Why is it great to be an INTP?
I'd like to see some reasons why you're happy with your type!
That's a great question. I'll need approximately 24 hours to process the question through Ti and get back to you.
Seriously though, some of the following things come to mind:
1. I really do enjoy my "independent time". A lot of people seem to think that I lead a boring, stick-in-the-mud lifestyle (i.e., always wanting to stay home) but, to me, it is anything but that. I think people have this idea that we just sit at home and do nothing. It couldn't be further from the truth. There's a lot going on in our caves. We're researching this, looking into that, learning about this new thing we heard someone talking about, all the while keeping our antenna up for something else that might pique our interest. We're actually very busy - but we're busy doing stuff like learning and researching and reading. We have a LOT of energy - but it's mental energy. We get tired easily because the brain is intensely active all day (naps are my friends). We may not be physically tired, but our brains get overworked. There is a lot going on in my mind, I've heard other INTP's describe it as a "rich" inner life. When I get to analyzing something that interests me, I delve really deep into it and I think that I often take that research to a level that many people don't go. So, while the things I'm researching or learning may seem boring to some, I'm essentially tapping into some knowledge or "seeing" things that most people don't see or "going to a place" (within that subject) that most people don't go - understanding the intricacies of how the world - or some system - works. It really isn't boring for me. It's quite fun and enjoyable - sometimes so much so, that I don't want interruptions of any kind (I have to work on that - "life" happening around me should not be seen as an interruption).
2. This isn't to toot my own horn (all types have their strengths!), but I feel that Ti affords me the ability to really get to the bottom of things - to really, truly understand things and reach what some might consider a pretty remarkable level of knowledge that goes beyond what most people understand. This has a downside as well, I think, because this can also cause us to become cynical. We may hear others discussing a topic and we think "you really have so much more to learn about that topic". It's sounds really arrogant, I know, but we just really enjoy getting to the bottom of things - to the point that we know the topic inside and out.
3. As difficult as it is to connect with a lot of people and find love (there's that 4-letter word) -I lead an extremely solitary life, at times- the older I get, the more I'm learning that I have a very unique ability, or capacity, to love others from a "different angle" - if that makes sense. Many of the close friends I've had throughout life and girlfriends have said that I've loved them or made their life better in a very different way - in a way that they hadn't experienced or even thought of before. It's hard to explain - we can be extremely loyal friends (I'm sure my Enneagram "sx" contributes to this - when I find a good friend, I'm extremely loyal) and I think that some people find that we are loyal even more than some of their "normal" friends. An extrovert might have tons of friends who hang out with them more than I do and who are possibly even more fun than I am, but my few true friends KNOW that if they called me for something really serious, I'd stop everything I was doing to be there for them without even thinking twice about it. In short, some REALLY great friendships!
4. Those great Ne conversations. They don't happen enough and when they do, I don't want them to stop. They're just really enjoyable and sometimes make me laugh until my stomach hurts. Very fun stuff.
There's more that I'm probably not thinking of right now, but basically we probably look like some really boring people from the outside and like we aren't having fun (because of our melancholy nature), but live a day inside our heads and you'd see just how much fun we're having in there!
Edit: I like to "say no" to drugs, but researching, analyzing, learning, and investigating are like "crack" to us. We just can't get enough of it.