The Myers-Briggs® Personality Types as Things in Nature

Sometimes, the best way to understand someone is to connect them to the world around us. Nature speaks in metaphors, and the MBTI® types fit right in with its wild, unpredictable beauty. Are you more of a wildflower or an ocean wave? Let’s find out!

Not sure what your personality type is? Take our new personality questionnaire here. Or you can take the official MBTI® here.

INTJ – The Glacier

INTJs are glaciers: slow-moving but absolutely unstoppable. They may seem distant and unreadable, but over time they can change the entire landscape. When they get a goal, they will literally reshape their entire world to make it come to fruition. When setbacks occur, they brace themselves and keep following their vision (sometimes to their own detriment). They might not be the best party pals (you mean our unintentional glare isn’t charming?), but they’re always looking ahead, thinking of ways to get stronger through integrating more insights and taking on more intellectual challenges.

INTJs want to synthesize everything they know into one big accomplishment. This drives them towards constant self-mastery and progress. If it’s challenging that makes it all the more satisfying. Glaciers don’t waste energy trying to be puddles. They’re deliberate, steady, and usually more interested in where they’re going than whether anyone notices

The Gift: You can stay focused on a distant goal long after the initial excitement has worn off. You’re willing to move slowly if you believe you’re moving somewhere worthwhile.

Watch Out For: Staying committed because you’ve already invested so much time and energy, even when the destination no longer fits your life in some meaningful way.

Try This: Pick one long-term goal you’re working toward. Ask yourself: If I were starting from scratch today, would I still choose this?

You might also enjoy: Here’s Which Lord of the Rings Character You’d Be, Based On Your Personality Type

ENTJ – The Volcano

If the INTJ is the slow, patient glacier, the ENTJ is the volcano that erupts and reshapes the world right now. They marshal all their resources towards progress, change, and evolution. ENTJs have a way of creating forward momentum wherever they go. Give them a goal worth pursuing and they’ll start organizing resources, solving bottlenecks, and figuring out how to get from here to there faster.

ENTJs are quick, they’re decisive, and they’re not afraid to confront important issues to make big changes in the world. They boldly and consistently pursue mastery, using strategic thinking to pave the way towards goals that would make certain other types fold over with exhaustion. As the daughter of an ENTJ, I’ve seen this over and over again. Some people love it, some people find it a little too intimidating so I think volcano fits perfectly.

The Gift: You create movement. When something isn’t working, you’re good at finding the obstacle, gathering resources, and getting things moving again.

Watch Out For: Getting so focused on progress that you start treating every delay, disagreement, or inefficient person like another obstacle to overcome.

Try This: Find one area where you’ve been pushing hard for results. Ask: Does this need more force, or would something else work better?

INTP – The Nebula

INTPs remind me of nebulae: strange clouds of seemingly unrelated material where, somehow, new things keep forming. They’re the people who sit quietly in the corner, thinking about the mysteries of the universe while you’re over here trying to figure out where you left your phone.

One INTP I worked with had this incredible talent for connecting ideas I’d never have put together in a million years. Talking to him was like watching someone knit the universe out of string theory, philosophy, and random tidbits about frog biology. Of course, sometimes those connections stayed in his head. INTPs are great at imagining stars—they’re not always in a rush to make them real. But when they do it’s pretty impressive.

The Gift: Your mind can connect things that don’t appear connected at first. Given enough freedom to explore, you can arrive at ideas and explanations other people wouldn’t have thought of.

Watch Out For: Letting fascinating ideas remain fascinating ideas forever because refining the theory feels more interesting than testing it.

Try This: Choose one idea you’ve been thinking about for a while and do something that forces it into reality. Test it, build it, explain it, write it down, or show it to somebody.

