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Is my Dad an INTJ or INTP?

Kenneth Almighty

New member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
184
MBTI Type
ENXP
It's becoming almost an instinct for me to type whoever I interact with, as MBTI is probably the most practical psychology I can think of. However, who generally escapes me is my dad.

I've always put weight on ENTP (because, you know, every kid wants to be *just like* their dad every dad wants to be *just like* their kid), but now I'm receiving more evidence to the contrary. I eventually started leaning on INTJ, due to what I know from his work (he's a lead bioinformatician, which is a programmer that creates databases for gene sequences et al), but then talking with him via e-mail recently I think I'm getting the bigger picture that he's actually very idealistic about his choice of work, and regrets not spending enough time with this family.

Here's an e-mail reply from him that probably gives away the whole thing (the question -- and only question -- I asked is what was the appeal in model railroading):

I sometimes ask myself the same question…

Why do you like Lego or your Warhammer warriors? (BTW, I used to like Lego too, when I was really young…)

My earliest recollection, long before your grandparents bought me my first train at age 14, was that of entering into a room in the Hudson’s Bay department store, with a very large train layout. I remember all the motion and all of the lights…. A miniaturized world, surreal yet artistic.

Why am I restarting it now? I guess I’ve been feeling somewhat unsettled in life – lots of professional stresses, lots of family stresses, especially your mother’s illness. I guess one might even say, feeling a bit lost within oneself. I guess this latest binge started out as an innocent trip to a local model shop. Seeing the familiar territory of modeling supplies and models were a source of comfort to me. I started to remember the many hours of contented distraction I had with the hobby when I was younger. I started to realize that I could now afford to do a lot more with the resources I had.

On the subject of the steam engine, I have to tell you that the realism of the motion, head-lights I could turn on and off, and especially, the realistic train sounds – bells, whistles, steam chuffing… I suddenly felt immersed in this little world once again, and realized that it didn’t feel so expensive a “toy” now to indulge in. I’m going to take another run at it. This time, I’d like to try “narrow gauge” rustic (still BC mountain like) modeling.

I doubt INTJs are capable of having mid-life crises :p

Anyway, thoughts?
 

wildcat

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,622
MBTI Type
INTP
It's becoming almost an instinct for me to type whoever I interact with, as MBTI is probably the most practical psychology I can think of. However, who generally escapes me is my dad.

I've always put weight on ENTP (because, you know, every kid wants to be *just like* their dad every dad wants to be *just like* their kid), but now I'm receiving more evidence to the contrary. I eventually started leaning on INTJ, due to what I know from his work (he's a lead bioinformatician, which is a programmer that creates databases for gene sequences et al), but then talking with him via e-mail recently I think I'm getting the bigger picture that he's actually very idealistic about his choice of work, and regrets not spending enough time with this family.

Here's an e-mail reply from him that probably gives away the whole thing (the question -- and only question -- I asked is what was the appeal in model railroading):



I doubt INTJs are capable of having mid-life crises :p

Anyway, thoughts?
INTJ
 

Kenneth Almighty

New member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
184
MBTI Type
ENXP
The reason why I had typed him INTJ is because my uncle, whom I KNOW is an INTP (Theoretical physicist/art teacher, quiet, good humored, looks just like Einstein, played Einstein in a student film), is not like my dad at all. They both talk similarly but you can tell they're two different people.
 

VagrantFarce

Active member
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
1,558
I dunno if it will be any help, but I made a thread on the difference between the two types. There's a link in my signature. :)
 

Kalach

Filthy Apes!
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
4,310
MBTI Type
INTJ
Ni prefers to escape settled, known things. I'll speak for all INTJs and say revisiting childhood pursuits is much more likely to provoke feelings of claustrophobia than of comfort.
 
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