Investigating how the 16 personality types regard energy makes me wonder, What’s the definition of “energy,” here? I’m no stranger to spirituality and metaphysics, but I also try to separate facts from beliefs – while valuing both. You could say I’ve got a teeny Mulder on one shoulder, and a wee Scully on the other.
“The human brain has capabilities, which science has yet to explain, that tie us into mystical forces of the universe, conveying information and energy between people on psychic and spiritual levels,” says Little Mulder in boyish wonderment. “Human brains have evolved to be sensitive to subtle forms of communication, including body language, facial expressions, pheromones, and vocal inflection, allowing subconscious insight that’s often misinterpreted as something mystical,” Little Scully replies, patiently.
Whether you view it through a lens of science or something else, the energy felt by and between people is a big part of life, and our “Vibes/Energy” survey explores how that relates to the personality types. Are some personalities more sensitive to energy, better able to transmit it, or simply more likely to believe? Let’s dive deep into the responses and make up our own minds, eh? (Insert “the truth is out there” joke.)
Vibes and Energy
Do you notice the energy of a room when you walk in?
It’s worth noting up front that, overall, agreement is in the majority – about 87%. But the response rates for individual traits show some notable differences. Feeling personalities are more likely to agree, probably relating to their tendency to prioritize emotion in their personal perceptions. How those in a room might feel (and the feelings that they create) are common points of interest to these personalities.
Those with the Intuitive trait are also more likely to agree, possibly because they like to seek hidden meaning in all things – sometimes with a dose of imagination in the mix. That’s a good recipe for the perception of intangible things like energy. And Extraverts’ somewhat higher agreement rate may reflect how they’re more likely to frequently look for engagement outside themselves, compared to Introverts.
If you add all that up, you get Protagonists (ENFJs) with the highest agreement rate (97%) and Virtuosos (ISTPs) with the lowest (67%). Both personality types are likely to notice the energy in a room, but the differential is notable.
How often do you make a conscious effort to put out a certain kind of energy?
When it comes to projecting energy, Extraverts are more likely than Introverts to answer “often” and roughly half as likely to answer “rarely.” The agreement rates for those who answered “sometimes” are similar, but we see some personality type differences show up in the more extreme answer options. The same is true when looking at Thinking versus Feeling personalities’ responses to the same question, below.
It seems that Extraverts’ prioritization of external engagement and Feeling personalities’ focus on emotion has a notable influence on whether they attempt to express energy, as well as how they perceive it.
Do you do anything to clear/cleanse your space of certain kinds of energy?
Looking at the Roles, there are relative differences that stand out. A common response is “no,” but a modest majority of Diplomats (and barely a majority of Sentinels) agree and apparently take action to combat certain energies. We can assume that they want to avoid negative things, but hey, shadow work is valuable, right? (Side note: What’s your favorite tool to cleanse your space, and why is it sage?)
Do you do anything to clear/cleanse yourself of certain kinds of energy?
Looks like we have overall higher agreement rates to this question than the previous one, although a similar relative ratio among the Roles. Diplomats are most likely to agree, with Sentinels joining them in majority agreement. Analysts and Explorers seem roughly neutral. But hey – check out the preponderance of internal versus external techniques for cleansing oneself. (Should we ditch the sage, and go within?)
How in tune with other people’s energy are you?
Diplomats stand out as being about twice as likely as the other Roles to say “very,” with only a few saying “not at all.” By now that may not surprise you, given the general correlation we’ve seen so far between agreement and the Intuitive and Feeling traits that define this group of personalities. Not visible in the above chart is that Extraversion also relates to agreement here, with roughly half of Extraverts saying “very” versus about a third of Introverts. It doesn’t take a psychic to predict that the influence of these traits will be seen again in this survey.
Do you pick up on negative or positive energy more easily?
In response to this question, the biggest difference among individual traits is between Introversion/Extraversion and the Assertive/Turbulent Identity, as seen in the Strategy groups based on those traits. Constant Improvement (Introverted, Turbulent) personalities are more likely to say they easily perceive negative energy, and People Mastery (Extraverted, Assertive) personalities are least likely to say so. But why?
For one thing, Introverts are generally more sensitive to external stimuli – social interaction tends to wear them out faster than Extraverts, for example. Any external intrusion into Introverts’ inner world may feel negative to some degree. That may also be true of energy emanating from other people, as it could feel like a form of social pressure. Wait, hang on – the Lilliputian FBI agents on my shoulders are piping up.
“Turbulent personalities are more likely to be pessimistic, worried, and doubting,” says Mini Mulder. “That can tune them to negative energies like an antenna, heightening their awareness and sensitivity to the darker elements around them.” But I hear rustling from Small Scully, too: “Because Turbulent personalities are more prone to pessimistic thinking, they have a perception bias that makes everything seem more negative than it is. It’s basic psychology, Mulder.” Interesting points. Let’s move on.
What kind of energy affects you more intensely?
The same influences seem to be in play here as in the previous item, with Constant Improver personalities feeling more intensely affected by negative energy (which is also the majority response here). As previously stated, this may relate to the greater general sensitivity to external interaction that these personality types have, whether it relates to dynamic events or other people.
