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Personality Hacker: Harness the Power of Your Personality Type to Transform Your Work, Relationships, and Life
Hack Your Personality Type to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Success.
Delve into this interactive guidebook to hack your mind and uncover your core identity. Get past superficial markers of identity and discover the full makings of your personality type. Recognizing all aspects of who you really are will improve your confidence, compassion, decision-making process and success.
Written by the hosts of the popular podcast Personality Hacker, this book shows how your mind is naturally wired. It provides the information and tools you need to harness the power of your personality type and realize your full potential, including:
• Detailed Personality Test
• Interactive Journal Prompts
• Myers-Briggs Explanation
• Personal Growth Techniques
• Cognitive Functions Breakdown
• Relationship and Career Assistance
Delve into this interactive guidebook to hack your mind and uncover your core identity. Get past superficial markers of identity and discover the full makings of your personality type. Recognizing all aspects of who you really are will improve your confidence, compassion, decision-making process and success.
Written by the hosts of the popular podcast Personality Hacker, this book shows how your mind is naturally wired. It provides the information and tools you need to harness the power of your personality type and realize your full potential, including:
• Detailed Personality Test
• Interactive Journal Prompts
• Myers-Briggs Explanation
• Personal Growth Techniques
• Cognitive Functions Breakdown
• Relationship and Career Assistance
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
260 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Joel Mark Witt
6 books12 followersJoel Mark Witt is a speaker, writer, and digital media entrepreneur with a focus on personal growth and transformational leadership.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of Personality Hacker, he oversees a new kind of publishing company that merges digital media with emerging models of human development focused on helping people "hack" their personalities and create more happiness in their lives.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of Personality Hacker, he oversees a new kind of publishing company that merges digital media with emerging models of human development focused on helping people "hack" their personalities and create more happiness in their lives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 18, 2019
I have read several books explaining this personality model of Myers-Briggs typology and this is the most comprehensive, clear, coherent, straightforward book around it that I have read! It's almost 450 pages!
The authors are lucid and explain cognitive functions (which has been confusing at times to myself) in a way that I'm able to grasp easily.
The chapters on each individual type have lots of meat and information - much more than I've gotten with other books. And while those chapters of individual type have always been my favorite chapters of other books, that was not the case with this one! The chapters on dichotomies and cognitive functions were so much more compelling because I could actually grasp the information in this book!
I borrowed this one from my library, but I want to own this one in the future! It would be a great reference book and a helpful recourse to own when my kids are of an age to understand and type themselves.
Obviously I would recommend this to every human being. I believe it's a disservice not to educate ourselves on OUR OWN SELVES!!! And to date, this is the best Myers-Briggs typology book I've read.
The authors are lucid and explain cognitive functions (which has been confusing at times to myself) in a way that I'm able to grasp easily.
The chapters on each individual type have lots of meat and information - much more than I've gotten with other books. And while those chapters of individual type have always been my favorite chapters of other books, that was not the case with this one! The chapters on dichotomies and cognitive functions were so much more compelling because I could actually grasp the information in this book!
I borrowed this one from my library, but I want to own this one in the future! It would be a great reference book and a helpful recourse to own when my kids are of an age to understand and type themselves.
Obviously I would recommend this to every human being. I believe it's a disservice not to educate ourselves on OUR OWN SELVES!!! And to date, this is the best Myers-Briggs typology book I've read.
November 21, 2018
Excellent reference book and manual by the creators of the Personality Hacker podcast, which I've been following for more than a couple of years now. During this time, I have also purchased a couple of their programs, (the INFP guide and Personality: An Owner's Manual). These courses have definitely helped me better understand myself, what makes me tick on the superficial ego level, as well as plenty of the concepts I mention here.
In its introduction, this book explains why personality typology can be a useful roadmap for today's society. They call it a form of social technology, which I find an appealing and appropriate term.
I love how they compare these tools to maps: just like any map isn't the territory it describes but rather is a useful abstraction with a very specific focus (geophysical/political etc), scale (map of the world/map of a city etc), overlay etc, personality models aren't exact, and most importantly, they're not meant to be, for each one has a distinct purpose, a different level of abstraction. They'd be useless if they were exact.
Even though I slightly prefer the Enneagram over the MBTI for its built-in focus on growth and self-development, Joel Mark Witt and Antonia Dodge have "rebooted" the MBTI by reintroducing the significance of each type's cognitive function stack, as first observed by Carl Jung in his original study of personality types.
Cognitive function preference was the basis for the development of the Myers-Briggs in the '40s, but as the decades passed, the 4 easy-to-remember dichotomies and the resulting 16 four-letter codes stayed in public consciousness but the foundation of the system was mostly forgotten.
This is why Jordan Peterson calls the Myers-Briggs "archaic and invalid" and says that businesses love it because "no-one gets offended by it because everyone wins". This remark shows that he's not aware that in cognitive function theory, every type has an inferior function, their unconscious blind spot.
Interestingly, my experience with Mr. Peterson's Understand Myself Big Five personality assessment questionnaire wasn't so science-proof. It gave me a score of 0% in conscientiousness, a score that would have me be pathologically unable to stick to rules, schedules and social norms, and be completely unselfconscious-- something which is very not true. It's not that I don't have these tendencies, but it's NOT 0%.
I suspect Mr. Peterson's "scientifically valid" system returned this error precisely because it blindly pitted me against everyone else taking the test and compared my results with theirs. 100% of these other participants were more conscientious than me, but the result isn't giving me useful information for my life and present situation.
