[ISTP] ISTPs and Rambling

[spirilis]

Um yeah, I can go into endless rambles (and rants) about stuff that others may have a passing interest in, but once I explore it in depth they lose interest fast. ("I was just wondering if you knew anything about it" followed by the look of boredom and polite attempts to fake attention when I know their minds have gone elsewhere... I've come to detect those "looks" and I wrap things up fast when I see it.)

This one guy I know who must be either ISTP or ESTP (leaning towards "I") does this to me but he doesn't get the hint at all... when I'm looking at something else and barely acknowledging what he's saying, it matters not because he's still looking intensely at me going on about whatever it is. These rambles start whenever he sees or hears something related to something he knows about.

 

[Randomnity]

Ha, I do these all the time. Bad habits!

Tend to ramble and may have many more facts than needed but include them anyway.

Wait until the last minute to begin then may have to postpone deadlines.

Become so mired in facts, they may ignore the big picture.

Focus on details so much that they are likely to ignore the reader.

Have to be careful, especially in e-mail, where irony is often seen by the reader as sarcasm.

I have a hard time remembering to consider how my writing will come across to the reader.

 

[mcmartinez84]

Is it me or do ISTPs not talk all that often, and when they do, it's rambling?
I know only two ISTPs, and they both do this. My dad, for example, will be perfectly content just sitting there silent. If I ask him something about math or psychology (two things he's always reading about) then he will talk about it. Forever. And ever. Even if he can clearly see that I'm or others around me are getting bored/annoyed. Thus, I refrain from asking him too many questions.

Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Could this apply to the ESTP too?

I don't talk too much. And I can definitely ramble on and on. I try to stop when I know people are bored...but I don't think I ever stop soon enough, now that I think about it. It seems like people are just waiting for me to shut up. Oh well. They shouldn't have asked if they didn't want an explanation.
I think part of it is that I want people to really understand something and not just take an answer for granted.

I'm a TA in a stats lab, and I find myself explaining almost all of the multiple choice questions and answers to students. A lot of the time they want to know why a certain answer is right or wrong, but others just want the right answer. I guess I'm hoping that some of the information will stick if I explain it and they'll do better on their test...and hopefully have fewer questions in the future.

I'd be willing to bet that ESTP's are like that as well. They probably just talk way more on the whole.

 

[Climber07]

I'm borderline S/N and P/J so not sure if this applies to other ISTP. I have a similar pattern of talking. I will be quiet for a long time than go on a long ramble followed by being quiet for a long time. Often when I don't say anything it is because I have nothing interesting to add to the conversation. A lot of the time people want to chitchat and while I don't mind being a good listener; I don't see the point in telling them about the mundane details of my existence. Or I have no opinion/experience with whatever they are talking about.

I'll often ramble when the conversation touches on something I've read recently or an area of interest. I have been known to give people hour long lectures on really obscure stuff. I like reading anything and everything so my brain is a storehouse of trivia. I think when I ramble I'm using my quota of words. I'm not sure if other ISTP experience this but I tend to think in terms of balance. If the other person spoke 2,000 words so far and I've barely gone over 200 words than I have an 1800 word surplus. As the disparity between the words they've spoken and mine increase, my willingness to continue on even when I notice they are growing impatient increases. But still I probably speak one word to every three from my conversation partner.

 

[Domino]

My ISTP brother-in-law can talk the hind-end off a mule if you let him. Rambling rambling rambling until your eyes roll back in your head!! (But I do it too, I'm no hypocrite. ) When we were both wrenching, he could recite from memory engine specs so detailed and exhaustive that you'd swear you were watching the automotive version of Gary Kasparov battling Deep Blue all over again.

I think my eNFJ type and his ISTP mirror well in the stream-of-consciousness department. They seem to delight in abstractions, but to a level that many other types simply aren't willing to go to.

 

[mcmartinez84]

I think my eNFJ type and his ISTP mirror well in the stream-of-consciousness department.

Definitely! I actually know an eNFP and we get along really well! We can ramble on and on for hours!! Recently we've been on the topic of MBTI and how well we fit into the type we are. I've tried explaining to him that I have few feelings and that things I do are just things that I do without an ulterior motive - and he can't understand how I live like that (he also says he can't read me well because he's always looking for a motive and he can't ever find it...y'know, 'cause it's not there). It's kinda funny seeing how differently we both think, yet we get along great!

