Hey there! I used to post here occasionally, but being typically ENTP, I got distracted by other things for a while... So, hello!
I'm posting here because it just so happens I've just come to the conclusion of a messy friend-or-maybe-more situation with someone I'm pretty certain is an INTP (although not stereotypically 'nerdy', he certainly fits the bill). Beneficial stuff about our friendship:
- Shared the same tastes and interests, but appreciated them from different perspectives, which made for interesting conversation.
- We felt as if we intrinsically connected/understood each other
- I could nurture my more reserved side; I didn't feel I had to prove myself through my social life.
- I think I made him slightly less earnest and more willing to take the p*ss out of himself sometimes.
Bad things from our relationship:
- Misunderstanding through us both being unwilling to communicate; he would go further into his own world, often moody (didn't talk to me for three weeks for no discernible reason and we lived in the same apartment); I would not want to risk humiliation by voicing my thoughts or feelings.
- Competitive streaks/stubbornness in both of us. We both wanted to have the upper hand.
- Neither of us wanting to show any feeling/emotion; we both perceived this as possible exposure of weakness.
He was also one of those 'INTPs with issues' - i.e. when he was drinking, he'd drink a lot and would sometimes be aggressive; he'd get moody with people quite easily and retreat into himself; had a bit of a complex about people 'getting him'. On the other hand, people see me as easy to get on with, not realizing I can manipulate situations as much as he does, but I do it in a much more genial manner.
All in all, I think from this experience, both types could learn a lot from each other regarding self improvement. However, even though they are two sides of the same coin, this intensity does not always work well.
