Famous Intps

[Melkor]

I stumbled upon this while doing yet another test.
(Funny how the fear of not being Intp is enough to demonstrate I am Intp...)

It makes me feel all special inside/laugh an awful lot.

Abraham Lincoln? Albert Einstein?Charles Darwin?

Brilliant...


also, I laugh at Data/Brian Griffin, and cry at Mary-kate/ashley olsen......


Anyone else, feel free to add any others you know of.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i thought there was already a thread about this.

but, i watched the show on the history channel about Einstein on monday, and that guy was definitely an INTP. he fit the bill quite nicely. he was very head in the clouds (he called it "thought experiments"), counter culture (he was one of the few scientists in germany that was anti-war during WW1, he didn't wear the "in style" clothes and it said he even took to not wearing socks quite often), and he didn't seem to care much about socializing or social niceties.

 

[Melkor]

I tried to find a thread prior to posting this, but couldn't....

Socrates too....

 

[Devercia]

Brian is an infp. He is costantly fighting to maintain harmony with his liberalism. He also shows few of the auxilery intp traits like eccentricty.

 

[Decaf]

I'm actually curious about the Mary-Kate/Ashley Olsen mention. IF they're INTPs, we can probably thank Full House for corrupting them into making the garbage movies and whatnot that made them millionaires (unless they simply exploited a realized weakness in the market).

More importantly... what would it be like to grow up with an INTP twin? What impact would it have to grow up being able to easily relate to another person?

Seriously though... how the hell could they leave out Thomas Jefferson? He's such a blatant INTP its not even funny and its not as if he's more obscure than John Tyler.

 

[Waterstiller]

Seeing a list of people like that is kind of depressing. So much to live up to.

I always related with Brian whenever I watched Family Guy. I doubt he's INFP since he seems to be devoid of feeling often. He's the most logical character on the show.

 

[Ermine]

...wow. It's amazing to think I'm anywhere near being like these guys.

 

[FusionKnight]

I don't find these lists to be particularly useful... I mean Hitler might have been an INTP, but that doesn't mean we have anything in common with his life. Same goes for anyone on the list...

 

[NoID10ts]

I can't understand why I'm not on the list. I'm very important.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i think God is INTP. for her to have the curiosity to want to create an existence makes me think she's INTP.

 

[Ermine]

I don't find these lists to be particularly useful... I mean Hitler might have been an INTP, but that doesn't mean we have anything in common with his life. Same goes for anyone on the list...

He actually comes off as more of an INTJ. I imagine an INTP with his kind of hate would just sit and stew.

 

[Jesin]

Lincoln?

 

[Decaf]

He actually comes off as more of an INTJ. I imagine an INTP with his kind of hate would just sit and stew.

That depends on whether or not the hate was simply a mechanism to power. Still, I agree that he's unlikely an NP. Even before he became powerful he was one of those vegetarians that tries to convert others to vegetarianism by describing the slaughtering process. Maybe its presumptuous but that behavior, which seems consistent through his known life, is not the behavior of a dominant Ti.

 

[Waterstiller]

How INTP's convert others to vegetarianism:

Socrates: Would this habit of eating animals not require that we slaughter animals that we knew as individuals, and in whose eyes we could gaze and see ourselves reflected, only a few hours before our meal?
Glaucon: This habit would require that of us.
Socrates: Wouldn't this [knowledge of our role in turning a being into a thing] hinder us in achieving happiness?
Glaucon: It could so hinder us in our quest for happiness.
Socrates: And, if we pursue this way of living, will we not have need to visit the doctor more often?
Glaucon: We would have such need.
Socrates: If we pursue our habit of eating animals, and if our neighbor follows a similar path, will we not have need to go to war against our neighbor to secure greater pasturage, because ours will not be enough to sustain us, and our neighbor will have a similar need to wage war on us for the same reason?
Glaucon: We would be so compelled.
Socrates: Would not these facts prevent us from achieving happiness, and therefore the conditions necessary to the building of a just society, if we pursue a desire to eat animals?
Glaucon: Yes, they would so prevent us.

(Einstein was vegetarian too! Yay for INTP vegetarians!)

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

An internet expert plants the INTP flag on Gandalf:

joft 01-18-2005, 07:19 AMI think Gandalf is very likely INTP. The movies are most likely the more recent portrayal of him in most people's memory right now, but in the books it showed a lot more time of him doing things alone (in the movie you see him being the life of a party with fireworks and that looks kind of E, but he really never reveals much about himself ever). In the movie you also see him leading the fellowship around and that looks kind of J, but remember how much he mulled over and researched whether Bilbo's ring could be "The One"?

I think he's obviously a very strong character capable of positioning himself in diffferent areas on the spectrum to accomplish different goals (chameleon anyone?). But it comes down to whether he is more perceiving or more judging, and I would have to say that he's DEFINITELY perceiving. In the books there were so many times he pondered alternatives to everything and second-guessed himself. You can see it somewhat in the movies.

I also think that his ability to take initiative and lead and make decisions doesn't have anything to do with J, but rather his ability to extrovert. He knows that he has so much knowledge and only he can take the responsibility to do some leading, so he quickly extroverts his thinking into words and orders, and INTP's are capable of very logically organized and specifically strategic thought.

And I claim Merlin with little to none justification.


I don't know that much about Jung's life, but I'd really like to know more about the types in his life. It would be awesome in an ironic & fractal way to a biography of Jung that incorporated MBTI explaintion for why Jung & the people he knew acted the way they did. It'd also be a celebration of INTPride.

 

[Perseus]

i think God is INTP. for her to have the curiosity to want to create an existence makes me think she's INTP.

God is XXXX morph-shifting through all types. Exist does God. (In Erewhon it is ISTJ).

 

[Perseus]

The first two INTPs I think of are Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

 

[zxc]

Da Vinci? Ben Franklin? .............. Me?

 

[Waterstiller]

Leonardo da Vinci? Ben Franklin?

If so.. more vegetarian INTP's.

Being vegetarian seems common amongst the world's most famous INTPs, even though it wasn't very popular. Another interesting thing to note would be their irregular sleep patterns.

 

[FusionKnight]

Frank Lloyd Wright? Certainly had the sleep issues, the socialization issues, and the extreme sense of "The Way Things Should Be Done". Was also a visionary decades ahead of his time.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

Frank Lloyd Wright? Certainly had the sleep issues, the socialization issues, and the extreme sense of "The Way Things Should Be Done". Was also a visionary decades ahead of his time.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), was the most innovative and important architect in U.S. history. As an INTP type person, Wright set about to create a new type of architecture, clean and unembellished and congruent with the environment. 300 of his structures stand today. Wright pursued a sometimes chaotic life without regard to the public.

http://www.delta-associates.com/TypeTable030207/INTP030307.htm

Agreed!

 

[Kuu]

Frank Lloyd Wright? What you say is true, but I'd say he was ENTP. He seemed to had no issues with telling everybody how right and genius he was; indeed he practically made sport of it. What happened to INTP second-guessing and working away from the spotlight, behind-the-scenes?

But then again, INTPs can be quite extroverted dicks when it comes to their fields of expertise. And he did have enough evidence to back up his bragging rights. Hmm. If you achieve such a position of prominence and success, wouldn't you gloat all over? It might be an extreme case of INTP "arrogance"... or even... chameleon action. I don't know. Was he E, or just I acting E?

If we're talking architects there's the much mentioned Thomas Jefferson. I'd personally suggest Louis Kahn. If you've seen his work, read his conversations, know about his life... He was unquestionably an introvert. Had a fucked up emotional/personal life, and spent most of it in relative obscurity, being misunderstood. It is even said by those that knew him that he was very emotionally bottled up, and vulnerable (inferior Fe). His writings and conversations evidence a difficulty to translate abstract ideas into clear words, which conflicts with the inner coherence of his principles as evidenced in his work: he strived for truth in materials and structures, clarity of function, and a timeless contemplative ambience (Ti-Ne anyone?). It is strongly emotional and abstract and also deeply intellectual. He was very philosophical and religious in that pantheistic-kinda-way that seems characteristic of NTPs...