You might also enjoy: Here’s the Normal Thing You Can’t Stand, Based On Your Personality Type

ENTP – The Lightning

ENTPs are nature’s chaos: lightning bolts that strike with no warning and leave everyone buzzing. They’re quick thinkers, fast talkers, and even faster movers. If you’ve ever been in a brainstorming session with an ENTP, you know their tornado of ideas, most of which are genius, and a few that are… less so.

As an INTJ I can only watch in bewilderment and wonder as I try to come up with something…ANYTHING…in the rapid-fire deluge of their ideas. It can be simultaneously inspiring and intimidating.

One ENTP client came to me frustrated because their boss “didn’t appreciate their brilliance.” Honestly, their brilliance was so much that it was overwhelming. They’d throw out 15 ideas in a meeting before anyone could finish processing the first one. That’s the lightning quality I associate with ENTPs. One idea sparks another, which sparks five more, and everyone else is still trying to remember what the original question was.

The Gift: One possibility sparks another in your mind. You can quickly see alternatives, loopholes, connections, and completely different ways of approaching a problem.

Watch Out For: Moving on to the next interesting possibility before you’ve given the last one enough time to become anything.

Try This: Keep track of the ideas that excite you this week. At the end of the week, choose one that still interests you and take it one step further.

INFJ – The Aurora Borealis

INFJs remind me of the Northern Lights. There’s something difficult to pin down about them. They can be friendly and expressive while still leaving you with the distinct impression that there’s an entire part of their inner world you haven’t seen yet.

INFJs tend to spend a lot of time asking what things mean. Where is this going? What’s happening underneath the obvious explanation? What does this say about people, life, or the future? That tendency to look beyond what’s immediately happening can make them insightful, although it can also make it annoyingly difficult for them to just experience something without analyzing it. There’s a reason they’re called the “Mystics” of the personality world—forever questing after the deeper truths, the big picture, the mysteries that make life worth living. While so many other people exist in the here-and-now (which isn’t a bad thing), INFJs are already several layers down the line wondering what it all means.

The Gift: You naturally look beneath what’s happening and ask what it means, where it’s leading, and what larger pattern might be taking shape.

Watch Out For: Looking for meaning so relentlessly that you have trouble truly enjoying the moment you’re in right now.

Try This: The next time you catch yourself analyzing what something means, give yourself five minutes to stop interpreting it. Just notice what’s actually happening.

Find out more: Here’s What Gives You a Sense of Magic and Meaning, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type

ENFJ – The Sun

ENFJs remind me of the sun because their energy tends to spread outward. They’re usually tracking the emotional temperature of the people around them, getting people involved, checking who has been left out, and trying to get everyone moving in the same direction. Their warmth is almost palpable, their empathy drawing people in and creating a wider circle of intimacy.

One ENFJ client of mine organized a fundraiser for a struggling family, and by the end of the day, she had half the town involved. Like every other ENFJ I’ve known, she was pulling people into her orbit. ENFJs burn bright, and you can’t help but absorb some of their warmth when you’re in their presence.

The Gift: You notice the emotional atmosphere around you and instinctively think about how people can be included, encouraged, or brought together.

Watch Out For: Becoming so aware of what everyone else needs from you that you lose track of what you actually think, want, or have energy for.

Try This: Before agreeing to something this week, pause and ask: If nobody were disappointed by my answer, what would I choose?

INFP – The Willow Tree

INFPs are like willows: quiet, unassuming, but vital in ways most people don’t notice at first glance. They offer shelter to the overlooked and forgotten, standing tall for the underdogs when the world feels too harsh. Like a willow with its roots digging deep into the soil, INFPs hold tight to their values, bending when life gets tough but never breaking.

For an INFP, life is a constant search for hidden truths; the “why” behind people’s actions, the layers beneath the surface. They want to understand, to connect, to dig deep into the moral questions most of us only skim over. Right and wrong, good and evil, these are puzzles to unravel. INFPs need relationships that feel authentic, built on integrity and genuine intention. Like willows stabilizing the banks of a rushing creek, they offer quiet strength to the marginalized and vilified, standing firm even when the current tries to drag them down. Sure, they’re soft, but don’t mistake that for weakness! They’re unyielding when it matters most.

