The INTJ

MBTI articles on INTJs. Occasionally includes socionics etc. Sometimes I'll make a personal post. Feel free to ask questions; If I can't give you an answer I can at least direct you to it.

[the-intj]

I actually haven't taken a quiz for it. I came to this conclusion based on some wiki reading and the analysis of a friend, who is very into this system. (She is an INTJ as well, but she is Choleric Melancholic)

I know you can take the test here but I can't tell you how accurate it is.

Also many of these sites/tests come with a Christian/Catholic bias, so you will have to wade through that at your own discretion.

[the-intj]

Would anyone like to talk about the four Greek temperaments with me?

I know it's based on the utterly incorrect assumption that a person's bile influences their personality, but the psychological typing may still have merit, possibly. It is something I'd like to learn more about, anyway.

I believe I am "phlegmatic melancholic." What about you guys?

[the-intj]

What do you think of the 'Big Five'?

ehhhhh.

It's almost always presented in a business-world context, where as I prefer an academic context. Not to say it's not worth reading into, but it think it presents a rather shallow classification of how people act, where as MBTI and Socionics use cognitive functions to explain how people process information, and how that is likely to affect their thoughts and behaviors. But seriously, I'm just a blogger. I have no authority on the matter, I just prefer MBTI.

[the-intj]

Hi, do you have a list with INTJ female actors? and a few fictional ones too?

This list isn't exclusively female, but this website has a nice list of real and fictional INTJs, which I've pasted below for your convenience.

Famous INTJs:Susan B. AnthonyLance ArmstrongArthur Ashe, tennis championAugustus Caesar (Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus)Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)William J. Bennett, "drug czar"William F. Buckley, Jr.Raymond Burr (Perry Mason, Ironsides)Chevy Chase (Cornelius Crane) (Fletch)Katie CouricPhil DonahueMichael Dukakis, governor of Mass., 1988 U.S. Dem. pres. candidateRichard Gere (Pretty Woman)Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayorGreg Gumbel, television sportscasterHannibal, Carthaginian military leaderEmily Bronte, author of Wuthering HeightsAngela Lansbury (Murder, She Wrote)Orel Leonard Hershiser, IVPeter JenningsCharles Everett KoopIvan LendlC. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)Joan LundenEdwin Moses, U.S. olympian (hurdles)Martina NavratilovaMichelle ObamaGeneral Colin Powell, former US Secretary of StateCharles Rangel, US Representative, D-N.Y.Pernell Roberts (Bonanza)Donald Rumsfeld, former US Secretary of Defense Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of StateArnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of CaliforniaJosephine Tey (Elizabeth Mackintosh), mystery writer (Brat Farrar)U.S. Presidents:Chester A. ArthurCalvin CoolidgeThomas JeffersonJohn F. KennedyJames K. PolkWoodrow WilsonFictional:Cassius (Julius Caesar)Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)Gandalf the Grey (J. R. R. Tolkein's Middle Earth books)Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' nemesisHoratio HornblowerEnsign Ro (Star Trek--the Next Generation)Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet)George Smiley, John le Carre's master spyClarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs)

Copyright © 2012 by Marina Margaret Heiss and Joe Butt

[the-intj]

Many people say that the enneagram types most associated with the INTJ are 1, 5, and 8. I recently took a test, and although all tests have proved me to be an INTJ, I found that my enneagram type is most likely to be 3w4 (although 5w6 is another possibility). What is the difference between what the enneagram shows about a person and what MBTI shows? In addition, is it possible for an INTJ to be a type 3 in the enneagram?

To be honest, I don't know a thing about enneagrams. I can't make any sense out of them. I know this website has a few forums dedicated to enneagrams and how they relate to MBTI, but other than that I can't really help you. Sorry, and good luck researching.

[the-intj]

What are some similarities between INTJ and ISTJ? Can a person be both?

