The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular personality test, has capitalist origins. Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, inspired by Carl Jung’s theories, developed the test during the 20th century. Briggs and Myers had no formal training in psychology, yet their creation is used by businesses worldwide to assess potential employees.
Briggs and Myers believed that understanding personality types could help women entering the workforce during WWII find suitable jobs. The test was initially used in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to the CIA, to assign agents to roles that matched their personality types.
The MBTI later became popular in the corporate world, with many companies using it to make hiring and promotion decisions. Despite its widespread use, the test has been criticised by psychologists for its lack of scientific rigour and reliability. Critics argue that the MBTI oversimplifies personality and fails to account for its complexity and fluidity. Nonetheless, the test continues to be a staple in many corporate environments, reflecting the enduring influence of its capitalist roots.
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