What Personality Type was Jesus?
Let's Take a Look
4-6-22
I was watching Frank James on youtube, who does comedy sketches about introverts, extroverts, and the 16 Myers-Briggs Personalities, and he recently did one entitled "If Bible Characters were Introverts." Being an introvert myself, I thought it was pretty funny:
But it got me thinking when Jesus was here on earth, was he an introvert or extrovert and what Meyers-Briggs 16 personality would he fall into?
Most people would probably say Jesus was an extrovert (E) because he loves everybody and was always talking and preaching in crowds. Also, he traveled around with his 12 apostles all the time, so he had tons of friends as only extroverts have.
However, I think Jesus was more introverted (I). If you read the Gospels, the apostles are always complaining about how Jesus is always going off by himself to pray:
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Matthew 14:23
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Mark 1:35-37
The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. Luke 5:15-16
Jesus would also get agitated in crowds and would find ways to get away from them.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. Mark 3:9
When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. Matthew 8:18
Jesus then asked, “Who touched me?” While all were denying it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are pushing and pressing in upon you.” Luke 8:45
Finally, nobody really knew about Jesus for 30 years of his life, even in his home town. Jesus apparently kept to himself before it was time for his ministry to begin. Would an extrovert do that? So cross off all the EXXXs.
So if Jesus was an introvert, what specific Myers-Briggs 16 personality introvert type would he most closely resemble? According to Myers-Briggs, after determining whether extroverted or introverted, the personality types are further broken down into sensing (S) and intuition (N) types. Finally, they are broken down further into thinking (T)/feeling (F) and judging (J)/perceiving (P) types.
For introverted types the eight types are coded by Myers-Briggs as:
1. ISTJ (Logistician/Inspector)
Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized - their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.
2. ISFJ (Defender/Protector)
Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.
3. INFJ (Advocate)
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.
4. INTJ (Architect/Mastermind)
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance - for themselves and others.
5. ISTP (Virtuoso/Crafter)
Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.
6. ISFP (Adventurer/Artist)
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.
7. INFP (Mediator)
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.
8. INTP (Logician/Thinker)
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.
Well, they all look like they could apply to Jesus in one sort of way or another, but which one is the closest?
First, I'd say Jesus was more of an intuitive (N) than a sensing person (S) since he preferred to interpret and add meaning to the basic information he took in. So cross off the ISXXs.
Next, when making decisions, did Jesus prefer to first look at logic and consistency (T) or first look at the people and special circumstances (F)? This is a tough one, since I think he would do both depending on the circumstances. Most times he was logical and consistent in his teaching and actions, but once in a while he would go out of his way to do something based on his feelings. Sometimes people would move him with their displays of faith and he would heal them even though it wasn't his plan. So, Jesus could be an INTX or INFX. Back to this one later.
Finally, in regard to structure in dealing with the outside world, did Jesus prefer to get things decided (J) or did he prefer to stay open to new information and options (P)? No brainer here, Jesus came here to get things decided. Nothing that happened on earth here would dissuade him from his duty to die on the cross. He knew his teaching and what needed to be done. Jesus is totally a judging (J) personality. So cross off the INXP's.
In my view, this leaves INFJ and INTJ as a possiblity personality type for Jesus:
3. INFJ (Advocate)
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.
4. INTJ (Architect/Mastermind)
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance - for themselves and others.
Jesus, fits both personalities pretty good, but I think INTJ wins out here by a nose. Mainly because Jesus never let what happened on this earth change what the Truth is and what he was here sent here to do. If he was a true INFJ, he might have been moved by people and changed his plans depending on his feelings (he had a twinge of that in the garden of Gethsemane), but he didn't. The one thing Jesus was was committed and he carried it through. If he didn't, and followed his feelings, we would all be in trouble.
So, in my view Jesus was an INTJ, introverted, intuitive, thinking, judging. I'm sure I'm wrong and Myers-Briggs is just a fun little game. Try taking the test yourself and see what you come up with. Quick note, I came up as INTJ (very close to ENTJ) so I am probably biased in my assessment here as wouldn't we all like to be the same personality type as Jesus!
