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[INTP] INTP personality type descritpion

SolitaryWalker

Tenured roisterer
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
3,504
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
INTP Profile

“Before anything else, we must work out a method of emending the intellect and of purifying it, as far as is feasible at the outset, so that it may succeed in understanding things without error and as well as possible. So now it will be evident that my purpose is to direct all the sciences to one end and goal, that is (as we have said) the achievement of the highest human perfection. Thus everything in the sciences which does nothing to advance us towards our goal must be rejected as useless” Baruch Spinoza

Disclaimer: As has been indicated in my previous writings on typology, my profiles are about the philosophy of a particular type and not behavior thereof. I write about the unconscious tendencies and not the external manifestations of such tendencies. This profile is dedicated to INTP philosophy and not what we may observe in our INTPs next door. As we know, our unconscious tendencies inevitably manifest in a concrete, external fashion. However, there is no need to tie this or that unconscious tendency to one particular external act. Our external behavior can easily be influenced by the context it is acted out in, and most distinctly by our external influences. Carl Jung has a distinction in his profile descriptions of ‘function’ and type. In the former he describes how the psychology of the function works, and in the latter how people of such type tend to behave. This profile is exclusively about the former, whatever references I may make to the latter are only means to the end of better understanding the former. If you’re looking for a description of ‘type’, you’d be well advised to stop reading now. For such information, you’re best off turning to the Paul James INTP profile.

An INTP Profile

Definitions

Introversion: The attitude defining the external world in relation to the unconscious archetype. As a rule, the external world is subjected to the standard concocted within the mind of the introvert.

Extroversion: The attitude of defining the inner being by an external standard. By and large, the character of the inner being dissolves in the face of the external object. The inner life seeks to conform to the outer.

Thinking: Application of the impersonal


I.Introverted Thinking


INTP is a radically introverted type. This is the case because this type is much more influenced by the mind than the external world. First of all due to the heavy introversion of the INTP which is reinforced by Intuition. Secondly because of the nature of Introverted Thinking which by itself is the most internally focused faculty. Introverted Thinking tends to be tough-minded and therefore not as easily fettered by others extrinsic elements such as Feeling, Intuition and Sensation. Hence, Ti preserves more of the element of introversion than its introverted counterparts. Evidently, this tends to lead to an uncommon resilience and insistence on attunement with one’s inner perspective as well as a marked aversion to extroversion. The former is the case evidently due to the tough-minded nature of Introverted Thinking and the latter due to the distinct preference for Introversion over Extroversion. As Jung notes Introverted Thinking is primarily oriented by the subjective factor. One may wonder what the meaning of such a proposition is granted that we tend to associate Thinking with objective, impartial judgment, yet here Jung asserts that Introverted Thinking is primarily oriented around the subject. The subjectivity that Jung speaks of is not to be interpreted as synonymous with arbitrariness, but rather tantamount to pertaining to the inner life or the outer.


Thus we can equate a subject with the mind and object with the external world. A subject with the inner life and object with the outer. If we grant that it is the Thinking faculty that is to be associated with objectivity of judgment, it is not at all the case that Introversion is an impediment in such a regard. One may think that since the Introverted Thinker assesses the external world based on his inner quota, it likely is the case that he may attempt to shape the external world into what the inner vision would like to see it as. That is without a doubt the case, however we clearly see a parallel of such activity in extroversion where the subject is forced to conform to the external standard. In any case this appears to show that neither extroversion nor extroversion tend to be advantageous when it comes to the matter of attaining highest objectivity possible. Yet, whether the subject or the object is made to conform to one another is irrelevant because the salient aspect of the problem is Thinking and not Extroversion or Introversion. On that account we see that it is the Thinking that is made to conform to either object or the subject, which by its own nature is impersonal. Therefore the strong tendency towards either Extroversion or Introversion will not make the Thinking in itself any more or less impersonal. The distinction that we shall see between the two phenomena is that Introversion will lead the Thinker to contemplate problems pertaining directly to his unconscious, yet Extroversion to contemplate problems relating not to himself but to the outer world. However, once again, Thinking remains Thinking, or impersonal by its own essence. Hence, on one hand we have the objective or impersonal analysis of external phenomena and on the other an objective or impersonal analysis of problems pertaining to one’s inner life.



