Two centuries of readers have swooned over Mr. Darcy – and argued about his personality type. We’ve settled it: Pride and Prejudice’s brooding, blunt, and loyal hero is an Assertive ISTJ.
What’s Coming Up
- Key Takeaways
- What Is Mr. Darcy’s Personality Type?
- The Case for an Introverted (I) Mr. Darcy
- How Mr. Darcy Shows the Observant (S) Trait
- Mr. Darcy’s Thinking (T) Approach to Love
- Firm Opinions: Mr. Darcy’s Judging (J) Trait
- What Makes Mr. Darcy Assertive (A)
- The Verdict on Mr. Darcy’s Personality Type
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Further Reading
Key Takeaways
- Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice is an Assertive ISTJ personality type (ISTJ-A). His social reserve, respect for tradition, rational nature, firm opinions, and unshakable confidence all point to the same verdict.
- Mr. Darcy’s Introverted trait explains his reputation as a social disaster. Balls and small talk drain him, but he saves real warmth for his inner circle of Bingley and his sister Georgiana.
- Darcy’s keen awareness of tradition and social expectations reveals the Observant trait. His worry over marrying below his “station” – and his efforts to protect his loved ones’ reputations – drive much of the novel’s plot.
- Darcy’s disastrous first proposal showcases his Thinking and Judging traits. He tries to reason his way out of loving Elizabeth, then delivers his “good opinion once lost is lost for ever” verdict with total conviction.
- An Assertive Identity gives Mr. Darcy his famous self-confidence. He proposes fully expecting a yes – and only wins Elizabeth once he learns that her affection must be earned.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in 2019 as the companion piece to our reveal of Elizabeth Bennet’s personality type. The analysis below is unchanged – but years on, readers are still making the case for other types in the comments, and we love to see it.
What Is Mr. Darcy’s Personality Type?
Now that we’ve revealed Elizabeth Bennet’s personality type, you might find yourself wondering: But what is Mr. Darcy’s personality type?
Well, fair reader, we at 16Personalities have been pondering that very question. After all, it’s the interplay between Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s personalities that makes Pride and Prejudice such a delight to read.
Our determination? Mr. Darcy is an example of the ISTJ personality type (Logistician) – Introverted, Observant, Thinking, and Judging – with an Assertive Identity. In short, he’s an ISTJ-A.
Here’s how we came to that conclusion.
The Case for an Introverted (I) Mr. Darcy
Over the centuries, Mr. Darcy has earned a reputation as something of a heartthrob, but that doesn’t make him a social butterfly. He finds himself drained by the gatherings and grand balls that Elizabeth so enjoys, and conversing with strangers feels uncomfortable to him.
This doesn’t mean that Darcy is antisocial, however. In typical Introvert fashion, he simply reserves his social energy for the few people he allows into his inner circle, such as his friend Bingley and his sister Georgiana.
How Mr. Darcy Shows the Observant (S) Trait
Like many Observant personality types, Mr. Darcy is highly sensitive to tradition and social expectations. Whereas an Intuitive type might not worry about marrying below his “station,” Darcy is painfully aware that everyone in his life expects him to choose a wife whose social standing matches his.
In this vein, he also devotes himself to helping his friends and loved ones maintain their own reputations and propriety. This is why he initially advises his friend Bingley not to marry Jane, why he opposes his sister’s relationship with the fortune-hunting Mr. Wickham, and why he endeavors to restore the reputation of Elizabeth’s sister Lydia.
Mr. Darcy’s Thinking (T) Approach to Love
The first time Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, he says, “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
Hang on, you might be thinking, that sounds like a Feeling personality type!
But as Mr. Darcy reveals, he has been trying – in typical Thinking-type fashion – to reason his way out of his love for Elizabeth. In fact, he ends his proposal by explaining all of the rational reasons why he shouldn’t love her. (Needless to say, this doesn’t go over well.)
Firm Opinions: Mr. Darcy’s Judging (J) Trait
One of the pleasures of reading Pride and Prejudice is seeing how Darcy and Elizabeth move beyond their initial (not-altogether-positive) impressions of each other. Both of these characters are Judging personalities, with firmly held opinions. In fact, early in the novel, Darcy boasts to Elizabeth, “My good opinion once lost is lost for ever.”
Fortunately, like many Judging types, Darcy and Elizabeth eventually discover that some opinions are meant to evolve and grow. This progression is why their love story continues to resonate with readers – even though we no longer attend balls or drive around in carriages.
What Makes Mr. Darcy Assertive (A)
Mr. Darcy rarely doubts himself. As we’ve discussed, his first proposal to Elizabeth is kind of a disaster. He tells her, for example, that he has found it “impossible to conquer” his love for her “in spite of all his endeavours.” He also insults her family and her social standing.
Despite these (rather obvious) missteps, Darcy seems totally confident that Elizabeth will accept his proposal: “she could easily see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer. He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security.” It’s only once Darcy recognizes that he must earn Elizabeth’s affections that he is successful in doing so.
The Verdict on Mr. Darcy’s Personality Type
For these reasons, we consider Mr. Darcy to be an Assertive ISTJ. But what do you think, fair reader? Do you agree, or do you think that Mr. Darcy might be a different personality type? Let us know in the comments below!
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