How well do you know your personality? There is a personality test that is now trending, called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The questionnaire-based test indicates psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and how they make decisions. One letter from each category is taken to produce a four-letter test result; extraversion (E) or introversion (I), sensing (S) or intuition (N), thinking (T) or feeling (F), and judging (J) or perceiving (P). Through this test, one of the 16 possible types can be assigned.

This test is now viral, and there are a lot of memes on the prejudicial implications of the results. These memes can be found on various social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. As a matter of fact, young people these days ask for the MBTI results in the hope of getting acquainted with each other better. According to a survey conducted by The UOS Times, over 50 percent of the respondents – students of the University of Seoul (UOS) – trust and consider the test an important factor in getting to know a person. 

There are 16 MBTI types, and each of them has keywords, stereotypes, and prejudices associated. Each keyword represents a type’s core personality. In accordance with the keywords and stereotypes, various memes have been created. The UOS Times conducted a survey to ask students of UOS how well the keywords represent their types and what they think of the associated stereotypes.

ESTJ (aka Strict Supervisor)
Keywords: Cold, Intelligent, Controlling, Commanding
Bias: Every ESTJ is too self-centered, a control freak, and a kkondae (a person who imposes outdated thinking on the younger generation, in English).
Students’ response: The keywords explain this type in some sense. However, the stereotype of being a kkondae seems wrong. Morewer, Some ESTJs are not very extroverted, even though we have E in our type. 

ISTJ (aka Logicist with High Integrity)
Keywords: Patient, Straightforward, Realistic, Polite
Bias: They lack empathy and tend not to open their minds up to other people.
Students’ response:: We are not playing hard to get in relation- ships. We are just a bit shy. We always work as hard as possible to “get things done” in society and definitely like to plan our lives. 

ISFP (aka Curious Artist)
Keywords: Artistic, Curious, Honest, Timid
Bias: ISFPs have weak minds, are full of contradiction, and are like “human cats”
Students’ response: We really are like human cats and are kind of lazy, too. However, there is a prejudice that we always avoid conflict, but that is not true.

ENTP (aka Debater who Enjoys Heated Debates)
Keywords: Creative, Proactive, Logical, Free-spirited
Bias: They lack concentration, are elitist, and rebellious.
Students’ response: ENTPs seem rebellious because we are stubborn in some ways. However, not every ENTP is an elitist. There is another prejudice that we get tired of things very easily, but this does not happen with something worthy.

ENFJ (aka Righteous Social Activist)
Keywords: Warmhearted, Exemplary, Sociable, Persuasive
Bias: ENFJs are too idealistic and sensitive.
Students’ response: The keywords represent us accurately. We are sociable and kind, sometimes too kind to reject something we disagree with. We tend to be too sensitive because we think too much about other people’s feelings.

INFJ (aka Protector of Good Deeds)
Keywords: Insightful, Subtle, Man of Conviction
Bias: They are two-faced and have old souls.
Students’ response: Many people think we are different on the inside and outside because we think too much. That makes us thorough and insightful. 
 

INTJ (aka Scrupulous Strategist)
Keywords: Strong desire for achievement, Independent, Straightforward, Clever
Bias: They lack social skills and are bad at comforting people.
Students’ response: We can comfort people who we love better than anyone else can! We just keep our boundaries.

INTP (aka Logical Philosopher)
Keywords: Smart, Machine-like, Indifferent, Creative
Bias: They lack logic, are rich in sensitivity, and are “voluntary outsiders.”
Students’ response: There are many INTPs who are logical. As for the idea of being “voluntary outsiders,” we tend to have an exclusive inner world and that makes others think that we do not get along well with others.

ENTJ (aka Bold Leader)
Keywords: Goal-directed, Responsible, Perfectionist, 
Pro-meritocracy
Bias: They are commanding, hate getting called out, and always do all the work in team projects.
Students’ response:Yes, we are not fans of getting called out, but we do accept constructive criticism. ENTJs tend to be perfectionists, and that makes us do more work than others in team projects. 

INFP (aka Passionate Mediator)
Keywords: Passionate, Delicate, Teary, Free-hearted
Bias: They tend to be depressed, too teary, and kind
Students’ response: We are not that teary, just rich in empathy. In some ways, we are artistic because we are rich in sensitivity, too.

ENFP (aka Cheerful Activist)
Keywords: Positive, Spontaneous, Quick-witted, has extreine mood swings
Bias: They are not patient, and always end in something like an anticlimax. It is hard to get in touch with them.
Students’ response: The keywords make us look very “sociable,” but not all ENFPs are that cheerful. We also have darker sides within us.

ISFJ (aka Brave Defender)
Keywords: Protective, Patient, Grudge holder, Lazy perfectionist
Bias: They are gullible, do not express themselves to others, and care too much about what other people think.
Students’ response: We do not solve conflicts only through fights with others. People think that we are being protective to everyone. We just like peace. The phrase “Lazy perfectionist” represents us accurately.

ESFJ (aka Sociable Diplomat)
Keywords: Group-oriented, Affectionate, Mediator, 
Communicative
Bias: They have a lot of worries, nag a lot, and are realistic.
Students’ response: We do not have that many worries. We just care for our loved ones a lot. We really are affectionate, and that makes us poor at rejecting something.

ISTP (aka Talented Entertainer)
Keywords: Indifferent, Observant, Lazy
Bias: They are stubborn, and in many cases, also unintentionally rude to others.
Students’ response: We like to observe people and things. As we are stubborn and introverted, a lot of people think we are “rude,” but that is not true at all.

ESTP (aka Businessman who Enjoys Adventures)
Keywords: Acute, Broad-minded, Adventurous
Bias: ESTPs are impatient, impulsive, and get sick of things easily.
Students’ response: I think we are way too adventurous. We like exciting things, which makes us look impulsive and impatient.

ESFP (aka Free-spirited Celebrity)
Keywords: Cheerful, Voluble, Optimistic
Bias: They do not take anything seriously and are always averse. 
Students’ response: We are definitely optimistic. However, when we hate someone, that person is practically dead to us. We do not always avoid conflicts.

The MBTI test is one of the tools used to categorize people like blood type and zodiac sign. Most respondents showed their trust in this test in the survey. Moreover, more than 60 percent of the respondents said that the results of the MBTI test can be important in both helping them get to know somebody and determining whether he or she could get along with them. However, the types cannot represent people fully. 
The respondents’ answers on the prejudices show that there certainly are differences among individuals. Each person has been raised and socialized in a different environment. Therefore, it is more than natural for one to exhibit different personalities and cannot be explained by a test result. Still, MBTI presents interesting categories and types of personalities. Even if it is just for fun and self-objectification, the MBTI test is worth trying. It would be great to have conversations in person with others about their and your personality types, in order to get to know each other better and quicker. 

Kim Da-eun
daeunkim749@uos.ac.kr