Hi Lughna, once you get on to the Enneagram it's a slippery slope, I'm telling ya!:-) I used to test as INFJ and thought that this described me until my boss made all of the executives (or whatever we are!)in my workplace do a two day Enneagram course with follow up counselling interviews. That led me on a crazy journey trying to work out what the hell my Enneagram type is! As did all of my colleagues on the course.

Eventually I bought a test and book in frustration and tested as 9 on the enneagram with some other strong areas in 3 and 4-this nearly did my head in but when I thought about it after going round in endless navel gazing circles for days (but much more interesting than processing Middle School student elective choices, marking work or redoing my Masters thesis into a journal article );-), I thought well if I'm a nine, I can't be an INFJ so retested time and again on the Myer Briggs and finally worked out I was an INFP-but one who had learned to be a bit more decisive over a long history of stupid mistakes!

Which, if these things have any validity at all,is the one I would be at heart. I really wanted to be a thinking type and liked intuition and hated the idea of being disorganised at heart and a 'feeler' (yuck term), but I probably am closest to an INFP, but one who has learned to think clearly and be decisive because life is just too difficult if I am not. But I know that fine detail is something I have to really work at and so to being more objective and less subjective overall. I can do it but not easily. Online, I am probably more gregarious than in life-my extraverted side only comes out in writing and if you know me really well.

But all types are okay in academia.

I'm INTJ too. And yes, some of the description is just so spot-on! But that gives me some confidence that maybe I have found my natural home in academia!

ENFJ - The teacher!

I was surprised to be 25% into feeling. On the other hand there were a fair few questions where I found it difficult to say "yes" or "no" when my answer was really, "well sometimes I am but sometimes not, it depends on the situation!"

My friend used to teach on an Enneagram course and she did practice some of her sessions on me. I think I felt more affinity to the number 7 personality, I didn't really identify with any of them.

I'm an INFJ, which according to the blurb makes me rare and part of fewer than 3% of the population. At last I can honestly claim that I'm special in some way! :p Seemingly I also possess 'strong personal charisma'. Well I never. Scarily though the blurb does describe me extremely accurately. Not sure what to do with this information now but as a means of procrastination this test gets full marks from me! ;-)

Ok, so i'm an INFJ type (Idealist). Which ,like Miss Piggy makes me very rare. Apparently Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King also had some research to do but managed to get distracted by this test. They also tested as INFJ types! (but so did Nicole Kidman).

It does sum me up quite well, but I might try it again in a few weeks, on a different time and see how that turns out?

Have a good evening y'all, I'm off to stand at the side in a party, I hope that others want to try and understand my interwoven personality whilst I enjoy some vivid Imaginations! Hopefully others will want to share their problems with me, but sure as hell i'm not telling them nothing about me! (from the Keirsey Temperament page)

Hi MissPiggy, Pjlu,

I am an INFJ as well. It does not come as a surprise really. Although I find it difficult to speak in public and in big circles, I not think it is something negative. The test says someting about preferences, not ability, although you are often good in the things you like doing.

I think it may be useful to know the personality traits of people with whom you are working, this may make it easier to understand the rationale regarding their behaviour and the decisions that they make.

Can one change it personality profile?

Hi Milo,

just saw your posting, so we are not that rare!

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I think all the Introverted ones are considered relatively rare, since between 60-70% (I can't remember exactly) of people are extroverted. INTJs are meant to be 1-2% of the population.

Very funny account, pjlu. I definitely think they can be addictive; self-knowledge is always useful!

I like Keirsey's method of dividing the 16 types into 4 Temperaments:

Guardian:
Supervisor (ESTJ)
Inspector (ISTJ)
Provider (ESFJ)
Protector (ISFJ)

Artisan
Promoter (ESTP)
Crafter (ISTP)
Performer (ESFP)
Composer (ISFP)

Idealist
Teacher (ENFJ)
Counselor (INFJ)
Champion (ENFP)
Healer (INFP)

Rational
Fieldmarshal (ENTJ)
Mastermind (INTJ)
Inventor (ENTP)
Architect (INTP)

I'm an INTJ :-)

INTJ and potentially on the spectrum.

I'm an INFP...and I seem to be the only one here...[gulp]...

I was also classified as INFJ when I completed the Myer-Briggs test several years ago.

Given that INFJ is reportedly the rarest personality type, we seem in plentiful supply in academia.

Perhaps INFJs are attracted to isolating research; or maybe Myers-Briggs personality types are like horoscopes -- we can always identify with loose, multivalent descriptions.

That is actually evidence in favour of MBTI. I took 3 different tests. Always INTJ output. Perfect descriptors.

I've done this in the past and got INTJ once and INFP once.

I think your question is really interesting but there are unfortunate methodological issues - the MBTI in particular has issues with validity and reliability...

The MBTI is valid. It is 100% accurate in its description of me. I am INTJ.