One of the things that fascinates me about personality studies is discovering which personality types are most common. Is the world divided evenly among different types, or do some types appear more frequently than others? And what does it mean to have a common or rare personality type? Let’s explore!
Most Common Enneagram Personality Type(s)
What the surveys say: According to Truity, a popular personality-focused website, the most common Enneagram type is Type 8. This conclusion is based on their survey of 54,000 people. Interestingly, other sources claim that Type 9 is the most common.
About Type 8: Enneagram Type 8s are known as powerful, dominating protectors. They strive to avoid being controlled and aim to protect others by being effective leaders. For them, taking charge and responsibility is a way to create a better world.
About Type 9: Some people know Type 9 as “the peacemaker.” They focus on being supportive and maintaining harmony. They tend to avoid conflict and prefer to emphasize the positive aspects of life.
Why this is interesting: It’s intriguing that Types 8 and 9 might be the most common because they are closely connected in the Enneagram system. As neighboring types, they influence each other. A Type 8 can have a 9 wing, and vice versa. While these types might seem opposite in some ways, they can work together when their wings come into play. Making Mindfulness Fun offers a great comparison of 8w9 versus 9w8.
Most Common Myers-Briggs Type(s)
What the surveys say: Truity also provides data on the most common Myers-Briggs personality types. They found that ISFJ is the most common overall and especially among women, while ISTJ is most common among men. There seems to be a consensus online that ISFJ is the most prevalent type.
About ISFJ: People often refer to ISFJs as “the defender” or “the protector.” They care for others based on a strong sense of values and a desire to maintain harmonious relationships.
Why this is interesting: Doesn’t the ISFJ sound like a perfect blend of Enneagram Types 8 and 9? It makes sense that there are many similarities between the most common Myers-Briggs and Enneagram types. Considering that ISTJs are most common among men, both ISFJs and ISTJs share the I-S-J combination, indicating some overlap in these personalities.
Another Myers-Briggs note: Truity’s data shows that the most common Myers-Briggs types are all Sensing types rather than Intuitive types. This seems logical because Sensing personalities focus on details about the world they acquire through their 5 senses. I don’t know about you, but I know many more people who process this way than through big concepts and intuition.
Questions About the Most Common Personality Types
Why do people care?
Some people seek to see themselves as rare, while others want to feel surrounded by like-minded individuals who understand them. Someone’s desire to be more or less like a certain person or personality type might also influence the results of a personality test.
Do other factors influence this data?
It’s possible that the types listed as most common are simply more likely to take a personality test. For example, only 40% of the top 5 types at Truity are Extroverts (Es). Since Introverts gain energy from quiet time alone, perhaps they are more likely to spend time evaluating personality. Additionally, surveys consider Enneagram types 5 and 7 to be more rare. While Enneagram 5s may spend a lot of time investigating personality and learning about themselves, they might be less likely to share that information. Enneagram 7s want to avoid “negative” feelings, so maybe they avoid personality tests so they don’t learn something about themselves they don’t want to know.
What Does It All Mean?
So, does it matter greatly whether or not your personality type is common? Probably not. I’d say it is mostly just interesting information about the people around us. Whether people care about their personality type for self-identification or to understand others better, this data offers valuable insights into the prevalence of certain personality traits and their influence on behavior and relationships. It doesn’t however, indicate that we are more or less unique.
Are you interested in how personality types relate across different systems? Take the Personality Palette Survey to contribute to my research!