One may ask what exactly drives Introverted Thinking, what exactly is this aforementioned inner world? Essentially it is one’s unconscious mind and unconscious tendencies that the Thinking of such a type primarily orients around. Hence, because the inner life of the INTP is most concerned with logical analysis, the unconscious mind of this type gravitates towards ideas that require calm and careful contemplation. For this reason we very often observe that this type is highly represented in the field of Mathematics, Hard Sciences and Philosophy. Essentially the enterprises where the preference for impersonal analysis over the human element is firmly pronounced. INTPs who have not developed skill in such enterprises are likely missing out on much, as these tend to be the enterprises where a sound Thinking faculty is most in demand. There can be no doubt that impersonal analysis may be applied to all things, yet in many other intellectual enterprises the resistance to dispassionate analysis is much greater. Or the Thinking is often objected by the human element (F), concrete tasks (S), and visions often irrelevant to the problem requiring solution (N).



“It begins with the subject and leads back to the subject, far though it may range into realm of actual reality. With regard to establishment of new facts it is only indirectly of value, since new views rather than knowledge of new facts are its main concern. It formulates questions and creates theories, it opens up new prospects and insights, but with regard to facts its attitude is one of reserve”. This aspect of this type shows a marked preference for a subject over the object. Thus, unlike an Extrovert who is primarily concerned with establishing the existence of the objective reality outside of himself, the INTP is concerned with the external world only to the extent that they relate to his inner life. Thus, the purpose of observing the external world is to understand it. Introverted Thinking is more synthetic than Extroverted Thinking on the account of being closer to the unconscious mind itself.


“Facts are of secondary importance for this kind of thinking; what seems to it of paramount importance is the development and presentation of the subjective idea, of the initial symbolic image hovering darkly before the mind’s eye. Its aim is never an intellectual reconstruction of the concrete fact, but a shaping of that dark image into a luminous idea. It wants to reach reality, to see how the external fact will fit into and fill the framework of the idea, and the creative power of this thinking shows itself when it actually creates an idea which, though not inherent in the concrete fact, is yet the most suitable expression of it. Its task is completed when the idea it has fashioned seems to emerge so inevitably from the external facts that they actually prove its validity.”


Thus, the Introverted Thinking cannot accept concrete facts as self-evident, propositions are only deemed to be true after they have been subjected to rigorous logical scrutiny. Since the introverted Thinking relies much more on the inner world than the external reality, the Thinking itself is inspired by the internally established premises and axioms. It inevitably imposes the ways of its own operation onto the external world, or in its own mind expects the entities observed in the external world to conform to its principles and ideas. Because Introverted Thinking is most concerned with contemplation and not action, it will not force the external entities to embrace its values and ideas, yet rejection of ideas in the external world that are not in tune with the Thinking of the inner life could not have been any more clear. Introverted Thinking may be less rigid than Extroverted Thinking because it relies on the mind itself more than the Extroverted, for the reasons mentioned above, yet the reliance on the previously established inner premises and ideas is unmistakable. Just like the Extroverted Thinker often finds one standard to assess all things by, and simply reject whatever does not agree with the standard, the reliance of the Introverted Thinking on its inner archetypes is unmistakable. If the Thinking is not properly supported by Intuition or any other Extroverted faculty, it will be very difficult for the INTP to divorce himself from the archetypes that his mind orients around. In extreme or even pathological cases, the INTP will not be able to perceive the external entities in its own right, but will try to shape them into what the inner life wants to have them as. The inner archetypes are inspired by his unconscious tendencies, most obviously and the accumulation of ideas based on what he has thought about before.


”But no more than extraverted thinking can wrest a sound empirical concept from concrete facts or create new ones can introverted thinking translate the initial image into an idea adequately adapted to the facts. For, as in the former case the purely empirical accumulation of facts paralyzes thought and smothers their meaning, so in the latter case introverted thinking shows a dangerous tendency to force the facts into the shape of its image, or ignore them altogether in order to give fantasy free play. In that event it will be impossible for the finished product—the idea—to repudiate its derivation from the dim archaic image. It will have a mythological streak which one is apt to interpret as “originality” or, in more pronounced cases, as mere whimsicality, since its archaic character is not immediately apparent to specialists unfamiliar with mythological motifs. The subjective power of conviction exerted by an idea of this kind is usually very great, and it is all the greater the less it comes into contact with external facts.”


