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America's MBTI type?

What type is the United States?

  • ESTP

    Votes: 8 36.4%
  • ESTJ

    Votes: 5 22.7%
  • ESFJ

    Votes: 8 36.4%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 4.5%

  • Total voters
    22

Athenian200

Protocol Droid
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
8,828
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
You might think that it's silly to try and type an entire nation, but I think that there might be some merit in doing so.

The main reason why I'm so interested in doing this, is that I constantly struggle to relate to or understand the perspectives of most other Americans. I tend to find them extremely frustrating in terms of personality. The only time I feel like something works the way it should, is when machines do it, or it involves money. Everything else about dealing with the average person here tends to frustrate me.

I'm interested in understanding WHY I have difficulty relating to so many other people, and what perspective they're all looking at things from that I can't see.

I mean, I had always thought that perhaps I found most people alien in general, but I've found that I end up having the same misunderstandings and issues with the US that those who grew up elsewhere have... which means that there must be some fundamental key missing from my view of the world that prevents me from being in-tune with the way that the people around me operate.

Don't get me wrong... there are plenty of things I like about living here. Freedom of speech, for instance, so that I can whine about things like this. I also like the fact that we're not a third-world country, and have fairly clean drinking water, safe food, and police protection. I like the fact that we have fairly good technological infrastructure, for power, telephone, and Internet access. Finally, I like the fact that we're a fairly wealthy nation with a lot of resources... although, I find it more unbearable here lately because our economy is bad (though I don't imagine it's much better anywhere else). I just don't like the general attitude and character of Americans, and I'm not sure why.

Thus, I'm trying to figure out which function/type I need to meditate on in order to understand my fellow Americans better. All I can tell you is that from a semi-liberal Ni-Fe perspective, it doesn't make sense or look very good.

The three most commonly proposed types for the US are ESTP, ESTJ, and ESFJ.

So, I'm wondering if I need to work on understanding Se, Te, or Si, in order to lessen my frustration and relate better to people.

If you think that the US is another type, please select "other" and explain.

Tell me what type you think it is.
 

Ace_

New member
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
233
MBTI Type
TNT
The most frequent type is ISTJ or ISFJ, right? Sorry, I just can't type a nation, it's dumb to even theorize about it.
 
G

Ginkgo

Guest
america.jpg
 

Perch420

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2011
Messages
381
MBTI Type
NiTi
Enneagram
5w1
Depends on the time period. Its founders were secularists who believed in individual liberty and open government, so its first years were probably INTP. The 1920s were ENTP, the 40's and 50's were ESTJ, the '60s were ENFP, and the '70s ISFP. Society today is so un-homogenized that it's hard to assign a specific type to the whole country. Different areas of the country are different. Even something like New York City is hard to type. Its artistic section is probably INFP, its business sector ENTJ, its working-class neighborhoods ESTP, etc. If I had to type regions of the country, I'd go with INTP for New England, the Northeast states, and the Pacific states, ENFP for California, ISTP for Colorado and the Rockies, ESFJ for the Bible Belt, and ESTJ for the hard south.
 

wildcat

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,622
MBTI Type
INTP
You might think that it's silly to try and type an entire nation, but I think that there might be some merit in doing so.

The main reason why I'm so interested in doing this, is that I constantly struggle to relate to or understand the perspectives of most other Americans. I tend to find them extremely frustrating in terms of personality. The only time I feel like something works the way it should, is when machines do it, or it involves money. Everything else about dealing with the average person here tends to frustrate me.

I'm interested in understanding WHY I have difficulty relating to so many other people, and what perspective they're all looking at things from that I can't see.

I mean, I had always thought that perhaps I found most people alien in general, but I've found that I end up having the same misunderstandings and issues with the US that those who grew up elsewhere have... which means that there must be some fundamental key missing from my view of the world that prevents me from being in-tune with the way that the people around me operate.

Don't get me wrong... there are plenty of things I like about living here. Freedom of speech, for instance, so that I can whine about things like this. I also like the fact that we're not a third-world country, and have fairly clean drinking water, safe food, and police protection. I like the fact that we have fairly good technological infrastructure, for power, telephone, and Internet access. Finally, I like the fact that we're a fairly wealthy nation with a lot of resources... although, I find it more unbearable here lately because our economy is bad (though I don't imagine it's much better anywhere else). I just don't like the general attitude and character of Americans, and I'm not sure why.

Thus, I'm trying to figure out which function/type I need to meditate on in order to understand my fellow Americans better. All I can tell you is that from a semi-liberal Ni-Fe perspective, it doesn't make sense or look very good.

The three most commonly proposed types for the US are ESTP, ESTJ, and ESFJ.

So, I'm wondering if I need to work on understanding Se, Te, or Si, in order to lessen my frustration and relate better to people.

If you think that the US is another type, please select "other" and explain.

Tell me what type you think it is.


