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[MBTI General] ISTP and ENTP differences

Winds of Thor

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There's an engineer in my office who I think is ISTP. He likes joking I notice because he laughs. Also appears to enjoy short conversation. Except there always seems to be something sort of off about him. After short talks he quickly seems to slip into some non-emo equilibrium like a pendulum to a magnet. Actually now that I think more about that, I think it's a seriousness not an equilibrium. He seems maybe irked, wait...maybe that's because....I just had a thought..a friend told me his gf remarked something about me..said his gf finds me attractive....Never mind, I'm uncertain now.
 

funkadelik

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One of my best friends and housemates is an ISTP dude. We've got very similar senses of humour when it comes to a lot of stuff, but his kind of stops when things get too silly/far-fetched and mine stops when things get too gross/crass. So we just stay in those parametres around each other and it's a lot of fun.

I can find him kind of grumpy and negative. And I know he thinks I'm way too upbeat and positive. I laugh a lot, he laughs seldom. He's definitely more serious than I am, but overall a laid-back, funny guy. He's pretty popular among our group of friends. All the girls love him, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend. And he's pretty smooth with the ladies - a good listener, asks meaningful questions and pays meaningful compliments. They all just swoon! :D

So...pretty similar to ENTPs in that respect. I dunno. Maybe I'll be able to provide more a little later.
 

RaptorWizard

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Extraversion and intuition are the 2 biggest differences in personality, bigger than feeling and judging. It should be pretty easy to tell apart.

ENTP - Loves to debate and will talk your ear off.
ISTP - Actions speak louder than words.

That's my opinion.
 

lost

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There are huge differences between ISTP and ENTP. I don't find them being good match in any way in long term. More so toxic. Short term, sure they're fine. Just speaking from experience. There are many threads on this across the internet and most of them say the same. ENTP likes to talk and ISTP wants peace. ENTP will find iSTP boring and ISTP will be annoyed by ENTP.
 

Thalassa

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Ok my ISTPs bff is either INTP or ENTP. They both have Ti, and ISTP is clever and makes these penetrating Ni insights sometimes, and is into history and a little philosophy, but his xNTP best friend is what ISTPs ESFJ mother calls "an idiot savant." meaning that the xNTP best friend is like boy genius book smart and speaks four languages, but seems socially immature, more childlike, etc.

ISTP is physically more centered in doing athletic things, seems older and has more obvious sexual confidence.

However the xNTP best friend could potentially be ENTP because he has his own childish charm, its just that at their age ISTP seems 23 and xNTP seems 16 and they're both approximately 19/20.
 

Thalassa

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Since I accidentally double posted I want to add an addendum here that maturity is relative. Different types mature differently. I want to really point this out so no one gets insulted.

As an SP woman, I can't even fathom sleeping with ISTPs best friend, not only because Im older but even if we we re exactly the same age, even if I were younger than them, Id view xNTP as too much of a child to be a potential lover. In my eyes he is book smart but seems really like a kid to me. To ISTPs ESFJ mother this xNTP young man seems absolutely clueless.

To another SJ, who wasn't the ISTPs mother, an SJ would probably see them both as immature, not being responsible enough for their age. I know. Ive had more than one SJ make comments to me about ISTP.

The thing is I kind of relate to ISTPs maturity progression though. I was the same. Independent and sexually confident at a young age yet fleeing responsibility. I was more worried about my own freedom, image, aesthetics, and learning what I wanted to learn AWAY from any formal schooling.

I remember SJ friends marrying younger or being more consistent at work at a younger age than me. I recall having this close NF friend in my early twenties who had a very mature sense of diplomacy and emotional intelligence that made me seem like a big baby, but I was braver, had an easier time with guys, and was tougher. She helped me by mothering me emotionally and I helped her face reality and get in touch with her sex appeal. I mean she literally started physically looking like a grown woman after a year or two of being close to me, but when we met she was like this repressed virgin girl who played the role of being "the nice fat friend." I totally helped her out of that bullshit and she helped me to be less of a child emotionally.

This is one point at which I believe Keirsey, and where I strongly relate to SP Artisan as in how and what we mature in first.

Just clarifying, because I realized my last post could be taken really badly without proper explanation.
 

StephMC

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ENTPs are very idea-driven. He/she insert ideas into a conversation whenever they pop in their heads -- it's part of their charm. You probably wouldn't see an ISTP do this much, even if they do have a lot of their own ideas.

Also, there is a pretty funny quirk I've seen in every ENTP I've met, one that I'm not sure I can communicate without a visual (I would look up a video on YouTube, but I'm too lazy and wouldn't know where to start): If you say something fascinating or something they can't quite grasp, they all do this "Whaaaaaaaa---?!?!?!" exaggerated expression thing. Their eyes get huge, and their mouth drops, and they just look dumb-struck. It's all a little different for each ENTP I've met, but it's still there! It's just this over-exaggerated response they have when they're shocked or suprised. It's pretty hilarious and loveable.
 

