Why Are You So ISTP
Part 6
Hello! This is parttttttt… 6 of the “Why Are You So…”series and today we’re talking about the ISTP. Arguably one of the most stereotyped types in the MBTI. Of course we’re talking about a system that’s created to group people based off of similarities, so why tf does it matter? Anyway I thought today we’d talk about ISTP to counteract that, as well as to counteract the four intuitive types in this series. Hopefully it like makes sense and if you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please let me know in the comments.
Dominant: Ti
Introverted Thinking, or Ti, is a judging function, which means it’s primarily focused on coming to a conclusion. Ti tends to be focused on figuring out how things work. This is because Ti has an intense need for things to make sense to the person using it. If something does not make sense to Ti, then the information will then be cut down into smaller pieces and sifted through Ti again. If the information still does not make sense, the Ti user will then begin to look over their own thinking. Finally, if the information cannot be digested, the information will simply be rejected. Ti users do not usually reject information until they have thought about it… and thought about it… and thought about it… and-
From what I have seen, a lot of the information sifted through Ti has to do with the outside world or other people in some way. Such as, for example, understanding how the universe was created, how to logically fix someone’s project that they royally messed up, etc. This is usually comes from Ti’s suppression of Fe. Ti, because Fe is not a logic based function, rejects its use, states that other people are simply illogical, but then will continue to try to find other ways to make people make sense. I will explain this more under Fe (the section titled “Inferior: Fe”).
Ti, even though it is the dominant function, is also one of the many milestones for Ti users, as it also provides a need for control. Not necessarily in a stereotypical “everything needs to go my way or else I will break down,” but in a “I need to get down to the bottom of things and if I can’t I will cry crumble.” Ti dominants are especially prone to overanalyzing situations if they cannot figure it out. They will try to find a solution, even if that solution is not theirs to figure out. Ti identifies this, recognizes it as a part of Fe, and then ultimately rejects it. This is where things get spicy/ ISTPs care 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Average or healthy ISTPs know this, and will learn to work with it through ✨experience✨. Unhealthy versions of this type, however, will struggle with this and may separate themselves from others in order to analyze what cannot be analyzed. This ties into a grip which I will explain later under “Inferior: Fe.”
Last comment on Ti before we move onto Se, is that ISTPs are so used to Ti and it’s “behind the scenes processing” that it can appear like Ni. This is where a lot of ISTPs can become confused on whether or not they are Ni dominants. Combine that with a Ti-Ni loop, and boom… an ISxP thinking they’re a Ni dominant.
Auxiliary: Se
For ISTPs, things have to make sense with practical application, which is what Se is all about. Extraverted Sensing is a function focused on being grounded in what is actually happening. With Se being the second function, it acts like a grounding agent for Ti. Ti has a way of getting lost in over-analyzation, especially with Ni. Se counteracts that by reminding the ISTP of what is actually going in. Like wise, it is the part of the ISTP that helps Ti identify what is and is not accurate.
This also means that information grabbed by Ti must be grounded and be able to be applied in a practical way. For example, learning about true crime. That can be applied to real life, as it actually happened, so Se users will probably have an easier time learning about true crime compared to learning why black holes are going to be the reason the world explodes. Likewise, if a Se user can use their body while learning something that could be particularly difficult, they could have an easier time processing it.
Se users, especially ISTPs, are great observers. They really see things as they are, without much real illogical judgement (of course depending on the circumstances). This can make Se, for ISTPs, almost feel nonexistent. This also means that information must be real. If the Se user cannot see it in real life, or in real time, then they’ll end up rejecting it. That last statement is basically what I meant earlier when I said that information must be “grounded.”
Another part of this is a need for sensory input, which is why Se users have the stereotype of being partiers. Se users can easily become bored when nothing is happening, or needing to submerge themselves in something in the real world to distract them from their thoughts. For example, an ISTP who is learning about their favorite topic might want to eat to help them process it better. They might need time out of the house to actually gain insight to a situation. This not only gives them time alone to think, but it gives the ISTP something to ground themselves with. Such seeing as a random cat running across the road, which gives the ISTP a small break from their thoughts. Whatever it is, extrasensory input is necessary for the function of the ISTP. Without it, ISTPs can fall into the feeling of being trapped, which can then cause the ISTP to spiral.
Just like how ISTPs need information to be real, when sharing information, they provide it in a “real” way. For ISTPs especially, this means not speaking unless they know exactly what they’re talking about and have seen it in real time. When providing advice, they might phrase it “Listen, I wasn’t there, I don’t know all of the details, but it sounds like ____. I would do ____.” Likewise, Se users are the essential “showers, not tellers,” meaning that they would much rather do things than say things that they may or may not mean. This also ties into Fe, as Fe can sometimes cause emotional outbursts. Of course, I will explain that more under Fe.
The need for information to be grounded does not mean that ISTPs are not deep thinkers- quite often the opposite which is another reason why they’re mistyped . It simply means that they don’t want to receive or provide something that isn’t real. If they don’t know it, they don’t say it, as simple as that. It is through this that Se can counteract Ti. Se reminds Ti that at the end of the day, they really don’t know shit. They only know what they have observed, and that is all.
Song lyric time: “If I told you that I knew about the and the moon/ I’d be untrue/ The only thing I know for sure is what I wanna do”
source: The Queens of Stone Age, Make It Wit Chu (link goes to youtube video)
Tertiary: Ni
Ni, or Introverted Intuition, is both a blessing and a curse for the ISTP. A lot of ISTPs mistake themselves for Ni dominants (INTJs and INFJs), or sometimes even INTPs, because of their Ni. Ti processes information, which is then perceived by Se. After that, Ni works behind the scenes to connect the dots of what happened and then what that means/ can be done about the situation. This allows the ISTP to have random moments of wisdom, as well as insight into situations, people, problems, etc. This also allows them to be quite the Sherlock Holmes.
