The "S-J" and "N-P" type disparity

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One of my interests is MBTI and Socionics psychological personality typing, which gives letter labels to personality features like extroversion or introversion. Many people are familiar with MBTI, but not with Socionics. Briefly, Socionics takes MBTI theory one step further and presents a system for how each personality type interacts with every other type, based on each type's individual psychological preferences. The accuracy and reliance of either test is imperfect, as it is a psychological test and people are complicated, but there is data that backs MBTI testing up. A lot of individuals and companies subscribe to MBTI testing for the purposes of making career decisions and building teams. Others find it appealing on a personal level as it explains many of their unique characteristics and helps them put a definition on who they are or aren't. I argue that the personality tests add another dimension and help explain why an individual may feel out of place in society, similarly to those that feel discriminated against on the basis of gender, race or sexual preference.

To briefly explain these tests, a person is assigned letters, which represent their psychological preferences, based on answers to questions that gauge their behavior. There are four categories and each one has two options: extroversion/introversion (E or I), sensing/intuition (S or N), feeling/thinking (F or T) and judging/perceiving (J or P). So an extroverted person, that has a preference for sensing and judges based on their feelings is an ESFJ. An introvert that uses their intuition primarily, puts rational thinking ahead of their feelings and perceives their environment rather than judging it, is an INTP. The four letter combination is more than the sum of its parts as the letters, or preferences, interact with one another in a human being that uses them to various degrees to interact with the world around them and to make decisions. Socionics does a better job of explaining this interaction, especially in relationships between the different personality types.

What I want to draw attention to is the distribution of the different personalities in the general population. Specifically the four "S-J" types (ESFJ, ESTJ, ISFJ, ISTJ), or a quarter of the 16 different personalities, make up nearly half of the population. These individuals are very practical, tend to live and be interested in the immediate space around them, see things as more black and white, and make finite judgments about the world. They do well with rules, traditions and schedules. Because of their predominance, society tends to be structured in a way that accommodates their preferences and values. For example, through jobs that have a set schedule and list of routine responsibilities.

Conversely, the four "N-P" types (ENTP, ENFP, INTP, INFP), make up less than 20% of the population. These individuals are less interested in practical matters and more in possibilities. They go with the flow rather than follow schedules and are more likely to introduce new ideas or concepts. In a society that places a lot of importance on schedules (in school or at work) and practical matters, these individuals struggle to fit in. They are more at ease being inventors, dreamers, and artists.

Discrimination on the basis of gender or race is a known phenomenon and a much easier one to identify because of the focus on traits that are visible. It is an illegal practice for companies to make staffing decisions on the basis of personality type. Yet, whether on a conscious or sub-conscious level, many job descriptions leave little room for non-traditional backgrounds or personalities, doing themselves and the individuals a disservice. The "S-J" dominant society needs to stay open to "N-P" creativity and outside of the box thinking. And not just in the offices, but also in everyday life.

When looking beyond the workforce and at how governments, institutions, laws and societal benefits are structured, "N-P" individuals may once again find themselves on the fringe. To illustrate it in a very simple way, an extrovert may find themselves extremely uncomfortable remaining in a quiet environment with scarce outside stimulation for a long time. An introvert may have difficulty tolerating excessive noise for the majority of their day. Similarly, "N-P" individuals will struggle with "S-J" rules and traditions. People tend to assume that everyone else is just like them, and in a general, broad sense they are. However, someone having a lack of understanding of how someone else naturally functions and perceives the everyday could easily dismiss them, to both of their detriments.

And so, I believe that it is important for society to recognize, accept and accommodate such differences. As a whole, this adds a new dimension that needs to be taken into consideration in our daily interactions; a clearer definition to how our psychological make-ups may manifest themselves; and a voice to those that have difficulty fitting in because of their psychological preferences.