The INTPCentral Question

[Totenkindly]

I haven't been on INTPc much over the last few months. (I've been mostly bored with the conversation, honestly.)

I think most of the people are adequately typed. I think because of the medium there is simply a preponderance of 20-something INTPs who have never yet found a place where they feel at home. The behavior seems typical for people in that stage of development. [There are some older members who are better rounded and more emotionally mature.]

Eventually, hopefully, instead of fortifying themselves in, they will continue on their growth path and learn to accept the parts of themselves they do not like. It's just difficult because many of those parts (such as values and/or emotions) are the parts that others have expressed when abusing them or contributing to them feelings of inadequacy/difference. They need to pull away from those things first, to get a "core self," then learn to embrace them later. So INTPc serves a valuable role in that maturation process. I see all the "mistype" complaints here to be mostly exaggeration. (50%? Please -- give me a break! The descriptions here of IxTPs is yet one *more* large bias.)

I think a worse problem is the group-thought, where people feel compelled to fit a stereotype of what INTPs are "supposed to be." Because otherwise they'll lose their member's ID card and feel like they've been ostracized once more... and NOW where will they go? There are a few notorious people I wonder about.

But honestly, who even cares? People are who they are. We are not our type. Type is simply a paradigm used to explore the self and others. If they're mistyped, most of the time that has no real impact on anything, and they will figure it out eventually. I don't really see any more mistypes over THERE than I do over HERE to be honest.

 

[Night]

I think a worse problem is the group-thought, where people feel compelled to fit a stereotype of what INTPs are "supposed to be." Because otherwise they'll lose their member's ID card and feel like they've been ostracized once more... and NOW where will they go? There are a few notorious people I wonder about.

Very well said.

 

[Xander]

Based on language usage and interaction style, possibly upwards of 50 percent. INTP forums are social incarnations of Wikipedia, ISTP forums are monkeyhouses, and INTPCentral inclines strongly towards the latter.

I can see that.
Nice analogy though with Wikipedia. I think I found the most NT like place on the internet and it's a nerds forum XtremeSystems Forums - Powered by vBulletin

Btw why did I get a Z? Was it THAT bad?

 

[htb]

Btw why did I get a Z? Was it THAT bad?

Heh! Errant keystroke. Or was it phonetic? I'm typing with a cat cradled in my arms right now, for what it's worth.

I think I found the most NT like place on the internet and it's a nerds forum XtremeSystems Forums - Powered by vBulletin

Interesting. Another example would be the 3dB forums; at least a combination of INTPs and ISFPs. Very erudite, very calm.

 

[cafe]

I haven't been on INTPc much over the last few months. (I've been mostly bored with the conversation, honestly.)

I think most of the people are adequately typed. I think because of the medium there is simply a preponderance of 20-something INTPs who have never yet found a place where they feel at home. The behavior seems typical for people in that stage of development. [There are some older members who are better rounded and more emotionally mature.]

Yeah, they're still trying themselves on to see what fits, etc. Most of the time, the only ones that worry me are the ones who make it into their late 20s and older still acting like that. Maybe I'm semi-tolerant of it because I spent my twenties with a twenty-something INTP.

 

[Xander]

Heh! Errant keystroke. Or was it phonetic? I'm typing with a cat cradled in my arms right now, for what it's worth.

Nuff said really

Especially if it's like the one we seem to have attracted. Ie large, fluffy and with a prepensity to just flop over when it wants a belly rub.

Interesting. Another example would be the 3dB forums; at least a combination of INTPs and ISFPs. Very erudite, very calm.

It seems that technical subjects draw us out like moths to a flame

Yeah, they're still trying themselves on to see what fits, etc. Most of the time, the only ones that worry me are the ones who make it into their late 20s and older still acting like that. Maybe I'm semi-tolerant of it because I spent my twenties with a twenty-something INTP.

Hey I've been a twenty something INTP for more than ten years now and I'm not THAT bad!!

 

[Ivy]

Yeah, they're still trying themselves on to see what fits, etc. Most of the time, the only ones that worry me are the ones who make it into their late 20s and older still acting like that. Maybe I'm semi-tolerant of it because I spent my twenties with a twenty-something INTP.

Same here. I don't think the monkeyhouse element means that they're really ISTPs- they're just young, errant INTPs. For whom I have a soft spot, evidently.

 

[Tigerlily]

But honestly, who even cares? People are who they are. We are not our type. Type is simply a paradigm used to explore the self and others. If they're mistyped, most of the time that has no real impact on anything, and they will figure it out eventually. I don't really see any more mistypes over THERE than I do over HERE to be honest.

Thank you! Finally! I have wanted to say something similar for a few weeks now and just couldn't find the words. Leave it to you and your excellent writing abilities!

I also want to add that I am really becoming annoyed with the "Well if you're and INFJ then I don't like you." I think people who believe that should take more time to discover who they really are, instead of wasting their energy on such silliness. Every type has pros and cons. For example I wish I were more SJ these days to help organize our family.

These days I feel more "P" lately than "J". I am overwhelmed and always late for appointments. I need someone competent to analyze me. Where's Toonia?

 

[cafe]

Hey I've been a twenty something INTP for more than ten years now and I'm not THAT bad!!

You're going to have to teach me that new math. Forty's starting to loom uncomfortably close around here.

Don wasn't that bad, either, but he and I got together pretty young and that first experience of being in a relationship seems to be a big factor in softening them up.

He still used to get in some mighty heated theological debates in Bible College, though. Sometimes to the point of making me very uncomfortable observing it and he also loved stirring crap up in preaching class by preaching stuff he knew was controversial, but well-backed up with scripture.

