Psychology 101
Is There a Good or Bad Personality Type?
The CQ Team · 6 min read · Jun 2, 2026
No type is best overall. Traits link to life outcomes, but modestly, and every trait has a cost as well as a benefit. What the research says.
No personality type is best overall. Traits do link to real outcomes such as health, income and relationships, but the links are modest, and each trait helps in some situations and costs you in others. In a large replication study, the median correlation between a trait and a life outcome was about .19 (Soto 2019). Which level of a trait is “good” depends on what you are trying to do.
Is there a best personality type?
Not according to the people who publish the types. The Myers & Briggs Foundation says “All MBTI® preferences and types are equally valuable” and that each preference has strengths and stretches (The Myers & Briggs Foundation). 16Personalities puts it the other way round: “Every personality type has at least one behavior that can cause problems at work” (16Personalities).
Researchers mostly measure traits, which are scores on a scale, rather than types. A 2018 paper in Nature Human Behaviour notes that, unlike traits, the existence of personality types “remains extremely controversial” (Gerlach et al. 2018). So the more useful question is about traits.
Do some personality traits lead to better outcomes?
On average, yes, and it would be wrong to pretend otherwise. One review found that personality predicted mortality, divorce and career attainment about as strongly as socioeconomic status and cognitive ability did (Roberts et al. 2007).
The effects are real but small for any one person. Christopher Soto retested 78 links between traits and life outcomes in large US samples. 87% replicated, but at about 77% of their original strength, with a median correlation of .19 (Soto 2019). A trait shifts the odds a little. It doesn't decide your life.
What does each trait cost and give you?
The psychologist Daniel Nettle argues that each Big Five trait is a trade-off, and that “there is no unconditionally optimal value” (Nettle 2006). He presents these as hypotheses for research to test, not settled findings.
| Trait | Possible benefit | Possible cost |
|---|---|---|
| Extraversion | Social allies, exploring new places | Physical risks, family stability |
| Neuroticism | Alertness to danger, striving and competitiveness | Stress and depression |
| Openness | Creativity | Unusual beliefs, and at the extreme, psychosis |
| Conscientiousness | Long-term planning, a longer life | Missing short-term gains, rigidity |
| Agreeableness | Harmonious relationships, being a valued ally | Being taken advantage of |
Summarised from Table 1 in Nettle (2006), “Hypothesized Fitness Benefits and Costs”.
When does a “good” trait cost you?
Several studies show the downside of traits most people would call desirable.
- Agreeableness and pay. Agreeable people earn less, and the gap is bigger for men (Judge, Livingston & Hurst 2012). The authors' own summary, as reported by the University of Notre Dame: nice guys “finish a distant second in terms of earnings” (Notre Dame).
- Too much conscientiousness. At work, the benefit of conscientiousness levels off and disappears past a point, sooner in simpler jobs (Le et al. 2011). In a study of 912 people, very high conscientiousness went with obsessive-compulsiveness and lower well-being (Carter et al. 2016).
- Cheerfulness and lifespan. In the long-running Terman study, children rated as cheerful lived shorter lives on average, while conscientious children lived longer (Friedman et al. 1993).
- Extraversion and risk. People admitted to hospital after an accident or illness score higher on extraversion than those who are not, according to research Nettle cites.
- Extraverted bosses. In a study of pizza stores, extraverted managers did worse when their employees were proactive, and introverted managers did better (Harvard Business School Working Knowledge).
Can your personality change?
Yes, slowly, and mostly in one direction. Across 92 samples, people became more socially dominant, more conscientious and more emotionally stable as they aged, especially between 20 and 40 (Roberts, Walton & Viechtbauer 2006). A review of 207 studies found that deliberate interventions changed trait scores over an average of 24 weeks, with emotional stability changing most (Roberts et al. 2017).
A result describes where you are now. It is not a fixed verdict.
Isn't a personality disorder a bad personality type?
No. A personality disorder is a mental health condition: the NHS describes a person who “thinks, feels, behaves or relates to others very differently from the average person” (NHS). It is not one of the 16 types, and a personality test like ours is not designed to identify it.
How should you read your own result?
- Read each score as a lean, not a grade. A high or low score tells you which situations will feel natural and which will take effort.
- Name the cost of your strength. If you score high on Agreeableness, the cost might be pay negotiations. If you score high on Conscientiousness, it might be over-polishing.
- Pick one stretch. Traits respond to practice over months, so choose one behaviour your default skips and try it for a few weeks.
Take the free Big Five test to see a score from 0 to 100 on each trait, with no email needed. Our guide to reading your scores explains what high and low mean. The Growth Pack goes further, with reports on your motivations, self-sabotage patterns and habits that stick.
Sources
- Soto (2019), Psychological Science
- Roberts, Kuncel, Shiner, Caspi & Goldberg (2007), Perspectives on Psychological Science
- Nettle (2006), American Psychologist
- Gerlach, Farb, Revelle & Amaral (2018), Nature Human Behaviour
- Judge, Livingston & Hurst (2012), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Le et al. (2011), Journal of Applied Psychology
- Carter et al. (2016), Journal of Personality
- Friedman et al. (1993), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Roberts, Walton & Viechtbauer (2006), Psychological Bulletin
- Roberts et al. (2017), Psychological Bulletin
- The Myers & Briggs Foundation, All types are valuable
- 16Personalities, Workplace weaknesses
- NHS, Personality disorder
- Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, Introverts: the best leaders for proactive employees
Frequently asked questions
What is the best personality type to have?
There isn't one. The Myers & Briggs Foundation says all types are equally valuable, and in trait research each trait helps in some situations and costs in others.
What is the worst personality type?
No type is worst. Rankings of the “rudest” or “worst” types online are opinion, not research. A personality disorder is a clinical condition, not a personality type.
Which personality trait is the best?
None in every situation. Conscientiousness is linked to job performance and health on average, but past a point its benefits level off and very high scores go with lower well-being.
What is the unhappiest personality type?
Happiness isn't measured by type. In trait research, higher Extraversion goes with higher well-being, and Nettle lists stress and depression as a cost of high Neuroticism.
Can a bad personality change?
Traits change slowly over life, mostly toward more conscientiousness and emotional stability, and a review of 207 studies found deliberate interventions changed trait scores within months.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Myers-Briggs and MBTI are registered trademarks of The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Cerebral Quotient is not affiliated with The Myers & Briggs Foundation or The Myers-Briggs Company.
16Personalities and NERIS Type Explorer are trademarks of NERIS Analytics Limited. Cerebral Quotient is not affiliated with NERIS Analytics.
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