I took a Myers-Briggs test this morning. (Did you know that Myers and Briggs are both women? Due to typical gender biases, I had always assumed they were men.) The results, for me, were somewhat… ah… stunning. So, because internet self-diagnosis is incredibly accurate, I’m coming out of the closet, as it were. Apparently INTP’s are one of the rarest Myers-Briggs types, making up only 1 to 5% of the population. Apologies to anyone I ever went to school with, but this is why I’ve always been a tiny bit strange.
Characteristics of an INTP can be found at wikipedia, intp.org (a somewhat disorganized article) and via Purdue U (pdf). Probably no one else will find this fascinating except for myself and possibly my mother, but here you go.
INTP types are quiet, thoughtful, analytical individuals who tend to spend long periods of time on their own, working through problems and forming solutions. They are curious about systems and how things work… - wikipedia.org
In other systems, this personality profile is called an “architect”…
Our architect is not merely a designer of buildings. There is the architect of ideas (the philosopher), the architect of number systems (the mathematician), the architect of computer languages (the programmer), and on and on. In short, abstract design is the forte of the architect and coherence is the primary issue. – Purdue
No surprises there. “Systems” would be the operative word – not so much physical systems, but how do ideas, social constructs, items, and philosophies fit into an overall pattern?
INTPs organize their understanding of any topic by articulating principles, and they are especially drawn to theoretical constructs. Having articulated these principles for themselves, they can demonstrate remarkable skill in explaining complex ideas to others in simple terms, especially in writing. On the other hand, their ability to grasp complexity may also lead them to provide overly detailed explanations of “simple” ideas, and listeners may judge that the INTP makes things more difficult than they are. To the INTP, however, this is incomprehensible: They are merely presenting all the information. – wikipedia.org
The last bit’s a little harsh, but OK, point taken. This is the evolving purpose of my blog – generally, I find great enjoyment in finding and articulating overarching concepts, as much for myself as for anyone else. There’s an underlying reason for most of the things that happen, and if you can figure out the cause, instead of just dealing with effects, it makes life so much more interesting.
They also tend to be impatient with the bureaucracy, rigid hierarchies, and the politics prevalent in many professions. (wikipedia.org) Authority derived from office, position, or wide acceptance does not impress INTP’s. (Purdue)
Bahaha – bingo.
The Sensing function is the mode of perceiving which gathers information from facts, details and objects. When this function is strongly introverted, Si (Si; S=Sensing; i=introverted), the focus moves away from external details and is primarly concerned with personal, introspective detail… the focus is on how the present evokes remembered earlier experiences,memories of the past…
One of the more serious weaknesses of an INTP is that the sensing function makes little inroads out into the external world. INTPs are usually oblivious to external details unless something forces them to take notice. – intp.org
One story the above comment brought to mind is when a long-time friend recently cut bangs into her hair. She hasn’t had bangs since she was eleven years old. We actually had a conversation about this – to me, it didn’t seem like a new, radical change in her appearance. It felt more like a return to a version of her that I strongly remembered.
I have noticed a bit of a disconnect from my environment once in a while, but I have always attributed it to being heavily near-sighted. (I’ll admit to being occasionally absent-minded as well. But horses are a good cure for this; they force you to be in tune with your immediate surroundings because you have to pay close attention to a 1200lb animal in your near vicinity.)
Other characteristics include a tendency to demand precision in words and ideas, a sense of humor that appreciates subtle word-play, a feeling of detached observance in larger social groups (rather than participation), the ability to make logical decisions regardless of what society at large might think, and a tendency to forget important occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. (Does this mean I have an excuse now? Probably not.)
Enough with the navel-gazing; I’ve probably given my friends enough ammunition for quite a while I think. Ha! What personality profile are you?
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