I do not believe that a person can be both types. What happens is that type-profiles on the internet often describe a person's dominant mode, and leave out what happens when a person is under stress, or simply using a secondary or tertiary function. Here is an interesting website that I just found while researching for this question, and I think it's worth a read. It will also let you compare other types, which is a nice tool MBTI enthusiasts may want to bookmark.

[the-intj]

I'd love to learn more about MBTI versus Socionics. I am an INTJ but my socionics type is INTp. How does this work?

It should be consistent for both models. Remember that online testing is only a generalized tool to help you figure out what type you are. I suggest reading type profiles from multiple sites, until you feel comfortable saying "I am an INTJ" or "I am an INTP." Also, learning the cognitive functions thoroughly will help you pick a type where type profiles aren't clear or seem contradictory. As I understand it, the major differences between MBTI and Socionics has to do with how the types relate to each other. This website provides a nice tool for learning about Socionics type-relations.But as far as Socionics type profiles go, this site is pretty in depth and useful. Remember that INTJ translates to Robespierre and INTP is Balzac. A final warning: Socionics literature on the internet is almost always poorly translated Russian. Keep that in mind while reading.

[the-intj]

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you’ll be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

[the-intj]

Is the fourth of july weekend over yet? >.<

Yikes! I totally forgot. I'll get right on that, thanks for your patience.

[the-intj]

Hey Everybody,

I've got three great questions in my ask box right now, but I'm not going to have enough time to research the answers until after 4th of July weekend. Sorry for the delay!

[the-intj]

Do you feel as if INTJs specifically have trouble with recalling directions and awareness of their physical location? I am an INTJ and I have always been terrible with recognizing and remembering directions to places (especially after long periods of time without travelling the same route) without a map. I do not know any other INTJs personally, and I was wondering if not being able to direct myself is just a quirk of mine or an actual INTJ trait. Thanks!

It is true that INTJs can have a certain unawareness of their environment. For INTJs, most of the interesting things in life happen inside a brain, not outside of it, which can lead to a lack of attention to their physical location. I would say that your trouble remembering directions may stem from your INTJ personality, in that you are not naturally disposed to consider it important, and it is therefor difficult to remember. However, for an INTJ who has, for one reason or another, grown up valuing and using direction, physical location, and spacial awareness, this would not be the case.

As for me personally, I have Dyscalcuia, which gives me a blind spot when it comes to map reading, direction, and spacial reasoning. On the other hand, I have an INTJ friend who has Dyslexia, which gives her trouble reading, but she has strengths in spacial reasoning and direction in a physical space. These learning disabilities give us opposite strengths, and just goes to show that personality type doesn't predict what your strengths will be, only how you process them.

I'm not sure if I've answered your question completely, so feel free to follow up with another ask.

[the-intj]

I'm an INTJ, currently sleeping with my best friend but with no emotional attachment. We're both aloof, guarding of privacy, get bored of relationships, like solitude alone, demand intellectual interest from one another and to not be bored by small talk. We both stop seeing one another occasionally because we feel too close. We get into problems because he often says I don't care or that I'm not open enough. Does it get any easier for an INTJ to open up with the very few people they care about?

From what I've read, INTJs find it easier to open up when they feel that the person they're sharing with really wants to know what they have to say, and will truly appreciate the opportunity to get inside our heads. Otherwise, the tendency to stay closed arises out of a need to protect our inner world from criticism. This is because our Thinking is extroverted to critique outside information, and not directed inward to critique our own. We are therefor vulnerable and somewhat childlike about opening up and sharing thoughts or feelings. In a relationship, an INTJ must either trust that the other party will not be critical or unappreciative, or learn to get along in spite of it. If neither of those options are possible, it is likely that the relationship will fail. It may be helpful to make this clear to the other party, so that he or she knows what is at stake when communicating with their partner.

[the-intj]

Hello, I was wondering if being short-tempered or getting irritated easily are traits that fall under being INTJ or Introverted? I have tested as an INTJ, but apparently being short-tempered and easily irritated are characteristics that do not fall under it according to online resources. Is it just not as common for an INTJ to respond quickly to anger?

