The Insight You Offer the World, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Type

Not sure what your personality type is? Take our new personality questionnaire!

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

The ENFP

As the ultimate brainstormer, you’re the one people seek when they feel like they’re out of options. Your ability to perceive a wide variety of possibilities in almost any situation is something your friends value you for. You can quickly revise plans and find more options as more data is given to you. You’re also the person that people seek out when they need a fresh perspective on a difficult situation. You have a unique ability to be able to see the positive in any situation. When the people around you see nothing but doom, you are able to show them the light at the end of the tunnel.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• Do you have any ideas?
• Can you help me find some solutions?
• Can you help me to see this in a new way?
• I have a crazy plan. Can I talk to you about it?
• Am I being true to myself in this situation?
• Is this person being “real?” Can I trust them?

Read This Next: What It Means to be an ENFP Personality Type

The ENTP

When chaos erupts and the walls are closing in, friends seek your advice because you can show them windows of opportunity they have been blind to. Your ability to think outside-the-box and look at things from unusual angles gives you fresh perspectives that evade many other people. You can look at a dire situation and see a multitude of ways to change that situation into a positive growing experience.

People also seek you out when they need an unbiased, analytical approach to a complex problem. You aren’t easily offended and you have a vision for truth that you’re more than willing to share. When people want “tough advice” you know how to give it in a way that is easily palatable.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• Can you help me brainstorm some solutions?
• Is there a better way of looking at this?
• I can’t figure this out. Do you have any insight?
• What’s a new way that we could do this?
• What are some options I haven’t considered?
• Can you tell me the truth about this complicated situation?

Read This Next: 10 Surprising Truths About ENTPs

The INFP

People come to you when they’re all mixed up about what they want in life. You have a way of getting to the heart of an issue and understanding the “essence” of someone. You help people to clarify what’s really important to them, what really matters, and what is vital to maintaining their integrity. You don’t force people to “put on a happy face” for you, so many times people come to you when they’re feeling down or hopeless. That said, you sometimes have to guard yourself because too many people counting on you to be an emotional dumping ground can get exhausting over time.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• I feel alone/misunderstood. Can I get your insight on this?
• Can you imagine and brainstorm with me?
• I’m so excited about this idea/relationship/plan. Can I tell you about it and get your input?
• Can I talk to you about something I’m struggling with?
• There’s something I’m embarrassed to tell anyone else, but I feel I can trust you. Can I talk to you about it?
• Can I tell you a secret?
• Did I do the right thing in this situation?
• What’s really important in life anyway?

Read This Next: 3 Weird and Wonderful Secrets of the INFP Personality Type

The INTP

People come to you when they are struggling to make a decision and there are too many options to choose from. You have a gift for making decisions based on the priority of the category and the data within the category. For example, if someone wanted to figure out which computer to buy, you’d take their highest priorities into consideration. You’d analyze all the categories (Speed, durability, battery life, tech support, etc,.) and you’d find the option that ranks the highest in each category. People also ask your advice when they want an analytical, honest answer about a complex problem. Complexity doesn’t bother you and they know that you’ll get to the heart of the issue and give honest feedback.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• What do you think is really true?
• I can’t figure this out. Can you help me?
• Am I being biased? Who do you think is right here?
• This computer is broken! Help! Do you know how to fix it?
• What’s the best device/product/solution for me?
• Can you sort out the pros and cons with me?
• Is there another way to look at this problem that I’m missing?

Read This Next: The Childhood Struggles of INTPs

The ENFJ

Friends seek you out when they have complex personal problems to deal with. You have a knack for handling a lot of personal information and finding a solution that will get everyone’s needs met. For example, if a friend is trying to choose a college, but knows their choice will bother their parents, they might seek you out for a way to “frame” the choice in a way that will make everyone happy. People also seek you out when they need insight into personal problems. Between your intuition and your insight into interpersonal dynamics you’re often able to sense negative patterns in relationships and ways to change those patterns for the better.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• I don’t know what to do about my relationship. Can you help me?
• Can you help me resolve this conflict?
• What do you think this person means?
• What’s the future of this relationship?
• What’s best for everyone in this situation?
• Is this a good plan or idea?
• I have so many feelings that I can’t work out. Can I talk to you about them?

The ENTJ

Your advice is sought when there’s a big project that needs to be done and nobody knows where to begin. You have a knack for taking big tasks and breaking them down into sequential steps. You’re keenly aware of timelines, facts, and the most logical, efficient way to do something. Big projects don’t overwhelm you as quickly as they do other types because you enjoy the process of taking them apart and coming up with an effective way to get them done quickly.