Such a claim of Jung clearly shows that the more the INTP introverts, the more difficult it becomes for him to retain objective understanding of the external world. In such cases the Thinking takes over the temperament of the INTP. Thinking will be seen as an end in itself. Or the INTP will be doing logic for its own sake. Not to solve any particular problem, but simply to solve problems of any kind, whatever they may be. The attempted problems often have little to do with the external world, as the INTP will try to shape the external information into whatever best fits the inner standard. For this reason the work of the Extroverted Intuition will often be distorted to a radical degree. The external reality will be replaced by the INTP’s world of theoretical possibilities. The reasoning of the INTP may be as close to impeccable as it could have been, yet the more he resigns himself to the influences of the inner life and the unconscious, the more likely he is to arrive at false conclusions about the external world. That is the case because however sound his reasoning may be, his premises would have little to do with the external reality. The more he introverts, the less likely he is to recognize this as the case even when the situation could not have been any more obvious. That is so because the more he goes inward, the more he relies on the inner archetypes which shall have his thinking tied down to themselves like a dog to a chain. Moreover, the tough-minded aspect of Introverted Thinking or Thinking itself is a salient factor. The Thinking resides internally and the more the INTP indulges in his inner life, the more self-righteous he becomes as the Thinking becomes slave to his Introversion or the archetypes that dwell within his unconscious. Thus, the INTP will apply his casual tough-minded approach not to the pursuit of truth, but merely to the preservation of his unconscious archetypes, as in that cases those images would be all that he may know.


Jung has made a very incisive observation earlier that the Thinking will only appear creative and whimsical, but Thinking remains Thinking in its own right, not imagination. The merits of imagination of the INTP stem from the Extroverted Intuition which often appears to be lacking when the INTP is not balanced. Thus, the sheer depth of thought and attunement with the unconscious is often mistaken for the creative power itself. In reality, however, the Introverted Thinking merely takes the INTP inwards and then Intuition, because the proper attention is not paid to this faculty becomes no more than a serf of the Thinking type. The Intuitive energy at that point is diminished as well, yet used to further promote the ventures of the Introverted Thinking.

“The extraordinary impoverishment of introverted thinking is compensated by a wealth of unconscious facts. The more consciousness is impelled by the thinking function to confine itself within the smallest and emptiest circle—which seems, however, to contain all the riches of the gods—the more the unconscious fantasies will be enriched by a multitude of archaic contents, a veritable “pandaemonium” of irrational and magical figures, whose physiognomy will accord with the nature of the function that will supersede the thinking function as the vehicle of life. If it should be the intuitive function, then the ‘other side’ will be viewed through the eyes of a Kubin or a Meyrink. If it is the feeling function, then quite the unheard-of fantastic feeling relationships will be formed, coupled with contradictory and unintelligible value judgments. If it is the sensation function, the sense will nose up something new, and never experienced before, in and outside of the body. Closer examinations of these permutations will easily demonstrate a recrudescence of primitive psychology with all its characteristic features.”

Such examples seem to show that the Extroverted faculties of the INTP tend to be weak and subservient to the introverted, most prominently so to the Introverted Thinking. As we have established in our earlier profiles, the Hegelian master slave dialect seems to be prominent in Jung’s typology. This is a distinct example of such a phenomenon. The poorly developed extroverted functions often manifest themselves in examples similar to those above. The INTP as the most internally focused type is in greatest risk of all types to incur a off-balance disposition.

The tough-minded and intense Thinking oriented approach to life renders the INTP competent at nearly all activities that he holds an interest in. His focus tends to be rather narrow, as the primary aim of Introversion is ‘intensity and not extensity’, and the Introverted Judgment in this regard is even more selective than that of the Introverted perception. Introversion by its nature is very selective as it is subject oriented rather than object oriented. The INTP, being the most internally focused type is the most selective of all in that regard. The primary object of Thinking is attaining competence, and the INTP tends to be very discriminative in selections of those endeavors. Very often such endeavors are those that place a high premium on intense logical scrutiny of abstract matters. Much like the aforementioned Mathematics, physics and formal logic. By and large the INTP having invested much of his energy in such activities often finds himself incompetent and ignorant in relation to almost everything else. This he will admit only with great difficulty as the inner drive of his predominant Thinking faculty compels him to believe that he is or will be competent at nearly everything. This tends to hold within the unconscious for the INTP as the Thinking is profoundly internally focused.


In this one important respect the INTP is very different from the Extorverted Thinker who primarily orients around the external agenda to ascertain of his own competence. For instance, an ETJ will need to have formal accolades and victories in order to be sure of his own competence, he orients around what is and not what could be. He will not deem himself competent unless he could show to the world how competent he is. Yet the INTP merely needs to have a theoretical notion of his own competence and will often be concerned very little to follow through on this. Such a mental disposition often leads the INTP to overestimate his own prowess and ignore the crude fact that he is incompetent in many matters outside of his field of specialization. Should he have come to terms with this matter, he would have been hardly disturbed as the INTP in question would hardly hesitate to dismiss those matters as unimportant simply because they do not occupy a notable position in his internal agenda. Due to the very narrow focus of Introverted Judgment, the INTP holds an interest primarily in matters that he naturally tends to excel, as for the rest, it would hardly be an exaggeration to claim that in his world they hardly exist. This, of course is the mindset of a very stiff Introverted Thinking faculty. INTPs naturally dabble at many things outside of their field of expertise and specialization, especially so after they have cultivated their Extroverted Intuition. Yet clearly hold very little interest in attaining mastery of those endeavors to the extent that they have in the field of their specialization. For those reasons it is very common to observe INTP scholars become gurus in the field of their practice, yet retain no more than a superficial understanding of ideas that are not very closely linked to what they are most intensely focused on.


