All About Joe Goldberg & His Personality Type

If you’ve watched at least one episode of the TV show You, chances are you’re curious to find out Joe Goldberg’s personality type.

Whether you love Joe or hate him, one thing is for certain—in this role, Penn Badgley delivered a very compelling portrayal of a love-obsessed bookstore manager-turned-serial killer. As such, it’s no surprise that many people around the world are fascinated with this character!

So, in this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Joe Goldberg’s personality type, including his Enneagram and compatibility with other types. Let’s dig in!

Joe Goldberg’s Personality Type

Source: Netflix

Joe Goldberg’s personality type is INFJ, which is also known as the Counselor.

If you know anything about INFJs, this is probably a shocker—after all, INFJs are supposed to be compassionate and idealistic, which doesn’t exactly sound like Joe. Well, that’s because he’s an extremely unhealthy INFJ.

With that in mind, let’s explore the most prominent Joe Goldberg’s personality traits:

#1. Obsession

To say that Joe is obsessive in matters of love would be an understatement. He’s completely consumed by the idea of love and his vision of it, so much so that it makes him delusional. While healthy INFJs are gifted at reading people, unhealthy ones are prone to projecting their feelings and desires onto others, much like Joe.

And as if that’s not enough, as a result of his obsession, he falls madly in love without even knowing the other person!

More likely than not, his obsessive mindset stems from the unhealthy use of introverted intuition (Ni), the dominant INFJ cognitive function. While it normally makes Counselors insightful and single-minded, it can also lead deeply disturbed individuals like Joe to misinterpret other people’s words and actions.

#2. Manipulation

Besides being obsessive, Joe Goldberg is also very manipulative. He can easily put on a charming façade to hide his true intentions and make others trust him. This is one of the reasons why many fans and mental health experts alike believe that he could be suffering from a variety of mental health disorders, including narcissistic personality disorder.

That said, from a typology standpoint, it’s clear that Joe misuses his auxiliary extraverted feeling (Fe) function to manipulate others. Although Fe typically helps INFJs empathize with others and create harmonious relationships, unhealthy INFJs may take advantage of their ability to understand people for malicious purposes, including manipulation.

#3. Loyalty

INFJs are known to be deeply devoted to their loved ones, which is a truly admirable quality. However, as a very unhealthy INFJ, Joe Goldberg takes this dedication to extremes, to put it lightly.

Joe’s loyalty to his romantic interests is so fierce and unwavering that he goes to great lengths to please and protect them. Sadly, this often brings more harm than good, as he doesn’t hesitate to commit crimes, including murder. Worse yet, he doesn’t see anything wrong with his actions, believing he's simply protecting those he loves!

Joe Goldberg’s Compatibility With Other Types

Since the TV show You mostly revolves around Joe Goldberg’s relentless pursuit of love, you’re probably interested to find out which personality types are most and least compatible with him.

As a general rule, INFJ compatibility is highest with:

• INFPs since they are also sensitive and can help INFJs become more comfortable with who they are
• INTJs because they both enjoy intellectual conversations and lead Ni, which helps them easily understand one another
• ENFJs, as they share the same cognitive functions, have similar values, and tend to prioritize one another, which fosters harmony in their relationships

On that note, you may be surprised to find out that Love Quinn’s personality type is an unhealthy ENFJ. Although they’re highly compatible, both of them are rather toxic and corrupt, which might explain why their relationship is so dysfunctional.

That said, INFJ compatibility is generally lowest with ST personality types, such as ISTJs and ESTJs, as they barely have anything in common and approach life from different perspectives. Interestingly, Candace Stone—Joe’s ex-girlfriend and arch-enemy—is believed to be an ESTP.

Joe Goldberg’s Enneagram Personality Type

Now, let’s briefly discuss Joe Goldberg’s Enneagram personality type.

Although it's up for debate, all things considered, Joe most closely resembles the 4w5 Enneagram type. Needless to say, just like his 16 personality type, he’s an unhealthy 4w5.

At their best, people with the 4w5 Enneagram type are introspective, perceptive, and focused on understanding themselves and their identity. They strive to express themselves authentically and embrace their uniqueness.

However, when people who belong to the 4w5 Enneagram type are unhealthy, they tend to succumb to escapism, isolation, and impulsivity. They often use their rich imagination to create a fantasy world, much like Joe. This alone can explain his delusional tendencies, as he’s very much detached from the external world and thus has a distorted perception of reality.

Key Takeaways

There you go—now you know the answer to the question “What personality type is Joe from You?” Although it’s a tough one to answer given how complex this character is, more likely than not, Joe Goldberg is an unhealthy variant of INFJ 4w5.

Manipulative, obsessive, and loyal to the bone, Joe is a good example of a deeply wounded fictional INFJ. Although his intensity is outright disturbing, you simply can’t deny that it’s exactly what makes his character so captivating!