The test failed to account for cultural differences (what being conscientious means in Greece and what it means in Canada/the US or wherever most people taking the test are from) and how it reflects on scores, which should be important for a test that's open for anyone to take from around the world. Its weakness is its lack of cultural bias and assumption that every one culture has the same baseline of personality, which is of course not true (though less so than in the past). It also never asks from the participant to look at the result and confirm what sounds true, what doesn't and whether the results are actually indicative. What comes out is a blanket, catch-all, stats-derived diagnosis. It's scientifically valid, so it doesn't get more accurate than this, Mr. Peterson asks us to believe.
This is exactly what the MBTI doesn't do. Instead, usually people are given a type and description but are asked to confirm if their result rings true. And while by definition deciding your own type for yourself is of course unscientific because all sorts of psychological biases then come into play, if one makes the comparison between this and the inaccurate results the Big 5 can spit out, I feel like the unscientific self-assessment of the MBTI is actually its strength. 'Cause when you find your best-fit type, a good profile will fit you like a glove 80% of the time. That's a damn-good chance by any scientific standard and measurement, and we're not even taking into account the actual neuroscience of personality (haven't read Dario Nardi's book yet, but here's a podcast episode!) which points to the physical existence of distinct functions and types. Science loves physical, right?
It's a pity that many people share the same understandable yet poorly informed convictions on the MBTI's lack of validity and, most importantly, uselessness for personal development. It's fashionable to put it somewhere between horoscopes and being sorted into Hogwarts houses. As I mentioned, that's an unjustified conclusion.
To return to the book: Dodge & Witt have given critics some food for thought by deeply emphasising the importance of the cognitive function stack, both for personal understanding and the development of empathy and of the self. In this way they have taken the model from being merely descriptive, the way it was indeed used in the past ("you're an INFP; you're so-and-so; doesn't it feel good to finally understand what makes you special?!") to something more growth-oriented ("you're an INFP; here are your strengths; these are your challenges; here's what you need to focus on to transcend your type"), which is much closer to the Enneagram as a concept.
They have rebranded the stack as the Car Model. Simply put, this model represents each person's talents, weaknesses, the headspace of their comfort zone and directions for development (in other words the four cognitive functions that make out their Myers-Briggs type) as four people travelling together in a car (with the car as a whole, passengers and all, being the Self). There's the driver, the co-pilot, and the 10- and 3-year-olds sitting in the backseats.
Because I was familiar with all these concepts from years of jogging and listening to the podcast, I breezed through it without getting too much new information out of it, but I was happy to revise known territory and taking physical notes with a pencil. I don't know how easy to understand the concepts are for newcomers to this MBTI reboot, but Antonia and Joel have paid attention to make learning it as smooth as possible, even including workbook-style exercises and questions. I appreciate this care.
Personality Hacker delivered and has easily become one of my top typology reference books. It's the perfect introduction to an oft-misunderstood and underestimated system that is the Myers-Briggs. I hope they give the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics a similar treatment next!
In its introduction, this book explains why personality typology can be a useful roadmap for today's society. They call it a form of social technology, which I find an appealing and appropriate term.
I love how they compare these tools to maps: just like any map isn't the territory it describes but rather is a useful abstraction with a very specific focus (geophysical/political etc), scale (map of the world/map of a city etc), overlay etc, personality models aren't exact, and most importantly, they're not meant to be, for each one has a distinct purpose, a different level of abstraction. They'd be useless if they were exact.
Even though I slightly prefer the Enneagram over the MBTI for its built-in focus on growth and self-development, Joel Mark Witt and Antonia Dodge have "rebooted" the MBTI by reintroducing the significance of each type's cognitive function stack, as first observed by Carl Jung in his original study of personality types.
Cognitive function preference was the basis for the development of the Myers-Briggs in the '40s, but as the decades passed, the 4 easy-to-remember dichotomies and the resulting 16 four-letter codes stayed in public consciousness but the foundation of the system was mostly forgotten.
This is why Jordan Peterson calls the Myers-Briggs "archaic and invalid" and says that businesses love it because "no-one gets offended by it because everyone wins". This remark shows that he's not aware that in cognitive function theory, every type has an inferior function, their unconscious blind spot.
Interestingly, my experience with Mr. Peterson's Understand Myself Big Five personality assessment questionnaire wasn't so science-proof. It gave me a score of 0% in conscientiousness, a score that would have me be pathologically unable to stick to rules, schedules and social norms, and be completely unselfconscious-- something which is very not true. It's not that I don't have these tendencies, but it's NOT 0%.
I suspect Mr. Peterson's "scientifically valid" system returned this error precisely because it blindly pitted me against everyone else taking the test and compared my results with theirs. 100% of these other participants were more conscientious than me, but the result isn't giving me useful information for my life and present situation.
The test failed to account for cultural differences (what being conscientious means in Greece and what it means in Canada/the US or wherever most people taking the test are from) and how it reflects on scores, which should be important for a test that's open for anyone to take from around the world. Its weakness is its lack of cultural bias and assumption that every one culture has the same baseline of personality, which is of course not true (though less so than in the past). It also never asks from the participant to look at the result and confirm what sounds true, what doesn't and whether the results are actually indicative. What comes out is a blanket, catch-all, stats-derived diagnosis. It's scientifically valid, so it doesn't get more accurate than this, Mr. Peterson asks us to believe.
This is exactly what the MBTI doesn't do. Instead, usually people are given a type and description but are asked to confirm if their result rings true. And while by definition deciding your own type for yourself is of course unscientific because all sorts of psychological biases then come into play, if one makes the comparison between this and the inaccurate results the Big 5 can spit out, I feel like the unscientific self-assessment of the MBTI is actually its strength. 'Cause when you find your best-fit type, a good profile will fit you like a glove 80% of the time. That's a damn-good chance by any scientific standard and measurement, and we're not even taking into account the actual neuroscience of personality (haven't read Dario Nardi's book yet, but here's a podcast episode!) which points to the physical existence of distinct functions and types. Science loves physical, right?