Regarding the overall majority response, Mulder might say it’s a psychic survival instinct kicking in – just as pain in your body warns of damage or injury, sensitivity to negative energy can warn you of dark forces so you can protect yourself. Scully would probably link you to a brief explanation of negativity bias and point out that negative effects tend to feel more intense than positive ones, as a general rule.
Do you usually try to match other people’s energy or preserve your own?
Looking at the Strategies, we see that people in the Social Engagement (Extraverted, Turbulent) group are most likely to try to match other people’s energy, albeit barely a majority. These personalities are often more inclined to engage with others and to be concerned with the responses – or energy – that they get in return. Confident Individualist (Introverted, Assertive) personality types, on the other hand, apparently do here what they often do elsewhere in life – keep that which is within themselves to themselves. (Contrasting trait influences moderate the responses of those in the Constant Improvement and People Mastery Strategies.)
Overall, a slight majority of all people indicate that they try to preserve their own energy. Perhaps they’ve decided what vibe works best for them and prefer to keep it that way. Personalities with the Thinking trait (68%) are especially more likely to say they try to preserve their own energy, compared to those with the Feeling trait (47%). Which individual types are most extreme? Well, 60% of Campaigners (ENFPs) say they try to match others’ energy, versus just 22% of Logisticians (ISTJs). Those ISTJs have very specific internal ideals, eh?
Are you often unaware of the source of the energy that you sense?
Not a significant response differentiation among the traits on this one. A slight majority (60%) of all types indicate general awareness of the source of the energy that they sense. But the minor influences of individual traits seen above do combine to produce a difference in agreement between at least a few personality types.
For example, Commanders (ENTJs) (32%) and Protagonists (29%) on the low end, and Logicians (INTPs) (50%) and Virtuosos (54%) on the upper end, which in this case is roughly neutral, to be fair. The types least likely to feel unaware are among the most decisive-minded, and the ones most likely to say they’re unaware are among the most flexible-minded. One might wonder whether the difference here is a matter of awareness or certainty in one’s own awareness. Perhaps both.
Do you typically feel the energy of everyone equally – no matter your relationship?
Not a lot of variance here, either, with about 57% of people indicating that their relationship to someone does affect how they feel that person’s energy. We can assume that when it comes to feeling people’s energy, the closer the relationship, the better. When it comes to individual traits, Feeling personality types (47%) are a bit more likely to say they feel everyone’s energy equally, compared to Thinking types (36%).
Do you usually need to be in the same room with someone to feel their energy?
Responses to this one are pretty middling, overall. Diplomats are a bit less likely to agree, which in turn indicates that they may be better at reading people’s energy from a distance. (Would that be considered remote viewing? Should I get back on topic? I am feeling some “yes” energy from you…)
Does the energy of others have a major effect on your energy?
Hey, some notable numbers here! The difference in response between Feeling (81%) and Thinking personalities (48%) is significant, meaning that Diplomats are much more likely to agree than Analysts. (Sentinel and Explorer responses are moderated because those groups contain both Thinking and Feeling types.) The more clinical mindset of the Thinking trait may insulate those personalities from other people’s energy, whereas Feeling types are often more emotionally open and, perhaps, empathic.
Which is better? Being open to energy could be a useful ability for understanding and making connections with other people. Feeling personalities could have an easier time forming relationships, which can bring advantages in many areas of life. On the other hand, there’s a lot of harmful stuff floating around in people’s minds – being less affected by others’ energy could be a blessing at times.
It’s also worth noting that the overall agreement rate of Turbulent personalities (76%) is much higher than that of Assertive personalities (49%). Turbulence tends to correlate to reactivity, making those types more likely to be affected by many kinds of stimuli, perhaps including whatever vibes someone else is putting out.
When you analyze your mood, do you often consider the energy of others first?
Only Diplomats agree in a majority here, which relates heavily to the difference between the Feeling (51%) and Thinking (22%) traits. Turbulent types (44%) are also more likely to agree than Assertive types (30%). But all of that is relative, and even the personality types most likely to agree are essentially neutral on this one. It seems that most of us look to ourselves, or external influences other than people’s energy, to explain our moods.
Do other people often tell you about the energy that they get from you?
Overall agreement seems tepid here at about 43%, and even the type most likely to agree (Commanders) is a modest 66%. But look at the relative difference between Introverts and Extraverts, as seen in the Strategies. Extraverts are almost twice as likely to say that other people mention getting energy from them – why might that be?
Compared to Introverts, Extraverts are usually more focused on expressing their energy (in whatever form) and engaging with the world outside themselves. It’s possible that this is apparent to others. But it’s also true that Extraverts tend to engage socially much more than Introverts do, which itself creates much more opportunity for communication – possibly including hearing about the impressions that they make on others.
So, are Extraverts putting out more energy – energy that’s more likely to affect others – or are they simply more likely to hear about it through social interactions? Perhaps all those things are true. But that doesn’t mean that Introverts don’t affect people profoundly with their energy. It may not always be easy to see the results on the surface, but the effects can be deep and hidden – maybe that’s one of the most powerful things about an exchange of energy.
