The 4 Personality Types Everyone Should Know Before 30

Ever wonder why some people thrive under pressure while others shut down? Or why your laid-back friend drives your Type A brain insane? In this episode, we break down the four classic personality types: Type A, B, C, and D,  and how they show up in real life. 

From friendships to the workplace, knowing these patterns can help you communicate better, avoid unnecessary conflict, and build stronger connections. 

It’s not about putting people in boxes — it’s about understanding how we work, and how to work better with others.

Enjoy!

Transcript

Understanding Personality Types

Speaker 1 0:17

Hey guys, and welcome back to another episode of the 20s survival guide. This is your host, emily Astley. So my friend told me the other day that I am type A personality and I was like, what is type A personality? Because I hear people talk about it all the time, like, oh, I'm type B, I'm type A and I don't actually know what it means. But apparently it's really important to know your type because it means that you know how you react to things in work situations, life situations, friendships, like it's actually really important to know if you work better with a type B person or your own type. It's just a whole thing. But really in today's episode I've done my research and I actually find them so interesting. So there's four types Type A, b, c and D and in this episode we are going to talk about the types of personalities. We're going to try and figure out which one you are. I'm going to talk about what the traits are for each person, how that means they'll react in a work situation most of the time and what motivates them and, just in general, how you can approach that with your friends, knowing what type they are, with yourself, and yeah, so, without further ado, let's get into the episode. So let's just give you a little rundown. Okay, because there are four personality types, but none of them are neither good nor bad, like there's no right personality type, there's no best personality type. They're all different. They're kind of just more behavior patterns and how you respond to stress. Initially this is quite interesting. Actually, they used to just be for health psychology, but now they've made their way into the workplace and just in general and social situations and everyone, like, calls themselves a specific type. But you know what? I'm not trying to label anyone here and I don't even know what type I am. I know what people tell me, but I personally feel like I can't even decide which type I am. You might be all four of them, and that's also a thing, so we're going to go into them.

Type A: The Ambitious Hustler

Speaker 1 2:21

Type A tends to be high achievers, ambitious, competitive and you're always on the go. So this is the kind of person that's, like, prone to overworking. You know that that person has their life schedule planned out and they're just really, really intense sometimes, but they're really ambitious and they work really hard. Intense sometimes, but they're really ambitious and they work really hard. Type B is a more chilled, laid-back kind of vibe and you tend to be quite creative and you prefer to just go with the flow rather than have tons of deadlines in your life, whereas type A, as we mentioned, tends to make their own deadlines and doesn't find it as easy to just go with the flow. Type C is a kind of person who is very detail orientated, so they're cautious, they tend to really like to follow the rules and they're great planners, but they can definitely overthink. Now, type D is the kind of person who is very quiet, quite quiet, quite reserved and quite emotionally sensitive. So, in terms of how they manage stress, they tend to internalize it and they don't tend to be very good at dealing with it and letting it out themselves.

Speaker 1 3:34

So let's go into each one, because we need to go into depth, we need to go into the crux and understand which personality type you are and what that actually means. So you know what you're talking about when someone brings this up. Okay, so type A we're going to call type A the hustler, but you know what I'm not saying. This is a good thing or a bad thing, and I'm very neutral in this, by the way, because I personally think that these are only guidelines, but they can be quite useful.

Speaker 1 4:01

This type A person schedules brunch, like a week in advance. Ok, they need all of their plans for the week to be scheduled in their calendar, rather than the person who just turns up on a Saturday, wakes up on a Saturday morning and is like, let's go to brunch with with, like the girls. They need to know they're going to brunch with the girls on Monday. You know they are very competitive, very organized and very goal-driven. So you tend to see a lot of entrepreneurs that are type A. They need goals, they need competition and they like to work for something and work, you know, all day, tend to be workaholics. So in friendships, type A might seem a little bossy sometimes or intense, but they just want things to be efficient. That's how it normally turns out to be and if they're multitasking like it's not an offensive way they just prefer to be doing a lot of things at once.

Speaker 1 4:55

Type A at work is also very different and they are the ones who like high pressure projects. They like pressure because it fuels them instead of makes them anxious. But they can also burn out fast because, as we said, you know, type a likes to overwork. Type a likes to set goals and sort of push themselves to the limit, which can be really unhealthy at the same time. So if you're type a, something you probably struggle with and you can think about this. If this is you is type A, something you probably struggle with and you can think about this. If this is you is you struggle to rest, you struggle to switch off, you struggle to have a work-life balance and you need to remember that you're a human being and you're not a machine. So tips to deal with a type A person like don't take their directness personally, if that's what they're like and what motivates a type A person normally opportunities, challenges, urgency, success, a lot of those kind of things. That's why, if you hear someone saying I'm type A, they tend to be quite structured and scheduled and everything has its place, you know.

Type B: The Creative Free Spirit

Speaker 1 5:57

But anyway, on to type B. Type B, as we said, is a lot more relaxed, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. Type B is the chilled friend. They are the one who is going to tell you to breathe, relax, like remember that life is going to just work out, you know, like you have to just chill and there's no point stressing about things you can't control. That is type B. So they tend to be a lot more spontaneous, a lot more social and are probably the most or more creative person in your friendship group. In terms of friendships type B, they are great listeners, so useful to have around, but they don't really like the drama and they don't really like the pressure. They just prefer to probably dissociate themselves from those kind of situations because they just don't want to do it. They just value their own freedom, right? So this is probably the person who will be getting up on a Saturday and deciding to have brunch on that day without planning in advance.

Speaker 1 6:55

And in order to deal with a type b personality, the best tips I could give you is don't force them into routines. They don't like routines. If you're a type A person, that might be something you love, but your friend who's a type B, they don't want to be forced into a routine, they just want to do things as and when they come. But if you're also a type B, on the other hand, a great way to deal with stress or work is time blocking, because it can help you balance your focus. You do have a schedule kind of element to your life, because sometimes at work it just has to happen at work. The type b person tends to thrive in flexible environments. So if they have a nine to five, they're probably not going to be that happy because they're more creative people. So you could also be an entrepreneur as a type b person, but but it tends to be a bit different. You know, like they are creative, they don't want to constantly be in a fixed routine. Like they do well with flexibility.

Type C: The Analytical Perfectionist

Speaker 1 7:53

Type B personality is a great personality and some might say they are the ones who create the vibes in your friendship group. What is type C? Type C is more of the analyzer. I like to think of them as, like the quiet genius in the group. They just are the kind of people who all of a sudden will pipe up with something that is ridiculously intelligent or crazy, something like how do you even know that? And then your vibe shifts with them and you're like, oh whoa, you're actually way smarter than I thought, or you're actually.

Speaker 1 8:25

You've actually retained a lot of information in this lecture and I've retained only a couple points. You know they are the people that are going to remember your birthday, your dog's birthday, the most random stuff. They're gonna review your cv if you need help and you don't really have to ask them very much to do things like that. You know they just have it organized. But they're also super analytical and they really pay attention to the detail, which is really important to have in a work environment and in a personal friendship environment. It's just a good skill to have.

Speaker 1 8:57

So what is type c like? In a friendship, type c tends to be the person that's really loyal, but they're not super expressive with their feelings. So they care a lot for you, but they are probably gonna care for you in a more quiet manner than you might. Type C will probably thrive most in like a research environment, an analysis job or just behind the scenes roles Like the analytical stuff that is so important and really difficult but needs to get done, and they're probably not the type that's going to be an out there salesperson, but they very much could be, because you need to have those skills as well to be a salesperson. So you know you can do anything, but the roles that they tend to thrive in are very analytical.

Speaker 1 9:42

How do you deal with a type C person? This is a great question, so you need to be very clear and logical with communicating. One skill that's so important for life is knowing how to communicate with different kinds of people. And that might sound really obvious and you're like Emily what the hell, obviously, that's so important. We know that I mean each person for, for example, in a work environment, might want things in a different way, they might want things done in a different way, they might want you to deliver information to them in a different way, like some people prefer the long story, they prefer the back story, that they have time for a chit chat, but some people just want the answer and they want it really directly and they don't want you to be around the bush. And in order to make the most with each person and be on each person's good side, you need to know how to communicate with them. And that's just like having a good EQ and the type C person. When you're communicating with them, you need to be really clear. So you need to be clear and logical when you're communicating and they are the kind of people who just want the answer.

Speaker 1 10:46

And a main tip for the type c person my biggest tip is don't let perfectionism hold you back, because you can be really, really hard on yourself and really, really amping down and really harping on the perfectionism point, because you tend to be a perfectionist and sometimes it will get in the way of you actually doing things. So just recognize that and know that it's quite normal. What motivates type c personalities? Um, the opportunity. Opportunities to be independent and analytical because, as we said, they probably are going to thrive best in analytical roles.

Type D: The Emotionally Intuitive

Speaker 1 11:20

On to to type D Type D people tend to be quite thoughtful, they tend to be quite calm to be around and they're also really emotionally intuitive. They know what's going on. They have a high EQ, but they also internalize stress. So that's not really good for them, to be honest. I don't mean they're negative, but they're very in tune with the EQ and the emotional temperature of the group, if you know what I mean. So what is type D like in a friendship?

Speaker 1 11:50

Type D is the kind of person that you will call when you're spiraling. They are there for you and you know they're going to give you the right advice. You just know that you're going to feel calmed by them. You know they're going to give you advice that's going to make you feel so much better and they won't give you a whole spiel, a whole ted talk. They'll listen to you and this friend is so important. That's why people go to type d people when they need help, when they need a rant, because type d people are really good at listening. They're not just going to spew a ted talk to you and the best part about them is you call them because you just know that they will just get you. They will get what you're saying and they're not gonna be super judgy, and that is such an important friend to have around At work.

