5 rarest personality types in men and women

Incredible facts

Have you ever thought that you were different from others

or did your interests not coincide with the interests of most of your friends and acquaintances?

You may be one of the rarest personality types

, and you don't know about it.

Based on typology created by Isabel Myers

and
Katherine Briggs,
there are 16 personality types, designated by 4 letters.

To understand your personality type, you need to take a test, which usually includes about 93 questions.

You can take a simplified version of the 4-question test on our website.

This will allow you to better understand yourself and learn about your strengths.

Take a personality type test.

Myers and Briggs proposed four key parameters that can be used to classify people:

I/E: Introversion or Extroversion

Introverts
recharge their energy by spending time alone or in small groups. They are more reserved and thoughtful.
Extroverts
They gain energy from being around people, in an active, lively environment. They are more expressive and frank.

S/N: Sensation or Intuition

Those who dominate feeling
, are focused on their feelings and are interested in information that they can directly see, hear and feel. They learn directly and are practical.
To those who prevail intuition
, more abstract thinking is characteristic. They are more interested in theories, patterns and explanations. They are more concerned about the future than the present and are often called creative people.

T/F: Thinking or Feeling

Thinker
makes a decision with his head, he looks for the most logical and rational solution.
The Feeler
makes decisions with his heart, he is interested in how his decision will affect people, and how it is consistent with his values.

J/P: Judgment or Perception

Predominance judgments
speaks of a person who values structure and order.
Perceptual
dominant people value flexibility and spontaneity. They like to leave the question open so they can change their mind.

Each of the letters means a style of thinking or behavior characteristic of a person.

So, what personality types are considered the rarest according to the Myers-Briggs typology?

Typologies based on trait theory

A personality trait is a person's tendency to behave in a certain way.
The Big Five five-factor model of personality is one of the easiest to use. In order to obtain an employee's assessment of the Big Five parameters, Goldberg's end-to-end bipolar inventory can be used. In this model, a person is assessed according to the following parameters:

Openness to new experiences. The characteristic reflects an active search for new experience, a favorable and positive attitude towards the incomprehensible, unusual, and new. Active, curious, original employees who have a rich imagination and lack of stereotypical thinking receive a high score on this parameter. Low scores - employees with limited interest, stereotyped thinking, down-to-earth, distrust of new things. It cannot be said that high scores are always good and low scores are always bad. It all depends on who we are looking for, what position and type of activity in the organization this person is hired for. If we are looking for an employee for the advertising department who will be involved in promotion and development, then an employee who thinks in a standard way and is not imaginative will not suit us. But, if we need a good performer of routine duties, then a creative and restless employee will not suit us.
Consciousness. The characteristic reflects the level of motivation, organization, and demands on oneself and others. A high score characterizes a person who is purposeful, organized, reliable, neat, punctual and disciplined. Low score - lazy, careless, weak-willed, careless. In this case, the employer will naturally be interested in a person who shows maximum consciousness and responsibility. But, sometimes, although unorganized, a creative and talented employee can be very useful.
Extraversion. The characteristic reflects the intensity and breadth of interpersonal interactions, the level of activity, and the need for external stimulation. Extroverts constantly demand attention from others, these people are sociable, open to new things, ready for quick reactions (easy-going), relaxed, quick-tempered, optimistic, superficial in their perception of phenomena and people. Introverts live in isolation, in their inner world; they are serious, uncommunicative, and tend to limit external contacts. A manager’s mistake may be appointing an introvert to a position that requires active contacts with partners, clients, etc. An extrovert will feel uncomfortable in a closed office, alone, with a large number of papers and documents.
Goodwill. This characteristic reflects a person’s attitude towards others. A high score is given to benevolent, trusting, generous, warm-hearted people, and a low score is given to rude, cynical, irritable, vindictive and suspicious people. It's always nice to have friendly, helpful colleagues on your team, but many modern organizations favor tough, insensitive, ambitious employees, and good nature and gentleness today are often perceived as weakness.
Neuroticism. The characteristic reflects the level of a person’s adaptability to emotional instability (stability) and reaction to stressful situations. A high score characterizes those who are emotionally restless, insecure, tense, sensitive to failure, a hypochondriac, prone to self-blame. A low score is characteristic of a balanced, cold, calm, self-satisfied person who is incapable of compassion. If we are looking for an employee for the position of manager, for example, then an important selection criterion will be the candidate’s stress tolerance.

In the 1950s The Myers-Briggs typology (MBTI) was developed, which is interesting and in demand today. The reason for creating the typology was the problem of finding employment for demobilized American soldiers.

This typology is based on identifying:

two different ways to replenish energy and focus attention: scale extraversion (E) – introversion (I),
two ways of collecting information: sensory scale (S) – intuition (N),
two different ways of making decisions: scale logic (T) – ethics (F),
two ways of interacting with the external environment and environment: scale rationality (J) - irrationality (P).

Initially, 4 main types can be distinguished on a scale of two and three:

– researchers (intuition logic),
– humanities (intuition, ethics),
– socials (sensory ethics),
– practice (sensory logic).

Further, 16 personality types can be distinguished (Table 2).

Table 2 – MBTI personality typology

No.	Personality type	Characteristics of personality type
1	ISTJ – Inspector (M. Gorky)	Man of the system. Supervises the work. Respects subordination. Gets to the heart of the matter. Supporter of strict order. Doesn't like compromises. Good at collecting information.
2	1SFJ – Guardian (T. Dreiser)	Relationship oriented. Divides people into “friends” and “strangers”, manages distance. Able to influence others. Demanding of himself and others. Has an intuition for people. Punctual.
3	INFJ – Humanist (F. Dostoevsky)	Very observant, senses relationships between people. Quiet, friendly person. A good mediator. Has a pronounced intuition for people. He knows how to build good relationships with everyone. Humanism manifests itself in deeds.
4	INTJ – Analyst (R. Descartes)	Able to express his thoughts convincingly and logically. A person with developed logic and a strong ability to analyze. Analytic mind. Focused on the task, not on human relationships. Rational.
5	ISTP – Master (J. Gabin)	Outwardly leisurely and cold. Calm, reserved person. Loves nature and solitude. Not demonstrative. Practitioner. Economical, knows how and loves to make things, build and repair. Caring towards loved ones and relatives.
6	ISFP – Mediator (A. Dumas)	Considers the comforts and habits of others. Friendly, optimistic person. Non-conflicting. He gets along with everyone. Caring. Surrounds himself with pleasant little things.
7	INFP – Lyricist (S. Yesenin)	A man of thought, not action. Dreamy romantic. Has an intuition of time. Future oriented. Freely manages his own and other people's time. Emotional.
8	INTP – Critic (O. Balzac)	A person with a strong imagination. Intellectual. Has a philosophical mindset. Observant. Vulnerable. Developed intuition. Careful in making decisions.
9	ESTP – Marshal (G. Zhukov)	The main thing for him is the result. A strong-willed, purposeful person. Victory at any cost. Decisive, capable of exerting forceful pressure. Hard worker. The more obstacles, the more collected you become.
10	ESFP – Politician (Caesar)	Takes pride in his influence on others. A person prone to manipulating others. By influencing pain points, it controls the behavior of others. He senses the balance of power well.
11	ENFP – Advisor (Don Juan)	Understands the other's motivation. Has good intuition for people. Sees many advantages in a person and loves to give compliments. Appreciates the talent of another. Knows how to inspire and encourage.
12	ENTP – Seeker (Don Quixote)	Future oriented. Sees well the prospects of new ideas and projects. Generates interesting ideas. He does what is interesting, not what is profitable. Prone to scientific activities. Has varied interests.
13	ESTJ – Administrator (Stirlitz)	Decisive, proactive, boldly defends his ideas. An assertive, hard-working person. Has a practical mindset. Innovator. Supervises the work of colleagues and subordinates. Fights for quality.
14	ESFJ – Lover of Life (V. Hugo)	Cheerful, open person. Can lift the spirits of yourself and others. An optimist, he instills faith in success in those around him. Able to emotionally influence others.
15	ENFJ – Mentor (Hamlet)	Very emotional, feels the emotions of other people. A serious person focused on global issues. Restless, escalates the situation. A good actor or speaker.
16	ENTJ – Entrepreneur (J. London)	He sees opportunities for new things well. A hard worker, work in full swing. Knows how to handle finances. Entrepreneurial spirit. Mobile. Easily changes field of activity.

Knowing what type an employee is, it is much easier to influence his behavior. All people are different and can react completely differently to the same management decisions and influences. Knowledge of personality psychology helps make decisions regarding employees flexibly and more effectively.