ChocolateMoose123

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My childhood best friend is an ENTP. We have known each other 18 years now. The main difference between us is animation and enthusiasm. In expression, tone, everything. He cracks jokes constantly and will often go on a roll with puns. He's the guy who keeps the joke going, to the point where it dies - miserably. You can't hate him for it tho, because he's just so damned pleased with himself for it.

This joking style is a big giveaway because I know two other ENTP's (had a fling with one, work with one- not very extroverted) but both will go off on puns. I don't really do that.

They have sudden interests. An ENTP's ideas are surprising. I say surprising because they will want to delve into a new interest in such an extreme way. It's surprising because some of their ideas have no connection to what the ENTP's skill set already is and it's BIG. I might say I'm redoing the floors in my house as a DIY project. The ENTP will say he wants to build his own home. Just like that. Out of the blue. I do what I know I can do, ENTP's talk about doing what they'd like to do. Sometimes they follow through. Most of the times, the ideas are forgotten.

The people with homemade roller coasters in their backyards? Thousands of ENTP's probably thought of that idea, it's just a few who actually followed through! :) LOL.

If an ENTP/ISTP are together, the ISTP will be the one who is calling attention to how an ENTP idea can be practically accomplished. We scale down a bit.

All the ENTP's I know, give off a sense that they are their own biggest fans, but they do it in such a childlike sincere way. People usually forgive the arrogance. I don't like to "put myself out there" as much.

Oh. They talk fast. The less extroverted ENTP I know, often comes off awkward and uncomfortable to people. Yet he and the other ENTP's I know, pride themselves on "knowing people" being able to manipulate or read them. The more extroverted the ENTP the better social prowess.
 

The Great One

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The two can very easily be confused. The biggest difference between the two that I see is that the ISTP is often very present oriented and the ENTP is very future oriented.
 

RaptorWizard

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The two can very easily be confused. The biggest difference between the two that I see is that the ISTP is often very present oriented and the ENTP is very future oriented.

This is the most obviously false thing I have seen on this thread in my opinion. I as an ISTP have next to nothing in common with you as an ENTP, because for one I don't care about my image like you seem to if my judgement is correct, and for another thing I take things completely literally rather than you who expects people to intutively grasp social communication rituals without it being spelled out, and for another thing you said once you are completely oblivious to your surroundings, whereas all I do is gather information and observe my environment to grasp the real physical natural world in all its complexity.
 

The Great One

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This is the most obviously false thing I have seen on this thread in my opinion. I as an ISTP have next to nothing in common with you as an ENTP, because for one I don't care about my image like you seem to if my judgement is correct, and for another thing I take things completely literally rather than you who expects people to intutively grasp social communication rituals without it being spelled out, and for another thing you said once you are completely oblivious to your surroundings, whereas all I do is gather information and observe my environment to grasp the real physical natural world in all its complexity.

You mentioned nothing to argue my point that the ISTP is more present oriented and the ENTP is more future oriented. But yet you went on to say how ignorant my post is. If my post is so ignorant. Tell me how it's wrong.
 

Mal12345

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This is the most obviously false thing I have seen on this thread in my opinion. I as an ISTP have next to nothing in common with you as an ENTP, because for one I don't care about my image like you seem to if my judgement is correct, and for another thing I take things completely literally rather than you who expects people to intutively grasp social communication rituals without it being spelled out, and for another thing you said once you are completely oblivious to your surroundings, whereas all I do is gather information and observe my environment to grasp the real physical natural world in all its complexity.

That would suck if that's ALL you do.
 

RaptorWizard

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That would suck if that's ALL you do.

An infinite mystery the Universe is. An infinite amount of time to solve the mystery of the Universe there must be.

Hence it follows that we should always be learning from our surroundings as the lesson of perception may be the greatest goal.
 

Mal12345

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An infinite mystery the Universe is. An infinite amount of time to solve the mystery of the Universe there must be.

Hence it follows that we should always be learning from our surroundings as the lesson of perception may be the greatest goal.

HOW DARE YOU LABEL YOURSELF A TYPE 8.

Now change it back, please.
 

RaptorWizard

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HOW DARE YOU LABEL YOURSELF A TYPE 8.

Now change it back, please.

But if I'm not the same type as Bruce Lee then the world will explode in an eruption brutally blasting everything into oblivion!
 

Mal12345

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But if I'm not the same type as Bruce Lee then the world will explode in an eruption brutally blasting everything into oblivion!

"An infinite mystery the Universe is. An infinite amount of time to solve the mystery of the Universe there must be."

Yoda!
 
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