I could not vote the way I wanted.
Reason:
America is a country of men and women. On the other hand. The T girls and the F boys constitute a large minority. Therefore the correct answer is ESTJ and ESFJ.
Unfortunately you do not have the option for both of them in your poll query!
However.
Life goes on none the less. The grass is as green as it was yesterday. Do not worry.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Of the options? ESTP, definitely. I know America often gets typed as being SJ, but really - people are so unwilling to sacrifice anything for the good of their country. Americans are so unwilling to be tied down; they're so incredibly independent, and will make themselves heard whenever they think their freedoms are being violated. Especially when you contrast this with many European countries, where people are willing to sacrifice some of their "freedoms" for the benefits that a bigger and more structured government brings. I would think that an SJ country would be less inherently skeptical of authority.

(^ jsyk, I don't mean to be "taking sides", or picking a political fight, with this comment)
 

citizen cane

ornery ornithologist
Joined
Apr 30, 2010
Messages
3,854
MBTI Type
BIRD
Enneagram
631
Instinctual Variant
sp
I live in a heavily conservative area of south central PA. Definitely an SJ culture here, and I would argue to a lesser extent the rest of the US is also SJ, probably ESFJ.
 

Athenian200

Protocol Droid
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
8,828
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
Of the options? ESTP, definitely. I know America often gets typed as being SJ, but really - people are so unwilling to sacrifice anything for the good of their country. Americans are so unwilling to be tied down; they're so incredibly independent, and will make themselves heard whenever they think their freedoms are being violated. Especially when you contrast this with many European countries, where people are willing to sacrifice some of their "freedoms" for the benefits that a bigger and more structured government brings. I would think that an SJ country would be less inherently skeptical of authority.

(^ jsyk, I don't mean to be "taking sides", or picking a political fight, with this comment)

Well, I don't just mean out of the options. You can write in another type in your post, and say "other."

If you really do think ESTP, I would have to agree with you.

My biggest criticism of the US tends to be that we don't pay attention to the future, don't plan things out, and we're so individualistic and competitive that we're not willing to cooperate and actually get anything done. That doesn't sound very SJ, actually. We can be overly traditional, but I don't see any sense of consistency in what we keep and what we don't, where you would with an SJ. Obviously, this is frustrating.

I didn't want to be so quick to assign ESTP, though, because I was hoping I might have at least one or two letters in common.

If the poll goes differently, however... I might reconsider my assumption.
 

Eric B

ⒺⓉⒷ
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
3,621
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
548
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I'd say, administratively, it's ESTJ, and recreationally, it's ESTP. Both, being extraverted, "In Charge" types naturally rise to the top of their respective spheres. But since administration is basically concerned with the survival of the nation (and it's private power bases as well) as a system, it seems that ultimately dominates, even if it falls behind the scenes more as decadence increases.

(Recreationally, ESFP probably seems to fall close behind. ESFJ is not the type of the country at all, but rather would be the more "Father Knows Best" stereotype of the housewife and mother, set largely by men; and thus many of those people back then were just going along with the role and not really that type at all).
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
the south is very ESFJ.

i suppose if i had to choose for the whole nation, i would say ESTP, but just barely so. i think we'd like to be more ESTP than we are.

I just don't like the general attitude and character of Americans, and I'm not sure why.

My biggest criticism of the US tends to be that we don't pay attention to the future, don't plan things out, and we're so individualistic and competitive that we're not willing to cooperate and actually get anything done

lack of J and lack of Fe, maybe?

in truth this may be more easily addressed via other paradigms than MBTI. i just think it's going to be a little hard to understand the paradigm of a conglomeration of people via a system that was not made for a conglomeration of people. because the nation doesn't have function restrictions... there's no reason, if it has a lot of Ti, it can't also have a lot of Fi, which in normal function theory doesn't work out as well... but there's no needed balance. so i think you're not going to see the same patterns with the nation that you would with a person, because there's not the same internal system of checks and balances, so to speak, lol

good luck with it though. i know i'd like to sucker-punch a few american politicians in particular. personally i detest social conservatism and leniency towards big business, so... yeah. i don't get along with a lot of americans based on that.
 

MacGuffin

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
10,710
MBTI Type
xkcd
Enneagram
9w1
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
America is an SJ society that idolizes the SP temperament.
 

Elfboy

Certified Sausage Smoker
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
9,625
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Kansas is ESFJ 6w7, but wanna be ESTP, ESFP and ENFP
- constant gossip
- lots of nagging
- overly concerned about what others think of them
- not rational at all
- extremely reactive
- if you're intellectual, they think you're weird or stuck up
- obsessed with being politically correct
- expect you to feel a certain way about everything, and if you don't, they're offended
- take everything personally
- think you're selfish if you're N, T or Self Preservation at all
- they interpret everything you say in the worst way possible and put words in your mouth
- if you're introverted, they think you're being "anti social" even though they have no idea what either introversion or anti social mean
- they say "it's not about the money" and then turn around and work 50 hours a week... for money
- they think they're being unique by dressing like a hippie and deliberately having terrible fashion sense and then they tell you you're "trying to fit in" when you dress well or actually have a good sense in fashion.
- people think you're weird if you try to have any kind of deep conversation at all
- kind of 7-ish, but get offended if you're too 7-ish
- they try to be unique for the sake of conforming and then tell you you're conforming by not being like them.
- exceedingly clique-ish
- they insist on "being themselves" even though they don't at all and they just want to do so because authority figures and peers want them too
- they are obsessed with their friends
- everything they care about is petty and absolutely worthless

PS: not to bash ESFJs or 6w7s, but America has the worst qualities of both these types
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Well, I don't just mean out of the options. You can write in another type in your post, and say "other."

