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Post descriptions or anecdotes of your personality type here.

[Auran]

The Scientist

As an INTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.

INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others.

With Introverted Intuition dominating their personality, INTJs focus their energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. Their mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. They are tremendously insightful and usually are very quick to understand new ideas. However, their primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way. Unlike the INTP, they do not follow an idea as far as they possibly can, seeking only to understand it fully. INTJs are driven to come to conclusions about ideas. Their need for closure and organization usually requires that they take some action.

INTJ's tremendous value and need for systems and organization, combined with their natural insightfulness, makes them excellent scientists. An INTJ scientist gives a gift to society by putting their ideas into a useful form for others to follow. It is not easy for the INTJ to express their internal images, insights, and abstractions. The internal form of the INTJ's thoughts and concepts is highly individualized, and is not readily translatable into a form that others will understand. However, the INTJ is driven to translate their ideas into a plan or system that is usually readily explainable, rather than to do a direct translation of their thoughts. They usually don't see the value of a direct transaction, and will also have difficulty expressing their ideas, which are non-linear. However, their extreme respect of knowledge and intelligence will motivate them to explain themselves to another person who they feel is deserving of the effort.

INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against their current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.

INTJs spend a lot of time inside their own minds, and may have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. Unless their Feeling side is developed, they may have problems giving other people the level of intimacy that is needed. Unless their Sensing side is developed, they may have a tendency to ignore details which are necessary for implementing their ideas.

The INTJ's interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that they encounter into an understandable and rational system. Consequently, they are quick to express judgments. Often they have very evolved intuitions, and are convinced that they are right about things. Unless they complement their intuitive understanding with a well-developed ability to express their insights, they may find themselves frequently misunderstood. In these cases, INTJs tend to blame misunderstandings on the limitations of the other party, rather than on their own difficulty in expressing themselves. This tendency may cause the INTJ to dismiss others input too quickly, and to become generally arrogant and elitist.

INTJs are ambitious, self-confident, deliberate, long-range thinkers. Many INTJs end up in engineering or scientific pursuits, although some find enough challenge within the business world in areas which involve organizing and strategic planning. They dislike messiness and inefficiency, and anything that is muddled or unclear. They value clarity and efficiency, and will put enormous amounts of energy and time into consolidating their insights into structured patterns.

Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive the INTJ as being rigid and set in their ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the INTJ is committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement their ideas. The INTJ is usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.

When under a great deal of stress, the INTJ may become obsessed with mindless repetitive, Sensate activities, such as over-drinking. They may also tend to become absorbed with minutia and details that they would not normally consider important to their overall goal.

INTJs need to remember to express themselves sufficiently, so as to avoid difficulties with people misunderstandings. In the absence of properly developing their communication abilities, they may become abrupt and short with people, and isolationists.

INTJs have a tremendous amount of ability to accomplish great things. They have insight into the Big Picture, and are driven to synthesize their concepts into solid plans of action. Their reasoning skills gives them the means to accomplish that. INTJs are most always highly competent people, and will not have a problem meeting their career or education goals. They have the capability to make great strides in these arenas. On a personal level, the INTJ who practices tolerances and puts effort into effectively communicating their insights to others has everything in his or her power to lead a rich and rewarding life.

Jungian functional preference ordering:

Dominant: Introverted Intuition
Auxilliary: Extraverted Thinking
Tertiary: Introverted Feeling
Inferior: Extraverted Sensing

[bapi]

Yes,
I agree with the assessment totally, but it should not distract away us from the fact, that the power of being a "Mastermind" also comes at a price; mostly INTJs are terrible at social skills and situations. It manifests itself very clearly in a romantic situation where we suddenly find all our confidence gone; also we end up disliking small talks & sweet nothings, since they do not comprehend easily to our reason or logic. We think it to be silly, others think we are social morons. :blink:
And I also think that the world would not be a worse place if we were to have a bit more of F. I have seen relentless criticism for the F folks in several forums by our types. This, I think, is grosssly unfair.

[kdcobain_94]

I'm a 5w4 and an INTJ. I'm wondering if the majority of 5w4 are INTJ and vice versa, because the discriptions seem to meld very well.

[kdcobain_94]

I can also see a lot of INTJ's being interested in politics (as i am) because of their rationality, objectiveness and non-linear thinking. And a good point was made about our social skills. If every other INTJ is similar to me, then we must be the losers of the MBTI types.

[d.c]

For the INTJ's out there who think they're not the best type...
I am greatly pleased that there are INTJ's in the world. If there were no INTJ's, everyone would expect INTP's to use THEIR great, brilliant Ideas to make the world go round...
This would not be acceptable.

If not for the INTJ's nothing Intelligent and practical would ever get DONE.

[Vagabond]

[TCaudillLG]

[Two_little_Satans]

[ghost-logic]

hI! I'm 16, and just came across this '16 personality traits' concept and took the test, and it said that I was an INTJ. I read a few descriptions and it pretty much hits it right on the nail. BUT, it seems like the INTJ standords may be a bit too high for me right now, and I was wondering if I would grow into it? I'm still pretty young, so I would think I would still be growing 'mentaly' or whatever. So I guess what I'm asking is, when do you think you 'hit your prime', so to speak?

anywho...:rolleyes:

[invicta]

INTP 1745 views
INFP 1383 views

and

INTJ only 1109 (1110 now) views

what's up with that?

[Vagabond]

Oh well... hit the refresh button some times more and it is fixed.
_________________
Ο δικός μου ο δρόμος μ' έχει χρόνια διαλέξει...
INTP 5w4 sp/sx

[ghost-logic]

they do say that INTJ's only make up 1% of the population.

[Vylence]

There is no way an INTJs ideas are more intellegent then an INTPs. They are to unflexible and prone to egotism.
_________________
9w1 sx, INTP

[invicta]

that may or may not be so, but we do have proper spelling all over you.