Good Evening

[Pride]

I suppose while it is technically morning where I currently reside, I do find the term "good evening" to sound quite a bit more pleasing to the ear...

Well, before I get too carried away -

I believe, with some certainty, that I am an INTP. Well, that's what the test results say, at least, and I've never scored as any other type despite trying oh-so-hard sometimes.

I get bored very easily, and I hop around different message boards based on how I am feeling during that particular day, week, month, etc...

As such this forum has piqued my interest, and I hope that my stay will be a fruitful one. It will probably be something along the lines of appearing and disappearing for days or weeks at a time, but that seems to be how I operate so...

Glad to be here and looking forward to any number of interesting discussions.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Welcome. I hope your stay is fruitful, as well.

As for your type, have you tried reading the different profiles and comparing yourself to them? I had better luck doing that than taking the tests.

 

[Cognisant]

Welcome, welcome, make yourself at home.

You can logout, but you will never leave.

Enjoy your stay

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Evening.

Rather coincidental name and timing.....

Enjoy your sporadic time here.

 

[AlisaD]

Welcome and thank you for not using the term "like minded individuals".

 

[Jesse]

Are you trying to tell me something Cognisant?

 

[Pride]

Welcome. I hope your stay is fruitful, as well.

As for your type, have you tried reading the different profiles and comparing yourself to them? I had better luck doing that than taking the tests.

Oh, about that; I am quite certain I am an INTP. The descriptions are fairly accurate, and well, the other types don't seem to fit my personality and peculiarities very well.

Of course, maybe I am wrong and I am actually an ESFJ. Or a divine being. That would be pretty cool, I think.

 

[digital angel]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[yerffej112]

INTPs are interesting in that they are incredibly adaptive. They are often misdiagnosed because they are very reflective. They tend to love the whole MBTI typing, and test out their complementary types (E, S, F and J).

People I work with can't believe I am an Introvert because I am very outgoing. They don't realize that I spent years of watching people and know how to be outgoing because I show them exactly what I want them to see. But it is exhausting, and I'd rather be at home reading a book...

And I'll also say the testing and comparing is okay. But what sold it for me was a weekend conference of personality type workshops, where first we focused on each of the four elements, and then worked on the complexities of how each element influences the next.

 

[mr.cave]

Cave Johnson here, just showing off my spiffy new profile. Welcome, welcome yes yes hi everyone. You! What are you still doing here? I fired you last week!

 

[Pride]

People I work with can't believe I am an Introvert because I am very outgoing. They don't realize that I spent years of watching people and know how to be outgoing because I show them exactly what I want them to see. But it is exhausting, and I'd rather be at home reading a book...

It is easy for me to get along with people, provided they don't start trying to shove irrational worldviews onto me. Getting along also doesn't necessitate that I like someone, but rather that I derive some small amount of pleasure or interest in having a weak relationship with them (whether it is at work or at school). However, I will say that I rarely respect even those that I "get along" with.

In regards to being outgoing despite being an introvert, it is a rather situational issue. There are times, especially after I've had a few drinks that I would not mind getting up and having "fun," e.g. dancing or singing karaoke. However, for all intents and purposes I do not enjoy the typical activities that most other people seem to enjoy, such as going to Universal Studios or Disneyland (around my residence). I view such activities as quite intellectually mundane, physically exhausting, and rather vampiric in sucking out what energy I may have that particular day.

On the subject of being outgoing in the presence of other people, it is easy to "act" in a certain way, as I agree with your assessment of having developed n a way based on something such as "forced adaptation," or "forced evolution." However, it is not my preference at all, to say the least, and I find myself most happy and at peace when I behave in my natural state - rational, detached, and rather contemptuous of those I deem to be intellectually challenged.

 

[Hammo]

Well said.

 

[Pride]

On another note, being rational and detached doesn't mean I'm being depressed or misanthropic. This seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding people have regarding INTPs (or any serious rational-type) - that our faculty for extreme logic and doubt/skepticism somehow makes us natural misanthropes, loners (this one may have some value), or socially awkward nerds with no life.

I actually think misanthropy is, most of the time, behavior conditioned by some sort of negative experience with the world or people in general. But this isn't a place for my theories on misanthropy, I think. What is more important is that I truly think the typical INTP concept of "fun" in a relaxed, genuinely warm way is quite different than what most other human beings' concept of fun.

Fun for me is constant questioning, constructing and deconstructing theoretical models & frameworks, attempting to discover logical inconsistencies in all possible arguments, including my own arguments and rationales, and such "mental" activities ad nauseum (correct me if my usage of "ad nauseum" here is incorrect).

In my limited opinion, this partly stems from the fact that we value logical consistency almost above everything else, and that the mind itself is a tool or a sword that has to be constantly sharpened in order to maintain its razor sharp edge. These types of activities are not just pointless mental masturbation, as some opt to call, but rather stimuli for our personal intellectual growth. Perhaps it is different for you, but the two most important biases for me are: logical consistency, and intellectual honesty.

 

[yerffej112]

Thank you so much for all your feedback and thought on this topic. I am sorry this is my first time back since I had posted almost a month ago. I had just found this forum and was going through some emotional dealings (still dealing...) and I just jumped right in, put my opinion out there, and then forgot this thing even existed.

I remembered the INTP Forum about 15 minutes ago when I was looking for somewhere to post a poem I had written a few weeks ago. I suddenly remembered the forum and posted my poem. Then started to search my past posts - here I am.

As I reread your two postings, I feel myself agreeing with so much of what you say. When I can see how a whole night out with friends will pan out, and I know I will be comfortable in each setting, then I am a lot more willing to take the risk and go out. But if there is likely to be any new people there, friends of friends joining in, I do get panicky.

Friday night, at home on the couch by myself posting poetry and contributing to a blog. This works for me!

Thanks for responding; I will make it a point to be better.