Hobbies for your personality type

Use the type as a starting point

Personality tests are a popular way to narrow down hobbies, and the 16 types of the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) style tests are the ones most people know. Psychologists trust the Big Five traits more, because they measure the same person more consistently from one day to the next. Either way, a type tells you what you might enjoy, not what you will. Treat the suggestions below as a shortlist to try, and let a few evenings of actually doing something decide.

Introvert or extravert

This is the letter that matters most for hobbies, because it decides how much company you want.

• If you are more introverted (I), start with hobbies you can do alone or with one other person: reading, writing, birding, gardening, knitting, pottery or chess. A small class is fine; a loud crowd every week is not.
• If you are more extraverted (E), pick hobbies with a group built in: a choir, community theatre, improv, a softball team or ultimate frisbee, or salsa socials.

Analysts: INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, ENTP

Analysts tend to enjoy systems, strategy and problems with no obvious answer. Chess and go reward long study. Programming and creative coding let you build things from logic. Amateur astronomy mixes equipment, maths and patience. ENTPs and ENTJs often enjoy the argument and planning in a tabletop roleplaying game or a bridge club, and public speaking clubs suit those who like to persuade.

Diplomats: INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, ENFP

Diplomats tend to look for meaning and for ways to express what they feel. Writing fiction or poetry, keeping a journal, watercolour painting and photography all give the inner life somewhere to go. The extraverted types, ENFJ and ENFP, often light up in a choir or a theatre company, where the work is shared and the result is felt by an audience.

Sentinels: ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ

Sentinels tend to like clear steps, routine and progress they can see. Gardening, baking and knitting reward patience with something real. Model railways and stamp collecting suit people who enjoy order and completeness. Running with a training plan is satisfying in the same way. The extraverted types, ESTJ and ESFJ, often end up organising things: a board game night, a club or a choir committee.

Explorers: ISTP, ISFP, ESTP, ESFP

Explorers tend to learn with their hands and like to be in the moment. Climbing and bouldering, surfing and skateboarding give quick feedback and a bit of adrenaline. Woodworking and cooking suit those who like to make something useful. ISFPs often take to photography or pottery. ESTPs and ESFPs usually enjoy anything with a crowd and a physical edge, from salsa to team sports.

If you know your Big Five scores

• High openness: new art forms, travel, a language or an instrument.
• High conscientiousness: long skill-building hobbies where steady practice pays off, like piano or running.
• Often anxious or tense: calming, repetitive hobbies such as yoga, tai chi, gardening or knitting.
• High agreeableness: hobbies where you help or play with others, like a choir or a team.

What decides more than type

Your time, budget, space and whether you need a teacher usually decide what you can actually keep doing. The hobby quiz on this site asks about those, and works whether or not you know your type.