Insights from My 16 Personalities Test

Sep 25

Every year, my gymnastics team goes on a team retreat at the beginning of the school year. This year’s destination was the beautiful Carolina Beach, NC.

The main focus of each retreat varies slightly from year to year. This retreat’s conversation revolved heavily around our team goals for the year, including pre-season, regular season, post-season, and everything in between. Before diving into these very in-depth conversations, we began by each taking the 16 Personalities test to better understand ourselves and each other going forward.

My result from the test was that I am the Defender: ISFJ-T. Here are my main takeaways from this result:

General Understanding of my ISFJ-T Personality

ISFJ-T is a personality trait that is defined by introverted, observant, feeling, and judging traits. As an ISFJ, I am known for my dedication, strong sense of responsibility, can-do attitude, and ability to work behind the scenes. In addition to this, I have an eye for detail and excellent analytical abilities. Being “turbulent” (the T in ISFJ-T) means that I tend to be more self-critical and strive for constant improvement.

Strengths

Enthusiastic – When goals and intentions are right, I apply all of my traits to something that I believe will make a real, positive difference in people’s lives. I am often the most excited person in the room.
Hardworking – I don’t like to just get my work done. I prefer to take pride in going above and beyond in all of my tasks and responsibilities.
Reliable – Rather than working in sporadic, half-done bursts, I tend to be meticulous and careful to make sure that things are done to the highest standard.
Observant – I have a knack for noticing things, particularly about other people. I pay attention to the smallest details of what someone says and does.
Supportive – I truly enjoy helping others and I happily share my knowledge, attention, and expertise with anyone who needs it.
Good practical skills – I possess a rare combination of an altruistic nature and hard-won practicality. I don’t just sit around and hope things will happen on its own. Instead, I take action on what is necessary to get the job done.

Weaknesses

Reluctant to change – I am among the personality types that struggle the most with change. Breaking tradition and the routine that I am used to isn’t always easy for me and my steady preference.
Taking things personally – Although I may try to hide it, my personality type tends to be deeply sensitive to others’ opinions. Because of this, I can be thrown off when someone doesn’t appreciate, approve of, or agree with me.

2 years ago at my sophomore year team retreat, we did the same personality test and I got ISTJ: The Logistician. With these personalities being very similar to each other, I think I hold many traits from both ISFJ and ISTJ, but I would associate my weaknesses more with the ones under ISTJ. So, here are some more weaknesses of mine.

Weaknesses: ISTJ

Stubborn – The facts are the facts, and people with my personality type tend to resist any new idea that isn’t supported by those facts
Always by the book – I would change this to usually by the book because I can typically recognize when something could be done better. I believe that things work best with clearly defined rules, and unstructured environments tend to leave me stressed and dissatisfied.
Prone to burnout – With many of my strengths and weaknesses combined, I tend to believe that I am the only one who can see projects through reliably. As I load myself up with extra work and responsibilities, I sooner or later hit a tipping point where it makes it very difficult for me to deliver.

Relationships and Friendships

As an ISFJ, I have a deep down, natural desire to be liked and accepted. Because of this, my personality type is known for being a thoughtful and reliable friend. My natural ability allows me to connect on a personal level and truly understand others to build strong, long-lasting relationships.

Career Paths

As a “Defender”, I approach my career path with the same commitment, diligence, and patience that I display in other aspects of my life. Because of this, “Defenders” are often seen as the backbone of their workplace. I am reliable, hardworking, and always ready to lend a hand to those who need it. I take pride in getting the job done and getting it done well.

Reflecting on both my current ISFJ-T and previous ISTJ results, it’s clear that while some aspects of my personality have remained consistent, I’ve also evolved over the past two years. Both personality types share many strengths and weaknesses, but I am finding that I am more in tune with my empathetic and supportive side as a Defender. But at the same time, I still hold onto many of my Logistician traits of reliability and structure. Understanding these detailed personality traits gives me a better idea of how I can grow in all areas of my life.

🌟 Taylor

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Taylor Schulze