 

[Windigo]

Is it me or do ISTPs not talk all that often, and when they do, it's rambling?
I know only two ISTPs, and they both do this. My dad, for example, will be perfectly content just sitting there silent. If I ask him something about math or psychology (two things he's always reading about) then he will talk about it. Forever. And ever. Even if he can clearly see that I'm or others around me are getting bored/annoyed. Thus, I refrain from asking him too many questions.

Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Could this apply to the ESTP too?

Haha! My daughters identify with you! Their dad is ISTP and there's no end to his rambling about electronics, mechanics, or politics. They've been known to walk out of the room in the middle. He doesn't seem to notice.

 

[iamathousandapples]

I stumble way too much to ramble.

 

[jixmixfix]

i ramble about anything Ti related i get a hard on for such things like waiting in line at a computer store and talking about intel socket 775 processors.....oh yes...mmmm

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

I ramble constantly. Mostly it's "train-of-thought" rambling about something on my mind, though, not rambling about an academic subject. And I'm more talking to myself to figure things out, rather than explaining to an audience. Usually I don't talk about the things I know a lot about because not many people know/care about them.

Also (@ Schizm) I am very interested in psychology (is anyone here not?), for the record. Math is not an area of interest for me though.

Yep! It's more talking at them than to them. It starts with talking to them then I go into my head and there's no filter from my head to my mouth. That's when I lose the ability to see how they are reacting to my words. Once I see that they are not following or don't care I shut up pretty quickly. It is very frustrating though to not be followed because I feel if anyone did it would definitely establish a respect and connection to that person.

I have noticed that ENTP's seem to be very patient with us this way. Maybe they are just returning the favor for us listening and listening and listening...

 

[Windigo]

Haha! It MUST be an ISTP thing! My husband's ALWAYS talking to himself!!! Especially in the garage!

 

[sLiPpY]

OP title cracks me up. Most of the time I have not much to say at all, unless there's an interesting topic or something immediate and pertinent to discuss. My small talk patience is generally five seconds.

There's a certain ISTP friend and I well, if we start talking it can go on for hours and hours and hours. Only it typically involves some type of movement and/or change of activities and pauses to chill out quietly in-between.

We call it rambling, and will sometimes pause to say "sorry for going on about this or that." "Worse than a couple of chicks."

 

[Snuggletron]

I haven't known one to ramble, but I know one that makes weird loud noises from afar.

 

[Windigo]

My ISTP says when I hear those loud noises he's usually shouting, "IT's ALIVE!" from the garage! LOL

 

[Sinmara]

Oh my god, my father does this all the time. We absolutely can NOT get the man to shut up. He does this captive audience thing when he starts talking about something he really enjoys; the people are clearly giving the "I want to run away!" eyes but he is oblivious. We'll either take him by the arm and literally drag him off or kick him under the table, to which he'll look at us sharply and say "Why did you kick me!?!" in front of everyone, lol.

We tell him what he was doing afterward and he gets kinda pouty.

 

[sLiPpY]

Weird noises?!? Gah! A couple of people over time had said that they like my weird noises.

I was like weird noises? What are you talking about? Most of the time I didn't even know it, but seem to do it less now that I'm older.

Not such a weird noise, but I was over at an ISTP friends house and we
were playing guitar. His wife came in from grocery shopping and found us on the couch with the schnauzer in-between.

All three howling in sync...then we'd break it down taking turns at brief solos...and the dog would start it up again when we'd stop.

I think her facial expression looked something about like this.

Just kind of looked at each other and continued, why ruin the dogs good time?

 

[Windigo]

[/QUOTE] Just kind of looked at each other and continued, why ruin the dogs good time? [/QUOTE]


That's why we love you guys! Just when we think we've got you down . . SURPRISE!!!

My ISTP will suddenly get up in the middle of a movie shout out a dramatic maniacal laugh and just leave the room. We're kind of used to it by now.

 

[StephMC]

Hahaha... ISTPs and weird noises... Two of my ENTP friends have tried translating my noises. I would much rather make a noise or gesture than say a common short phrase. It's a waste of energy. Like: "I dunno" is "MrrMRRmrr." .... F it, I can't translate it to text like they can.