Speaker 1 12:34

You can imagine, then, that type D people do really well in an environment where they can be empathetic. They need roles that are probably a lot more people facing, because they're really good at the empathy side and they're the kind of person that just gets it right. But they tend to struggle with criticism and high-pressure environments. So, although they are really good in terms of their eq, they don't really like high-pressure environments and they don't really like criticism, and it's really hard for them to take criticism. Well, again, this is just a blanket term. So if you are a type d person and you take criticism really well, I'm not coming for you. That's amazing. This is just what the typical stereotype is like. So this might be you or this might be so way off and that's so fine.

Speaker 1 13:22

But tips to deal with a type D type of person. They do really well in low conflict environments. So having high stress and high conflict environments, lots of drama, is not something they wanna do and they don't wanna be around those kind of people. So you need to be patient with them as well, because they might be there and really good at listening to you and your problems, but they might take a while to open up and they're not as good as opening up as you think. So being patient with them, listening to them and waiting for them to actually open up about what's going on in their life takes time, but they need that from their friends. What motivates a type d person? Things like having a good routine, having stability and having a calm work atmosphere. That is their cup of tea.

Speaker 1 14:22

So we've just gone through the four personality types type A, b, c and D and maybe you know which one you are now, or maybe you feel like you're all of them, or maybe you feel like you're also none of them at the same time, and that is so fine because, as I said, this is just a blanket term, but we're going to talk about why these matter, okay, why this matters a lot to know what you are and what your friends are. So we all know our 20s are full of interviews, relationships, friendships, like there's just so much chaos. Okay, like this is a chaotic time in our lives and if you're not feeling that, good for you, but I can definitely tell you that it is a chaotic time. It's just important to know how you operate and what you need in your life, what your personality type weaknesses are, so that you can focus on them when you're in environments like networking or situationships like how are you tending to react to things? So you can try and identify them before you feel like they just blow up in your face. So if you know your personality type, so you can try and identify them before you feel like they just blow up in your face.

Speaker 1 15:28

So if you know your personality type, you're probably gonna have less miscommunication with people because you're gonna understand what your friend's personality types are and realise that they're reacting to things a different way because that's their personality. You're gonna have better teamwork because you're gonna know what makes the other person tick. You're going to have healthier friendships because you're gonna have better teamwork, because you're gonna know what makes the other person tick. You're going to have healthier friendships because you're gonna understand what person opens up easier than others and how you need to react around them when they're in a stressful situation. And also, you're just gonna have more self-awareness because you're gonna know in general what's important to each person and how you need to behave around them in order to get the most out of each person. Those are things that we all want. We want good friendships, we want good teamwork and we want to have more self-awareness. So in theory, this actually matters quite a lot.

Speaker 1 16:14

So how can we put this into real life, guys? Because it's all great and well to know the different personality types, but it's hard to know which one's you, because you might be thinking I really do believe that all of them are me and that's fair enough. But in order to actually figure out because there might be nuances, but you also might be more one personality type than the other and in order to figure it out and utilise it to your advantage in everyday life, we got some tips. We got some tips on how we're going to do it, okay. So, number one we want to figure out our personality type. It's just fun to know and it's like important and interesting. And I think the best way to do this is genuinely just going on to like a good google search and finding a good personality type quiz. For which personality type am I? They tend to be like five minutes max. I would do that. I think it's just interesting to know.

Speaker 1 17:10

Number two notice your friends around you, notice others. Notice what makes people tick, what makes your friends tick, what makes your co-workers tick, how they respond when you give them information. Do they feel agitated and antsy because they want the answer and you're going around the long route, you're taking the long story to get there. Do they feel antsy or do they like that part? Do they want all the detail? You know that's a really good sign to be able to tell if they're more analytical or if they're more type D person.

Speaker 1 17:40

And number three adapt. This is really, really important. So don't change yourself for another person in terms of working around that personality type, but make sure you're flexible when you need to be, because you might want things done a certain way, but they also might want things done in a certain way that's different to yours and if you're doing things for them, you shouldn't do it in the way that you would want. You should do it in the way they would want, and being flexible to understand that is so crucial and it will help you go so much farther in life. But don't get me wrong it is not easy to do. It takes practice and time, and that's why we're talking about it in our 20s.

Speaker 1 18:25

So, all in all, what does this all lead to? And this comes back to a point I make on the podcast all the time All of this will lead to higher emotional intelligence. You knew it before I even said it, because it's literally like what I talk about in every episode, but it's true. So if you guys go and do a test, you figure out which personality type you are, let me know dm me in the show notes, dm me on instagram. Tell me what personality type you are. I'd love to know and I might do a test myself, even though I've done like hundreds of them. But yeah, I just thought that this was probably a useful topic to talk about. With whichever walk of life or area of life you're in right now, if your job's taking over your life or your friendships or a relationship or a whole nother area, then you're still going to need this, so this kind of applies to everyone. So I hope you guys enjoyed the episode and I shall see you next Wednesday. Bye.