As has been stated before, the Introverted Thinking cannot run on itself. It is merely a conscious scrutiny of information already collected. If there is no fuel to come by from the faculty of Extroverted Intuition the INTP will scrutinize the old information to the point of great extremity. He will think them out to the maximum. Yet no matter how logically consistent and deep his analysis may be, he will likely fail to solve the greater and more significant problems as he simply has no notion of them because he has failed to collect the relevant information. The more neurotic the Thinking faculty goes, the more in possession of the faculties of perception it becomes. In extreme cases it may get to the point where only the information that is relevant to the agenda of Introverted Thinking could be collected. In such cases, it would be close to impossible for the INTP to solve relevant problems concerning the external world as he is much too caught up in his inner life. By and large, due to the intensity of focus on the inner life, the INTP tends to hold little interest in ideas that are not directly relevant to his inner life and the agenda of Introverted Thinking. The more unbalanced such a type becomes, the more difficult it would be for the INTP to do genuine thinking, despite that this is nearly the essence of the type itself. That is because the INTP will be tied down to the inner archetypes which will preclude new information from flowing in. Or in colloquial terms, the INTP will not be able to think at all because there will be nothing to think about other than the matters that have already been integrated into the inner life, which of course, have already been thought out to the maximum. This is where we encounter the axis of Introverted Sensation in the INTP which is a very servile lackey to the ostensible introversion of this type. Not only will the Thinking be tied down to the inner life, but it will also be calcified by the concrete images bestowed upon it by the primitive Introverted Sensation of the type. This is not to argue that the Introverted Sensation by the property of itself is primitive, yet in the case of the INTP, it very much is as it tends to be under-developed. Thus, in such cases, the INTP will not be open-minded as a typical Intuitive is but will merely rely on the ‘wealth of unconscious facts’ stored within the Ti-Si faculties. This does indeed parallel how the dominant Extroverted Judging types often make hasty judgments without first having thought the matters through. They are tied down to the external convention in analogous fashion as INTPs are to their inner archetypes which could not be refreshed due to the want of Extroverted perception. This is the danger previously noted by Jung in regards to how the intense inner scrutiny of the INTP could render satisfactory interaction with the external world difficult. In exaggerated and extreme cases impossible, this is the gist of the absent-minded professor persona who simply has no notion of the environment surrounding him.
 

SolitaryWalker

Tenured roisterer
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
3,504
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
“The representation of facts has an incontestable truth because the subjective factor is excluded and the facts speak for themselves. Similarly, the representation of the irrepresentable has an immediate, subjective power of conviction because it demonstrates its own existence. The one says ‘Est, ergo est” (To be is to be perceived, Berkeley), the other says “Cogito, ergo cogito.” Introverted Thinking carried to an extreme arrives at the evidence of its own subjective existence, and extraverted thinking at the evidence of its complete identity with the objective fact. Just as the latter abnegates itself by evaporating into the object, the former empties itself of each and every content and has to be satisfied with merely existing.”

Thus, what we see here is both faculties come up vacuous, the Extroverted Thinking for obvious reasons, as extroverts are typically ridiculed for being empty and shallow. Yet the supposedly most introverted type who is supposed to be the complete opposite of this is far from exempt from the same charge. It should be clearly noted that development of Extroverted faculties and especially Extroverted Intuition is of paramount importance to the INTP as without this he could not fulfill his most elementary goals of becoming a sound thinker.

As concluding remarks on the nature of Introverted Thinking it should be noted that unlike the Extroverted Thinking, it does not settle for the conventionally agreed upon ‘rules of reasoning’. It questions the essence of pure thought itself and the idea of ‘pure reason’ is most endearing to this type. Thus, for this reason, INTPs gravitate towards philosophy of mathematics and philosophy of language as both involve the scrutiny of symbols depicting the means necessary for the understanding of the world. Essentially all judging functions are symbolic as they involve judgments. Extroverted Judging functions borrow their symbols from the external world, yet the Introverted functions to a much lesser degree. For this reason the INTPs, unlike the Extroverted Judging types will not hesitate to criticize the linguistic convention for the purposes of emendation. Will often go so far as to concoct symbols and terms of their own for the sake of greatest logical soundness possible. Such neology is most clearly represented in the works of Hegel and Heidegger, and investment in formal logic and philosophy of language by the cotemporary philosopher Noam Chomsky.
The more remote the INTP becomes from the external world, the more engrossed he will be in symbols of his own, the meaning of which inheres within the unconscious mind of the INTP and could hardly be discovered by the Thinker himself. The outside observers could not cherish the hope of sharing that understanding.

