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WILLINGNESS TO HELP OTHERS BY PERSONALITY TYPE

Most of us would like to say yes when asked for help – by a friend, a coworker, or even a
stranger. The basic virtues of kindness and helpfulness are generally valued across cultures,
and working together can advance us all.

When it comes to those closest to us, granting assistance can deepen bonds, while refusing it
can create distance or resentment. The stakes are higher. But there may be good reason why
we can’t – or don’t want to – give help when asked. Maybe we don’t have the time, money, or
emotional strength, because our own lives are very taxing. Maybe we don’t feel that the person
deserves help, or maybe we’re uncomfortable with the kind of help they ask for.

To learn which personality types are most likely to comply with requests for help, we asked our
readers whether they agreed with the statement, “You rarely say no if someone asks you for
help.” A very strong majority (84%) agreed overall, showing that most people consider
themselves willing to pitch in when asked for help.

The results indicate that the Nature aspect was by far the most influential factor in our readers’
responses – personality types with the Feeling trait agreed with our statement at the highest rate
and were 12% more likely to agree than those with the Thinking trait (90% vs. 78% agreeing,
respectively). The Mind aspect was also a notable factor, with Extraverted personality types
agreeing slightly more than Introverted types (88% vs. 85%).

Let’s review the results in greater detail below.

Agreement with the statement “You rarely say no if someone asks you for help.”

Agre Disagre
Types
e e
Architects 76.59 23.41
Logicians 76.25 23.75
Commanders 80.95 19.05
Debaters 81.84 18.16
Advocates 90.42 9.58
Mediators 90.86 9.14
Protagonists 91.65 8.35
Campaigners 92.81 7.19
Logisticians 77.1 22.9
Defenders 88.7 11.3
Executives 79.64 20.36
Consuls 88.58 11.42
Virtuosos 75.37 24.63
Adventurers 87.67 12.33
Entrepreneur
77.07 22.93
s
Entertainers 88.15 11.85

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Agre Disagre
Types
e e

Roles: Agreement with the statement “You rarely say no if someone asks you for help.”

Agre Disagre
Type roles
e e
Analysts 78.77 21.23
Diplomats 91.58 8.42
Sentinels 85.42 14.58
Explorers 84.23 15.77

Diplomats (92% agreeing)


“A friend in need is a friend, indeed”. In fact, Diplomat personality types are known to extend
their goodwill and empathy to strangers as well. They believe in people and in cooperative
social power, so they are likely to give time, energy, and money to help people in need or a
cause they are passionate about. Their emotional sensitivity also makes it tough for them to say
no when asked directly for help. The Feeling trait has a strong positive influence on compassion
and social activism, both of which Diplomats exemplify.

The Intuitive trait may also make Diplomats quick to jump into action when asked for help.
Intuitive personality types tend to be eager to imagine a variety of possibilities, try out new
things, and solve problems. These are valuable assets when someone needs help.

Assertive Campaigners (ENFP-A) showed the highest rate of agreement among all personality
types (93%). Campaigners are more than just willing to help others when asked – they are
banner-waving crusaders looking for a cause to get behind. And once they’ve found it, they can
count on their Feeling trait to establish emotional connections and their Intuitive trait to inspire
creative ideas and solutions. Helping other people is a real source of energy for these
personalities, and they feel greatly rewarded by it.

Sentinels and Explorers (85% and 84%)


Because willingness to help others is so closely tied to the Feeling trait, Sentinels and Explorers
showed some division in their responses. Feeling types, like Defenders (ISFJ) (89%) and
Adventurers (ISFP) (88%), agreed at higher rates, close to those of the Diplomats. These
personality types all share a tendency toward empathy and an emotionally driven desire to help
others.

Executives (ESTJ) (80%), Entrepreneurs (ESTP) (77%), and other personality types with the
Thinking trait agreed at lower, but still high, rates. When asked for help, these Thinking types’
initial response won’t be rooted in emotion but in logic – they’re likely to consider the practical
details and ramifications first. They may also be more critical of the circumstances surrounding
the request, which can in turn influence their willingness to help.

