(If you've never taken the Myers-Briggs test before, go ahead and take it at www.16personalities.com so you can make sense of this article)
When most people look at the Myers-Briggs test, they focus on the 16 different personality results. But, there's actually another way to look at the test that is really helpful, especially when it comes to determining how to interact with other people. It's called Myers' Four Groups. These four groups actually sort the 16 personalities into more general categories, based on two of the four letters in each person's test results. Let's look at these four categories.
The "Artisans"/"Explorers"- SP
(ESTP, ESFP, ISTP ISFP)
Here are a few words to describe the SPs:
- spontaneous
- thrill-seeking
- adaptable
- hands-on
The "Guardians"/"Sentinels"- SJ
(ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ)
The SJs are:
- stable
- routinized
- dependable
- detailed
The "Idealists"/ "Diplomats"- NF
(ENFJ, ENFP, INFJ, INFP)
The Idealists tend to be:
- humane
- creative
- insightful
- imaginative
The "Rationals"/"Analysts"- NT
(ENTJ, ENTP, INTJ, INTP)
The Rationals are:
- intellectual
- complex
- inventive
- curious
How the groups interact with each other
* most compatible
** more compatible
^ less compatible (but hey, they can still be good friends or a functional couple!)
SP + SP **
These two love fun and excitement and sometimes, things can get a little bit out of hand. They also lose interest in beings friends after a while, because the friendship starts up fast, and will probably end fast too, without considerable effort on both sides.
SJ + SJ **
These relationships are super predictable. These two both love routine and stability. But, they also could disagree horribly if their habits are different in some way, since neither will want to budge on their normal way of doing things.
NF + NF **
NFs have rich inner worlds of imagination and grandeur. So, they love discussing their own worlds with each other. But, they have the tendency to get tired of each other and then feel violated in a sense, since they shared too much of their soul with the other.
NT + NT **
NTs love to brainstorm about the world together and share intellectual ideas. But, they also focus so much on their own achievements and discoveries that they can both accidentally forget about each other, causing the whole friendship to just crumble away.
SP + SJ *
SJs and SPs generally match each other. The SP searches for thrills and adventure, while the SJ can grab the SP friend by the arm and tell him/her to be more sensible and steady. On the flip side, the SJ has the tendency to get buried in life's problems and inconsistencies, so the SP teaches him/her to lighten up and enjoy life more.
NF + NT *
The NFs and NTs also match each other very well. They both think in the abstract and conceptual. Also, they both have interesting inner worlds that they love to share with each other. The NF is very emotional and troubled at times, while the NT is calm, calculating and often apathetic. This can end up to be a good contrast, or a relationship gone wrong.
SP + NF ^
These two are so different that they find each other fascinating and strange. The SP flits very quickly from one thing to another, while the NF dwells on the depth of each situation.
SP + NT ^
These two are also very different. The NT and the SP both love discovering, but in different ways. The NT focuses on the rhyme and reason behind it all while the SP just does stuff for the thrill of it.
SJ + NF ^
Both of these types like focusing on the good of the world and of the people around them. When the NF goes full-throttle on a whimsical idea, the SJ hangs back and tries to stay in the reality of the situation.
SJ + NT ^
Both types enjoy delving into their work. But, the SJ's work ethic is based more on duty while the NT is purely based on curiosity.
(Some information from "Please Understand Me II" by David Keirsey)