To better grasp my point, the reader should consider the following text,

“The master is the consciousness that exists for itself; but no longer merely the general notion of existence for self. Rather, it is a consciousness existing in its own account which is mediated through an other consciousness, i.e through an other whose very nature implies that it is bound up with an independent being or with thinghood in general. The master brings himself into a relation to both these moments, to a thing as such, the object of desire, and to the consciousness whose essential character is thinghood. ” Phenomenology of the Spirit.

The theoretical nature of the Introverted Judgment especially when supplanted by the big picture view of the Extroverted Intuition will be most concerned with clearly mapping out the ebb and flow of the entire world. Logic will be deemed as fundamental to the inquiry, as this will be the instrument employed to answer all questions. As Albert Einstein once said, God does not play dice. The meaning of this aphorism was that nothing in the world is arbitrary, there is an inherent logical order in the universe, and all things could be discovered should we be able to reason properly and collect all sufficient information. Russell’s and Whiteheads endeavors in Principia Mathematica, or an attempt to convert all laws of mathematics into logical principles illustrate such a mindset which also runs a parallel to Galileo who once claimed that mathematics is the language that God wrote the universe in.

It should be noted however, that the big picture view is a property of the auxiliary Extroverted Intuition. Introverted Thinking is primarily concerned with the scrutiny of pure thought, and no more than that. Whatever we may receive in addition to this is the support of the abstract intuitive faculties of this type and not the inner nature. The ostensible depth of the Introverted Thinking can be mistaken for an intuitive prowess very frequently observed in INJs, yet that is not what the phenomenon in question. Spinoza once argued that we can attain the perfection of mind through sheer depth of thought which is much similar to how religious prophets have been transformed through the mind. As argued persuasively by Moses Maimonides, religious prophecy is a result of intuitive genius, and for this reason we notice that most prophets had Introverted Intuition as their dominant faculty. This is without a doubt a result of much deep cognition. The INTP may even run deeper than the INJs because the internal focus is more intense, yet the INTP lacks the inner volatility that the INJs have. Similarly to how the ENJ may be full of life in the external world, yet does not seem as uninhibited and inspired as his dominant Extroverted Intuitive counterparts. In this respect the INTP has an idiosyncratic approach to spirituality, one oriented by the pure thought alone. This may lead one to suspect that because the INTP orients by ‘pure reason’, he must be devoid of superstition that is commonly associated with spirituality. This is not at all the case as it is much too easy for the INTP to become caught up in his inner life which will divorce him from the external reality. No matter how logically consistent he remains, his beliefs about the external world will be erroneous, should he fail to cultivate the Extroverted Intuition as the problems which me have solved impeccably, do not represent the problems of external reality.


Judging functions by and large tend to be more focused than the perceiving and the introverted functions more so than the extrovert. On this account, Keirsey likely was correct to grant that the INTP can concentrate more intensely than any other type. The point concerning Introversion could not be any more obvious by now and the tough-minded nature of Thinking retains more of the judging element than Feeling. For this reason, the INTP, will have a very strong inner purpose. As mentioned in the INFP profile, if the Introverted Judgment is properly developed, it will seek out a higher purpose, if not it will become, corrupt, self-serving and even hedonistic in light of the perceiving nature of the type. The INTP with a sound Introverted Judgment likely will pursue a higher purpose. Very often such a purpose includes the commonly emphasized values of Thinking and Introversion, such as fairness, pursuit of truth, inner peace and consistency with principles. This was distinctly illustrated in the lives of Spinoza, Aristotle, and Einstein. The INTP with a corrupt introverted judgment likely will engage in self-apotheosis where by default he will assume himself more important and worthwhile than others. Such an INTP will not have a sound ethic and will merely deem maxims desirable only to the extent that they concur with his interests.

The nature of Thinking is critical and if left purely in its own element will become adversarial. In a fashion typical to any Thinking type, the INTP is naturally skeptical and often unwilling to accept an idea that he by means of his own analysis cannot ascertain of. ‘Trusting’ others comes with great difficulty, even in situations when most would hardly hesitate to do so, as the INTP almost always views the situation with a critical eye.

