Odd INTP habits?

[Procinogen]

The thought just occurred to me that INTPs do some pretty weird things (other personality types probably do to, but I'm too socially crippled to know that). By that I mean, looking up some random thing on Wikipedia, than like, five hours later, you end up at quantum theory.


So, with that said, what are some weird things that us INTPs do?

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

I like to knock twice on the top of fire hydrants when I walk past them. It's not like a compulsion or anything, either. I just like it.

 

[QuickTwist]

I like to knock twice on the top of fire hydrants when I walk past them. It's not like a compulsion or anything, either. I just like it.

Words cannot express the lol here. Oh, wait, I think I might have one: you dog!

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

Words cannot express the lol here. Oh, wait, I think I might have one: you dog!

There's a bathroom in my apartment I've never pooped in.

Edit: Again, not out of any compulsion or need. Just for fun.

 

[Rook]

Kipper kalahoon da flagrantrafantisms .

Muoogldedoc 698256388106 dor vanjarikskara og boedervloeg, og kukumakakranka, og halibutus rex!

In summary, I like to make no sense over the internet, it gives me an identity to cling to and hold dear to me heart and also has the added bonus of rank silliness spliced with a reverence for the fish god Uxolk.

 

[Creeping Death]

I like to make a cocoon-like clap where my hands clap together like there's a small ball I'm holding, instead of the usual flat hands clap during an applause. The noise this produces is pleasing for some reason, and I do it randomly throughout the day, when alone of course.

I will make weird faces at myself in the mirror for a few minutes.

I sometimes put a sock over my junk and walk around the house, peeking out the blinds, and when someone walks by I make an abrupt weird noise out the window.

 

[QuickTwist]

There's a bathroom in my apartment I've never pooped in.

Edit: Again, not out of any compulsion or need. Just for fun.

I appreciate your oddness, friend.

Let me think what weird habits i have... Thinking...

As opposed to Cheesumpuffs, I am actually quite compulsive. I do a lot of things out of compulsion that is not at all rational. For example, I will have arguments with my brother for a long time trying to get him to view things in another light. Even just last night we had an argument where I was trying to tell him that working out is not something everyone has to do by themselves. He refused to list when I said it doesn't matter who you are, everyone needs support in some way shape or form. That to a large extent has to do with the people around you. I did mention that its possible to work out without the need to work out with other people, but with the caveat that those people need some sort of support through other means other than by people, such as mental reminders to work out. He is an extreme S and J so there is really no convincing him, but I still argue with him regardless. Very illogical of me indeed.

 

[QuickTwist]

Kipper kalahoon da flagrantrafantisms .

Muoogldedoc 698256388106 dor vanjarikskara og boedervloeg, og kukumakakranka, og halibutus rex!

In summary, I like to make no sense over the internet, it gives me an identity to cling to and hold dear to me heart and also has the added bonus of rank silliness spliced with a reverence for the fish god Uxolk.

I can honestly say that is disturbing on a number of levels.

 

[Rixus]

I don't know how odd it is. But I will bite a nail off. And keep it under my tongue for several days until I lose it or it disintegrates. Occasionally chewing upon it and running it between my teeth or whatever I find entertaining. I will always have a nail there, and another will usually be readily grown to take its place when it is lost or destroyed.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[air.ee.yell]

I mouth my words when my inner monologue takes the lead. I've kept most of it hidden but sometimes I catch myself in public talking to myself.

 

[Rixus]

I mouth my words when my inner monologue takes the lead. I've kept most of it hidden but sometimes I catch myself in public talking to myself.

Your are not alone in this. Especially when your say something really funny and people look at you laughing like you're some kind of crazy axe murderer.

 

[Cognisant]

I sometimes act out what I'm daydreaming without thinking then try to pass it off as a scratch/stretch/whatever, my expression changes too but I'm less able to control/hide that.

When I go quiet in a conversation its because I'm following a train of thought and only half-listening, this can last anywhere from a minute to half an hour, I'll then awkwardly raise the topic again and give a lecture about my conclusions/reasoning. After this people who I haven't done this to before tend to assume I've not been listening to them, they make the accusation then I paraphrase back to them what they were talking about and my thoughts on it.

I go into a trance while coding, apparently my project leader was getting really annoyed with me (thinking I was ignoring him) until he waved his hand in front of my face and I swore/jumped with fright, he sends me emails now.

I can't remember anything unless the inquirer uses the correct terminology, asking me about "that job you did for HR" will get nowhere, asking me what changes I made to the contacts entity yields a very detailed response.

