Am I an INTP or INTJ?

[Graham Chapman]

The first time I ever took the Myers-Briggs test, I scored INTP. I was 10 going on 11. Whwn I was 12 going on 13, I took the test again. I always scored INTJ. I took many different ones. I asked my teachers for a test. I took it. I had the school psychologist look over it to see if it fit my personality. I again scored INTJ. However, I have been lately wondering if I am an INTP. I tkae these excerpts from TypeLogic: "A major concern for INTPs is the haunting sense of impending failure. They spend considerable time second-guessing themselves. The open-endedness (from Perceiving) conjoined with the need for competence (NT) is expressed in a sense that one's conclusion may well be met by an equally plausible alternative solution, and that, after all, one may very well have overlooked some critical bit of data." The fact that I am considering being an INTP is an example of second guessing myself. Even today, I chose a box of cupcakes at the supermarket, but wondered if I should have gone for the cookies. Whenever I choose what I want to be when I grow up, I always consider a different option. I currently want to be a lawyer, but I often consider the option of being a banker (I know it is a bit early for me to consider things of this nature, but I like to plan out my life). "An INTP arguing a point may very well be trying to convince himself as much as his opposition." I am not sure if this is true. What I often do is argue a point I do not believe to hear other's arguments in order to reasstore my belief in what they are arguing. "In this way INTPs are markedly different from INTJs, who are much more confident in their competence and willing to act on their convictions." The reason I might notice these episodes of second guessing is because they are rare. It is possible that me being confident in my choices is so common, it goes unnoticed. On a final note, I was very disorganized in the fourth grade. Now, four years later, I am very organized. Since was disorganized, I could be a P. However, we did not have as many demands regarding organization prior to the fourth grade. My organization could be a result of Js' bad reaction to change. Also, I was pretty organized before the fourth grade. I do not need to make any conscious effort to be organized now. It comes naturally. Thus, it is possible that the reason for my disorganization was environmental.

 

[Enne]

How old are you now?

Most personality evaluations aren't supposed to have much weight until you are around 16.

 

[thelithiumcat]

The similar letters in INTJ and INTP can be misleading. I'd suggest looking into functions because none are exactly the same. The direction (introversion/extroversion)of the functions is reversed, and then the dominant is switched with the auxiliary and the tertiary is switched with the inferior function. If you compare how you behave with the functions (particularly in relation to the types specifically) you might get a little more idea of which you are. You could be one and have developed the other. Do you ask lots of questions? I heard that's a good sign of a P.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Yep, this should be pretty easy to determine. You just need to look into the lower level functions. Are you Ti or Te? Ni or Ne? The Typelogic profiles you mentioned break down each of the individual functions, so try to see which set of functions fits you.

 

[ElvenVeil]

Based on your small text, my bet would be INTJ (if INTP/INTJ are the available options)

 

[Zionoxis]

How are your interactions with others you know? What about people you do not know?

 

[Jelly Rev]

based on your data, it is still 2 early to get a clear picture. You are now 14 or 15, and in eighth grade. A person's clear identity at this age is still difficult to pull out from the mess of puberty.
ps. learn to make paragraphs, that was painful. ty.

 

[Graham Chapman]

How old are you now?

Most personality evaluations aren't supposed to have much weight until you are around 16.

I read somewhere that the age was around 13.

 

[scorpiomover]

P/J is almost never 100%. Every P has SOME J in them. Every J has SOME P in them. The acid test is your default position. This comes out when you are too physically and mentally exhausted to override them.

When you are absolutely physically and mentally shattered, and all you want to do is sleep, and someone keeps bugging you to answer a question, that you don't have the answer to, do you:

1) Give them an answer, any answer, because any answer is better than no answer?

2) Say "I don't know", because decisions made in haste, are bound to be worse than taking your time to come to a good decision.

