Why so many mistyped or wannabee INTJs?

[Coriolis]

At the request of Qlip:

Well, I'll keep an open mind. But not about you being INTJ. Come on, seriously? (Don't feel too bad, you're not the only one who for some reason feel/wishes they were INTJ. We need a thread about that phenomenon.)

Why do so many members mistype as INTJ, or appear to want to see themselves as this type? Is this more common among forum members than in the general population? Feel free to question the premise in your replies.

(I'm putting this in Other Psych Topics rather than NT to attract more diversity of replies.)

 

[spirilis]

Reminds me of an INFJ in another thread (can't recall which) talking about her ISTP friend who keeps consistently typing as INTP ......... How the hell does she know he's actually an ISTP? Sounds like some credibility issues building up there.

 

[prplchknz]

op:r u sure ur not a wannabe?

 

[Amargith]

It is the Ni. And the fact that INFJs and INTJs are supposedly the most rare types. Ni looks all shiny and mystical, and being rare = jackpot for the old ego.

 

[Grublet]

In during No True Scotsman fallacy.

You guys take your pick: ENTP, ESFP, INTP, INTJ.

I'll go with ESFP since it's the most common and has all the functions that INTJ has.

 

[Qlip]

Sometimes taking on a 'type' is an act of stating of who you wish to be, as opposed to who you are. INTJ's are associated with being goal oriented, which is something that would be attractive to a lot of us P's. And also sometimes people feel overwhelmed by their feelings and want to take up the outward aspect of the INTJ as being unaffected by such things.

 

[RaptorWizard]

INTJs are the Masterminds and the rest of us are the sheep who would have long ago perished in the struggle against pitiless elements without our shephards to lay the seeds for our future success and to point the way towards greatness. INTJs tell us to go get them Tiger and we non INTJs respond you mean Chicken! As INTJs move the chess pieces we dance to the algorithm.

:chicken:

 

[Coriolis]

Sometimes taking on a 'type' is an act of stating of who you wish to be, as opposed to who you are. INTJ's are associated with being goal oriented, which is something that would be attractive to a lot of us P's. And also sometimes people feel overwhelmed by their feelings and want to take up the outward aspect of the INTJ as being unaffected by such things.

When we took the MBTI at work, we were warned to answer as we really were, not as we wished to be, or even as the role we took on at work to get our jobs done. Still, a couple people did not follow this advice and got results that bore little resemblance to themselves.

op:r u sure ur not a wannabe?

Do you think I am?

 

[prplchknz]

Do you think I am?

I honestly don't care, except to say that you shouldn't bitch about others types unless you're 101% sure of yours

 

[Lady_X]

I think I've just seen it a couple times... About as much as any other type. Maybe I'm not seeing the threads you're talking about.

Intjs are confusing... Maybe confused people naturally type as intj haha

No really I have no idea.

 

[UniqueMixture]

They can't get play otherwise so they wannabe raped by the enfps lol

 

[Coriolis]

I honestly don't care, except to say that you shouldn't bitch about others types unless you're 101% sure of yours

You don't know that I am not.

If you are going to respond to an OP, though, you should respond to what was actually written. I am not "bitching" about anything, nor questioning any member's type, but rather initiating a discussion of Qlip's quoted comment. I invited people to question the premise if they disagree with it. That is not the same as questioning the type of any specific member, myself included.

 

[prplchknz]

You don't know that I am not.

If you are going to respond to an OP, though, you should respond to what was actually written. I am not "bitching" about anything, nor questioning any member's type, but rather initiating a discussion of Qlip's quoted comment. I invited people to question the premise if they disagree with it. This thread is not about me.

ugh! I.am.asking.you.if.you're. sure. of, your. type

 

[RaptorWizard]

The most common type on this forum is INTP so there may actually be more mistyped or wannabe INTPs on this site than INTJs.

 

[FemMecha]

I think there needs to be more types because there is a sense of this mistyping for every category because they are too broad - there are different "types" of INTJs. MBTI's 16 types do not really cover it well enough. I could easily see four quadrants for each function instead of 2 because there is actually an element of external/internal perception and point of reference inherent to each function. Something like Tii, Tie, Tei, Tee. I could elaborate further because it would help to better delineate how T/F or N/S relate within an individual.

 

[Cellmold]

Unfortunately the glamour of INTJ's that has been built up in rumour....far outweighs the difficult reality of being an INTJ.

Im glad im not one.

Id say the reasons are pretty damn obvious though. Even the least needy of us have, deep down, a secret desire for affirmation in some form. I think [MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION] summed it up pretty well.

 

[Qlip]

I honestly don't care, except to say that you shouldn't bitch about others types unless you're 101% sure of yours

I'm pretty damned sure about mine. This isn't D&D, picking a type doesn't make you that type. While a type describes cognitive functions, which aren't always outwardly apparent, there are signs visible from the outside. Even if MBTI isn't a valid theory, just as an arbitrary classification system this is true.

I don't see why you should be upset about anybody questioning somebody's type unless it somehow is done in some way to be insulting. It should be helpful. I know people are attached to their identities, but let's not let 4 letters define your self worth.

People do seem to be enamored by INTJ, and wish to be it. I think it's a valid observation, and it's worth discussing.

 

[prplchknz]

I'm pretty damned sure about mine. This isn't D&D, picking a type doesn't make you that type. While a type describes cognitive functions, which aren't always outwardly apparent, there are signs visible from the outside. Even if MBTI isn't a valid theory, just as an arbitrary classification system this is true.

I don't see why you should be upset about anybody questioning somebody's type unless it somehow is done in some way to be insulting. It should be helpful. I know people are attached to their identities, but let's not let 4 letters define your self worth.

People do seem to be enamored by INTJ, and wish to be it. I think it's a valid observation, and it's worth discussing.

I'm not upset and if you try to say i am i will stab you in the eyeballs

 

[Coriolis]

I think I've just seen it a couple times... About as much as any other type. Maybe I'm not seeing the threads you're talking about.

Intjs are confusing... Maybe confused people naturally type as intj haha

Interesting theory! Actually, I hardly ever question anyone's type because I don't feel I know anyone well enough to do so, especially online. I prefer to assume each of us knows ourselves best, though that is probably not always a correct assumption. I have read enough references to people being mistyped, especially people claiming to be INTJ who are not, or people wishing they were INTJ, that after reading Qlip's post, I decided to ask specifically about this phenomenon. Is it even real, and if so, what drives it. Some of the replies make pertinent observations.

ugh! I.am.asking.you.if.you're. sure. of, your. type

Why? You said you didn't care. If someone has reason to question my type, I would be interested in hearing it. As I said, though, this thread is not about me.

*If you really are interested, read this rather than derailing.

 

[Coriolis]

Unfortunately the glamour of INTJ's that has been built up in rumour....far outweighs the difficult reality of being an INTJ.

Im glad im not one.

Id say the reasons are pretty damn obvious though. Even the least needy have, deep down, a secret desire for affirmation in some form. I think [MENTION=5494]Amargith[/MENTION] summed it up pretty well.

Why is it not just as affirming to be viewed as having the people skills of an ENF, or the artistic sensibilities of an ISFP, or the leadership ability of an ENJ? Every type has positive qualities. I don't see any glamour in being an INTJ. It does make it easy to get alot done, but at a sometimes significant cost. To continue the D&D metaphor, no type has 18 on all its attributes.