 

[Sinny91]

I don't know how odd it is. But I will bite a nail off. And keep it under my tongue for several days until I lose it or it disintegrates. Occasionally chewing upon it and running it between my teeth or whatever I find entertaining. I will always have a nail there, and another will usually be readily grown to take its place when it is lost or destroyed.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Ew.

You should really give everybody the heads up on that.

No kissing under the mistletoe for you.

 

[Rixus]

Ew.

You should really give everybody the heads up on that.

No kissing under the mistletoe for you.

On the rare occasion when tongues are necessary while under mistletoe - said nail shall be quickly disposed of.

Don't worry - tis safe .

 

[Cognisant]

Spit or swallow?

 

[Rixus]

Worry about that later, Cognisant.

 

[Procinogen]

I just finished reading through this. God, all of you are pretty frickin' weird. But that's cool. I have some odd habits myself.

Like, whenever I pass through some doors in my house, I always have to touch the both sides of the door frame when I pass by. It's just so... satisfying.

 

[Kitty25]

I chew on soda can pull tabs. I also like stacking coins when I'm bored. I also have some pretty weird ways of sitting. And whenever I eat, I always have to chew an equal amount on each side of my mouth.

 

[QuickTwist]

I chew on soda can pull tabs. I also like stacking coins when I'm bored. I also have some pretty weird ways of sitting. And whenever I eat, I always have to chew an equal amount on each side of my mouth.

Oh, good there is a weird thing I do. When I eat I try to eat on both sides of my mouth equally, but I can never keep it up, it always gets skewed a bit.

 

[Minute Squirrel]

I like to bite off only part of a nail and then play with the loose end. I leave it like that until I get bored with it and pulpy the rest of or I forget about it and it falls off.

I pace around a lot, helps me think I guess. Whenever I'm having a debate in my head or imagining some situation I end up walking about the room or the house. It's definitely a compulsion, I get very uncomfortable when I don't do it.

I get distracted in my thoughts a lot when reading books which usually results in me walking around my house/room.

Since I don't chew my food very well I end up regurgitating it sometime through the day. When I do I usually leave it on my mouth, chew it up some more, and swallow it again. I also enjoy the taste, which is probably the weirdest part about it.

I'm always having long debates in my head. My inner voice just won't shut up. Oddly enough when I'm high my internal voice completely disappears, which seems to be the opposite effect for what most people experience.

I sometimes act out what I'm daydreaming without thinking then try to pass it off as a scratch/stretch/whatever, my expression changes too but I'm less able to control/hide that.

When I go quiet in a conversation its because I'm following a train of thought and only half-listening, this can last anywhere from a minute to half an hour, I'll then awkwardly raise the topic again and give a lecture about my conclusions/reasoning. After this people who I haven't done this to before tend to assume I've not been listening to them, they make the accusation then I paraphrase back to them what they were talking about and my thoughts on it.

Yeah, I do that a lot too. Especially the first one.

 

[Rixus]

I like to bite off only part of a nail and then play with the loose end. I leave it like that until I get bored with it and pulpy the rest of or I forget about it and it falls off.

I pace around a lot, helps me think I guess. Whenever I'm having a debate in my head or imagining some situation I end up walking about the room or the house. It's definitely a compulsion, I get very uncomfortable when I don't do it.

I get distracted in my thoughts a lot when reading books which usually results in me walking around my house/room.

Since I don't chew my food very well I end it regurgitating it sometime through the day. When I do I usually leave it on my mouth, chew it up some more, and swallow it again. I also enjoy the taste, which is probably the weirdest part about it.

I'm always having long debates in my head. My inner voice just won't shut up. Oddly enough when I'm high my internal voice completely disappears, which seems to be the opposite effect for what most people experience.



Yeah, I do that a lot too. Especially the first one.

1- I knew it wasn't just me who chewed their nails.
2 - yeah, I pace a lot to.
3 - that regurgitation thing is the most minging thing I've ever heard. I just read that while I was in a queue at the shop and couldn't stop laughing.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I regularly make weird faces at security cameras.

 

[Graznel]

In my school, the security was tight, so we had to jump a 2 meters high fence in order to skip lessons or when we arrived late and didn t want to be noticed by the gatekeeeper. So when I had a meeting with my former classmates and teachers last year, I jumped the fence in and out for the sake of the good old times... As weird as one can get...

