Harry Potter Characters and Myers-Briggs Types
So I’ve been doing some thinking lately about Harry Potter houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin) and Keirsey archetypes (Artisan, Guardian, Rational, Idealist). I originally said that they lined up like this:
Gryffindor – Guardians (SJs)
Hufflepuff – Idealists (NFs)
Ravenclaw – Artisans (SPs)
Slytherin – Rationals (NTs)
Something abut the Ravenclaws and Slytherins has bugged me. Artisans are the opportunists of the bunch, which lines up more closely with what Slytherin seems to be all about. Also, Rationals are all about learning. But, as Mandy pointed out, some of the Artisans are far too positive to be Slytherins. So I think it’s a little more complicated than archetypal sorting can say.
So I came up with this list of examples from the Harry Potter universe. Maybe we can trace these characters back to their houses and get a better idea from there.
Artisans
ESTP – Fred and George Weasley
ESFP – Dean Thomas
ISTP – Victor Krum
ISFP – Horace Slughorn
Guardians
ESTJ – Ron Weasley (a little unsure on this one… Minerva McGonagal would be a good second choice)
ESFJ – Ginny Weasley
ISTJ – Hermione Granger
ISFJ – Neville Longbottom (although he’s so unsure of himself, we don’t see it until the end)
Rationals
ENTJ – Draco Malfoy
ENTP – Albus Dumbledore
INTJ – Severus Snape
INTP – Luna Lovegood
Idealists
ENFJ – Cedric Diggory
ENFP – Nymphadora Tonks
INFJ – Fleur Delacour
INFP – Remus Lupin
Where does Harry fall, you might ask? In some ways, he’s very much an ISTJ—duty-bound and constantly taking on unwanted responsibilities that he’s afraid will slip through the cracks. But in other ways, he has the introspection and tortured persona of an INFJ. I think he leans more toward the former than the latter, but he’s an interesting mix.
As for Lord Voldemort, he’s very much an INTJ.
So, by my chart, the introverted Artisans and the judging Rationals are Slytherins. The extraverted Artisans are yet more Gryffindors, and the perceiving Rationals are Ravenclaws. Of course, there are exceptions to any rule, but those are my predictions.
This would make Gryffindor the overwhelmingly largest house, meaning there’s either a flaw in my logic, or a flaw in Rowling’s. (Or maybe she wanted it that way. Who knows?)
October 21st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Is Cho an ISFP, I wonder? Curiouser and curiouser!
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 am
Sorry I don’t have much to contribute here… I’ve only read one Harry Potter book (and I did love it!).
January 5th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
I think Cho is an ISFP, actually. But, who knows.
I think it’s interesting to put characteristics of the four main personality types in the houses (since there is four of them
) But I think it’s more complicated than that, and I’m not sure how. Because you are right, if most SJ’s were in Gryffindor, that would make the house overwhelmingly bigger than the rest. Also, I read somewhere that when they are sorted into the houses, not only do they more than likely possess those characteristics, but aspire to be that way. So they could not completely be fit for that house, but the sorting hat decide they are best there based on their mindset. Kinda balances it out, I think.
Example, taking tests online and actually having a real person decide my house by me just describing myself and my likes, I am always sorted into Ravenclaw, even though I can be ditzy at times. I value intelligence a lot, and Ravenclaw reminds me of abstract intelligence. I am an INFP. My close second would probably be Hufflepuff based on your guess, which I could sort of see myself in, but at the same time not because I can see half of them or more not being an N.
Sorry I went so far into this, I’m just up late and in a very thinking mood right now.