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[NT] Hitler...intj or entj?

Lex Talionis

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Sep 21, 2009
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382
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INTJ
Hitler was lucky. I really DON'T think he was INTJ. His power didn't lie in strategy.

How so? His entire political campaign was built upon his strategic planning and organization in accordance with his vision. You seem to imply that the only form of strategy in existence is military. Considering Hitler's limited strategic military training and experience (he was only a corporal, after all), the military understanding he did exhibit was remarkable. What of Stalin's simplistic strategical maneuvering, which basically consisted of launching massive offensives?

The members on this site too often fall prey to typecasting. They seem to believe that all members of a certain type must be proficient in the natural fields that lend themselves to them; however, type does not indicate skill. Simply because one is of a certain type, say an INFP, does not indicate great artistic ability, only potential, and even this is limited in consideration of other factors, such as intelligence, that do not fully lie within the sphere of MBTI.
 
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Sniffles

Guest
Stalin certainly lacked ability in operational matters, but did show considerable grasping of grand strategy and logistics for example. Even Allied leaders like Churchill and Eisenhower were impressed.
 

Caesar

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Nov 8, 2010
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42
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INTJ
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Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
How so? His entire political campaign was built upon his strategic planning and organization in accordance with his vision. You seem to imply that the only form of strategy in existence is military. Considering Hitler's limited strategic military training and experience (he was only a corporal, after all), the military understanding he did exhibit was remarkable. What of Stalin's simplistic strategical maneuvering, which basically consisted of launching massive offensives?

The members on this site too often fall prey to typecasting. They seem to believe that all members of a certain type must be proficient in the natural fields that lend themselves to them; however, type does not indicate skill. Simply because one is of a certain type, say an INFP, does not indicate great artistic ability, only potential, and even this is limited in consideration of other factors, such as intelligence, that do not fully lie within the sphere of MBTI.

As I implied, his motivations were personal, symbolic and even poetic. And his negative Fe comes out the most when he was on the verge of defeat: his interpersonal relationships fall apart because he was too busy seeing betrayals. I look more to Nietzsche as an insane INTJ.
 
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Sniffles

Guest
I never claimed as such. However, his militarism and the disciplined structure he imposed strongly indicate that he was an XNTJ. To think that an INTJ cannot be a visionary who shapes society contradicts all understanding of MBTI. You obviously misunderstood my entire post, as your response is absurd.
I'm actually not arguing about MBTI at this moment, I'm arguing about your understanding of Hitler. It certainly is plausible Hitler was INTJ in my view, he most certainly was Ni-dom based on what we know about him and his own descriptions of his way of thinking. What I am questioning are your specific arguments made in support of this thesis, based upon a certain understanding of Hitler's life and even the nature of Nazi ideology.

To think that an INFJ would develop a philosophy that is as discriminatory and elitist as National Socialism! Absurd.
I could offer Dostoevsky as a possible example actually. Nikolai Berdyaev also spoke about the need for a "spiritual aristocracy".

Marxism and National Socialism are simply not NF constructs, although Marxism would lend itself more to NFs than National Socialism.
I sincerely doubt ideologies can be categorized by typology, and in anycase the common idealistic appeals to heroism and community found in National Socialism could appeal very much to NFs; just like the common appeals towards such in Marxism would too. There's also a more primary emphasis on ritual and aesthetics than in Marxism.
 
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Sniffles

Guest
Have you guys read books about him? At the end of the war, how Anthony Beevor described Hitler is very typical of an INFJ gone bonkers. He held on to the idealistic notion of a dramatic and heroic overturning of Allied advances and kept boasting about some "wunderwaffen" that never was. He saw betrayal and treason all around him and arbitrarily killed and fired able generals who disagreed with his "visions". He's the epitome of an idealistic visionary whose perfect world has no stake in reality. He banned any talk of defeat and surrender and was convinced of the infinite power of the Third Reich; he didn't know Soviet factories were out-producing German ones at an astounding rate, and infantry was outnumbered by a ratio of more than 10:1 and when a clever and perceptive officer put together these statistics, he insisted that they were fake. He believed a quality intrinsic in the Aryan race would allow them to overpower the Slavic soldiers. Sometimes, however, he privately admitted the imminent defeat.

