The best personality type game I’ve ever played

Last week I announced that I’m discounting my coaching sessions from $350 to $150. I have never discounted sessions in the ten years that I’ve been coaching, but I decided to do it because I need to stick to a sleeping schedule and I thought if I schedule coaching calls to wake up and go to bed then I’ll get a schedule.

I’m so excited that so many of you signed up.

This does not mean that waking up at 7AM has been easy for me. In fact, I can tell I will need to do this for a long time. So I’ve been letting people sign up for $150 coaching sessions after the deadline. And then I thought, I should extend the deadline. Because I’m getting to talk with a much wider range of interesting people — ones who are unlikely to pay the $350 fee but find the $150 fee more manageable.

And then I thought, everyone should use this opportunity to check your type. Because unless you are an INFJ or ENFP, the chances of you typing yourself wrong are huge. For example, ENTJs and INTJs never mistype themselves, but lots of people mistake themselves as one of those two types. And STs frequently mistake themselves for Ns. And Is frequently mistake themselves for Es.

The test is not always all that accurate when you do it yourself. Because we mix up who we want to be and who we actually are. We also forget that the test is relative and comparative. When it comes to the characteristics that are most central to us, we assume everyone has those characteristics, because we can’t imagine life without them. So, for example, when I first started taking these tests, I did not think I was particularly goal oriented. But that’s only because I didn’t know people do things without having an end goal. For example, I literally didn’t realize that people liked to have fun just for fun’s sake.

The patterns are so clear to me — how people mistype themselves and why. And I spend a good part of every week helping people understand why their test results are inaccurate and what the right result for them is. At this point, I can read an email and know someone’s type in five sentences. So I thought I’d let you play the game with me.

Here are some real examples of emails I received:

Thank you so much for continuing to send me information about INTJs. I want to let you know that I always see your emails and read them. They describe me so well, and I will check out your course, however unfortunately I will not be financially able to take it at this time. 

This person is an INFJ. They are giving too much unnecessary information, and they are having financial issues. INTJs do neither of those.

Many thanks for the emails. Apologies that I am unable to respond. We are in the middle of appraisals at work and I am handling some projects that keep me extremely busy. PS I strongly think I’m an INTJ :)

Again. This person is definitely not an INTJ because it’s too much information, there’s an emoticon, and they are overwhelmed at work. It’s either an S mired in the details at work or an INFJ giving too much context.

I’m a 24 year old graduate from [redacted] whose next chapter is teaching English in China for 15 months. I was thinking of ordering the course for INTJs and also the one for freelancing. Which ones do you suggest for me?

A young INTJ starts to climb the ranks of corporate life immediately. They would never take a break so early on because they’d be too excited to solve all the problems. Also, an INTJ would not take the freelancing course unless they needed to stay home  for some personal reason and were going crazy at home not working. So, this person is probably an NF because an S would think teaching English is too impractical. I can’t tell from this email if the person is a J or a P, but I would then ask if they are a dreamer. An INFP would love saying they are a dreamer. An INFJ would see being a dreamer as indulgent.

I took the test. I can’t tell if I’m an ESTP or an ENTJ.

First, an ENTJ would never question their own type. But also, this guy’s email address is basically something equivalent to “knightinshiningarmor.” ESTPs are mostly men and they are the type that is most attractive to women. But they never stay.

What are the requirements for one to enroll in the recommended course? I’m an ENTJ. 

An ENTJ does not ask requirements for anything. Ever. They just do it. They have to be a J because they are asking about a right answer, but an INTJ would find the answer to this question themselves. And it has to be a T because “for one to enroll” is someone who does not have good communication skills – they are not writing how they talk. This means the person is an ESTJ. An S likes rules and would always want to know they are following the rules before they take action. Also STs frequently mistype as NTs.

…Thanks for help with personality type. Finally, I think I might be an ESTP and not an ESTJ. Any suggestions?

Most S types take the test when someone at work or a close friend or spouse asks them to. Ss are not naturally curious about things that are so unscientific and not concrete. But even if the person’s boss was asking for the test score, an ESTP would not care enough to have an extra conversation about it. So the person is an ESTJ.

When I take the test I get INFJ or INFP. But I used to get ENTJ or ESTJ. And my friend just took the test with me and she thinks I’m an ISFP. Can you help me figure out what I am?

This person is an ENFP. They are the only type that can test as anything. They are very flexible, open thinkers and they don’t like being boxed in by any one type. But they are the only type that feels this way. So not wanting to be just one type (and being able to identify with all types) is just part of being an ENFP.

If you want to see patterns like this, you should take the Personality Type Master Class. But the real reason I wrote this is to tell you that everyone can benefit from making sure they know their personality type. But it’s very difficult to know your own type. And I have found that people have groundbreaking insights about themselves once they realize their true type.

So unless you know you are an ENFP or INFJ, there’s a high chance that you have mistyped yourself. And a discounted session for $150 is a really good way to find out.

Of course, many of you will not have mistyped yourself, and then we’ll just have a regular coaching session. Which you will like.

If you want to sign up for a discounted coaching session, you can do it by paying $150 via this link. Then email me and we’ll schedule a time. As a reminder: you can you only get the discounted sessions at 7am Eastern or 10pm Eastern. Of course, I’m always still happy to talk to you at other times, it’ll just cost you the usual $350.