Crap.

[burymecloser]

Oops.

I've known I was INTJ for nearly two decades. I took my first MBTI test around 1993. I've found personality theory interesting ever since, though I never pursued it the way some members here have. INTJ fit me well, so I never really doubted my type.

I've been an active member here for a couple of months now, though I've done more reading than posting, and I've learned a lot more about personality typing. My background before joining this forum was mostly Keirsey, but if cognitive functions are the best way to determine type -- or even a remotely valuable tool for determining type -- then I'm not INTJ after all.

That's kind of hard to give up, because it's been part of my identity for a long time. There's very little doubt I'm a T, and none at all that I'm an introvert. But my N preference isn't terribly pronounced, so I initially considered ISTJ. That doesn't really fit, either. Going by cognitive functions, there is basically no way I'm not INTP. Descriptions of INTP fit me well enough to be plausible, and my judging preference has never been overwhelming, but if I retype myself as INTP, I'm really just putting faith in the functions. Ti > Ne > Si > Fe sounds right to me. In fact, I don't think any of the other 15 combinations is even credible.* But P still doesn't seem right to me.

I realize self-reported tests need to be taken with a grain of salt, especially because I know enough about MBTI to manipulate my own results, but I always test J. I'm sure I've tested P at some point, but I usually come back with a discernable judging preference. My three most recent results, all from the last six months:

44 I, 38 N, 25 T, 67 J

I 9, E 5 / N 9, S 5 / T 10, F 4 / J 10, P 4

Introverted (I) 73.53% Extroverted (E) 26.47%
Sensing (S) 54.29% Intuitive (N) 45.71%
Thinking (T) 63.16% Feeling (F) 36.84%
Judging (J) 55% Perceiving (P) 45%

When I joined this site, I wrote in my introductory post that my judging was "probably at an all-time high now". I tend to prefer planned events and sometimes have strong adverse reactions to the unexpected. I like to know the where and when of things.

Am I putting too much faith in functions here? That's basically the whole basis for questioning my INTJ designation. Maybe it's a mental trick I've been playing on myself, but I generally feel most in tune with INTJ posters here. I'm relatively new to the forum, but some of you may know me a little bit by now. If anyone has feedback, I'd appreciate it. FWIW, my enneagram type is either 5w6 or 6w5. Does anyone have opinions? Questions?

I feel confident that we only need to consider INTP, INTJ, and ISTJ.

* Scrambling the order, maybe, but I'm definitely not ISFJ, ESFJ, or ENTP.
** Goodness, lots of INTJ/INTP uncertainty recently.

 

[tcda]

Something I noticed on INTJforum was a lot of people clinging to the INTJ type as an "identity", and even an "ideal" which they wished to emulate.

My view is that it's first best to get over the idea, purge your ehad of thinking of MBTI as anything which "defines", and only as something which explains and describes reality.

There are all sorts of views which many people who consider themselvew "NT's" have, that because they are an "NT" they have to appear serious and clever all the time on the internet, and they will scrutinize other posts for any "non-NT" behaviour. This makes NT forums undesirable places to visit quite often.

In reality just because you might be an ISTJ what does that change? You can still do all the things you did previously. I'm an INTP, yet I'm not lazy, disorganized or a loser.

Btw if you found this comment unconstructive and tangential, you're probably tending more towards IXTJ than INTP. So even if it was those things, I''m still helping you define your type, see!

 

[burymecloser]

Btw if you found this comment unconstructive and tangential, you're probably tending more towards IXTJ than INTP. So even if it was those things, I''m still helping you define your type, see!

Haha, no, I found it readable and interesting, with some valuable advice. Thanks.

It's not so much that I have any negative stereotypes about ISTJs or INTPs, just that I've identified as INTJ for most of my adult life. It's not about negative ideas toward other types so much as it's losing part of my identity.

It might be easier if there were some sort of catharsis with INTP, but I find that descriptions of the three types all seem to describe me rather well, though none of them perfectly. The one thing that stands out is the cognitive functions: those associated with INTP ring very true to me, and that's not the case for INTJ or ISTJ. Honestly, I might be most comfortable at this point with INTX, but there's such an ugly stigma here about X's, as if balance is a character flaw or uncertainty equivalent to idiocy.

EDIT: This post by uumlau supports the idea that I am INTP. I'm definitely the INTP in that conversation.

 

[tcda]

^^^The above reply seemed quite Ti to me.

So why have you always thought you are J, out of interest?

 

[Ginkgo]

Crap.

WHERE?!?

 

[burymecloser]

^^^The above reply seemed quite Ti to me.

So why have you always thought you are J, out of interest?

Yeah, Ti fits like a glove. But my background before joining this forum was mostly Keirsey, who doesn't really talk about the cognitive functions. I always tested J, and it fits in a lot of ways. I hate being late for anything and frequently plan to arrive early just in case. I often plan things well in advance. I get stressed out by unexpected change. "Adaptable" is a word often used to describe perceivers, but which doesn't apply to me well at all.

WHERE?!?

Wherever you want, just clean up after yourself.