Questioning my NTness

[centerofthesun]

This should be a relatively long post.. I'm about to elaborately describe my personality to see if anyone can help me further determine my type.

Whenever I take a Myers-Briggs test (and even when I took the Keirsey Temperament Sorter) it comes out as an INTP (Rationale for the KTS). The profile descriptions fairly accurately describe me; mainly my love of planning things whilst nearly always failing to carry out the plan. I also have the tendency to copy others when talking to them. I'm constantly thinking about anything and everything, my thoughts so random I can't remember what I was thinking about a minute before for reference.

While I like logic, and debating (occasionally taking a position simply to argue it), I can be emotional. When I used to live with my mom and stepdad, my dad would always pick arguments with me about what I was doing wrong. He would tell me to go get my backpack so he could look through it (it was always very messy and unorganized, with many unfinished assignments), and I would have to reluctantly do so (because I knew what would follow for the next 2-3 hours). He would open it up, and I would sit there fearing what he would find out. He'd question this and that, and he would argue my answer. Soon enough I was in tears because he wouldn't listen to anything I was saying and would pick out every fallacy I had, not just relating to school. After an hour and a half, you can imagine I would be tired of this yelling and arguing over something I already criticized myself with. Basically, the constant and persistent pressure and importance he was putting into every point of my life was stressing me out. When he finally did let me go to bed, I would be in tears until I woke up the next morning in depression. The state would continue for 1-2 days until I would be back to my normal self (before it happened again).

After I didn't have to deal with this anymore, depression was rare, but did occasionally come about. Presently I come across moods of elation more often, and while listening to music, I'll often get a certain type of feeling. I can also get quite irritated by the smallest of things, while not so much by the larger (which ties in with my annoying tendency to often focus on small details and trivial things). Often, I'll point out someone's grammatical or spelling errors. Sometimes, when watching a movie such as Titanic, I can feel somewhat emotional at the end, and when trying hard enough (for the sake of experimenting) can produce one or two tears. If I'm ever emotional in relationships, it seems only to be copying what the other person is feeling.. which also ties in with my capability to look at things from another's perspective.

That would be the main reason I question my supposed INTP personality. The T percentage is usually quite high on the questionnaires, however taking into account all of the above I would seem to have quite a few F characteristics. I am quite blunt about things, but do sometimes worry about hurting the other person's feelings if I love or care about them. I'm also constantly criticizing anything and everything, putting extra importance on being unbiased but often questioning if I am biased. I'm also guilty when I don't use something someone really close to me, such as my mom, got for me. I do have a love of debating, and trust science/logical arguments much more than feeling, which I see clearly and solely as evolutionary and explained with psychology (explaining my tendency to distrust any emotions I do get, and/or religous experiences I might hear about). I feel it is very important to donate to charity and help others more unfortunate than us, however, knowing it's wrong, feel quite annoyed at others less intelligent than me. It would seem that my dominant logical tendencies, if any, are consciously applied.

I am constantly procrastinating and am very lazy, so I don't question my Perceiving vs. Judging. I do question my iNtuition vs. Sensing, due to my obsession with small details (as mentioned above). However, I am constantly thinking about the future and don't have a very firm grasp on reality. I'm quite the introvert, however can be quite open to conversation after knowing the person for a few days (depending on the person and how comfortable I feel with them). I also offer personal details openly without caring much. I'm constantly spending my time alone, but if out with a close friend could be having a great time (I just rarely make close relationships).

I apologize for the length, but perhaps another's insight into this could give me a clearer understanding of my supposed NT temperament (both of which, N and T, are questionable).

 

[Tallulah]

You sound like an INTP to me. Just because you're a T doesn't mean you don't *have* feelings. INTPs often feel deeply about things that we care about, but we aren't ruled by our feelings, and we tend to value an objective view, rather than a subjective one, based on personal values. This doesn't mean that you don't take people's feelings into consideration. You're human, not a T machine. And your upbringing can greatly factor into this, as well. I think I got called selfish enough by my parents as a teenager that I got a little paranoid about making sure I took people's feelings into consideration. :-D

I find it easier to cry at a movie than at a situation IRL that's taking place before me. I think it's because of the strong ability to imagine what it might be like to be in someone else's shoes. The ability that INTPs have to see things from all sides makes it easy to identify with a character, even if that character is radically different from your personality or circumstances. It's also "safe" to cry in the movies--but if someone saw me crying, I'd probably try to avoid their gaze and play it off. In a RL situation, I'd detach and observe the situation so I could figure out how to deal with it. I can't involve myself with emotional situations as they're playing out--or at least, it's MUCH harder.

As far as the stuff with your dad--I think that would be enough to make anyone frustrated and angry enough to cry. Especially as a teenager. I don't think it necessarily says anything about your T/F preference.

Someone else can tell you more specifically about the functions specifically, b/c I'm still learning, to be honest. All I can tell you is that I don't see anything in your post that is contrary to being INTP. Just bear in mind that people are individuals, and this is just sort of a system to help you understand yourself better, but it doesn't mean that people neatly fit into a category all the time.

