5 Things To Do If You're Second-Guessing Your Personality Type

While anyone could write off personality tests as just a form you have to fill for work, or a silly pastime from high school days, these reports can also be a powerful self-growth tool. After all, it’s always fun and validating to realize more people see the world in a similar way to you.

But what happens when you start second-guessing your type? While some who take the TypeFinder test accept the results and get on with their life, others agonize over the type they got. Either because it doesn’t feel 100% right or—on the other end of the spectrum—because it feels too uncannily accurate. Have you been second-guessing your type? This article is for you. Keep scrolling to learn our best tips on how you can move on from here.

Why you may be questioning your personality type results

• They seem too accurate to be true: Fitting into one of the 16 personalities can fill you with a sense of reassurance, but you can also wonder whether or not you’ve been too absolute in your answers for the results to be so accurate.

• They seem too inaccurate to who you are: On the other hand, the results you got might not strike a chord with how you perceive yourself.

• You’re getting wildly different results each time: It’s normal to get slightly different results when you take the TypeFinder test. Still, it’s one thing to type as both an INFJ, and INTJ, for example, from typing as an INFJ and ESTP.

5 things you can do when second-guessing your type

1. Run the test when you’re in a different mood

If the results of your TypeFinder report don’t feel right, you can try to run the test when you’re in a different mood. This can be effective for a couple of reasons. First, when completing a personality test, we sometimes answer thinking of how we behave in specific situations. If you’re filling a test for work, for example, your answers might only reflect your work persona, and not how you behave around your friends, and loved ones.

What’s more, some research suggests experiencing low mood, or feelings of sadness, may affect your answers in self-reported personality tests. Cue: biased results. Our tip? Run the test when you’re in a happier mood, and remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Your personality report should reflect who you are, not who you aspire to be.

2. Read around other types to see what else might fit

As validating as fitting into one personality type may be, it’s important to remember personalities are not something set in stone. In fact, your personality can change over time, as you grow older, and as you work on your weaker traits. So, if you’re second-guessing your results, try reading around other types to see what else might fit.

For me, though I’ve always typed as an INFJ, INTJ also appears as a very good match for my answers. For you, it might be something else. By exploring other types, you may end up discovering a particular one with more accurate descriptions of your traits.

3. Have a close friend take the test for you

If you’re questioning your personality type results, having a close friend take the test for you might also be helpful. Maybe you’re being very critical of yourself, which can influence how you answer. A trusted friend might see past your inner critic, and understand you’re being too hard on yourself.

What’s more, to get accurate results in your personality report, you’ll need to be capable of personal insight. And let’s be honest: sometimes we all lack self-awareness, especially when it comes to the more difficult traits of our personalities. If your friend knows you well, they might detect those traits you’d like to pretend that do not exist.

4. Fact-check your answers

As a self-reported test, your TypeFinder report will only be accurate if you answer honestly to the questions. You may feel tempted to trick the system. Maybe you don’t like the stereotype associated with a particular type, or you want to fit into the hip type of the moment. The problem is that, if you’re lying on the test, chances are you won’t get an accurate result.

Conversely, you may not be deliberately cheating on your personality report, but still being careless on your answers. That’s where fact-checking comes in. After getting the results, take a moment to walk through your answers again and see if there’s something you’d change. Sometimes it can feel like someone’s secretly judging your answers—especially if you’re filling this report for work. But the reality is that there’s no right or wrong way to answer, simply what best fits you.

5. Explore your traits further with other personality tests

Finally, you can always further explore your traits with other personality tests, such as the Enneagram, or the Big Five model. In the Enneagram test, you can type as nine different personalities. This system focuses on understanding your core emotions and how they influence your motivations, and fears. The nine Enneagram types are divided into Heart, Head, and Body types.

The Big Five model measures five key personality dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. This model of personality assessment is often considered more reliable as it looks at your main traits, rather than sorting you into a specific type. Both of these tests can be helpful to gain a new perspective and better understand the motivations behind your actions.

The bottom line

There are many reasons why you may be second-guessing your type. Perhaps your results don’t seem to reflect who you are, or, they’re so accurate that you think you might’ve been too absolute in your answers.

If you’re second-guessing your TypeFinder test results, you can always use some of our tips. Have a friend take the test for you, or read around other types to see where you might fit best.

If that doesn’t help either, don’t panic! Remember that your personality type is not something set in stone. Whatever result you may be getting now might change overtime.

Typology can be a great tool for self-discovery, for sure, but it doesn’t define your whole identity. At the end of the day, there’s much more to you than a four letter label.