God only knows how he would have behaved on an internet forum if we'd had ready access to them back then.

 

[Xander]

You're going to have to teach me that new math. Forty's starting to loom uncomfortably close around here.

Don wasn't that bad, either, but he and I got together pretty young and that first experience of being in a relationship seems to be a big factor in softening them up.

He still used to get in some mighty heated theological debates in Bible College, though. Sometimes to the point of making me very uncomfortable observing it and he also loved stirring crap up in preaching class by preaching stuff he knew was controversial, but well-backed up with scripture.

God only knows how he would have behaved on an internet forum if we'd had ready access to them back then.

Way back then in the mists of time? You sound like you're feeling old more than being old! Damn it woman feeling young is all about being stupid. I make it a rule not to over correct stupidity. Especially my own.

Oh and I do know of one person who has only just turned 24 after being 23 for about thirty years so I'm by no means an extremist.

Never grow up, never surrender. Oh and don't let those serving drinks in public houses get you down.

 

[lastrailway]

My opinion on that: INTPc is a forum with like 2200 active members. The cultural, educational, personal, etc. differences would already form a multitude of characters, and let's not forget that the type is related mainly with tendencies and preferences, not with behaviour. Even between INTPs some might be more extroverted than others, some more feeling, some more detail-oriented, etc. and, in all cases, the personality is much more than 4 letters, in my opinion.
As for the reactions towards members of different types, I think most of them are purely humorous, with intention to jest, not to insult.
Of course the phenomenon of members trying to fit the stereotype is present in many cases, but I find that mostly the younger members tend to do this, by younger meaning both in age and in having discovered their type. I think it deserves the way to try not to feel offended by the most immature members and focus on discussions that might really offer some interesting point of view.

 

[wildcat]

After having read posts on INTPc many times (though I dislike INTPc), a question has come to mind:
Is it just me, or do many many of the members believe that they are INTPs when they are, in fact, another type? For some reason, so many so-called "INTPs" on INTPc actually seem far more ISTP, ENTP, INTJ, INFP, and even types such as ESTP. Am I wrong in this assumption? Is there any particular reason why so many members do not seem very INTP?

I checked the five latest results they have currently in their cognitive processes thread.
The medial = the consensus = the statistical average of the five results corresponds to the medial of a much larger group I checked on an earlier occasion.

The medial of the five is

Ti Ne Ni Fi Te Se Si Fe

The model based on geometric numbers which corresponds equation of balance (9-X) for the INTP is

Ti Ne Ni Te Fi Se Si Fe

As you see, the medial of the cognitive processes tests (above) shows also an equation of balance.

Now, the closer you approach the middle point (Te Fi) the shorter the span.
So it is hardly surprising these (Te and Fi) show a tendency to change place. They come close- in theory to nil exactly.

They are INTPs all right. No question about that.

 

[ptgatsby]

Hey I've been a twenty something INTP for more than ten years now and I'm not THAT bad!!

Eh, I was INTP for about 8 years of my twenties too!

But I think I've gotten worse, not better...

 

[Xander]

Eh, I was INTP for about 8 years of my twenties too!

But I think I've gotten worse, not better...

It has been noted that you've lost your inquisitive verve.
Now reading your signature I can perhaps see why. I'm supposed to be doing likewise but it fills me with disgust half the time so I take regular breaks?

 

[Zergling]

I think because of the medium there is simply a preponderance of 20-something INTPs who have never yet found a place where they feel at home. The behavior seems typical for people in that stage of development. [There are some older members who are better rounded and more emotionally mature.]

There do seem to be a lot of the "angsty philosopher" type of person on the forums.

It probably doesn't help that INTPcentral isn't really about anything, it's more of an INTP social forum, which effects who will post there. Someone really into some particular activity or subject would likely be doing that activity or subject more, and not spending lots of time on INTPcentral, which leaves a hole to be filled, and what seems to have happened is that the hole fills up with pointless arguments, lots of social game playing, and other fluff,which is behavior stereotypes in other types.

Something similar does seem to be happening here, actually, with a lot of gossip type of stuff building up, fluff appearing a lot in threads, etc.

 

[ptgatsby]

It has been noted that you've lost your inquisitive verve.
Now reading your signature I can perhaps see why. I'm supposed to be doing likewise but it fills me with disgust half the time so I take regular breaks?

Eh, it's more a product of time an interest than type... and perhaps purpose? That, or it's a solid case that type identification is very powerful.

(Or people have just driven me nuts and I've taken to using a baseball bat.)

 

[Xander]

Eh, it's more a product of time an interest than type... and perhaps purpose? That, or it's a solid case that type identification is very powerful.

(Or people have just driven me nuts and I've taken to using a baseball bat.)

Baseball bat? where's your sense of pride man?

Hockey stick surely

 

[ptgatsby]

Baseball bat? where's your sense of pride man?

Hockey stick surely

Heh, I use the weapon with maximum utility... I don't play sports, or watch, or anything similar.

However, I will trade to a ski pole if you wish... A sharpened... pole... yessss....

 

[Xander]

Heh, I use the weapon with maximum utility... I don't play sports, or watch, or anything similar.

However, I will trade to a ski pole if you wish... A sharpened... pole... yessss....

Hmm the grip is awkward. Besides if you're Canadian just use an axe. No one would think anything of a Canadian with an axe now would they.

 

[sassafrassquatch]

Based on language usage and interaction style, possibly upwards of 50 percent. INTP forums are social incarnations of Wikipedia, ISTP forums are monkeyhouses, and INTPCentral inclines strongly towards the latter.