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[ISTP] ISTPs need relationships too!

Winz

New member
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Messages
90
MBTI Type
ISTP
Okay, I debated with myself for a week or so whether or not I should even make a post, and I decided that I really just want to know the answer. I'm looking for purely theoretical opinions here. Obviously there's the whole "everybody is their own individual person even if they fit into a certain type" thing, so if that's all you have to say... Well... :doh:

Are there any ideal type for ISTPs to be coupled with? And if you are an ISTP, what types do you find yourself getting along with best?

I feel like a massive lametard for asking this. :doh:
 

Cimarron

IRL is not real
Joined
Aug 21, 2008
Messages
3,417
MBTI Type
ISTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Well, according to theory, ESFJ should match best with ISTP for long-term "fulfilling" relationships.

But I wonder how well that works out in practice...?
 

MetalWounds

More human than human
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Messages
678
MBTI Type
TP
Enneagram
9w8
I'm in a relationship with an INFP and we share a lot of the same "ideals" but our methods of thinking are both very, very different. Makes things interesting you could say.

I'd say my ideal partner would be an ESXJ.
 

Grayscale

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
1,965
MBTI Type
ISTP
Well, according to theory, ESFJ should match best with ISTP for long-term "fulfilling" relationships.

But I wonder how well that works out in practice...?

maybe it's because im strongly introverted, but no... i dont think MBTI should be applied to anything, really, but if i had to say, IxFJ
 

bronte

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
168
MBTI Type
infp
ive been married for 20 years to a istp - shouldnt work according to theory but it dos and has with a few hiccups along the way - I can accpt his need for privacy and not to express his emotions and he is now great at helping me with too many emotions
anyway its worked for us!
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
9,485
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
maybe it's because im strongly introverted, but no... i dont think MBTI should be applied to anything, really...
+1

That being said, I think (in theory, ie without having dated them) ExFJ would be my worst possible match, closely followed by xNFPs. Out of the rest, I usually tend to like INxJs and ISxPs the best.

(I in no way expect that other ISTPs will have similar preferences)
 

Winz

New member
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Messages
90
MBTI Type
ISTP
+1

That being said, I think (in theory, ie without having dated them) ExFJ would be my worst possible match

I might have to agree.. I think an ExFJ would be draining for me in more ways than one.
 

alcea rosea

New member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
3,658
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Okay, I debated with myself for a week or so whether or not I should even make a post, and I decided that I really just want to know the answer. I'm looking for purely theoretical opinions here. Obviously there's the whole "everybody is their own individual person even if they fit into a certain type" thing, so if that's all you have to say... Well... :doh:

Are there any ideal type for ISTPs to be coupled with? And if you are an ISTP, what types do you find yourself getting along with best?

I feel like a massive lametard for asking this. :doh:

I'm ENFP female married to ISTP male. We've been "a couple" for well over 10 years now and it's good (still). :cheese: We also have children. I'm very committed to the marriage and it feels like my husband is too (well - I really couldn't say that I KNOW how he feels, I can just say that I think I know what he feels). We are both learning new ways of thinking/feeling/doing stuff from each other (bacause we are very different from each other). We have some things that make us a good couple (at least for the timebeing): is that we don't take things too seriously, we'll have fun very often (heh, the fun discussion) and we have similar values. I hope I'lll have this good marriage until I die, but eventually, nobody knows what is going to happen someday.

I just say that any type combination works if the two people want it and feel that there is something there.
 

Jack Flak

Permabanned
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
9,098
MBTI Type
type
ENFP-ISTP is a dual relationship, via socionics. Usually works out.
 

alicia91

New member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
671
This is from the Personality Page:

Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISTP's natural partner is the ESTJ, or the ENTJ. ISTP's dominant function of Introverted Thinking is best matched with a partner whose personality is dominated by Extraverted Thinking. The ISTP/ESTJ combination is ideal, because both types share the Sensing preference for perceiving the world, but ISTP/ENTJ is also a good combination

I've been married for 17 years to an ENTJ and I've always been attracted to NTs so it's no surprise that I married one.
 

Winz

New member
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Messages
90
MBTI Type
ISTP
I've been married for 17 years to an ENTJ and I've always been attracted to NTs so it's no surprise that I married one.

Really? I would have thought that the anti-control aspect of ISTP would be a horrible match for something like ENTJ
 

bronte

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
168
MBTI Type
infp
Which theory? Seriously, I honestly wonder where people come up with these.


I take all of these 'theories' with a pinch of salt and think relationships between any 'type' can work if they work at it hard enough and marriage is hard work sometimes.

But the thories I meant (and which you have used in a later post) were from socionics which considers the match a superego relationship which becomes more difficult as people become very close (as in marraige) and from the personality page which has the ideal partner for an istp as estj and the ideal partner for an infp as esfj.

(btw were you trying to be patronising? if you were - well done you succeded: :))
 

"?"

New member
Joined
May 2, 2007
Messages
1,167
MBTI Type
TiSe
Personalitypage says the best match for any type will be one that has the same succession of functions, but opposite attitude (TSNF) thus the ESTJ will be best:
Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, the ISTP's natural partner is the ESTJ, or the ENTJ. ISTP's dominant function of Introverted Thinking is best matched with a partner whose personality is dominated by Extraverted Thinking. The ISTP/ESTJ combination is ideal, because both types share the Sensing preference for perceiving the world, but ISTP/ENTJ is also a good combination. How did we arrive at this?
This theory is somewhat plausible again since the types share a commonality of pattern of succession and the opposite attitude brings out the others inability to extravert/introvert.
On the otherhand, Lifexplore but more particularly Keirsey takes the opposites attract full blown in saying that dominant Fe types will be more attractive to ISTPs
The adventuresome artisan may seek out his opposite in the ENFJ "teacher." As noted previously, in the ENFJ he finds a catalyst to growth, certainly a complementary quality to his artisanship. There is nothing, however, in the nature of the ENFJ that is catalytic to the adventurer side of the ISTP's temperament. If this theme is dominant in the ISTP, then the ENFJ-ISTP mating is headed for trouble.

The ISTP is at least as attracted to the soothing, hosting, giving ESFJ. It takes the ESFJ "master of ceremonies" to get the ISTP off his motorcycle (surfboard, airplane, hang-glider) long enough to relate to others in more productive and facilitative ways. The ISTP needs this anchorage, else he wanders off into the frontier (when Horace Greeley said, "Go west, young man," the ISTP took him seriously and went!).
I agree less with this theory believing that having to contend with too much of any type's weakness in a relationship can create undue stress. I would be more apt to believe that the reversal of attitudes in this case where both are of the same extravert/extravert or introvert/introvert with differing functions T/F.
 
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