7 Fictional Characters That You’ll Relate To If You’re An ESTP

8 July, 20197 July, 2019Marissa

What fictional characters do you relate to as an ESTP?

Just as we can describe real people using the Myers-Briggs® typology system, we can also type well-written fictional characters. Some of fiction’s most iconic and intriguing characters are ESTPs and today we’re going to talk about seven that I think real-life ESTPs will find relatable.

One great thing about looking at character personality types is that it helps us better understand people who have different types than we do. Fictional ESTPs can serve as examples for what real-life ESTPs might be like, and also show how much variation can exist between individuals with the same type.

Much like ISTPs, ESTP characters make fantastic action heroes. But they’re also far more than that. You’ll find ESTPs in fiction (and in real life) using their natural strengths in a variety of ways as they lead others, solve problems, and adapt to life moment by moment. The way their minds work make them compelling, dynamic characters that often capture our hearts and imaginations.

James T. Kirk

Lenore Thomson types Jim Kirk as an Intuitive type in her otherwise excellent book Personality Types, but I’m more inclined to agree with Susan Storm that he’s an ESTP. To quote her article about The Greatest Movie Heroes of Every Myers-Briggs® Personality Type, “Jim Kirk embodies the impulsive, opportunistic nature of the ESTP personality type. He lives fully in the moment and is quick to react to changes in his environment. He loves a fast-moving, daring lifestyle and loves to experience new and novel things.”

Kirk is every bit as charming as you’d expect from ETP types with tertiary Extroverted Feeling. This function also gives him an edge in understanding people (though as a tertiary function it isn’t his strongest suit) and lends an easy carelessness to the way he presents himself to the world. People may initially misinterpret him as shallow and/or “boyish,” but he continually demonstrates that he thinks deeply about things. He’s quick to come up with clever plans, to understand what’s going on in unexpected situations, and often shares deep insights about complex ethical questions he’s working to make sense of. Read more →

7 Fictional Characters That You’ll Relate To If You’re An ENFJ

17 June, 201920 June, 2019Marissa

What fictional characters do you relate to as an ENFJ?

Just as we can describe real people using the Myers-Briggs® typology system, we can also type well-written fictional characters. Some of fiction’s most iconic and intriguing characters are ENFJs and today we’re going to talk about seven that I think real-life ENFJs will find relatable.

One great thing about looking at character personality types is that it helps us better understand people who have different types than we do. Fictional ENFJs can serve as examples for what real-life ENFJs might be like, and also show how much variation can exist between individuals with the same type.

The things that makes ENFJs such great fictional characters are also the things that make them so engaging in real life. ENFJs tend to have extraordinary charisma, keen insight into other people’s needs and desires, and a genuine desire to help others. They make wonderful leaders, teachers, and counselors and in many cases those are roles we see them filling in fiction as well as real life.

Charles Xavier

Professor X is usually typed either as an INFJ or ENFJ. But for the film versions at least, I think he’s more of an ENFJ (though all NF types could probably find him relatable due to his idealism and drive to help others). Especially as a young man, Charles is very outgoing and friendly in social situations and puts the well-being of others as one of the his primary concerns. He’s also more live-in-the-moment than most INFJs, which is partly a result of having Extroverted Sensing as his tertiary instead of inferior function.

In many ways, Xavier’s superhuman abilities are an extension of the ways that an NFJ’s mind naturally works. For example, Extroverted Feeling is often linked to an ability to feel others’ emotions. Pair that with pattern-recognizing Introverted Intuition and it can almost seem like INFJs and ENFJs have the ability to read minds. Real-life ones can’t, of course, nor can they predict the future or see into someone’s past. But they do have a keen insight into understanding how people think and can put together patterns well enough to predict probable outcomes. Read more →

7 Fictional Characters That You’ll Relate To If You’re An ISFP

3 June, 20193 June, 2019Marissa

What fictional characters do you relate to as an ISFP?

Just as we can describe real people using the Myers-Briggs® typology system, we can also use the system to type well-written fictional characters. Some of fiction’s most iconic and intriguing characters are ISFPs and today we’re going to talk about seven that I think real-life ISFPs will find relatable.

One great thing about looking at character personality types is that it helps us better understand people who have different types than we do. Fictional ISFPs can serve as examples for what real-life ISFPs might be like, and also show how much variation can exist between individuals with the same type.

One of the things that makes ISFPs such great fictional characters is their strong, personal moral compass and their commitment to living life authentically. Plus, they pair that introverted side with a zest for life that carries over into the outer world as well.

Arya Stark

Arya’s fiercely individualistic nature and vivid moral worldview hint at a strong preference for Introverted Feeling (Fi). That, coupled with her sensory, in-the-moment skills that come with her co-pilot Extroverted Sensing, make her a relatable character for many ISFPs (there’s quite a bit of debate about which type she is, though, as she’s relatable for many other SPs and FPs as well). Some ISFPs (like Arya) can be pretty social and enjoy the company of others, but from what I remember of the books, and what I’ve heard about her character in the TV show, it seems like she’s leading with Fi.

Many real-life ISFPs can identify with Arya’s strong morals and ethics, which are intensely personal. It’s also pretty common for ISFPs to have a strong sense of their own identity and resist efforts to make them fit into other’s expectations, as Arya does. She also prefers to keep her feelings private and interact with the outer world through taking action or voicing an opinion rather than expressing her inner self in words. Read more →

7 Fictional Characters That You’ll Relate To If You’re An ISTP

6 May, 20195 May, 2019Marissa

What fictional characters do you relate to as an ISTP?

Just as we can describe real people using the Myers-Briggs® typology system, we can also use the system to type well-written fictional characters. Some of fiction’s most iconic and intriguing characters are ISTPs — they make particularly good action heroes — and today we’re going to talk about seven that I think real-life ISTPs will find relatable.

One great thing about looking at character personality types is that it helps us better understand people who have different types than we do. Fictional ISTPs can serve as examples for what real-life ISTPs might be like, and also show how much variation can exist between individuals with the same type.

One of the things that makes ISTPs such great fictional characters is that they pair the spatial awareness and physical skills needed to lead an action/adventure story with the clever quick-wittedness that we like to see in a hero. Tactical skills, good luck, and a dry sense of humor aren’t the only things that characterize ISTPs types, though. I love it when we see ISTP characters developed throughout several movies or in a TV series so there’s more of an opportunity to for them to grow beyond stereotypes, and that’s the case with most of the characters on this list.

Han Solo

While not every ISTP — fictional or real — is going to fall into the action hero mold, a high percentage of action heroes in fiction are ISTPs. We could probably put most of Harrison Ford’s roles on this list, but as a huge Star Wars fan I’m going to to with our favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder Han Solo. He’s also the ISTP Susan Storm chose for her post “The Greatest Movie Heroes of Every Myers-Briggs® Personality Type.” I’d like to quote part of that article:

Han Solo captures the devil-may-care, quick-thinking qualities of the ISTP. We see his Introverted Thinking (Ti) in the way keeps his rational thought processes internalized. He is constantly expanding and making improvements to the Millennium Falcon, and needs to know why he must do something before making a decision. This constant tinkering and modifying and the search to constantly know “why” are all hallmarks of Introverted Thinking types.

Han also shows an ISTPs co-pilot process (extroverted Sensing) in his ability to respond quickly to the outer world. He’s impulsive and often jumps into things without much of a plan, but he has a talent for figuring things out as he goes. Read more →