The sixteen personality types discuss how a person is when in a positive state. Flow is unique for every individual. Some people feel the most in flow when working on new inventions or when brainstorming, others associate brainstorming with stress. There are sixteen personality types that reflect how a person is when in a state of flow. 

The sixteen types are used to help people understand their core values and needs. Think about how you can apply your values in your daily life and what you can do in your workplace, at home, or in school, to learn faster, to be happier, and to feel more energy and passion in life. 

Flow is an active state, we are doing something, we are going out into the world, and we are trying to influence it. Flow is also an empowered state. We feel in charge of our own life and our own decisions. Flow is also a mindful state. We feel aware and present and we feel in tune with what matters.

NF – The Dreamers

NT – The Innovators

ST – The Practicals

SF – The Socials

The opposite of flow is shadow type. Our shadow represents insecurities we feel about our known weak points. We may feel bad about often being late, or about missing an important deadline. We may feel upset or impatient at times, and we may recognize that these qualities are positive. 

The shadow type represents the reverse of our personality type. Introverts can feel bad about not being extroverted enough, and extroverts can feel bad about not being introverted enough. So what we often end up doing is we start to force ourselves to engage in this shadow, pushing ourselves to do things we normally do not like or enjoy. However, when we do this too often, we start feeling tired, exhausted, depressed. 

Accessing these darker qualities can take a lot of work. Often, what we have to do is learn to accept we are human, and that it is natural to make mistakes and that we can’t be perfect. But also to understand these weaknesses are there and to plan your life so that you spend most of your time doing things that you love and that you feel good doing, instead of doing activities that you hate and that you struggle at.