Where do the 16 personalities’ blind spots come from?
In MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator), each of the 16 personalities has a blind spot. For those familiar with the cognitive functions of the personality types, it is the seventh cognitive function aka the “trickster” or “PoLR”. This is the aspect that your mind pays least attention to and thus has the lowest awareness, hence “blind”. Recently, I have seen several examples of how people reframe this unawareness as an inner strength that they possess. In fact, they brag about how they don’t need it. Below is a list of each of the MBTI 16 personalities’ blind spot and how they use it as a strength.
ENTJ/ENFJ-
Si blind spot strengths
- Sacrifice their comfort for their goals/the grind.
- Able to function on little sleep and rest when on a mission.
- Not tied to a routine or the way things have been done in the past.
- “F* your comfort zone.”- They get Goggins level drive.
- Free to move forward.
ESFP/ENFP-
Ti spot blind strengths
- Don’t try to make sense out of things.
- Can follow passions and dreams without being troubled by the sense of it or overthinking it.
- Can act on what feels right.
- Free to be who they truly are.
ESTP/ENTP-
Fi blind spot strengths
- Don’t let their mood or what feels right in the moment hold them back.
- Not limited by their beliefs or feelings about a subject.
- Unrestricted in exploring topics and ideas.
- Free to explore and do what makes sense.
INTP/INFP-
Se blind spot strengths
- Not bound by the physical reality of the world.
- Find the possible in the impossible.
- Don’t have to engage physically in an experience.
- Free to imagine.
ISFJ/INFJ-
Te blind spot strengths
- Not subject group think
- Don’t systematize in areas that deserve emotional care- don’t see people in terms of numbers
- Find their own understanding and think for themselves
- Free to harmonize and create peace
INTJ/ISTJ-
Fe blind spot strengths
- Not bound by social norms and ok with stirring things up
- Don’t care about being relatable to others
- Not worried about what’s popular, only about what they like
- Free to create impartial efficiencies
ISTP/ISFP-
Ne blind spot strengths
- Not impeded by thinking about things that may never happen
- No need to bury themselves in the hypothetical “what ifs”
- Able to cross that bridge when they get there
- Free to focus on the present reality
ESTJ/ESFJ-
Ni blind spot strengths
- Aware that no one really know what will happen or where life will take them
- More open to possibilities of life and happy accidents
- Don’t get tunnel vision on singular desired future outcome
- Free to maintain a system based on what has been done in the past
Understanding our blind spots is key not only to self-awareness but in understanding that others process information in a totally different way than we do. If we have opposite blind spots, it can seem like we can’t understand each other’s perspectives. Having this knowledge can help us build healthier relationships through empathy for the other’s perspective. If you don’t know your MBTI type, take our free MBTI quiz or read more about the types in relationships. Also, try our free dating and friendship app based on personality type compatibility!