From what I've read, MBTI just tells you why certain things may irritate you. For example, see (this). As far as I know, no one type is anymore likely to be quick to anger than any other. But I couldn't tell you for sure.

[the-intj]

So just wondering, did you ever get called stupid or feel stupid in high school? It's not that I'm stupid or incompetent, but whenever I get bad grades or make a remark even remotely different than what others have to say, people say I'm dumb or I feel that way, even though I'm an INTJ.

Yes, I have felt stupid before. I've been called stupid, and even "tested" stupid. Now, I can assure you, (with the arrogance often ascribed to our type) that I am very intelligent, easily above average in many respects. But there have been many times where I haven't felt that way, in my eyes or to those around me.

 It hurts, when all of your self worth is tied up in quality of your mind, and everyone is telling you that yours isn't even "adequate." If this is happening to you, I would advice that you remember a few things.

 1) Most likely, you are in fact extremely intelligent. 2) Any indicators to the contrary are more than likely the result of bad circumstances. Circumstances change, your value does not. You are a valuable human being. 3) By the very nature of being an INTJ, your best stuff, those glittery bits that set you apart from the crowd, are internal. Especially at a young age, you haven't figured out how to externalize all those brilliant insights and constructs where others can appreciate them. As you grow and develop your talents, you will find ways of doing this.

 I don’t know your circumstances, so I can’t give you any specific advice. But I can tell you what I do when I lose sight of what a fantastically brilliant human being I am. I pull out this one particular paper I wrote in 12th grade. It was an excellent paper. My teacher, whom I regarded very highly, gave me glowing comments, as did some of my peers (which I fortunately have written down.) When I feel like a flailing idiot, I take out that paper and I just bask in it. I suggest you find something you’ve done in the past, no matter how far back you have to go, and keep it handy. Remind yourself that you’re pretty flippin great, and one day you’ll find your feet again and knock everybody’s socks off. You know you will. It’s in your programming.

[the-intj]

I discovered MBTI six months ago and have since subjected myself to every free online test I could find, since the first test put me extremely close on the J/P scale. Since then, I keep getting mixed results on the tests. One I'll score INTJ, but the next will put me as INTP. I've researched both types but feel that I exhibit traits of both types pretty strongly. Is that possible? If so, to what degree?

I personally don't believe it's possible to be both. Most psychologist don't believe it's possible either. To figure out which you truly are, I recommend reading these articles in there entirety:

If you are INTJ, this article will apply to you.

If you are INTP, this article will apply to you.

The effect of the inferior function on a person's psyche is very much specific to its particular type, so you should be able to tell which you are. If you still can't identify with one more than the other, feel free to get in touch with me again, and if you give me more specific information, I might be able to help. Good luck!

[the-intj]

Ni and Se Working Together

Despite its magical appearance, Ni can be understood on a rational basis. What seems to be occurring is that INTJs have a highly sensitive inferior function, Extraverted Sensation (Se), which gathers copious amounts of sensory information from the outside world, including subtleties that other personality types tend to miss. Their Ni then subconsciously processes this data in order to make sense of it, like assembling pieces of a puzzle. Once finished, Ni generates an impression that seems to come “out of nowhere.” But the fact is that the intuition did not come from nowhere, but from a synthesis of sensory data gathered from the immediate environment combined with information from the INTJ’s own psyche. (x)

[the-intj]

INTJs "Sleeping On it"

Since Ni is a perceiving function, INTJs often report that its workings often feel effortless. When INTJs express the need to “think about” something, this means something very different from what it might for other types. Namely, the lion’s share of INTJs’ “thinking” or processing occurs outside of their conscious awareness. In other words, their best thinking is typically done without thinking, at least not consciously. For INTJs and INFJs alike, ”sleeping on” a problem is as sure a route to a solution as any. (x)