In the early 1950s, the United States military commissioned Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, both female INFP psychologists at the time, to design a personality type indicator so they could best delegate duties and career tracks among recruits and draftees. Although the concept was groundbreaking at the time, the original test has some serious flaws that even its creator acknowledged. The test is based on free word association and certain personality trait stereotypes of each type, rather than checking cognitive functions and the person’s actual thinking process like Carl Jung originally intended. All of this so far is common knowledge.
If you take the test, there is a strong possibility that one of your scores might be tied, since it relies on stereotypes about each type rather than actually checking your cognitive functions. Myers and Briggs provided a handy set of instructions in case this happens:
“Women’s Intuition” and “hysteria” were considered “female things” in the 1950s, whereas math and science and logic and empiricism were considered “things for boys” at that time. Intuitive feelers Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers played right into that stereotype and helped perpetuate it.
Thank you, Briggs and Myers. I guess not everyone can be blessed to be a stereotype in life, can they?
Actually, several of the “thinker” personality types are among the very most common among females (ESTJ and ISTJ) and some very stereotypical feminine behaviors and careers are actually most often exhibited from logical women. Many male archetypes are feelers. In spite of some very crass stereotypes, those who have the opposite functions can be archetypes as well. Without further ado, I present…
Eight Archetypal Logical Girlie-Girls and their Careers:
INTJ: Makeup Maven and Office Coordinator:
There are a shocking amount of posts dedicated to manicures and breast-feeding advocacy within INTJ female groups online. INTJ girls love their makeup. The few I have met in real life were very into their appearance and often belonged to sororities in college. Not only are they the most rare female MBTI type, but they are probably the “girliest” as well.
Most female INTJs that I have spoken to or met work as office managers or coordinators because of their excellent organizational abilities and many have bragged that they beat out ISFJs (the stereotype for a secretary) when they got their jobs.
INTP: Candy Crush Invites and Stay at Home Mom:
We all know this woman on Facebook, the bored Stay at Home Mom who sends out hundreds of Candy Crush invites. She is an INTP. Want to make them stop? Discuss science or autism with her and she will light up and take a break from her obsessive video gaming. Trust me, it works.
ENTJ: Plastic Surgery Addict and the Hairstylist:
Plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry are always guaranteed to spark up a lively debate in ENTJ Females groups online. Many claim to have done it to advance their careers, and they need to STFU and stop trying to justify it. ENTJs have Tertiary Se and therefore have a vain streak. Cosmetic surgery is expensive. ENTJs usually make a lot of money or can still manage to save it up fast. If you know someone who has had it, she’s probably ENTJ.
Every time I’ve seen that debate come up, the “experts” start chiming in. By experts, I’m talking about hairstylists and aestheticians. Considering how rare this personality type actually is, you would be amazed how many hairstylists are ENTJ females.
As for me, I’m not a hairstylist (although I considered it when I was younger), but I do have another very stereotypical “feminine business” – I own a travel agency. This is another field infested with ENTJ females. Another one of my ENTJ female friends is an Avon Lady. Throw away your stereotypes about the bitchy boss. This is where we are hiding.
ENTP: Tiger Mother and Schoolteacher:
ENTP mothers love their children and want them to learn as much as possible. They will spend every penny they have on educational toys and media to give their children every possible edge. They take a great pride in having intelligent, curious children. They are the active mothers in the PTA (thanks for baking all those cookies, Mom!) or PFLAG (an ENTP friend of mine from high school actually runs her local group). ENTPs take incredible pride in raising their children well.
Did you have a teacher who really inspired you to learn? She is probably an ENTP. ENTPs have a love of learning and an insatiable desire to inspire this in others. Many ENTP girls dream of becoming teachers or professors when they grow up. Many of them end up achieving this dream.
ISTP: Your Yoga Instructor and the Pharmacist:
Society, civilization, and life as we know it would collapse without Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Yoga Instructors. Quiet, Zen, and in perfect harmony with their bodies, an ISTP Yogini is practically a redundant concept.
A majority of pharmacists are female ISTPs. This focused, logic-oriented career attracts ISTPs, and is considered a traditionally feminine field.
ESTP: Shopaholic Diva and Your Friendly Realtor:
THAT girl is an ESTP. You know her. The one with the really expensive clothes who constantly chatters about going shopping. The Diva. Glorious excess and extravagance are synonymous with the ESTP. Considering how much this feminine archetype appears in culture, you might be surprised that female ESTPs are actually one of the most rare types.
