INTJ Explained
One of the most widely recognized personality types is the INTJ: The Scientist, Mastermind,
or Architect.
This type is well-represented among scientists, inventors, and founders of philosophical movements.
They share an interest in plans and systems, with a tendency to focus on the underlying
ideas rather than the details.
They often enjoy participating in long conversations and will quickly become bored if they have
to repeat themselves.
INTJs are characterized as introverts, although they fall between introversion and extroversion.
They are reserved individuals who do not feel comfortable in the spotlight but feel just
as comfortable socializing one-on-one or leading large groups of people.
Although they are sometimes perceived as aloof or disinterested in other people's feelings
or ideas, this is not due to a lack of empathy so much as their tendency to carefully evaluate
ideas before speaking up about them.
The INTJ has two particularly noteworthy characteristics.
First, they are not content to rest on conventional wisdom or popular opinion when a better solution
presents itself; this can make them seem arrogant or elitist.
Second, INTJ tends to be very confident in their views once formed, making them seem
stubborn or inflexible.
People with INTJ personalities are highly interested in patterns and underlying principles.
They're driven to develop new theories.
They're conceptual and abstract thinkers who use systems-oriented thinking to analyze situations
in depth.
Many of the world's great inventors, musicians, artists, and writers have had the INTJ personality
type.
Key INTJ Characteristics
They prefer to work alone.
INTJs are often described as the most introverted of all types.
This is only partly true.
They tend to prefer working alone and have little patience for office politics, but this
isn't because they're unsocial.
They're, in fact, very private people -- but in the sense of having an inner life that
is rich and complex.
They tend to keep their own company, but they enjoy thinking about things more than socializing.
They have a lot of ideas that they want to turn into reality, which can give them a restless
quality.
Friends call them cerebral or even aloof, but INTJs don't care about other people; instead,
their interest in other people is expressed through intellectual conversations that are
not typical among friends who merely want to socialize.
The combination of introversion and intelligence gives INTJs an unusual degree of self-confidence.
They are used to trusting their own minds, and they have little patience for those who
aren't wise enough to do the same.
INTJs prefer to look at the big picture.
They make connections between events and recognize patterns.
As a result, they often see solutions to problems before others do.
INTJs are usually good at finding multiple solutions to a problem and weighing the advantages
and disadvantages of each solution.
INTJs aren't focused on the small details, or the step-by-step logic, of a process.
Instead, they look at the big picture.
They see how all the pieces fit together into a larger pattern.
And they keep this pattern in mind while they're working on any part of it.
INTJs focus on the big picture and abstract patterns of how things work.
They're often more concerned with how a system works than what it does or what it is supposed
to do.
This can lead them to ignore details that seem unimportant or peripheral to the "big
picture."
They have a talent for finding inconsistencies and flaws in a system.
The INTJ may be the one to point out that the Emperor doesn't have any clothes.
INTJs are intensely interested in understanding systems of all kinds: political, philosophical,
economic, scientific, etc.
They're usually fiercely independent thinkers whose insights can give others a new perspective
on an old problem.
INTJs are for logic, not emotions.
INTJs are often described as the most independent of all types.
Although they may be influenced by emotions, it is not as apparent to others that this
is the case.
This creates a paradox: INTJs are much more logical than their INTP cousins, yet their
reasoning is not readily apparent to those who do not know them well.
This seeming paradox can be resolved when one understands that logic and emotions are
two different ways of viewing the world.
Just as there are logical people who are emotional and illogical people who are cold and unfeeling,
an INTJ type can be either rational or emotional, but not both.
INTJs have learned that if they want to change things in the world, they must do it through
logical reasoning.
This does not mean that they don't care about other people's feelings; it means that they
realize how little influence other people's feelings really have on what happens in business
or politics – or in any other area where other people compete with them.
It is the INTJ's task to master his own logic, to understand how it differs from someone
else's logic and how they can interact without clashing.
INTJs like their world to feel controlled They're perfectionists, with an obvious idea
of how they want things to be—in fact, the strong sense of order they wish to impose
on the world may be rooted in their own inner sense of order.
They take the time needed to make their plans thorough and realistic, working out each step
before taking action.
INTJs like to have projects that allow them to work without close supervision and want
a clear set of goals and expectations.
INTJs are generally good at finding and taking opportunities that would enable them to put
their ideas into practice but will quickly lose interest if they feel confined or unappreciated.
Introverted Intuitives are deep thinkers who need time alone to sort things out.
They excel at analyzing, organizing, conceptualizing, and reflecting on information they've taken
in, but this can also take its toll because they may have difficulty distinguishing between
what's truly important and merely interesting.
Talkative yet private, INTJs have little need for many friends; an INTJ is likely to be
happiest with a few close friends with whom he can interact regularly.
INTJs have a strong sense of purpose and direction and are driven to accomplish their goals.
They have high expectations and are perfectionists, never quite satisfied with their accomplishments.
INTJs tend to be hard on themselves and don't usually give themselves enough credit.
Do you think folks with INTJ personalities are likely to become arrogant tyrants as well?
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Introverted intuition
Here, we will try to understand the natural intuition of INTJs.
First of all, INTJs are more abstract than concrete.
They focus on the big picture rather than the details and on future possibilities rather
than immediate realities.
They live primarily inside their heads and enjoy spending time alone, thinking, and working
on theories and ideas.
INTJs are less concerned with living in the moment than understanding the underlying meanings
and reasons for things.
They're often good at quickly sizing up a situation or problem so that they can make
decisions based on what seems most reasonable to them.
But when it comes to the fine details of implementation, they may tend to defer decision-making until
later – once they've had time to think things through more thoroughly.
Strengths
INTJs are hard-working and self-confident.
They are also good listeners.
They expect a lot of themselves and others, but they enjoy sharing their knowledge with
those around them.
They are good at formulating strategies to achieve their goals and understand complex
systems, which makes them great strategists when it comes to planning.
INTJs also have very high expectations of their friends and value them according to
their usefulness in satisfying those expectations.
Suppose your behavior does not meet these expectations.
In that case, the INTJ may show an unexpected harshness, such as pointing out every possible
flaw in an essay you have worked hard on.
In this case, it is best to take it in stride and show a willingness to improve.
Weaknesses
Perfectionism is probably a critical weakness.
You like things to be "just so" in your world — and you work hard to make it happen.
But your perfectionism may not always show itself in what others see because you're likely
to put lots of effort into perfecting the invisible details behind the scenes, too.
You tend to analyze situations very thoroughly before talking about them with other people
– which means that sometimes it seems like you're being judgmental or dismissive when
you haven't even formed an opinion yet!
This may annoy non-INTJs who don't like waiting for your verdict.
INTJs are often good at reading people and are somewhat good at telling what others are
feeling.
But sometimes, this ability is more a curse than a blessing because it makes it even harder
to talk about anything personal or emotional than it already is for INTJs.
And if someone else is upset or hurt, they may be more likely to blame themselves than
comfort.
What characteristics of the Architect do you think are most powerful or influential?
Let us know in the comments below.