It's a pity that many people share the same understandable yet poorly informed convictions on the MBTI's lack of validity and, most importantly, uselessness for personal development. It's fashionable to put it somewhere between horoscopes and being sorted into Hogwarts houses. As I mentioned, that's an unjustified conclusion.
To return to the book: Dodge & Witt have given critics some food for thought by deeply emphasising the importance of the cognitive function stack, both for personal understanding and the development of empathy and of the self. In this way they have taken the model from being merely descriptive, the way it was indeed used in the past ("you're an INFP; you're so-and-so; doesn't it feel good to finally understand what makes you special?!") to something more growth-oriented ("you're an INFP; here are your strengths; these are your challenges; here's what you need to focus on to transcend your type"), which is much closer to the Enneagram as a concept.
They have rebranded the stack as the Car Model. Simply put, this model represents each person's talents, weaknesses, the headspace of their comfort zone and directions for development (in other words the four cognitive functions that make out their Myers-Briggs type) as four people travelling together in a car (with the car as a whole, passengers and all, being the Self). There's the driver, the co-pilot, and the 10- and 3-year-olds sitting in the backseats.
Because I was familiar with all these concepts from years of jogging and listening to the podcast, I breezed through it without getting too much new information out of it, but I was happy to revise known territory and taking physical notes with a pencil. I don't know how easy to understand the concepts are for newcomers to this MBTI reboot, but Antonia and Joel have paid attention to make learning it as smooth as possible, even including workbook-style exercises and questions. I appreciate this care.
Personality Hacker delivered and has easily become one of my top typology reference books. It's the perfect introduction to an oft-misunderstood and underestimated system that is the Myers-Briggs. I hope they give the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics a similar treatment next!
November 24, 2020
A personality type, as I understand it, is like a kind of abstract brain wiring. Similar to how there can only be certain geometric formations of crystals in 3D space, personality types dictate possible structures in which predefined cognitive functions get organised hierarchically resulting in a manifestation of a distinct personality type in ones character. This book does a great job at describing the different cognitive functions that make up personality types and it can be used as a great reference material.
However, there is an obvious problem with the goal of nailing ones personality onto a type. Putting the correctness and legitimacy of the types aside, you proceed on the assumption that you have true self-knowledge which allows you to reflect upon your personality such that it can be identified as a type via self-assessed questionaries. Also, I am skeptical with the idea of personality types in the first place. What would be the role of culture? Religion? Socio-economic background etc?
June 30, 2020
I have read several books about the Myers-Briggs personality type system. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read another one, but the title of this one and it’s description made it seem like it might be helpful. That is very true. What I really value about this book that is different from most others is that it has both well developed descriptions of the personality types as well as plans for growing both strengths and weaknesses in each personality type. It makes personality seem more like a living, growing a garden instead of a walled jail that puts people in boxes.
December 22, 2021
It was a good book about cognitive functions of each personality and their loop and grip. Reading it helped me to know myself better and also helping people around me to deal with their obvious problems better. I do recommend this book however it works better as a reference book to go check every once in a while instead if reading all of it from the very first page as it has redundant data for similar functions.
August 13, 2021
A really great deep dive into the core of MBTI. Breaks down cognitive functions really nicely and explains in an easy to understand way. The FIRM model discussed at the end was really interesting and helped provide extra clarity and context.
Now, the next time I decide to spend hours debating and speculating on the MBTI types of fictional characters, I can do so with greater certainty and conviction 😅.
Now, the next time I decide to spend hours debating and speculating on the MBTI types of fictional characters, I can do so with greater certainty and conviction 😅.
January 23, 2024
I review this book with the following 3 caveats:
1) I was working on self development years before coming across this book and really digging into personality theory.
2) I am guilty of overanalyzing myself and my/others actions when trying to figure personality theory out.
3) Because of “#1” it was extremely difficult for me to determine my type as I fit some of the descriptions (based on situation at any given time) of about 4-5 MBTI types (by far the most common results for me were ISFP, ESFP, INTJ, ENTJ, ENTP, ENFP. ENFP seemed to be the best fit when reading the descriptions).
Now the review:
THE GOOD:
I think this book has a lot of great content for people both, familiar and unfamiliar with MBTI. This book makes what could be considered very abstract information and does a wonderful job making it as concrete as I’ve come across.
The idea of social vs. cognitive introversion/extroversion was new information for me and a huge point for this book’s credibility in my eyes.
THE AVERAGE:
I think the personality descriptions for each type are too generic for me. With that said, I don’t know if it’s possible to create an objective description of each type because it’s very difficult to interpret how functions are displayed in the world without subjective human bias.
For example, back in 2006-ish, I took a generic test once and tested as INFP and then left it alone and didn’t think about what that meant again until 2018. In 2018 I took a test on another reputable site and scored INTP. On their website test, I usually scored within the range of the 6 types in the first paragraph of this review. On the test in their book, I kept scoring either ENTJ or INTJ. (The website test asks similar if not the same questions, with the added feature at the end of allowing you to answer a few questions with a sliding bar, which leaves room for subjectivity).
But as mentioned earlier, I’ve been working on personal development - and I’ve read in other places that if you’ve been working on yourself, you can be extremely difficult to type because you’ve likely been strengthening your tertiary and inferior functions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT (FOR FUTURE EDITIONS):
My only huge knock against this book is the test at the end. In fairness, they mention to answer the questions as you NATURALLY are. This can be difficult since many of us are in numerous scenarios that require us to flex who we are to get the result we want (i.e. work, social functions etc.).
For example, when I’m out having fun, I match the description of E/ISFP to a tee. When I buckle down and I’m pursuing a goal that really jives with me, I look like an INTJ to a tee. When I’m talking to friends having fun, ENFP fits like a glove. If I’m at work, I don’t want to be in charge, but if I see something being done incompetently that affects me, I want to (and ask politely) if I can take over so this thing can get it done and we can move on with our lives (I’ve read in other areas that that’s a Extroverted Thinking dominant trait).
