Is Gregory House the poster child for dysfunctional INTPs?

[DarkRoom]

I think so. I know, I know, that show finished, he's fictional, etc etc but I can really relate to him.

 

[SLushhYYY]

Definitely an INTJ in social situations. At heart I can possibly view him as an INTP.

 

[Words]

Definitely an INTJ in social situations.

Used to consider this, but currently I think House is an ENTP. It's obvious when viewed from a certain perspective. House is playful and extroverted to the extent of annoyance. INTJs are not playful nor extroverted and rarely describable as annoying. That goes to ENTPs.

That's weird. I know i have a better argument than that. Oh well...

 

[Absurdity]

House spends too much time brooding in dark rooms and avoiding people to be an extrovert.

While I agree that House's "aha!" moments suggest Ni, his differential diagnoses that he performs with his team is pure Ti-Ne. The fantastic (and often correct) inductive leaps he is able to make from minor observations is also Ti-Ne. His emotional immaturity is caused by his poorly developed inferior Fe.

INTP.

 

[Pilot the Cannibal]

It certainly seems like he's an INTP...

Introvert--he likes to bounce ideas off of other people, but ultimately he needs large amounts of time alone. He's afraid of forming close relationships with other people (besides with Wilson, and that's one of the most dysfunctional--albeit entertaining--relationships I've ever seen.) He doesn't like to express his emotions, even with his closest friends, and uses humor as a defense mechanism (although the show would probably suck if he didn't.) The misanthropy hints at introversion, as well (although obviously all introverts are not misanthropists) and although he is not afraid to interrupt others, if someone interrupts him while he's "busy" thinking in his office he gets extremely annoyed.

Intuitive--he is able to see the whole before he sees the parts. For example, in episodes (such as the the one where he kidnaps the actor and the one where he gets a migraine and takes a bunch of acid) he realizes the diagnosis before he even knows the cause. He is able to put seemingly unrelated bits of information together to find a solution--he quickly brushes aside details that aren't important and is able to use his intuition to find an answer even when there isn't decisive proof (such as the poker episode where he realizes six year old Ian has one of the rarest diseases in the country, while everyone else assumes it's dehydration.)

Thinking--this doesn't need much of an explanation because it's so obvious. He's obsessed with truth--doesn't like emotional displays of affection--only concerned with what can be rationally quantified.

Perceiving--he arrives compulsively late every day. He refuses to work hard: he will only put all of his efforts into a case if he finds it interesting--and if he finds it interesting, it isn't work. He doesn't care what other people think of him, showing up to work each day in sneakers and jeans. It is true that he is an excellent planner and manipulator (kind of a Machiavellian type of style) and so he would appear to be an INTJ strategist--but this is really all just a mind game for him, and he usually doesn't gain anything out of his manipulation of others. Although he sometimes offers vague reasons for the games he plays with people (conflict breeds creativity!), at the end of the day he really does just like to screw with people.


So....to answer your actual question...yes. He kind of does represent the "screwed up" INTP. Although, on the other hand, is he really screwed up? Sure, he's a manipulative, anti-social narcissist--but he's also a brilliant doctor who has saved hundreds of lives, which is more than a lot of INTPs (or a lot of people) can truly say about their lives. So, who knows? I, personally, like House quite a lot, although I wouldn't want to be him.

And now, an elephant.

 

[pjoa09]

But he's the leader of his little clan isn't he?

I get ah-ha moments only on technical stuff.

 

[Words]

I get ah-ha moments only on technical stuff.

I'm sensing an emergence of over-emphasis for "ah-ha moments." I think these moments are not necessarily linked with type.

 

[pjoa09]

I'm sensing an emergence of over-emphasis for "ah-ha moments." I think these moments are not necessarily linked with type.

Crap.

Then introverted intuition still remains a massive mystery. So far, it seems like it's just being able to have an insight into the future. But who doesn't speculate?

 

[DarkRoom]

Quite frankly, I fancy the pants off him but that's not particularly relevant ^_^

Pilot the Cannibal, I agree with everything you said.

As for him being dysfunctional, I think he's a dysfunctional genius but doesn't being dysfunctional typically come with such a high level of intelligence? Hmmm.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I think the main reason for the confusion with House is that the character is INTJ yet the actor (Hugh Laurie) is ENTP. I'd imagine that as seasons progress, the team (directors/actors etc.) gets a feel for each other which influences the development of the series.

