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[NT] Really Unintelligent NTs

Usehername

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Has anyone ever met some really not-intelligent NTs? I would be interested to hear people's perception of some really unintelligent NTs.

Like, when you picture the lowest socio-economic family (not to equate intelligence with low socio-economic status, because clearly that is too one-dimensional and ignorant of complexities to be true, but they do have some correlation), you always envision the parents as S types who just have no concept of what's going on but can make some meals and scrape together enough cash to keep existing. But what about NTs who just don't get it?

What kinds of crazy things could they manifest? I'm sort of envisioning comedies. I think it would be different to see inside a dumb NT's world.

What would it be like?
 

htb

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DURRHH I DUNNO

Maybe -- spelling errors online, crude strategy or design in person?
 

cafe

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I have known NTs who are not stupid, but do stupid things because they cannot let go of their beautiful theory in the face of reality. They cause so much damage to their lives they'd actually be better off if they were stupid, but pragmatic.
 

Totenkindly

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I am sitting here scratching my head. I can't think of any "stupid" NTs per se that I've actually met.

The N+T factor really does help "bump" someone out of the world around them and help them to see beyond it, which contributes to intelligence because they see more possibilities than what a concrete person might. And it contributes to a desire to learn without necessarily even having a good reason to -- another plus when it comes to intelligence.

Usually "dumb" NTs get embroiled in paranoid theories of reality, or become really self-absorbed and thus disconnected from reality... making them "dumb." But it's not dumb as in "sheer brainpower," it's dumb in terms of not priming their pump with good information.

Also, some of the ones who are stupid are stupid in terms of "people intelligence" -- they understand how systems work, but they don't have any life experience that is necessary to understand people... which leaves them at a serious disadvantage in life.

I'd love to hear of any specific examples anyone can muster, since I'm drawing a blank.
 

Usehername

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I have known NTs who are not stupid, but do stupid things because they cannot let go of their beautiful theory in the face of reality. They cause so much damage to their lives they'd actually be better off if they were stupid, but pragmatic.

I can totally see that. I've done that, but hopefully not to the degree that it's a trend.
 

JAVO

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No, no one on this forum has ever met me if that's what you're getting at. :unsure: :rofl1:
 

Randomnity

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My dad is an NT (ENTj) who is very intelligent but has totally destroyed his life as a result of a series of very unwise choices (in my opinion, anyway) associated with some hardcore depression and anger issues. Does that count as dumb?

If you mean in an IQ sense, I don't know of any ridiculously stupid ones. However I only know...probably 5 or 6. And I don't really associate much with anyone I'd consider stupid, of any type, so my samples are a bit biased.
 

Metamorphosis

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I've never met an NT who is intellectually dumb. As others have stated, the problem arises when they do not know how to apply it properly (or they may be dumb as a brick concerning street smarts).
 

Athenian200

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If an NT grew up in a place with a very limited language... and no sort of abstract ideas to speak of, then they might be dumb, or at least would be unable to express whatever they knew.

For instance, what if they were peasants who weren't allowed to read, who'd never been more than a few miles from home, maybe worked on a farm in medieval times or something? They might be dumb.

As for whether I've known any? Well, no, but then I don't know any NT's either, except for one history teacher.
 

Zergling

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Various internet places seem to have a lot of people who at least act stupid on the internet, and who seem to have some interested in general in how some types of system work, figuring out things longer term, etc.

On INTPcentral there are a lot of people who, based on their posts, don't really have anything that they are particularly smart at, they seem to be below average compared to most people I see day to day.
 

hotmale

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Has anyone ever met some really not-intelligent NTs? I would be interested to hear people's perception of some really unintelligent NTs.

Like, when you picture the lowest socio-economic family (not to equate intelligence with low socio-economic status, because clearly that is too one-dimensional and ignorant of complexities to be true, but they do have some correlation), you always envision the parents as S types who just have no concept of what's going on but can make some meals and scrape together enough cash to keep existing. But what about NTs who just don't get it?

What kinds of crazy things could they manifest? I'm sort of envisioning comedies. I think it would be different to see inside a dumb NT's world.

What would it be like?

It would be as dumb but less trashy than an ESTP's world, I imagine.
 

Ghost of the dead horse

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It would be as dumb but less trashy than an ESTP's world, I imagine.
HMM.. I have a view on some ESTPs that they have the trait to do intelligent things, tho they hate to formalize it or spell it out. One is a civil engineer, another supervises construction workers.. I've had a lot of these types of people as friends, and I think they are noticably above average in intelligence, perhaps by 1 standard deviation, in average. May be a biased sample tho. I found out that this was the case when I made a list of friends for an exercise.. lot of ESTP friends I used to hang out with.

I generally like them, tho I think they are demanding as friends and we don't totally accept each other as persons, I think.
 

hotmale

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HMM.. I have a view on some ESTPs that they have the trait to do intelligent things, tho they hate to formalize it or spell it out. One is a civil engineer, another supervises construction workers.. I've had a lot of these types of people as friends, and I think they are noticably above average in intelligence, perhaps by 1 standard deviation, in average. May be a biased sample tho. I found out that this was the case when I made a list of friends for an exercise.. lot of ESTP friends I used to hang out with.

I generally like them, tho I think they are demanding as friends and we don't totally accept each other as persons, I think.

I like ESTPs actually. They're very smart, and sensible, but occasionally, they tend to go for trashy than elegant.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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Dumb NT's would have a reasoning process like other NT's but would simply be less efficient at it. It wouldn't become apparant until they were tested for competency in some fashion.
 

developer

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Has anyone ever met some really not-intelligent NTs? I would be interested to hear people's perception of some really unintelligent NTs.
....
What would it be like?

Oh yes, many. Being smart is not a priviliege of Ns, and being stupid is not limited to Ss.

To illustrate my point: just go to the INTJ webring and surf some of the sites. You will not have any doubts left after that....

Of course, by definition, all NTs on this forum are very, very smart. ;)
 

Totenkindly

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I hate to ask this, but...

... how are we defining "dumb" here again?

(I was thinking "slow" or "not quick to put things together.")
 

wildcat

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Has anyone ever met some really not-intelligent NTs? I would be interested to hear people's perception of some really unintelligent NTs.

Like, when you picture the lowest socio-economic family (not to equate intelligence with low socio-economic status, because clearly that is too one-dimensional and ignorant of complexities to be true, but they do have some correlation), you always envision the parents as S types who just have no concept of what's going on but can make some meals and scrape together enough cash to keep existing. But what about NTs who just don't get it?

What kinds of crazy things could they manifest? I'm sort of envisioning comedies. I think it would be different to see inside a dumb NT's world.

What would it be like?
Only in your dreams.
 

FDG

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I know an ENTp and two ENTjs that are what I'd consider "average", not particularly brillant.
 

Xander

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Perhaps the stupid NTs aren't detected because they sound so clever and appear so sure?

I'd suspect that the level of a persons intelligence (broad intelligence I'm speaking of not the limited IQ) also is relative to how much their personality is displayed with the real high Int lot being obviously of their type with many flowering self defined sections to themselves and those with low Int being much more impressionable and accepting too much of everything else as a "good idea" and hence not being inventive or personal.
(Note my vocab gave out half way.... your going to have to do some thinking)

Edit :-
In brief -
Clever XXXX = does many things their own way. Can invent their own way and cut their own path.
Dumb XXXX = does things how they are told to more. Less invention more adoption. Have to read the type through the layers of adopted processes etc.
 
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