Is this type of behavior normal to you?

[Morpheus]

Hello,

So I'm looking for some confirmation about my type because the results are aways INTP but I don't feel like I'm a logical machine, you know?

So I decided to post some of the common behaviors of mine, could you guys help me with this confirmation, please?

- When making a decision I take everything into consideration. But in big decisions, this everything means like EVERYTHING and I can spend weeks and some months thinking and rethinking.

- I don't normally look for advice. But when I do it's because I searched so much and I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way, this may cause the effect of me appearing to some person I haven't for months just to ask them for help.

- I think that I'm pretty easy to know and I love my friends and family, but everyone thinks I'm cold as f*ck, especially my mom and my girlfriend. Also, my mom says that I have always been distant and in my head.

- When giving emotional advice I like to just give the solution to the problem while my gf don't appreciate much.

- I think better when I'm in motion. So sometimes I may walk in circles.

- I start various books that I'll never end. Make lists that I'll never follow or even remember that I did it.

- I feel deep emotions, yes. But it's normal to not know how to deal with them and act like a child.

 

[notmyapples]

Sounds like a whole lot of Ti and your last point makes me think inferior Fe.

 

[Earl Grey]

So I'm looking for some confirmation about my type because the results are aways INTP but I don't feel like I'm a logical machine, you know?

If your only understanding of INTP is that it is a 'logic machine', you need to expand your research and definitions.
Your points are behaviourally-based and some are too common / blanket statements, but let's see...


- When making a decision I take everything into consideration. But in big decisions, this everything means like EVERYTHING and I can spend weeks and some months thinking and rethinking.
This is actually characteristic of P, especially I--P. Js are more action-oriented.

I don't normally look for advice. But when I do it's because I searched so much and I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way, this may cause the effect of me appearing to some person I haven't for months just to ask them for help.
Same as above, and this isn't even telling of T/F. "I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way" is Ji-Ne (either NFP or NTP), a focus on the components of the problem and not in light of an end result (which would be more J in general). Appearing to a person can be either, but if you want pure stereotype, it is telling of introversion in general, be it Fi or Fe.

I think that I'm pretty easy to know and I love my friends and family, but everyone thinks I'm cold as f*ck, especially my mom and my girlfriend. Also, my mom says that I have always been distant and in my head.
Not too telling again, but the coldness may point to lower F, 'in my head' to Introversion.

When giving emotional advice I like to just give the solution to the problem while my gf don't appreciate much.
Not too telling, again. T/F both can deal with emotional problems and *among Feelers, FJ, especially SFJ are more solutions-oriented (at least stereotypically).
Might want to get into it more.

I think better when I'm in motion. So sometimes I may walk in circles.
Not telling of type, but stereotypically Pe, especially Se.

I start various books that I'll never end. Make lists that I'll never follow or even remember that I did it.
Pe in general (Ne or Se), but not telling of I/E.
E--P's reasons are more likely due to them constantly jumping to new prospects, and I--P because their Je function is last.

I feel deep emotions, yes. But it's normal to not know how to deal with them and act like a child.
All types do. 'Acting like a child' implies you are extroverting it, not knowing what to do with it sounds tert or inferior Fe or generally immature/lower-health Fe.

---

Overall, there seems to be a focus on methodology and a degree of reflectiveness and a slight focus on emotional incapacity, for which I'd give this list alone I-TP.

 

[Morpheus]

If your only understanding of INTP is that it is a 'logic machine', you need to expand your research and definitions.
Your points are behaviourally-based and some are too common / blanket statements, but let's see...


- When making a decision I take everything into consideration. But in big decisions, this everything means like EVERYTHING and I can spend weeks and some months thinking and rethinking.
This is actually characteristic of P, especially I--P. Js are more action-oriented.

I don't normally look for advice. But when I do it's because I searched so much and I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way, this may cause the effect of me appearing to some person I haven't for months just to ask them for help.
Same as above, and this isn't even telling of T/F. "I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way" is Ji-Ne (either NFP or NTP), a focus on the components of the problem and not in light of an end result (which would be more J in general). Appearing to a person can be either, but if you want pure stereotype, it is telling of introversion in general, be it Fi or Fe.

I think that I'm pretty easy to know and I love my friends and family, but everyone thinks I'm cold as f*ck, especially my mom and my girlfriend. Also, my mom says that I have always been distant and in my head.
Not too telling again, but the coldness may point to lower F, 'in my head' to Introversion.

When giving emotional advice I like to just give the solution to the problem while my gf don't appreciate much.
Not too telling, again. T/F both can deal with emotional problems and stereotypically, FJ, especially SFJ are more solutions-oriented.
Might want to get into it more.

I think better when I'm in motion. So sometimes I may walk in circles.
Not telling of type, but stereotypically Pe, especially Se.

I start various books that I'll never end. Make lists that I'll never follow or even remember that I did it.
Pe in general (Ne or Se), but not telling of I/E.
E--P's reasons are more likely due to them constantly jumping to new prospects, and I--P because their Je function is last.

I feel deep emotions, yes. But it's normal to not know how to deal with them and act like a child.
All types do. 'Acting like a child' implies you are extroverting it, not knowing what to do with it sounds tert or inferior Fe or generally immature/lower-health Fe.

---

Overall, there seems to be a focus on methodology and a degree of reflectiveness and a slight focus on emotional incapacity, for which I'd give this list alone I-TP.

This was actually impressive.

Yes, I agree that those descriptions of INTP everywhere are actually imprecise, that's why take it with a grain of salt.

But you said that my descriptions were too much ambiguous and not too telling. How would you define a more objective approach so I can define better my type?

 

[Earl Grey]

This was actually impressive.

Yes, I agree that those descriptions of INTP everywhere are actually imprecise, that's why take it with a grain of salt.

But you said that my descriptions were too much ambiguous and not too telling. How would you define a more objective approach so I can define better my type?

To put it simply, focus on the reasoning and cognition behind those behaviours. I mentioned something related to this before;
A little confusion(Traits vs motivations)

TLDR; less of what you do, and more the why you do. Any personality type can learn any skill in order accomplish things or assimilate in their environment, and all for different reasons and in different ways. Descriptions are common generalizations and not entirely baseless, but do work as a starting point.

 

[Coriolis]

This was actually impressive.

Yes, I agree that those descriptions of INTP everywhere are actually imprecise, that's why take it with a grain of salt.

But you said that my descriptions were too much ambiguous and not too telling. How would you define a more objective approach so I can define better my type?

I agree with [MENTION=35920]Ixaerus[/MENTION] for the most part. I would add that giving solutions-based advice is generally associated with T, but that is hardly foolproof. Yes, as I have said many times, any type can behave in any way, it is in why and how that we gain insight. Your observations about how you make decisions and when and why you seek advice relate to this. So ask questions like:

• Why do you give solutions-based advice?
• Why do people think you are cold? What do you do that makes them think so, and why?
• Why do you care about family/friends? What is the nature of those bonds or relationships? In what way are they important to you?
• Why do you forget about your lists? Why do you make them in the first place?

No need to post answers here, just some questions to stimulate more thoughts.

 

[Earl Grey]

I agree with Ixaerus for the most part. I would add that giving solutions-based advice is generally associated with T, but that is hardly foolproof.

Oops, forgot to clarify that by FJ being more solutions-oriented, I meant among the F-types. @Morpheus
Between T and F, Ts are more solutions-oriented due to their more impersonal approach.
Aside from that, carry on. The questions are a great starting point.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well, there's nothing there that ISN'T intp. I can identify with the list. That doesn't mean each separate point is exclusive to INTP (as others have noted) -- they merely are appropriate descriptors for traits of INTP that can also be shared by other types (i.e., they can reflect introversion, or "behind the scenes" preference, or expressing lowered feeling, etc.

Sure, why you do things is important as what you do... especially with MBTI, which deals with internalized functioning/motivation. (Some other types just monitor external behavior and the "why" is less important.)

I think better when I'm in motion. So sometimes I may walk in circles.

I find I think better when walking too... or driving a car. Or doing something mobile. It seems to free up my mind somehow, part of my brain is focusing on kinetic stuff on auto-pilot. But there have been studies on this too, as far as brain function goes. Not that I can't think when sitting still doing nothing else. But the brain ranges freer in some ways.

But you said that my descriptions were too much ambiguous and not too telling. How would you define a more objective approach so I can define better my type?

Are there actual descriptors that apply to the whole of INTP? Or any type?
That's why MBTI breaks it down into function pairs, because it's easier to identify preference pieces of the whole and then combine them.

I guess the INTP personality descriptions are holistic attempts to compile the function preferences into broader behaviors, but then it's just a matter of reading type descriptions and seeing what resonates (including other types and what doesn't).

 

[Morpheus]

Well, I think I understood. I'll try to answer some of the questions that [MENTION=9811]Coriolis[/MENTION] using what [MENTION=35920]Ixaerus[/MENTION] said would work.

- Why do you give solutions-based advice?
I guess that it's easier. It's the first thing that comes into my mind. I know that some people just want some emotional support but when hearing somebody I forget that and act in my own way. I can offer emotional support too but this is more like a strategic move like if I want the person to like me, I do it.

Why do people think you are cold? What do you do that makes them think so, and why?

I never notice that I'm distant, I'm always in my head and I prefer to do things alone. Per example, I live with my girlfriend and most of the time I prefer to expend my time using the internet and searching about types and trying to discover my own. She always complains that I don't give her enough attention so I give her some attention but 10 minutes late I'm already bored. When I was a kid I always stayed in my mind and solved my problems alone, this made my mom feel distant from me. I don't know, I also refused to go visit her friends even when she said that people thought she was holding me at home. Because I knew that it was my decision and I just didn't care. I think I also don't care to expectations on me.

In work people usually think I'm dumb or slow because sometimes I see someone that needs help and think "he can do it alone" so I won't help. And I also don't feel the need to explain that to others, so I just let them think of me that way. There are times that I play dumb and pretend I do not know how to do something for someone else to do.

Why do you care about family/friends? What is the nature of those bonds or relationships? In what way are they important to you?

I really don't know, there were times that I got myself thinking if I really loved my mom. It's strange because how do you even know it? How does love feel? I know how a shock feels, how fear feels but love sometimes seems void. I only realized that I loved my grandma when she died and I missed her and I was the only one crying at the funeral and wondered why no one seemed to care so much about her death. But while she was alive I lived near her and never did a visit, never asked how she was or how she felt. Actually, I act with my mom almost the same way, I rarely go to see her but I try to be more gentle and caring. Sometimes I feel guilty about that I don't know if love should feel more than avoid but at the same time I just want to see everybody happy because it would make me happy too I think. I think I can't tell how they are important too. If I try to think about how people matter to me, I won't feel their importance or my love to them, it's more like when I'm close to them and they are laughing, it makes me happy and I realize I love'em. But here, alone with my pc is like I don't feel anything for anybody.


Why do you forget about your lists? Why do you make them in the first place?

I just forget them, it's like this: I think "Hmm, I should make a list of 10 interest of mine so I can develop my Ne" I write them out and don't do anything about and just let the list to accumulate with others... Now thinking about it's like the feeling of accomplishment for making the list is enough so I don't carry out my plans. Yeah, I feel like I've accomplished something so I just jump to one plan from another always starting something and never doing something about it.

Why do I do want to find my type? What I'll make with it?

I was doing ok in life but then I started to feel down and insecure about my career as a musician. So I just got back into studying MBTI in a pursuit to understand myself better. My way of thinking and my motivations. It led to me thinking in give up music to start my second interest which is math. I got confused by my options and started searching everywhere and asking advice, what made me make a choice was a book that defended the idea of doing something you are good at and becoming a specialist so good that others start to notice you. So that way you can become creative and in control of your career, two things that I felt were lacking in my career. That made me realize that I'm more good in music than anything else and even that I'm suffering right now I must suck it up and become better. But still, I want to understand myself because suddenly it became important to know what type is mine, like not being sure of it is like not being sure of who I am. It's a feeling of missing out a piece of a puzzle. Feeling incomplete.

 

[Morpheus]

Another one:

- Why I'm so distant from everybody?

It's not because I don't care, but I tend to focus and worry so much about my personal development that sometimes it feels that if I go to my mom's house to visit her, I will be wasting time, sometimes people ask if I want to go somewhere and I think "I should study this thing" or "I prefer doing this other thing because it will be better for me".

But sometimes those things that I prefer to do is completely random and won't really help, for example, I should be practicing music. But I just think about MBTI. Actually, I want to make something productive but it's common to get completely concentrated in watching videos about how Sharingan and Rasengan work instead. Even if i don't watch Naruto. (I began watching because i spend lots of time watching how jutsus and clans work and my girlfriend asked why i don't just watch it)

 

[Earl Grey]

You can also move this to a Type-Me thread to get more focused attention and replies on your type. Otherwise, it is a general INTP thread. @Morpheus, iirc, you can ask the moderators to have your posts or the thread entirely moved to the Type Me subforum.

 

[Totenkindly]

Yeah, a lot of what you describe is the "mental life" or living life via the nature of one's thoughts, internalized, instinctively. Here are some random thoughts, that might or might not be about typing yourself -- mostly points of identification I find in what you say.

I find that emotional investment expends more energy than intellectual investment (which is the first instinct / natural approach). I might feel inside like I care in my own way, but I usually have to choose to emotionally invest, and it's usually more because, "okay, they need an emotional investment from me, and I want them to feel better/heal/get better because I do care, so I will choose to engage/express on a more emotional level. Plus, that way they'll understand I do care about them, and they won't hate me because they'd erroneously think I don't care..." Long story short, I think some people (because we're all different) have natural emotional responses and have to step back in order to think through them or have another approach; but typically it's the emotional responses I have to consciously choose.

I have found sometimes that I need to actively help/engage with others so they understand I do actually think well of them and care about them, versus remaining so detached about it and letting them go it alone just because I think they can manage just fine. (It's usually about minimizing effort / encouraging independence / not intruding into another's space, from my end; but this can so easily be read as "not caring" from another person's perspective. Also, if you don't engage, you don't build a relationship/connection; and sometimes life feels very lonely. It's that back and forth of engagement that builds a connection between people.)

I think a lot about my mom. She is 76 now. We talk on the phone once a week and it's enjoyable, but it's only for about 20-30 minutes. I think sometimes that it's such a small amount of time and maybe she thinks I don't love her, at the same time when we're together we don't often have a lot to say -- or we usually end up talking more about what she likes to talk about because she can't really talk about stuff on the level I like to. So... the same conundrum. I will miss her when she's not around, but it doesn't mean it's easier to spend time together when she's alive. It was always that way. I do think there is something to be gained from just being in proximity to other people, though; like you are say, it's easy to feel detached when you're not with them, but there is something organic and real that comes up when you're IRL with them, experiencing them directly.

I think in today's society becoming a specialist is how you rise to the top of your profession. I've been a rather unmotivated generalist much of my life; there are jobs for that skillset, but not the sort where you become an "expert" in a field and have people look to you. You're more of a facilitator. Also, in a field like music, being a specialist means you become really good at your area (performance, if that's what you mean). A generalist is more about being a producer or a band leader/manager or recording engineer or composer or something that involves a lot of big-picture thought. In any case, to get any where, you need to be "producing work" regularly which as a musician that means performing and/or recording performances. There's a lot of networking that would be involved. You need to be recognized somehow. My thoughts about math and music: Music has a more feeling aspect as well as performance, so think about your happiness. Do you find something valuable in the performance aspect of music or something in your own internalized FEELINGS when you perform that makes it an important aspect of your life? Do you feel dead when you're not doing music? Math is more nowadays used as a tool for other things -- for engineering, or software, or modeling, or physics, etc. It's usually more private in nature too, rather than being a way to personally self-express. So which makes you happier?

Anyway, would determining your type change your thoughts on this, or can you cut straight to how you feel about it inside?

 

[Maou]

Hello,

So I'm looking for some confirmation about my type because the results are aways INTP but I don't feel like I'm a logical machine, you know?

So I decided to post some of the common behaviors of mine, could you guys help me with this confirmation, please?

- When making a decision I take everything into consideration. But in big decisions, this everything means like EVERYTHING and I can spend weeks and some months thinking and rethinking.

- I don't normally look for advice. But when I do it's because I searched so much and I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way, this may cause the effect of me appearing to some person I haven't for months just to ask them for help.

- I think that I'm pretty easy to know and I love my friends and family, but everyone thinks I'm cold as f*ck, especially my mom and my girlfriend. Also, my mom says that I have always been distant and in my head.

- When giving emotional advice I like to just give the solution to the problem while my gf don't appreciate much.

- I think better when I'm in motion. So sometimes I may walk in circles.

- I start various books that I'll never end. Make lists that I'll never follow or even remember that I did it.

- I feel deep emotions, yes. But it's normal to not know how to deal with them and act like a child.

You sound just like me. Lol but yeah ditto what's in this thread before me.

 

[Morpheus]

[MENTION=7]Totenkindly[/MENTION] Yeah man! I totally related to everything you said!

About my career, you're right about it having a lot of big picture sometimes, I'll probably have to deal with it sooner or later. But I'm thinking of continuing it since is what I do best, no matter what my type is. I feel awesome when performing, it's not about the people but the pleasure to play music. It's an awesome sensation to be part of the song and focusing on doing your best. When the shows end, then it becomes about the people and it is always nice to receive compliments. Differently, from other people, I didn't start playing because of some musician or style of music. I was kinda lost in what to do from life and watched Whiplash, it inspired me since I wanted to become good in something so I took the courage to start learning bass, and it was different, because the others things that I've tried it was all on my own. But with music i had external validation from my teacher, i started to make new friends, things in general started to work for me, where on other pursuits i hadn't experienced anything like this.

But math is something that I really like to learn and something that I admire, I think it has more application on other people's lives than music. It's more important. But I'm not nearly as good at it as I'm with music, and be jumping around from career to career won't bring a successful job. So I decided to focus.

 

[Yuurei]

Hello,

So I'm looking for some confirmation about my type because the results are aways INTP but I don't feel like I'm a logical machine, you know?

So I decided to post some of the common behaviors of mine, could you guys help me with this confirmation, please?

- When making a decision I take everything into consideration. But in big decisions, this everything means like EVERYTHING and I can spend weeks and some months thinking and rethinking.

- I don't normally look for advice. But when I do it's because I searched so much and I'm trying to view the same problem in a new way, this may cause the effect of me appearing to some person I haven't for months just to ask them for help.

- I think that I'm pretty easy to know and I love my friends and family, but everyone thinks I'm cold as f*ck, especially my mom and my girlfriend. Also, my mom says that I have always been distant and in my head.

- When giving emotional advice I like to just give the solution to the problem while my gf don't appreciate much.

- I think better when I'm in motion. So sometimes I may walk in circles.

- I start various books that I'll never end. Make lists that I'll never follow or even remember that I did it.

- I feel deep emotions, yes. But it's normal to not know how to deal with them and act like a child.

No it isn't. Self-control is a thing all people are capable of.

 

[Coriolis]

No it isn't. Self-control is a thing all people are capable of.

Not knowing how to deal with emotions is normal for some of us, though that need not translate into acting like a child. Self control, then, is not the same as actually dealing with the emotions.

 

[Snow as White]

You seem very INTPish to me based on what you have been writing here, fwiw.

I think some of the failings on the system have to do with how types are written up. They are just sort of a brushstroke concept, to me, since there are so many variations in individuals. For your journey I would do what you are doing which is exploring.

 

[Yuurei]

Not knowing how to deal with emotions is normal for some of us, though that need not translate into acting like a child. Self control, then, is not the same as actually dealing with the emotions.

Nope, but it's better than making them everyone else's problem...or making terrible decisions based on said emotions. I think that's more important. But I mean, Te here.

 

[Coriolis]

Nope, but it's better than making them everyone else's problem...or making terrible decisions based on said emotions. I think that's more important. But I mean, Te here.

I don't disagree, just making the distinction between the two issues, or aspects to the problem,

 

[rav3n]

Must music align with your emotional state or can happy music improve your mood?