Hello all, and welcome back to the column dedicated to the realm of the casual. Today, I wanted to touch back to a point I made in an earlier article, and then really delve into it.
Today, I want to talk about Magic and your personality type.
In Magic, we have created a variety of types of players, such as Johnny and Spike, or casual and tournament, and so forth. We have used a variety of ways to delineate between various players.
What I want to do today is to take a standard personality test, have you take it, then talk about what it means, and how it might impact your gaming.
Now, before we begin, we need to make a bunch of caveats. The first is that your personality type is merely a preference. Everybody can do things, even those associated with other types. All a personality types tells you is what you prefer, or are most comfortable with.
Second, types have tendencies to act in similar ways and get enjoyment out of similar things, but that does not mean everyone with that type does so. Just because Extraverts tend to enjoy crowded rooms where they can meet lots of new people, and Introverts don’t, doesn’t mean that you do or don’t. I hope that makes sense. In other words, just because your type has a tendency does not mean you have the same.
However, there are a lot of commonalities. As a general rule, my type, ENTP, is the least likely to do something simply because it is a tradition, but that does not mean that all ENTP’s ignore every possible tradition, if that makes sense. I would hate to be a lawyer, having to spend hours at a time in research and learning the minutia of the law. Ick. But that does not mean that you, another ENTP, might not like it. It merely means many ENTPs find enjoyment in different occupations.
There are also going to be selection biases. Although half of all people in the world are Ts vs Fs, that does not mean half of all Magic players are, or half of all Internet users are. All percentages are rough.
Fourth, we are not going to be going into major detail. I’ve given a lot of talks and presentations on this subject, and training sessions and whatnot, and I can tell you that a quick Magic column will not do this topic justice. If you are still interested, please check out a slew and host of websites about it.
Finally, there are no right or wrong types. None is better than any other. All types have value, and all are important.
Okay, so with that out of the way, let’s talk about personality types:
Your Personality Type
Today we are going to focus on one way to analyze your personality and preferences. There are many metrics out there. I am using the MBTI, which stands for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It is very commonly used, and it is an established standard, but it is not a perfect test, and trained psychological professional can administer tests that have more incisive results and are less likely to be faked.
The MBTI is rather simple. It has four continuums. On each continuum is a pair of ends. For example, I talked about Thinking and Feeling in a previous columns, Ts and Fs. These are not switches, however. You are not either one or the other. You simply have a stronger preference for T or for F, at some rate. I am an Extravert, but I have a very weak preference for it, getting very close to Introvert. That means although many of the Extravert things apply to me, a lot of the Introverts ones do as well. We’ll talk about the specifics in a bit. For now, it is important to note that Types are merely places in a continuum, and not an either/or dichotomy. Remember, this is what your preference is, and how strong that preference is. A weak T and a strong T are both Ts and will often both respond as Ts. However, the T that scores less strongly may respond as an F more often, but both will occasionally slide into F behavior.
Let’s go over the continuums briefly:
Extraverts make up 75% of the population, Introverts just 25%. Where do you draw your energy from? Es draw their energy from others. At the end of a long day, they love to relax by going out with some friends to a bar and meeting some new people. Es also tend to want to do action. They want to be doing something. They want to be going out, or seeing a movie, or doing work, or so forth. Is, on the other hand, draw energy from themselves. At the end of a hard day, they want time for themselves. They can spend hours in a task without talking to other people, and are happy to do so. They are drained by being too social. They prefer to consider things before acting. If I have E’s and Is on my staff, I cannot just say “Here’s an idea, tell me what you think.” Es can come up with ideas quickly, but Is have to take some time to mull it over. Es tend to have a lot of friends, but few that are very deep friends. Is tend to have a few friends, but they are all very deep friends. Es want to experience many different things, but Is tend to become experts in one or two areas.
Sensors make up 75% of people, Intuitives make up 25%. How do you gather information? Ss tend to trust information that is in front of them and is testable. It is concrete and observable. Ns (because we already used I above), trust their hunches. Ns are very comfortable talking about and discussing nebulous things. Ss may not like Philosophy because it cannot come to an obvious conclusion, like math or foreign languages or other subjects. Ns regularly see the big picture and the forest, Ss generally see the trees. Ns often miss clues that Ss pick up on, but Ns often figure out something without needing the clues, that the Ss miss. Ss are very direct. Ns look for unusual and new ways of figuring out something. An S is happy to find the simplest, easiest way to solve a problem. An N wants to find and create a better way, even if that is more work and not guaranteed to be successful. If you ask people to describe a glass, and they come up with a long list of details, they are likely an S. If they have a short list of very basic details, and then move to other things like the nature of glasses or the expense we incur by not recycling glasses, then they are likely an N.
