- Joined
- Dec 23, 2009
- Messages
- 26,591
- MBTI Type
- INTJ
- Enneagram
- 6w5
- Instinctual Variant
- sx/sp
As an INTJ over the years, I have found that I rely on my intuition (Ni) enormously.These perceptions are incredibly important in informing which way to go. On the other hand, I have found that I can also over-interpret reactions from others, have an overly active imagination, project my negative qualities on others, even at times bordering on slightly paranoid thinking. As I learned about personality theory, I discovered this destructive side of the coin or pattern and made a decision to simply trust people. To be the first one to trust. It's not always easy, but I consciously attempt to push down negative thoughts of others and encourage the positive ones. It has served me well over the years.
The problem is this, sometimes those negative intuitions turn out to be true. There was a person not so long ago - I pretty much immediately got a bad vibe. Things didn't seem right. I asked a couple of others and they thought the person was odd but harmless. The feeling didn't go way - kept nagging in my mind. Turns out the person was a bad egg - destructive not only to their own life but also to others. I could have done more earlier but did not have sufficient facts to support my judgement.
A quote from "Type Talk at Work", "Defensiveness, coupled with TJ self confidence can lead an INTJ to assume that others are not only untrustworthy but indeed out to get them. Such misplaced projection on the part of the INTJ can be very undermining to others and can leave staff or colleagues permanently wounded. Even then the INTJ can be blind to their own destructiveness. Their tendency is to blame others for these circumstances."
The first time I read this and thought about it, I realized that holy crap - I was doing it at work with an important subordinate. It was not good. Damage was done but I could attempt to repair it which took a few years.
My question is how do you discern the good intuitions from bad? I think sometimes it is not so easy.
The problem is this, sometimes those negative intuitions turn out to be true. There was a person not so long ago - I pretty much immediately got a bad vibe. Things didn't seem right. I asked a couple of others and they thought the person was odd but harmless. The feeling didn't go way - kept nagging in my mind. Turns out the person was a bad egg - destructive not only to their own life but also to others. I could have done more earlier but did not have sufficient facts to support my judgement.
A quote from "Type Talk at Work", "Defensiveness, coupled with TJ self confidence can lead an INTJ to assume that others are not only untrustworthy but indeed out to get them. Such misplaced projection on the part of the INTJ can be very undermining to others and can leave staff or colleagues permanently wounded. Even then the INTJ can be blind to their own destructiveness. Their tendency is to blame others for these circumstances."
The first time I read this and thought about it, I realized that holy crap - I was doing it at work with an important subordinate. It was not good. Damage was done but I could attempt to repair it which took a few years.
My question is how do you discern the good intuitions from bad? I think sometimes it is not so easy.