“He may be polite, amiable, and kind, but one is constantly aware of a certain uneasiness betraying an ulterior motive—the disarming of an opponent, who must at all costs be pacified and placated lest he prove himself a nuisance. In no sense, of course, is he an opponent, but if he is at all sensitive he will feel himself repulsed, and even belittled. Invariably, the object has to submit to a certain amount of neglect, and in pathological cases it is even surrounded with quite unnecessary precautionary measures.”


II.Other faculties

Nearly as a general rule, cultivation of Extroverted Intuition for the INTP, speaks towards the acquisition of balance. This is where the INTP finds the necessary faculties in order to have the Thinking function operate properly, or merely attain the very little external fuel it requires in order to avoid being wholly tied down to the inner archetypes. This is where the INTP derives the abstract approach to life that this type is often renowned for. This is the faculty that the INTP relies on to deal with the External world. Analogously to how Extroverts are often afraid of Thinking, the INTP is afraid of acting, even on the most basic tasks. Cultivation of the Extroverted Intuition should soon remedy such problems. The intense internal focus of the INTP also often renders him inadequate at the game of practical politics, Extroverted Intuition, as shown in the ENTP profile tends to offer ample opportunities to attain competence in this endeavor. Extroverted Intuition is most adept at presentation, that is why we often see ENPs tend to have the best presentation skills. This quality is often lacking in INTPs.

“Although he will shrink from no danger in building up his world of ideas, and never shrinks from thinking a thought because it might prove to be dangerous, subversive, heretical, or wounding to other people’s feelings, he is none the less beset by the greatest anxiety if ever he has to make it an objective reality. That goes against the grain. And when he does put his ideas into the world, he never introduces them like a mother solicitous for her children, but simply dumps them there and gets extremely annoyed if they fail to thrive on their own account. His amazing impracticalness and horror of publicity in any form have a hand in this. If in his eyes his product appears correct and true, then it must be so in practice, and others have got to bow to its truth. Hardly will he go out of his way to win anyone’s appreciation of it, especially anyone of influence. And if ever he brings himself to do so, he generally sets about it so clumsily that it has just the opposite of the effect intended.”

Extroverted Intuition can help us grasp an overall clear perception of the External environment and the ability to interact with it in a fashion relevant to the external world. Many of the above problems can easily be remedied by this faculty. This without a doubt should remedy the problem observed in Hegel’s neology. Cultivation of Introverted Sensation will be another step for the INTP to connect with the concrete, external world. This tends to happen after the Extroverted Intuition has been rendered sound. Generally, the faculty of Introverted Sensation tends to be negative and the INTP is closer in tune with negative rather than positive memories and concrete facts. Extroverted Feeling represents the shadow side of this type. Because the INTP tends to think his issues out to the maximum and his thoughts dwell primarily in the inner life, he has difficulty relating to the external world. In part this is to be cured through cultivation of Extroverted Intuition. Extroverted Judgment allows for us to act decisively and firmly in the external world without further ado. This is the quality that INTPs tend not to acquire easily and naturally. For this reason much of the time they end up merely thinking and never acting. Cultivation of Extroverted Feeling will give the INTP ample opportunities to bring their ideas to the world of objective reality. Since all Extroverted Functions tend to be remote from the mind of the INTP, the Extroverted Feeling is often unconscious and the INTP has little awareness of how this faculty operates. This is indeed the Achilles Heal of that type. For this reason the INTP is often unaware of his needs in relationships and what must be accomplished in order for a satisfactory result to be attained. This is the part of the INTP’s life where he is most prone to confusion and incompetence, which stands in glaring contrast to his tough-minded Thinking oriented approach to life with intense focus on activities he is likely to have mastered.

“In his personal relations he is taciturn or else throws himself onto people who cannot understand him, and for him this is one more proof of the abysmal stupidity of man. If for once he is understood, he easily succumbs to the credulous overestimation of his prowess. Ambitious women have only to know how to take advantage of his cluelessness in practical matters to make an easy prey of him; or he may develop into a misanthropic bachelor with a childlike heart.”

