Why I Don’t Like Myers-Briggs (Anymore)
Myer’s Briggs was probably one of the first personality tests I’d ever taken. Minus the times I sold my soul to Buzzfeed quizzes to tell me what fruit I am, who my celebrity crush was, what my dream vacation would be based on my personality, etc. I think we love the excitement of someone trying to figure us out. Or the sheer amazement that the internet got something right about us (scary when the Buzzfeed quizzes are true). I don’t believe in those quizzes anymore than I believe that one day drivers will use their turn signals every time.
I think what initially turned me to Myer’s-Briggs was that there are 16 personality types; I’m sure to fall somewhere on that spectrum. The test was taken in my 20s when I thought I knew myself (as much as a 20-something-year-old does), but initially, I was hooked.
My first result was ENFP (I think I was more extroverted when I was younger, but it’s been proven that I get more peace when I’m alone and don’t need a crowd to supply my energy source. So later when I took the test a second time, I was rightfully an INFP.
Those results reflected me: Introversion, Intuition, Feelings, and Perceiving.
But, after finding the Enneagram from a podcast in 2018, and after joyfully falling down the rabbit hole in exploration, I felt so much more seen by the Enneagram + it has truly changed my life in ways Myer’s-Briggs could never do.
In an article published in Psychology Today, the question was asked, “Why do experts take issue with the MBTI? One reason is that while the Myers-Briggs assigns people distinct types, scientific evidence indicates that personalities do not fit neatly into 16 boxes…the MBTI’s type-based feedback is also not especially consistent; a person who takes the test twice may well receive two different type designations…The MBTI’s type for any one individual is often not consistent over time: People may take the test on multiple occasions and receive different personality types, even if they have not changed drastically in real life. Research has found that over a period of only a few weeks, up to half of participants received two different type scores.”
At first, it seemed as if Myer’s-Briggs was big on putting people into boxes for the sake of personality. But as we all know humans and personalities are much more fluid than a simple extrovert or introvert question. It might depend on the day, the situation, what person or group of people we find ourselves in.
All to say, I think it’s a fine test, but don’t hang your hat on the results.
I chose the Enneagram because it is based on Core Motivations.
Every person has a weakness for something.
Every person fears something.
Every person longs for something.
Every person desires something.
The Enneagram is true for who you are today, not the person you have to change to “fit into a box’. If you’d like a link to take the Enneagram test, click here.
It’s not a party trick, one-size-fits-all scheme, or hoity-toity idea someone pulled out of their butt. It’s a personality tool that goes deep. And that’s why looking back over all the other personality tests I’ve taken over the years, they all fell short because they were all surface-based. The Enneagram I believe is the first to look beyond the superficial and really speaks to the heart. Myer’s-Briggs didn’t give me any tools to help improve the person I wanted to become. The Enneagram is still giving tools to me today to help in areas I didn’t even know it could.
You no longer have to stay in the box society puts you in. In truth, there never was a box to begin with. Humans need categories for everything because that’s how our brains see the world.
The starting place for the Enneagram is the Core Motivations and you can access them here.
I’m here to answer any questions you may have about the Enneagram, personality, and why it matters so much. Reach out to me anytime, I’d love to connect with you: michaelaelizabethcoach@gmail.com