The argument (and a fair one) can be made that that’s a sign that I need to introspect and learn who I am. That is fair, but I think many people pick up this book because they don’t know who they are in regards to this system. So I think a test that takes an alternative approach to accounting for weeding out these potential scenarios would be very helpful in narrowing down type further.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
While I think MBTI is a great tool for us to add to our minds in getting to know ourselves, I also think it’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at everything you do (or think you should do) by using the typology system once you get into it.
Once again that IS a personal responsibility and not on the authors. But I noticed myself beginning to limit myself in ways that I never did when I was beginning to settle on what I thought was my type. Therefore, I have put the book in the donation pile and hope someone else will get some use out of it.
For those that can absorb and apply this information in a way that is productive to them, I don’t see why this book can't be a great tool to keep on the bookshelf.
I also really enjoy their podcasts, quite frankly, more than the book. I would’ve done the opposite - given the book away for free and charged a monthly fee for podcast access because I think the best gems and knowledge they provide are in those podcast episodes.
And if you DO know your type without a doubt, their paid content (as I’ve downloaded a few of the Personality owner’s manuals) is fantastic.
But ultimately, I think it’s best for me to stop reading the stuff and just engage with life more and see what my natural internal compass tells me to work on and leverage in the world. But don’t let that stop you from reading the book.
Overall, I recommend.
1) I was working on self development years before coming across this book and really digging into personality theory.
2) I am guilty of overanalyzing myself and my/others actions when trying to figure personality theory out.
3) Because of “#1” it was extremely difficult for me to determine my type as I fit some of the descriptions (based on situation at any given time) of about 4-5 MBTI types (by far the most common results for me were ISFP, ESFP, INTJ, ENTJ, ENTP, ENFP. ENFP seemed to be the best fit when reading the descriptions).
Now the review:
THE GOOD:
I think this book has a lot of great content for people both, familiar and unfamiliar with MBTI. This book makes what could be considered very abstract information and does a wonderful job making it as concrete as I’ve come across.
The idea of social vs. cognitive introversion/extroversion was new information for me and a huge point for this book’s credibility in my eyes.
THE AVERAGE:
I think the personality descriptions for each type are too generic for me. With that said, I don’t know if it’s possible to create an objective description of each type because it’s very difficult to interpret how functions are displayed in the world without subjective human bias.
For example, back in 2006-ish, I took a generic test once and tested as INFP and then left it alone and didn’t think about what that meant again until 2018. In 2018 I took a test on another reputable site and scored INTP. On their website test, I usually scored within the range of the 6 types in the first paragraph of this review. On the test in their book, I kept scoring either ENTJ or INTJ. (The website test asks similar if not the same questions, with the added feature at the end of allowing you to answer a few questions with a sliding bar, which leaves room for subjectivity).
But as mentioned earlier, I’ve been working on personal development - and I’ve read in other places that if you’ve been working on yourself, you can be extremely difficult to type because you’ve likely been strengthening your tertiary and inferior functions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT (FOR FUTURE EDITIONS):
My only huge knock against this book is the test at the end. In fairness, they mention to answer the questions as you NATURALLY are. This can be difficult since many of us are in numerous scenarios that require us to flex who we are to get the result we want (i.e. work, social functions etc.).
For example, when I’m out having fun, I match the description of E/ISFP to a tee. When I buckle down and I’m pursuing a goal that really jives with me, I look like an INTJ to a tee. When I’m talking to friends having fun, ENFP fits like a glove. If I’m at work, I don’t want to be in charge, but if I see something being done incompetently that affects me, I want to (and ask politely) if I can take over so this thing can get it done and we can move on with our lives (I’ve read in other areas that that’s a Extroverted Thinking dominant trait).
The argument (and a fair one) can be made that that’s a sign that I need to introspect and learn who I am. That is fair, but I think many people pick up this book because they don’t know who they are in regards to this system. So I think a test that takes an alternative approach to accounting for weeding out these potential scenarios would be very helpful in narrowing down type further.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
While I think MBTI is a great tool for us to add to our minds in getting to know ourselves, I also think it’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at everything you do (or think you should do) by using the typology system once you get into it.
Once again that IS a personal responsibility and not on the authors. But I noticed myself beginning to limit myself in ways that I never did when I was beginning to settle on what I thought was my type. Therefore, I have put the book in the donation pile and hope someone else will get some use out of it.
For those that can absorb and apply this information in a way that is productive to them, I don’t see why this book can't be a great tool to keep on the bookshelf.
I also really enjoy their podcasts, quite frankly, more than the book. I would’ve done the opposite - given the book away for free and charged a monthly fee for podcast access because I think the best gems and knowledge they provide are in those podcast episodes.
And if you DO know your type without a doubt, their paid content (as I’ve downloaded a few of the Personality owner’s manuals) is fantastic.
But ultimately, I think it’s best for me to stop reading the stuff and just engage with life more and see what my natural internal compass tells me to work on and leverage in the world. But don’t let that stop you from reading the book.
Overall, I recommend.
October 29, 2022
Tl;dr: Why the Myers-Briggs test is totally meaningless (Vox.com)
I bought this eBook on sale, because I'd never really figured out my Myers Briggs personality type and was curious about what an entire book might say about it. When I got to the point where it suggested taking the assessment, I did so at the website (both the book and website are run by a couple who produce a podcast of the same name, and sell packages purported to improve your life based on your personality). ESTJ. The description of this personality type did not seem like me at all, but I continued reading. Nothing really resonated.