 

[DarkRoom]

Actually, I think Hugh Laurie is INTP too. The way he talks about himself suggest introversion to me.

 

[Absurdity]

House is not an INTJ. Foreman is an INTJ.

Here are the types of the main characters:

House: INTP
Wilson: ENFJ
Foreman: INTJ
Chase: ISTP
Cameron: ENFP
Cuddy: ESFJ
Thirteen: ISFP
Taub: ISTP? (not sure)
Kutner: ESTP

Te is all about creating and defining rules. To quote a Personality Junkie post (recently brought to my attention by Architect's thread):

For Te types, the world will continue to be irrational unless we work to objectively understand it and construct standards for operating according to that understanding. They believe that such rules and standards need to be explicitly spelled out in order to avoid ambiguity or human error.

Contrast this with Ti:

It does not concern itself with standardized methods or objective protocols. Rather, it relies exclusively on its own powers of reason to analyze, understand, and problem solve.

House hates rules and convention and breaks them as if it were an end in and of itself, much more in line with Ti-Ne. He proposes seemingly insane treatments and tests to confirm his diagnoses and his justification is always "I know I am right."

His process of conducting differential diagnoses with his team is pure Ti-Ne. He never goes and sees his patients, he sits in his office and thinks (Ti).

He holds on to grudges and still feels deeply wounded by people who hurt him years ago (such as his father, Stacy, Cuddy, etc) which is pure Si-Fe.

His methods of reading people and making enormous leaps of inductive logic are Ti-Ne: purely impersonal, rational assumptions made by observation of minor details.

Enough of this "House in an INTJ" nonsense. While Ni could be argued (for the "aha!" moments), every character gets those throughout the series. However, House exhibits little sign of Te or Fi (Se maybe with his penchant for piercing observations, but certainly not as an inferior function).

 

[YoungGuns]

But he's the leader of his little clan isn't he?

Don't know about House being an INTP, but INTPs are completely capable of leadership, they just don't live and breathe it.

I've found many times that I'm able to be a good leader around a small group of people that I know on a subject I know a lot about. I just don't beg and have an end goal of being a leader.

I was a scout for 8+ years. When I was 16 or 17, I was the Senior Patrol leader, which is the child leader of the troop. It did require actual leadership, and things would regularly fall into chaos under most of them due to bad leadership. After my position expired, the scoutmaster who is very critical said I was "a damn good Senior Patrol Leader."
HOWEVER, when I didn't have an official leaderships position, I'd just go with the flow and watch things fall apart.

I've been an unofficial leader in the workplace, also. It was because I usually had the most knowledge in my niche and usually I was the one that wouldn't get home until everything was done. That, and a lot of my coworkers literally begged to be lead. I stumbled upon the role, not target it. I actually got annoyed when I was not allowed to unofficially lead, because it usually meant that a manager who didn't know what she was doing was trying to lead.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Interesting how we're able to turn this into such a circlejerk due to widespread fandom. Sort of raises questions as to the purpose and mechanisms of celebrity and celebrity worship.

Here are the types of the main characters:

House: INTP ENTP
Wilson: ENFJ ISFJ
Foreman: INTJ INFJ
Chase: ISTP
Cameron: ENFP
Cuddy: ESFJ ENFJ
Thirteen: ISFP
Taub: ISTP? (not sure) ESTJ
Kutner: ESTP

*fixed*, based on more "recent" seasons.

 

[Absurdity]

*fixed*, based on more "recent" seasons.

Oh how wrong you are.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Oh how wrong you are.

You're right.

Wilson's probably an ISTJ.

 

[snafupants]

Oh how wrong you are.

Who cares? People are going to have opinions at variance sometimes.

I'm more swayed by evidence and examples than mudslinging or arrogations.

Who can certify right or wrong? Aren't these claims ultimately and forever conjecture?

 

[Absurdity]

You're right.

Wilson's probably an ISTJ.

Oh you mean this guy:

Spoiler

Spoiler

EDIT: Didn't realize how huge that image is but it makes it even better.

 

[Absurdity]

@snafupants stop stalking me.

 

[TriflinThomas]

Crap.

Then introverted intuition still remains a massive mystery. So far, it seems like it's just being able to have an insight into the future. But who doesn't speculate?