Do you like the kinds of people that your energy seems to attract?
Strong majority agreement (83%) overshadows the relative difference between Introverts (80%) and Extraverts (90%) on this one. But still, it’s heartening to see that most people are getting a positive return on the energy that they put out. And for those of us who aren’t, that may bring hope – you may be magnetizing a string of unpleasant people, but there is a statistical light at the end of the tunnel. Keep trying.
And sometimes we can use adversity to learn and grow – if you’re attracting people you don’t like, what message might the universe be trying to send you? How can you change your vibe to attract what you want and need? (And if you figure that one out, let us know!)
Compared to other people, how intensely do you feel the energy of your environment?
Diplomat personality types are much more likely to answer “more” to this question, which probably relates to tendencies associated with the Feeling and Intuitive traits, as we’ve discussed previously. These personalities seem to feel a much closer relationship between themselves and the energy around them. Perhaps their hearts and minds are more open to such influence, so it reaches more deeply into them. However, Little Scully might have something to say here.
She might point out that it’s questionable whether those who answered “more” can make an accurate comparison between their own sensitivity and that of other people. It’s much harder to assess how others feel than oneself – and what about all those other Diplomats who make the same claim? “It’s logically impossible that a group of people can all feel the energy of an environment more intensely than each other,” says Slight Scully with a raised eyebrow.
“Not necessarily, Scully,” replies Miniscule Mulder. “Physicists and philosophers have theorized about the possible existence of infinite parallel universes. It’s possible that everyone inhabits their own realm of existence, with common fundamental elements of reality shifting in response to the influence of their conscious minds through the observer effect. Such universes might interact through their overlapping commonalities yet sustain as sovereign realities between which otherwise conflicting facts can be concurrently true.”
“Mulder,” says Scully, that raised eyebrow coming down to join its sibling in a frown, “you’re basically just describing perception bias with a veneer of New Age mumbo jumbo. You really haven’t been the same since your ayahuasca experiment.”
Do you think your reaction to the energy around you is more physical, psychological, or spiritual?
By far, the most likely response from any personality type is “psychological.” This could be an acknowledgment of conventional scientific understanding over metaphysics, which should mollify Little Scully somewhat. The relative difference in which types said “spiritual” is apparent but insignificant, considering the majority response. Some personalities may put great faith in energies that aren’t clearly defined in scientific terms, yet their underlying belief may be that the perception and exchange of such energy is through mechanisms more affirmed by traditional science.
“Many people consider the psychic abilities of the human mind to be much more a part of psychology than a function of the spiritual or physical,” protests Mini Mulder. “Interpreting energy as being psychological is not necessarily a refutation of the paranormal.”
“Whatever, Mulder,” sighs Little Scully.
Do you think interpreting energy is a significant part of the way you understand others?
Overall majority agreement here affirms the value of energy, however it’s defined. Diplomats are more likely to agree, but a 77% average agreement rate overall speaks to the usefulness of paying attention to energy in social relationships – it can be an important way to understand people. Someone’s mental and emotional state can have a big effect on your interaction with them, so being sensitive to their energy could be very beneficial. But how much should you rely on the impressions that you get?
How much trust do you put into your interpretations of the energy that you get from people?
It’s notable that Diplomats are roughly as likely to say “a lot” as “some,” but by this point in our examination, you might have expected that. The Intuitive and Feeling traits have a strong influence on this subject. The most likely answer overall is “some,” indicating that while the interpretation of people’s energy may offer advantages in understanding them, it’s not seen as perfect. There may be accuracy fluctuations that give some people pause or simply other indicators that they also like to rely on.
How do you value your interpretation of energy compared to more conventional physical indicators (e.g., sight, touch, sound)?
Responses to the final item in this survey give us a nice overall picture of how the personality types regard the interpretation of energy: a modest majority value it as much as they do physical indicators. Notable minorities of some personality types agree with the more extreme answer options, though. For example, 43% of Virtuosos, 37% of Logisticians, and 33% of Architects (INTJs) say energy is less important, versus just 7% of Campaigners and 6% of Advocates (INFJs). The type most likely to say energy is more important? Why, that’s Advocates as well – but only 22%.
Final Thoughts
It seems that while there are trait-related differences in how people interpret and regard energy, most are aware of the vibes around them and in others. Such awareness might be a good thing, regardless of whether one believes that it’s achieved through physical or metaphysical means. Whether we’re friendly, standoffish, doubtful, or hopeful about people, reading their energy can help us navigate the social side of life.
As for the more mystical trappings of energy interpretation, some may be skeptical and some may believe. But there’s a middle ground and, perhaps, a pragmatic perspective to be found. Belief in the mystical may serve a beneficial function – take the idea of cleansing oneself of negative energy, for example.
Healing effects are valuable, whether they stem from a spiritual practice, like a cleansing ritual, or one more rooted in science, like an internal exercise that you might learn through traditional psychotherapy. If something truly helps you, does it really matter what it’s based on? The answer may depend on what you believe. (I’ve got tiny Mulder and Scully to rely on.)
Further Reading
Skepticism and Belief and How Personality Traits Affect Both