This leads to the next ESTP Diva problem that must be solved…
A fast way for a persuasive ESTP to make a fortune to support her shopping habit is by selling things. What kind of a thing has a bigger commission than a house? Problem solved.
ISTJ: Food Babe and Insurance Clerk:
We all know that mother who won’t feed her children any sugar and constantly lives on organic kale veggie shakes, or the neighbor who makes homemade organic dog treats for her pets. ISTJs get serious about their food, and the Food Babe is a female stereotype.
ESTJ: Soccer Mom and Nurse:
ESTJ mothers run a tight ship and sports are important in an ESTJ household. If you know a “Soccer Mom” (or Cheer Mom or pretty much any sport + Mom), she is probably an ESTJ. Strict discipline and scheduling combined with a team spirit are hallmarks of the ESTJ.
If you say the word “nurse”, people automatically think “ISFJ”. That is simply not true. Many types work in that profession, especially bossy ESTJs who want to enter a lucrative career that promises big rewards for hard work. ESTJs aren’t happy following – they are willing to put in the time and experience necessary to rise to the top of their career. I had an aunt who was extremely proud of her 47 year career as a Registered Nurse. She was the family athlete and had a sense of humor like Judge Judy’s, so I’m pretty willing to bet that she was an ESTJ.
Eight Archetypal Manly Man Feelers and their Careers:
Highly emotional men also constitute many of society’s stereotypical “manly men”.
INFJ: Social Agitator and Rocket Scientist:
Although the INFJ is not thought of at all as a masculine personality type, no one but an INFJ would fill certain male stereotypical roles in society. Advocates of major social change, whether good or evil, are almost always INFJ males.
INFJ males are not only demagogues and dictators, though. Their tertiary Ti and insatiable thirst for knowledge can make them excellent scientists.
ENFJ: Natural Leader and Guru:
ENFJs have natural charisma and tend to have many friends and a great ability to influence people in the public sphere. No one gives a speech like an ENFJ.
A darker ENFJ male archetype is the Guru or Cult Leader. Russian mystic Rasputin combined a bizarre mix of magical spiritual beliefs, hedonism, and seduction into a cult of female followers. The outrage that resulted helped fuel the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Sex and strong spirituality make a dangerous mix.
INFP: Home Handyman and the Truck Driver:
I have a cousin who is an INFP who is married to another INFP. She constantly brags about how handy he is around the house. INFP males love to build models, tinker with their cars, and try to “supe up” things around the house.
One occupation that naturally lends itself to the solitary man who doesn’t mind occasionally tinkering with things and having plenty of time to ponder life’s darker mysteries is that of the truck driver.
ENFP: Womanizer and Entrepreneur:
I won’t mention any former United States Presidents from the 1990s. ENFP males tend to enjoy serial seduction and one night stands. I’m not saying this to be mean – I’ve gleaned it from numerous posts in ENFP groups. That Lothario you know is probably an ENFP, although most personality types are pretty keen on sex. If ENFP comedian Jerry Seinfeld is any fair representation of an ENFP, they tend to go for much younger women, too. Dirty Old Men are usually ENFPs.
Speaking of Seinfeld, we all know that guy who is constantly trying to hustle up businesses without much planning beforehand. (The successful entrepreneur is usually ENTP, that’s a different kind.) ENFPs aren’t afraid to pursue the unconventional and think outside the box.
ISFP: Mountain Man Survivalist and Elite Military Man:
Emotional, sensitive ISFPs take joy in being at one with Nature. Even though people tend to associate ISFPs with very feminine behavior, male ISFPs often take their love of the outdoors to extremes. They have excellent survival skills away from civilization and love camping and other outdoor activities.
ISFJ: Conspiracy Theorist and Industrial Magnate:
ISFJs have a blind spot when it comes to how and why things actually get done (Te – extraverted thinking). This blind spot tends to result in religious fanaticism (“the God of the gaps”) and an affinity for conspiracy theories.
In all fairness, ISFJs are nearly as good with their money as ENTJs and sometimes even better. Solid people skills and meticulous attention to detail can help an ISFJ quickly rise up the corporate ladder.
ESFP: Alpha Male and Your Boss:
This is pretty self-evident. Their confidence tends to help them rise quickly in the business world.
ESFJ: The Jock and the Beer-Swilling Bro:
Spending time with their pals and relaxing are two priorities for ESFJs. The stereotype male bonding over beer is classic ESFJ-ness.
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