He was stubbornly irrational despite having no experience in military strategy and insisted on some disastrous maneuvers for poetic reasons. For example, when it was wise to abandon (I think it was) Warsaw to concentrate their forces elsewhere, he couldn't bear the thought of giving up the capital city of an annexed land because it was symbolic of his victories and insisted that the troops fight to the death. Warsaw fell anyway, so did the other front. Towards the end of the Third Reich, he was increasingly paranoid (understandable, given the number of attempts on his life) and punished anyone whom he perceived to override his power in order to take emergency measures, even though conferring with him would cause a lag of a day or more, thus impeding swift military action.

I take it this from both Stalingrad and Berlin - The Downfall 1945?
 

Lex Talionis

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Sep 21, 2009
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382
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INTJ
I'm actually not arguing about MBTI at this moment, I'm arguing about your understanding of Hitler. It certainly is plausible Hitler was INTJ in my view, he most certainly was Ni-dom based on what we know about him and his own descriptions of his way of thinking. What I am questioning are your specific arguments made in support of this thesis, based upon a certain understanding of Hitler's life and even the nature of Nazi ideology.

You are questioning my understanding of Hitler? :rolleyes2: Where exactly is your evidence demonstrating anything apart from a palpable lack of reasoning ability and knowledge of MBTI typology?

I could offer Dostoevsky as a possible example actually. Nikolai Berdyaev also spoke about the need for a "spiritual aristocracy".

Dostoevsky and Berdyaev (if they were truly INFJs) were romantically attached to notions of morality and the turmoil of human interaction—their writings express it quite clearly. This is very different from the calculated theorizing employed by Hitler, Lenin, Mao, Stalin, et al.

I sincerely doubt ideologies can be categorized by typology,

I sincerely doubt that they cannot.

and in anycase the common idealistic appeals to heroism and community found in National Socialism could appeal very much to NFs; just like the common appeals towards such in Marxism would too. There's also a more primary emphasis on ritual and aesthetics than in Marxism.

NFs, if they find National Socialism appealing at all, and I find it highly dubious that there are many, would do so out of some masochistic desire for order and guidance in their lives. It's rather pathetic, really. Obviously, they can be swayed by populist rhetoric and noble causes, but you would err in conflating this with the actual conception of the guiding philosophies. All MBTI types can be convinced to lend loyalty to a particular cause, for if this were not the case, Hitler's ascension to power would have been impossible.
 

Lex Talionis

New member
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Sep 21, 2009
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382
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INTJ
Stalin certainly lacked ability in operational matters, but did show considerable grasping of grand strategy and logistics for example. Even Allied leaders like Churchill and Eisenhower were impressed.

So what? I am not questioning Stalin as an INTJ; he most certainly was. The only purpose of my comparison was to underscore that type does not necessarily indicate skill, only potential at best. As I have stated, Hitler, in consideration of his lack of strategic military training, displayed a remarkable aptitude in the field, and this is in conjunction with the fact that while his military strategies sometimes entailed negative consequences, his political strategy was impeccable.
 
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Sniffles

Guest
You are questioning my understanding of Hitler? :rolleyes2: Where exactly is your evidence demonstrating anything apart from a palpable lack of reasoning ability and knowledge of MBTI typology?
I've discussed Hitler here plenty of times before, and I've been researching WWII history for close to 20 years now. So if you want to question my understanding of Hitler and WWII, go ahead. As I already noted, I'm not questioning the possibility Hitler was INTJ, I'm just questioning some of the evidence you're presenting to support it - and not even on typological but simple historical grounds.

NFs, if they find National Socialism appealing at all, and I find it highly dubious that there are many, would do so out of some masochistic desire for order and guidance in their lives.
What exactly do you base this on?
 
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Sniffles

Guest
So, your argument about Stalin was wrong.
I am not questioning Stalin as an INTJ; he most certainly was.
Yeah, I proposed that possibility too. But I'm not talking about type here, just history.