Accentuations of character according to K. Leonhard

Accentuation of character
is an extreme manifestation of a norm that determines, among other things, the individuality of a person and his behavior.

Accentuation is an overly enhanced personality trait that can turn into a pathological state under unfavorable conditions. Character accentuations appear in both normal and traumatic conditions. A person may not be aware of his hidden accentuation, since he has never found himself in severe stressful situations.

Hyperthymic type. High mood, the person is energetic, sociable, has an easy-going attitude towards life and problems, is optimistic, but is often overly irritable and impulsive. This individual rarely has empathy; other people’s feelings and problems do not bother him much. The main thing is to enjoy life.
Excitable type. Human behavior depends on the transfer of one’s own internal state to the external environment. In anger, a person commits actions that he later regrets and has poor self-control. Low level of self-control. This person is efficient, economical, proactive, energetic, but intolerant, prone to anger and violent expression of emotions.
Emotive type. An emotional person, any event is experienced deeply and acutely. The person is prone to sympathy, anxiety, very impressionable and tactful. A person who cries when watching touching melodramas and TV series, when reading heartbreaking stories. Rudeness is often shown towards this type of people, while others take advantage of their generosity and gentleness.
Depressive type. Low background mood, quiet, pessimistic. Such a person is punctual, responsible, with a developed sense of personality, but inert and passive. It is difficult for such a person to work in a group; he is a hermit who has a hard time getting along with people and has a hard time getting used to new things. A person who always prepares for negative developments and always expects something bad to happen.
Neurotic type. Characterized by a high tendency to fears and phobias (fear of enclosed spaces, heights, fear of spiders, etc.). It is common for humans to have a lack of faith in their own abilities and low self-esteem; they often make mountains out of molehills. Positive characteristics include friendliness, reliability, commitment, the ability to build good relationships with others, and constancy of affections. But this individual is not independent, lacks initiative, and is lost in the face of everything new. Often, by temperament, this person is melancholic with a weak nervous system.
Affectively exalted type. Lack of restraint in emotions and a quick transition from severe sadness to boundless happiness, while the emotions are sincere. Often these are religious people and people in the arts. Such a person often works “extremely” if he does what he loves, and not monotonous work.
Cyclothymic type. This type is characterized by constant instability in mood, emotions and attachments, and is characterized by a rapid transition from a low background to a high one. It is difficult for such a person to work in a team and adapt to someone; he is a loner. Today he can be your best friend, revealing all the mysteries and secrets, and tomorrow he doesn’t notice you and passes by, and the day after tomorrow he can say something like: “Why don’t you come to me, we’re friends. Have you completely forgotten about me?”
Paranoid type. A person is characterized by instability of behavior, determined by one or another “stuckness”. Often such a person acts as a “fighter for justice” (for equal rights, for a clean environment, for a world without global corporations, etc.). Such a person is prone to self-sacrifice, vindictive, demanding of others, and principled. Often tries to blame others for an unfair attitude towards the world and “looks for enemies”, does not forgive betrayal.
Pedantic type. Maximized tendency to order in the external and internal world, punctuality, reliability, completing tasks in accordance with instructions, accuracy. Such a person will not calmly pass by an unevenly placed napkin and disorder, etc. Also, such individuals are characterized by tediousness, formalism, checking themselves and others, and inability to work in new conditions.
Demonstrative type. Artistry, relaxedness, high emotionality, ability to play roles, to be as if on stage. Often such people are selfish, insincere, and capable of avoiding responsibility. If with the affective-exalted type we talk about the sincerity of emotions and feelings, then in this situation this is a game on relationships and feelings.

INTJ is the rarest personality type among women (0.9%)

Women who combine introversion, intuition, thinking and judgment make up only 0.9 percent of all women tested.

They are ambitious introverts, bold individuals who don't care what the masses think and are not afraid to follow their own philosophy of life.

Women of this personality type have a strategic nature, avoid being in the spotlight and work in the shadows.

They can often be seen alone, but this does not bother them at all. Every action they take in life is carefully thought out and planned.

Personality types

Using a special questionnaire, you can obtain a 16-bit personality profile. R. Cattell took as a basis 16 pairs of qualities that, in his opinion, best define the personality traits that exist in ordinary life and work. The practice of using this method reflects the presence of a number of stable degrees of expression of certain qualities among representatives of various professions. The test is often used in professional selection. The test has been around for over 50 years and has repeatedly proven its reliability.