If you really do think ESTP, I would have to agree with you.

My biggest criticism of the US tends to be that we don't pay attention to the future, don't plan things out, and we're so individualistic and competitive that we're not willing to cooperate and actually get anything done. That doesn't sound very SJ, actually. We can be overly traditional, but I don't see any sense of consistency in what we keep and what we don't, where you would with an SJ. Obviously, this is frustrating.
I agree with you on that. :yes: which is why I'm inclined to say ISFP or INFP. That unwillingness to budge etc. DOES seem very Fi, though, which might be why everyone's saying SJ. But American politics (and foreign policy) seems to be dominated by knee-jerk reactions (based VERY VERY MUCH on the nation version of Fi). I might rule out INFP, though, because America is so action-oriented... meaning my vote, for now, goes with ISFP.
 

Athenian200

Protocol Droid
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
8,828
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
I agree with you on that. :yes: which is why I'm inclined to say ISFP or INFP. That unwillingness to budge etc. DOES seem very Fi, though, which might be why everyone's saying SJ. But American politics (and foreign policy) seems to be dominated by knee-jerk reactions (based VERY VERY MUCH on the nation version of Fi). I might rule out INFP, though, because America is so action-oriented... meaning my vote, for now, goes with ISFP.

Huh. You know, I didn't actually think of IFP, but... that could work. I've historically had more trouble understanding Fi than any other function (my preference for Fe over Fi is strong). Even Te and Se. In any case, I can definitely see xSFP... or even NFP. Yikes, the latter would mean that I have one type of idealism, and America idealizes the opposite of it. That might be tough.

What would be interesting about this, though... is that it means we could be projecting an ENTJ shadow onto the rest of the world, which is why others see us as imperialistic and throwing our weight around when anything bad happens. Because we're acting like BAD ETJs, without any of the positive qualities of those types. And we don't see it in ourselves.
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
:huh:

wait... just because you don't understand one thing, and you don't understand another, doesn't make those things the same. i blow ass at understanding Ti, but that doesn't make everything else i don't understand or like Ti, unless it actually works like Ti.

the US as an ISFP: relatively quiet, aesthetic, original, perceptive, caring, disliking control, and avant garde?
or INFP: a quiet dreamer, imaginative, creative, authentic, ethical, sensitive, and introspective?

do you really think of the US as either of these?

i know i said it once but i feel like this isn't a good way of going about things. you're just taking functions you dislike / don't understand / don't associate with and projecting them onto something else you don't like. i just feel like it's not helpful to make negative associations out of nothing :/
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
the US as an ISFP: relatively quiet, aesthetic, original, perceptive, caring, disliking control, and avant garde?
or INFP: a quiet dreamer, imaginative, creative, authentic, ethical, sensitive, and introspective?

do you really think of the US as either of these?
Good point. Whoops! Sorry about that.

I still think the US is an Fi type, because of the knee-jerk reactions I explained earlier. Maybe an irrational ESTJ. Maybe even ENFP?
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
no it's ok! i didn't mean to jump on you or athenian, it was just a Fi "wait-that's-not-quite-right" thing, lol :)

haha, that same knee-jerk thing you were talking about actually... i do see what you mean with that. it's a sort of identity-defense thing, and i agree that the US is strong in terms of defending its identity in some ways... though it's interesting to me, because we have more of a "fighting spirit" than a deep-rooted culture, you know?

how do you feel about ESTJ? i have a hard time seeing the US as ENFP because it's not always very Ne-friendly. some cities are, certainly - NYC i think might well be - but a lot of more conservative social stuff is inhibitory for Ne. to be honest, i have a hard time characterizing the US as a whole as anything, really. it's just so different in different places, and to different groups of people. but, such is the curse of Ne - not much skill at narrowing down :)
 

Athenian200

Protocol Droid
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
8,828
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
:huh:

wait... just because you don't understand one thing, and you don't understand another, doesn't make those things the same. i blow ass at understanding Ti, but that doesn't make everything else i don't understand or like Ti, unless it actually works like Ti.

the US as an ISFP: relatively quiet, aesthetic, original, perceptive, caring, disliking control, and avant garde?
or INFP: a quiet dreamer, imaginative, creative, authentic, ethical, sensitive, and introspective?

do you really think of the US as either of these?

i know i said it once but i feel like this isn't a good way of going about things. you're just taking functions you dislike / don't understand / don't associate with and projecting them onto something else you don't like. i just feel like it's not helpful to make negative associations out of nothing :/

I said xSFP, I believe. I was actually leaning more towards ESFP, because that could be justified as easily as ESTP, I suppose. I just wasn't completely ruling out the IFP types.

And I don't want to make negative associations out of nothing, I want to make negative associations out of something. Which means... I really want to figure out which function it resembles. I'm just having trouble finding clarity on the subject.
 
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