The Heroic Energy of Every Myers-Briggs® Personality Type (in Pictures!)

Do you want to figure out what unique perspectives and gifts you bring to the table based on your personality type? Today we’re going to explore the “Hero” functions of each type through visuals and statements. These visuals can help you get a clearer understanding of your own and others’ types. In the future I’ll create visuals for the other functions in each personality type’s cognitive function stack.

Not sure what your personality type is? Take our new personality questionnaire here. Or you can take the official MBTI® here.

What is the Hero Function?

The Hero is another word for the dominant function. The dominant function is the “superpower” or greatest natural strength of your personality type. This is the side of you that you live, breathe, and “swim” in without even trying to. This is the source of your greatest natural abilities – the ones that come easily to you without feeling like “work.” This part of you is also what gets you into a flow-state where you feel energized, creatively enriched, and refreshed.

ENFPs and ENTPs – Heroic Extraverted Intuition (Ne)

ENFPs and ENTPs feel the most capable when they’re generating alternatives, creating options, and seeing connections in the world outside themselves. As extroverts, they crave external stimulation so that their inner world can be filled with possibilities and conceptual ideas. The world around them is a veritable playground of potential just waiting to be explored. The hardship for ENPs is finishing projects once they start them. It can be so stimulating to create new ideas and see potential in everything, that it’s easy to branch off in many different directions and leave dozens of half-finished projects undone in the process.

INFJs and INTJs – Heroic Introverted Intuition (Ni)

For INFJs and INTJs, life is about discerning the deeper meaning behind everything. These types naturally see patterns, look for implications, and dig into insights about the underlying nature of all things. They have an urgent need to anticipate what will happen and, if their intuition is healthy, they tend to have startlingly accurate insights about the long-term effects of current situations. A lot of their intuiting exists as an internal series of thoughts and musings, and they are less likely to “brainstorm” all their ideas as ENP types would. The hardship for INJs is that they can get so stuck on mulling over concepts and what “could be” that they forget to enjoy the present.

ESFPs and ESTPs – Heroic Extraverted Sensation (Se)

For ESFPs and ESTPs, life is about existing in the now and taking advantage of opportunities and experiences as they arise. These types are highly alert to opportunities, details, and the sensory delights of the world around them. They often know how to “amp up” the present moment so that it can be experienced in a more immersive way. They enjoy touching, tasting, hearing, and delving into every sensation life can offer. Because they are so attuned to the natural world around them, they can often respond to incoming data more quickly than other types can. The struggle for ESPs is that they can get so caught up in the present that they avoid anticipating or planning for the long-term future.

ISFJs and ISTJs – Heroic Introverted Sensation (Si)

ISFJs and ISTJs look inward to thoughts and reflections that anchor them firmly in the past and present. They easily compare and contrast what’s happening now with what happened before, in order to make sure that wisdom and techniques from their past are used to enhance the current moment. They have a knack for creating stability and a sense of routine and physical comfort. They maintain positive traditions and pass down a sense of security to the people around them. The struggle for ISJs is dealing with unexpected changes and spontaneity because they naturally are more comfortable with what they know.

ESFJs and ENFJs – Heroic Extraverted Feeling (Fe)

ESFJs and ENFJs are at their best when they’re making connections with people and understanding them on an emotional level. They enjoy openly sharing their feelings and being shared with in return. Getting people on the same page, finding shared values and interests, and making a positive impact on the moods of others is important to them. When EFJs have strong values, they’re skilled at verbalizing them and helping people to understand them in a compelling way. The struggle for EFJs is knowing how to balance out their own feelings and needs with the feelings and needs of others. They often put themselves on the back burner while they put others first and this can lead to burnout and frustration in the long-run.

ISFPs and INFPs – Heroic Introverted Feeling (Fi)

INFPs and ISFPs are deeply in-tune with their own values and personal feelings. They want to live in alignment with their inner code of ethics and believe a great deal in authenticity. Unlike EFJs who are deeply in tune with the emotional dynamics of the people around them, IFPs are deeply in touch with the emotional dynamics inside themselves. Maintaining a sense of internal harmony and congruency is crucial to them. Staying in touch with who they are and not changing for other people is also vital. The struggle for IFPs is managing to match up their inner values with action. It can be difficult for them to organize their goals and hopes in a structured or efficient way.

ESTJs and ENTJs – Heroic Extraverted Thinking (Te)

ESTJs and ENTJs have a gift for organizing their environment in an efficient, structured way. They are good at weighing the pros and cons and analyzing situations objectively to see where any ineffective glitches are in the way. They’re at their best when a situation needs to be handled in a logical way. Being fair, keeping things running smoothly, and accomplishing tasks are all things they tend to excel at. The struggle for ETJs is taking personal feelings into account. They can get so wrapped up in the most efficient way to do things that they lose touch with the feelings of the people involved or their own feelings.

ISTPs and INTPs – Heroic Introverted Thinking (Ti)

ISTPs and INTPs are in their element when they can understand how things are connected, how things work, and what’s objectively true. They naturally sift through data, absorbing more and more to fine-tune their thought process and rid themselves of inaccurate thinking. This is why they can easily spot loopholes in other people’s logic or grasp the underlying connections in an argument. They naturally want to understand how things are constructed and what their core components are. The struggle for ITPs is knowing when to protect their autonomy and when to connect with others. They naturally crave independence and clear-headedness and can associate an emotional connection with vulnerability. Yet everyone needs connections with others and without connections, ITPs can feel alienated and/or misunderstood.

What Are Your Thoughts?

Did you enjoy this article? Do you have any thoughts or insights to share? 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,  The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer, and The INTJ – Understanding the Strategist. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!