What Is Personality Typology and Why Does It Matter?

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Personality typology is the concept of distinguishing people by their behavioral traits and viewing them as defined types.

Personality traits reflect people’s innate tendencies and are represented as opposed pairs – for example, Introversion and Extraversion. Multiple traits are measured to determine someone’s personality type, written as an acronym of their traits, such as INFJ-A.

Our personality test is even more advanced, however, assessing where individuals are on the spectrum between opposing traits – for example, “70% Introverted and 30% Extraverted,” not just an I or an E. This is more accurate, and it also better supports individual development by revealing changes over time.

How Does Personality Typology Help People?

Many people find that understanding their personality type makes it much easier to see themselves objectively. This self-awareness helps them access their strengths and address weaknesses in ways that make their lives better.

One of the most rewarding aspects of personality typology is when people discover that they’re not alone in the way that they think and feel – or weird because of it. It can be a great relief to realize that many other people share surprisingly similar internal mechanics and that each personality type’s approach to life is valid.

Personality typology is also extremely helpful among people who don’t share similar traits. Learning how differently the personality types function lets diverse people communicate and understand each other better. This can have powerfully beneficial effects in anything from business to romantic relationships.

Where to Go from Here

  • Take our free personality test and read about your personality type – you might be surprised.
  • Dive into our framework to learn about personality theory, traits, and type groups.
  • Check out all 16 personality types. What types are your friends and family?
  • Explore our free, searchable articles. Amazing insights and advice? Yeah, we’ve got that.
  • We’re proud to offer superb free resources to help people learn about themselves and others. We also offer Premium Profiles and materials for those seeking advanced understanding of how their personality traits can help them achieve success and happiness in the most important areas of life.