Evidently, the INTP’s critical attitude towards nearly everything falls short of saving him in such situations as very often quick interpersonal decisions are required in order to get through the world of people. This is a property of Extroverted Feeling which is often scarce in this type. The INTP often lacks competence in profound and long term interpersonal decisions as this is the property of Fi, which is even less pronounced in this type. By and large, the lack of Feeling precludes the INTP from understanding others properly. He could attain such an understanding through careful logical analysis, yet such discoveries come with time and great difficulty as the clarity the INTP requires for problem-solving is often lacking in the world of people. Although adaptable by nature, the Extroverted Judgment property of the Feeling of the INTP makes it difficult for him to improvise in interpersonal affairs. Sudden changes of emotive climate will likely take a heavy toll on the psychological state of the INTP. For this reason, this type tends to emote gradually rather than mercurially. The INTP tends to have rather basic needs in relationships as he requires little emotional reassurance. Though, the intense Thinking approach requires clarity and directness, the absence of which, in intimate situations, often throws the INTP in states of high anxiety and confusion. The negative nature of Extroverted Feeling (our lesser functions, as a general rule tend to be negative because we tend to lack comfort using them) contributes to such a state. Because Extroverted Feeling orients by External symbols, the INTP has a slight need for direct external reassurance that is most prominent in FJs. Because the Extroverted Feeling plays such a small role in the psyche of the INTP, this is often overlooked, yet in intimate relationships this tendency becomes unmistakable. If left without the due attention, the INTP will be overcome with a sense of uneasy that he himself would not know where derived from, sustaining harmony in such situations would be rendered more difficult. Due to the poverty of the Extroverted Feeling faculty, the INTP is notorious for overlooking or misunderstanding his basic emotive needs and communicating them to their intimates. This of course, can be rectified through cultivation of the Extroverted Faculties, primarily the Ne-Fe axis. As the last word on this phenomenon it should be noted that the strong Introverted Judging nature of the INTP may make it seem like this type emotes in a fashion more similar to Fi rather than Fe. It certainly appears this way because the Introverted Thinking takes Feeling far into the realm of Introversion. However, it should be noted very clearly that the nature of Feeling of the INTP derives its essence from without and not from within. Therefore it relies on the external situation in order to retain close emotive contact. In this regard, the INTP emotes in a fashion most similar to that of NFJs. In intimate situations, the INTP may have difficulty seperating private sentiments from that of the other person. This of course happens somewhat rarely as it takes a lot for the INTP to step away from detachment, and even in those cases he may not be aware of this due to a lack of emotional intelligence. The depth of Feeling for the INTP stems almost directly as a result of depth of thought. Thus, the INTP makes solidest emotional attachments after much thorough and sound impersonal deliberation. The nature of Thinking strives to understand the world, other functions naturally accomodate this tendency, especially Feeling. A sense of calm is often acquired as a result of the INTP having understood a phenomenon. The INTP often seeks to come to terms with the external world by attaining an impersonal understanding. The Thinker attains harmony with the external world by understanding it, much like a Feeler does by coming to a personal reconciliation with it. This often proves futile in light of the human element. Inevitably, the INTP supresses his primitive emotive tendencies in favor of impersonal analysis, the more he attempts to do this, the less likely he will be able to attain an understanding of the phenomenon in question. Feeling oriented issues for this reason represent much anxiety for this type, as these are the ones he is least likely to understand. Only when the INTP learns to accept Feeling as part of his psyche, he will be on the true path to overcoming this problem. That usually does not happen till the latter years, and very gradually.
 
Last edited:

mippus

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Do you really expect people to read all this? ;)
 

FFF

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I got bored after a few paragraphs.
 

Priam

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Well I did read it and, to be quite frank, it made me even more paranoid and nervous about myself! :) Thanks, BlueWing, for more neuroses.

There are some very good points, but I felt they gradually became repetition rather than reinforcement.

- Introverted Thinking, when left to itself, feeds on itself. This leads to an ironic detachment from external facts and reality, causing a gradual retreat into an increasingly elaborate fantasy world based on fragments of internalized knowledge and supposition.

- External facts must be absorbed, usually through Extraverted Intuition, to keep Introverted Thinking grounded in reality. Without Ie, the above situation occurs.

- INTPs have a strong tendency to focus deeply in one or two abstract fields (logic, linguistics, mathematics) whilst losing, ignoring or erroneously asserting competence in most others. Only by staying grounded in Extraverted functions can a realistic self-assessment be made, and then only by dint of much work can the more interpersonal skills be developed.

- Ti can often mimick the function of empathy and intuition found in NJ types, but true depth of intuition, especially based on people, often takes many years of thought and/or deep focus to acheive. It also involves exploring and expanding Extraverted Feeling, accepting such input as warranted and logical.

- INTPs maintain innocent naivete in relationships, but can become misanthropic due to callous abuse of this by others, hiding a confused core behind a cold exterior. Even when relationships are healthy, INTPs can lose track of what it takes to maintain that healthy status, leading to a drifting away from intimacy acheived without hostile intent.

- INTPs, through a balanced mix of Ti, Ne and Fe, can use logical function to incorporate a competency with people, but usually this line of development does not appear until later in life.

