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Are INTJs the most self-aware type?

entropie

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It more depends on one's definition of self-awareness... it's such a vague term.

Most of what IJs do is perceive and respond. It doesn't really matter what they're perceiving, could be anything -- the stock market, the world outside a window, themselves -- and then they try to respond adequately. Because of this observation, they often learn how to manage themselves quite well. This could be considered awareness, as a knowledge of one's strengths, weaknesses, habits needs, wants, likes, dislikes, neuroses, etc.

IJs don't have the same sort of 'root' system that IPs have. Is this a prerequisite to self-awareness, as defined here?

I do not get what you mean by root system but responding is what I do too
 

Haphazard

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I do not get what you mean by root system but responding is what I do too

Everyone responds to some extent, but dominant perceivers moreso.

The difference is that IJs have a tendency to keep their notes while EPs do not.
 

entropie

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ahh, I get it

does that make EPs bad ? I tend to forget what I have said like 5 seconds ago :) Besides do you believe me ? xD
 

Magic Poriferan

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Well, I've already stated that "self-awareness" needs a definition before we can seriously talk about it. I usually thought of it as being the concept of knowing how your own mind works, basically. That would be more in the hands of Judgement then Perception. Perception only sees, but does not understand. Actually understanding is Judgement's realm.

So perhaps we should say that Fi and Ti are the most self-understanding?
 

entropie

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I usually thought of it as being the concept of knowing how your own mind works, basically.

If your mind would be ill, it would not suffice, when you know how only your mind works to be self-aware :)
 

Haphazard

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ahh, I get it

does that make EPs bad ? I tend to forget what I have said like 5 seconds ago :) Besides do you believe me ? xD

I forget too... I'm dominant Ni, so things slip through my mind like a sieve. I just make my notes before things happen, so I don't have to remember them.

It's not bad to not have notes. It just takes a helluva lot more energy, but EPs have a lot of that, so you shouldn't be too worried.
 

entropie

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please quit quoting the functions, noone only works with one function :). But I have got your point, wont bug you anymore
 

Haphazard

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please quit quoting the functions, noone only works with one function :). But I have got your point, wont bug you anymore

Yes...

but the point is that Ni and Si tend to not get along. *shrug*
 

entropie

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ok NOW we are talking !

that was nice so :hearts: xD
 

entropie

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In my professional opinion :). iNTj's are the most self-aware types. I do not know shit of iNTj's.

But I know one special iNFj, who can show me what the sustanance of life is made of. f or t that makes a difference, but I got her mood. And I think that goes aswell with intj's.

I envy intj's. My best friend I had for like 10 years was an intj. He left me after he was for two years in the army and I do not understand until today why he did it. I still love him and I envy iNTj's to some extent. Cause I am only an inventor of troubles.

They are genius.

Some thing I will never reach.
 

entropie

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@haphazard

If you have by any chance in the next time the possibility to post something profound about intj's or a link to a post about something profound about intj's, I would be eager to read it.

While you are complaining about your Ni-ness vs my 16% Si-ness, I was lamenting about my 98% crazieness, which involves into nothing, as compared to laid-back genius that when it comes, comes with something important.

I need to understand this better. I am on the verge of insanity..
 

Perseus

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Actually, I think that's backwards. All mature INTJs I know are incredibly streetwise. I think they care so much about becoming streetwise because it's just something they really aspire to. INTJs HATE feeling like they've been fooled and taken advantage of. HATE it. Being streetwise is primarily about being nobody's fool. Young INTJs may not be streetwise because they are INXX types which puts them at a disadvantage. I think it's something they are driven to work on though as a result of their type. Te helps a lot there.

One young INTJ succeeded in about two minutes in nearly getting his head kicked in. As an INTP, I could not pick up the vibes, but I could see the reactions. INTPs like me have the perception but we are really quite useless, INTJs have not even got that.

From experience, not the theory, it is the Thinking that gives us self awareness. Or thinking in combination, because if the Thinking is turned off, so is the self awareness (experience only). Street-wise requires Sensing the moment. Intuitives do not live in the present. This means finding lovers is tricky if there is an opponent. The Magician is much quicker.
 

"?"

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I was recently doing some research for a project and discovered that there are almost twice as many web searches for "INTJ" than for any other type. It didn't come as a total surprise since INTJs are often described as being interested in self-improvement, but I still found it fascinating how much more information is being sought about this type versus any other type.

The least searched types were ESTP and ISFP, which sounds about right--by all accounts these types aren't prone to sit around thinking about personality theory for very long.

Thoughts?
I doubt that self awareness even comes into the picture and I would argue that whether it does, that it has nothing to do with a certain type. I think that all introverted types are introspective and more self aware than extraverts. In fact "Gifts Differing" points out that introverts will know who they are much more quicker than extraverts who may never know who they really are because they depend on their roles.

Besides there are so many reasons why the high inquiries of certain types. Based on poor assessment results, I have noticed that introverts taking the Temperament Sorter usually mistype as INJ except for ISJs (which is probably the most self aware types if any exist). I also have observed people mistyping as INTP on the MBTI results. I would have argued years ago that it was based on poor assessments, but now realize that it's based on poor understanding of words being used in the assessments and an overall lack of understanding of the system. However I would not leave out that even introverted types lack self awareness as well. Furthermore it cannot be dismissed that there is so much unreliable information claiming type rareness, that most people want to believe they're rare. I think that anyone that is not SJ will be equally rare and again there has never been any viable evidence to show different.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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I also have observed people mistyping as INTP on the MBTI results. I would have argued years ago that it was based on poor assessments, but now realize that it's based on poor understanding of words being used in the assessments and an overall lack of understanding of the system. However I would not leave out that even introverted types lack self awareness as well.

Heh, I very much agree with this. There are quite a few descriptions of type or function that seem to have a heavy Ti bias in their wording. (They were probably written by INTP's.) I think for a person who doesn't have a developed Ti function the descriptions can often be confusing.
 

redacted

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Honestly, I want more ENFPs to join this discussion, because I think I might rip my hair out.

A.) I am *very* much an ENFP.

B.) My self-awareness has been a salient feature of mine that has contributed to my empathic nature and has ultimately shaped my VALUES of others and human beings in general.

Why do you think ENFPs are able to truly *connect* with people, friends and strangers alike?!??!?

Those that don't understand this "phenomenon" attribute it to being some type of superficial mirroring mechanism, but it is not, rather it is due to our ability to take someone in, as they are, and then by scanning our catalog of "universal self", we find a part of our self that identifies with what they are saying/feeling and where they are coming from.

Only when one truly knows/understands/accepts themselves can they attempt to know and understand other people.

i don't understand why you quoted me. how did what i say spark that response? what did you take issue with?

Only Ti and Fi can let you have true/false and good/bad ideas of yourself. Ji is what let's you actually know what you believe, and what you are.(EDIT: Fe and Te actually let you know what you believe, too, but they are not concerned with the self.)

Ti and Fi can't do anything without data from N or S. N and S perceive a picture of a web of words/concepts/relations that T and F check for consistency (external consistency for Je, internal for Ji).

there is no "knowledge" of self without all 4 functions working in tandem.

introverted perception is great for self-awareness because it filters through data automatically and only focuses on data that relates to the self. Fe can check whether or not that data is "good" according to the external standard. so an INFJ would be quite good at seeing how they fit in (value-wise) to their surroundings. Fe doesn't even have that much work to do since Ni only has data that focuses on the self anyway.

I usually thought of it as being the concept of knowing how your own mind works, basically. That would be more in the hands of Judgement then Perception. Perception only sees, but does not understand. Actually understanding is Judgement's realm.

judgment doesn't "understand" any more than perception. understanding takes 4 functions.

it's really hard to say which function combination is best for self-awareness. they all understand themselves in different ways.

i do believe, though, that NFJs would be the best at guessing how others perceive them. if self awareness is defined by how close the individual gets to the common view of themselves, Ni/Fe is probably the best.
 

Magic Poriferan

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Ti and Fi can't do anything without data from N or S. N and S perceive a picture of a web of words/concepts/relations that T and F check for consistency (external consistency for Je, internal for Ji).

there is no "knowledge" of self without all 4 functions working in tandem.

Well, yeah that's kind of obvious. Nothing really works without P-J intereaction.

introverted perception is great for self-awareness because it filters through data automatically and only focuses on data that relates to the self. Fe can check whether or not that data is "good" according to the external standard. so an INFJ would be quite good at seeing how they fit in (value-wise) to their surroundings. Fe doesn't even have that much work to do since Ni only has data that focuses on the self anyway.

What does the external definition of good have to do with this? And what about fitting in?

judgment doesn't "understand" any more than perception. understanding takes 4 functions.

it's really hard to say which function combination is best for self-awareness. they all understand themselves in different ways.

i do believe, though, that NFJs would be the best at guessing how others perceive them. if self awareness is defined by how close the individual gets to the common view of themselves, Ni/Fe is probably the best.

This "different ways" things comes back to the main issue. We clearly haven't been settling on a single definition of of self-awareness or even "understanding" apparently.

I can say that self-awareness, and especially self-understanding, in my mind, had nothing to do with knowing how others see you. I'd hate to based the defition of the self on common, outside perception. I think that knowing one's own value system, both factual and sentimental, is the closest thing to self-understanding. That clearly puts Fi and Ti over Fe and Te.

Perception will be necessary to gather information about the self, of course. I suppose Ni is being picked because we can assume that Intuition is more self-originated than Si? Either way, Perception alone wouldn't be good enough of course, as only the Judgement actually makes sense of the information. Only the Judgement actually creates something comprehensive from the information. So, maybe that makes Pi and Ji even in this comparison, because Perception will never really create the understanding, but it is pre-requisite for the Judging to take place at all.

The conclusion I gather here, though, is that the most self-aware type is one that doesn't exist according to the MBTI. It's something to the effect of NiFi.
 

Athenian200

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Well, I would guess Introverts TEND to be more self aware (due to being focused inwards) than Extraverts (who focus on the world), but that's not a given. I don't think types are self-aware, I think people are as individuals. I don't think this is something that can be boiled down to type.

Also, I would question the value of being self-aware if it doesn't lead to greater happiness or fulfillment. The types people have cited as self-aware (INP) often have a greater tendency to dwell on pain and disappointment as if that were their whole world, and for a longer time than other types. I heard an E once say that Introverts were "selfish" with their focus, because they see everything in terms of how it affects them. I think he might have been right.
 
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