[INTP] Could I really be INTP?

[INTerran]

I am relatively new to personality typing, and became interested as I tried to understand the guy that I am seeing. I have bounced around to different types. And I think that one of the reasons is that I have had a hard time taking a good look at myself and understanding myself. It's a hard thing to get down to who I really am, as compared to what I project or think I should be. I'm trying to change that up and be much more honest with my true self. It has been suggested that rather than INFJ that I am INTP. Below are some points about myself. Just how INTP do I sound?


38 year old female; preschool teacher; college history instructor; Bible college instructor; and education conference presenter.

-By day I teach 4-year olds. I enjoy the work, and I am good at it. However, I would rather be researching and creating conference presentations or professional development sessions.
-My dream job would be to a full-time college professor of history, psychology, or early childhood.
-I love history! NOT dates or random facts, but rather the interconnectedness, the cause and effect relationships between events, and the interdisciplinary nature of it...such as the connectedness of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the Universal Cultural Pattern as an explanation for the rise and development of civilization.
-I enjoy learning new things, concepts, theories, etc. I am always researching new ideas, methods, and strategies for teaching, but very often I have a hard time implementing the new things into my classroom. I would rather present the new research to other teachers for them to be able to utilize. Also, no matter what I am researching, I am seeking to fully understand the topic and how it relates to what I already know.
-I struggle with organization. I am very often forgetful and have issues with mundane, every day tasks. I hate tedious, detailed paperwork...it is mind-numbing to me.
-I find that I can be selfish at times even though I don't want to be. I want to show more concern for others, but it does not come naturally to me and is not my strong suit.
-I get uncomfortable with other's emotions, and I do not readily express my own. However, I am very easy-going and even tempered. It takes a lot for me to outwardly show strong negative emotions...and that usually only happens with my immediate family.
-I have a very small group of friends...really only two females I am really close to and constantly communicate with, and the INTJ that I am seeing. Others are in categories such as colleagues and acquaintances.
-I am a terrible procrastinator in most things. I enjoy thinking about projects and ideas, but have a very hard time actually getting started.
-To relax, I enjoy reading and researching new ideas and interesting topics. I enjoy watching movies as well. A quiet evening with my guy or one of my friends is relaxing as well.
-I am a quiet observer in most social situations where there is a large crowd, lots of people I don't know, or the conversation is not something I am interested in or relate to. I have been called quiet, conceited, aloof, unfriendly, absent-minded, forgetful, disorganized, etc. But I have also been called well-spoken, well-written, an excellent presenter, very intelligent, articulate, etc. I have a much easier time accepting the negative comments as apposed to the positive ones.
-When someone comes to me to vent about an issue or a problem, I tend to offer a way to address or fix the problem rather than just listen. I don't want to sit there and just be a sounding board. I don't like to listen to someone complain and then not accept advice or solutions. The quickest way to make me shut down is to reject or dismiss my ideas and suggestions.

 

[harris]

To me, it sounds like you may be using Ni rather than Ti as your primary cognitive function. Enjoying the relationships between ideas and inter-connectedness of things points to Ni (Speaking as an Ni user).

And the fact that you don't want to engage in an emotional discussion about people's emotions but rather offer reason and solutions points to being a T. If you were an INFJ, you would have more of a drive to help people emotionally. You may still care about them and have strong feelings as a T, but that is not the same as using Fe (an INFJ's auxiliary process), which makes you aware of others' needs at all times, and brings you great satisfaction by helping others and connecting with them. I realized I was an INTJ rather than an INFJ when I figured out this difference.

Based on everything you said, you sound to me like an INTJ, although I think INTP is still possible. Do you find that you have some skill in organizing things in the moment, rather than organizing things according to a pre-determined standard? It's the difference between coming up with a theoretical plan and enacting it on the one hand, and just seeing how things are when you get there, and organizing in the moment on the other. I am an INTJ and am terrible at the first kind of organization (which I believe is Ti), and pretty good at the second kind (which is Te).

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, look up the descriptions of cognitive functions here or on another site such as this one: Understanding the 8 Jungian Cognitive Processes (8 Functions) Comparing the dominant processes in each type should help you narrow it down!

 

[INTerran]

I can organize on the fly pretty well. But organizing my desk or mapping out a detailed plan. I don't like to be restricted or limited by being too structured. I have to bring a teacher, but it isn't my natural inclination. I will have a general outline in my head and go from there....because why if something else comes up and the teaching for the day goes in another direction. I want to be able to follow where the students lead.

 

[INTerran]

On another forum I posted the same question and most that have replied suggest I am an INFP with very strong T and J tendencies. And that I am unconsciously masking my F.