Introverted Sensing with Extraverted Thinking

As part of my final days of college I completed a significantly reduced Myers Briggs assessment and I began to wonder what was the benefit of this test?  I felt at the time that it was useful, but why?  I think that the search to understand ourselves is perhaps the most underestimated aspect of our faith.  As we seek God, we strive to learn about Him and nurture our lives to more effectively reflect the life Jesus modelled for us.  But is there something more?  Does our strive to reflect Jesus in our lives lead us to search the very depths of our own selves in order to understand what exactly leads us to behave in a particular way?  Does a Myers Briggs test helpfully allow us to understand ourselves, or does it provide an easy category to excuse our natural response to a situation?

I came out as an ISTJ (Introverted; Sensory; Thinking; Judging)

To quote a brief summary;

‘Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability.  Practical, matter of fact, realistic and responsible.  Decide logically what should be done and work towards it steadily, regardless of distractions.  Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organised – their work, their home, their life.  Value traditions and loyalty.’

Now this I would argue is a fairly reasonable description of me.  I studied (albeit unsuccessfully) for a degree in Psychology seeking to understand the behaviour of others, that hindsight informs me was so that I might understand myself.  The question I would ask though, is whether this simply provides me with a standard set of behaviours that I now feel compelled to live by?  Sarah said to me on reflection that since I did the test and it confirmed my natural understanding that I am introverted, I have essentially become more introverted, using this default position more, possibly because the other aspects of my personality lend themselves to logic that is skewing my response.  Now I have been ‘confirmed’ introverted, other aspects of my personality indicator determine that I should respond in this way.  Perhaps the biggest lesson of Myers Briggs is that these are characteristics or indicators rather than definitions and that to treat them as prescriptive defining categories is to misuse this knowledge.  It takes more energy for me to function in an extroverted fashion, but it is not beyond me, and this is essential.  Is a Myers Briggs assessment merely another label?

I despise labels, they do my head in (but that is for another post!)

I had found sensing my youth work calling hard, amongst a group of individuals 80% of whom were extroverts.  It is easy to assume that you are unable to do something – rather than to see that your character, created by a loving God as providing you with unique tools to do your job.  God has called me to youth work, I am challenged in many ways by this, but I know that as long as I listen to God He will guide me.  As an introvert, I am naturally more able to listen to God than many of my extrovert colleagues, a trait I see as essential to my continued growth and development.

Below I attach a more detailed description of an ISTJ (Introverted Sensing with Extraverted Thinking);

At their Best

ISTJs have a strong sense of responsibility and great loyalty to the organistations, families and relationships in their lives.  They work with steady energy to fulfil commitments as stated and on time.   They go to almost any trouble to complete something as they see necessary but baulk at doing anything that doesn’t make sense to them.  ISTJs generally prefer to work alone and be accountable for the results; however they are comfortable working in teams when that is necessary to do the job correctly, where roles are clearly defined and when everyone fulfils assigned responsibilities.  Competence and responsibility are extremely important to ISTJs, who expect others to be as dutiful and trustworthy as the require themselves to be.

Characteristics of ISTJs

ISTJs have profound respect for facts.  They use their sensing primarily internally where they have a store of information upon which they draw to understand the present.  Thus, they are likely to be:

Practical, sensible and realistic.
Systematic

ISTJs use thinking in decision making, taking an objective, logical and tough minded approach.  Their focus is on the task or system as a whole, rather than on individuals.  Thus, ISTJs tend to be:

Logical and analytical
Detached and reasonable

ISTJs are clear and steadfast in their opinions because they have arrived at them by carefully and thoroughly applying logical criteria based on their experience and knowledge.  They believe standard procedures exist because such procedures work.  ISTJs will support chnage only when facts demonstrate that such change will bring better results.

How others may see them.

ISTJs are sociable when comfortable in the roles they are playing; however, they generally do not share their wealth of rich sensing observations and memories except with close friends.  Others see their standards and judgements, their desire for structure and schedules, but they may not see their individual, sometimes humourous, private reactions.  It can be hard for ISTJs to see the sense in needs that differ widely from their own; but once they are convinced that something matters to a person they care about, that need becomes fact.  They then go to great lengths to meet the need, even while continuing to think it doesn’t make sense.  Others usually see ISTJs as:

Calm, reserved and serious
Consistent and orderly
Valuing traditions

Potential areas for growth.

Sometimes personal circumstances have not supported ISTJs in the development and expression of their thinking and sensing preferences.

If they have not developed their thinking, ISTJs may not have reliable ways of dealing with the world and instead may focus solely on their memories and internal data.

If they have not developed their sensing, they may rush into premature judgements and actions without considering new information.

If ISTJs do not find a place where they can use their gifts and be appreciated for their contributions they ususally feel frustrated and may:

Become rigid about time, schedules and procedures – go ‘by the book’.
Be critical and judgemental of others
Find it difficult to delegate – to trust anyone else to do the job correctly.

It is natural of ISTJs to give less attention to their non-preferred intuitive and feeling parts.  If they neglect these too much, however, they may:

Not see the wider ramifications of current, expedient decisions
Concentrate on logic so much they don’t consider impacts on people
Fail to respond appropriately to others’ needs for connection and intimacy.

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.