I had always been interested in knowing more about my personality. I was among those who loved taking free personality tests during my vacant hours, even though I wasn’t sure if they were accurate most of the time.
Then, when I signed up for a dating app (don’t judge me!), I realized that many of the guys wrote acronyms like INTJ-A, ENTJ-T, and ESFJ-T, among others, on their profiles. I initially assumed that it was some football thing, considering some of them used football emoji too. However, I came across a profile where the guy added a link to a 16 Personalities website, where he took a personality test.
Upon clicking the link, it became apparent that the test was based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I faintly remembered my psychology professor touching the subject when I was in college, but I probably had my earphones on at the time, hardly paying attention to the class. If I had known that a free test was dedicated to it back then – and that it might be among the most accurate personality tests out there – I would have listened to the professor more.
Taking The 16 Personalities Test
Figuring out how to get started on the personality test was a piece of cake. As mentioned above, it has a free version, and I didn’t even need to register to the website. A few questions later, I got ISFJ-A – the Defender personality.
Before reading the results, I already thought that it sounded cool. I had no expectations while taking the test; I merely answered as honestly as possible. When I scrolled down and saw which famous individuals had the same personality (e.g., Queen Elizabeth II, Dutchess Kate Middleton, Beyonce, etc.), I felt more excited to see how spot-on the test was.
The Results
From what I understood, having the Defender personality meant that I was introverted (I), observant (S), feeling (F), and judging (J). The letter A, meanwhile, stood for altruism. Overall, it meant that I used my introversion to observe my surroundings and react to certain situations without hurting anyone’s feelings. I also tend to avoid as many people as possible, but I would go all out to make my loved ones happy.
I thought that was pretty accurate. Ever since I was a kid, I never liked big crowds. I loved standing a few feet from them and observing what others were doing. However, it did not entail that I was insensitive to others’ feelings or could not socialize whenever I wanted. It’s just that I cared to be around my closest friends and family members more than mingling with new people.
What Does A Defender’s Mental Health Look Like?
Less Likelihood Of Having Anger Management Problem
Defenders are known for having extremely long patience. I can attest to this as my friends often comment about how they have never seen me get mad. Though I may get upset sometimes, it is quicker for me to get over an issue than all of them combined.
In hindsight, I believe that it’s a positive point, considering it reduces my likelihood of getting diagnosed with an anger management problem. It might take a long while before a scenario makes me see red. But even then, I might probably catch myself and try to think that things are happening for a reason (which I always do).
Positive Thinker
Having the Defender personality does not mean that life cannot be filled with unfortunate situations. In truth, I already experienced flunking a class, getting cheated on by the love of my life, being backstabbed by one of my so-called friends, etc. Despite all that, I managed to get back on my feet and move on.
How did I do that, you might ask? Well, there is nothing that optimism (another known trait of Defenders) couldn’t do. Though I might cry about a scenario for a day or two, I always wiped my tears away and smiled and thought, “Hmm, what better things are in store for me?”
Has Perfectionist Tendencies
Furthermore, ISFJs have perfectionist tendencies. I couldn’t tell if it’s a pro or a con, considering my perfectionism has often served me well. All my projects were done flawlessly, to the extent that the professors wondered if I got a professional to make them for me.
Still, I could understand if some people saw my perfectionism as a flaw. After all, whenever we had group projects, I always asked my teammates to redo their work if it didn’t look perfect in my eyes.
Final Thoughts
The 16 Personalities test undoubtedly enlightened me about what to call my personality. I had always been aware of my traits, but it was delightful to realize that I fit a category. That’s something that I never thought would happen since I was introverted yet sociable, practical yet optimistic, and patient yet firm.
Try taking the MBTI personality test now too!