Hiding your rational side

[manishboy]

I've been reading the INTP book by AJ Drenth and recognized a habit he mentions about INTPs concealing their cerebral side. With not too much reflection it hit me that I do that a lot. For example, I've also been reading a little book on Hegel because I want to understand the gist of his philosophy, but if asked by an acquaintance or friend what I happen to be reading I'd never mention that book. Or, in friendly debates, I never skewer my opponents because I don't want to inflict pain, so I hold my guns in reserve.

Now. Is is that I am being gracious, shielding the world from my uber-intellect, or am I really afraid of having my precious precision crafted conceptual models exposed to the real world testing? Drenth doesn't really provide a reason for the habit of hiding the rational aspect, so I'd like to know if anyone else recognizes the pattern, and, better still, how you've dealt with it.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

You might actually be uncertain of your success and accuracy.

If you are able to assess the situation, you actually know when you need to make another argument in order not to seem powerless in a discussion. You can also estimate the power of arguments made by others before you jump in.

It takes some trial and errors or actual attempts to develop confidence even when acting with friends, so if you want to show them something, but find yourself unable to do this, then actually it might require a few more steps from you.

Telling people what you read might be problematic, usually the people able to understand and connect to this are valuable and those that would have a problem with what you read, or would treat you differently because of this are odd. So it is one of many tests for you.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Also obviously, to be less general, you might need to adjust the content of what you say and disclose to others. It might be good not to tell some people what you read when asked, or even to give them avoiding answers, so that they do not build too much information about your person.

Also the people that seemingly understand you and socialise might just do this for their own schemes, that involve your loss rather than simply their gain, and plan on using you or the information that you posess.

Definitely, I wouldn't say you are saving them from your intellect, you might rather be too full of yourself to admit that you might be proven wrong or shown a different approach, which is very valuable.

So I would advise to act even when it means defeat, on your terms and not involving any serious loss, when you can allow it so that you can learn from those interactions and actually see how long and difficult is the path you would like to follow.

 

[Microtonalist]

I became adept at hiding such things for awhile, starting in high school. It made fitting in around non-intellectual types much easier. Now, as a late-30-something, I simply don't care. I am who I am, I like what I like, I do what I do, and I say what I say. I try to avoid people who have problems with such things. On the other hand, I think I've gotten (on the whole) more tactful as I've gotten older. I try not to pick arguments with people who frankly don't want to argue. Such arguments are seldom worth it.

 

[Anktark]

Firstly, I am tired of fixing people's phones and computers. If it's something new or very complicated, sure, gimme. But usually it's something they could have looked up on Google and fixed themselves in the same time it took them to contact me and describe the symptoms. To paraphrase, I don't like to help others stay ignorant.
Secondly, sometimes a short answer of what I am doing would make no sense to them, because it would be a small part of a bigger picture. Therefore a very vague answer is just as, if not more, informative than a more detailed and truthful one.
Thirdly, and this is most common, people don't really care and are asking out of common courtesy or just attempting small talk. So if it doesn't matter, I choose the path of least resistance (be vague as hell or provide an answer with multiple meanings and let them make an interpretation that fits them).

 

[Brontosaurie]

many people shove their "intellect" up people's faces by inserting smart-sounding tropes n clichés and topics and irrelevant facts in their speech.

that's the abnormal habit to me, rather than "concealing" i.e. not boasting. let me believe (((

 

[Upekkha]

A combination of privacy, insecurity, and not wanting to alienate people even more.

 

[Architect]

It's simple, our rational side is primarily our dominant - Ti, which is an introverted function. Hence, it is far more hidden then our extroverted functions Ne & Fe which comprise our outward facing extraverted side. Particularly when we're younger - the time when socialization is the most important to us perhaps, we especially hide our intellectual nature.

 

[Analyzer]

Yes, I think Ti can be pretty intimidating so I try to not use it much around most people. I'ts not necessarily because my thoughts are "right", but it is once engaged in a concept or argument I wont usually drop it until it can be settled(usually it just expands due to Ne).

When giving off Ne which is my normal mode of interacting with the external, I can come across as goofy or scattered. In combination with Ti this comes across as eccentric. To some being eccentric is annoying as they think I am trying to be "different" or it's just abnormal.

 

[oldfashionedgirl]

I'm not sure this has anything to do with it or not, but... I hide a lot of things simply because they're too complicated.

Like, a simple, standard question: what's your favorite color? I can't answer that! I like all vibrant, neon colors, like orange, pink, teal like green, bright yellow, etc etc. There's this long explanation about why this is and how I tend to arrange the colors and what patterns they should be in, but who want's to sit through that? The easiest thing to say is I don't have one. So I leave out all the introspection I have done on the subject [quite a lot] to avoid dumping a pile of totally stupid information on somebody's head when they don't really care.

Does that even make sense?.... I hide my rational thoughts and motives because they're so easy for my mind to just... see all the connections and thoughts as a big map all at once, but when speaking I am limited to one sentence at a time and nobody can follow me. Therefore I just don't mention it in the first place.

 

[manishboy]

So it comes down to keeping the peace in a group? I'll buy that. For now.