ISTJ 8w9 (A Complete Guide)

In this article, we will describe a combination of ISTJ 8w9 personality type i.e. ISTJ personality from the MBTI types and the type 8w9 from enneagram types. We will be describing each personality separately followed up by giving an in-depth overview of a combination of both personalities i.e. ISTJ 8w9.

ISTJ 8w9

ISTJ 8w9 shares traits of both ISTJ and 8w9 personality. These personalities dislike being emotionally vulnerable and strive to be in a position of power where others cannot hurt them. They can be rational and logical. They have good observation skills and pay attention to details. They often defend themself and avoid situations where they can be perceived as weak. Usually, they are easy-going, peace-loving, loyal, and dutiful people.  

MBTI: Four Cognitive Functions

 Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), based on Carl Jung’s 16 personality types, approaches personality to be composed of four cognitive functions that govern how people think, process, and make decisions. The top two cognitive functions play a dominant role in guiding a person’s personality. Whereas, the latter two play less of a role. However, they still have some impact or influence on how a person behaves in certain situations. ISTJ is one personality type out of the 16 types. 

ISTJ: The Inspector (Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)

The ISTJ personality type from the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is based on Carl Jung’s 16 personality types. It describes people who are quiet, reserved, practical, and organized. They are traditionalists and value loyalty. 13% of people have an ISTJ personality type in the world.

Four Cognitive Functions of ISTJ

Four cognitive functions that guide how ISTJ personality type processes information includes:

Introverted Sensing

ISTJs are present-oriented and can take in information from their surroundings.  They have a good memory and can use prior experience to predict or expect what will happen in the future.

Extroverted Thinking

ISTJs are logical,  objective, and rational.  They focus on details and concrete information rather than abstract information.  They are efficient and productive people who appreciate knowledge with practical application.  They are also good decision-makers who use logic and evidence instead of feelings to guide their judgment. 

Introverted Feeling

ISTJs often have gut feelings about different situations.  Although they make decisions based on logic but their feelings inform them to trust their emotional instinct rather than just facts. 

  Extroverted Intuition

This is the weakest part of ISTJ’s personality. They enjoy new ideas and experiences which help them to have a more balanced personality. 

Enneagrams

Enneagrams are a map or typology of human personalities. It was developed by George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, Oscar Ichazo, and Claudio Naranjo.It is divided into nine personality types that are spread across 3 triads i.e. Feeling triad, Thinking Triad, or Instinctive Triad. It describes a person’s fundamental psychological orientation in the form of good or bad traits and sees which triad quality i.e. emotion, intellect or instincts is most characteristic of his or her personality.  The Basic Personality Type is the most characteristic of a person. Whereas wings add elements to the overall personality. Type 8w9 is one of its types.

Type 8w9: ‘The Bear’

Type 8w7 has basic traits of type 8 and secondary traits of type 9. They are in conflict as type 8 pushes them to be assertive and face challenges head-on. Whereas, type 9 tries to avoid conflict and suppresses anger. Thus, type 8w9 is calmer, peaceful, and domestic but clear about having boundaries of control. They are people-oriented, not materialistic, accepting, and can relate to others, unlike other type eights. Aggression and confrontation do not sit well with them. So, they do things the way they like but in a peaceful yet firm way. Their aura of strength, power, and privacy has a strange attractive feel to it. Other people perceive them to be emotionally blank or poker-faced, yet when challenged they can also be angry and passionate.

Healthy versions of this subtype are quiet, wise, strategic planners, and mostly easy-going in their approach. They are open to hearing concerns of their loved ones, are kind and protective about them. They have a mystical bond with especially with children, nature, and art.  

Average versions of this subtype are aggressive & competitive in public but accommodating in private with loved ones. This discrepancy in their approach is surprising to others. They are quiet, private and work from behind the scene. People perceive them to be stubborn, dominating yet sly in their manner. They speak slowly, carefully and according to the body language of people in their surroundings.  In other words, they have a facade of friendliness and agreeableness hiding their internal state which they modify according to their audience. They can be intimidating and kind-hearted at the same time. Thus, it is difficult to predict their mood. 

