What You Do at a Holiday Gathering, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type
ENFP
Tries to convince everyone that old-fashioned door-to-door Christmas caroling would be way more fun than playing Scrabble and eating sugar cookies indoors. In the end, they convince the INFP, ESFP, ISFP, and ENFJ to come along. Everyone else just shakes their heads and argues about whether “qaf” or “qat” should be allowed as a word in Scrabble.
ENTP
Winds up offending the ESFJ by bringing up the strange, pagan traditions that inspired the holiday. Did you know those round, glistening baubles on the tree were inspired by “witch balls” that were supposed to ward off evil spirits? Everyone is mortified and the ENTP is unapologetic.
INFP
Went with the ENFP to sing Christmas carols, but in the process, started daydreaming about what it would be like if people took the messages of love, peace, and kindness in the Christmas carols to heart. Got left behind at the second house without anyone realizing. Ended up saving a stray cat.
INTP
Spent the entire evening holed up in a corner talking to their laptop and mumbling something about artificial intelligence and machine learning. Everyone is too polite to ask what they’re actually doing, so they just leave them be until it’s time to go home.
ENFJ
Goes Christmas caroling with the ENFP but winds up playing life coach to the lonely elderly woman at the third house. Brings her back to the family gathering where she coaches her on finding her inner power, healing her inner child, and forgiving herself for past mistakes. Everyone else is so touched or distracted by her motivational speech that they don’t notice the ESTP has spiked the holiday punch.
ENTJ
Spends the evening trying to convince the ISFP that investing in cryptocurrency is a smart move. Everyone else steps in and reminds the ENTJ that it’s Christmas, not an investment seminar. ENTJ feels their contributions to the family are unappreciated and tells everyone “I hope you enjoy being poor!” and storms off. Everyone else rolls their eyes and exchanges knowing glances.
INFJ
As the INFJ stares into the Christmas lights, they fall into a trance-like state and have an epiphany about how life is like a string of colorful lights. The darkness of life is punctuated by moments of joy and meaning that light their way. Everyone else looks at them like they’ve been sipping spiked punch, but the INFJ just shakes their head. They know their thoughts are too profound and deep for the others to understand. Eventually they make an excuse to leave early. They go home and ponder a metaphor they’ve discovered about how gingerbread men represent social conformity and the struggle to maintain one’s individuality.
INTJ
Spends the evening wishing everyone would play Stratego instead of Scrabble. Mumbles in agreement when the ENTJ brings up cryptocurrency, and smiles to himself when the ENTJ shouts “I hope you enjoy being poor!” Nobody knows that INTJ, in fact, has a million dollars in his savings account gained through savvy investments.
Eventually checks their watch, nods knowingly, then walks down the street to rescue the INFP who is still standing, confused in front of the second house they caroled at. Returns INFP (and stray cat) to the house and goes home to create a spreadsheet full of excuses to use the next time they’re invited to a holiday gathering.
ESFP
Goes Christmas caroling with ENFP until they spot a karaoke bar. Can’t resist the temptation to belt out “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and drags the ENFP in with them. Ends up winning the karaoke competition and makes at least a dozen new friends. The group makes plans to go on a road trip to California the next day.
ESTP
Spikes the holiday punch with a little something extra and laughs as everyone else drinks it unknowingly. Quits in the middle of Scrabble to create a massive snowball armory and challenges the ISTP to a duel. Tries to get the INFP to join in by playfully throwing snowballs at them, but they just smile and mumble something about the beauty of nature.
ISFP
Goes Christmas caroling with ENFP, but ends up wandering off on their own. Creates an ice sculpture of a giant dragon that symbolizes their inner struggles. When they return to the house, everyone is too busy arguing about Scrabble word choices or discussing the merits of cryptocurrency to even notice they were gone. The next day their ice sculpture is featured in the local paper with the headline “Amazing Display of Art Found in Abandoned Lot”
ISTP
Wins the snowball fight with ESTP because they are too distracted trying to get the INFP’s attention. Restless, they go in search of something more exciting and find themselves at a holiday renaissance faire. They end up joining a troupe of sword fighters and return home late at night exhausted and happy after a night of beer, jousting, and adventure.
ESFJ
Organizes the game of Scrabble, makes sure everyone is comfortable, and packs mugs of hot cocoa for those who wander outside. When the ENTJ starts ranting about cryptocurrency, the ESFJ smoothly changes the subject to holiday traditions around the world. Everyone (except the NTs) relax and nod in agreement as they talk about French meringues, Italian panettone, and German stollen. Later that night the ESFJ tucks the INFP into bed with a cup of hot cocoa and a poem about how Christmas is all about connection and love.
