Who are you? Personality Profiles

Profiling is serious science ... and can be highly engaging. It is also really big business. (Take a free personality test inside).

Apr 19, 2023

I recently stumbled upon an analysis of a personality profile with the curious label “Extroverted-Introvert.”

No, it’s not an oxymoron — like jumbo shrimp — or a reduplicative (i.e. Hokey-Pokey). “Extorverted-Introvert” is a descriptor of a person who possesses seemingly conflicting personality traits. In other words, an outgoing loner. (Which is an oxymoron)

It drew my attention… then my inner skeptic kicked in. I am inquisitive by nature, but I’m also prudent — I don’t suffer fools easily. I do not ascribe to dubious “sciences” such as Astrology, Feng Shui and the newer “Theory” studies that have popped up in colleges and universities over the past decade.

But “Extroverted-Introvert” piqued my curiosity because it was a convention of famed Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung (pronounced Yung).1

So I decided to test myself against Jung’s concept. Frankly, I just wanted to see if I was a mixed nut.

Definition of “Extroverted-Introvert” …

Certain people drain you, while others energize you.
You find people both intriguing and exhausting.
You love being alone but appreciate good company.
Your energy levels are closely aligned with your environment.
You’d rather say what’s on your mind than make small talk.
You enjoy socializing but always have an escape plan.
You are selective with people on your social calendar.
People often think you’re an extrovert.

Assessment: First, the criteria are loosely defined and redundant. Nos. 1 and 2 should be co-joined; they really say the same thing. Moreover, I detest the modern abuse of the word “energy.” Too vague and obnoxiously New Age. Besides, most people neither intrigue nor exhaust me.

Nos. 3, 5, 6 and 7 are accurate, especially No. 7, as I never put asshats on my social calendar. No. 4 – Irrelevant. It applies to everyone, anytime, anywhere.

I dismiss No. 8 outright. I’m always cordial and open. But no one has ever mistaken me for the life of the party.

Conclusion: So I’m 4-for-8 (.500) in Jung’s league. Great for baseball. But only half right in typecasting me.

Personality Profiling: Myers-Briggs

When did we lose the Type A vs. Type B people? Was that just a Boomer thing? Times were so simple back then.

Personality profiling refers to aggregating basic human characteristics, including temperament, interests, drives, values, instincts and emotional patterns. Various models explain profiling in different ways, but all agree that personality traits can predict behavior.

It’s easy to dismiss profiling as one-dimensional — not everyone fits in a neat little box. But it is serious science. They do it at Quantico to catch bad guys. It is a major field of study at research institutions and in academic post-graduate programs.

It’s also big business. Really big.

Today, the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) is the Bible of the trait dissection industry. The assessment test was developed by Isabel Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs based on their work on Jung's theory of archetypes.

The MBTI is used by Fortune 500 companies and public institutions as an important part of the hiring process. In Japan, it is the go-to formula for date matching.

MBTI is based on Socionics, a theory that divides people into 16 personality types called sociotypes. Each type is coded by acronyms starting with either I (Introvert) or E (Extrovert).

Sixteen types? Shoot, Eve only had three. They run from the most common sociotype — the ISFJ (13.9 percent of the population) — to the rarest — INFJ (1.5 percent).

Which Type Am I?

I’ve been described as reserved (but not shy), even-tempered and highly measured. In Aristotle’s world, I live more in logos (logic) than pathos (emotion).

With my curiosity already pinged, I took another personality test, this one provided by Truity Psychometrics, a company that uses the Myers-Briggs model.

It turns out I am an INTJ (third-rarest type).

INTJ — “The Mastermind”

INTJ stands for Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Judging. This combination is not common, but rarest among women (1%)

Description: INTJs are typically reserved and serious, and seem to spend a lot of time thinking. They are curious about the world around them and often want to know the principle behind what they see. INTJs think critically, and often have an idea about how to do something more effectively and efficiently.
Although INTJs aren’t usually warm or particularly gregarious, they are quietly confident and self-assured based on their convictions and intelligence.
INTJs have a hunger for knowledge and strive to constantly increase their competence; they often have extremely high standards for themselves. INTJs always have a sense of purpose.

A Mastermind! Sounds Machiavellian. But not really. Though the title is a bit misleading, I was surprised to find the results are highly accurate in describing me.

Other INTJs: Jane Austen, Dwight Eisenhower, Stephen Hawking, Ayn Rand, Isaac Asimov, Lewis Carroll and Sir Isaac Newton.

Interested in your personality type? Click the button below for a free test. It takes less than 10 minutes.

Take Your Personality Test!

Male Personality Types (Popular Culture)

The most interesting identity splicer — the one often used today in popular culture conversations — is the hierarchy of male personality types. These types emerged organically to identify male characteristics. They are purely subjective, using social trends and casual judgments to draw conclusions.

Greek letter tags are applied to types: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Omega, Sigma and Zeta. The same personality types apply to women, but the sexes show different traits.

I would examine both, but having been born with “XX” chromosomes, I can only speak to being a dude.

Alpha Male

Everybody knows the Alpha male — the leader of the pack, the walking/talking symbol of power and success. He’s the tall, chiseled-chin guy in a designer suit who gets away with wearing sunglasses indoors.

The Alpha has “game.” He dominates the room. Everyone follows his lead. Alphas ooze confidence, charisma and machismo. He doesn’t ask for respect; he doesn’t need to. And he often plays the role … like the male peacock strutting and opening his feathers.

The Alpha also can be an insufferable, narcissistic asshole. (see: Andrew Tate)

Sigma Male

The Alpha’s chief rival? The Sigma male. A Sigma is an introverted Alpha without a pack. They are known as “lone wolves.” They are successful, good-looking, inherently dominant and influential … but fiercely independent. They don’t conform, perform or answer to anybody.

The Sigma carries a quiet but unmistakable confidence. He also has an air of mystery about him, making him irresistible to every adult female within a 10-mile radius. Think of every Bond … from Sean Connery to Danel Craig (well, except George Lazenby)

Or better yet, Keanu Reeves .. without the John Wick body count.

Beta Male

Poor Beta male. He gets a bad rap. He’s a nice, sweet guy. Reliable and trustworthy — Beta male is loyal to a fault. But if in the same room with an Alpha or Sigma, the Beta blends into the walls.

He’s the elevator music of men. A human placebo. His lack of backbone, over-the-top agreeableness and open emotions make him appear weak.

Pity Beta. He is the guy single women date once and then quickly banish to the “friend zone.”

Delta Male

Aloof, private and often ignored, Delta males haven't been faring well in the game of life. Somewhere along the way, the Delta experienced failure, then quietly resigned to his fate and withdrew completely. They occupy the online manosphere as self-appointed “incels.”

Omega Male

Omega males are eccentric, kinda nerdy and mildly passive. Basically, every Ben Stiller movie you've seen. He has really geeky habits. He may be a video game wizard or a collector of comic books. Omega males are fixtures at ComicCon.

Gamma Male

Gamma males are adventurous and fun-loving and tend to get very restless if they're left idle for too long. Women love his free spirit. A Gamma male could mature into an Alpha, because the Alpha is a more refined version of him. But Gamma is too preoccupied with adventure-seeking to be really successful. Think sky-divers and surfers.

Zeta Male

A Zeta male has rejected the traditional expectations associated with being a man — a provider, defender, and protector. He shuns stereotypes and refuses to conform. Zeta won’t be seduced and shamed by anyone. He’s the guy who takes his ball and goes home. Basically, he’s a miserable shit.

Where do I fit here? I’d like to think Sigma, but I don’t look like Keanu Reeves or scowl like Daniel Craig.

So, is Personality Profiling Legitimate?

The short answer is yes.

While some people find personality tests to be reliably accurate, others aren’t so convinced. Although personality is difficult to measure, tested frameworks and personality assessments are viable tools for gaining a deeper perspective into a person’s behaviors.

However, the tests are not fool-proof.

Criticism

The Myers-Briggs 16 personalities test has received criticism due to its black-and-white nature (you are either an introvert or extrovert, judging or feeling, etc.). People can’t be so readily pigeonholed.

And let’s face it. People lie.

People lie in political polling and exit polls. They lie on topic-sensitive surveys (such as sex assessments). When taking a personality assessment, candidates may respond to what they think the employer wants to hear.

While personality assessments may remove certain unconscious biases within the hiring process, they also have the potential to create their own. Hiring managers and recruiters need to be careful not to dismiss candidates based on personality test results alone, or fixed on a personality type they believe is ideal for the job role.

Key takeaways

Although personality tests are not definitive, they are useful tools to improve hiring decisions and ensure the right people are hired into the right roles.

The insights can help better understand yourself and others.

And you can find out where you stand with Carl Yung.

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