The Gift: You have an internal sense of what matters to you, and you’re willing to hold onto it even when the people around you don’t understand.

Watch Out For: Becoming so protective of what something should be that reality has a hard time measuring up.

Try This: Think of something that’s bothering you. Separate it into two questions: What value of mine is being touched here? and What can I realistically do about it?

You might also enjoy: Here’s Your Secret Strength, Based On Your Personality Type

ENFP – The Wildflower Meadow

I spent a lot of time trying to think about ENFPs and what I’d choose for them. Then I was watching a Studio Ghibli movie and I saw a wildflower meadow and it all clicked. ENFPs are vivid, untamed, and full of surprises. They pop up in unexpected places, bringing joy and life to everything around them. Spend five minutes with an ENFP, and you’ll feel like the world is bigger, brighter, and somehow full of magic.

One ENFP I worked with talked about their constant need for change. “I get bored,” they said, half-laughing, half-exasperated with themselves. “I just want to see everything and do everything all at once!” Being around an ENFP just feels like it opens up new possibilities; you start to see opportunities you never noticed before. Just like a wildflower meadow can inspire you with its variety and beauty, the ENFP can inspire you by opening up new ideas.

The Gift: You see possibilities everywhere. A conversation, idea, person, book, or random thought can suddenly open up an entirely new direction.

Watch Out For: Mistaking the excitement of discovering a possibility for evidence that you actually want to pursue it and leave another one behind.

Try This: Notice which idea keeps coming back after the initial excitement fades. Instead of chasing the newest possibility, give the returning one some attention.

ISTJ – The Mountain

ISTJs are like mountains: powerful, reliable, and commanding respect. They may not flash like lightning or explode like a volcano, but they still make a huge impact. You know they’re there, holding everything steady.

I remember an ISTJ client who managed a team at work. He kind of hated it, to be honest, because it involved so much people-ing (yuck!). But he was good at it. He didn’t want praise or attention; he just wanted the systems to run efficiently and everyone to feel generally satisfied with the direction they were headed. When things went sideways, he was the rock everyone leaned on, calmly working through every detail (as long as he had ample time alone in his office to focus). Mountains don’t crumble under pressure, and neither do ISTJs. They’re planful, prepared, and responsible until a task is 100% completed at its best.

The Gift: You create stability through preparation, consistency, and attention to what needs to be done. When things become chaotic, you’re often the person still keeping track of reality.

Watch Out For: Confusing steadiness with staying exactly where you are. Sometimes the sensible plan really does need to change.

Try This: Look at one routine, rule, or method you rely on. Ask yourself: Is this still helping me, or am I doing it this way because this is how I’ve always done it?

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ESTJ – The Redwood Forest

ESTJs are redwood forests: awe-inspiring, enduring, and an essential part of their ecosystem. These towering giants create entire communities beneath their canopy, providing structure and stability for countless forms of life. These giant trees have withstood over a millennium of droughts, floods, pests, and fire.  And they capture more carbon dioxide (CO2) than any other tree on earth! Just like redwoods, ESTJs at their best protect communities and provide consistency and protection so that the world is a more responsible place.

For the ESTJ, hard work is an essential part of life; not something to shirk off or avoid. Like the roots of a redwood, their efforts run deep, anchoring their vision and pulling people into their carefully constructed systems. They believe in order and progress, and while they can seem tough and blunt at times, they’re also the ones throwing barbecues for the neighborhood or rallying the family for an annual camping trip.

The Gift: You’re good at creating structures that allow things to actually function, whether that’s a household, team, project, tradition, or community.

Watch Out For: Taking responsibility for so much that you become frustrated when everyone else doesn’t work with the same urgency or standards you do.

Try This: Identify one responsibility you’ve automatically taken ownership of. Ask: Does this actually need to be mine?

