Eric and I are happy to present, just in time for the Christmas season, our new e-book, Gift-Giving by Personality Type! Even though every person is different in their preferences, we have found through research that similar personality types are often drawn to similar hobbies and interests. In Gift-Giving by Personality Type, we list all sixteen personality type combinations from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and offer seven gift suggestions for each type.
As a sample of what you can expect, we will briefly cover two gift ideas for four of the sixteen personality types below. (Note that in the full product, we cover seven gift ideas for all sixteen personality types!) Find out your friends’ and family’s personality types and then use this short guide to provide you with some great gift ideas (and if you don’t know them, we provide you some links to help you find out)!
Giving to ISTJs – The Duty Fulfillers
Brief Personality Description:
ISTJs are responsible, dependable people who desire to live life calmly and peacefully. You can always count on an ISTJ. They have a knack for details and can concentrate on tasks for long periods of time. Security is very important to them and they will make a lot of decisions based on their desire for safe, secure living. They appreciate tradition, thrive on organization and routine, and do not mind hard work. When they have a goal in mind, they can set the goal, take steps to complete it, and slowly but surely reach their desired end! If you need a task done, ask an ISTJ!
Types of gifts an ISTJ would likely appreciate:
1. A gift of aiding a hobby or endeavor.
If your ISTJ is intense about health and fitness, give him or her gifts that will aid that pursuit such as exercise equipment or paying his or her gym membership for a month, six months, or a year. ISTJs also value saving money! If your ISTJ is interested in learning or training in a specific area, tools and factual books which will propel him or her forward in that field or industry will also be appreciated (e.g., tools which will help them do crafts or repairs, books about how to create a functional and attractive home, a DVD with facts about the Civil War, etc.) .
2. A gift of security.
ISTJs appreciate security; it is one of their core needs. When choosing a job, ISTJs often look for something which provides a great deal of security. When putting money into investments, they will likely choose something with safe growth over risky stocks. When they leave their homes, they are concerned with the well-being of their property and family. So your ISTJ would probably appreciate a gift that offers him or her some sense of safety and well-being. A few ideas would include a security system, a safe, or security software – something to ensure the safekeeping of his or her loved ones, home, belongings, and data.
Giving to ENTJs – The Executives
Brief Personality Description:
ENTJs are your natural born leaders. They are assertive and are not afraid of discussing tough topics. They are skilled at quickly understanding problems and finding solutions. You are likely to find them in positions of authority in the workplace and as leaders in their churches, social groups, and homes. They can be described as confident, determined, and openly opinionated. ENTJs are extremely intelligent and quick thinkers. They stay informed and strongly, strongly value knowledge, expertise, and competence. Where some people would rather pass out than speak in public, ENTJs often enjoy speaking or teaching in front of a group. Some of their pet peeves include disorder or wasting time or resources.
Types of gifts an ENTJ would likely appreciate:
1. A gift of efficiency.
Does your ENTJ complain that something in his or her life doesn’t function efficiently? Can you do something to make it more efficient? Maybe she finds it annoying and inefficient to wash clothes in one area of the house, iron them in another, and store them in another? Perhaps you could build (or have someone else build) him or her a basic laundry work space in the laundry room complete with shelves, installed rods with hangers, a table for folding, and an ironing board. If you really want to make his or her day, you could order the workstations in order of task completion. I’m not even an ENTJ and I’m excited about this one! ~smile~ Maybe your male ENTJ can never find a CD or movie he wants? Perhaps you could buy or have someone build shelves specifically for his treasures – and to save him time in finding what he is looking for, you can alphabetize them. Be on the lookout for ways you can make your ENTJ’s life more efficient.
2. A gift of books.
Give them books on a topic of interest to them. If they are interested in business, buy some best seller books on how to get ahead in business. Make sure he or she doesn’t already have it (as he or she very well may as NT’s love books!) and keep your ears open in case he or she mentions a book of interest. More often than not, non-fiction will be the order of the day! Information is very important to ENTJs!
