The Four-Letter Youu

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By Jed Asaph Cortes

Have you ever wondered why we’re all different? Sometimes we like others because they’re different. Sometimes, we are annoyed because they’re different. How do we solve the people puzzle?

Everybody is unique. No fingerprint is ever alike, even identical twins have different fingerprints. So are our likes and dislikes, our attitudes and behaviors. Imagine if you have a complete clone, how would you feel?

We are all different, but sometimes we shape others to suit our taste. We want them to think the same way as we do, or have the similar likes as we have.  You get disappointed when someone likes Lady Gaga when you don’t. You feel squeamish when someone is too emotional when you are stiff. Some would cry over a movie, some wouldn’t.

It’s because of our brains. The way our brains prefer things make up our personalities. Our personalities are who we are. From our brains, it moves on to emotions, speech and actions. Our preferences determine who we are.

Did you know? Scientists found out a cool way to explain our brain preferences. They came up with a device that can scientifically explain who we are. Mental scientists, which we call psychologists, use four letters to describe our tendencies. You and I–all of us–are four-letter words.

Each letter can have two choices each: I or E, N or S, T or F, and J or P. For example, your personality can be ESFP. Your friend could be INTJ and your brother could be ENTP.  What do these letters mean?

These letters are dichotomies, simply put, two opposites. North and South are dichotomies. You could be anywhere in between these opposites. When put together, these four preferences make up your personality. Let’s break them down this way:

Introversion (I) or Extroversion (E) is where your mind gets energy. People who prefer ‘I’ get energy from the inner world of ideas. People who prefer ‘E’ get energy from people and things. Do you want to be around people all the time? You’re likely an extrovert. If you’d rather read a book than come to a party, you could be an introvert. Mind you, introverts don’t have to be loners or nerds. Are you an I or E?

iNtuition (N) or Sensing (S) is how you take in information. Do you crunch data and details? The S people want clear and concrete facts. The N people often dislike a lot of facts but love general patterns even if the facts don’t tell. Are you an N or an S?

When you make decisions, you either use Thinking (T) or Feeling (F). T people decide based on logic or objective criteria while F people use their emotional intelligence. Do you empathize with the situation? You could be F. Or do you value justice over compassion? T people are like that.

Your lifestyle, Judging (J) or Perceiving (P), is the last letter. The J people are not judgmental, silly. It means they make decisions quickly and act immediately. The P people leave matters open-ended. They usually have several options before they act.

 

For example, Richard “Dick” Gordon is likely ENTJ. We know this 2010 presidential candidate as a proactive politician (E for people, J for the action). He is witty (N) and he is willing to take drastic measures even if his policies hurt as long as he knows it’s for the good (T). So an ENTJ can be a strong field marshal.

INFJs like Mother Teresa have soft spots on the down-trodden. ESFPs love to party. INTPs are the serious thinkers. See the connection between the letters?

So who are YOUU in four letters? Have you figured it out already? They call this device the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI. When Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs discovered this, it helped women find the right job during World War II. Because of our personality, there are jobs that we are more comfortable and effective with.  Because of our personality, we are drawn to different people than others do. There are also things and ideas we don’t like. It’s still the four letters in action.

If you know your personality type, it could help you find the right job or even the right partner. No, there is no fixed method in finding Prince Charming. But does the quote “Opposites attract” sound familiar to you? The tinkering ENTP and the caring ISFJ might have a happily ever after. It’s because their different preferences and lifestyles have all the bases covered. (By the way, Kim and Gerald’s personalities in “Paano Na Kaya” were ISFJ and ENTP respectively.)

Isn’t that exciting? See, another way of understanding people. Have you ever wondered why that classmate is so quiet? His silence annoys you. He’s probably an introvert. On the other hand, he might be annoyed because you’re too loud and freaky. When there’s an explanation behind all that we do, we could be kinder and more understanding to the people around us. If we are confused with ourselves, knowing our personality type might give us answers.

Be careful. These four letters can explain many things, but don’t take it too religiously. Yes, it can help us understand ourselves and others. But it can also keep us from changing our bad attitudes. We might insist, “This is the way I am!” and so we resist our parents’ advices.

No personality is superior than the other. We can’t say an INTP is more intelligent than its opposite. Nobody should feel inferior because she dresses like the 80?s in the world of emos. Maybe she’s just unconventional when emo is the convention. We can’t say a Feeler must have higher EQ than a Thinker. All of us have brains, attitudes and emotions. It’s just the way our brains shape us.

All of us are molded differently for a reason. We are different so we will need each other. We are unique so we can complement each other. Wouldn’t it be tiring if everybody loves to party like an ESFP? Wouldn’t it be boring if we’re all drowned into our deep thoughts like the INTP? And so the story goes. The world is what it is today because of our personalities. Today is full of surprises, all because of those four letters that make you…YOUUnique.

So, what’s your personality type? (Go to http://kisa.ca/personality/ for an online personality test.)