You might also enjoy: Here’s What Makes You Angry, Based On Your Personality Type

ISFJ – The River

ISFJs remind me of rivers because so much of what they do happens through repetition. They remember what people need, keep routines going, notice when something has changed, and handle a hundred little things that become very noticeable when nobody does them. Like a river flowing through the world, creating opportunities for plants to grow and people to flourish, ISFJs take care of their communities, homes, and friendships in a gentle nourishing way.

I have an ISFJ friend who has spent years caring for her elderly parents, raising her kids, and volunteering at her local food bank. She didn’t see it as extraordinary. “It’s just what you do,” she shrugged, like she wasn’t the human embodiment of kindness. But rivers need care too. They’re resilient, yes, but over time, even rivers can run dry. ISFJs may not ask for help, but they need it just as much as the rest of us. So if you have an ISFJ in your life take this as a reminder to check in on them; send a text, bring them some coffee, or just ask them how they’re really doing.

The Gift: You keep important things flowing. You remember what people need, notice changes, maintain routines, and take care of countless details that make everyday life work.

Watch Out For: Becoming so accustomed to being dependable that other people stop noticing how much they’re depending on you.

Try This: Think about something you regularly do for other people. Ask yourself: Do I still want to do this, or have I reached the point where everyone assumes I will?

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ESFJ – The Coral Reef

ESFJs are the coral reefs of the personality world: colorful, lively, and essential for creating unified communities. Coral reefs support 25% of all marine life despite covering less than 1% of the ocean floor, and I think this is a perfect metaphor for how ESFJs manage to touch the lives of so many people, bringing disparate groups together and building relationships. Every ESFJ I know seems to build a safe haven for their friends and family; a place where everyone can feel free to share their stories, their jokes, or their hardships.

Coral reefs act as natural barriers, protecting coastlines from storms, just as ESFJs shield their loved ones from life’s chaos. Sensitive to their environment, reefs flourish in healthy waters but suffer when neglected. Like the reefs, ESFJs need appreciation and support to thrive. Like a coral reef, their warmth, supportiveness, and consistency leave a lasting impact on everyone lucky enough to be part of their world.

The Gift: You create places where people can belong. You’re often aware of relationships, traditions, practical needs, and the little gestures that keep people connected.

Watch Out For: Becoming so invested in keeping the social ecosystem healthy that another person’s distance, disagreement, or lack of appreciation feels more personal than it is.

Try This: Notice one thing you’re doing to maintain harmony this week. Ask: Am I doing this because I genuinely want to, or because I’m uncomfortable with what might happen if I don’t?

Read this next: The Helpfulness of Every Personality Type

ISTP – The Cave

ISTPs are like caves: cool, quiet, and full of hidden wonders you’d never expect from the outside. On the surface, they seem calm and unassuming, but step into their world, and it’s a whole different story. Inside, they’re constantly taking apart, refining, and reworking their thoughts, like nature shaping stalactites over centuries. While you might pass by a cave without noticing it, there’s often hidden wonders inside. Similarly, with ISTPs there’s usually more going on inside than you’d guess from standing at the entrance. They can be so reserved until you hit on something they’ve been analyzing, building, fixing, or trying to understand. Then suddenly you’re getting a twenty-minute explanation of exactly why the thing works the way it does.

I had an ISTP friend once who barely spoke during the first few times we hung out. It felt like standing at the mouth of a cave, not sure what I’d find inside. But then they started sharing their thought process, and it was like stumbling into a hidden cavern of insights no one else could see. They spotted details others missed and pieced together solutions with this ingenuity that boggled my mind. But, true to ISTP form, they didn’t let just anyone into that space. Independence is their air, their water, their everything. They need freedom to follow their hunches, act on their gut, and tinker with their ideas in peace.

The Gift: You have a rich internal workshop where you’re constantly taking things apart, testing them, and figuring out how they work.

