The Extroversion/Introversion preference is the most misunderstood of the four MBTI preference scales. We tend to use the words “introverted” and “extroverted” in everyday conversation to indicate whether a person is gregarious or shy. However, in Myers Briggs type theory, the Extroversion/Introversion describes a larger concept: how you get your energy and where you focus your attention. Whether a person is gregarious or reserved is just a small part of this scale.

Extroverts get their energy from the outside world: other people, outside stimulation and activity. If forced to be isolated or quiet, they are not as productive as they are when they can interact with others and with their environment. Extroverts are energized by talking with others, meeting new people, and engaging actively with the world around them. They are comfortable with expressing themselves verbally, and tend to be quick thinkers.

Because Extroverts are energized by stimulation, they often prefer breadth over depth; they engage with people and activities in quantity but tend not to focus on any one thing for an extended period of time. They often have many friends from different walks of life, preferring to have a variety of people to interact with rather than developing deep friendships with just a few.

Introverts are energized by their internal world of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. They find too much outside stimulation distracting, and prefer to engage with their environment by observing and reacting to it internally. Because this process is not obvious to other people, it may appear to others as if the Introvert is not interested or not taking part; however for Introverts, the process of observing and reflecting is how they participate and engage with their surroundings.

Introverts are most productive when they have a quiet environment without disturbances to their thought process, and when they can explore ideas at length and in depth. Introverts tend to engage with other people in depth as well, preferring a few close friends and deep relationships over many superficial acquaintances.

The Extroversion/Introversion preference can be difficult to observe in other people. Because gregariousness is just one aspect of this scale, it is impossible to determine someone’s E/I preference just by observing how outgoing they are. Many Introverts (especially Feelers) are quite outgoing in social situations, but find that the process of socializing drains their energy. Nobody would know they are Introverted until they come home from the party and declare their exhaustion!

However, if you remember what this scale is fundamentally describing, you can pick up some clues to others’ preferences. At a party or social gathering, Introverts typically have longer conversations with just one or two people. Extroverts are more likely to work their way around the room, chatting briefly with everyone.

At work, Introverts are more likely to declare a need for quiet space, while Extroverts are more likely to want to be in the middle of the action. Extroverts typically see meetings as productive and motivating; Introverts are more likely to feel that meetings distract from getting their work done.

You’ll get the biggest clue to this preference when someone talks about stress and their energy level. “I’ve been around people all day, I just need some time alone!” is a typical Introvert response to the stress of too much stimulation. However, if you hear someone exclaim “I’ve been cooped up all day, I just need to get out and see people!” they’re probably an Extrovert.

When searching for a career, knowing your preference for Extroversion/Introversion can help you to choose a work environment that suits your style. You’ll find Extroverts and Introverts in equal balance across all career fields, but this preference does tend to determine the work environment that you feel most comfortable in. Overall, Extroverts prefer a more active workplace, where Introverts like a quieter one. You may want to consider the physical layout of the work space and how much privacy or interaction it affords.

Your ideal workplace should also encourage the type of communication that is most effective for you. Keep in mind that Introverts tend to prefer to do communicate in writing; memos and emails feel most comfortable for them. Extroverts, on the other hand, prefer face to face interactions. Being aware of this preference can help you to investigate whether you’ll be able to effectively communicate in a particular work environment.

For more information on your own preference and appropriate careers, see the MBTI Assessment and Career Report.

If you’ve been reading about the MBTI and Myers Briggs personality type, you may have come across discussions of functions. Often notated as Te, Si, Ne, and so on, the functions describe our basic mental processes. How we organize and prioritize these mental processes affects how we make decisions, solve problems, manage conflict, and approach the world.

Each of us has four basic mental functions:

• Sensing: we take in factual information about the world around us.
• Intuition: we draw conclusions and make assumptions about the world around us.
• Thinking: we analyze the situation based on objective logic.
• Feeling: we evaluate the situation based on our values and emotions.

Although we all share these four basic functions, you may have noticed that some sound more familiar and comfortable to you. That’s because, depending on your personality type, the order in which you use the functions is different. Your favorite or dominant function is the one that drives your personality. Your dominant function depends on your personality type; you can look up the dominant function of your own type at the Personality Page. Here, we’ll use the type INTJ as an example.

INTJs have Intuition as their dominant function. This means that their preferred way of thinking is to search for meaning, connection, and possibilities. Dominant Intuitives are big-picture thinkers who care less about the facts than how they fit together; they focus on creating ideas.

Because the dominant function is your most preferred mental process, it is used in your preferred world: the external world (for Extroverts) or the internal world (for Introverts). Thus, the dominant function can be either extroverted or introverted, depending on the individual’s E/I preference. This is the reason for the notation of Te, Si, etc. The capital letter denotes the function, where the small letter indicates where the function is directed.

Because INTJs prefer Introversion, their dominant function of Intuition is applied to their internal world (this would be noted as Ni). Their search for connections, meaning, and possibilities takes place inside their own minds, in a self-directed and often solitary manner. Types with Introverted Intuition as their dominant function have a rich inner life and can spend a great deal of time in their own minds, imagining possibilities and creating ideas.