People also seek your advice when they need insight into a complex problem, plan, or idea. You can often predict how well a plan will work out and tell people about implications they haven’t thought of. You also enjoy discussing abstract topics like religion, politics, philosophy, and the deeper meaning of things. When people feel like their questions are too complicated or conceptual for other types, they often come to you.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• How should I organize this project?
• Is this a good solution?
• Can you help me strategize the best way forward?
• I have a crazy idea. Do you think it’s feasible?
• I need your honest opinion on this plan of action.
• What are your thoughts on this theological/political movement or idea?

The INFJ

People come to you when they need insight into the unknown. You have a unique grasp of how individual ideas and events fit into the grand scheme of life. You spend a lot of time processing and connecting patterns to discern where things will lead in the future. Because of this, people seek you out when they are going through an existential crisis, when they have a plan but they don’t know if it’s a smart one, or when they’re not sure of the path they should take in their personal lives. Your empathy and warmth combined with your intuition helps people to feel comfortable coming to you with their problems and struggles. Your ability to predict and anticipate future events makes them ask you about where things will lead.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• Why am I even here?
• What’s the meaning behind this situation?
• What should I do with my life?
• What’s my purpose?
• Does this relationship/career have a future?
• What do you think of this person?
• I’m struggling. Can I talk to you about it?

Discover More: Three Weird and Wonderful Secrets of the INFJ Personality Type

The INTJ

People come to you when they’re unsure of the best direction to take for their lives. Your insight into various perspectives, patterns, and themes can help them to flesh out their own ideas and verify how logical they really are. They know they can count on you for strategic wisdom and openness to original thoughts and perspectives. People might also seek your wisdom when it comes to the deeper meaning behind things – philosophies, psychology, or metaphysical concepts. You have a patience and interest in these kinds of things whereas many other types find them overwhelming or too abstract.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• What’s the best way to make this work?
• What do you think of this idea?
• Is this plan likely to succeed or fail?
• Are there any implications I’m not thinking of?
• Can you help me organize this project or task?
• I heard this interesting theory the other day. Can we discuss it?

Read This Next: 10 Things That Excite the INTJ Personality Type

The ESFP

Perceptive, compassionate, and realistic – people come to you when they need some common sense given with a good dose of empathy. They come to you when they need a change, an adventure, or a reason to step out of their comfort zone. You inspire people to stop worrying about the future, stop fretting over the past, and embrace the NOW. You advise people who are tired of playing it safe – you give them practical reasons to try something new, travel to that place, approach that person they have a crush on, or start that new business. You shake people up in the nicest way possible and show them what they can do if they take control of their lives.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• Is there an opportunity I’m missing?
• I’m having a relationship problem. What do you think of it?
• Am I playing it too safe?
• What are the facts here?
• I can’t stop over-thinking. Can you help me sort out this problem?
• Let’s do something exciting. What are your ideas?
• What do people do for fun around here?

The ESTP

Clever, quick-thinking, and spontaneous – people ask your advice when they are in the midst of a crisis and they’re out of options. People come to you when they’re overwhelmed with thoughts, fears, anxieties and need a comforting reality check. You use humor, optimism, and common sense to put people at ease and make them laugh about their existential worries. You act quickly in a crisis to find immediate solutions and resources. Your inner strength, logical outlook, and cool, easy-going demeanor make you a source of reassurance for many.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• Do you know how to fix this?
• Can you help me out? I’m having an emergency here!
• I want to have some fun. Do you have any ideas?
• Do the details on this look right (clothes/presentation/etc,.)
• Can you help me find a solution to this problem?
• What’s the best restaurant/bar/nightclub/event?

The ISFP

People come to you when they need insightfulness blended with common-sense wisdom. You are quick to pick up on emotional distress in other people and are skilled at connecting with them one-on-one. You help people to see the facts and reality of a situation when they are caught up in over-analysis and worry. People come to you because you can remind them of what’s important in life, what’s really happening, and help them sort out their true priorities. You are good at helping people define and clarify what’s really important to them so that they can rid themselves of extraneous worries and projects that don’t align with their values and mission in life.

Questions People Are Likely to Ask You:

• I’m really having a hard time. Can I talk to you about it?
• How do you think I should handle this relationship/career?
• Does this outfit look good?
• Do you think I handled this situation in the right way?
• I don’t know how to feel about this. Can you talk it over with me?

