You took the MBTI® assessment five years ago at work and got INFJ. Last week, out of curiosity, you took it again—this time online—and it said ENFP. Confused? You’re not alone. Many people wonder if their personality type can change over time. If your results shift, does that mean you’ve changed as a person? Has your introversion melted into extraversion? Or has your once orderly Judging preference relaxed into Perceiving chaos?
Short answer to the question, does my personality type change over time?: No—your core type doesn’t change.
According to Jungian psychology and the foundation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), we are born with an innate personality type. This type doesn’t change. What does change is how we express that type and develop other aspects of our personality over time.
So why might your MBTI results vary? And what does that say about your self-awareness, growth, and environment? Let’s dig deeper.
1. Why MBTI results sometimes change
There are several reasons your results might vary from one assessment to the next—even if your personality hasn’t truly changed.
A. Life context and environment
Where you are in life plays a big role. If you’ve recently taken on a leadership role, become a parent, or moved abroad, you may be drawing more on functions that aren’t your natural preferences. For instance, an introvert may behave more like an extravert at work because the job demands it.
B. Stress and external pressures
Under stress, people often shift into behaviors that aren’t typical of their type. A normally thoughtful, future-oriented INTJ might become overly detail-focused and reactive under pressure—showing behaviors more associated with their inferior functions.
C. Taking a free online test
Not all tests are created equal. While free online versions can be fun and give a rough estimate, they often lack the reliability and validity of the official MBTI assessment. Additionally, these tests are self-reported, which means your current mood, self-perception, or even your aspirations can influence your answers.
D. Confusion about preferences
Some people score close to the middle on one or more scales (like E/I or T/F), especially if they’ve developed both sides of that preference. In those cases, it’s helpful to work with a certified MBTI-practitioner or explore MBTI Step II, which breaks down each letter into five subfacets, offering more clarity.
2. How personality develops over time
Carl Jung described personality development as a lifelong journey. We don’t stay static. Instead, we grow into our personality type, starting with our dominant and auxiliary functions and slowly integrating the others.
Here’s a simplified timeline based on Jungian theory:
- Childhood & adolescence: your dominant function leads. It feels natural and strong.
- Young adulthood: you begin developing your auxiliary function, learning to balance yourself.
- Midlife: often a turning point. Many people begin exploring their tertiary function—one that was underused earlier.
- Later life: integration of the inferior function, bringing a fuller and more flexible personality.
This development can look like a type change, but it’s really an unfolding of who you’ve been all along. You’re not switching types—you’re accessing different tools in your psychological toolbox.
3. What to do if you’re unsure about your type
If you’re getting inconsistent results or don’t feel connected to your type, here are some steps to help:
- Talk to an MBTI Certified Practitioner
- They can guide you beyond the basic four letters and help you reflect on your true preferences, using both results and real-life examples.
- Explore MBTI Step II
- This more detailed version examines 20 facets of your personality. It’s great for people who feel “in between” types or want a more nuanced understanding of how they show up in different situations.
- Reflect on your behavior over time
- Ask yourself: how did I behave as a child? What traits have felt consistent, no matter the setting? Where do I feel most like myself?
- Avoid overidentifying with labels
MBTI is a helpful tool, not a box to live in. It’s not meant to limit you, but to increase your self-awareness and help you grow.
4. Why it matters to know your true type
Understanding your MBTI type is more than just a fun fact for your LinkedIn bio. It helps you:
- Communicate more clearly
- Understand and resolve conflict
- Choose roles or environments that suit you
- Manage stress more effectively
- Build better teams
Especially in today’s remote and fast-changing world, having a deep understanding of how you think, decide, and interact can be a powerful asset.
5. Final thoughts: Growth ≠ Change
Just because you’re growing, doesn’t mean you’re changing your personality type. Growth is about expansion, not replacement.
As you age and face different life challenges, your personality will mature and adapt, but your core preferences remain steady. Rather than being limited to one way of being, MBTI shows how we evolve into richer, more flexible versions of ourselves.
So next time you see your MBTI results shift slightly, take a breath. It’s not your identity in crisis—it’s just another step in your development journey.