As I have stated, Hitler, in consideration of his lack of strategic military training, displayed a remarkable aptitude in the field, and this is in conjunction with the fact that while his military strategies sometimes entailed negative consequences, his political strategy was impeccable.
I already mentioned his greater grasp of political strategy in this thread, and assessed his skills as military commander as well. He certainly wasn't the greatest Field-Marshal of all time, but he wasn't totally incompetent either in military affairs.
 

bcubchgo

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A true intuitive would communicate in a direct but stable and non-intimidating way. Hitler's presentation style was pretty abusive, capitalizing on the here and now in a forceful and emotionally visceral way, which is the hallmark of an unhealthy and hyper-disciplined sensor. His paintings focus on details and capturing a moment instead of presenting ideas or concepts. Take for example an intuitive painter like Picasso. Totally different. Hitler was into uniforms, social hierarchy, and commanding people around. These are also specifically STJ traits, stemming from a fear of chaos and abandonment (people disrespected them so they feel the need to control everyone to establish approval). I could go on but I don't think it's going to do much to convince those who are missing the trees for the forest.
 

Scorquendo

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INTP
>bcubchgo

You make some pretty good points; I would have never considered Hitler an SJ. However when you say:

>A true intuitive would communicate in a direct but stable and non-intimidating way.

That's assuming that that "intuitive" has not lost his sh 1t....I think this is the Charlie Sheen thing again, where it's difficult to assess someone who's not making much logical sense in their actions and their ideas fairly for us to type. Hitler, while being the crazy genius that he was, was, in fact, crazy.

I want to say INFJ because it seems Hitler would turn his F-dom and apply them to arguments that made sense only to him, ignoring other people's opinions if they undermined his inherent instinct. Furthermore, if it made sense to him, he would expect it to make sense to others, no exception. If not, then INTJs my next guess.
 

sulfit

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Looking through his speeches he emotes in a major way. Clearly he was an extraverted feeling user.
 

bcubchgo

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Resurrecting this thread.

Anyone who is interested should check out the PBS special "inside the mind of hitler" airing this week - at least where I am. Gonna be broadcast on thurs in my city. They are going to psychologically profile hitler.
 
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Epiphany

Guest
Resurrecting this thread.

Anyone who is interested should check out the PBS special "inside the mind of hitler" airing this week - at least where I am. Gonna be broadcast on thurs in my city. They are going to psychologically profile hitler.

It's probably the same documentary that I posted 3 pages ago.
 

Tamske

Writing...
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Oct 22, 2009
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1,764
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I'm reading Ian Kershaw's biography now. Granted, I've gotten only at 1930 so far, but...
I'm heavily doubting the J. He always tries to postpone decisions, doesn't work towards deadlines, maintains a very chaotic lifestyle. I don't think that's an act, with some deliberate plan behind it.
I get the impression that, whenever such a thing works, people think it had to be a consistent plan/purposeful acting from the beginning!

So if you succeed, you're an NJ, if you fail, you're an NP?
 

yenom

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He is pretty good at organizing movements and creating structure out of disorder though.
 
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Epiphany

Guest
I'm reading Ian Kershaw's biography now. Granted, I've gotten only at 1930 so far, but...
I'm heavily doubting the J. He always tries to postpone decisions, doesn't work towards deadlines, maintains a very chaotic lifestyle. I don't think that's an act, with some deliberate plan behind it.
I get the impression that, whenever such a thing works, people think it had to be a consistent plan/purposeful acting from the beginning!

So if you succeed, you're an NJ, if you fail, you're an NP?

I came to the same conclusion reading about him. He procrastinated a lot, was often late to meetings, and frequently relinquished responsibilities to others. He was an "idea man," a wayward idealist.
 
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Sniffles

Guest
Here's one documentary that gets into aspects of Hitler's personality and how this effected the manner Nazi Germany was ruled.