After completing the first part of the book, I decided to do the assessment "on paper," so I could see how my responses influenced the result. Also, I was intrigued by the authors' contention that when you discovered your true personality type, the description would fit you like a glove. This time around, I landed firmly as an ISTJ. I read the description online. Like a glove! I read parts of it out loud to my partner. For what it's worth, the description on the website was a much closer fit for me than the description in the book.
I started over from the beginning. Everything made much more sense, now that I had the correct personality type. I highlighted particularly interesting insights. But something had been nagging at the back of my mind: Couldn't this entire system, developed by two white ladies in the 1940s based on psychological principles theorized by a white dude in the 1920s, and now being extrapolated on by two more white people be rather biased towards the experiences of white people? Of course, I am a white person, so maybe it was relevant to me. I kept reading.
Early on, as the authors discuss the Myers-Briggs systems, they say "If you've ever read an article about how overvalued Myers-Briggs is, we guarantee it was writtten by a person who has never heard of how it relates to the [Carl Jung] cognitive functions." Another thought started nagging me: The books explained how important the cognitive functions were to the Mysers-Briggs Testing Instrument (MBTI), but never explained how widely accepted Carl Jung's theories were.
Still, this was good stuff! Then I got to the section on Cognitive Functions in Detail. "Accuracy users ask, 'Does this make sense?'" And then: "An archetypal example of Accuracy is the child in the classic fairy tale The Emporor's New Clothes..." Whoa. This was me. (For the record, this particular function isn't part of the ISTJ stack, but is the Driver for the ISTP type.) This reminded me about that nagging worry about bias, so I turned to Professor Google. And lo and behold, the Vox article linked above popped up. I had come across it years before, but rereading it now caused the whole stack of cards to crumble. The Personality Hacker authors had GUARANTEED that articles critical of Myers-Briggs were written by people who didn't understand Carl Jung's cognitive functions. But the entire Vox article is based on how Jung's theories have been debunked, and aren't used in the psychology field. It was also written 3 years before the book, and the authors don't address it anywhere on their website, in their podcasts, or in the books.
The Vox article allows that "Myers-Briggs is useful for one thing: entertainment. There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking the test as a fun, interesting activity, like a BuzzFeed quiz." I realized I had been sucked in. I continued to read the book, thinking there might be useful advice even though the entire premise was based on junk science, but there really wasn't.
I'm glad to know my personality type (I've decided it is ISTJ, with ISTP tendencies), because it's a conversation piece, just like being a Virgo. But, going back to that Accuracy function, I wish the authors were up front about the limitations of both Carl Jung and Myers-Briggs.
A note on the eBook version: The pagination is TERRIBLE. It's based on the sections within a chapter, which are generally 0-2 pages long, so there's no way of knowing (without constantly referring to the table of contents), where you are in the larger chapter.
I bought this eBook on sale, because I'd never really figured out my Myers Briggs personality type and was curious about what an entire book might say about it. When I got to the point where it suggested taking the assessment, I did so at the website (both the book and website are run by a couple who produce a podcast of the same name, and sell packages purported to improve your life based on your personality). ESTJ. The description of this personality type did not seem like me at all, but I continued reading. Nothing really resonated.
After completing the first part of the book, I decided to do the assessment "on paper," so I could see how my responses influenced the result. Also, I was intrigued by the authors' contention that when you discovered your true personality type, the description would fit you like a glove. This time around, I landed firmly as an ISTJ. I read the description online. Like a glove! I read parts of it out loud to my partner. For what it's worth, the description on the website was a much closer fit for me than the description in the book.
I started over from the beginning. Everything made much more sense, now that I had the correct personality type. I highlighted particularly interesting insights. But something had been nagging at the back of my mind: Couldn't this entire system, developed by two white ladies in the 1940s based on psychological principles theorized by a white dude in the 1920s, and now being extrapolated on by two more white people be rather biased towards the experiences of white people? Of course, I am a white person, so maybe it was relevant to me. I kept reading.
Early on, as the authors discuss the Myers-Briggs systems, they say "If you've ever read an article about how overvalued Myers-Briggs is, we guarantee it was writtten by a person who has never heard of how it relates to the [Carl Jung] cognitive functions." Another thought started nagging me: The books explained how important the cognitive functions were to the Mysers-Briggs Testing Instrument (MBTI), but never explained how widely accepted Carl Jung's theories were.
Still, this was good stuff! Then I got to the section on Cognitive Functions in Detail. "Accuracy users ask, 'Does this make sense?'" And then: "An archetypal example of Accuracy is the child in the classic fairy tale The Emporor's New Clothes..." Whoa. This was me. (For the record, this particular function isn't part of the ISTJ stack, but is the Driver for the ISTP type.) This reminded me about that nagging worry about bias, so I turned to Professor Google. And lo and behold, the Vox article linked above popped up. I had come across it years before, but rereading it now caused the whole stack of cards to crumble. The Personality Hacker authors had GUARANTEED that articles critical of Myers-Briggs were written by people who didn't understand Carl Jung's cognitive functions. But the entire Vox article is based on how Jung's theories have been debunked, and aren't used in the psychology field. It was also written 3 years before the book, and the authors don't address it anywhere on their website, in their podcasts, or in the books.
The Vox article allows that "Myers-Briggs is useful for one thing: entertainment. There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking the test as a fun, interesting activity, like a BuzzFeed quiz." I realized I had been sucked in. I continued to read the book, thinking there might be useful advice even though the entire premise was based on junk science, but there really wasn't.
I'm glad to know my personality type (I've decided it is ISTJ, with ISTP tendencies), because it's a conversation piece, just like being a Virgo. But, going back to that Accuracy function, I wish the authors were up front about the limitations of both Carl Jung and Myers-Briggs.
A note on the eBook version: The pagination is TERRIBLE. It's based on the sections within a chapter, which are generally 0-2 pages long, so there's no way of knowing (without constantly referring to the table of contents), where you are in the larger chapter.