Giving to INFPs – The Idealists
Brief Personality Description:
INFPs have a strong heart for humanity. They care about the care and treatment of others and want to do their part to help make the world a better place. They are quiet, strongly idealistic, and often pensive. Extremely deep people, INFPs spend a lot of time searching for truth and meaning beneath the surface. They are deeply concerned with finding their purpose in life. Because of their extreme loyalty, they do not easily turn their backs on friends or causes they value. Though they typically “go with the flow,” INFPs will rise up and make noise if their deeply held values are threatened. It is not unusual to find great writers among a group of INFPs as they express themselves more effectively in writing than using oratory means. They can see potential in people and situations and are often perfectionistic, placing high demands on themselves.
Types of gifts an INFP would likely appreciate:
1. A gift of paper.
Paper? Seriously? INFPs may not be the world’s most eloquent public speakers, but chances are your INFP has a lot to say and does so best on paper. Whether it’s stationary earmarked to send meaningful messages to friends and family or a journal for writing his or her deepest thoughts and reflections, a paper gift will encourage your INFP to tap into the deep recesses of his or her mind and place the jumbled thoughts on paper making them much more understandable, tangible, and organized.
2. A gift of contributing to their cause.
Once INFPs embark on a cause, they are 100% committed to it. Whether they are working to build a playground for underprivileged children, fighting for organic food options in public schools, or raising money for the Susan G. Komen foundation, they go after their selfless goals with their hearts and souls. A tangible gift you could get your INFP is an actual monetary contribution to his or her cause, a tool or instrument that will aid in the cause, or the purchase of a trip for the sake of the cause. A non-tangible gift, but appreciated nonetheless, is your work toward his or her cause. Don’t just encourage your INFP to work hard for their cause, but roll up your sleeves and get right to work with him or her. This will show your INFP that you believe in the work he or she is doing and that you care about what is important to him or her.
Giving to ESFPs – The Performers
Brief Personality Description:
ESFPs love fun like no other personality type. They live for spending time with people and have a blast doing it! They have a gift for making situations fun, even where fun would not normally exist. Their happy-go-lucky, exuberant personalities even help other people have fun. They do not want to waste the here-and-now worrying about the future. They love to experience life, but risk placing too much emphasis on fun and not enough on preparing for the future. People are important to them and they are turned off by cold, calculated theories and analysis. They value people and also make decisions based on their values. ESFPs love being the center of attention, enjoy drama, and enjoy serving other people. If they could have fun all the time, they would do so; therefore, they attract a lot people and make friends easily. They bring fun and excitement with them wherever they go!
Types of gifts an ESFP would likely appreciate:
1. A gift of a night of karaoke.
Your ESFP is probably good at being the life of the party. As someone who loves people, has deep warmth, and loves experiencing life, he or she was built for the stage! Take your ESFP somewhere where the spotlight can energize him or her! If karaoke is not your ESFP’s idea of a good time, perhaps there is a stand-up comedy night or unscripted acting club in your area. Take him or her somewhere to shine and show off!
2. A gift of experience.
ESFPs love people and they love to experience life! What is your ESFP’s pleasure? Theme parks? Mountain climbing? Hot air balloon ride? Pilot lessons? He or she may want to experience something more dramatic like a safari, swimming with sharks, or volcano boarding. Chances are physical activity is important to your ESFP, so the more physically challenging, perhaps the better (do consider the shape your ESFP is in though!). It all depends on what your ESFP enjoys. So, notice your ESFPs interests and try to create a memorable experience for him or her!
The above is a small sample of the gift ideas we offer in Gift-Giving by Personality Type. We hope it makes gift-buying, gift-creating, and gift-orchestrating simpler for you! For a copy of Gift-Giving by Personality Type, you can find it right below this paragraph – just add it to your cart and purchase through Paypal – easy peasy! We hope your Christmas and holiday season is happy and memorable! (And even after this holiday season, this guide will continue to be useful for birthdays and other gift-giving events!)
Enjoy the resource we’ve developed for you! And if you’d like to order it right here, you can do so below!
