You’ve probably seen it in a dating profile or office icebreaker: “I’m an INTJ. Scorpio sun.
Enneagram 4w5.” In the age of curated identity, fad psychology has found a permanent seat at
the table—and it brought charts, quizzes, and just enough existential insight to keep things
interesting.
We’re surrounded by these tools: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), zodiac signs,
Enneagram numbers, and an endless scroll of TikTok filters promising to uncover your inner
child or ideal career. They’re not just personality tests—they’re conversation starters, digital
shorthand, and social armor. In a world where individuality is a currency, these tools offer both a
way to stand out and a way to belong.
But what happens when we start taking them too seriously? And is there a way to use them that
builds connection, instead of boxing us in?
Fad Psychology & The Age of Identity
There’s something deeply appealing about leading with a label. “I’m an ENFP” or “Classic Virgo
behavior” can be a low-stakes way to enter a room before your full personality has to show up.
It’s a kind of alias—something people can use to build a working idea of who you are, without
requiring vulnerability right away.
These labels show up everywhere: dating apps, brunch tables, friend group texts. They’ve
become social passwords. Say the right combination of letters or signs, and you might find
yourself welcomed into an in-group, already “understood” before you’ve said much at all.
But let’s not pretend they’re always used with depth. Sometimes, fad psychology functions more
like outerwear. Think of your personality type like a jacket—it might be a dramatic trench coat
or just a casual windbreaker, but it’s always something that covers and protects. It says
something about who you are before people get to know what’s underneath.
The question is: are we using these jackets to express ourselves—or to hide? Are we wearing
them as a way to connect—or as a filter to keep people out?
MBTI – Framework or Forecast?
Take MBTI, for example. While the science behind it is… wobbly at best, it still enjoys serious
cultural staying power. And for good reason—it gives us a way to talk about ourselves.
Introversion, intuition, feeling, judging—those four-letter combos offer a kind of archetype that
feels both personal and accessible.
In workplace trainings, MBTI can be genuinely helpful in explaining different work styles and
preferences. The point isn’t to rigidly sort people, but to help teams communicate more effectively. It’s not about discovering your “true” type—it’s about learning how other types think, work, and respond.
Socially, it’s a different game. You may have overheard someone on a first date earnestly declare, “That’s the introvert in me showing up,” or “I’m just really feeling you right now, because I’m
an F.” Cue the awkward laughter. There’s nothing wrong with using type language to connect—but it loses its magic when it becomes a script.
The sweet spot? Using your type as a springboard for conversation, not a ceiling for self-growth.
Reclaiming Agency: Writing Your Own Horoscope
It’s tempting to hand over the wheel to a system that promises insight, structure, and belonging.
But when we treat labels as destiny, we risk losing the complexity—and spontaneity—of who we
really are.
Restricting yourself to a type can feel comforting, but it often limits creativity. It’s the difference
between trying to fit into a description, versus using that description to explore new pathways.
The more powerful move is to use MBTI or astrology as a jumping-off point—not a rulebook.
So what if we wrote our own horoscopes?
Not the kind that predicts retrogrades and romantic entanglements, but something more personal. Something like: Today, I might surprise myself. Today, I’m allowed to pivot. Today, my identity
is something I get to design, not just describe.
Conclusion: Mid-Year, Mid-Jacket
We’re in the thick of the year—somewhere between who we were in January and who we’ll be
by December. So maybe now’s the perfect time to check in.
If personality types and zodiac signs are jackets, ask yourself: What’s my next one? Will it be
functional or expressive? Worn lightly or with pride?
Use these tools if they help. Share them if they spark joy. But let your identity be something you
wear with curiosity—not confinement. And the next time someone says, “That’s so Capricorn of
you,” maybe smile and reply, “Sure—but I’m still figuring out what that means to me.”
Jordan Hammes, MA, LPC