October 11, 2025
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September 12, 2020
Detailed book about Myers-Briggs and goes into some detail about how different personality type is synonymous with different cognitive functions. The functions came first which are then based on four letters.
Actual difference between introversion and extraversion is this: For introverts, the inner world (the world inside of themselves) is the “real world,” the world that really matters. For extraverts, the external world (the world outside of themselves) is the real world.
Sensors choose to focus on the past and present events that are most important. Sensors can’t rely on what hasn’t happened yet, so the future is far less interesting. On the other hand,
iNtuitives are comfortable with seeing what isn’t there. The past doesn’t really hold their interest. iNtuitives learn to
trust pattern recognition to help them understand information quickly, whereas sensors perceive reality is reliable and speculation isn’t.
Suggests each part of the mind has a function, book divides this into four:
The dominant aka driver
The tertiary aka 10 year old (these are both the same in terms of introvertion or extrovertion)
The auxillary aka copilot
The inferior aka 3 year old (these are both the same in terms of introvertion or extrovertion and must be opposite from above)
So basically each mind has some components which are extraverted and some introverted, with dominant components being well developed. The well developed components can be noted from your Myers-Briggs personality type. Generally the less well used parts can be emotionally immature.
The brain prefers to use it's dominant sections, but sometimes the less well developed component can come into play, this may manifest as an outburst or the like. Knowing when this occurs for your own personality is important so you can identify this and perhaps take time out of a situation until your preferred thinking style is back in play.
Book goes into detail about each Myers-Briggs personality type and how they tend to see the world with suggestions of how they can improve themselves. Worth reading the section that fits to your Myers-Briggs personality.
If you liked my review please check out my website www.chrisweatherburn.com
Actual difference between introversion and extraversion is this: For introverts, the inner world (the world inside of themselves) is the “real world,” the world that really matters. For extraverts, the external world (the world outside of themselves) is the real world.
Sensors choose to focus on the past and present events that are most important. Sensors can’t rely on what hasn’t happened yet, so the future is far less interesting. On the other hand,
iNtuitives are comfortable with seeing what isn’t there. The past doesn’t really hold their interest. iNtuitives learn to
trust pattern recognition to help them understand information quickly, whereas sensors perceive reality is reliable and speculation isn’t.
Suggests each part of the mind has a function, book divides this into four:
The dominant aka driver
The tertiary aka 10 year old (these are both the same in terms of introvertion or extrovertion)
The auxillary aka copilot
The inferior aka 3 year old (these are both the same in terms of introvertion or extrovertion and must be opposite from above)
So basically each mind has some components which are extraverted and some introverted, with dominant components being well developed. The well developed components can be noted from your Myers-Briggs personality type. Generally the less well used parts can be emotionally immature.
The brain prefers to use it's dominant sections, but sometimes the less well developed component can come into play, this may manifest as an outburst or the like. Knowing when this occurs for your own personality is important so you can identify this and perhaps take time out of a situation until your preferred thinking style is back in play.
Book goes into detail about each Myers-Briggs personality type and how they tend to see the world with suggestions of how they can improve themselves. Worth reading the section that fits to your Myers-Briggs personality.
If you liked my review please check out my website www.chrisweatherburn.com
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2025
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September 11, 2019
Self-theorist view of the Myers Briggs personality type system. Breaks down each type into it's individual cognitive functions based on Carl Jung's theory.
Their purpose seemed to be to break each type into it's individual components in order to teach how to fully grow and become a well balanced individual. I am an INFJ and I have already benefitted by applying a couple of the tips/tricks that was recommended.
The book explained and taught Myers Briggs typology better than I have previously seen. It has been an absolute blast to apply the teachings from this book to others around me. It has helped me to understand some of the basic differences in the way others may think and why personality can differ on a such a large scale.
Despite using an "overly restrictive personality measure", personality hacker has seemed to tie in multiple systems from different personality theories in order to effectively teach Myers Briggs. Well balanced in their explanation. Not overly predjudice towards any type (although it's clear that intuitives seem to be highly praised in the mbti community).
Although Myers Briggs is not recognized as being an approved personality indicator in the scientific community, I feel as though the way personality hacker has applied Carl Jung's theory has the potential to be quite useful in a clinical setting. It would fall under the jurisdiction of the psychodynamic theory. Therapists who specialize in psychodynamic theory are still recognized in the scientific community, although it is still impossible to prove its accuracy.
The system that has been put together by personality hacker seems to me to have a lot of potential in a therapists or social helper's toolbox. I, for one, will continue to apply a few of the pointers to get a better grip on some of my ugly tendencies. They seem to have already been of help to me and those around me. I also have enjoyed listening to their podcast. Great material with much potential.
Their purpose seemed to be to break each type into it's individual components in order to teach how to fully grow and become a well balanced individual. I am an INFJ and I have already benefitted by applying a couple of the tips/tricks that was recommended.
The book explained and taught Myers Briggs typology better than I have previously seen. It has been an absolute blast to apply the teachings from this book to others around me. It has helped me to understand some of the basic differences in the way others may think and why personality can differ on a such a large scale.
Despite using an "overly restrictive personality measure", personality hacker has seemed to tie in multiple systems from different personality theories in order to effectively teach Myers Briggs. Well balanced in their explanation. Not overly predjudice towards any type (although it's clear that intuitives seem to be highly praised in the mbti community).
Although Myers Briggs is not recognized as being an approved personality indicator in the scientific community, I feel as though the way personality hacker has applied Carl Jung's theory has the potential to be quite useful in a clinical setting. It would fall under the jurisdiction of the psychodynamic theory. Therapists who specialize in psychodynamic theory are still recognized in the scientific community, although it is still impossible to prove its accuracy.
