What Each Myers-Briggs Personality Type Has Trouble Admitting To Themselves
ENFP and ENTP – That they need stability in order to thrive.
ENFPs and ENTPs are the ultimate adventurers. Their lives are a constant quest for the new, the novel and the unconventional. But what this type loathes admitting to themselves is that they actually function best within a system of external structure. When their inferior introverted sensing is appeased by their external environment, they are free to let the creativity that stems from their extroverted intuition run wild. And letting their Ne run wild is undoubtedly what these types do best.
ESFP and ESTP – That they enjoy themselves the most when they have a long-term plan.
ESFPs and ESTPs are the masters of living in the moment and thinking on their feet. Because these types are so adept at reacting to situations as they arise, they often avoid planning too extensively for the future. But a complete lack of planning can trip these types up – they may ultimately find themselves feeling unexpectedly empty as they move from experience to experience without pause to consider the long-term implications of any of their actions. Where these types truly thrive are in situations where the long-term plan is already in place – leaving them to confidently tackle each day as it comes, without worrying about where their choices are leading them long-term.
ISTJ and ISFJ – That the best way of getting something done often involves taking risks.
ISTJs and ISFJs seek quality in all areas of their lives – and they’re consequently the most comfortable relying on tried and true methods of getting things done. What this type struggles to come to terms with is the idea that the best way of doing something is sometimes not tried or true. And that some things in life – like love or new business endeavors – involves taking on a significant amount of risk, in order to yield the best possible result.
ESFJ and ENFJ – That the best course of action isn’t always the one that makes people the happiest.
ESFJs and ENFJs see the logic behind maintaining harmony – when the group is happy, everyone works well together and efficiency is maximized. But this type struggles to admit that sometimes the best course of action involves hurting a few feelings or stepping on a few toes. While these big-hearted types want to find a one-size-fits-all solution to most problems, they have trouble admitting to themselves that sometimes the logic and the emotion of a situation simply cannot coexist – and that the odd unfair solution occasionally has to be put into action.
ESTJ and ENTJ – That much of what they do is driven by emotion.
ENTJs and ESTJs pride themselves on being ruthlessly efficient. They take whichever action yields the best results at any given point in time – but what they loathe admitting to themselves is that much of their ‘logic’ is actually driven by emotion. This type is more in touch with their inferior introverted feeling function than they give themselves credit for. Many of their seemingly logical actions stem from their desire to protect and provide for their loved ones. They may not be showy or gushy individuals, but ExTJ types are significantly more emotionally-driven than they tend to admit – even to themselves.
INTP and ISTP – That it’s impossible to factor emotion out of logical systems.
INTPs and ISTPs are the master logicians of the world – they crave discovering the systematic order behind absolutely everything. But what these down-to-earth types loathe admitting is that not all systems are inherently logical. When it comes to world that is governed and populated by intrinsically irrational people, they must make room for biases and inconsistencies within their systems. As much as these types would love to find a straight-forward method for categorizing everything, they must eventually admit that not everything in the world follows a logical order – particularly because illogical people make that world up.
INFJ and INTJ – That they are ultimately at the mercy of their external environments.
INFJs and INTJs believe that their thoughts rule their environments – to the point where they often loathe admitting that they cannot completely transcend reality. These cerebral types have trouble acknowledging that their external environment actually governs most of their actions, reactions and even their mindset – not matter how hard they work to control their own mental state. These types are highly reluctant to account for the fact that factors outside of their control can ultimately affect and impact their internal world.
INFP and ISFP – That the world owes them nothing for being unique.
INFPs and ISFPs are fiercely individualistic. These types believe that their creativity and their insight are their greatest strengths – and that their place in the world is justified by this creativity alone. What these types have trouble admitting to themselves is that creativity and individuality means nothing if it is not backed up by hard work and hustle. They must ultimately accept that the brilliance of their introverted feeling is best paired with their inferior extroverted thinking – and that achieving their dreams often means putting in hard work. 