Thinkers make up 50% of people, and Feelers the other 50%. How do you make decisions? A Feeler will look at all sides, and try to come up with a decision that causes the greatest harmony. They want everyone to have a good life, and will actively do what they can to make it happen. Fs set you up with their friends or try and resolve disputes. Fs seek harmony. Fs value people. Ts, on the other hand, try to come up with a decision that looks at justice and right. Ts rarely go out of their way to peacemake or matchmake their friends. Ts will usually logically assess a new situation, Fs will usually feel about a new situation. Both then move to the other. Ts are perfectly capable of emotions and Fs are perfectly capable of logic, but each looks for something else when making decisions — justice or compassion, harmony or right.
Perceivers make up 50% of people, Judgers make up 50%. What is your lifestyle? Judgers want things closed. Judgers will create lists of things to do, then tick them off as they do them. The satisfaction of checking things off a list is very real. Js will need an organizer. Js want to finish one task before they move to another. Js want to have finalized decisions. Ps want things open. They feel constricted by too many things on their calendar. If they keep a calendar at all, it’s messy and they often forget to put things it in. They might jot down an important item on a receipt from their wallet or their hand. They are happy to move from project to project. Ps will leave a video game unfinished and move to whatever is next. Js will want to finish the game because they started it. Ps easily get bored, Js do not. Ps want open decisions that can be reversed. If an invitation is sent out, a J will RSVP immediately and write the date in their planner. A P will rarely RSVP at all, instead keeping the date open as long as possible, in case something better comes along, or in case they don’t feel like going that night.
Okay, now that I have briefly overviewed the four continuums, now let’s have you take a test.
Here is an online test you can take. If you do not know your MBTI, or if you want verification, click on this link and take the test. Then you can come back here and we will talk about Magic and your MBTI. If you want to just read on, and take the test later that’s fine.
This test will tell you how strong your preference is for the various types you are assigned. I am an ENTP. My E is pretty weak, at just 1%, which means I regularly enjoy I activities. It does not mean I am worse at socializing than an E with 50 or 70 % preference, it just means that I more regularly do I things instead of E things over the 80% E.
My N is pronounced at 88%. In this test, it is the strongest element I have, although in other tests I usually see a stronger preference for T than I do here. All this means is that I am very comfortable doing N things, and much less so doing S things. It doesn’t mean I am bad at details, it simply means that I am more comfortable talking about and dealing with N issues than I am with S issues. My T is strong at 62%. This means I show a clear preference in my own life for coming to decisions using principles a T would value, like logic and justice, over principles that an F would like, like harmony and happiness.
Finally, my P is at 33% strength, which is solid. It also shows, however, that sometimes I am more comfortable with J things, but that generally I prefer living as a P. For example, I hate being late to things, and I believe it is rude to another to be late. That is generally a J characteristic, but I happen to agree with it. That’s a good example of how I am not always a P.
Similarly, I like spending time by myself, which is an I characteristic. As you can see, I often go outside of my zone.
As a Magic writer and player, you can see my personality type in what I do. For example, I don’t think any decision should ever be closed, so although WoTC has made decisions I think are wrong, I still mention them once in a while in my articles, hoping they will change. This is a P part of me. Perhaps you are annoyed by that because, once someone had made a decision, including WotC, that should be it — move on. That is the J part of you speaking.
Similarly, you see more T in my article than F. You see more E in my writing than I. You can see how the way I play and enjoy Magic is related to my type.
If I had to play the same 60 card tricked out deck with 4 of a lot of stuff against another standard deck with the same tricked out-ness 20 times, I’d get bored after two games and I’d want to shoot myself after 10. This is my personality type leaking out. I get bored and want to move on to new decks, new format: something!
This is one of the selling points, to me, of casual formats like Elder Dragon Highlander, Five Color, and so forth. Every game is different. That is a key point that my personality type enjoys.
I suspect that a larger number of pros are Introverts than the normal population. Introverts like exploring something and becoming an expert it in. Doing that same matchup 25 times, and then doing other matchups 25 times each helps to give pros a strong understanding of the environment, which gives them the edge. My E looks at that and says, “That’s boring.”
That doesn’t mean every pro isn’t an E. Many are, I’m sure. I just think, after reading various anecdotes about and by pros, that a large number of Is are in force at the top level of the game. I bet if you took a poll of 100 pros, you’d find that more than 25% were Is.
On the other hand, I am someone who revels in the casualness and socialization of Magic. You regularly hear me espousing the joy of meeting new people, and enjoying the company of friends and strangers. That’s why I love multiplayer, because it’s social AND Magic. It tweaks my E.
