Getting ready for this Myers Briggs training day sent me looking for the funny bits to do in between the real work. There are some good things out there, which you can find on many blogs and websites. These include the MBTI light bulb jokes; MBTI versions of the serenity prayer; MBTI for cats (yes, really); and MBTI and the half empty/full glass. Plus the negative type descriptions I referred to in an earlier post. One place where you can get see of these is FUN and JOKES : Myers Briggs Personality Type .
What’s it like being ISTJ? Quite quiet. And you don’t often get chance to compare notes with other ISTJs either. Left to ourselves, we don’t get out much.
The rest of this post is some stuff I wrote last year while studying for my MBTI practitioner qualification:
"ISTJs …. Have a strong sense of responsibility and great loyalty to organizations, families and relationships…. Work with steady energy to fulfil commitments as stated and on time … generally prefer to work alone and be accountable for the results … comfortable in teams when that is necessary to do the job correctly, when roles are clearly defined … Competence and responsibility are important to (them).
Profound respect for facts … have a store of information upon which they can draw to understand the present … objective, tough minded and logical … They believe standard procedures exist because such procedures work… ISTJs will support change only when facts demonstrate that such change will bring better results."
Briggs Myers, Kirby & Myers “Introduction to Type” sixth edition 2000
Phew! And that’s some of the good stuff! I do sound awfully serious. But I did read somewhere else that these types have an internal conversation going on constantly (true) which is why they often think that something has been said or clarified, it hasn’t; that was just part of the dialogue going on in their heads! And they enjoy a quirky and eccentric view of the world they observe.
So if all this is true, why have I been able to spend all these years in a people job, working with people, with individuals, with groups; public speaking; music, and all that. Because we can all use all the functions of our personality, it’s just that we prefer some to others; and we can develop all the functions, it’s just that it takes longer, and is more demanding, and draining of energy, to use the less-preferred functions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed what I have done, but as I get older, it gets harder to keep it all up; my energy levels fall more rapidly, and my confidence gets knocked more easily. My default position becomes a solitary one, or at least in a quiet, safe environment with members of a small trusted group. And, as Jung pointed out, as we get older, we want to develop the less preferred functions, perhaps in leisure or retirement activities. So I actually don’t want to just keep on doing what I know I can do quite well; instead of a well–organised working environment, I’m happy exploring tai chi and body prayer helping people work through issues in personal and spiritual development.
Now comes the real down side ….. what happens under pressure and extreme stress:
"Under great stress, ISTJs may be unable to use their customary calm, reasonable judgement and get caught up in “catastrophising” – imagining a host of negative possibilities for themselves and others."
“Introduction to Type” 2000
So the ISTJ often says “The glass is half empty now; but I wouldn’t be surprised if it evaporated completely before too long!” We can find compliments hard to hear, but will take personal criticism to heart immediately. Expressing our feelings out loud or in person is often difficult; so maybe ISTJs are over-represented amongst bloggers, because we can express ourselves safely and freely here?
Research suggests that around 13% of the UK population is ISTJ, in other words the modal type (which means there more of us than any other type). Not many of them do MBTI workshops. There were just two of us on the one I did, and I and this tall, serious German woman dressed in black looked at each other with some consternation, but when we worked together, and talked about how we liked to deal with the world, we knew we were in the right place!
ISTJs are over-represented in careers like librarianship (which was my first proper job after school), research (which I love) and accountancy (which I wouldn’t go near with a barge pole) Bean counters! The other common illustration used of this type is a filing cabinet!
We are great collectors, sorters and storers, and excellent observers of details. Reliving experiences (eg on a blog!) can sometimes be more vivid than the original, coming to a “strong sense of groundedness and a great fund of knowledge of what is, and of their personal history”. Much of this, being introverted, will not be apparent to those around them, even those close to them. So that’s us.
What’s it like being ISTJ? Quite quiet. And you don’t often get chance to compare notes with other ISTJs either. Left to ourselves, we don’t get out much.
The rest of this post is some stuff I wrote last year while studying for my MBTI practitioner qualification:
"ISTJs …. Have a strong sense of responsibility and great loyalty to organizations, families and relationships…. Work with steady energy to fulfil commitments as stated and on time … generally prefer to work alone and be accountable for the results … comfortable in teams when that is necessary to do the job correctly, when roles are clearly defined … Competence and responsibility are important to (them).
Profound respect for facts … have a store of information upon which they can draw to understand the present … objective, tough minded and logical … They believe standard procedures exist because such procedures work… ISTJs will support change only when facts demonstrate that such change will bring better results."
Briggs Myers, Kirby & Myers “Introduction to Type” sixth edition 2000
Phew! And that’s some of the good stuff! I do sound awfully serious. But I did read somewhere else that these types have an internal conversation going on constantly (true) which is why they often think that something has been said or clarified, it hasn’t; that was just part of the dialogue going on in their heads! And they enjoy a quirky and eccentric view of the world they observe.
So if all this is true, why have I been able to spend all these years in a people job, working with people, with individuals, with groups; public speaking; music, and all that. Because we can all use all the functions of our personality, it’s just that we prefer some to others; and we can develop all the functions, it’s just that it takes longer, and is more demanding, and draining of energy, to use the less-preferred functions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed what I have done, but as I get older, it gets harder to keep it all up; my energy levels fall more rapidly, and my confidence gets knocked more easily. My default position becomes a solitary one, or at least in a quiet, safe environment with members of a small trusted group. And, as Jung pointed out, as we get older, we want to develop the less preferred functions, perhaps in leisure or retirement activities. So I actually don’t want to just keep on doing what I know I can do quite well; instead of a well–organised working environment, I’m happy exploring tai chi and body prayer helping people work through issues in personal and spiritual development.
Now comes the real down side ….. what happens under pressure and extreme stress:
"Under great stress, ISTJs may be unable to use their customary calm, reasonable judgement and get caught up in “catastrophising” – imagining a host of negative possibilities for themselves and others."
“Introduction to Type” 2000
So the ISTJ often says “The glass is half empty now; but I wouldn’t be surprised if it evaporated completely before too long!” We can find compliments hard to hear, but will take personal criticism to heart immediately. Expressing our feelings out loud or in person is often difficult; so maybe ISTJs are over-represented amongst bloggers, because we can express ourselves safely and freely here?
Research suggests that around 13% of the UK population is ISTJ, in other words the modal type (which means there more of us than any other type). Not many of them do MBTI workshops. There were just two of us on the one I did, and I and this tall, serious German woman dressed in black looked at each other with some consternation, but when we worked together, and talked about how we liked to deal with the world, we knew we were in the right place!
ISTJs are over-represented in careers like librarianship (which was my first proper job after school), research (which I love) and accountancy (which I wouldn’t go near with a barge pole) Bean counters! The other common illustration used of this type is a filing cabinet!
We are great collectors, sorters and storers, and excellent observers of details. Reliving experiences (eg on a blog!) can sometimes be more vivid than the original, coming to a “strong sense of groundedness and a great fund of knowledge of what is, and of their personal history”. Much of this, being introverted, will not be apparent to those around them, even those close to them. So that’s us.
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