[youtube="YT0Q0uOOIdQ"]part 1[/youtube]
[youtube="v6oieFvElBE"]Part 2[/youtube]
In part 2 around 2:50 is when they talk about Hitler's personality most.
[youtube="NbsSZT2cBu4"]part 3[/youtube]
[youtube="oAprLOvAp3U"]part 4[/youtube]
[youtube="aOPcWUyDS1c"]part 5[/youtube]
 

skylights

i love
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haha, i like hitler threads.

in my opinion, the most likely type is INFJ.

nothing about hitler's bearing reads as NTJ to me, though all of his conceptualizations read extremely strong Ni. Fe follows logically: not only is he a charismatic public speaker, but much of the way his vision for germany was to be achieved was through social classification and reorganization, Fe's domain. but it's not his lead: his speeches were tightly pre-scripted, and he cares about the vision first, even to the detriment of the people. i also swing towards introvert because he did not seem to be very externally expressive, he chose very isolated safehouses, and when his campaigns were going poorly, he retreated to solitude, instead of engaging the people.

bcubchgo said:
Hitler's presentation style was pretty abusive, capitalizing on the here and now in a forceful and emotionally visceral way, which is the hallmark of an unhealthy and hyper-disciplined sensor.

or of someone raised in a violently abusive household. i actually also think if we were to classify hitler on the enneagram, he'd be sx-first - but a traumatized sx-first due to his father's abuse and his mother's death. it'd explain his emotional volatility and his merging with his vision to become the embodiment of nazi germany.

he was also consistently using and eventually addicted to amphetamines, which throws the game a little. stimulant drugs can give you present-oriented hyperawareness and high emotional reactivity.

Hitler was into uniforms, social hierarchy, and commanding people around. These are also specifically STJ traits, stemming from a fear of chaos and abandonment (people disrespected them so they feel the need to control everyone to establish approval). I could go on but I don't think it's going to do much to convince those who are missing the trees for the forest.

i think you're kinda doing just that, though. if we zoom out and look at hitler, what we see is nazi germany. both through political strategizing and personal enthusiasm, hitler became his ideal. i don't really know how you can get any more NF than that.

uniforms, social hierarchy, and commanding people are all easily explained by impersonally(Ni)- driven Fe. he was a strong prioritizer, but his prioritization was extremely socially-oriented, not so much Te logistics. i also don't see much Si in his goals - the "new order" was literally a new amalgamation of ideas, not based on previous experience or a return to traditionalism. it really only utilized old symbology (the roman salute, the swastika, etc, but those are abstract concepts - not the work of Si.) through a Si-Te mindset, i can hardly see the necessity of so many banners with a symbol that only possibly relates to german antiquity - it was considered a symbol of the aryan race, an N abstraction, more so than an S reality. additionally, the idea of german expansion deviated greatly from traditional ideas of maintaining a smaller state. the third reich was not working towards reestablishment, but attaining a new goal.

plus hitler's own fear of chaos and abandonment (which i do agree with) is, imo, much more a result of his early childhood. his dad beat him severely and he retreated to his mother.

Alice Miller said:
"The [Hitler] family structure could well be characterized as the prototype of a totalitarian regime. Its sole, undisputed, often brutal ruler is the father. The wife and children are totally subservient to his will, his moods, and his whims; they must accept humiliation and injustice unquestioningly and gratefully. Obedience is their primary rule of conduct."

I came to the same conclusion reading about him. He procrastinated a lot, was often late to meetings, and frequently relinquished responsibilities to others. He was an "idea man," a wayward idealist.

if we're considering type purely through functions, though, J doesn't actually have to do anything with any of those traits. (and an NJ i know procrastinates as much as i do, so i wouldn't go off that.) there are correlations, sure, but being late doesn't make you not a J. i find it hard to abandon the idea that he has Ni somewhere in his top 2 functions. Ne... it's powerful, but it's not focused. additionally, if he's an IxxJ, that makes him Perceiving dominant, despite J. an IxFJ is also more likely to be less externally organized than an IxTJ because Fe is more about social prioritizing.

the only other type i could consider for him is INFP, but his relentless drive to structure doesn't seem very IxFP compatible. and does he strike us more as Harmonizer Clarifier or Foreseer Developer? i'm going with Foreseer Developer. plus, does this strike us as the idealism of someone who is highly attuned to subjective evaluation and individual difference:

nazi-relay.jpg


nope.

but it does strike me as the idealism of someone who is somewhat uptight (J), and really into symbology (Ni) and social order (Fe).

so, INFJ. but mine is just one opinion amongst many :shrug:
 
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