The Myers-Briggs system is the modern standard in defining personality types. With a total of 16 designations, the formula is more complex than the Type A B C D personalities that scientists from a bygone era once tried to pigeonhole humanity into.
Abbreviations for the scale which are grouped to delineate personality types include the following:
- Extraversion (E)
- Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S)
- Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T)
- Feeling (F)
- Judging (J)
- Perceiving (P)
*For example, ISTJ represents a person who exhibits combined traits of introversion (I) sensing (S) thinking (T) and judging (J).
For the intents and purposes of your query of “which tattoo should I get based on my personality?” we’ll play along with the Myers-Briggs scale to help you connect your personality to a tattoo concept that we feel may be a good match.
Matching the 16 Personality Types with Designs and Concepts That Make Sense for Your Next Tattoo
ISTJ
Quiet, serious, earn success by being thorough and dependable. 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.
Tattoo to Consider: Sword. In addition to symbolizing power, protection, authority, strength, courage, and chivalry, it may also represent the penetrating power of the intellect in addition to the connection one feels to their cultural heritage. View sword tattoo concepts here.
ISFJ
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.
Tattoo to Consider: A meaningful quote (pick a favorite of yours) done in an elegant font. View more this concept here.
INFJ
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.
Tattoo to Consider: Lightning bolt, which is often used as s unbolt to infer insightfulness.
INTJ
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.
Tattoo to Consider: You’re entrepreneurial, which gives you options such as your own personal brand logo, a visual representation of your offering (product or service), or motivational words. View more on entrepreneurial tattoo ideas.
ISTP
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.
Tattoo to Consider: Famous mathematical equation. Choose one of the these historically important ones to be done in fine line style.
ISFP
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; don’t force their opinions or values on others.
Tattoo to Consider: As an introvert, reference these 5 tattoo design ideas for introverts.
INFP
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want to live a 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.
Tattoo to Consider: A portrait or symbol of fellow idealists. You’re in good company because both Plato and Aristotle were noted idealists. Check out some Plato tattoos and Aristotle tattoos.
INTP
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.
Tattoo to Consider: You’re similar to the ISTP personality type (above) but are even more analytical which means that you should consider something like a tattooed representation of a graph (pie chart, bar graph, line graph, etc.) that charts things that are of interest to you.
ESTP
Flexible and tolerant, take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Bored by theories and conceptual explanations; want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here and now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.
Tattoo to Consider: Delta G (or ΔG) is the symbol of spontaneity which makes for a very cool tattoo that will make onlookers ask about the meaning.
ESFP
Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.
Tattoo to Consider: You enjoy being among others, which means that a unique representation of you and your family, friend group, or team (as applicable) would make for an ideal tattoo.
ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.
Tattoo to Consider: The “imaginative” and “full of possibilities” descriptors have us recommending something celestial such as stars and constellations.
ENTP
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.
Tattoo to Consider: You’re independent. Pick from one of these four tattoo ideas that symbolize independence.
ESTJ
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.
Tattoo to Consider: You’re an alpha dog among your pack. What better way to convey this than with a wolf tattoo?
ESFJ
Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-to-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.
Tattoo to Consider: A flower in a bushel. View related ideas here.
ENFJ
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.
Tattoo to Consider: Your empathy makes a heart tattoo ideal. Have a little more fun with the concept by going literal with the design!
ENTJ
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.
Tattoo to Consider: You’re a fierce leader among men/women and your tattoo should impart a sense of confidence. Unleash your inner dragon with one of these tattoos.
Find a match that makes sense for your personality? Great! If located or visiting the Greater Vancouver BC area, be sure to schedule consultation at Sleight of Hand on Granville Street. Our talented tattooists will design a tattoo that suits YOU and all of your delightful uniqueness.
EMAIL: HELLO@SOHTATTOO.COM
CALL: 604.336.9177
Another article you may be interested in:
What Your Tattoo Placement Says About You
Written By:
Sleight of Hand
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