Those were the major facts I took out of this. Feel free to add or correct!
 

Badlands

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I would definitely agree with Ti alone having negative consequences though. My dad is an INTP as well and he used his Ti so much through college into his twenties he started thinking he had a problem that wasn't really there, but because he was so fixated on the act of analyzation he wasn't able to realize it didn't exist until he quit his job and decided to go on a road trip across America in a van for a year and found himself.
 

duende

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I read it, and appreciate it, and will likely spend a nice chunk of time thinking about it. (I also think it would benefit from a bit of editing.) I see a lot of myself in there. My frustration with this, as with so many things I have read about INTP tendencies, is that while it describes the issues and refers to solutions, it does nothing to help me know how to achieve growth. Specifically, it points to developing Fe in order to be more skilled in relationship-building and maintaining, but fails to tell me how I go about doing that. Of course, I understand that that was not the intention of this essay, but I do find it frustrating that I can find many analyses of INTP that point to this very issue, but none that give any direction on how to do the necessary development.

Perhaps that is merely illustrative of one of the issues? INTPs are good at analysing the situation, but less skilled at prescribing a response that involves Fe?
 

Tiamat

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Wow, that was a good read, thank you blue wing.
I hope you'll go on to provide a similar insight for some of the other functions as well. No pressure though...I'll take what I can get.
 

keanne32

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Wonderfully put, BlueWing. Thanks for that. :] It made me realize just how figuring out what type I fall under doesn't just mean I should stop there. I have so many things to learn, considering I'm strongly Ti-oriented, and probably close to being the manifestation of the negative aspects you posed [eloquently, I might add] with said orientation.

Like Tiamat, I hope for similar insights into other types as well. That truly was one of the most entertaining reads I've had in a while. :]
 

Risen

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I read it, and appreciate it, and will likely spend a nice chunk of time thinking about it. (I also think it would benefit from a bit of editing.) I see a lot of myself in there. My frustration with this, as with so many things I have read about INTP tendencies, is that while it describes the issues and refers to solutions, it does nothing to help me know how to achieve growth. Specifically, it points to developing Fe in order to be more skilled in relationship-building and maintaining, but fails to tell me how I go about doing that. Of course, I understand that that was not the intention of this essay, but I do find it frustrating that I can find many analyses of INTP that point to this very issue, but none that give any direction on how to do the necessary development.

Perhaps that is merely illustrative of one of the issues? INTPs are good at analysing the situation, but less skilled at prescribing a response that involves Fe?

Good point. Like anything we learn in life, it takes a very conscious EFFORT to learn. Make it your priority to learn and grow emotionally, and it should come to you. I'm also the type who relies on meditation and other spiritual practices and beliefs to help me grow as a person. ;)
 

Priam

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I read it, and appreciate it, and will likely spend a nice chunk of time thinking about it. (I also think it would benefit from a bit of editing.) I see a lot of myself in there. My frustration with this, as with so many things I have read about INTP tendencies, is that while it describes the issues and refers to solutions, it does nothing to help me know how to achieve growth. Specifically, it points to developing Fe in order to be more skilled in relationship-building and maintaining, but fails to tell me how I go about doing that. Of course, I understand that that was not the intention of this essay, but I do find it frustrating that I can find many analyses of INTP that point to this very issue, but none that give any direction on how to do the necessary development.

Perhaps that is merely illustrative of one of the issues? INTPs are good at analysing the situation, but less skilled at prescribing a response that involves Fe?

The best technique I've found, and believe me when I say I've still got a lot of learning to do on Fe, is to simply be in the moment with my emotions. It's similar to meditation, but focused on picking out what in the noise of the background I'm actually feeling without judgement or interference, and simply allowing that emotion to exist. By deciphering what an emotion "feels" like to me in a time of peace and reflection, I can more readily identify what's going on in a moment of conflict. It helps reduce the confusion!

Ultimately we're weak about it not because we feel less, but simply because we shove those feelings to one side in a drive towards cooler logic. The solution, in the end, is two-fold: to accept what we're feeling in the moment as natural and, in somewhat of a contradiction, to realize that we can change our emotions within a certain range... but only if we know they're there.

I'm working on it.
 

shadow1986

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looks like i need to start working on me Ne

Will have to start researching how to do that now...
 

xx00oo00xx

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Great writing, BlueWing. Found the description of the ramifications of having Ti as one's dominant function insightful and helpful.

P.S. Why BlueWing instead of SolitaryWalker?
 

mortabunt

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Well done, but I only had to skim. So apparently, we are machines by nature.
 

RaptorWizard

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I wonder why Ni gets confused with Ti.
 
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