 

[marlaelaine]

Since I don't chew my food very well I end up regurgitating it sometime through the day. When I do I usually leave it on my mouth, chew it up some more, and swallow it again. I also enjoy the taste, which is probably the weirdest part about it.

Sounds a bit like rumination disorder.

 

[hogarth]

I mouth my words when my inner monologue takes the lead. I've kept most of it hidden but sometimes I catch myself in public talking to myself.

I often wonder how often I'm doing that, since the number of times I actually catch myself doing must be smaller than the number of times I do it without realizing that the internal (in my case, typically a dialogue) is getting a little out of mind.

It usually happens when imagining conversations.

Another habit that is not all that odd is holding a non-existent writing utensil and writing thoughts on my leg. I used to do this almost constantly, typically while also jiggling that leg like crazy.

 

[Niclmaki]

I collect the little tabs from the seal on my orange juices. Im a little sad when I lose some.

I like to sniff everything.

I move my tongue to the numbers I'm counting. I used to tap my fingers when I first learned to count so I guess that is a carry-over? I don't do this when I'm thinking about words.

 

[AndyC]

I find it really hard to sleep without having a bunch of fans and wind on my face. I only have two fans, ceiling and one right next to where i sleep, but if i had more, i can guarantee that I would have as many as if not more than 30 fans all full blast. I really wanna get some of those fans used for indoor skydiving, setting up a room with a bunch of these and just sleeping in mid air

 

[Niclmaki]

I find it really hard to sleep without having a bunch of fans and wind on my face. I only have two fans, ceiling and one right next to where i sleep, but if i had more, i can guarantee that I would have as many as if not more than 30 fans all full blast. I really wanna get some of those fans used for indoor skydiving, setting up a room with a bunch of these and just sleeping in mid air

Don't you wake up with a sandpaper throat though?

 

[pjoa09]

I'd drift into a thought while trying to pay attention then whisper a cus and ask people around me what the hell happened.

 

[Chad T. Cock]

Perhaps the weirdest thing about INTPs is the propensity for dick jokes. You might expect a little more class from one of the most thoughtful and introspective branches of humanity; but nope, the penis well never runs dry

Incidentally, I suspect ISTJs are the most likely to accumulate weird habits. They've got pretty much everyone beat on inertia. Add to that an inclination for superstition, low risk-tolerance*, and an inability to see the big-picture effect of all these dumb habits stacking up—and you've got a winning recipe for a maximally crufty lifestyle. No matter how deep you dig, these guys never seem to run out of kludges and quirks. It's sort of horrifying.

And yet they consistently accomplish far more than us useless INTPs. Surely, there's a lesson to be had there... somewhere...

* Actually, ISTJs can be amazingly negligent of risks outside their narrow focus. That's where you get into the truly horrifying stuff.

 

[Hadoblado]

I set arbitrary social goals in order to stay interested in conversations.

- I recently conditioned my friends to understand a double clap to mean (a sometimes condescending) 'good job'. Now they've started clapping it too. They felt betrayed when I introduced a triple clap to mean 'good good good'.

- I told all the children at work that my name was "Hado with an H". They all refer to me as Mr. Withanaitch. Now all new parties think that's my name, and that since I have a title despite our first name policy, that I'm somehow more qualified.

- My goal for this year is to convince one particular friend that I'm a nice person (I am), without anyone else seeing past my asshole exterior.

 

[cbryan13]

I pretty much always have a monologue or dialogue going in my head, and most of the time there are images to go with all that. Here and there, if I know I won't be heard, I'll talk out the monologue or dialogue. I've been like that since, well always I guess. That's how I process almost everything. Actually, I plan out and rehearse almost every significant social interaction I have that way. Things go according to plan surprisingly often at this point.

Aside from that, if I'm reading something and it doesn't come across with perfect coherence I'll fixate for awhile and read the same section multiple times. Reading a book can take me awhile.

 

[Nick85]

Nothing too weird for me, other than how far I'm willing to go to satisfy my curiosity about something. Totally willing to spend hours collecting data on random topics or walk for miles to see what's around the next corner.