Your second-favorite function is called the auxiliary function. This function provides balance and direction for your dominant function. It is used in the opposite world from your dominant function, so if you’re an Introvert, your dominant function is directed to your inner world, while your auxiliary function is directed outward.

INTJs’ auxiliary function is Extroverted Thinking (Te). When approaching the world around them, they analyze objective data, principles of cause and effect, and logical consequences. Because this is their Extroverted function–the one they apply to the outside world–this is the function that other people see most. INTJs communicate with others in terms of logic, reason, and analysis.

The third function in your hierarchy is called the tertiary function. This function is less developed and is often unreliable–sometimes it offers useful insights and contributions, and other times it just confuses things. The tertiary function is more difficult for us to access in making decisions, and often we must put in practiced effort to use it effectively. This function is not assigned an Extroverted/Introverted designation. It may be expressed in either world.

For the INTJ, the tertiary function is Feeling. Because Feeling is not well developed for INTJs, they are often not aware of their emotions and may ignore them altogether. Situations with high emotional content provoke anxiety, and the INTJ will typically try to fall back on the preferred functions of Intuition and Thinking to deal with them rather than accessing the more difficult Feeling function. However, if INTJs make the effort to develop their Feeling function, they will find it adds depth to their experiences and balance to their decisions.

The last function in the hierarchy is the inferior function: the least developed process and the one that we have the most difficulty applying. Situations that demand we use this function are challenging and often confusing for us, like trying to speak another language or eating with chopsticks for the first time. This function, like the auxiliary function, is directed to our less-preferred world: Introverts have extroverted inferior functions, and vice versa.

For INTJs, the inferior function is Extroverted Sensing. The most difficult thing for an INTJ is to notice the details and realities of the world around him or her. Because Sensing is inferior, INTJs are not tuned into their surroundings, and may appear oblivious. They may also neglect to consider the practicalities of their ideas.

Before you despair about your inferior function, keep in mind that type theory allows for development over time. Your dominant and auxiliary functions are developed in your teens and twenties; early in life, you learn how to use the mental processes that come naturally to you. As you move through adulthood, you begin to develop your tertiary function into a more reliable and accessible process. Later in life, you will find yourself starting to access your inferior function and discovering how to use it as well.

If you find yourself taking up a hobby that presents a new way of thinking or a unique challenge, it is likely part of your type development. For instance, dominant Intuitives sometimes take up hands-on, sensory pursuits like cooking or gardening when they start to develop their Sensing side. Dominant Thinkers who are developing their Feeling function may volunteer, become more active in spiritual pursuits, or become interested in expressionist art.

Challenging yourself with an activity that forces you to think in a new and different way is a fantastic way to open your mind to new ways of thinking, and to develop yourself into a more well-rounded person. According to psychologist Carl Jung, the originator of type theory, we all have a natural drive to develop ourselves. More importantly, we each possess the innate ability to become balanced and effective people.

The Judging/Perceiving scale of the Myers Briggs describes how you prefer to organize your life. This preference has implications in how you structure your home life, as well as the sort of work environment you prefer.

Judgers appreciate structure, planning, and predictability. They are schedulers and list-makers, and like to know what’s coming. They gain tremendous satisfaction from completing projects, and focus on meeting deadlines and expectations. Judgers like a structured work environment and prefer to know the “right” way to do things. They also prefer an environment where the authority structure is well defined. They dislike surprises, last-minute changes, and uncertainty. Judgers are typically decisive, orderly, and organized.

Perceivers, on the other hand, prefer spontaneity and flexibility. They enjoy unpredictable situations and are excited by surprises. Perceivers prefer not to work according to a schedule, preferring to attack projects as the mood strikes. When working on a long-term project, they often work right up until the deadline. They may earn a reputation as procrastinators, but actually do their best work when under pressure. Perceivers typically become frustrated in very structured environments, and do well to avoid work environments with excessive bureaucracy, regulations, and standard operating procedures. They are more inspired in environments where they can go with the flow.

You can often see this preference in a person’s choice of work environment. Because Judgers prefer structure and organization, they are more likely to be found in a traditional setting: a large, established company or a government position. They will be most satisfied when their role is clearly defined. Perceivers, on the other hand, are more likely to be found in smaller or less conventional organizations where the roles are more fluid and the rules and regulations less established. When Perceivers do work in structured environments, they enjoy roles that allow them to be active and dynamic and address crisis situations.

The Judging/Perceiving preference can be observed in others by watching their behavior. Judgers usually appear more organized, make plans in advance, and like to make decisions quickly. Perceivers are more likely to do things on the spur of the moment and avoid making a decision, preferring to keep their options open. Judgers will often be found making lists and checking off items as they are completed. Perceivers are found wherever their inspiration takes them!

For more information on your type, see the Myers Briggs Type Indicator assessment.