[Hypomanic]

However, after the ENTP has cultivated his auxiliary Introverted Thinking, he will likely concoct an inner standard to assess his own competence. ENTPs who make a conscious effort to cultivate their Introverted Thinking will notice themselves stepping away from the external world to embrace their own judgment. At such a point the ENTP will have most confidence in his own judgment.

This part I loved. I was a bit depressed by the chaotic unbalance of an ENTP that was mentioned prior to this, but once I found this segment I felt validated in how I am now. This is the stage I'm at and I'm really happy to be here. I've been more conservative during my time in college, having partied and adventured prior to now (in high school). Today I have a very clear direction as to where I want to go in my life. Finally, I know why I want to stick to my present strategy (without waning) for the future. I'll mention more on this near the end of this commentary.

Such individuals will likely use their keen awareness of the external environment to simply ‘pick the berries’ whilst having little concern for the interest of others and even less the amelioration of the community. This once more, is an inevitable consequence of introverted judgment turned corrupt. Manipulating the external situation will be central to his interests. Extroverted Perception will give him a clear view of the ‘entire board’, and Introverted Thinking will allow for the ENTP to make sound logical decisions to do all that is necessary to appease the whims of his egocentric will. Such ENTPs function in this fashion because they lack a higher purpose, or they do not wish to pursue any inner virtue that transcends what befits their external environment. Accordingly they will have little interest in being as logical as possible for instance. They will only want to be logical enough to get what they are looking for in terms of external rewards.

This is definitely how a very unhealthy ENTP acts. I was so off-par with reality that I couldn't trust my judgment (or speech, or thought process) and sought out another's (with ultimate loyalty and obedience). Needless to say, he was an unhealthy INTJ and I got myself into a lot of trouble trying to assist in him in his schemes.. I'd believe anything he'd say and he used this. My ENTJ mom and the INTJ whom I followed said that at this point I relied entirely on my emotions for making decisions. I won't get into exactly what I was doing wrong, but I'll say that it took a lot of guidance from my ENTJ mom to intercept and start me on the right path again. I had to abandon the INTJ altogether, forever, and start healing. I now see him as he truly was, and I know now that before I was in an entirely imaginative, yet deceiving world altogether. Looking back I can see exactly what happened at face value.

However, ENTPs who have developed their introverted judgment and have come in tune with the higher purpose will liberate themselves from the tyranny of the external agenda and only then will be able to come to terms with their inner being and view themselves as true individuals as opposed to mere agents of the network they are environed in. There they will be able to see a sharp distinction between the things they do to humor their outer environment and what is a true a manifestation of their inner being. There they will cease trying to be one of their personas that they’ve put on display for the sake of meeting a particular end of the outer world, but will then see personas as either irrelevant to who they are or merely means to the end of attunement with their inner being. An ENTP who has developed Introverted Thinking will truly be able to think for himself and his opinions will not be malleable by the prevailing attitudes of others and ideas that merely seem intuitive. Implausible ideas will be less likely to be accepted by such ENTPs as they will be subjected to the siege of their critical analysis.

This is my favorite paragraph! Here's how it applies to me: Yes, I realize highly implausible ideas as a waste of time, as before I would think about them or accept them as reality (due to the fact that someone else's perception saw something that I thought I did not, whereas this was usually not the case in this misleading situation). I also think that due to my Ti being well defined, I've sought out much more alone time. My E is tuned way down and I can enjoy being I, while respecting my own ability to use J. Now I realize when people are draining me, and I have more time to accomplish schoolwork and leisure at my every whim. I'm much happier and (oddly enough) I'm meeting more self-sufficient, independent friends perhaps because of this. It's nice. They're the types I enjoy most, as its mutual growth without too many restrictions, little room for me to overstep boundaries or seem uncaring/unthoughtful (hey, the less you see them, the less you have to remember, hence you remember more! striking occurrence), little interaction outside class or occasional studying is needed, no deep feelings involved, et cetera (while I still get to have that positive feeling of 'friend attachment'/support). I finally do feel like me, and not just an ever-changing part of the system. It's cool.

I thoroughly enjoyed what you wrote! Then again, INTP's always the most keenly aware of the types in seeing exactly how systems/people work clearly in their minds.. so I have a strong affinity for all respectable INTP perceptions (whether the INTP is being serious or not, it's logically convincing, I can't tell the difference). Thanks! That was a delight. I think other ENTP's should share their complete thoughts on parts of this as well.