And occasionally not giving a shit about physical discomfort because I don't mind stimulating the senses anyways (also because why not, and looking for something to joke about if someone notices?). Ex last week I took out the garbage to the garden shed after taking my shower and didn't bother putting on anything to walk across the snow other than the pyjama bottoms I was already wearing. (Apparently more of an INTJ thing)

 

[CloudHidden]

Wow so much of this is so relatable. The pacing, and accidentally talking out loud/mouthing words/making faces, or even kind of halfway pantomime acting out whatever the little fantasy/daydream internal dialogue is taking place in my head. Works out much better when you're at home, esp. when living alone. Otherwise have to consciously suppress it and not always successful. And I always oaced in a certain pattern, in relationship to whatever my living space was at the time. Like up the stairs to my room then the bathroom turn right down the stairs around the kitchen table repeat. I think this is at least one of the reasons my parents have always thought I'm extremely weird and maybe crazy.
The sensory self-stimulation is a pattern that rings a chord too. Mine manifests as trichotillomania, or compulsive hair-pulling. It sounds super weird but it's basically like nail biting, with some bald spots but the pony tail covers them. Thing is, it's usually conceptualized as an OCD like disorder or impulse control disorder e.g. Compulsive gambling, but I think it is more accurately thought of as a tic. For me, anyway, it is an automatic behavior that has no ruminative thoughts involved or intention to complete the behavior to satisfy the need for a dopamine fix. As with tics, it's a physically automatic behavior that is worsened with stress or boredom, which can be consciously suppressed but only with focused attention and some level of frustration. As soon as my mind wanders or will power falters, I'm doing it again. So that's why I think it's more like a Tourette's thing than OCD or impulse control disorder. Seems relevant because a lot of the weirdnesses described here have a similar ring, seemingly purposeful but kind of automatic, self-stimulation with a side of self-mutilation but not with the intent to really harm oneself.
It seems like these sub-clinical quasi autism spectrum / OCD / Tourette's / ADHD symptoms are common to INTP personalities. Thoughts?

 

[QuickTwist]

Wow so much of this is so relatable. The pacing, and accidentally talking out loud/mouthing words/making faces, or even kind of halfway pantomime acting out whatever the little fantasy/daydream internal dialogue is taking place in my head. Works out much better when you're at home, esp. when living alone. Otherwise have to consciously suppress it and not always successful. And I always oaced in a certain pattern, in relationship to whatever my living space was at the time. Like up the stairs to my room then the bathroom turn right down the stairs around the kitchen table repeat. I think this is at least one of the reasons my parents have always thought I'm extremely weird and maybe crazy.
The sensory self-stimulation is a pattern that rings a chord too. Mine manifests as trichotillomania, or compulsive hair-pulling. It sounds super weird but it's basically like nail biting, with some bald spots but the pony tail covers them. Thing is, it's usually conceptualized as an OCD like disorder or impulse control disorder e.g. Compulsive gambling, but I think it is more accurately thought of as a tic. For me, anyway, it is an automatic behavior that has no ruminative thoughts involved or intention to complete the behavior to satisfy the need for a dopamine fix. As with tics, it's a physically automatic behavior that is worsened with stress or boredom, which can be consciously suppressed but only with focused attention and some level of frustration. As soon as my mind wanders or will power falters, I'm doing it again. So that's why I think it's more like a Tourette's thing than OCD or impulse control disorder. Seems relevant because a lot of the weirdnesses described here have a similar ring, seemingly purposeful but kind of automatic, self-stimulation with a side of self-mutilation but not with the intent to really harm oneself.
It seems like these sub-clinical quasi autism spectrum / OCD / Tourette's / ADHD symptoms are common to INTP personalities. Thoughts?

Type aside, people just do weird things. Most people do "weird" things and that is what makes them different.. because they do different weird things than other people.

I was reading your post and I thought from reading through the first half of the post that you were pretty normal until I got to the hair pulling and the explanation for why you do it. Yeah, that's weird because its not a common thing for people to pull their hair automatically until they have a bald spot on their head.

I myself have been trying to figure out how my brain works and what makes it different than other peoples. My therapist seems to be in agreement that my mind latches on to different things than most people; I look for and at different things to determine things. Whether this is a weird thing that is uncommon but common or not IDK. I am trying to figure out specifically what it is that makes my mind think about things differently and I have been able to determine that it is largely because of what my mind chooses to think is important and relay to memory for data to work with is the root cause. Beyond that its hard to narrow down because its like trying to figure out how you know how to tie your shoe. Its not something that is easy to view myself objectively when comparing myself to others and determine how my thought process is different from others with specific criteria because IDK how other people really think because I am not a psychologist. I do know that there was a guy who said I was one of the weirdest people he knew. I got curious and asked how weird I was specifically and he said I was in the top 5 weirdest people he knew. IDK who he knows so IDK how weird that is, but he seemed pretty weird himself. He was a sniper in the army and said he liked killing people so not really sure if he was serious or just messing with me.