Introverted intuition is like having a weird feeling that something is going to happen (and a lot of times it does) or having a "feeling" about people. One of the times I remember most clearly was the first time I got caught stealing. I was walking around the store with my friend (we had a lookout system) and I couldn't shake this feeling that we were going to get caught. And, sure enough, we got caught; we had stolen hundreds of times and I never had that feeling like I had that day. Though, in day to day use, it's used to "read" people; I get a feeling about people when I interact with them or watch them interact with other people.

 

[snafupants]

@snafupants stop stalking me.

Hopefully you're kidding.

 

[Words]

I concur. Foreman is too T, and Wilson is too F. Do you concur?

Introverted intuition is like having a weird feeling that something is going to happen (and a lot of times it does) or having a "feeling" about people. One of the times I remember most clearly was the first time I got caught stealing. I was walking around the store with my friend (we had a lookout system) and I couldn't shake this feeling that we were going to get caught. And, sure enough, we got caught; we had stolen hundreds of times and I never had that feeling like I had that day. Though, in day to day use, it's used to "read" people; I get a feeling about people when I interact with them or watch them interact with other people.

Theoretically, it is about "iNtuition that is oriented by the subject"(Jung). iNtuition is about entertaining something that isn't in the present, obvious, concrete reality. Being "oriented by the subject" means being defined by the subject. Subject=person. Thus, Ni is about entertaining something that is subjective and not immediately present in reality. I interpret this as basically creating an imagination. Therefore, your experience of "having a weird feeling" is a product of your imagination regarding the thieving situation, which is Ni itself. See if that makes sense.

Here's my current approach. If N=imagination, and if i=subjective and if e=objective, then Ni is "subjective imagination." That's not so difficult to comprehend, right? Considering that when we think of "imagination", we usually think of it as already "subjective." But Ne is "objective imagination", can you wrap your head around that?

 

[pjoa09]

Introverted intuition is like having a weird feeling that something is going to happen (and a lot of times it does) or having a "feeling" about people. One of the times I remember most clearly was the first time I got caught stealing. I was walking around the store with my friend (we had a lookout system) and I couldn't shake this feeling that we were going to get caught. And, sure enough, we got caught; we had stolen hundreds of times and I never had that feeling like I had that day. Though, in day to day use, it's used to "read" people; I get a feeling about people when I interact with them or watch them interact with other people.

I thought introverted feeling read people! But I get what you mean. I get them way too many times, if I followed mine I'd be one paranoid maniac. Maybe that would've been a good thing.

God... also introverted intuition is so subjective I mean I get crappy gut feelings all the time. I guess listening to the gut feeling is introverted intuition. I tend to trust a built outlook from various events. Whenever I reach a problem or I am pondering the occurrence of an event I remember related events and see how it built up to it. I guess there isn't a chance for Ni on me.

I've never trusted a pure gut feeling. I always had data to back it up, no matter how subjective they were.

@YoungGuns Yeah, that whole expertise thing occurs time to time for me but not at my occupation. It's a great thing to look forward to. So far I haven't ever felt like being in charge, I worry about making bad calls.

 

[snafupants]

I concur. Foreman is too T, and Wilson is too F. Do you concur?



Theoretically, it is about "iNtuition that is oriented by the subject"(Jung). iNtuition is about entertaining something that isn't in the present, obvious, concrete reality. Being "oriented by the subject" means being defined by the subject. Subject=person. Thus, Ni is about entertaining something that is subjective and not immediately present in reality. I interpret this as basically creating an imagination. Therefore, your experience of "having a weird feeling" is a product of your imagination regarding the thieving situation, which is Ni itself. See if that makes sense.

Here's my current approach. If N=imagination, and if i=subjective and if e=objective, then Ni is "subjective imagination." That's not so difficult to comprehend, right? Considering that when we think of "imagination", we usually think of it as already "subjective." But Ne is "objective imagination", can you wrap your head around that?

Ni - Subjective imagination
Ne - Objective imagination

That's helpful in its own right but it underscores the importance of Se in grounding an otherwise wayward or overly mythopoeic subject-oriented Ni. The same thing goes for Si countervailing Ne. It seems like Ne wouldn't have the raw data to compare, satirize, and riff from experiences minus Si.