 

[centerofthesun]

Thanks for your post. I can relate to some of the stuff you said about emotion being more prominent in fantasy vs. reality.. however, I thought that INTP's actually had an inability to see things from all sides? I've read that in a lot of profiles.

 

[Tallulah]

Thanks for your post. I can relate to some of the stuff you said about emotion being more prominent in fantasy vs. reality.. however, I thought that INTP's actually had an inability to see things from all sides? I've read that in a lot of profiles.

Well, INTPs are the ultimate players of Devil's Advocate, and hate thinking that there is a side of a situation that they've missed. To me, this factors in with being able to see things from all sides, and keeping all options open. I think that an unhealthy/immature INTP might decide that his/her way was the only way to think about things, but it probably stems from the fact that we like to analyze things to death, so our conclusions might, to us, seem like the obvious logical ones.

If I were you, I'd just lurk around INTPc for a while and you'll see that there's a pretty wide spectrum of what an INTP can look like.

It's possible you could be an INxP, but I really think your profile falls within the realm of INTP. You just could be more balanced than a hardcore 100% T.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Moved to What's My Muthuf@&!in' Type?

 

[centerofthesun]

Well, INTPs are the ultimate players of Devil's Advocate, and hate thinking that there is a side of a situation that they've missed. To me, this factors in with being able to see things from all sides, and keeping all options open. I think that an unhealthy/immature INTP might decide that his/her way was the only way to think about things, but it probably stems from the fact that we like to analyze things to death, so our conclusions might, to us, seem like the obvious logical ones.

If I were you, I'd just lurk around INTPc for a while and you'll see that there's a pretty wide spectrum of what an INTP can look like.

It's possible you could be an INxP, but I really think your profile falls within the realm of INTP. You just could be more balanced than a hardcore 100% T.

I've been lurking on INTPc for some time, and there are a lot of tendencies I see in myself. What you said about INTP's wanting to have an open mind and thus seeing all sides would make sense; most likely, an INTP with an open mind didn't always have one.

I suppose I'll just keep it to INTP, since that's what I'd rather be anyway (I'm biased), and, as you said, I don't seem to contradict the general profile of one.

 

[nemo]

Lurking INTPc without going insane is evidence of being an INTP, in my opinion.

 

[SillySapienne]

(Many) INTPs drive me bananas, for some reason!!!!!!!

 

[centerofthesun]

Lurking INTPc without going insane is evidence of being an INTP, in my opinion.

You're an ENTP. How would INTPc drive you insane?

 

[nemo]

I was halfway joking, lol.

But if you want a serious answer, the homogeneity that results on pretty much any type-specific board drives me insane after awhile. That's why I like MBTIc so much.

Specifically: the sheer depth of analysis at INTPc bores me at times. I'm more the leaps-and-bounds type than the flush every single detail out. All that concentrated Ti is dizzying.

Not their fault, though.

And I can always follow them, understand why they delve into it etc, I'm just more intuitioney.

Plus there's the internal politics, the implicit type superiority, blah blah blah. None of which is specific to INTPc, btw.

I'm in no way ragging on INTPs. Hell, my Dad is one according to when he was tested at his work, and I'm just barely extroverted according to the tests at college.

As a side thought, it's actually kind of interesting judging how you react when you spend some time exposed to a type-specific board like INTPc, INTJc, or whatever else there is. I like entp.org, although I sometimes find it pointless to post because everyone's on the same general page anyway.

 

[Blackmail!]

So far, I'd say you look like an INTP, but you should be aware that the MBTI test is only accurate for adult people, at least in their mid-twenties.

The way you can behave as a teen might be very different once you begin to really grow-up... Of course, some types mature later (if they ever do): This is why INTPs often behave like childs or teens during a very, very long time. Their emotional side will probably always remain very primitive, and mature people often find them deceitfully childish (even if they have great other qualities).
And this could also explain why you identify with them, so far, since you are very young.

---

To speak from my own experience, when I was a teen I was very awkward with my own emotions, and a lot more machiavellian. I lied and cheated all the time, and didn't care about consequences. I was very arrogant too. And then, suddenly, I drastically changed.
According to the MBTI theory, you develop your tertiary function only as a young adult, and mine was Fe. This tertiary became stronger and stronger with every new year.
And thus, now, I feel more at ease with my emotional side, I'm still a bit manipulative, but over-all, I don't lie anymore, or only in a gentle way, to embellish reality so I could raise the mood of a depressed friend. As a matter of fact, I've begun to distrust intentional lies to the extreme.

As a teen, I would probably have been a nightmare for any NF around me, but now, NF types are those I relate the most, those I respect the most. The teen is still there, well hidden inside me and ready to jump out whenever I feel stressed, but over-all I can control him quite easily.

So you see, you don't need to push things too fast. Being aware of our own true type might require lot of time, lot of introspection.