Watch Out For: Keeping so much of your thinking private that people have no idea what you’re working through, what you need, or how much you’ve already figured out.

Try This: Pick something you’ve been privately thinking about and explain your reasoning to someone you trust. Notice what becomes clearer once you have to put it into words.

ESTP – The Rapids

ESTPs are like rapids: thrilling, fast-moving, and guaranteed to get your heart racing. They tend to pay attention to what’s possible right now. They’re constantly scanning the situation: What can I use? Where’s the opening? Is that rule actually enforceable? What happens if I try this?

Living with an ESTP is like strapping into a white-water raft and hearing, “Hang on tight!” right before you hit the first drop. Trust me, I would know—I’m married to an ESTP. There’s no pursuit too daring, no limit too firm for him to find a way around (or through). They can be both terrifying and fun in equal measure, just like, well…a rapids.

For ESTPs, life is about seizing the moment and keeping their options open. They thrive at the edge, where the adrenaline flows and the stakes are high. They’re like environmental detectives, always scanning their surroundings for opportunities, openings, and the occasional shortcut. Constraints? Those are just puzzles waiting to be solved.

The Gift: You notice what’s happening now. You can spot openings, resources, weaknesses, and opportunities quickly and respond without needing three days to formulate a plan.

Watch Out For: Becoming so good at dealing with whatever happens next that you don’t spend much time asking what happens after next.

Try This: Before jumping on one tempting opportunity this week, ask yourself: And then what? Follow the likely consequences two or three steps further than you normally would.

ISFP – Ocean Waves

ISFPs remind me of ocean waves because they’re responsive and can go from peaceful to intense in a short matter of time. I feel like people tend to misunderstand them. They can seem calm and pleasant and easy to walk beside, but if you do something that violates their values or you back a system that oppresses others, they can quickly become fighters.

Do you think you could box in a wave? Yeah, good luck boxing in an ISFP either. These types are individualistic, with a passion for following their heart, even if it means going against the grain. ISFPs often underestimate their own impact, but like waves, they’re constantly reshaping the shore.

The Gift: You’re responsive. You take in what’s happening around you and adapt without automatically surrendering your individuality in the process.

Watch Out For: Resisting structure simply because it feels restrictive, even when a little structure would make it easier to pursue something that matters deeply to you.

Try This: Pick something you genuinely care about accomplishing. Give it one small piece of structure: a deadline, a schedule, a checklist, or a concrete next step. See whether the structure actually limits you or helps you.

Find out more: The ISFP Cognitive Functions: A Guide

ESFP – The Rainbow

ESFPs are rainbows: bright, dazzling, and turning an ordinary day into something you want to capture and remember forever. Their personalities are colorful, optimistic, and they invite everyone to tune out distractions and just look and fully experience the beauty of the moment.

An ESFP client once told me her life goal was to make everything fun. And she meant everything, whether it was grocery shopping or cleaning her house. She’d blast her favorite songs and dance with her kids while folding laundry, redecorate her entire home with dollar tree supplies for her kids’ birthdays, and take all summer to travel around the country with a tent and a sense of adventure. ESFPs have this way of making the ordinary feel extraordinary. But like rainbows, they sometimes disappear just when you’re enjoying the view. It’s not intentional, though, they’re just exploring the next exciting pursuit.

The Gift: You notice what makes life worth experiencing. You can bring energy and immediacy into ordinary moments and remind people to actually participate in the life happening around them.

Watch Out For: Following what feels interesting right now so readily that less exciting but important things keep getting pushed into tomorrow.

Try This: Take one boring thing you’ve been avoiding and make the experience itself better. Put on music, invite someone along, change the environment, turn it into a challenge. Instead of waiting to feel motivated, see if you can create some energy around it.

Read this next: 10 Things ESFPs Look For in a Relationship

What Are Your Thoughts?

Do you agree with your choice? Do you have any other insights, ideas, or opinions? Let us know in the comments!

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!