MBTI is Best Test Indeed

Song Kim (’25) Jan. 28, 2023

If a friend told you “I dyed my hair because I was depressed,” what would your first response be? Would you say “Oh no, what made you upset?” or “What color did you dye your hair?” What if your friend suddenly asks you to hang out during your free time? Would you be willing to go out or reject them by saying excuses? These questions can be used to determine a person’s general personality. However, there is a test specifically designed to figure out individuals’ traits and desires. It is commonly known as MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) test or 16 personality test, which was popularized among young adults recently. The system sorts people into 4 letter personality types based on their preferences of extraversion (E– gain energy from people), introversion (I-prefer working alone), sensing (S– focus on facts and data), intuitive (N– focus on possibilities and creativity), thinking (T– value fairness and justice), feeling (F– value forgiveness), judging (J– prefer to plan), and perceiving (P– prefer to improvise).

The way people view this test varies. Some people argue that the test has low accuracy and is subjective. It is debatable that the way others view individuals is more valid and objective, since individuals can unintentionally fake themselves while filling out the test. Moreover, 16 personalities or 93 questions are not subdivided enough or scientifically proven to determine one’s traits. Alternatively, some claim that the test is valuable because it gives people insight into what others appraise and affects them the most. When individuals have a better understanding of others and recognize different characteristics, it is easier to overcome conflicts between them. Furthermore, users can figure out how to overcome traumas, how to release stress, how to manage work habits, and so forth, based on their results in 16 personality tests. The test not only identifies people’s strengths and weaknesses, but also provides applicable solutions.

Personally, I avoid overly trusting personality tests because the bubbles we fill in for questions don’t exactly define who we are. I wondered why society started to change people’s views on different traits. For instance, the media describe feelers as people who are excessively emotional that they are unable to judge the situation. In addition, introverted people are criticized and represented as lackluster who dislike communicating. It didn’t make sense to me because there aren’t traits that are better than one another. If people in society change their views and accept different traits, the MBTI test can certainly be used as a tool to respect and understand each other. Through personality tests, people can learn what their innate preferences are, but not societal demands. Regardless of the personality test being reliable, I think the most meaningful part of the test is to get a grasp of your interest and start to explore values in life.