From a Myers-Briggs point of view, I would think ESFJ's would fit best because they are outgoing, social, love structure and traditions, are conservative, are feelings-oriented and are dependable about their responsibilities. I also think they'd make the best Mormon leaders.

Next in order in terms of best fit with the culture, in my opinion, would be:
-ISFJ, ESFP & ESTJ
-ISFP, ISTJ & ESTP
-ISTP
-ENFJ
-INFJ, ENFP & ENTJ
-INFP, INTJ & ENTP
-INTP

I base these ideas on the notion that being an "S" is more important in Mormon culture than being an "F", although that also may matter. I think ISTJs and ESTJs would be terrible leaders because they might tend to prioritize rules over peoples' needs and feelings. I think an INTP would really struggle to fit the mold. I'm not an expert at all. Just wondering if and how personality might play a role in why some people stay or leave.

There's a disproportionate amount of INTJs on this forum, but that's partly because INTJs are all over the internet in much higher percentages than they occur in populations of real life people.

As an INTJ, the church never worked for me... But that was my opinion.

As an INTJ, I never believed even a little bit. Am curious how many INTJ members are TBM. It wasn't ever possible for me to be a believer. I just couldn't. However, my sister bought it hook, line and sinker...100%. Don't know her type, though.

I think INFJ's would have a nearly impossible time in Mormonism. It seems to me that everything in Mormon life would be in contradiction to who INFJ's are.

I would also like to know, if stats were available, if the INFJ population in Mormonism is even smaller than it is within the general population. I suspect that Mormon culture, by its own nature, would block most natural INFJ's from maturing within the Mormon "system," so (for example) a born INFJ would be raised to at least APPEAR much more "E"-like in order to survive.

Very interesting question!

Yep. Infj here. I wonder too, how many of us have escaped.

I think also INFJs tend to get suppressed. At least I was. As a youth and as a missionary I was looked at as being sometimes rash. My introversion was looked at as being a "mediocre or bad leader" only because I didn't want to make a commotion in church. If I felt the need to be a mover and shaker I would, but that rarely happened in a church setting.

I also saw that many leaders (especially on the mission) felt very threatened by my strong willed attitude. They viewed me as potentially dangerous and could stir up rebellion among the troops (and I often did quietly).

All in all I think the big reason we don't belong is as much as we love to blend in we hate to conform. At least for me, the church was never something to get all uppity about unless I felt strongly about something. Usually when I felt strongly about something it was in defiance of something a leader or teacher said/taught.

I think that most of the INFJs who are in the Morg may have a tendency to stay, as our temperament places a high priority on loyal devotion to family and worthy causes. I would probably still be in, although rather unhappily, had I not found RFM, and had my eyes opened.

Also an INFJ. I think that actually we place our personal ideals much higher than social relationships. I risked having a relationship with my family and friends by leaving, but felt a deeper need to be honest with myself and who I am. That being said I feel that my approach to leaving was very polite and quite. I'm very upfront and honest, but still very open and accepting. I'd rather let a silly discussion be held that cause waves.

I'm an ENFP. I'm almost equally balanced in all except I'm a lot more F than T. I have occasionally wondered whether my strong F is a result of thirty years in mormondom.

Since taking the test a couple of years ago I've become more aware of my F tendencies and have enjoyed trying to strengthen my T responses. I like to think of it as getting in touch with my inner Vulcan (I'm a Star Trek nerd).

I like Myers-Briggs. I don't think it's the be all and end all of life but I've found it quite insightful in helping me understand me a little bit more. And it's helped me understand my boss and how we relate to each other too.

I can look back now and see that I was forcing myself into the role. It became increasingly impossible as I became a teenager. My brain wanted to grow but my religion wouldn't allow it. I am a solid INTP.

I think STs do well in Mormonism - these are the "guardians" that hold up the institution and do their duty. Busy-bodies that like to check things of the list.

