Okay, I am the first to admit that I really find personality tests (and a little Human Design — oops) amusing. That moment when you read a sentence that is so you that you laugh out loud? It’s fun, and oftentimes insightful. The caveat I always have for personality tests is it’s almost impossible to capture the complex nature of being human with just a handful of categories. Here’s my advice for any of these tests: take what brings you wisdom and leave the rest; don’t buy too much into what they say.
Here’s a list of my favorite personality tests (one of which you have certainly heard of before) and then I also threw in a less well-known astrology-inspired “personality” test that I really find fascinating.
Myers-Briggs
This is the quintessential personality test and you’ve definitely probably heard of it. There are 16 letter combinations that amount to a four letter combination just for you! You’re either an extrovert (E)/introvert (I), intuitive (N)/observant (S), thinking (T)/feeling (F), and judging (J) vs. prospecting (P). Once you’ve discovered your combination of letters by taking this handy dandy quiz, it’s off to the races. (I have fallen down way too many rabbit holes to figure out if I am an INFJ or an INFP; the answer is still up in the air.) Honestly, sometimes the Myers-Briggs is a bit spooky at how good it is. I think it’s particularly good at considering career options. Turns out it doesn’t matter if I’m an INFJ or an INFP! Both types are attracted to being therapists.
Enneagram
While this personality tests doesn’t use letters, it does use numbers. There are 9 personality types and (surprise!) each type is a number — so you’re somewhere between a 1 and a 9. But then, after you take the quiz, there are lots of complicated things like, “What’s your wing?” and “What type do you embody under stress?” etc. This is an excellent personality test if you’re interested in exploring your basic fears and basic desires as well as what a healthy vs. unhealthy version of this type looks. What I like in particular is the layers of each type: if you’re healthier, you might look one way but if you are unhealthy, you might look another. This website has some of the best descriptions of each type, but you have to pay for the quiz (see a free option below).
Fun fact: apparently the writers of The Sopranos used the Enneagram the create their characters but I need a citation, so hop to it internet!
Take the test here or try this one out and find out your magical number.
Human Design
Are you an astrology person? I’ve intentionally kept astrology off this list because is it really a personality test? (YES IT IS!!!!!! my inner astrology nut screams into the void and what comes back to me is, “YOU ARE SO DRAMATIC BECAUSE YOU ARE SUCH A CANCER.”) But, what if there was an astrology-esque, Myers-Brigg-y type personality test? From stage left, enter Human Design.
Human Design has a bit of an… interesting history (totally worth a read, by the way). There are 5 major types (generator, manifesting generator, manifestor, projector, and reflector) that are created based on your full birth chart. You’ve got to know where you were born and the time within about 15 minutes. Then you learn about your core personality type, but also which “centers” (very similar to chakras but slightly different) are open and closed. (This is really important). While the 5 basic personality types are informative in and of themselves, what’s extra interesting is that there’s a ton of other stuff involved, including things called gates and channels.
The only major downside to Human Design is that it’s really complicated. You might be interested in having a professional read your chart. (I know a couple of people if you’re interested).
Here’s the quiz that I prefer.
That’s all for now! Let me know what you end up taking!