 

[gooroff]

Re: Quick Twist's above post

I can relate to the argument for the sake of getting someone to even remotely try to see your point of view, as well as to trying to figure out why it is that I think or process the way I process things. I'm also sure that most people who post here have been called weird for whatever reason.

Regarding 'Odd Habits' some of the things posted I wouldn't really call habbits.

When taking the first box off the shelf I will pull the second box to the front so the next person looking for what I just bought can find it just as well as i did. If its something i had to search for because the last person didn't rerack the shelf I wont do this.

 

[QuickTwist]

Shelves, doors open or closed, putting a clipper on a bag a chips, all the same; I leave the item(s) in the condition I found them.

 

[JR_IsP]

Every time I go to my room I MUST touch my guitar strings at least once. It's funny XD
Also the crazier random things I do, I do them on my mind (like talking a lot with myself)

 

[Creeping Death]

Perhaps the weirdest thing about INTPs is the propensity for dick jokes. You might expect a little more class from one of the most thoughtful and introspective branches of humanity; but nope, the penis well never runs dry

My name is Seymour Johnson, I'm a wood inspector at Dick's Lumber yard.

 

[INTPWolf]

I keep my mouth shut in socially heated situations until i can see the arguments of both parties, then and only then do i dole out a soul crushingly accurate assessment to those that deserve. I hate acting when i know i don't have enough variables to see the full picture, its not that i dislike being wrong though, on the contrary, i take any well thought arguments into account. However, i hate unfounded counter opinions.

 

[INTPmetalhead]

The thought just occurred to me that INTPs do some pretty weird things (other personality types probably do to, but I'm too socially crippled to know that). By that I mean, looking up some random thing on Wikipedia, than like, five hours later, you end up at quantum theory.


So, with that said, what are some weird things that us INTPs do?

Hahaha funny you said that... I've done the same exact thing (ending up in quantum theory)

 

[Fuxor300]

I often move my fingers around the contours of some object, mostly my teeth or fingernails. It's just very satisfying and it helps me imagine the shape of whatever im tracing. Time and time again I've found better ways to trace my teeth and have always been amazed.

I also often have to perform certain actions thrice. Been that way since I've been like seven or maybe even younger. Like tap my fingers thrice on something. But not as much as I used to. It never really annoyed me, but I realize life is kind of easier without it haha.

Also sometimes when I'm in my head and a part of my body touches something for a short moment, I try as hard as I can to make the 'touch counter' of as many other body parts equal. Like having my hand touch something then touching it again with my other hand, my elbow, all my fingers, etc. Sometimes quite annoying when I have both hands on my laptop and one of them stops touching it for a moment...

 

[40winks]

I'm often "somewhere else" when I am having conversations with others, when I'm forced to be present in a conversation (depending on the person/It better be good!) I become annoyed.

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

When someone asks "how is it going", my answer is: can you be more specific?

 

[Lurker]

Sometimes I talk and sing to myself in public. I don't hear well, so it's probably louder than I think.

Sometimes I walk outside all night.

I'm afraid to become too immersed in a book; the world is somewhat unreal to me now, and I'm afraid of becoming completely isolated from reality. I don't mention this one often, but it's disconcerting.

I don't care enough about my appearance -- will wear same clothes for days, etc.

 

[birdsnestfern]

I have to wash at least three spoons or forks before I will wash a knife, not sure why. I have to put knives sharp edges down in dish drainer.
I spend very little on gas. I cut the ends off of cucumbers, then rub opposite ends to take bitterness out.

I am a little superstitious, I do toss salt over left shoulder, I don't ever put a purse on the floor or the bed, I never hang things on door knobs, I avoid walking under ladders, I never travel with pork on a Friday at night, I don't sweep at night I say excuse me if I have to throw water outdoors in the dark, I cook and eat both Portuguese and Southern good luck meals on New Years. (Vingadoish and hoppin john, collards and cornbread), and make a lot of clatter with pots and pans and happy new year sounds to chase away the Yeti.

When I was young I would click my jaw back and forth not sure why, it felt good or stimulated the vagus nerve without my realizing it then.
I grew out of that in 3rd grade. I think thats it. Oh, I turn many cans so labels face out, and check the stove is off before I leave. I've been known to suddenly leave from family gatherings without explanation. (I know the reason is, I'm sensitive to wine and get really gushy or emotional after I have any wine at all, OR, crowded auditorium sounds and people overwhelm me). I have to get into fresh air sometimes away from people to gain composure again. I'm an excitable girl.