The system that has been put together by personality hacker seems to me to have a lot of potential in a therapists or social helper's toolbox. I, for one, will continue to apply a few of the pointers to get a better grip on some of my ugly tendencies. They seem to have already been of help to me and those around me. I also have enjoyed listening to their podcast. Great material with much potential.
November 7, 2019
As soon as I discovered that one of my favorite podcasts had released a book further developing some of their podcast material, I knew I had to get it. Personality Hacker has introduced so many models over the years, and always with a focus on leveraging these things both for greater awareness and for personal growth. I figured this book would be a great starting point for referencing most of the things the podcast has discussed.
I was a little surprised to discover that the book is just about all focused on MBTI and the FIRM model. They've spent so much time making the distinction that they're not solely focused on Myers-Briggs, and that it's only one tool in a vast shed, that I wouldn't have expected them to make a book that didn't reinforce that point, particularly with the company name as the title.
That said, it's an excellent read that digs down into the details of cognitive functions and how they interact with one another, and it's a very practical guide to how you can grow within your particular stack of functions. Even as a Jung and MBTI fan who's read a lot of Kiersey and even some socionics books, I found this to be quite possibly the most well-explained version of cognitive functions. Their framework is great and well attuned to helping not only increase people's knowledge of the theory but apply it.
I was a little surprised to discover that the book is just about all focused on MBTI and the FIRM model. They've spent so much time making the distinction that they're not solely focused on Myers-Briggs, and that it's only one tool in a vast shed, that I wouldn't have expected them to make a book that didn't reinforce that point, particularly with the company name as the title.
That said, it's an excellent read that digs down into the details of cognitive functions and how they interact with one another, and it's a very practical guide to how you can grow within your particular stack of functions. Even as a Jung and MBTI fan who's read a lot of Kiersey and even some socionics books, I found this to be quite possibly the most well-explained version of cognitive functions. Their framework is great and well attuned to helping not only increase people's knowledge of the theory but apply it.
May 9, 2025
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I hired them to secure my teenager’s phone and monitor their online interactions. Within hours, they identified weak points and installed monitoring software that tracked chats and app usage without detection. The detailed reports were user-friendly, helping me guide my child safely. Their customer support was prompt, addressing my concerns within an hour, and their pricing offered great value for such specialized services.
Cyberpunk Programmers stands out for its professionalism and impactful results. Whether you need to safeguard your device or monitor your child’s digital world, their services are a game-changer. I strongly urge anyone seeking trustworthy phone hacking or monitoring solutions to hire them. Their proven effectiveness makes them a top choice in a crowded market. Visit their site and secure your peace of mind today! Reach them out at cyberpunkprogrammers.com
I hired them to secure my teenager’s phone and monitor their online interactions. Within hours, they identified weak points and installed monitoring software that tracked chats and app usage without detection. The detailed reports were user-friendly, helping me guide my child safely. Their customer support was prompt, addressing my concerns within an hour, and their pricing offered great value for such specialized services.
Cyberpunk Programmers stands out for its professionalism and impactful results. Whether you need to safeguard your device or monitor your child’s digital world, their services are a game-changer. I strongly urge anyone seeking trustworthy phone hacking or monitoring solutions to hire them. Their proven effectiveness makes them a top choice in a crowded market. Visit their site and secure your peace of mind today! Reach them out at cyberpunkprogrammers.com
December 26, 2018
A terrific resource for understanding the heart of the Myers-Briggs system... the cognitive functions and how your function stack affects you. The car model is a brilliant metaphor that makes it easy to understand both the positives and the downsides/blind spots of each of your cognitive functions. For example, understanding that your tertiary function is like a 10 year old helps me remember that, when a 10 yo is at her best, she’s providing occasionally helpful, insightful insights or actions stemming from the function... but at its worst it can be a snotty brat. Or that my inferior function, like a 3 yo, can be a source of joy and completeness for the “family” in the car... but best not let it drive, and best not forget to feed it or it will pitch a hellish temper tantrum.
Getting to the heart of the cognitive functions, in such an easy to understand way, and exercises and suggestions for the most effective use and development of those functions, has taken my level of understanding of MBTI, and how to use it for personal growth, to an order of magnitude so much greater than I had before.
Getting to the heart of the cognitive functions, in such an easy to understand way, and exercises and suggestions for the most effective use and development of those functions, has taken my level of understanding of MBTI, and how to use it for personal growth, to an order of magnitude so much greater than I had before.
May 8, 2020
I already bought some programmes like the personality type starter kit, something to grow your intuition, the personality type owner's manual, the INF growth programme so I knew a lot of the stuff which I read due to prior access to the content of the Personality Hacker Podcast creators Joel Mark Witt and Antonia Dodge. But I had a Scribd membership and thought it would be fun to read the book. I started learning a little more about other people's types and even typed one of my sensor friends successfully for the first time while getting positive feedback. He said it described him 95%! Which was cool typing people and understanding them better and why they differed from me. Knowledge is power.
Therefore it was more like polishing instead of learning new content because I already had access to their free and paid online content. So it is not a criticism. They were already super good at explaining lots of interesting things. That's why I didn't mind reading it even though I knew some of the stuff I read :)
Therefore it was more like polishing instead of learning new content because I already had access to their free and paid online content. So it is not a criticism. They were already super good at explaining lots of interesting things. That's why I didn't mind reading it even though I knew some of the stuff I read :)
December 13, 2021
Antonia and Joel have written an amazing and accessible book on the MBTI system. I have several books on it and this is the best. The car model is truely what makes Personality Hacker's version of MBTI stand out as being accessible and meaningful.
Most online quizes about MBTI give a very shallow version of it, it is so much more fascinating than the little online quizes give it credit! This book uses the cognitive functions that Carl Jung used to base MBTI on and THESE are what makes MBTI come alive.
