Vladimir Putin Personality Type – MBTI & Big Five

Looking into and analyzing the psychology and personality type of Vladimir Putin. Using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Big Five Personality Traits.

Vladimir Putin is the current president of Russia. He’s a former KGB intelligence officer. He was eventually granted the rank of lieutenant colonel. Shortly after, he retired from the role to pursue a career in politics.

Vladimir Putin Personality Type – Big Five

Openness

Based on what I know, Putin seems high in the trait of openness. The motivation for getting into politics could be an interest in ideas, usually big picture ideas. However, it could also be a desire to have control and power over others.

Vladimir Putin is also a student and follower of martial arts, which may also be an indicator of high openness.

Conscientiousness

Putin seems high in conscientiousness, hard-working and achievement-seeking. He also has a strong focus on maintaining order, and has been described by some as a perfectionist, which suggests high in the orderliness aspect. His career suggests he also places high value on dutifulness.

Some studies have suggested a connection between high orderliness and wanting strong borders, and generally conservative views. The trait is also connected to the emotion of disgust, and being sensitive to the idea of disease infection. This may have affected his dealing with the Covid outbreak.   

Extroversion

I believe he is more on the low end of extroversion, but not obviously so. He is perhaps even hovering somewhere around the centre of the scale.

Agreeableness

Based on his actions, I definitely think he is on the lower end of trait agreeableness overall. Engaging in a War is a definite sign of a disagreeable personality. His actions and the way he runs his country suggest competitiveness rather than cooperative motivations. He also comes across as low on trust, perhaps somewhat paranoid, and generally lower on the traits of compassion and sympathy.

Neuroticism

Vladimir Putin has had many high-powered, therefore high-pressure positions in his career. It suggests that he is naturally good at handling stress and has low levels of anxiety. Someone with really low levels of neuroticism is connected to a psychopathic personality. He may not be a psychopath, but certainly nudging in that direction.    

Vladimir Putin Personality Type – MBTI

Putin is likely a mild INTJ. So, nudging towards being introverted, he is able to see the big picture and think abstractly and appreciates creativity and the arts, so, perhaps an intuitive type. He seems blunt and straight talking, so, more of a thinker type. With him being high in the traits of dutifulness and orderliness, I think he is a Judger.