The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widelyused personality inventory, or test, employed in vocational, educational, and psychotherapy settings to evaluate personality type in adolescents and adults age 14 and older.

The Myers-Briggs inventory is based on Carl Jung's theory of types, outlined in his 1921 work Psychological Types. Jung's theory holds that human beings are either introverts or extraverts, and their behavior follows from these inborn psychological types. He also believed that people take in and process information different ways, based on their personality traits.

Review:

an article in the Harvard Business Review noted that people who fit into the category ISTP tend to be "cool onlookers—quiet, reserved, and analytical; usually interested in impersonal principles, how and why mechanical things work; flashes of original humor," while people of type ENFJ are "sociable, popular; sensitive to praise and criticism; responsive and responsible; generally feel real concern for what others think or want."

MBTI is a popular evaluative tool. Many colleges and universities use it in career counseling to help guide students into appropriate fields for their personality types. In the business world, companies use it to make hiring decisions, identify leadership potential among employees, design training for specific employee needs, facilitate team building, and help resolve conflicts between employees. By giving people an increased understanding of their behavior and preferences, MBTI is said to help them increase their productivity, build relationships, and make life choices.

Proponents of MBTI see the testing system as a valuable aid to personal development and growth. But critics of MBTI argue that its personality profiles are so broad and ambiguous that they can be interpreted to fit almost anyone. Some also worry that, once a university career counselor or employer knows a person's "type," that person might tend to be pigeonholed or pushed in a certain direction regardless of his or her desires. Finally, some psychologists have criticized the MBTI system on the grounds of "confirmation bias," meaning that the results are self-fulfilling because people tend to behave in ways that are predicted for them. In other words, a person who learns that he or she is "outgoing" according to MBTI will be more likely to behave that way.

My Result:

I'm also an INFP -- at least today -- usually I turn out to be an ENFP -- guess I had enough of other people today and need some quiet time.

Jung is really fascinating -- his writings about dreams and personal symbolism and metaphor are really useful for self reflection.