My TBM wife falls in this category - they are very "duty" centric. I'm pretty sure Tom Monson fits in this category to with is fixation on doing your duty.

I'm an INFP - another rare personality type that you see a lot of on this board.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2013 10:40AM by bc.

Control freaks?

Sheeple:
-duty oriented.
-respects authority.
-readily accepts dogma
-not self-analytical or reflective
-seeks approval
-seeks ready-made answers (short cut to thought)
-appearance to others more important than inner self.

Leaders:
-duty oriented.
-respects authority.
-readily accepts dogma
-enjoys adulation
-think they were born to tell the rest of us what to do.
-toady to those above
-scheming type.. sometimes steps over the line. (John Swallow.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2013 10:43AM by rationalguy.

which is the best online test?

There's an online test on the Human Metrics website. It seems pretty reliable. Having trouble copying & pasting from my device, but if you Google Myers Briggs Human Metrics you should find it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2013 02:07PM by tilliegilman.

I'm an ENTJ on most days and I didn't fit within Mormonism at all. I was not at all like the people around me. It was horrible.

wow I just took the test for the first time INTP lol how did I last 40 + years?

jerks

I would say that you are on to something. It's also something that I think about a bit since I use Myers-Briggs all the time where I work.

I am an ENTP, and I never could get into the church. I always felt like it was playing pretend, but I went along because of seriously harsh upbringing.

My wife is an INTJ. When she found out that the church wasn't true, she just left, on the very same day. She hates wastes of time.

My dad is an ENFP, and is really into the church. It's his everything.

My mom is an ISTJ, and she is really dutiful and into doing everything with exactness. She also loves the temple and that phraseology from the temple.

Another INTJ here...

IDK how liking a Highly-Structured life fits with M-B, but I believe that & gullibility are the main factors <also, obsequous-fawning submissive to authority figures>

I'm an INFP. My family joined the church when I was 17 and I loved it for the first year. 100 percent loved it. I tried to convert all my friends, spent hours with the missionaries, and was the mormon most of us make fun of on here. lol Ironically, the only reason I started to doubt the church in the first place was because I noticed the unholy guilt and fear used to convince young men to go on missions. Between that and the temple it was obvious.

It's funny because in the same sentence mormons will say the temple is heaven on earth and then explain how it takes a couple times to get use to. If I make it to heaven and have to get "use to it" I'm sending myself to outer darkness.

Type A and extreme conformist with narcissistic outlook. Micromanager and control freak. Credulous not curious.

Worst for Mormonism: Iconoclastic individual with type B personality. Live and let live outlook. Curious not credulous.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2013 08:10PM by donbagley.

I think I was an INTP but it's been a while since I took the test. I'm the kind of person who might have become a hippy. I think obedience is overrated, am live-and-let-live. That's why I was so offended by the church's prop-8 activism. Why would I care who gets married or not, and why would that be any of MY business?

I don't respect authority, I accept it conditionally when necessary. And it isn't necessary to accept it from a bunch of stuffed white-shirt-and-tie churchy jerks who believe a preposterous dogma and want everyone to swallow it whole.

I'm an INTJ too. The church certainly didn't work for my personality type. I find trivial conversations to be tiresome, so home teaching and ward activities were always a trial.

I'm an INTP (I actually just took the test again a couple of days ago) and even as a kid I found it hard not to see holes to poke in what I was taught, the whole JS story from his trumped up life story to BS first vision lie and on, etc. As I got older everything just got more and more illogical, intolerable to listen to and the mold I was stuffing myself into was something I no longer could force myself into. By the time I was 16 I stopped attending.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2013 07:18AM by tatertots.

Wants to believe.
Tries to be a good person.
loves god and mankind

Sometimes I'm INTP. Sometimes I'm INTJ. I don't really believe in the Myers-Briggs test though. It's kind of fun though, kind of like "Which Star Trek character are you?"