Matty Manotti: Spiritual Value of Personality Type Assessments

Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality tool familiar to most everyone. The words introvert and extrovert have come into common use, and though they did not originate with Carl Jung (the man whose works inspired Myers and Briggs), he would come to use them as a basis for his personality profiling. Having begun with studying persons in terms of introversion and extraversion, Jung realized that there were too many differences within each of the two types for only those two differences to explain human behavior. He then theorized the existence of the cognitive functions- Thinking, Feeling, Intuition, and Sensing. Thinking is the process of understanding what an object (physical or not) mean. Feeling is the process of valuing what an object is worth. Intuition theorizing why and object is. Sensing is the recognition of what an object is.
Of course, anybody familiar with MBTI will know that introversion, extroversion, sensing, intuiting, thinking, and feeling are not the only differences in type. Perceiving and Judging are common terms by any MBTI practitioner. Perceiving and Judging focus on methods in which a person chooses to live, either with a closed and decisive lifestyle or an open and indecisive lifestyle.
The MBTI is primarily a test used to determine the function order of individuals using the letters. I stands for Introversion, E for Extroversion, S for Sensing, N for iNtuiton, F for Feeling, T for Thinking, J for Judging, and P for Perceiving. I argue that this system of personality type should be used to help Christians to understand their spirituality, not just to place people into certain jobs according to their type. Obvious upsides to the use of personality theory will be self-knowledge of spiritual strengths and weaknesses and a better understanding and respect of the worldviews of others. However, the use of MBTI threatens to box church members into certain categories or deemphasize the role and need for God in ones life.

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Permalink Reply by Nathan Winters on October 20, 2011 at 10:27am
Matty, I'm an INFJ -very slight on the NF, more extreme on the IJ.   I wonder, am I "boxing myself in" if I consider these categories too exclusively in my own life?   I'm also curious to know if you will discover a link between certain kinds of evangelicals and certain MB profiles; as well, are there links between generational values and MB profiles?   (For example, does our North American culture encourage younger generations toward the "Perceiving" as opposed to the "Judging"?   Or ethically speaking, and for another example, does current culture applaud a lack of decisiveness despite texts such as Hebrews 5:11-14?)   Anyway, great topic!
Permalink Reply by Matthew Manotti on October 25, 2011 at 8:17pm
Matty, I'm an INFJ -very slight on the NF, more extreme on the IJ.   I wonder, am I "boxing myself in" if I consider these categories too exclusively in my own life?

Part of the benefits of Personality Theory, in my opinion, is that in studying each type one gains respect for the way of life? We often consider our way of being as the best way of being, our way of perceiving as the best way of perceiving, our way of judging as the best way of judging. Study of personality types and the strengths and weaknesses of each one allows for a better understanding and respect for different preferences. Thus, in understanding the value of different ways of understanding, you will, hopefully, be more confident in your own abilities and more trusting in the abilities of others. You box yourself in only if you consider a function to be less than you, or if you consider a function to be wrong in any situation. Ideally, you will explore other options but always respect your own as the option that God has made best available to you.

Theoretically, we can develop all the functions, but this is almost unheard of. Jung considered only strong religious leaders (Christ, the Buddha, etc.)to have fully developed functions and there can certainly be made a case that Christ, at least, exhibits traits of all personality types.

I'm also curious to know if you will discover a link between certain kinds of evangelicals and certain MB profiles; as well, are there links between generational values and MB profiles?

Yes and yes. Ones personality effects allot, including ways of communicating the Bible, prayer, and worship, as well as ways of reading the Bible. Keirsey notes different values and intelligences of different types in his book Please Understand Me II, which I would highly recommend you, or anyone, read. There is also much Christian literature on how MBTI relates directly spirituality.

For example, does our North American culture encourage younger generations toward the "Perceiving" as opposed to the "Judging"?   Or ethically speaking, and for another example, does current culture applaud a lack of decisiveness despite texts such as Hebrews 5:11-14?

American Culture is generally thought of as encouraging the ESTJ type, though on a smaller scale different types are encouraged. I have noticed that CCA supports intuitive types in our humanities studies (I'm willing to bet that many of our most influential humanities teachers such as Mr. Kemper and Mr. Kearns are N types) and sensing types in our science and mathematics, though the later is still not entirely sensing. Furthermore, I have been considering the idea that CCA tends to suppress ESP types in academic areas, though I don't think this is the case across the board. Furthermore, the Christian Church in general seems to support F types of T types, though again, this is only theory and I don't have many facts to back it up.

Permalink Reply by Sarah E DelliGatti on October 25, 2011 at 9:25pm

How wonderful that Jesus exhibited each trait exactly when it was called for -- accomplished by complete obedience to His Father -- and that we can ask God to direct us in the same way since we are inhabited by His Spirit.  God is so good!

 

N and  F have always seemed monopolized by women in my experience, but it's no surprise to me that many pastors (including my Dad!) are NF and exhibit emotional expressiveness, tenderness and compassion.  :)

Permalink Reply by Matthew Manotti on October 27, 2011 at 6:13pm

To completely portray every aspect of humanity perfectly, Jesus would have had fully developed all his cognitive functions. Thus, Christ is all types.

 

Interestingly, each gospel portrays him as having traits of different archetypes. This is probably because the authors of each gospel were different types.

Matthew: SJ

John: NF

Luke: NT

Mark: SP

Permalink Reply by Anne Reeve on October 20, 2011 at 11:26am

To follow up on Nate's comment, can we box ourselves in by sticking to the familiar? That is, do we say, well, I'm an INTJ, so I wouldn't be good at doing (whatever) when often God calls us outside of our comfort zone?

I'm looking forward to your talk!

Permalink Reply by Matthew Manotti on October 25, 2011 at 8:27pm
To follow up on Nate's comment, can we box ourselves in by sticking to the familiar? That is, do we say, well, I'm an INTJ, so I wouldn't be good at doing (whatever) when often God calls us outside of our comfort zone?

Again, it is your choice to box yourself in. Hopefully, a study of personality theory will help a person to take more risks better knowing how to deal with them as well as take respect the methods that others take.

God is going to call us out of our comfort zone at some time in our lives, whether we like it or not. One result of experience is development of different cognitive functions which should evolve and develop with age, allowing a person to broaden what they are comfortable with.

I'll talk more about cognitive functions in the papers. Sorry for the jargon right now. As a brief explanation, the cognitive function is the theory developed by Carl Jung and is the corner stone of Myers-Brigg theory. The MBTI test actually just explains what order ones cognitive functions are. For example, if one is a ISTJ, one has a dominant Introverted Sensing and then auxiliary Extroverted Thinking. If one is an ISTP, one has a dominant Extroverted Sensing and then auxiliary introverted thinking. It is in the cognitive functions that the real differences of personality lie.

I'm looking forward to your talk!

I'm actually hoping to make my speech on the Enneagram, a similar personality theory but instead based on ancient Babylonian Mathematics and Islamic Mysticism which was made popular by a number of Jesuit Priests. It will be very interesting, I hope. ;)

The thesis would essentially be the same but with "Enneagram" replacing "MBTI and Carl Jung.

Permalink Reply by Grant Durrell on October 20, 2011 at 10:48pm
Very interesting topic choice. I'll be looking forward to reading your conclusions. Which position are you planning to advocate, or are you unsure still? Might you argue some combination of the two?
Permalink Reply by Matthew Manotti on October 25, 2011 at 8:29pm

I support of MBTi in churches and to explore spirituality, but with restricted use as any theory can be misused to restrict people.

Permalink Reply by Sarah E DelliGatti on October 24, 2011 at 12:32pm
Matty, this ISTJ is excited to hear what you have to share on this topic!  :) 
Permalink Reply by Robyn Burlew on October 24, 2011 at 8:20pm
Sarah, I can hardly believe you're an I!!  :-)
Permalink Reply by Sarah E DelliGatti on October 25, 2011 at 8:40am

I know, it sounds crazy, right?!  I had always considered myself an extrovert because I'm outgoing and I enjoy being with people.  It's only in recent years, however, that I've studied up on this a bit more and discovered that intro- and extroversion are based on where our focus is and where our energy comes from.  Bold text is what I strongly associate with:

_________________

Definition: Contrary to what most people think, an introvert is not simply a person who is shy. In fact, being shy has little to do with being an introvert! Shyness has an element of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety, and while an introvert may also be shy, introversion itself is not shyness. Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.

Introverts are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. They often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. This is true even if they have good social skills. After being with people for any length of time, such as at a party, they need time alone to "recharge."

When introverts want to be alone, it is not, by itself, a sign of depression. It means that they either need to regain their energy from being around people or that they simply want the time to be with their own thoughts. Being with people, even people they like and are comfortable with, can prevent them from their desire to be quietly introspective.

Being introspective, though, does not mean that an introvert never has conversations. However, those conversations are generally about ideas and concepts, not about what they consider the trivial matters of social small talk.

____________

That's me:  a friendly introvert!  :) 

Permalink Reply by Matthew Manotti on October 25, 2011 at 8:38pm

Same in my case actually! I consider myself an outgoing introvert.

According to theory, as a person develops, the introversion and extroversion should be less and less pronounced, or, rather, the person will develop and an alternative way of dealing with the world besides using their dominant extroverted or introverted function.

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