Also see the movie his son made. He seemed to think his father was cold and had no love for them, but at the end he concludes that he loved humanity and life as a whole, in his own introverted ways.

 

[del]

Noam Chomsky is definitely an INTP.

I'm thinking Ben Franklin and da Vinci were ENTPs, though. I haven't a clue about Frank Lloyd Wright.

I'd agree that Thomas Jefferson was an INTP as well.

 

[Sapphire Harp]

I think it's funny how (seemingly) only one list of famous INTPs is spread around on the internet. Does anyone know where it came from originally?​

 

[Barachai]

Thomas Jefferson strikes me as either an ENFP or an INTP, but I'm not really sure.
Would the apostle Paul have been an INTP? It would seem to fit him.
Siddhartha (Hesse) also looks like an INTP.

 

[Auburn]

Thomas Jefferson strikes me as either an ENFP or an INTP, but I'm not really sure.
Would the apostle Paul have been an INTP? It would seem to fit him.
Siddhartha (Hesse) also looks like an INTP.

The apostle Paul had a zeal for anything he ever put his mind to. In the two disk DVD - Two Thousand Years: The History of Christianity - it's mentioned how before being an apostle he was a top student in many different areas of study - excelling in any field he went in; and ultimately excelling in Christianity when he took it on. If I had to type him I would probably say he was ENTJ.

 

[Barachai]

Not an ENTJ. Maybe INTJ. Paul was a leader, but not in the same way as Peter was. He was a little more chameleonic.
I'll need to look this up...

 

[ejames]

Just guesses of Fictional ones:

Lisa Simpson
Linus Van Pelt
Dilton Doiley
Possibly Calvin or Hobbes (though they could be INFP, hard to tell for me)

 

[Luzian]

I don't find these lists to be particularly useful... I mean Hitler might have been an INTP, but that doesn't mean we have anything in common with his life. Same goes for anyone on the list...

hitler was more than likely an entj

you don't need to be a super genius to rule the world, you just need to control those who are, and anything else

 

[JoeJoe]

a very clear fictional INTP: Lady Patience from the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.

 

[Luzian]

Fictional characters are less reliably typed, especially if the story writer isn't realistic with that character's personality. Also, think of how characters are morphed to do things differently because of circumstance outside the realm of the story, such as things to get higher ratings.

 

[JoeJoe]

Fictional characters are less reliably typed.

Believe me, this one is. She avoids social activities, she's eccentric, has lots of passions, but never seems to finish something she started, or rather does everything parallel, her room is a total mess and she's awkward with expressing feelings.

 

[Toad]

Brian griffin is a harsh INTP. It's so funny when stewie keeps askin him "so you gonna finish that book you been workin on?" in that really high voice hahahha

Just like an INTP to start something and then get bored of it

 

[scorpiomover]

One thing I like about this list. I have heard/read it said often, that INTPs never seem to amount to much. Looking at the people on this list, I think that INTPs AND non-INTPs really underestimate just how much that INTPs contribute and achieve.

Just think about this: 43 different people have been American Presidents. Population distributions suggest that INTPs are between 4% to 7% of the population, 1-2 Presidents to 3 Presidents. Even if the types were distributed uniformly, then INTPs should only make up 1/16th of that, 6.25%, only 2-3 Presidents.

Abraham Lincoln, Gerald Ford, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, and John Tyler were all American Presidents, and all were/are INTPs. That's 5 Presidents. So INTPs make up a total of 11.63% of American Presidents, somewhere between 2-3 times their prevalence in the general populace.

