Understanding Our Children’s Personalities Through the Lens of 16 Personalities

In this week's podcast, we talked about how you can understand your children by understanding their personality, and I used the Myers-Briggs personality test as a framework to categorize the spectrum of personalities that your child could display. (Listen to the Podcast HERE)

Breaking Down Myers-Briggs:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a popular personality test that categorizes individuals into 16 different personality types based on their preferences for certain traits. The test evaluates individuals on four dichotomies: Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I), Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N), Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F), and Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P).

Breaking Down the Personality Types

Extraversion vs. Introversion: This dichotomy measures an individual's preferred source of energy and focus. Extraverts are typically outgoing, energetic, and tend to focus on the outside world, while introverts are more reserved, introspective, and tend to focus inwardly. Extraverts recharge by socializing, while introverts prefer more solitary activities and recharge by spending time alone.

Sensing vs. Intuition: This dichotomy measures an individual's preferred method of processing information. Sensors gather much of their information through tangible details and from the outside world. They prefer concrete, practical information. Intuitives process information from the inside out, and tend toward more abstract, imaginative information. They tend to be able to are very imaginative and connect patterns and possibilities.

Thinking vs. Feeling: This dichotomy measures an individual's preferred method of making decisions. Thinkers tend to make decisions based on facts. They tend toward logic and reason. Feelers tend to make decisions based on values and relationships and are very empathetic.

Judging vs. Perceiving: This dichotomy measures an individual's preferred approach to time and the outside world. Judgers prefer a structured environment. They tend to be very organized and like everything in its place. Perceivers prefer a flexible, spontaneous approach to life. They are very adaptable, but sometimes less organized in the world.

By combining the results from these four types, the Myers-Briggs analysis categorizes people into one of 16 personality types, such as ISTJ (Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging), ENFJ (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging), etc. These personality types provide individuals with insight into their strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and tendencies. In our NLP Practitioner Training, we talk about the importance of understanding others' models of the world.

Understanding Our Children's Personality Tendencies

As adults it's important to understand, our personality tendencies, but, as parents, it's even more important to understand the personality tendencies of our children so that we can fully empower them as conscious parents with emotionally intelligence and flexible communication. Note, however, that it's important to remember that our children are developing ongoing and we don't want to label or put them in a box. Understanding these personality tendencies is useful in learning how to relate to our children as they grow and develop, and it serves an opportunity as well to teach them how to take care of themselves based on these tendencies, and how to relate to us parents (and their siblings, friends, and classmates) who may have opposite tendencies. Ultimately, this improves the emotional flexibility and social-emotional learning of our kids and makes them more resilient and better leaders for the future.

Want to learn more? Want to master your inner voice. Interested in learning trauma-informed coaching & communication? Learn more about our Mind ReMapping NLP Certification, Coaching, Time Line Therapy® Training. Click www.mindremappingacademy.com to start your journey.

The Mind ReMapping Academy is now taking new applicants for our 2023 4 in 1 NLP Training, & Coach Certification Program.