Based on the work of Myers-Briggs (Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Briggs) and on the personality classifications formulated by Carl Jung, personality style profiles (PSP) help us understand how our personality type affects the way we approach situations and how we may respond or behave and interact with others.
There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ profiles, it is completely non-judgmental, but understanding how personalities are simply ‘different’ to our own, rather than inconsiderate or wrong, can help us to work together.
What are the practical benefits?
Why display our personality types on our emails?
The Artist
ISFPs have an internal focus and deal with ideas according to how they feel about them. They have a strong sense of their own value system. When it comes to dealing with the outside world, they interpret information in a literal and concrete way. With a great appreciation for emotional and physical sensation, ISFPs pay much attention to their five senses.
ISFP behaviour characteristics
An ISFP has a strong appreciation for aesthetics, and many ISFPs are artists in various forms. Their awareness of the senses – and how the external world affects the senses – makes them skilled at creating things that will stir the listener or observer.
ISFPs have a strong set of personal principles that they strive to uphold. They need to feel that their lives and actions match what they feel is right. Anything that doesn’t fit with their value system they will avoid, and this can extend to their careers. An ISFP is likely to choose a job which helps them achieve their personal, value-driven goals.
In personality, ISFPs tend to be quiet and reserved. Many people may have difficulty getting to know them well, as they only share their thoughts and opinions with those they already feel close to. At the same time, an ISFP tends to be a caring person who will deal sensitively with others. They like to feel they are making other people happy, and will put energy into this and other tasks they believe in.
Art and action
Although an ISFP has a tendency toward art and creativity, they’re also likely to enjoy practical tasks. They prefer ‘doing’ to theory; in fact, they may be uncomfortable with theories unless they can see a practical way of applying them. They learn best when the lesson is hands-on. ISFPs quickly become bored when learning via traditional teaching methods, as they don’t like abstract thinking.
The strong value system of an ISFP means that they dislike impersonal decision-making. They rely on their own personal principles when making a judgement call and are uncomfortable with any other way of working.
The ISFP’s unique way of pursuing goals may cause some misunderstanding in others. With such a strong love of life and beauty, an ISFP may come across as light-hearted and carefree to anyone who doesn’t know them well. In reality, an ISFP is a deeply serious person.
Sensitive to others
One of the ISFP’s strengths in a work environment is their awareness of others. They are interested in how other people think and are constantly taking note of specific information to help them understand. Their conclusions are usually very reliable, making them a useful interpreter of other people’s actions.
An ability to understand people is usually coupled with a sympathetic manner in an ISFP. They generally come across as warm and caring. This is supported by their genuine interest in making other people happy. ISFPs are more likely to show their caring through actions than with words.
ISFPs are not comfortable as leaders, as they have no desire to be in control of other people. They also need their own space and so aren’t comfortable being closely led. Their need to conform with their own value system means that ISFPs are often perfectionists.
One of the things an ISFP needs to look out for is a tendency not to give themselves enough credit. They are likely to be unaware that they do things extremely well. Like perfectionists, ISFPs can be unnecessarily harsh on themselves.
An ISFP takes life seriously and life may not always be easy for them. For those around them, however, the special skills of an ISFP makes them a particularly valuable person.