How to read these rankings
Trait rankings like “the friendliest MBTI type” are fun, but they come from type theory, stereotypes and community opinion rather than hard measurement. The MBTI sorts preferences. It doesn’t score how friendly, sensitive or difficult anyone is.
There’s some useful research in the background, though. Studies comparing the MBTI with the Big Five personality traits have found fairly consistent links:
- Extraversion–Introversion lines up with Big Five extraversion.
- Sensing–Intuition lines up with openness to experience, with Intuitive types scoring higher on openness.
- Thinking–Feeling lines up with agreeableness, with Feeling types scoring higher.
- Judging–Perceiving lines up with conscientiousness, with Judging types scoring higher.
The Big Five trait neuroticism, a tendency toward negative emotions and stress, has no matching MBTI letter. That matters for any ranking of “sensitivity” or “difficulty.”
Keep in mind that individuals vary far more than types do. A mature, emotionally healthy person of any type can be warm, open and easy to get along with.
The friendliest MBTI types
People usually name Feeling types, especially those with Extraverted Feeling, as the friendliest. Extraverted Feeling is a function focused on harmony and on how other people feel.
- ESFJ: warm, welcoming and attentive to manners and social comfort. Truity’s ranking of the most polite types puts ESFJ first.
- ENFJ: encouraging and tuned in to what people need. Often described as a natural “giver.”
- ENFP: enthusiastic and accepting, quick to make people feel interesting.
- ESFP: fun-loving and generous with attention, focused on everyone having a good time.
- ISFJ: quieter, but kind and loyal, showing care through practical help.
INFJ and INFP often top lists of the kindest types too, though their warmth is more selective and private than it is outgoing.
Which MBTI is the most likeable?
Likeability usually combines warmth with ease in social situations, so ESFJ, ENFJ and ENFP come up most often. Being liked by many people isn’t the same as being a good friend, though. Quieter types can be just as loyal and caring, even if fewer people get to see it.
The most sensitive MBTI types
Rankings of sensitivity usually put Intuitive–Feeling types and ISFJ at the top.
- INFJ: deeply empathetic and very aware of emotional undercurrents. INFJs often describe absorbing other people’s moods.
- INFP: intensely value-driven, easily hurt by harshness or cruelty, though they may keep their feelings private.
- ISFJ: compassionate and conflict-averse, often taking criticism to heart.
- ISFP: gentle and emotionally attuned, sensitive to atmosphere and beauty as well as feelings.
- ENFJ and ENFP: highly responsive to others, though their outgoing style can hide how much they feel.
“Sensitive” can mean several things: empathetic, easily hurt, or sensitive to sensory input. The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) concept, developed by psychologist Elaine Aron, is a separate trait that can show up in any type, though it may be reported more often among introverted and Feeling types.
Which MBTI has the least empathy?
None. Every type can be empathetic, and empathy is not something the MBTI measures. Thinking types, particularly ENTJ, ESTJ, INTJ and ISTP, often get labeled “least empathetic,” mostly because they tend to lead with logic and may show care through problem-solving rather than emotional expression. A real lack of empathy has to do with the individual, not the type.
The most open-minded MBTI types
This ranking has the strongest research behind it, because Intuition correlates with the Big Five trait of openness to experience.
- ENTP: loves debating, trying out new ideas and questioning assumptions.
- ENFP: curious about people and possibilities, open to many ways of living.
- INTP: open to ideas and theories, willing to revise views when the logic is good.
- INFP: accepting of different values and identities.
- INFJ and INTJ: open to big-picture ideas, though often firm once they’ve reached a conclusion.
All four of the top types use Extraverted Intuition as a dominant or auxiliary function, which type theory describes as constantly scanning for new possibilities and connections.
Even open-minded types have firm spots. INFPs and ISFPs can be unbending about their values, and INTPs and ENTPs about the logic of their position.
Types that lead with structure and tradition, especially ISTJ and ESTJ, are usually ranked least open-minded. A fairer description is that they prefer proven methods and want strong evidence before changing course, which is a strength in many settings.
The most difficult MBTI types
No single type is “most difficult.” Who you find difficult depends mostly on how different their style is from yours. Even so, a few types come up again and again:
- INTJ: often seen as hard to relate to, because they can come across as blunt, private or impatient with ideas they think are weak.
- ENTJ: direct and forceful, which can feel abrasive in a first meeting.
- ESTJ: firm about rules and efficiency, and can seem rigid or judgmental. Truity’s politeness ranking puts ESTJ last.
- INTP: absorbed in their own thinking and can be critical, or miss social cues.
- INFJ: often called the hardest to read or the most complex, rather than the hardest to get along with.
Some of the same types also top lists of the most stubborn, especially ESTJ, INTJ and ISTJ. Their reasons differ, though: ESTJs and ISTJs hold on to proven methods, while INTJs hold on to conclusions they’ve researched thoroughly.
“Difficult” is not a diagnosis
Some articles about “difficult personality types” are really describing personality disorders, such as narcissistic or borderline personality disorder. Those are clinical conditions that have nothing to do with MBTI type, and only a qualified mental health professional can diagnose them. If someone’s behavior is causing serious harm or distress, get professional support rather than relying on a personality label.
Quick-reference table
| Trait | Types most often named | Types least often named | Research support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friendliness / kindness | ESFJ, ENFJ, ENFP, ESFP, ISFJ | INTJ, ENTJ, ISTP | Moderate (Feeling ↔ agreeableness) |
| Sensitivity | INFJ, INFP, ISFJ, ISFP | ESTJ, ENTJ, ESTP | Limited |
| Open-mindedness | ENTP, ENFP, INTP, INFP | ISTJ, ESTJ, ISFJ | Fairly consistent (Intuition ↔ openness) |
| Seen as “difficult” | INTJ, ENTJ, ESTJ, INTP | ESFJ, ISFP, ENFP | Mostly opinion |
What these rankings miss
- Maturity and health. Healthy and unhealthy versions of the same type can look completely different.
- Stress. Under pressure, almost any type can become less friendly, more sensitive or more rigid.
- Culture and upbringing. Manners and emotional expression depend heavily on how and where someone was raised.
- Fit between people. A blunt ENTJ may be perfect for a direct ISTJ and exhausting for a gentle INFP.
For more rankings based on actual data rather than opinion, see our MBTI types by percentage of the population. For another opinion-based ranking, see which MBTI type is the most quiet.
FAQ
Who is the most empathetic MBTI type?
INFJ is most often named, followed by INFP, ENFJ and ISFJ. Empathy differs far more between individuals than between types.
What is the most complex MBTI type?
INFJ is commonly called the most complex type because people see it as a mix of reserve and warmth, and of idealism and organization. That’s a reputation, not a measured trait.
What MBTI types are most CEOs?
Published samples of managers and executives tend to show more Thinking–Judging types, such as ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ and INTJ, than the general population does. Leaders of every type exist, and type doesn’t predict who will succeed.
Which MBTI type is the hardest to get along with?
It depends on your own type. People usually clash most with types whose preferences are opposite to theirs on several letters, especially when neither side understands the other’s style.