Hey, welcome to Personality Hacker.
My name is Joel Mark Witt.
And I'm Antonia Dodge.
Today we're talking about the personality type in the Myers-Briggs system, INTJ.
Yeah, we're going to do a bit of a riff.
We're just going to talk about this type a little bit.
Now we've created other content that goes really deep down into the INTJ personality
type.
But we wanted to do just kind of an overview of this personality type.
Which is also the Perspectives/Effectiveness type, in the Genius System.
Now Perspectives/Effectiveness people, or INTJs in the Myers-Briggs system, can be a
bit inscrutable.
They are a little bit of a mystery to a lot of different people.
There are a couple of components that if you understand this about the INTJ personality
type?
You'll be able to access other components to their type, and get to know them a little
bit more.
Yeah, and some people have nicknamed this the Mastermind person.
You know, this person that can really think deeply about things, and really mastermind.
Think tank is another word, or words that come up for the INTJ.
Someone that can really let things percolate and come up with brilliant ideas.
You know, over time, they can really think through things.
Yeah, and one of the reasons why they're called things like the Mastermind and people reference
them as being sort of a walking think tank, is because they really do have exceptional
abilities to learn information and truly think in long-range terms.
We call them Perspectives/Effectiveness in the Genius System, because of their ability
to perspective shift.
And to be able to watch their own mind form patterns, and then be able to watch other
peoples' minds form patterns, is incredible.
They're really able to get inside other peoples' minds and how they think.
They're able to see long-range into the future and really understand long-range implications
for actions.
Yeah, I have a friend who is an INTJ, and his ability to see the motivation and the
perspective of people.
Even people who may not have good intention.
Or at least how we would define good intention.
Mm-hmm His ability to say, "This is probably what's
going on for them.
This is what they're probably thinking when they're doing this behavior.
Or acting in this way, or making this choice, or saying this thing."
I'm always blown away with the insight he brings into peoples' perspective.
He's able to shift perspective into their own mind, basically.
And give insight that I'm just wowed by when he talks.
Yeah, I would say that this type has a lot of intellectual integrity, for the most part.
Not obviously every INTJ is going to be at the same level of health or development.
But for the most part, I would say that this type feels that intellectual honesty is very
important to them.
They have a high level of integrity and honesty with themselves and with other people.
I think they try to be, at least when they're trying to understand other peoples' motivations,
very egalitarian.
Right?
Fair-minded.
Yeah, very fair-minded.
Like everything makes sense to everybody that's doing it.
It's just a matter of trying to figure out how it makes sense to that person.
Now on the flip side, they can also be incredibly judgmental.
If somebody is behavior in a stupid way over and over and over again?
It's like the INTJ just gets so frustrated with their ineffectual behavior, that they
can be pretty cold and distant.
That's because the other process that they use the most is a process called Effectiveness.
Now effectiveness is really important to this type, because they want to see long-range
sustainable implementation of action.
If people are behaving in a very short-sighted way.
When they don't think about things, and think long into the distance about all the implications
of their actions?
That can be incredibly frustrating to this type.
I think explaining things to people is sometimes an energy drain for the INTJ?
Mm-hmm They understand things on a fundamental level,
that's pretty sophisticated.
If an INTJ is talking to a person that is kind of keeping things on a surface level
of understanding, or they're not wanting to try to really understand what the person is
saying.
I believe it feels like an energy drain for the INTJ person.
Yeah.
They feel like it might not be worth my time to try to explain this.
It's just going to be an energy drain, they're not going to understand anyway.
They probably have a tendency to cut off explanations, or really helping people understand things
sometimes, because it's just such a drain on them.
To try to communicate when people aren't making the effort, in their minds, to meet them halfway.
Yeah, and so there can be a tendency to withhold information, if they think that their audience
isn't going to be able to understand it?
But I think the number one thing that can screw an INTJ up, is inactivity, or inaction.
Because they think so powerfully, and they have such strong concepts and ideas.
To stay in the realm of conceptualizing is really pretty attractive for an INTJ.
It's comfortable.
Yeah, it's really comfortable, because that's their sandbox.
What the world really needs, as far as I'm concerned, if you are an INTJ, is the ability
to bring these ideas to the rest of everybody else.
To be able to bring them out into the world.
We highly recommend that if you want tips and tricks on how to do that, and how to become
the best version of yourself?
There is a premium version of the Genius Style Assessment.
If you need to go figure out if you're an INTJ.
If you've already taken the Genius Style Assessment, then strongly consider getting the premium
content that comes along with it.
It really gives you this sort of zoomed in and zoomed out.
This granular perspective on exactly what's going on with your type.
And more of a zoomed out holistic perspective on how all of these parts of who you are kind
of interplay with each other?
We recommend it for any INTJ who is really looking for some motivation, to bring their
best self forward.
We want that to be the case, because there are so many incredible ideas inside an INTJ's
mind?
That we would love to be able to see them out in the world, where everybody can benefit
from them.
Or at least have them vetted, right?
At least have them play out so we can take those concepts, and all create an infrastructure
that is long-range and sustainable.
I love talking to INTJs, because they always help me refine my ideas.
Oh, totally.
I love talking to an INTJ, giving them an idea.
Saying, "What do you think about this?"
And usually I'll get the feedback, "Well let me think about that."
About three to five days later, they'll come back and say, "Now I was thinking about what
you were saying, and here's an idea I have for you."
It's typically brilliant.
I'm always like, "How?
That's amazing!
How does your brain work like that?
That's incredible."
Yeah, absolutely.
What do you think a secret is that people don't know about INTJs?
What do you think it is that, something about the INTJ personality that most people wouldn't
realize?
Or maybe even INTJs themselves wouldn't realize?
Oh, I think INTJs realize this about themselves.
OK, what is it?
I would say the number one "secret," is just how sensitive INTJs can be.
I mean sensitive in the sense that they have very sensitive instruments.
Sort of like an antenna.
That I've had to explain like a raw nerve, like a raw tooth nerve maybe?
Where they pick up really subtle things, that other people don't realize they pick up.
Because they have the ability to distance themselves from it emotionally?
But sometimes they can't.
Sometimes it hits right into the center of who they are.
And they are surprisingly sensitive themselves, and then when they're interacting with another
person.
In fact, if they have allowed you in, to the inner sanctum of who they are.
If they've invited you into their hearts?
Yeah.
You can do massive damage while you're there.
Because the INTJ is very, very sensitive to the
Yeah.
I don't think they want people to know that.
It's dangerous, right?
Yeah, exactly.
Let down that hard shell, let somebody in.
That could be a lot of damage someone could do.
Yeah, absolutely.
I think that the number one secret, for those of you who are INTJs, you know this about
yourself.
For those of you who are not INTJs, it's really important to never exploit this component
of who they are.
To never be willing to be deliberately hurtful.
Because to an INTJ, you can do some serious damage, and I think they know that.
That's one of the reasons why they naturally have to keep a little bit of distance from
people, until they've invited them into their inner sanctum.
I'd say that's probably the number one secret.
Cool.
Well, if you're an INTJ, let us know what you think.
And also, like Antonia said, take the Genius Assessment, either the free or the premium
version.
And find out a little bit more about your personality.
Yeah, and thanks for joining us on this riff on the INTJ personality type.