Like a hummingbird, your mind possesses a set of wings to lift you into flight.
Driven by your soul’s purpose, you gain energy and cross-pollinate the world by honoring the HUM of your wings.
Your wings are composed of four cognitive functions your mind favors. In the world of neuroscience, they deeply influence your brain’s neural networks. Within Jungian psychology, they create the foundation to your Myers-Briggs type.
Based on the work of Dr. Dario Nardi an EEG of your neocortex reveals your cognitive patterns–a neuro fingerprint unique to you. These functions gift you energy, balance, strength, and restoration. They direct your attention, help you make decisions, and shape your consciousness.
But like the hummingbird, whose wings flutter so fast a vibrational hum follows in its wake, the natures of your 4 cognitive functions can be difficult to identify without extra assistance.
So how can you discover your preferred wings, four cognitive functions, and your best-fit Myers Briggs type?
More importantly, how can you discover the secrets to your flight …
Your unique HUM?
Like the avid bird watcher who uses a camera to catch the hummingbird’s true form in different positions, there are tools to help you capture your brain-wiring.
TOOL #1:
Take an online questionnaire.
Many quizzes only identify 2 of your 4 letters (the best tests providing 70-80% accuracy), so these questionnaires should be taken with a grain of salt.
You may test INFP on two sites and INFJ on three others. In such a case, you should research what it means to be an introvert, iNtuitive, and feeler. However, to truly understand your brain’s wiring, you’ll need to discover your Myers Briggs best-fit type. For while the INFP and INFJ are only one letter different, they share no cognitive preferences or wings.
Even with an open mind and desire to test honestly, inaccurate results happen.
Questionnaires that target character traits, for instance, assess your behavior instead of the cause of your behavior. If stereotypical behaviors tied to particular types were completely true, there would be little variety within each of the sixteen Myers Briggs personalities.
I, for one, have yet to meet two people of the same type who act exactly the same way!
To gauge a questionnaire’s reliability and effectiveness, consider how well the questions identify the cause behind behavior. For example, disorganization can be a reality for different types, but it’s not the behavior (disorganization) that needs to be asked but the cause of disorganization and your relationship to it.
Your Answers
This may be the trickiest part of online quizzes. You are a multi-faceted human being. Your individuality is a nuanced mosaic of thoughts, emotions, beliefs, values, and preferences. Moreover, your nature has been deeply influenced by your genes, upbringing, culture, experiences, and life-responsibilities.
Your subjective interpretation of the questions color your answers–and the results which follow. For example, while you may think you prefer time alone, think about how much time you need to feel complete. If only an hour a day, mark your preference as not much (all balanced types need some privacy on a daily basis).
TOOL #2:
Become a Jungian expert and figure out your best-fit type on your own.
This is not for the faint-hearted. For most Myers Briggs experts, certified or not, the psychology behind Jungian functions, personality-theory, and the neuroscience supporting it, takes years to master. Much of your study can be done for free, but you can intentionally expedite the process by connecting with other students and experts.
Resources
That said, one of the best ways to get confused through your independent study is by visiting free forums. While most people who visit these platforms are well-meaning, a lot of misinformation is shared by those who are not as far along in their studies, who are inaccurately typed themselves, or who do not carefully vet the information they share publicly.
Your nuanced understanding of Jungian functions (and Myers Briggs types) will depend on how deep you want to take your studies–through professional reading, classes, and mentorships–as well as, the validity of the intellectual and scientific content you invest in.
TOOL #3:
Invest in a Jungian/Myers Briggs expert and be guided in your discovery.
Known as a Jungian/Myers-Briggs profiler, teacher, or coach, your guide will meet you in person or over video.
Taking up to two hours, you will be asked a set of questions with the intention of discovering your mind’s preferences. Your profiler should explain what your cognitive functions are and what they mean for you–including the significance of their placement in terms of personality balance, energy management, and aspiration.
Profilers
Each profiler comes with a set of strengths and weaknesses unique to his/her type, practice, and study. Prices range but sessions typically start around $60 and go up from there.
The accuracy of a live profiling session will partly depend on your willingness to answer truthfully, but a good profiler should be able to flesh out your best-fit Myers Briggs type without delving into anything sensitive.
Many experts offer additional coaching to those wanting to explore their cognitive functions. This can help you honor your wiring through best-practices and growth-based exercises. It’s also a way to better understand yourself, your relationship with others, and an opportunity for you to discover the true depth of your strengths and talents.
However, for mental health support, a Myers Briggs expert should not replace a licensed counselor or medical professional.
YOUR UNIQUE PATH
Regardless of the tool(s) you use or how long it takes for you to land on your best-fit Myers Briggs type, there is true power in discovering your cognitive preferences, wings, and HUM.
And like the smallest bird who graces our skies, the world is more beautiful when you take flight.
HUM 