I’ve had a real Myers-Briggs assessment done in the past and I rang in back then as an ESTJ: Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging. “The Guadian” is the descriptor for this personality type.
I just did a free Myers-Briggs knock-off assessment online that rang in again as ESTJ. Here is the link for the quick, simplified test:
I wonder how the different personality types lend themselves to T1D self-care. With me being an ESTJ, it lists
one of my strengths to be: “Enjoy Creating Order – Chaos makes things unpredictable, and unpredictable things can’t be trusted when they are needed most – with this in mind, ESTJs strive to create order and security in their environments by establishing rules, structures and clear roles.”
I certainly find this to be true. And I think it helps me in my T1D strategies. But it can also drive me crazy since T1D can be so nebulous.
What other personality types do we have in here? How does it help or hinder your care?
Perhaps it is good to note that the MBTI test, though it is popular and may be fun to do, is not considered as a valid personality test among scientists.
For me it returns a different type each time I do the test.
@T1Allison, I am also an ESTJ according to Myers-Briggs as well as a self-proclaimed ‘successful’ T1D. I worked for an employer who had everyone ‘tested’. Several years later, and with a different employer, I was at a customer service seminar and they did it again, and it came back as ESTJ again. Interesting correlation.
Mine was done in college as part of flight school. It was to identify our own traits so that we’d work better in the cockpit with other pilots.
I was an ESTJ then…and I was full Extrovert. I actually got sent out of the room so that the test administrator explained extroversion to the class…then I was called back in and asked a question…and my answer made everyone laugh because I was apparently boilerplate Extroverted.
Pilots are apparently statistically ISTJ most often…all the same but introverted.
I first did a Myers-Briggs type test when I was a teenager and loved it. I still enjoy looking it up every once in a while, even though I know it’s not scientifically valid.
In the past I have usually gotten INFJ, although I’ve also gotten INFP sometimes and once (during student teaching) got INTJ. The descriptions for INFJ and INFP both fit me in many ways. I’m not sure organization and details are strengths for either type, which probably negatively affects my diabetes control. Perseverance in striving for goals is a strength, though, so that’s a plus.
INFJ - The Protector
Quietly forceful, original, and sensitive. Tend to stick to things until they are done. Extremely intuitive about people, and concerned for their feelings. Well-developed value systems which they strictly adhere to. Well-respected for their perserverence in doing the right thing. Likely to be individualistic, rather than leading or following.
INFP - The Idealist
Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people.
Ok, I’m game. I got ISFJ. I don’t have time to analyze the results too much as it relates to diabetes, so I’ll ponder that later!
I always think these tests are pretty interesting, because I find it hard not to answer quickly based on preconceived notions of myself. I know myself to be introverted and pretty Type-A and I really have to force myself to think about the answers rather than just go with how people and myself have always defined me! Not related to the question at hand, but still interesting.
I’d say it came back pretty accurate… this part is VERY me. As is the whole introverted thing. Dislikes change and takes criticism personally… bingo! I’m really not as nurturing as it suggests I’d be though … I’m a tad socially anxious and socially awkward maybe my personality lends itself to things that the anxiety gets in the way of, to an extent?
I said I wasn’t going to get into the diabetes thing yet, but I’m seeing characteristics listed like disciplined, organized, consistent, that I can see being strengths. But I’m also seeing “concrete” which totally does not describe diabetes management.
As an ENTP, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things rationally and logically.
With Extraverted Intuition dominating their personality, the ENTP’s primary interest in life is understanding the world that they live in. They are constantly absorbing ideas and images about the situations they are presented in their lives. Using their intuition to process this information, they are usually extremely quick and accurate in their ability to size up a situation. With the exception of their ENFP cousin, the ENTP has a deeper understanding of their environment than any of the other types.
But like @Boerenkool I don’t think it means anything as it’s not really a valid personality typing test. Some of the descriptors fit but they could apply to almost anyone, in the right proportions. Very much like fortunes or horoscopes, IMO.
In general I’d say my tendency to be sort of an eye-baller and a little bit more slapdash works against me when managing diabetes, but my ability to think quickly and see overall patterns probably helps.
I tested as ISTJ, typical engineer. However, my Insights personality type is “coordinating supporter” which is supposed to be more like an ISFP. Using Insights colors, I’m green first, followed by blue, then yellow, then red.
I thought the Insights evaluation was fairly accurate, except they rely (as all these tests do) on a subjective questionnaire. I tend to think I’m on the border between I&E, more extraverted than most engineers, which means I look at other people’s shoes when I talk, instead of my own!
I LOVE that you said that!!! A very, very good late friend of mine always told that joke because his dad was an “extroverted engineer” of the civil engineering variety. Love that memory!
[How can you tell an extroverted engineer from an introverted one? They look at your shoes instead of their’s when they talk to you.]
I did the test, but this is the first time I’ve seen this. For most questions, I had to ask myself what situation it was relative to. So my answers ended up being mostly related to my participation here, which would be different with work or family situation.
So I got ISTP.
Summary -Tolerant and flexible, quiet observer until a problem appears, then acts quickly to find workable solution. Analyses what makes things work, and readily gets through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principals, value efficiency.
Fiercely independent and “do their own thing”.
Like to take things apart to see how they work.
Deal with things rationally and logically.
Have compelling drive to understand how things work.
Good at logical analysis.
My question is, does having diabetes influence us being drawn to develop these traits, just to cope/survive with it.
I’ve often wondered if diabetes influences our core personality, especially for those of us diagnosed before adolescence… For me, I definitely feel like diabetes (and food allergies, and being legally blind) have all influenced my personality, in some ways positively and in some ways negatively. But then, maybe I’d still have developed the same personality even if I had no health conditions. It’s an interesting question to ponder.
That’s a good point. I was 5, and definitely know it impacted many choices I made in my life.
It may be less impact today, but I expected to be blind and or without legs by the time I was 40, if I made it to that.
Interesting thought. I was diagnosed right before I got pregnant with baby #2, and I will say that my entire life has (had to be) drastically altered in terms of my priorities and I feel like have been changes to the core of who I am…though I did get the same result (ISFJ) that I got a couple years ago. I used to test as an ISTJ prior to getting married/having children, so I’m not sure if it’s just having children or if big life events (and I would consider a diabetes diagnosis pretty big because of how much you have to alter your life) in general really do affect your personality.
All that being said, I do think my personality absolutely influences my approach to my diabetes care…and not really in a good way. I’m very type A, perfectionist, etc, but I get easily overwhelmed and discouraged when things aren’t perfect, so I tend to bounce between “perfect” control and burnout without much in the middle…and tend more towards the burnout place, because perfection is hard to keep up with this disease.
this part is VERY me. As is the whole introverted thing. Dislikes change and takes criticism personally… bingo! I’m really not as nurturing as it suggests I’d be though … I’m a tad socially anxious and socially awkward 
maybe my personality lends itself to things that the anxiety gets in the way of, to an extent?
