CELEBRITY MBTI: How to spot an ISFJ

I. Introduction

This is the second of a series in which, using Rod Novichkov's method, I am typing celebrities - mainly artistic people (actors, musicians, models, writers, artists) and some politicians and journalists. This post shall look at celebrity ISFJs.

Novichkov, in his How to Find Yourself and Your Best Match (2007), types a total of 33 celebrities as ESFJs. Putting all of Novichkov's celebrities on a spreadsheet, we find that what Keirsey calls the 'Guardians' - those with Si as a dominant secondary function, ESFJs, ISTJs, ISFJs and ESTJs - are the most numerous. The 'Artisans' - those with Se as a dominant or secondary, ESFPs, ESTPs, ISTPs, and ISFPs - come a close second. The 'Rationals' (xNTx types) and 'Idealists' (xNFx) come last: these types are thin on the ground in celebrity-land. My own typings - of real-life acquaintances - bear out Novichkov's findings; the majority of people I encounter in the street belong in the 'Guardian' group.

I have heard a statistic that says most in the female population are Feelers, not Thinkers. Again, my own experience largely confirms this, and I would go far as to say that a large proportion of women are not only Feelers, but are ISFJs.

II. Visually identifying the ISFJ

Let's run through, briefly, how an ISFJ looks according to Novichkov. Remember that ISFJs are Introverted Sensing-dominant, so are Perceivers, not Judgers: that is, their dominant function is Perceiving, not Judging.

The ISFJ as Perceiver: because the ISFJ is a Perceiver, he has a Perceiver’s neck. In the below diagram, Novichkov contrasts the 'Conceiving' (Judging) and Perceiving neck and head shapes:

Here we see the side view of two Chinese women: the one on the left is a Judger, the right, a Perceiver.

Here are a few more examples of the Perceiver’s neck:

The ISFJ as Feeler: Novichkov lists these attributes of the Feeling, as opposed to the Thinking, type:

1. Rounded forehead which is smaller and less expressive than the lower half of the  face;

2. Superciliary arches (bones beneath eyebrows) are smoothed out and not  pronounced;

3. Gently rounded bridge of nose dip;

4. Shallow eye sockets;

5. Rounded nose, usually pug shaped;

6. Wide lower face which is expressive.

Below we have two examples of Feelers, one male, one female – Elton John and Angelina Jolie respectively. (Novichkov types both as ISFJs).

Here is Elton John (a Feeler) with Michael Caine (a Thinker):

The ISFJ as Introverted Sensor: Sensors put on weight easily and tend to full and well-rounded; their mouths more often than not are full and sensual and their hands are smooth and stocky. They sit or stand in a rigid, conventional way. When sitting, they confine themselves to a small space. In the below pictures, the Sensors (Mitt Romney and Steve Jobs) sit in this way, whereas the Intuitives (Paul Ryan and Bill Gates) spread themselves all over the place:

Notice the difference in build, as well as posture, of John McCain (a Sensor) and John Kerry (an intuitive):

When looking at you, the Introverted Sensor tends to squint. While they give the impression that they are always looking at something, their eyes tend to lack focus and can seem bleary. 

The ISFJ as Introvert: a person's facial expression tells if they are an Introvert or Extravert. An Extravert radiates energy, whereas an Introvert seems to suck it all in – they are not directing it to the outer world at all, and can look withdrawn and a little melancholy.

One finds it hard to see behind the face of a woman who is an Introvert and a Feeler – it is opaque, like a china doll’s.

III. The ISFJ Celebrities: ISFJ men

Here are the famous ISFJ men:

Mark Hamill, actor:

Chris Hemsworth, actor:

Mikhail Gorbachev, politician:

Ozzy Osbourne, singer:

IV. The ISFJ Celebrities: ISFJ women

Here are the famous ISFJ women:

Taylor Swift, musician:

Kim Kardashian, TV personality:

Liv Tyler, actress:

Hunter Tylo, actress:

Meghan Markle, actress:

Mark Hootsen, signing off.

US Presidents Celebrity MBTI: Gerard Ford - ISFP

Continuing our series, I'll here type the sixth US President in our series, Gerard Ford, using the Rod Novichkov method.

Judger or Perceiver, j or p? 

Firstly, we compare side photographs of Ford to Novichkov's diagrams of Judging and Perceiving (or, as Novichkov puts it, Conceiving and Perceiving) types.

Now let us look at the profile shots of Ford. Quite a few exist:

A Judger's neck travels in a line up towards the forehead. Also, notice how close the jawline and the throat (which, like the spinal cord, tilts at an angle) lie to one another.

We can type Ford as a Judger, then: XXXj

Feeler or Thinker, F or T? 

Let's compare two middle-aged American politicians, one Lindsey Graham, who Novichkov would type as a Feeler, and Donald Rumsfeld, who he would type as a Thinker:

Novichkov lists these as the attributes of the Feeling, as opposed to the Thinking, type:

1. Small and rounded forehead, less expressive when compared to the lower face;
2. Flat, unpronounced, smoothed superciliary arches (bones behind the eyebrows);
3. Rounded bridge of nose dip;
4. Shallow eye sockets;
5. Rounded, pug-shaped nose;
6. Wide lower face, more expressive than the forehead.

Ford looks more like Graham than Rumsfeld.

The contrast between the Feeling and Thinking types becomes more apparent when we see them in the same photo: here is Ford and his son, Steven, a Thinker:

Now we can say that Ford is a Feeler and a Judger: XXFj.

Sensor or Intuitive, S or N? 

Below we have John Kerry and John McCain: Kerry is an Intuitive, McCain a Sensor. Notice the difference in the body types of these two men: McCain is stocky, and of the type which is inclined to put on weight, whereas Kerry is skinny, and probably couldn't put on weight if he tried.

Intuitives tend to sprawl when sitting or lying down, whereas Sensors keep themselves in a tight enclosed space and tend to be rather stiff and rigid. See the picture of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan below. Romney is the Sensor, Ryan the Intuitive:

Ford sits and stands in a rigid, conservative manner, has smooth and thick hands, is full-lipped and stocky: all the attributes of a Sensor.

Ford, then, is a Sensor, Feeler and Judger: XSFj.

A note on Extraverted Sensing: Se or Si? 

What distinguishes the Extraverted from the Introverted Sensor? The answer lies in the gaze. The Introverted Sensor tends to squint, and his eyes are blurry and unfocused - as if he only says the outlines and shapes of things. Jung compares the vision of the Introverted Sensor to that of the Impressionist painters. In contrast, the Extraverted Sensor's gaze is lucid and unblinking, and it follows you - it sticks to you. The Extraverted Sensor could be described as watchful.

From the photographs above, and those below, Ford does have a watchful - one might say, confrontational - gaze:

Introvert or Extravert, I or E? 

From Socionics (and MBTI), we know that if the secondary function is Extraverted, the primary function is Introverted. We can deduce that, as he is a Judger, his main function is his Judging one: Feeling. His secondary function, Sensing, is Extraverted: Se. Therefore, his main function, Feeling, must be Introverted: Fi.

Is Ford an Introvert? An Introvert's energies are directed inward, not outward, and this shows on their face: they give us an impression of absence, not presence - they are not all there. As such, their faces do not emit energy: in fact, they suck it out of the room.

In conclusion

The combination of Introvert + Sensor + Feeler + Judger gives us ISFj: I + S + F + j. Or, in MBTI, Ford is an ISFP.

Interestingly, Dwight Eisenhower was here typed as an ISFP, and Ford resembles him physically.

Mark Hootsen, signing off.