reason
New member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 1,209
- MBTI Type
- ESFJ
I have been told by many people that I am remarkably good at understanding others, and that I can explicate that understanding in a clear and concise manner. Consequently, I have frequently acted in a counselor capacity to others, and I am acutely aware that this often involves conscious and calculated manipulation. This is not nefarious or ill-intended manipulation, but nonetheless I do intend to manipulate the emotional state and thoughts of others, and do so quite successfully, or so I am told.
In fact, I am fascinated by people, their emotions, feelings, customs, habits, predelictions, theories, incentives, motives, etc. and have invested a great deal of time studying morality and ethics. For example, some would say that I am interested in economics, but this is not quite right. Instead, I am interested in the relationships which hold between people, their well-being, conduct and the social rules which govern that. My attitude is like that of Adam Smith, who never considered himself an economist, but rather a moral philosopher.
The purpose of my writing this, is to draw attention to the fact that INTPs are often said to be uninterested, or even incapable of dealing with these issues. This view, which perhaps aligns with the common assumption that reason and emotion are inherently incompatible, with each reigning over seperate magisteria, is at odds with my life, interests, hobbies, attitude and personal experience.
There is, perhaps, a source of this confusion, in that INTPs frequently appear to be socially incompetent and awkward. There is some truth in this for me. I am not always aware of social trends, local customs, and my absent-mindedness frequently is interpreted as rudeness. I also often choose to avoid many social engagements. Moreover, I can be somewhat undiplomatic, intentionally so, and many mistake this for not understanding the "appropriate" behaviour.
Anyway, I was just posting to see if anyone else had any similar experiences. In any case, I think it is a persistent myth that those who test INTP are both emotionally and socially as deaf, dumb and blind as many suggest.
(Note: I almost always test as an INTP, very occasionally as ENTP or INTJ).
In fact, I am fascinated by people, their emotions, feelings, customs, habits, predelictions, theories, incentives, motives, etc. and have invested a great deal of time studying morality and ethics. For example, some would say that I am interested in economics, but this is not quite right. Instead, I am interested in the relationships which hold between people, their well-being, conduct and the social rules which govern that. My attitude is like that of Adam Smith, who never considered himself an economist, but rather a moral philosopher.
The purpose of my writing this, is to draw attention to the fact that INTPs are often said to be uninterested, or even incapable of dealing with these issues. This view, which perhaps aligns with the common assumption that reason and emotion are inherently incompatible, with each reigning over seperate magisteria, is at odds with my life, interests, hobbies, attitude and personal experience.
There is, perhaps, a source of this confusion, in that INTPs frequently appear to be socially incompetent and awkward. There is some truth in this for me. I am not always aware of social trends, local customs, and my absent-mindedness frequently is interpreted as rudeness. I also often choose to avoid many social engagements. Moreover, I can be somewhat undiplomatic, intentionally so, and many mistake this for not understanding the "appropriate" behaviour.
Anyway, I was just posting to see if anyone else had any similar experiences. In any case, I think it is a persistent myth that those who test INTP are both emotionally and socially as deaf, dumb and blind as many suggest.
(Note: I almost always test as an INTP, very occasionally as ENTP or INTJ).