay unnoticed, but are sensitive to the needs of others. - Sensing Extravert
This person will praise something as “wonderful” or “good” not because of their own opinion, but because it fits with what others think and matches the social situation. They are usually very good-natured and make friends easily. They quickly assess what the situation requires and are willing to sacrifice themselves for others. - Sensing Introvert
This personality type is often found among creative people. They focus on sensory experiences, giving great importance to color, shape, and texture—these are sources of inner experience for them. - Intuitive Extravert
This type is the typical adventurer—active and restless. They constantly need new stimulation, are persistent, and quickly move from one goal to another, easily forgetting the previous one. - Intuitive Introvert
This person is extremely sensitive to the slightest stimuli. They can almost guess what others are thinking, feeling, or planning to do. This type is creative, dreamy, and idealistic.