[NT] Another Confused Soul: Not Sure if ENTP or INTP

[neon user]

I've been struggling for quite some time now, and god, I can't tell whether I'm an ENTP or an INTP. I've studied the functions, taken several tests and compared and contrast descriptions, asked questions to those who seemed to be very well familiar with this subject and jumped from forum to forum and yet I am still unable to figure out whether I'm an ENTP or an INTP.

Honestly, I'd say that I'm ENTP because being INTP sounds too (idk, being INTP sounds too... -can't find the right word-) serious, I guess. But, how do I know I'm really ENTP and not just some INTP wanting to be an ENTP (or perhaps an ENTP wanting to be INTP)?

The tests say I'm INTP (even the cognitive function tests say so too, or at least the ranking goes like 1. INTP, 2. ENTP, 3. INTJ / ISTP ). But then I've studied the functions and I feel like I can relate with the Ne-Ti-Fe-Si arrangement more than the Ti-Ne-Si-Fe arrangement.

They say look at your inferior function, but my Fe is just as bad as my Si (or at least that's what I think??)

Anyway, I'm terribly confused.

Do ENTPs really love to argue? Do they really love to debate? As far as I'm aware I'm not very into debates, just thinking out loud. I like thinking out loud. Whether someone else can hear me or it's just me, I don't care. What's in my head needs to go out or else I wouldn't be able to fall asleep or relax. I like to write too. Writing is fabulous.

I hate losing at something I'm competent at. And I also hate losing against someone I find incompetent. But I don't usually have an opinion on things (i.e., I don't have an opinion on things that don't really concern me or I find uninteresting). I heard that the lower your Fe the less inclined you are in having an opinion on stuffs (specifically stuffs that don't generally appeal to you whatnot) and that describes me perfectly.

Oh yeah. Also, I either dislike or don't have an opinion on most people. Very rarely I genuinely like a person. Reading tends to relax me too.

I think books are very magical. No one bothers you because they see you're doing something. And they charge you with interesting thoughts and ideas to ponder on. I was reading Kafka on the Shore (by Haruki Murakami) a few days ago, and aside from the plot (story itself), I was generally pleased by the fact that no one was bothering me. Haha! It was like I had this protective guard against people I found a nuisance.

That aside. Can someone help me out a bit in this matter?

Is it possible to be an INTP who's mostly talkative, enjoys talking about ideas and talking about how I got from one idea to another, talking about interesting stuff and so on and so forth? Is it possible to be an ENTP who in spite of liking discussing ideas hate having to talk to people?

Small talks usually throw me off and most of the time one of those shit begins, I just sort of want to shoot myself in the head. That or I become sorely tempted to change the topic (but then the thought that those people are actually enjoying those small talks make me feel like I don't want to share my idea with them as it would be a waste).

I dislike it when there's this deep meaningful conversation going on and some trash ends it with a small talk. LIKE, WHY DID YOU JUST DO THAT? Throws me off. I like it when the conversation runs deep. But deep doesn't have to be heavy (like uncomfortably heavy). It could be deep but passionate or casual (but I think a lot of people miss that point).

I'm a fast talker and I have this tendency of using all capital letters when typing. It gives a sense of urgency. I feel like I'm "talking fast" in my writing when I use capital letters. I like it.

Anyway, please help me. Thanks.

 

[INTP]

Im an INTP who isnt really introverted(pretty high Ne and Fe, at least if i feel like Fe has value in the situation ), and i have an ENTP friend who isnt high on E(high Ti) and the differences are quite subtle. I think we are pretty much as talkative when among friends and have some interesting philosophical or scientific topic, and we both enjoy discussing about ideas and neither of us likes to talk small talk. He is more fluid in social situations, not like talking all the time, but more fluid with strangers and in group. While i have hard time getting to know new people if they are in a group(its more about approaching new people in group if i have some friends who i can be with), but 1 on 1 getting to know, like on dates i can do without any problems. He likes to have more activities, like biking, but also stuff like coding, and used to read quite a bit when he was in school, but that was mostly school related stuff, he doesent read fiction or something like that. Me on the other hand, i dont care about doing any activities like biking unless i do it with someone else, neither do i like to read(except stuff online, but something like 400 page book sounds like a nightmare, unless im really interested).

Yes ENTPs often like to argue(maybe more so than INTPs, who also often like to do that).

But one thing really makes us different, which basically ties to dominant attitude preferring Ti vs Ne. For example he had this idea(which i dont want to say, because he doesent want it public) and was like "yea, it will work, im not really sure how yet, but its just something i need to think about more" and is also willing to take risks based on this intuition alone without knowing exactly how to do it. So basically he starts with an intuition and then uses Ti to figure it out. While for me, i need more solid Ti rationale before i can decide whether it will work or not and to assess the risk. Basically need Ti so i can trust my idea. Especially when it comes to stuff like his idea which could revolutionize something.

Being a fast talker also sounds more like E, but at least my ENTP friend isnt a especially fast talker, maybe same speed than me.