Clearly, INTPs are seriously punching above their weight, when it comes to getting to the top job in America, and that's politics, a job that INTPs are supposed to be lousy at, and in a country that is supposed to vote for personality, which requires charm, charisma, and popularity, things that again INTPs are supposed to not be all that good at.

I seriously marvel at this.

 

[Astealthydonut]

He's the most logical character on the show.

And he a talking dog.

Awesome!

 

[Hermetic Alchemist]

"Abraham Lincoln, Gerald Ford, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, and John Tyler were all American Presidents, and all were/are INTPs. That's 5 Presidents. So INTPs make up a total of 11.63% of American Presidents, somewhere between 2-3 times their prevalence in the general populace."

What is even more interesting is that only one of these was in the last 100+ years, and that one wasn't even elected!

This should hardly surprise us, as I's in general are not going to like the glad-handing and baby kissing politics requires, and INTPs especially are hardly going to be able to project the confidence that a President currently requires to be elected.

Why can't we have Cyteen's system of government?

 

[Puffy]

What criteria did they use to work out if they were INTPs I wonder. I'm kind of doubting that five American presidents were INTPs. I just don't see inferior Fe cutting it.

 

[Particle]

Political theater was different back when most of those guys were elected. The masses tended to elect people that didn't seem to want the job but would be good at it instead of the media feely frenzy it is today.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

Sheldon from Big Bang theory comes over to me like an INTP, albeit one with an extremely underdeveloped Fe. He could be an INTJ as well, but I lean more towards INTP.

 

[Hadoblado]

I always felt a connection to Socrates as I read about him, I guess this is probably why.

Does anyone know what Newton was? or Stephen Hawkins? I don't know enough about either to type them myself.

 

[scorpiomover]

Sheldon from Big Bang theory comes over to me like an INTP, albeit one with an extremely underdeveloped Fe. He could be an INTJ as well, but I lean more towards INTP.

Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, and that is much more of the job of an INTP, like Albert Einstein. He also completely lacks social skills, and that also is a trait that is usually associated with INTPs.

However, Sheldon is always judging Leonard's experiments as being derivative, and his hypotheses as being inferior. He has also expressed the sentiment that the world would be much better in a benevolent dictatorship under his rule. These behaviours are quite clearly judgemental, with preference to his judgement. These characteristics, as well as others, are those only found in Js.

So there seems to be 2 ways in understanding Sheldon.

The key note, is WHY Sheldon behaves as he does. He is SURE that he is right, and sees no reason to change his views, no matter what others think. He COULD learn to be more social. He just doesn't see any reason why he should. He COULD test his hypotheses in experiments, and be an experimental physicist. He is sure that his hypotheses are right. He only tests his hypotheses in experiment, in order that he can prove them conclusively to the scientific world, like when he went to the Arctic for 3 months to find a magnetic monopole. But he is still just as sure that magnetic monopoles exist. In Sheldon's introverted world, he is right, and no-one and nothing else matters. So he is a J. He is just SO introverted, that he doesn't even see a need to be involved with the world.

He is thus an INTJ, just with an extreme level of introversion, to such an extent, that he is only interested in his own judgements, and has almost no interest in convincing the rest of the world that he is right.

Of course, this is just my perspective. So if you have more to add, that could change my views, please feel free to add them.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

That sounds just right, actually. You've convinced me he's probably an INTJ.

 

[EditorOne]

Pardon me for being late to the party, but I couldn't help but notice I am still not on the list. I shall try harder.

From higher up the thread: "Fictional characters are less reliably typed, especially if the story writer isn't realistic with that character's personality. Also, think of how characters are morphed to do things differently because of circumstance outside the realm of the story, such as things to get higher ratings."

