Arnold Schwarzenegger – INTJ or ENTJ?
Need help getting your type right? https://whattype.com/mytype
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger an INTJ or an ENTJ?
There’s debate on the internet about his Myers-Briggs (MBTI) type, so I thought I’d chime in and give my opinion.
What’s in the Video?
- Some background on Arnold
- xNTJ traits he has shown
- Introversion vs Extraversion and differences between INTJs and ENTJs
- The cognitive functions, specifically Ni (Introverted iNtuition) vs Te (Extraverted Thinking) and how Se (Extraverted Sensing) shows up
About Arnold
Arnold was born into poverty in rural Austria in 1947. His father was a former Nazi stormtrooper and is said to have heavily favored Arnold’s older brother, who ultimately died in a drunk driving accident in 1971.
Despite the challenges he faced, Arnold was able to use the power of visualization, discipline, courage and hard work to become a body-building champion. This become his ticket out of Austria, landing him in California where he went on to become the highest paid movie star of his day and ultimately the governor of the state.
Traits that Arnold has shown throughout his career that are common amongst both Myers-Briggs INTJs and ENTJs:
- Visualization – many NTJs report seeing clear visions for the future and an ability to breakdown the steps to bring their visions to life.
- Strategic Rule-Breaking – to NTJs, following the rules can sometimes be taken as more of a suggestion than a requirement.
- Emotional Invulnerability – the desire and ability to suppress emotions, for better or worse, is a trait common to many NTJs.
About Introversion vs Extraversion:
Though he has a state-of-the-art gym at home, Arnold typically bikes several miles with at least one partner to a public gym as part of his regular routine. At the gym, he appears to enjoy interacting with people and operates like the mayor of the gym. He also appears to enjoy holding court with groups of people and goes out of his way to interact with people on a regular basis.
The Functions:
INTJs and ENTJs share the same cognitive functions, but in a different order.
INTJs’ primary function is Introverted iNtuition. As a primary function, this gives them an inclination and perhaps even a necessity to spend more time in their minds perceiving patterns and possibilities.
ENTJs’ primary function is Extraverted Thinking, which tends to manifest in them being faster to act and more directly engaged with the outside world.
Arnold consistently shows signs of Te (extraverted thinking) as a primary function and Se (extraverted sensing) as a tertiary function. This manifests in him staying on point and directing conversations, while often being physical and animated. This contrasts with what would be expected from INTJs who tend to break eye contact in interviews more often in order to formulate their thoughts (Introverted iNtuition primary) and who are typically less animated (Se inferior).
In my opinion, Arnold’s Myers-Briggs type is clearly ENTJ.