I agree that INTP descriptions make us sound serious, but i dont think its so common for an INTP to be serious that it should be used as a stereotype. I mean when an INTP goes in Ti mode, they looks serious(some INTPs are more in Ti mode, some even so much that its unhealthy), but if i look at me and my group of friends(INFP, INTJ, ISFP, ENTP, EXFP), im the one joking around the most..

 

[laterlazer]

Yeah to agree with INTP, my friends are always surprised when I get into serious mode, I often get 'I haven't seen you being so serious/focused like this before', amongst my introverted friends I probably seem the most extroverted, so the serious thing isn't that true. I would say your reasons don't make you seem like you couldn't be either. I would definitely go on how strong you think your Ti is compared to Ne maybe.

 

[Gamine]

How cocky are you on a scale of one to Kanye?

 

[JocktheMotie]

How cocky are you on a scale of one to Kanye?

That's as good a metric as any.

Anyways, I'm not sure what the distinction would do for you. There isn't much of one between a borderline xNTP, your functions would be the same.

Something I'd look at, where do you get your energy from? Is it from solitude and steady focus or is it with the engagement of new ideas and the world around you? When you feel low on energy, do you withdraw and focus on your inner self or do you look out in to the world to find engagement? Don't focus so much on people for extraversion.

Also, think a bit more deeply what you do when you're looking for some mental relief? Do you hyper engage with some people around you or do you retreat in to familiar things that have made you feel good before, and get some peace of mind out of those?

 

[Inarius]

Moreover, you can "need" people to help you thinking without liking to be with people.
I know I do. I prefer to be alone, but I know i NEED to talk to some people to reload my Ne and have new ideas.

After a time, when I'm alone, I become sort of depressed. Even if i PREFER to be alone, because most time I see people I don't like or estimate. (at work , for example).

That's why I thought firstly i was INTP. Some tests tell me I am INTP because questions are unprecise "Do you prefer to be in group or alone " (this kind of question).

 

[Frosty]

You sound more introverted than extroverted.

 

[Lily Bart]

Please, please, please ignore all that "extroverts are talkative and social and introverts are misanthropes" garbage. One writer described INTP's and ENTP's as mirror images of one another, so I'm not surprised that it's confusing. Are you a dominate judger or a dominant perceiver -- is it more important that you bring things to a conclusion and have structure in your life or that you let things play out and have as much of the experience as possible? ENTP's are dominant perceivers, so they "go with the flow." They are also extraverts, so people readily see this in them and they get lots of reinforcement for it. INTP's are dominant judgers -- they like to get things done. But -- they're introverts, so other people see their perceiving side and reinforce that side of them more readily than the introverted judging, which is their strongest function. And to add to the confusion, the more you get something reinforced by other people, the more you tend to believe that's who you really are.

 

[great_bay]

You're probably ENTP.

 

[Xander]

INTPs get hung up on definition. We are the ones who define an idea or word with the most care because we care about that definition itself. ENTPs seem less bothered. If a definition works for its current purpose then it's usable so why interrogate it to death.

Hope that helps

 

[INTP]

INTPs get hung up on definition. We are the ones who define an idea or word with the most care because we care about that definition itself. ENTPs seem less bothered. If a definition works for its current purpose then it's usable so why interrogate it to death.

Hope that helps

This. However ENTPs do use Ti and some are even as fluent or more fluent than some INTPs, but in general they just intuit the whole thing more and thus doesent hang up on some details of the definition. At least with my ENTP friend when having some interesting intellectual conversation, if the definition to something he says is asked, he will surely give an answer to you, no matter how specific you try to go. He would just see that as a intellectual challenge that he will gladly accept I think ENTPs when done something like that in a wrong situation could easily(or at least more easily than INTPs in average) get annoyed by it tho, i think its something they need to invest more energy into, but still can be as fluent in doing so than INTP for example = the ENTP would get "burnt out" faster by investing in Ti like that(except if its really some of their interest or passions) and it leads to getting annoyed easily. And i think ENTPs could be bit more irrational when annoyed than INTPs.

 

[Xander]

This. However ENTPs do use Ti and some are even as fluent or more fluent than some INTPs, but in general they just intuit the whole thing more and thus doesent hang up on some details of the definition. At least with my ENTP friend when having some interesting intellectual conversation, if the definition to something he says is asked, he will surely give an answer to you, no matter how specific you try to go. He would just see that as a intellectual challenge that he will gladly accept I think ENTPs when done something like that in a wrong situation could easily(or at least more easily than INTPs in average) get annoyed by it tho, i think its something they need to invest more energy into, but still can be as fluent in doing so than INTP for example = the ENTP would get "burnt out" faster by investing in Ti like that(except if its really some of their interest or passions) and it leads to getting annoyed easily. And i think ENTPs could be bit more irrational when annoyed than INTPs.

Oh sure, most types can do it but the INTP is still there two weeks later with a new idea to tie everything up whilst everyone else is on a beach with a beer.