ESTJ
Referees the game of Scrabble. Keeps everyone in check and makes sure the ESTP doesn’t cheat. Eventually notices that the holiday punch has been spiked and administers a stern lecture about responsible drinking, along with a breathalyzer test for everyone. When the ESTP protests, the ESTJ takes away their car keys until they calm down. Later that night, the ESTJ pulls out their laptop and starts working on ways to optimize the holiday gift budget and ensure next year’s celebration will be less costly. wh
ISFJ
Nervously hovers in the background, trying to make sure everyone is having a good time and no one is being excluded. When the ENTJ storms off, the ISFJ follows to make sure they are okay. When the ENTJ starts ranting about the importance of wise investing, the ISFJ realizes their mistake and nods while trying to think up the next word they’ll play in the game of Scrabble.
Later that night, when everyone else has gone home, the ISFJ mails out holiday cards to everyone they know with a heartfelt message of appreciation and love.
ISTJ
Actually pays attention to the game of Scrabble rather than getting distracted by talk of holiday traditions or drinking the (obviously) spiked egg nog. Wins the game by a landslide and mumbles something about how it was “just a game” while inwardly feeling like a total badass. Proceeds to reorganize the books in the bookshelf in alphabetical order, fix a Christmas light that’s gone out, and mop up a spilled cup of egg nog that no one else noticed. Later that night, the ISTJ writes in their moleskin journal the events of the day, promising themselves that they will win Scrabble by an even bigger margin next year.
What Are Your Thoughts?
Did you enjoy this article? How do you feel about holiday parties and family dinners? Let us and other readers know in the comments!
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Other Articles You Might Enjoy:
The Christmas Movie You’ll Love, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type
What Each Myers-Briggs® Personality Type is Lazy About
Why Each Myers-Briggs® Personality Type Has it the Hardest
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I love this. I love how lots of the ones are all related.
I really like this format of story telling. Thank you. And I dont think the INTP would do what they actually want to do at the Christmas party (reason why the INTP admires tge ISTP and INTJ who do and say what they really want), which is be on the computer or with a book alone. Their FE in forth slot bugs them to participate somehow. The ‘somehow’ will be akward and endearing only to a knower of MBTI, and writing that scene is where the MB creativity comes alive.
Thank you for that clarification. As an INTP I felt misrepresented here. No matter how begrudgingly, I usually end up participating in activities at parties. Either that or find an excuse to leave so that I can go home to my computer and AI.
Everytime I read about INFPs it’s always a helpless confused individual with no original thoughts. It’s boring now.
This was hilarious!
This was great, Susan.
😂😂😂😂😂
Not cryptocurrency! Love, ENTJ.
Infp here… I feel both seen and called out by this story 🤣
Loved this post (and yes I would be bringing home a stray kitten! )
I love this, it’s so fun! 🍪 ⛄ 🎄
For some reason I identified more with the ENTJ when I’m really an INFJ, because if I like the subject of inversion, or at least if I had heard it.
Really enjoyed the interwoven storytelling from the various perspectives. Being one myself, the INTJ segment was quite representative. While I would agree with the ENTJ, I would be tempted to play off their firey conviction with counterpoint edge cases to bait others into argument.
Great work!
As an INFJ, this isn’t necessarily correct. If we do Not know anyone and are not comfortable, then yes, this would apply. I mean of course I’d go into my head where it’s more fun there than being at a party where I feel alone. BUT, if I Do know people and am comfortable with them, as the introverted extrovert, I’d become the light of the party. I’d first find the snack and drinks to scope the scene and then I’d start jumping from group to group, socializing about any and all topics, making jokes, dancing, having fun and not caring what others think. I allow myself to get out of my head and enjoy the moment. It’s not common, and neither are parties, hence why I can do this adaptation, especially if I mentally prepared for it.
I’ve never actually sang Christmas carols in my life but I loved every second of this article and laughed my butt off saying “yep” and “yep” 🤣
I am INFP and my husband is INTJ and this is WILDLY accurate 🤣
This was so charming and so accurate 🙂 Thank you Susan!
As an INTP female who hosts the family Christmas party, I disagree with the INTP description. I wish INTPs weren’t constantly reduced to a caricature. Most of us are not robotic social nitwits.
Hi Sue!
I completely agree with you that most INTPs are not robotic or socially inept. This article, as a humor article, is using the stereotypes in an exaggerated way to (hopefully) offer some silliness and fun. I’m an ENTJ and I wouldn’t storm out of a party after talking about cryptocurrency either. You can find many other articles about INTPs on the site that offer a more nuanced, serious look at the type. The humor articles aren’t meant to be a serious representation of the types.
amazing please keep these coming everyone loves it (even if they don’t like their own personality description including myself)
Love it! Thank you.
Oh my. Although these weren’t necessarily accurate, they were still quite accurate and a very marvellous story. I’m an INFJ and that is exactly what I was doing at a party staring and pondering over a painting while everyone else asked me if I was depressed.