The difference mostly consists of how Ni-dominants and ISTPs focus on their Ni. For ISTPs, because Ni is the third function and makes the ISTP more “aware” of its existence, ISTPs focus more on their Ni. Secondly, because of Se being an extraverted function, whatever conclusions or information is presented to Ni via Se makes the Ni more outwardly obvious to others. For Ni dominants, Ni is much more quiet and typically is not that obvious.
Think about like four people laying on top of each other. The third person is probably going to receive most of the pressure because they have two people on top of them and one person on their bottom. Functions are the same way. The third function usually receives most of the attention because it has the pressure of the top two functions and the bottom function.
Ni is, above all else, a source of anxiety for ISTPs. Earlier I stated that Ti dominants are secretly controlling. For ISTPs, the reasoning for that usually comes from their Ni. Ni has the tendency to spew off “random” thoughts. For example, an ISTP, when stressed out, might randomly start thinking “Oh my god _____ is going to happen- it’s GOING TO HAPPEN AND I CAN’T STOP IT OH MY GOD.” These moments are usually somewhat impulsive as Ti and Se have been processing information in the background.
The best example I have of this is from my own life. The only reason I am placing this here is because I do not have another immediate example on hand 😭 This is for educational purposes only:
The November after I had turned 17 (which wasn’t even a month because I was born at the end of October) I was admitted to a mental hospital because I had had one of these anxiety moments. I couldn’t get my driver’s permit because my guardians wouldn’t sign for me, and I wasn’t of legal age yet. Secondly, it was cold, we had entered a blizzard, and I had been stuck in the house for 3 weeks. I started thinking about how not having a license would put me behind in life, how sick my grandma was, all of the experiences I would miss out on and how ultimately it all would lead to my failure financially as an adult. Then a thought popped in my head; “I should just off myself before I end up homeless” (Ni). It wasn’t until I was in the car, watching the street lights fly by, on my way to the hospital that I had realized how stupid all of it really was (Se).
While my experience is an intense version of a Ti-Ni loop, it is still something that causes anxiety for ISTPs. A loop is when the dominant function and the third function work together and skip over the second function entirely. The best way to get “out” of a loop is by trying to interact with the second function. Such as, for example, I had been stuck without much sensory input due to the blizzard we had had. The Se, in my experience, was lost, so Ti began to go to Ni. This began the process of overthinking and overanalyzing. Then, when Se was added back into the equation (through getting out of the house and driving) my symptoms subsided. Boom. Bam. Ti-Ni loop with the solution in real life.
The last part of Ni is that it provides an odd sense of spirituality. Earlier in this section I stated that Ni can provide random bursts of insight to a situation, that can seemingly come out of nowhere. Take that with the observational skills from Se (that often also feels like it works in the background because it is concerned with being “one” with its environment) it could be hard to outright deny spirituality or religion. A lot of ISTPs then tend to fall into a state of “I don’t know” when it comes to religion or spirituality. It’s not that they don’t agree or disagree, but the practicalness of Se and mysticism Ni often clash. Even when considering themselves an atheist, it is not a firm rejection of anything, more so that they simply have not seen the evidence for any type of deity.
Inferior: Fe
Extraverted Feeling is the part of the ISTP that makes them insecure. Unlike Ni, Fe is pretty much past the point of being developed. This is because, one, it is being suppressed by Ti, and, two, because it is a reminder of what the ISTP is not good at.
Starting off with the first part of that statement, Ti creates a need for things to logically make sense. This means that even though some ISTPs can be okay with understanding what someone feels, or aware that someone has an expectation on them, they may not understand why or why a person reacts the way they do. In situations like this, Ti will try to make it make sense, however it usually just doesn’t. This is where the ISTP will try to either make it make sense through other systems, such as asking someone else about a similar experience, or they will define the situation as stupid and attempt to move on. The latter is the most common situation. Ultimately, if Ni has the most pressure applied to it, Fe receives most of the weight.
However, Fe is what allows the ISTP to care. Contradictory to what a lot of MBTI resources say, ISTPs do genuinely care about other people (or what they think). Shocker. Crazy. In fact, they probably care too much. WOAH? REALLY? However, this is mostly reserved for people that they feel safe with, as it is something that they are insecure about. This is also where the ISTP can enter a grip.
ISTPs are highly aware that social structures, such as etiquette, do not make sense. They are also highly aware that they are not good at responding to other peoples needs. Or communicating in general. Despite this, Fe still creates a silent desire to be able to conform to these ideas, or at least the ideas of people that they value. This means that ISTPs might try to fit themselves to others. Because of this, ISTPs often struggle with feeling like they lack a real identity. Generally this isn’t an issue as Se is typically able to say “dude snap out of it.” For example, they might take in what someone says about them, send it through Ti to fact-check it, and then move on. However when in a Fe grip this isn’t the case.
A grip is when the other 3 functions are so burnt out from being overused, that the inferior function has no option but to take charge.
For ISTPs, a Fe grip can look like lashing out emotionally, feeling as though they’ve lost control, feeling guilty (from feeling pressured to take care of others and ultimately “failing”), and low self-esteem from reacting emotionally. They also might hold onto what other people say about them, at least more than they usually would. Or they do and just don’t say anything about it. The best way to combat this is to reinforce Se or Ti, that way the dominant functions are able to “take over” again
That is part 6 of the “Why Are You So…” series. For the next part I have a poll posted on my page for what type you’d want to see next. There’s like one day left by the time I post this so act fast. Hopefully this part made sense. If not, per usual, don’t be afraid to ask! Byeeeeee!!!!!
Part 5: INFP
Part 7: (coming soon, will post link here when done)