The Difference Between Introverts and Extroverts

Extroverts and introverts perform vital roles in business. Salespeople and CEOs are more likely to be extroverts. Introverts are more likely to specialise. For example, they’ll be the CFO or CTO.

However, most of us are somewhere in the middle, i.e., neither just an extrovert nor an introvert.

Over the years, we have been fascinated with all content on the topic of personality types, and so in this post, we turn to Carl Jung and Myers Briggs for inspiration.

Carl Jung, a philosopher of great fame, leads the Myers-Briggs personality type and tests that we all love to take and use.

Carl Jung

Carl Jung focussed on eight personality types. Whereas today, there’s an assumption that most of us fall into one of 16 personality types; this is due to the popularity of Myers Briggs.

Carl Jung believed four areas would determine whether you’re an introvert or extrovert.

• Intuitive
• Sensation
• Feeling
• Thinking

Myers Briggs

Myers Briggs was two people, not one person. Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs-Myers. Katherine Briggs used Carl Jung’s theory to create her own. Neither were professionally trained in the discipline, unlike Carl Jung, who studied medicine and psychiatry.

However, the pair pursued the interest in personality types and eventually, the MBTI is how many businesses globally make decisions. There was a time when you couldn’t get hired without first doing the MBTI personality test.

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator had the final word on what personality type you were.

Do you know your Myers-Briggs personality type?

Acronyms denote if you’re on the introvert or extrovert spectrum. For example from this link there are eight extrovert and introvert types, including:

Introverts

ISTJ – The Inspector
ISTP – The Crafter
ISFJ – The Artist
INFJ – The Advocate
INFP – The Mediator
INTJ – The Architect
INTP – The Thinker

Extroverts

ESTP – The Persuader
ESTJ – The Director
ESFP – The Performer
ESFJ – The Caregiver
ENFP – The Champion
ENFJ – The Giver
ENTP – The Debater
ENTJ – The Commander

Personality type-casting is a lot like following your star sign in Western astrology. Once you know you’re a Leo or Aries, it’s hard not to play the part.

For more information on introverts, see these blog posts: Introverts guide to networking and success tips for introverts.