Cattell identified 16 pairs of qualities by which an individual can be assessed:

closed - sociable,
less smart - more smart,
emotional - emotionally stable,
respectful (submission) – independent (dominance),
serious - frivolous,
free from norms - law-abiding,
timid - brave,
masculine - feminine,
gullible - suspicious
practical - romantic,
straightforward - diplomatic,
self-confident - anxious,
conservative – radical,
group-oriented - self-oriented,
uncontrollable – controlled,
relaxed – tense (table 1)

Table 1 – Set of qualities determined using R. Cattell’s questionnaire

Factor	Characteristic	Degree of expression	Characteristic
1. A	Closed (alienation, coldness, loves loneliness, indifference)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Sociable (good nature, openness, attentiveness to people, contact)
2. B	Less intelligent (rigid thinking, concreteness, low verbal culture, slow learning)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	More intelligent (quick assimilation of material, high level of verbal culture, tendency to abstract thinking)
3. C	Emotionally unstable (mood lability, irritability, tendency to frustration, hypochondria, anxiety)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Emotionally stable (lack of nervous fatigue, equanimity, calmness, ability to manage emotions)
4. E	Submissive (shyness, submissiveness, ability to take on someone else's guilt, passivity)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Dominant (independence, authoritarianism, conflict, struggle for power, self-confidence)
5. F	Serious (caution, deliberation, precision, restraint, pessimism)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Frivolous (enthusiasm, carelessness, impulsiveness, carelessness)
6.G	Free from norms (non-compliance with norms, group requirements, laws, inconstancy of principles, goals)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Law-abiding (conscious adherence to norms, rules, commitment, faith in law and authority)
7. N	Timid (high sensitivity to threat, desire to be in the shadows, timidity)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Brave (activity, ignoring danger, adventurism, love of risk)
8. I	Courageous (realism, callousness, toughness, independence, firmness)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Feminine (romanticism, craving for attention and patronage, capriciousness)
9.I	Trusting (tolerant, cheerful, works well in a group, adaptable)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Suspicious (egocentric, does not work well in a group, overcautious, distrustful)
10. M	Practical (attention to detail, pragmatism, realistic, has his feet on the ground)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Romantic (impracticality, head in the clouds, creative imagination, daydreaming)
11.N	Straightforward (naturalness, simplicity, artlessness, straightforwardness)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Diplomatic (cunning, sophistication, ability to manipulate people, secularism)
12. O	Self-confident (does not feel threatened, composure, serenity)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Anxious (depression, vulnerability, predominance of gloomy forebodings)
13.Q1	Conservative (respect for traditions, stability of views, preferences)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Radical (analytical mind, calm attitude towards new things, susceptibility to doubt, skepticism)
14.Q2	Conformist (dependence on the opinions of others, desire to be with the group)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Nonconformist (desire to go your own way, have your own opinion, loner)
15.Q3	Low self-control (internal conflict, inability to control oneself, susceptibility to moods and feelings)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	High self-control (strong control of emotions, feelings, concern for one’s reputation, the ability to “save face”)
16.Q4	Uninhibited (complacency, desire to be content with what is, relaxation, laziness, contentment)	1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10	Tense (high goals and aspirations, inflated motivation, excited state)

After receiving an assessment of each of the 16 factors, a personality profile of a particular person is compiled and correlated with the typical profile of the profession of interest to us. For example, we select a person for the position of pilot and highly evaluate the level of knowledge and professional qualities of the candidate, but during testing we discovered such personality traits as emotional instability, frivolity, low self-control, slow reaction, capriciousness, lack of law-abidingness, etc. Isn't it scary to be on board an airplane piloted by such a pilot?

Another approach to assessment is offered by theories of personality types, based on identifying not specific traits, but a complex, a set of traits that logically complement each other.

INFJ is the rarest personality type among men (1.2%)

Men who combine introversion, intuition, feeling and judgment make up only 0.5% of all men. This is an insightful and empathetic type who strives to push society towards progress and change. However, they are not just bystanders.

Men of this type are future-oriented, have abstract thinking and believe in the best.

Due to their excellent understanding of people's emotions, they are very empathetic and easy to communicate with, while at the same time being able to influence people on an emotional level.