Unhealthy versions of this subtype can easily become depressed and dissociated. However, if they get power, they can become vengeful, ruthless, and indifferent without a shred of guilt. They dont get anxious and can be violent towards people without feeling emotional or empathic especially with people who live with them for a long time. 

Examples of Type 8w9: Martin Luther King Jr, Johnny Cash, Indra Gandhi, Pablo Picasso, Darth Vader

A Combination of ISTJ 8w9

Personality: ISTJ 8w9

ISTJ 8w9 fear getting hurt. So, they avoid situations where they can be controlled or hurt. They prefer being over others in position i.e. leaders.  These people are rational and detail-oriented in their approach. They do things in a quiet and easygoing manner. They prefer to do things by plan and rarely take risks. 

They desire to defend themselves from being hurt, threatened, or controlled by others. Thus, they try to be independent and establish guards against emotions & vulnerability. They act strong since they see emotions as signs of being weak. People find them loyal, dutiful, and peace-loving. 

Workstyle: ISTJ 8w9

Type ISTJ 8w9 are detail-oriented and good planners who try their best to fulfill their objectives. They are courageous and support others by being attentive to their needs. They are accepting of multiple perspectives and make good leaders. They dislike being micromanaged by others and prefer to be in positions where they have the control or they can do things their way. They like clarity in their work and want to execute things smoothly.

They prefer to work in jobs that give them authority, stability but also allows them to support others e.g. judge, activists, counselor, professor, lawyers, doctor, military etc. 

Emotional stressors of ISTJ 8w9

ISTJ 8w9 are often stressed by conflicts and disagreements as they are peace-loving people. Any kind of emotional reactions from others and aggression disrupts them. They also feel hurt when they feel rejected by others. Emotional vulnerability is their biggest point of stress since they like to put up a strong front and avoid anything that touches upon their insecurities. Situations where they feel a lack of control over their feelings can distress them greatly. They can have anger-related issues during stress.

Conflict: ISTJ 8w9

ISTJs 8w9 are peace-loving people. They dislike big conflicts and disagreements that are emotionally loaded. They can engage in a formal conflict but usually, they prefer to keep to themselves.  They have a good sense of right and wrong and exercise that in disagreements  Their communication style is directed towards resolving the matter in a simple and fair manner so that harmony is restored in their relations. 

Interpersonal Skills: ISTJ 8w9

ISTJ 8w9 are social people who can connect with others. Emotionally, they struggle to understand others but are able to do so with certain people. They are private people who do not share their feelings openly. Especially as being emotionally vulnerable in front of others is taken as a sign of weakness by them. However, if they do open up, they make great and loyal friends and partners.   At times, they find social interaction draining and need space to recharge.  For them commitments are are very important in their social interactions. Generally, they prefer their relationships to be peaceful and stable.

Strengths of ISTJ 8w9

• They make good leaders
• They are energetic and confident
• They are protective of people they care about
• They are accepting of multiple perspectives
• They are attentive to the needs of others 
• They are detail-oriented
• They are realistic
• They are focused on the present
• They have good observational skills
• They like practicality, organization, and order in their life

Weakness of ISTJ 8w9

• They can have anger management issues in stress
• They can be stubborn/ Rigid
• They can be overly confident and emotionally detached
• They dislike rules/orders or being controlled by authority figures
• They can be insensitive at times.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

If you’ve enjoyed the ”ISTJ 8w9” mentioned above, I would recommend you to take a look at ”ISTJ 8w7” and ‘‘ISTJ 9w1” too.

 FAQs: ISTJ 8w9

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed ISTJ 8w9 personality.  We found that ISTJ 8w9 shares traits of both ISTJ and 8w9 personality. These personalities dislike being emotionally vulnerable and strive to be in a position of power where others cannot hurt them. They can be rational and logical. They have good observation skills and pay attention to details. They often defend themself and avoid situations where they can be perceived as weak. Usually, they are easy-going, peace-loving, loyal, and dutiful people. 

I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any queries or comments, please state them in the comment section 😊

Citations

https://www.verywellmind.com/istj-introversion-sensing-thinking-judgment-2795992

https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/type-8-wing-9

Personality Types – Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery by Don Richard Riso with Russ Hudson

The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson