Carl Jung, who was hated by Zoe Williams’ father (My late father hated Carl Jung. Should I shun him for ever too?, 4 September), is famous for his work on dreams. It’s perhaps less well known that from his long experience of treating others and observing themes and patterns, he developed a personality type theory as well. Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs turned this into the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a personality test widely used for half a century in educational and business settings.
I’ve seen the MBTI evoke reactions similar to Zoe’s father’s distaste for Jung. It’s not scientifically validated, some people complain; and (less heard these days) a mother and daughter came up with it, round a kitchen table.