Read This Next: Here’s What It’s Like Inside the Mind of an ISFP, ISTP, ESFP or ESTP

The ISTP

People see your advice when they need something fixed or they need help in a crisis. You have a knack for keeping your cool during make-or-break situations, so you’re often looked to as a source of help during an emergency. You’re also gifted at troubleshooting and understanding the components of things and how they all fit together. This is probably why you frequently get calls from family members whose computers aren’t working or who need their vehicles looked at. People might also come to you with their secrets because they know you’re not a gossip and you’ll give them realistic, common-sense advice.

Questions People Might Ask You:

• My car/computer/furnace is having problems. Can you look at it for me?
• What’s the best product to buy for my particular problem?
• Can you help me troubleshoot this problem in my life?
• Am I being crazy by thinking this? Tell me the truth
• I’m in some trouble. Can you help me out?

The ESFJ

Practical but empathetic, people seek your advice about relationships, personal problems, and organization. You have a gift for planning and hosting social events so people tend to ask your advice about how to plan the perfect experience or where to find the best food or supplies for a special occasion. You also tend to understand interpersonal dynamics very well, so people might ask you about their relationships or how they can handle a problem or disagreement with another individual.  Your level-headed outlook and detail-oriented nature is comforting to people who need empathy, but also want to be reminded of what’s real and the facts involved in a situation.

Questions People Might Ask You:

• I’m having relationship problems. Can I talk to you about it?
• I’m hosting an event. Can you help me organize it?
• Do you think these paint colors will look good together?
• I want to get back together with my ex. Do you think this is a good idea?
• What’s the best recipe for this event?
• There’s a conflict at work. How should I handle it?

The ESTJ

People come to you when they have a project that seems daunting and they don’t know where to start. You have a gift for analyzing resources and time and creating a plan of action so projects are completed in an efficient, effective way. Your ability to break large projects down into manageable steps is helpful for people who seem overwhelmed by big tasks like this.

People also seek your wisdom when it comes to real-life issues like parenting, divorce, careers, etc,. Although you don’t sugarcoat your advice, you tend to pair it with a friendly, down-to-earth demeanor that is comforting to some types. People know they can count on you for honesty, logic, and an objective perspective on things.

Questions People Might Ask You:

• What’s the best way to accomplish this task?
• I have a big project and I don’t know where to begin. Can you help me?
• Do you think this is a good choice for my career?
• How should I handle this life issue that’s come up?
• Am I being unrealistic here?
• Are my/their facts straight?

The ISFJ

Gentle, grounded, and empathetic – people seek your wisdom when they need a calming voice in the storm of their emotional lives. You are often sought after for your calm, reassuring presence. Your insight into personal dynamics and relationships helps you to guide people through relational issues of all sorts. You help people to explain their feelings and put words to their confusion. Afterwards, you help people to sort out their feelings from what actually happened so that they can see where there might be any misunderstandings. Your gentleness in giving advice is often admired by people who are more intimidated by blunt criticism.

Questions People Might Ask You:

• I’m having a problem in my relationship. Can I talk to you about it?
• Can you help me sort out this problem at work?
• Two of my friends are fighting. I don’t know what to do. Can you help me examine this?
• I need to vent. Can you listen?
• Do you think this décor will look good in my room?
• Which of these outfits do you think is more “me?”

Read This Next: In-Depth ISFJ Personality Profile – An In-Depth Look at “The Nurturer”

The ISTJ

People seek your wisdom when it comes to the details and organization of their lives. Whether they want you to check over their homework to find any discrepancies or look over a contract to find any potential risks, your eye for detail is nearly unmatched. You can help people to find details and facts that will help them or hinder them so that they can have better lives or avoid obstacles. You’re also skilled at creating plans, organizing logistics, and configuring contingency plans so that people feel secure and competent in what they are doing. You are often sought after for your common-sense and practical wisdom.

Questions People Might Ask You:

• Can you look over this paper/project/contract?
• Can you help me assess the facts in this situation?
• I have a big project I need to do but I don’t know where to begin. Can you help me?
• What’s the history of this situation?
• What’s the smartest way to plan for my retirement/marriage/being a parent?
• Can you help me organize this project in the most efficient way?

Read This Next:  5 Strengths of the ISTJ Personality Type

What Are Your Thoughts?

Do you agree or disagree with this article? What do people usually ask YOUR advice on? Let us know in the comments!

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!