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

P/J is almost never 100%. Every P has SOME J in them. Every J has SOME P in them.

yeah, just like I and E. the difference is: which is the nature of the dominant function? (unless you reject the notion of a dominant function, or specialised sub-functions in general even)

If your internal world is primarily intuition, perceptions, goal/closure-based, then Ni dominant, and if it is logical, judgement based and reactive, then Ti dominant.

Read through this: http://intpforum.com/showthread.php?t=6582

 

[Roran]

P/J is almost never 100%. Every P has SOME J in them. Every J has SOME P in them.

This would seem to be true, except for, y'know, the whole functions thing

 

[scorpiomover]

This would seem to be true, except for, y'know, the whole functions thing

True.

Then I noticed something here. A lot of posters put a little image on their profile signature, of their personality types. They that showed they were INTPs, but gave percentages for I and E, for N and S, for T and F, and for J and P. I looked it up, and did the same.

This got me to thinking: is everyone purely a J or a P, etc? Not when you look at these images of their personality types. Almost everyone who is very decisive, has moments of indecision. Almost everyone who is very indecisive, has moments when they make decisions. Nothing is black and white in MBTI.

MBTI functions have to accommodate reality. So while the MBTI functions have to work, they aren't black-and-white either. So I think, that we ALL have ALL the MBTI functions, and we ALL use them in the various ways of the different types. OUR fuctions are just the way we mostly do things. They aren't set in stone either.

That's my 2 cents' worth.

 

[Zionoxis]

P/J is almost never 100%. Every P has SOME J in them. Every J has SOME P in them. The acid test is your default position. This comes out when you are too physically and mentally exhausted to override them.

When you are absolutely physically and mentally shattered, and all you want to do is sleep, and someone keeps bugging you to answer a question, that you don't have the answer to, do you:

1) Give them an answer, any answer, because any answer is better than no answer?

2) Say "I don't know", because decisions made in haste, are bound to be worse than taking your time to come to a good decision.

What about saying 'I don't know' just to get them to shut up?

 

[blarg]

@OP: What is the bane or your existence? Emotionality or sensuality?

 

[scorpiomover]

What about saying 'I don't know' just to get them to shut up?

Strong Js hate to admit they didn't make the best/only decision possible.

 

[Auburn]

How old are you now?

Most personality evaluations aren't supposed to have much weight until you are around 16.

I read somewhere that the age was around 13.

Type is observable at infancy, and in some cases more accurate than adulthood.
This is because children are transparent and easier to read - both in motives and behaviors.

If you know what to look for, you can identify a child's type based on what is motivating their impulses.

@ Garham Champman - Self-awareness is a long road that requires patience and deep study. It can't be arrived to instantaneously, but you're doing good to question as you are. If you stick around more, it might be possible for us to developed a stronger opinion of your type.

True.

Then I noticed something here. A lot of posters put a little image on their profile signature, of their personality types. They that showed they were INTPs, but gave percentages for I and E, for N and S, for T and F, and for J and P. I looked it up, and did the same.

This got me to thinking: is everyone purely a J or a P, etc? Not when you look at these images of their personality types. Almost everyone who is very decisive, has moments of indecision. Almost everyone who is very indecisive, has moments when they make decisions. Nothing is black and white in MBTI.

MBTI functions have to accommodate reality. So while the MBTI functions have to work, they aren't black-and-white either. So I think, that we ALL have ALL the MBTI functions, and we ALL use them in the various ways of the different types. OUR fuctions are just the way we mostly do things. They aren't set in stone either.

You have to understand these instruments were man-made contraptions.

Whether or not they describe humanity accurately is a whole different matter in itself --- but taking that instrument and using it in a way it wasn't mean to be used defeats it's purpose. To say we all have all functions and use them all to do things is neither pledging validity to MBTI nor to reality.

It is not productive in either direction. If you downplay the principles upon which a theory is based then you might as well reject the theory -- instead of using it in a way that doesn't really add up in itself. If we all had all functions, and if all was a gradient scale, then what would be the point of personality types -- aside from arbitrary classifications of behavior-groupings?​