This is true, but not necessarily for higher ratings. The television character "Bones" played by Emily Deschanel clearly has INTP moments, but we'd be making a mistake thinking a clever writer is sitting there with a Myers Briggs chart plotting out each week's episode. What we've got instead is an extended version of the old "plain, mousy, quiet librarian takes off glasses and is revealed as a beautiful creature and undergoes personality change." You can find movies from the 1930s built around this trick, people never get tired of it. This one is a bit more fun because she knows she's beautiful and simply acknowledges it as a fact and deals with it, but still.If anyone else has watched the show, have you noticed that the other characters are treating her lack of dependence, display, or concern about emotions as a "problem" that needs to be fixed. They keep accepting her as she is, but they also keep hoping she'll change to be just like them. And the actress is pretty good at making her fake attempts at laughing with others sound kind of fake.

From the other end: It is difficult to write using MB to set up characters simply because sometimes you need a response, reaction, or action that keeps the story going but isn't appropriate for a particular character. Short of having 16 characters, it's a compromise. I console myself that even INTPs have occasional ESFJ moments (which is, of course, when we ARE broken )

 

[Hermetic Alchemist]

This is true, but not necessarily for higher ratings. The television character "Bones" played by Emily Deschanel clearly has INTP moments, but we'd be making a mistake thinking a clever writer is sitting there with a Myers Briggs chart plotting out each week's episode. What we've got instead is an extended version of the old "plain, mousy, quiet librarian takes off glasses and is revealed as a beautiful creature and undergoes personality change." You can find movies from the 1930s built around this trick, people never get tired of it. This one is a bit more fun because she knows she's beautiful and simply acknowledges it as a fact and deals with it, but still.If anyone else has watched the show, have you noticed that the other characters are treating her lack of dependence, display, or concern about emotions as a "problem" that needs to be fixed. They keep accepting her as she is, but they also keep hoping she'll change to be just like them. And the actress is pretty good at making her fake attempts at laughing with others sound kind of fake.

I enjoy bones, but I find that her character slips in and out of those "obviously" INT moments - although actually it's more like INTJ (she can't conceive of being wrong) - and isn;t consistently INT. It's one thing I find really annoying about the show. There are definitely episodes (probably with different writers) when she comes to conclusions that are totally empathic or at least Feeling.

I'd guess that they only use INTJ when it's convenient, or for laughs.

Now Zach on the other hand... was much more consistently portrayed. My ex told me I was exactly like Zach (to a T). And then we discovered he was apprenticed to a psychotic serial killer

 

[EditorOne]

I enjoy the show on the theory that any show with Emily Deschanel in it is better than any show without her. But yeah, I agree with your observations, and suspect what we might be dealing with is in part a stereotyping of INTP/INTJ and all that.

Aren't we supposed to be offended when we are stereotyped?

I can't really muster up the energy, though.

 

[MissQuote]

John Wozniak from Marcy Playground says he is an INTP (on the band website)

 

[Causeless]

Brian griffin is a harsh INTP. It's so funny when stewie keeps askin him "so you gonna finish that book you been workin on?" in that really high voice hahahha

There was a cook I worked with who insisted on calling me Brian because I reminded him so much of the character.


Just replace the alcohol with marijuana and it's probably close.

 

[xbox]

Hitler is ENTJ.

Just watched Sherlock Holmes, and the main dude is definitely INTP.

 

[Causeless]

Hitler is ENTJ.

Just watched Sherlock Holmes, and the main dude is definitely INTP.

The "Creating Harmony from Discord" scene made me smile very wide.

 

[Haiduc]

I always felt a connection to Socrates as I read about him, I guess this is probably why.

Does anyone know what Newton was? or Stephen Hawkins? I don't know enough about either to type them myself.

I've actually just watched a tv programme about Newton. Based on that, he seemed very INT, at least. Not sure about J or P. The internet also seems fairly divided on this issue.

Personally, I think I'm leaning more towards INTJ. He didn't seem to be much of a procrastinator. For example, he locked himself away for 18 months and ploughed solidly through what would become his chef-d'ouevre, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. During that time, his notebooks show that he worked on nothing else. He also went above and beyond what the initial remit was, i.e. to explain planetary motion.