Luna Lovegood is my Patronus

Are you familiar with the MBTI? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality test that helps people understand their personality preferences in 4 categories. It is proctored by a psychologist, but there are free versions available. This is one of my favorites, 16 Personalities.

On this assessment, I consistently score as an INFP. (The first time I took it was in college, and I have taken it many, many times since then.) In a nutshell, INFP means that I am “sensitive, creative, idealistic, perceptive, caring and loyal. I value inner harmony and personal growth. And I focus on dreams and possibilities.” That’s cited from the MBTI chart in the link below. This category is often titled a Dreamer, The Idealist, or a Mediator.

There’s a trend to create MBTI charts with characters from popular fictional universes. Here’s a list of 10.

When I saw the chart for the Harry Potter universe, it shifted my perception about INFPs in a good way. Culturally, the trait of sensitivity can be considered weak, sometimes childlike, and not suited for the realities of the real world, which can be harsh and cold. I used to consider it fluffy and ineffective and strived to change myself, despite my preferences. Dreamers and idealists are nice and all, but they’d never survive the corporate world or any situation that had serious conflicts.

But when I saw Luna Lovegood connected to the INFP profile, my perception changed. Luna is an idealist. She’s sensitive, and she has an inner strength that comes from that. When she is in a difficult situation, she doesn’t change her personality to be harsh and commanding. But she is still effective. To those that know her, her softness isn’t weak at all.

When Luna grows up, if she stays true to herself, she will never be touring the facilities and picking up slack, wearing a short skirt and a long jacket. But that’s okay. If she does work in corporate America, she can bring a steady, gentle strength to whatever role she has.

This realization helped me value my sensitivity more. It isn’t a weakness I had to overcome to become a fully realized, healthy, well-rounded adult. Instead, it is a trait that can provide a valuable service to my communities; just like other traits I respect in strong, accomplished people.

In the Harry Potter universe, a Patronus is a spirit guardian, the animal one shares the deepest affinity with. Luna Lovegood isn’t an animal, but her character is my spirit guardian. When I need strength and clarity, I can call on my Patronus to help guide me. Sometimes it helps to see my decision-making process outside of my own head. What would Luna Lovegood do?

If you are interested in understanding yourself more, consider taking the personality profile in the link above. Find out your type, and see if any of the characters in the charts above help you see truths about yourself that you didn’t realize before. You might just discover your own Patronus too.