For anyone new to the topic of Myers-Briggs® personality typing, it is a way in which to understand how our minds are wired, down to the brain-level, along with understanding how others are wired. It’s a great way to bridge the gap that can exist when we encounter other people who seem very different from us. It helps us to look a little deeper than just the superficial layers of a person and see what lies in the cognitive realm of that person, how their mind is wired. It can suddenly make people seem not-so-different or a complete bafflement after all.

I think where personality typing really shines is in story telling and script writing. There’s no better way to create characters that are believable and robust than if they have a particular personality type and exhibit traits consistent with that personality. There’s nothing stranger than seeing a character, on screen or in a book, do something or say something that doesn’t fit with how it was portrayed or described formerly. This cognitive-based form of personality typing also provides opportunity for greater expansion and expression of a particular character, similar to how we each grow in life and time consistent with our personality type, which is the outward expression of our cognitive or brain-wiring development.

It is an excellent tool and resource for writers and authors, and may be underutilised or under-explored by those in such fields.

Something I have observed is the writer’s influence over the personality traits of a character, and the influence of the actor who portrays the character. Both have substantial potential for inputting their own way in which they think or engage with the world, thus greatly influencing the end outcome of the character that is displayed. Neither is wrong, however, if believability and consistency of character is a desired goal, then something as simple as creating a character with a specific ‘personality type’ can be a great way to achieve this target. It’s not fail-proof, however, as learning how to think differently and interact and engage with the world differently from oneself can be difficult, but this is where understanding the cognitive functions of each personality type can help immensely. More often than not, what tends to happen is the writer/author and/or actor exerts their own mind-wiring patterns on a character, and so the character is molded from those sources.

One such example is the mind of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the ever-popular series, Anne of Green Gables, who created the character ‘Anne Shirley’. In full disclosure I haven’t actually read the series but I know Anne is often cited as having personality traits consistent with the INFP personality. Traits of this personality are often described as being idealistic, creative, living by an internal set of values and beliefs, generally quiet and reserved on the outside, but having a rich inner world of imaginations, dreams and emotions. While Anne fits a lot of these traits, I believe that the idealism and idyllic beauty portrayed in this fictional world of ‘Green Gables’ and the characters therein, are an expression of the mind-wiring patterns of the author, who most probably was an INFP herself. Interestingly, INFP’s are often drawn to writing, and both the author of the story and the main character, Anne Shirley, find success as authors.

Another example is the indomitable Jane Austen of the 19th century, who wrote six novels, including most famously Pride and Prejudice. One of the main characters is ‘Mr Darcy’, who many believe to be a fictional example of an INTJ. Jane Austen may well have been an INTJ herself, as personal letters and writings display traits of independence, nonconformity, being inclined to deeper observations of life’s frivolities and customs, piercing wit, as well as the ability to weave together multiple strands and layers and tie them into one magnificent resolute ending.  It’s not surprising then, to see that both the author and a main character share similar traits consistent with the same personality type.

All in all, I believe that the Myers-Briggs® system of personality typing is an underutilised and under-recognised platform with which to create and express well-rounded and believable characters, using the basis of cognitive functions as the foundation for personality type. More can be read about the cognitive functions here and here.