INTJ's are NOT machines

[Thisica]

The advantage INTJs have, is that their Intuition is arguably the strongest in the NT temperament, if not out of all the 16 types, and thus they're better at seeing the big picture, and making beneficial choices for themselves.

A potentially stupid question...
How does introverted intuition interact with extroverted thinking? It does sound like trying to turn apparent non-sense into 'rational' sense.

 

[Athenian200]

A potentially stupid question...
How does introverted intuition interact with extroverted thinking? It does sound like trying to turn apparent non-sense into 'rational' sense.

I wouldn't say that, although some people would. I think that Ni DOES make sense on some level, and Te just helps give it a structure and presentation that other people can readily understand. The logic is used to streamline the vision and relate it to reality in an understandable way, rather than to analyze and explain the underlying system. The INTJ is a visionary and a strategist. They intuitively understand what's going on, and construct systems and solutions in order to deal with it in a logical way.

If you want to understand "why," and get a practical solution to any issues, you need an INTJ. If you want to understand "how," and get a critical, detailed analysis of the underlying system, you need an INTP.

An INTJ can tell you what to do and why you should do it. An INTP can tell you how something works, why it works that way, and then criticize it based on how they think it should work, and maybe suggest several random ideas about how it could be improved.

The INTP approach works better in engineering or anything that requires a precise understanding of the principles involved, as well as lots of trial and error... while the INTJ approach works better when you need to plan for every possible contingency, and minimize risk.

I originally typed a better version of this, offering more contrast with the INTP, but the stupid backspace key ruined it by sending me back a page (what idiot thought it was a good idea to bind that key to that function?! ), and I was too frustrated to reproduce it at the same level of quality.

 

[Coriolis]

How does introverted intuition interact with extroverted thinking? It does sound like trying to turn apparent non-sense into 'rational' sense.

I see it not so much as turning nonsense into sense, as turning fantasy into reality. Ni can, and does, come up with anything -- absolutely anything, without worrying overmuch about external reality. That's an oversimplification, of course, because the intuitions do often serve to link aspects of the external world, though in ways that can be quite unexpected and off-the-wall. Te serves to reintroduce reality, comparing the Ni vision with the external situation at hand.

As a crude illustration: when people ask me for advice on questions like whether to change job, move out of state, quit/return to school, etc., I will usually encourage them "to play God". By this, I mean to imagine their ideal outcome without regard to any constraints. The sky is the limit. Once they can see this clearly, then I ask what is stopping them from realizing this outcome. It is amazing how many apparent constraints fall away in this process, leaving those that are truly an issue and can now be productively addressed. Ni input can be similar in seeming like unfettered fantasy at first. Te brings it back down to earth, and aligns it with reality (or shows that adequate alignment is not possible, which means back to the drawing board).

As for the distinctions between INTP and INTJ, Athenian's analysis is quite sound. I see this in play with my INTP SO and colleagues on a regular basis.