 

[Proletar]

God... also introverted intuition is so subjective I mean I get crappy gut feelings all the time. I guess listening to the gut feeling is introverted intuition. I tend to trust a built outlook from various events. Whenever I reach a problem or I am pondering the occurrence of an event I remember related events and see how it built up to it. I guess there isn't a chance for Ni on me.

Isn't this Ne?


Ne with a dominant Ti on top is what I think fuels the INTP in their careful structuring of their thoughts.

My thesis: First comes a gut-feeling, and then the need to prove or disprove it. Thinkers that in general have a need to be sure becomes INTP, and the other ones, that either lacks that quality or just have better gut-feelings, becomes ENTP.

 

[pjoa09]

Isn't this Ne?


Ne with a dominant Ti on top is what I think fuels the INTP in their careful structuring of their thoughts.

My thesis: First comes a gut-feeling, and then the need to prove or disprove it. Thinkers that in general have a need to be sure becomes INTP, and the other ones, that either lacks that quality or just have better gut-feelings, becomes ENTP.

If I am getting you correctly, note 'isn't' in my previous post. Because I described my experiences and stated there isn't a chance for introverted intuition because I run solely on extroverted intuition. I tend to think about the differences a lot because I have some sensory hobbies.

 

[Trebuchet]

I find it hard to imagine Foreman as INTJ. I have never met an INTJ who would falsify research data. They might do other reprehensible things, but they certainly couldn't do that and then be okay with themselves afterward. Foreman seemed to feel justified in doing so. I could see him as an INFJ, who did it out of loyalty to his girlfriend, and considered that a higher good.

I think an INTJ in his position would steal the drug for Thirteen and give it to her off the books, since ruining the drug's chances of making it to market or being developed correctly might hurt Thirteen farther down the line. INTJs take a very long view of everything.

Of course, writers don't always keep everyone perfectly to type, and directors don't always know what the writers had in mind. So Foreman could be INTJ except when the writers or director made him something else for the sake of the story.

 

[EditorOne]

Are we tossing "dysfunctional" around carelessly? And is it simply because the House character doesn't bother with the little concessions most of us find ourselves making to the other personality types? Admittedly that's a hook or gimmick to hang the character on, but still: House rarely tries to meet anyone on their own terms. Within the context of the show, he gets his job done, obviously to his own satisfaction.
If we're going to start calling anyone who won't pander to the F or S personalities "dysfunctional," this whole forum is to some extent in trouble.

Just as a footnote, remember the creators and producers and actors were all informed by the deliberate parallels between "House and Wilson" and "Holmes and Watson." It's not an exact match, but it's there. And the dynamic of that was mainly a device by Arthur Conan Doyle to 1. give his readers a narrator who was more like them and 2. serve as setup man for giving Holmes a stage for his brilliance and then explaining it to the readers.

Additionally, producing a television show, movie, book, etc. requires some attention to the logistics of delivering the story, sometimes at the expense of things like a character wobbling between E and I or whatever. Television requires House to "lead" his team and make his internal thinking visible with charts and other S trapping just so the viewer knows what the hell is going on. It's not like somebody is sitting down and saying "now, do we have House consistently demonstrating INTP traits?" They are surely playing off the 16 types, but that's not the point of the exercise: They are letting characters tell a story. That means the characters have to deviate from the textbook sometimes - as do we all, right?

 

[SLushhYYY]

Now that I think about it, he does have a team to consult him of possibilities. This allows him to explore Ti and Ne.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Now that I think about it, he does have a team to consult him of possibilities. This allows him to explore Ti and Ne.

Or is it really Ne and Ti (ENTP), given that when he asks for ideas he's already well prepared to shoot down the suggestions he's already thought of, e.g. it's not lupus?

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I find it hard to imagine Foreman as INTJ. I have never met an INTJ who would falsify research data. They might do other reprehensible things, but they certainly couldn't do that and then be okay with themselves afterward. Foreman seemed to feel justified in doing so. I could see him as an INFJ, who did it out of loyalty to his girlfriend, and considered that a higher good.

Foreman is a good example of an INFJ using tertiary Ti, IMO. Faking research results, his interactions with his brother, his first research trial with the cancer patient, propensity to act like House when under stress, etc.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Oh you mean this guy:

Spoiler

Spoiler

EDIT: Didn't realize how huge that image is but it makes it even better.

I have no idea who that is. Ignoratio elenchi.