Empathic/HSP Folks and Myers-Briggs Results

By Rachel Puryear

Chances are, you’ve heard of the very popular personality test, Myers-Briggs – aka MBTI. You’ve likely taken one of the many free tests that abound online, if not one of the more formal variations – and compared your results with friends.

It should be noted that the scientific validity of these tests are disputed, and that the only scientifically accepted spectrum is introversion-extraversion. Accordingly, it’s best to not make consequential decisions based upon these tests – like hiring, or forming relationships. Nor should you worry too much about them.

Nonetheless, they are very entertaining, and can at least give us some insight into our selves – just in the form of suggestions, rather than absolutes. So feel free to use them for fun, and also inspiration.

In any event, though; it’s interesting to explore how empathic/HSP folks tend to score on these tests, compared with others. Are we similar to the general population, or different?

Well, in Dr. Elaine Aron’s seminal book The Highly Sensitive Person, she actually addresses this particular point. Let’s explore what she has to say about it (though I still greatly encourage you to read the book yourself, if you haven’t already):

Colored blocks spelling “MBTI”, stacked in descending order.

Introversion-Extraversion

No doubt, you’ve heard about this set of traits, and shared a few memes.

But just as a quick refresher; extraverts tend to be more talkative while introverts tend to listen more, extraverts tend to get energized in large social groups while introverts tend to prefer smaller and more intimate groups (as well as some alone time), and extraverts tend to speak first and think later, while introverts tend to think carefully before speaking.

The majority of the general population are extraverts, while introverts are in the minority.

However, within the empathic/HSP population, this dynamic is reversed – extraverts make up a minority of empathic/HSP folks, while the majority of us are introverts.

Sensing-Intuition

In summary; sensors tend to be detail-oriented, practical, rely on their experience to solve problems, focused on the here and now, and view things as they are – while intuitives tend to be bigger-picture focused, creative, try to imagine new solutions to problems, think about the future a lot, and view things with their potential in mind.

Most people in the general population are sensors, with intuitives being a minority.

Again, though, this flips within the empathic/HSP population – most of us are intuitives, with a much smaller number among us being sensors.

If my own observation is any indication; most empathic/HSP folks who are extraverted are intuitives, while those who are sensors are introverts – people who are both extraverted and sensors are probably unlikely to be empathic/HSP.

Thinking-Feeling

In summary; thinkers tend to be logical, focused on what’s fair, not take things personally, persuaded by reason, and keep their emotions under wraps – while feelers tend to be compassionate, focused on consensus between people, be sensitive to others’ needs, be moved by emotional appeals, and display their emotions more openly.

In the general population, thinkers and feelers are split about evenly – however; the majority of men/male-identified are thinkers, while the majority of women/female-identified are feelers. The proportions are similar, but reversed, with a roughly 60/40 split both ways. (No one knows how much socialization and life experience impacts the gender disparity, but it likely does to some extent).

Among the empathic/HSP population, they are similar to the general population in terms of their likelihood of being a thinker or a feeler.

Judging-Perceiving

In summary; judgers tend to appreciate organization, formality, decisiveness, and structure – while perceivers tend to appreciate spontaneity, informality, open-endedness, and knowing when to break the rules.

In the general population, the majority of people are judgers, with a minority being perceivers.

The empathic/HSP population is also similar to the general population, in terms of their likelihood of being judger or a perceiver.

Thoughts

So, in short, apparently empathic/HSP folks are much more likely than the general population to be introverted and intuitive (with the majority of us aligning with those categories, in a reversal of general population stats).

At the same time, we’re similar to the general population in terms of thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving likelihoods.

The general population tends to be extraverted and sensing, while we tend to be introverted and intuitive.

It’s also interesting to note that intellectually gifted people also follow the same trend – also being much more likely to be introverted and intuitive, in contrast to the general population.

When we feel like aliens from another planet, there’s a reason. However, understanding how we differ from others, as well as building community amongst ourselves; is key. It’s not easy for us being in a world where we’re different from most; but we’ve always been capable of thriving in life, and we can do that much better when we do it together.

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