I hired a lady to be an RA on my staff next year. She wants to be an opera singer. Usually people who want to be performers are Es, because they want to express themselves and connect with the audience. However, she was an I, so I asked her a question, “Would you prefer to give a perfect performance in Ann Arbor but only have 100 people there, or give a good performance in Detroit but have thousands there raving about you?” She answered that the first would be her preference. That’s an I answer. She wants to be an opera singer for the craft, not for the performance.
The same behavior — being an opera singer, can be reached by two means, craftsmanship or expression. The same is true of Magic.
Aaron is an I, and he was the host of our Magic circle for a while. Every week, tons of people got together and played Magic at his place, and yet, he is an I. The same behavior can come from different types.
I want new formats, new cards, and new ways of playing. I need it to keep me fresh. My personality types desires it. Without it, I’d be playing something else. I haven’t played a game of HeroClix since December of last year, when the company closed down. It’s the same game I’ve always known and loved and played. It’s the same game I’ve always loved and changed, nothing has altered it. But since it is no longer supported, my game desires have drifted elsewhere. I suspect I’ll come back if it ever gets started again, but for now, I’m happy to be playing something else where things are new and interesting.
Is want to become masters of something and Es want to do many different things. Are you the kind of player that has just one or two decks, or do you have a bunch? Do you know the nuances of just a few decks, or do you have a bunch? Do you prefer larger decks or trimmed 60 card ones? Highlander or Vintage? Do you have a favorite format that you know all of the tricks and nuances about them? I think your answers to these questions may be impacted by your personality type.
Of course, not all Es are going to have a bunch of decks and formats they enjoy. Not all Is are going to have a pet format or just a few decks. They are just tendencies, but they are there.
Js need to complete things and have things settled. Ps like it when things are up in the air and decisions can be remade. Examples here include the rules changes, or B&R announcements. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of the game or a format is settled, only to have it change by an announcement, then you are likely a J. Ps are uncomfortable when they aren’t changes. They want cards to be placed on the B&R list, or they want to go after cards already on there and get them pulled off.
My particular combination of types means I like to tinker with things. I like to take a format and tweak it until I think it is the best. I like to make things better. Even if they are already sufficient, I want to make them even better. Other types are uncomfortable with this. If something is operating at 80%, and the goal is to have it at 75%, then they are happy. Why do more work? It’s working! I want to try and get it to 85%, but I understand that my tinkering could cause it to drop rather than get better, and that’s a risk I’m willing to take, because more efficiency is important to me.
While on the Five Color Ruling Council, I’m happy to reverse my previous votes if they have been proved wrong. I’m happy to go back on a previous ruling. I like trying to remove sacred cows which add nothing to the game. I want to make it better, because having the best format possible matters to me. Of course, I may end up making it worse for a bit, before I change it again, but I’m willing to take that risk, and others might prefer that I not do so.
You can see the P vs J thing very clearly here in formats, B&R rulings, the rules of the game, and more.
For another example, I earlier mentioned the change of card faces in 8th. I didn’t mind the changes per se, I just didn’t like the de-fantasy-ifcation of Magic. After seeing the Future Sight frames, I said that I thought the Future Sight frames should have been the new ones. I was willing to accept the change, I just disputed the particulars of the change. My T and P were very involved. My T understood the reasons for the change and my P likes change. However, some didn’t like it. Js didn’t like the change. They thought it was fixed and were comfortable with that. Fs often didn’t like it either, because they reacted about it instead of thinking about it, first (although both move to the other after a pause).
Now, let’s take a look at the types of decks you like to play. Hello Johnnies! Take a look again at some key words and concepts for Ns. Ns like to find new ways of doing things. They do not like the status quo or the accepted way. To me, it seems like Johnnies might tend to be more aligned with N than with S.
Do Spike and Timmy have types too? Perhaps they do, actually, but they are not easily aligned with just one element. Perhaps a combination of two elements or something else would reveal itself upon research.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways the types differ. There are a ton of ways that the MBTI can explain views and methods of playing. From formats and decks and player type to issues, from B&R lists to multiplayer, from rules changes to how many and what kind of deck you like, the MBTI is a great indicator of what you are comfortable with.
I would love to see someone tackle this project:
Interview Magic players and test them. Assign them to Johnny, Spike, and Timmy types. Then do MBTI tests for them all. Do Johnnies, Spikes and Timmies have a tendency to have certain MBTI types? Again, I think Johnnies lean N, but what about the others? Let’s see the data.
Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s article. A bit unorthodox, but I hope you liked it. See you next week!
Until later…