What are the 8 personality types according to Carl Jung?

The Short Answer

Carl Jung described eight personality types in his 1921 book Psychological Types. Each one pairs an attitude (extraversion or introversion) with a dominant function (thinking, feeling, sensation or intuition):

1. Extraverted Thinking
2. Introverted Thinking
3. Extraverted Feeling
4. Introverted Feeling
5. Extraverted Sensation
6. Introverted Sensation
7. Extraverted Intuition
8. Introverted Intuition

In modern MBTI writing, these are often shortened to Te, Ti, Fe, Fi, Se, Si, Ne and Ni and called “cognitive functions.” The rest of this article explains what each type is like and how they connect to the 16 Myers-Briggs types.

How Jung Arrived at Eight

Jung saw two basic directions of interest: outward toward the world (extraversion) and inward toward one’s own experience (introversion). He also saw four basic functions of consciousness. Two of them take in information: sensation and intuition. The other two evaluate it: thinking and feeling. Two attitudes times four functions gives eight combinations.

In Jung’s account, a person’s most developed function sets the tone. The function opposite it in the same pair is the inferior function, which tends to stay undeveloped and can behave in primitive or exaggerated ways under pressure. For the wider theory, see our article on Carl Jung’s psychological types.

The Eight Types

The sketches below summarise Jung’s descriptions in plain language. Jung was mostly describing strongly one-sided versions of each type, so real people usually look more balanced.

Extraverted Thinking

Thinking oriented by objective facts and outside standards. These people like to organise the world according to clear, logical rules and expect those rules to apply to everyone. At their best they are effective planners and administrators. Jung warned that they can become rigid and dismissive of anything that doesn’t fit their formula. Inferior function: introverted feeling.

Introverted Thinking

Thinking oriented by the inner logic of ideas. These people are less interested in outside facts for their own sake than in building a consistent framework that explains them. They often seem reserved and independent, and they may struggle to make their ideas understood or to “sell” them. Jung counted himself in this type. Inferior function: extraverted feeling.

Extraverted Feeling

Feeling oriented by shared, outside values. These people tune in easily to what a situation or group considers appropriate, and they tend to create warmth and smooth social relationships. Jung noted that taken to an extreme, their feelings can seem to follow convention rather than personal conviction. Inferior function: introverted thinking.

Introverted Feeling

Feeling oriented by deep, private values. Jung described this type as often quiet and hard to read, summed up in his phrase “still waters run deep.” These people hold strong convictions about what matters but rarely announce them. They may seem cool on the surface while feeling intensely inside. Inferior function: extraverted thinking. Our explainer on Introverted Feeling (Fi) covers how this function shows up in MBTI types.

Extraverted Sensation

Sensation oriented by concrete, outside experience. These people are realistic, present-focused and often enjoy physical activity, food, beauty and sensory experiences in general. They respond quickly to what is in front of them. At an extreme, Jung thought they could chase stimulation for its own sake. Inferior function: introverted intuition.

Introverted Sensation

Sensation oriented by the inner impression that an experience leaves. Two people can see the same thing, and for this type the subjective impression it makes, often tied to memory and past experience, matters more than the object itself. These people can seem calm and self-contained. Inferior function: extraverted intuition.

Extraverted Intuition

Intuition oriented toward possibilities in the outside world. These people are drawn to new prospects, projects and people, and they can lose interest once a situation becomes settled and predictable. Jung saw them as natural initiators who may not stay to finish what they start. Inferior function: introverted sensation. More on this function in our Fi and Ne explainer.

Introverted Intuition

Intuition oriented toward inner images and patterns. Jung associated this type with visionaries, mystics and some artists. They perceive meaning in the background of events and can be very insightful, but they may seem detached from practical reality. Inferior function: extraverted sensation.

How the Eight Map onto MBTI Types

The MBTI turned Jung’s eight types into 16 by building the auxiliary function into the type code. Each Jungian type therefore corresponds to two MBTI types that share the same dominant function:

If you know your four-letter type, you can look up which of Jung’s types it’s based on. The other two letters of your MBTI code then point to your auxiliary function. For how the 16 types are organised, see Myers-Briggs personality types explained.

Reading Jung’s Descriptions With Care

A few cautions help keep Jung’s eight types in perspective:

• They are tendencies, not boxes. Jung said everyone has access to both attitudes and all four functions. Types describe which one leads, not which ones are missing.
• The portraits are extremes. Many of Jung’s descriptions show what happens when a function becomes very one-sided. They aren’t flattering, and they weren’t meant to be.
• They weren’t tested statistically. Jung built his types from clinical observation. They are best treated as an interpretive framework, not a scientifically measured classification.
• Jung didn’t rank them. He didn’t say which type was most common or rarest. Rarity claims come from later MBTI data.