MBTI® Of Big Bang Theory Characters
The Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator is a fascinating tool, isn’t it? If you’re one of those people who love to people-watch, analyze others and look into the characters in your favorite shows just a smidge too deeply, you can spend hours on end sorting people into their specific MBTI®s.
The essence of the theory is in making Jung’s idea of personality types more digestible, easier to apply and understand. To determine somebody’s MBTI®, bite-sized chunks of their personality (whether they’re introverted or extroverted, ‘thinkers’ or ‘feelers’) are considered in a simple one-or-the-other fashion, each corresponding to a different code (E for extraversion, I for introversion). Eventually, you arrive at their full MBTI®, which could be ESTJ or INTP for instance.
Of course, there’s no hard-and-fast category that each individual falls into, and there’ll always be some debate about a specific person’s placement. Let’s take a closer look at what some of the different MBTI® categories mean, using the characters of The Big Bang Theory as examples.
10 Barry Kripke: ENTP (The Debater)
As far as the scientists of Caltech go, Barry Kripke is a bit of a wild card. The show is sometimes criticized for its stereotypical and clichéd take on scientists, and true enough, a lot of them don’t have two social skills to rub together. There are a whole lot of introverts here, but Kripke is arguably an extrovert.
One possible result for him is ENTP, or Extraversion + Intuition + Thinking + Perceiving. Rather than being set in his ways and following strictly logical causes of action, Barry is quite unpredictable, and has been seen completely vexing Sheldon with an unexpected prank. Or Don’t Go Breaking My Heart karaoke duet with Zack.
9 Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz: ENTJ (The Commander)
If you’re experienced with this system, you’ll know that ENTJs are not to be messed with. They’re called Commanders for a reason: they’re born leaders. Charismatic and confident, with an incredible drive to accomplish whatever their goals may be.
Long-time fans of The Big Bang Theory will probably see a lot of Bernadette in this. She’s a rather petite lady, but inside that small package dwells a real fireball. You won’t like her when she’s angry, that’s for darn sure.
Heck, she even had the authority to send an overtired Sheldon Cooper to bed, and that’s not an easy task.
8 Stuart Bloom: INFP (The Mediator)
Well, naturally. There was no doubt that Stuart Bloom was going to be an introvert (the first on our little Big Bang Theory case study), but let’s look at his personality a little more closely.
The quiet and humble comic book proprietor is often beset by bad luck and tough breaks. He’s the Hans Moleman of the show in that sense. Nevertheless, like a true Mediator, he’s determined to push forward and strive to make an impression on, a connection with, the people in his social circle.
That positive outlook may not always shine through, but in the end, all Stuart really wants is to be appreciated and accepted.
7 Amy Farrah Fowler: INTP (The Logician)
Ah, yes. Amy Farrah Fowler. She’s been through quite a whirlwind of character development, hasn’t she? When we first meet her in the season three finale, she’s very much a female version of Sheldon: rigid, distance, inscrutable. Her friendship with Penny and Bernadette changes her quite a bit, though, which is why we’ve opted for a result similar yet fundamentally different to Sheldon’s.
The Logician is a combination of Introversion + Intuition + Thinking + Perceiving, an analysis which retains all the intellect and logic that defines Amy’s character. The important difference with Perceiving (P) as opposed to Judging (J) is that it indicates a person is more open to outside influences and opinions, a quality of Amy’s that Sheldon does not share.
6 Sheldon Cooper: ISTJ (The Logistician)
Where do we even begin with Sheldon Cooper? Surely the breakout character of the Big Bang cast, and absolutely the most insufferable of them.
Personality-wise, as we’ve said, he shares a lot in common with his future wife Amy. The rapacious intellect, the fiercely analytical mind… this is one brilliant couple.
Nevertheless, the Logician and the Logistician are not one and the same. The latter is marked by a desire to draw their own conclusions, rejecting outside influences and criticisms along the way. That’s a perfect description of everyone’s favorite persnickety, utterly rigid theoretical physicist if ever we’ve heard one.
5 Penny Hofstadter: ESFP (The Entertainer)
That’s right, friends. If Sheldon Cooper is a textbook ISTJ, then Penny has ESFP written all over her.
The Entertainer is an obvious choice for the aspiring actress we met when the show begins, but as we get to know her better, we see how well this analysis fits her. ESFPs are defined by their extroverted nature, but there’s more to it than that. Penny is a very social person (and has certainly had a lot of relationships throughout the show’s run), but The Entertainer is also marked by their desire to encourage and support others.
In her eventual marriage to the insecure Leonard, as well as her friendship with the group at large, we see her in this role a lot.
4 Leonard Hofstadter: ISFJ (The Defender)
When it comes to this system, there’s always some debate as to where specific people fit, but sometimes, it looks a little more natural. Leonard is an excellent example of a Defender.
While ISFJs can be every bit as talented and accomplished as everybody else, they can struggle with their self-confidence in expressing that. They're dedicated to their work, their relationships and other aspects of their lives, but often tend to downplay their successes and accomplishments. They're a humble group, and need to defend themselves from those who would steal their credit and their thunder.
We’ve already touched on Leonard’s insecurity, both in his relationship with Penny and more generally, and a lot of that is reflected here.
3 Howard Wolowitz: ESTP (The Entrepreneur)
There’s little doubt that Howard Wolowitz is the most social of the core male foursome. To hear him tell it, he’s spent most of his life in bars, amazing and delighting women with all kinds of brilliant stories. Very little of this is probably true, but he has been out there telling it, and that’s what matters here.
While he’s certainly happy to stay in and play video games with the others on Halo Night™, he’s also usually the first to suggest more social activities (especially early in the show’s run). As with Amy, he balances his academic interests with an openness to new possibilities and opportunities.
He’s the first in the group to become a father, he was an astronaut (however much of a toll that took on him), and it’s his personality type that helped him to achieve these things.
2 Zack Johnson: ENFP (The Campaigner)
Zack Johnson is another character who’s a little difficult to place. Because he makes comparatively few appearances on the show, we don’t have as deep an understanding of him. It seems that he’d fit quite well in the ESFP (Entertainer) category with old love interest Penny, but perhaps he’s more suited as an ENFP.
The difference between the Entertainer and the Campaigner is their way of taking in information (S for Sensing and N for Intuition). Zack Johnson’s main shtick lies in his social leanings (contrasted with the group at large), underpinned by his lovable naivety and good nature. All this makes the Campaigner a good pick for him.
1 Rajesh Koothrappali: INFP (The Mediator)
Much like his close friend (not as close as the rest of the gang, perhaps, but definitely on the B List) Stuart Bloom, Rajesh could be considered an INFP.
There are a lot of crucial similarities between the two characters. They’ve both been beset by romantic misfortunes and other disasters, but they find the positives where they can and press on. They both also seek harmony and a place where they belong, which has led them to become totally overbearing at times (just ask the Wolowitz family).
Nevertheless, their hearts are in the right place and their intentions are good, even if they don’t always have the confidence to act on them.