Myers-Briggs / MLPTI personality-type conversion chart
While psychology wonks have been going on for years about the statistical rigor and calibration of the Big Five, most people have just carried on using the Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI), which may not be statistical or scientific but is able to categorize people without insulting them.
A serious critique of the MBTI is the Myers-Briggs entropy distribution paradox (or, “Why are there 16 personality types when everyone I know is an INTJ?”) A new personality test which has been gaining ground recently, the MLPTI, does not break up the INTJ into multiple categories; but does reduce the number of bothersome non-INTJ personality types and thus ameliorates the entropy paradox. For those not yet familiar with it, here is a rough translation between MLPTI and MBTI types.
| MLP type |
Traits | M-B types |
| TS | conscientious, introverted, self-conscious |
INTJ |
| RD | impulsive, activity-oriented, high stimulation threshold |
ESFJ, ESFP |
| PP | creative, un-self-conscious |
ENFP |
| AJ | pragmatic, disciplined, outcome-oriented |
ISTJ |
| FS | introverted, empathetic, anxious | ISFJ, INFJ |
| R | extroverted, creative, status-seeking |
ENFJ |
The loss of half of the MBTI categories is not a serious problem, as demonstrated by the fact that you can’t even name the ones that were left out without going back and looking. Seriously, when was the last time you met an ENTP?
This is about 20% cooler than Myers-Briggs.
The accuracy has been doubled!
On literally any other website, or coming from literally any other poster, I’d be absolutely certain in dismissing this as aggressive trolling. Wait… damnit… is it all just some joke about that damn annoying girls’ cartoon? Pshhht.
I don’t watch enough girl cartoons it would seem. Last one I saw was ‘carebears’. Let’s see… yup. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Whatever. Not especially funny. If he did one with Jedi, X-Men or Buffyverse characters I might be interested.
This strongly suggests that “everyone you know” is a nonrandom sample of the population.
Putting the cognitive pieces aside, in the US extroverts heavily outnumber introverts, for starters.
Or it just seems that way, because the introverts stay at home.
doesn’t seem internally consistent with
I’d be inclined to believe that
is true of everybody.
The numbers I’ve seen with reference to introvert/extrovert ratios are 1 introvert to every 3 extroverts in the US. Unfortunately I’ve seen it in several books that don’t provide a direct reference for the ratio. It seems to be treated as common knowledge in that way. Anyone know where it came from?
Ohhhhhhh.… (quietly deletes previous comment)
Maybe an ESFJ couldn’t. Any INTP with an IQ above 50 who is vaguely familiar with the system could write them down after a few seconds thought and a glance at the ones you provided. It’s a set of four flipping axis with each extreme given a letter. The names are a plain enumeration.
I saw my sister last week.
Hi, nice to meet you. I believe the answer to this is now, “today.”
And now it is a much later now and today, as I too consider myself an ENTP.
(I tested as INTP for a while, but after reading more about the functions and types themselves, instead of just the heuristics that the tests use, it seems like ENTP fits me best, though I don’t identify with all of the stereotypes.)
I thought that INTP was the type that inhabited Less Wrong. Where do they go in the new system?
They can go down as “actual humans” instead of “annoying colorful animals designed to appeal to the intellects of children”. I’d almost endorse the system with that addition. :)
INTPs seem to match “conscientious, introverted, self-conscious” and no other group of traits. This would file them under TS along with INTJs under the old system.
I still don’t know what that means, though.
I don’t know that “conscientious” is a good descriptor for INTPs; it’s not a P strength in general...
According to wikipedia there doesn’t appear to be a major “entropy” problem. None of the 16 types are below 1%.
3^4=81 “types” if you count middles. This way, I’d count as simply an N.
ok, I think I get the joke but I still can’t work out what the new type letters stand for. Anyone care to fill me in?
EDIT: Well, that wasn’t my theory at all. No wonder I had so much trouble getting the letters to match up to anything plausible!
By posting this I feel a little bit like I’m ruining the joke for everyone else, but what the hell. Don’t decipher if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing. Do decipher if you’re not on speaking terms with pop culture, unless the bare invocation of it will set your teeth on edge for weeks or something.
Vg’f na rkgraqrq Zl Yvggyr Cbal ersrerapr.
GF: Gjvyvtug Fcnexyr
EQ: Envaobj Qnfu
CC: Cvaxvr Cvr
NW: Nccyrwnpx
SF: Syhggreful
E: Enevgl
I love how rot13 makes all that sound like something you would say to summon Cthulhu.
But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence...
Shruggoth.
That explains Yvain’s comment. Also, I wish you saved it for Apr 1.
Darn, I didn’t even think of that. But I’m probably not patient enough anyway.
http://cartoonoveranalyzations.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/mbti_pony.jpg
I had felt pretty confident that you’d be wrong in your guess, since matching up the letters is easy if one has actually figured it out. But either way, may I ask what your (wrong) theory was? ROT13 it, if you want.
Zl gurbel jnf gung ZYCGV fgbbq sbe fbzrguvat yvxr Zrlref-Oevttf Yrff Cebpenfgvangvat Glcr Vaqvpngbe, onfrq ba gur snpg gung zbfg bs gur zvffvat glcrf ner gur zber pbzzba glcrf ba Yrff Jebat
I’m glad that I asked though, because the correct answer isn’t even close to anything I usually think about.
Came across this searching LW for stuff on myers brings, took me half way through the comment thread to work it out, even knowing the material being referenced.
I am not as certain as you appear to be that this is a good thing.
Because insulting people is fun?
Because some personality traits are disadvantageous to people who have them, and some people have personality traits that they would self-modify away from if they were rational actors, etc.
On a meta level, classification systems that have “not labeling anyone as better than anyone else” as a selling point sometimes sacrifice precision or accuracy to do so.
They would avoid doing that, but they’re told that not labeling anyone as better or worse is just as worthwhile as precision and accuracy.
Most people I know who took the test were either ENTP or INTP, with an occasional ENFP, so whatever this unnamed mysterious ungooglable MLPTI thing is, chuck it. Did you just make it up?
Downvoted due to lack of references.
Oh, there are references. You just didn’t get them. ;3
Don’t I know it… now.
Seconded. I’m ISTP, and don’t know any INTJs—the “everyone is an INTJ” phenomenon seems to be pretty obviously a selection effect.
Indeed. Out of 1000+ people I’ve met, I’ve never met another person that uses Ni and Te predominantly until 3 months ago.
I walked up to someone in a bar in Mountain View (who was talking to two girls) and said, your an INTJ. His data was just so obviously congruent. That is how Ni works. The next day we were friends and spent 9 hours discussing models and concepts. We got completely lost and because of our repressed Se and being in Ni Te “mode” we forgot to eat.
I keep a database of people and their cognitive functions. Self selection and self reporting biases are the biggest barriers in this game. Something I hope to solve in the next few years.
A test means nothing. It simply tells you what you tell it. The true test is in a person’s actions and they way they take information in, make decisions etc.
Oh, people who divide everyone in 2^N classes.
I remember one fellow student tried to classify me.. He said that my being in a random place between some of the categories shouldn’t be possible, but agreed that it apparently was.
Of course, creating middle ground on every question resolves every problem you can have with classifications except applications of classification.
Not everyone is black, white, or gray; some of us come in blue and orange.
The MLPTI is designed to accommodate rainbow-colored individuals.
Clearly the exponent just needs to be higher.
I approve of this system.
Under MBTI I’m an INTJ, but I think that INTPs better fit under TS than under any other category; they’re simply farther from a typical TS.
Also, I propose also putting ESTP under RD. I think the ESP is more important/has more weight than the ESF.
With that name, how could you not? :-)
This thing says I am one.
I still can’t get over how much MBTI seems to work on the foyer effect.
What does MLPTI stand for? It’s hard to look up without knowing that much.
The MLP Type Indicator.
Well, that’s half the battle.
Wrong cartoon.
I’m gonna go out on a limb that most of you wouldn’t climb the tree for. You see I have a severe problem with all of this categorization of traits to determine one’s personality type. 6, 9, 16...? It’s ridiculous. And limiting. What if I told you that there was a bonafide personality type theory that consists of just 3 personality types based on how we perceive the world? Of course they include the traits listed above, but just not as rigid. All of the old-time personality type theories need to be brought into the 21st century. If Myers and Briggs were alive today I think that they would most certainly change much of their theory.
To learn more please visit: http://wakefielddoctrine.com/about-2/
I would be more than interested in what anyone thinks or has to say.