Turbulent Virtuosos (ISTP-T) agreed at the lowest rate of any personality type (72%). Virtuosos
tend to get wrapped up in whatever they’re working on in any given moment. Less aware of the

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emotions of those around them, requests for help may take them by surprise, and, due to their
logical, pragmatic approach to life, empathy may not kick in. They’re especially likely to hesitate
if helping requires a long-term commitment. Still, once they’ve decided to help, their highly
practical skills often prove invaluable to solving a problem.

Analysts (79%)
Analysts also showed high agreement overall, yet it was the least of any Role. Their response
does not mean that these personality types lack generosity or concern for others. Rather, it’s a
function of their, well, analytical nature. They need a little more information before they can jump
into a cause or problem, and they may be harsher in their judgments.

For instance, if a friend did something foolish and needed help to fix it, a Diplomat might
respond to the need on an emotional level, worried above all else about their friend’s feelings.
An Analyst personality will also be concerned for their friend’s welfare, but they might hesitate to
extend help because they’re reluctant to take responsibility for the consequences of someone
else’s boneheaded behavior. Analysts’ rationality, in other words, might temper their
compassion, even when they are very caring people.

Strategies

Agreement with the statement “You rarely say no if someone asks you for help.”Confident IndividualismPeople
MasteryConstant ImprovementSocial Engagement

Agre Disagre
Type strategies
e e
Confident Individualism83.24 16.76
People Mastery 86.56 13.44
Constant Improvement 85.89 14.11
Social Engagement 88.54 11.46

Social Engagement and People Mastery (89% and 87% agreeing)


The responses among the four Strategies were fairly consistent, but the Extraverted members of
the Social Engagement and People Mastery Strategies agreed at slightly higher rates.
Extraverted personality types tend to be bolder about engaging in exciting or dramatic
experiences, so many are quick to help others. They don’t mind a bit of a shake-up in
circumstances or facing the problems of people in need. Social Engagers and People Masters
alike believe in the benefit of forming strong relationships with people, so goodwill and mutual
support are natural responses for these types.

Social Engagers’ comfort in social situations combined with their Turbulent Identity made them
the most likely to agree. As Turbulent personality types, they are more sensitive to emotional
stress and turmoil, including that of others. This makes them empathetic, but it also gives them
a tendency to take on others’ burdens as their own. Offering assistance that alleviates the
physical or emotional distress of the person in need helps Social Engagers put themselves at
ease as well.

Constant Improvement and Confident Individualism (86% and 83%)

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The Introverted personalities belonging to the Constant Improvement and Confident
Individualism Strategies, on the other hand, demonstrated slightly more hesitation to get
involved in other people’s problems. Introverts can find social interaction to be draining or
stressful, which can make it feel more difficult for them to act upon their concern for others, even
when they want to help. Still, that a strong majority of Introverts agreed with our statement
indicates that they are willing to push themselves outside of their comfort zone in order to help
others.

Confident Individualists were the least likely to agree because of their core belief in self-reliance,
driven by their Assertive Identity. Confident and capable when it comes to handling their own
problems, these personality types tend to think other people should be too, or that they should
at least try to help themselves first. But when they do decide to lend a hand, Confident
Individualists are well prepared to provide effective assistance.

Conclusions

Although all personality types agreed that they rarely say no when asked for help, respondents
with the Feeling and Extravert traits were the most likely to step up and offer assistance. Those
types that were less willing are not necessarily selfish or uncaring, just more reserved in their
decisions to help. Some of us may require more than the simple need of another person to
make us feel sympathy for them; their cause must be worthy too.

For many of us, however, the needs of another feel like our own, and we empathize and help
out, regardless of the situation.

What about you? Are you always ready to jump in and help, or are you more deliberate about
when to say no? Share your thoughts with your colleagues.

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