There is more to just "Oh, I love people, I must be an extravert!" "I cry at sad movies, I must be a feeler!" . Reading this book will make you realize the 4 letters in MBTI typing are not really what matters, but the passengers (aka cognitive functions) in your car, and order they are placed.
MBTI has helped me in many facets of my life. Understanding how others are wired is one of the most important (and fascinating!) concepts I have learned in my adult life.
Also, the podcast is truely engaging for those wanting to go further down the rabbit hole!
Most online quizes about MBTI give a very shallow version of it, it is so much more fascinating than the little online quizes give it credit! This book uses the cognitive functions that Carl Jung used to base MBTI on and THESE are what makes MBTI come alive.
There is more to just "Oh, I love people, I must be an extravert!" "I cry at sad movies, I must be a feeler!" . Reading this book will make you realize the 4 letters in MBTI typing are not really what matters, but the passengers (aka cognitive functions) in your car, and order they are placed.
MBTI has helped me in many facets of my life. Understanding how others are wired is one of the most important (and fascinating!) concepts I have learned in my adult life.
Also, the podcast is truely engaging for those wanting to go further down the rabbit hole!
July 30, 2023
Terrible starting point for understanding typology
I only started learning typology within the Myers-Briggs system during the last month. I tested INFJ only to come to the realization that I am an INFP. This book is such an amazing reference for people looking to get a good understanding of each type and how the cognitive functions work. The way the book was structured and how they ended it was great. I have been able to use this book to type my friends and family and have found it quite accurate. It has given me more appreciation for the different ways people think, especially those people whose thinking is drastically different from my own. I also have started following the personality hacker podcast which I also highly recommend if you read and enjoy this book.
-Casey
I only started learning typology within the Myers-Briggs system during the last month. I tested INFJ only to come to the realization that I am an INFP. This book is such an amazing reference for people looking to get a good understanding of each type and how the cognitive functions work. The way the book was structured and how they ended it was great. I have been able to use this book to type my friends and family and have found it quite accurate. It has given me more appreciation for the different ways people think, especially those people whose thinking is drastically different from my own. I also have started following the personality hacker podcast which I also highly recommend if you read and enjoy this book.
-Casey
July 6, 2021
This is the best introductory book on Myers-Briggs personality theory. Very simple to understand and very useful practical tips for each type.
The only issue I have is that it doesn't go into shadow functions at all. So it basically descries the top half of one's psyche. The authors told me they did this because most people have so much work to do in what's above-surface that they may go their whole life without ever processing their shadow. I went to Bebe's "Reservoirs of Consciousness" to understand the shadow.
The only issue I have is that it doesn't go into shadow functions at all. So it basically descries the top half of one's psyche. The authors told me they did this because most people have so much work to do in what's above-surface that they may go their whole life without ever processing their shadow. I went to Bebe's "Reservoirs of Consciousness" to understand the shadow.
December 16, 2019
Typing people into these categories I do not believe was helpful but more confusing. There are good points in percieving vs judging. What this lacks is how personalities change of time and circumstances. It acknowleges how we behave at our finest and best and our lowest and worse and in between but it does not follow how the brain works between those areas. It is good for discussion but in 2018 it misses major info!
September 13, 2022
Taking a closer look at the myers briggs personality type was surprisingly helpful for me. I'm an INFJ!d I read mine, Nachelle's and Bert's type chapters in detail. I learned about the growth potential of my "harmony" section, and how I need to keep my body busy/"sensation" in order to keep my mind clear. Making time to sit alone with my thoughts and "watch the connections form" was prescribed and I've thought about it many times.
March 23, 2024
Provides deep clarity on the MTBI and paths to balance and growth
Personality Hacker joins classics in the field of understanding the MTBI system, such as Please Understand Me. It succinctly provides insights into the dimensions of each MTBI type and how the cognitive stack may indicate strengths, directions, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Provides deep clarity on the MTBI and possible pathways to balance and growth using that rubric.
Personality Hacker joins classics in the field of understanding the MTBI system, such as Please Understand Me. It succinctly provides insights into the dimensions of each MTBI type and how the cognitive stack may indicate strengths, directions, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Provides deep clarity on the MTBI and possible pathways to balance and growth using that rubric.
October 29, 2018
Excellent explanation of terminology in the Meyer's Briggs (Jungian) personality types. Plus some reframing and simplifying of, what can seem to be, complex systems with in the Personality Type system.
December 13, 2018
Excellent reference manual and helpful for real life personality conflicts. It helps you to understand that others think and perceive differently than you. I do recommend that you also listen to the Personality Hacker Podcast, that will connect the concepts that they present in the book.
February 2, 2019
Experts
Finally, I understand Myers Briggs!!! This couple really put a lot of time and effort into conveying how to use the system for personal growth, not just identification. Follow their podcast! Read this book if you want to really understand Myers !
Finally, I understand Myers Briggs!!! This couple really put a lot of time and effort into conveying how to use the system for personal growth, not just identification. Follow their podcast! Read this book if you want to really understand Myers !
August 20, 2021
Finding my type and learning about its cognitive processes was like looking at a map of how I performed well, and how I do not. By the end, I am inspired to take the right steps in my growth, and I am reminded to respect the differences of strength between myself and others.
August 13, 2022
Great book for anyone trying to get a grasp on the Myers-Briggs system. Comprehensive yet understandable in explaining the basics. It also gives a great insight in where to go once you get your type because knowing your type is just the start.
September 20, 2022
I was disappointed that there was so little here that I hadn't already read online. Also, a lot of pages are dedicated to doing exercises . . . For each type! Which makes no sense unless you and fifteen friends of different types are going to use the book. It's a waste of pages!
November 23, 2018
Love the podcast but couldn't make sense of the book.
February 25, 2019
A very easy and informative read about MBTI Personality Typology.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews