Ray Kurzweil: ENTJ

[Architect]

I'm not certain but I'm fairly confident Kurzweil is an ENTJ (Te-Ni-Se-Fi). The way to type a person is figure out their dominant and inferior. Kurzweil looks to be a strong Te thinker. One is he does nothing but explicate his ideas to the world, in print and continual interviews. He also shows strong Te in that he needs lots of external validation which is a hallmark of Te. He gets quite precious about his accomplishments.

The other possibility would be an INTJ, but then he would be a Ni dominant and Se inferior. I think his inferior is Fi - ENTJ. Why? Look at his relationship to his father. He obviously has intense feeling about him, so much that he has the macabre idea of recreating a simulacrum of him from his writings and personal materials. Such a strong and odd idea seems to indicate intense personal feelings in the inferior. A Se inferior would manifest as a need for some beauty and order. If you've seen Kurzweils office you know that isn't the case, and he's never indicated that as anything important. The other aspect is the great care and attention he pays to his personal feelings in the past which shows up in his books.

Finally he's been much more of a leader than a researcher.

 

[John_Mann]

He's not a P b/c he's all with daily routines and schedules, even though he hired a person to take care of his supplements. But I think it's just a logical thing to do even to a J person.

I think he is an E, he likes the interpersonal interaction.

Te is strong with him, no doubt. He's an inventor.

His intuition is wild but always keep on the track: Ni. He searches the now (Se) and extrapolates to the (relative) near future (Ni). He put high expectations on his predictions (Ni).

Yeah I have no objection about him being an ENTJ.

BTW I think it's the best type. I'll try to build that type on my son, kind of a reverse Piaget experience. I have some ideas in how to activate that type.

My wife is an ESFJ, obsessive J and very E.

 

[Analyzer]

BTW I think it's the best type. I'll try to build that type on my son, kind of a reverse Piaget experience. I have some ideas in how to activate that type.

Ray Kurzweil is definitely an ENTJ

I like ENTJs as well but all types have their cons. For an ENTJ while being open minded, they can be hard headed and sure of their direction and vision. Which is good for the near short term but in the long term this can be an issue. They are at their best when they know how to navigate between time more and have a more balanced rounded approach. Unlike the INTJ they are more people orientated.

The INTP and ENTP duo would be one of the most productive teams. The INTP manipulates the raw material, creating models and analysis. The ENTJ would organize this into a vision or implementation into a new system.

This is similar to folks familiar with Enneagram. Majority of INTPs would fall into the Enneagram 5 type. While Most ENTJs would be type 8. The growth direction is for 5's to move toward 8. So be more like ENTJs.

 

[TimeAsylums]

ENTJ.
BTW I think it's the best type

So be more like ENTJs.

http://oddlydevelopedtypes.com/content/island-types-47

 

[Cherry Cola]

BTW I think it's the best type. I'll try to build that type on my son, kind of a reverse Piaget experience. I have some ideas in how to activate that type.

Should really be acting out experiments on your son? Pretty weird in this case, seeing as you're born with a specific type, which can't be changed. Considering that's a basic MBTI fact I find it mildly disturbing that you haven't gotten that down but have gotten down to making your son an ENTJ.

But I don't know you and I might be misinterpreting here :O

 

[Brontosaurie]

he's a Te-dom alright. there's no mistaking that brand of ruthless conviction and opportunism.

 

[Architect]

BTW I think it's the best type. I'll try to build that type on my son, kind of a reverse Piaget experience. I have some ideas in how to activate that type.

I agree with CC that this seems like an odd thing to do.

he's a Te-dom alright. there's no mistaking that brand of ruthless conviction and opportunism.

Well said. I didn't think about it much other than for some time vaguely thought of him as an INTJ type. The reason is because he doesn't come off as a super extraverted person, but that's the fallacy of "impression typing" - typing by vague preference impressions. One must find specific behaviors that demonstrate the dominant and inferior functions to type a person.

 

[John_Mann]

I agree with CC that this seems like an odd thing to do.

Nobody is born with a whole personality encoded in genes.

I'll just tweak the nurture buttons, b/c I'm aware about the nature ones.

And I'll not be like Beethoven's father.

And you can mature all your natural opposite functions in a level people will have a hard time in typing you (see Jung example). That's my first goal.

 

[Architect]

And you can mature all your natural opposite functions in a level people will have a hard time in typing you (see Jung example). That's my first goal.

I did this when I was younger, because back then the in vogue idea was to be 'well rounded' and develop your weaknesses. I think it was a mistake for the most part, instead of being a stronger person I'm a weaker 'myself'. Obviously either can be taken to extremes, but I encourage young people to develop their strengths, not their weaknesses.

 

[John_Mann]

I did this when I was younger, because back then the in vogue idea was to be 'well rounded' and develop your weaknesses. I think it was a mistake for the most part, instead of being a stronger person I'm a weaker 'myself'. Obviously either can be taken to extremes, but I encourage young people to develop their strengths, not their weaknesses.

Interesting.

 

[~~~]

BTW I think it's the best type. I'll try to build that type on my son, kind of a reverse Piaget experience. I have some ideas in how to activate that type.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses; even the ENTJ.

 

[John_Mann]

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses; even the ENTJ.

Did you really get this impression from what I said?

AFAIK I just said the ENTJ is the type I most admire. I never said they're perfect or without weaknesses.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm in an INTP forum or in the Facebook...

 

[Architect]

Sometimes I wonder if I'm in an INTP forum or in the Facebook...

OUCH!

AFAIK I just said the ENTJ is the type I most admire. I never said they're perfect or without weaknesses.

Why do you admire them so much?

 

[John_Mann]

Why do you admire them so much?

Ray Kurzweil is one reason.

 

[Architect]

Ray Kurzweil is one reason.

Surely. It is funny to see the guy get so caught up in his own myth though. I realize the impermanence of fame so don't seek it, but the ENTX's need the external validation, poor dears.

 

[John_Mann]

But they are passionate with things that works in real world, even if they miss their great passion, at least they achieved a lot of by-side goals.

Ti's have the great danger to pursue things that have no practical applications at all. It's great when we hit something but I think most of time we are just pursuing ghosts.

 

[Architect]

But they are passionate with things that works in real world, even if they miss their great passion, at least they achieved a lot of by-side goals.

Ti's have the great danger to pursue things that have no practical applications at all. It's great when we hit something but I think most of time we are just pursuing ghosts.

Ah but that's the point. INTP's (you have to distinguish from Ti leading ISTP's who do produce due to Se) don't hit as often, but when they do it's big. Consider Einstein, only an INTP would come up with a theory like that, and simultaneously usher in QM with the Photoelectric effect.

Ti-Ne is like a startup. Most of them fail, but the successes are so huge that it more than compensates for the rest. We also need the Te dominants to carry the system forward.

 

[John_Mann]

{But they are passionate with things that works in real world, even if they miss their great passion, at least they achieved a lot of by-side goals.}

Thinking better the above statement it's also true to INTP's too. Even if our thinking it's not real world related we can achieve by-side goals. Logical thinking it's never a waste of time.

 

[redbaron]

Logical thinking it's never a waste of time.

I wish.

 

[TimeAsylums]

Surely. It is funny to see the guy get so caught up in his own myth though.
I realize the impermanence of fame so don't seek it, but the ENTX's need the external validation, poor dears.

Sure do. RIP Tesla.

But srs. Not the fame part (ok...maybe a little...But I can't help it!), but need to see the physical embodiment (S) of our intuitions (N). Drives us a little, oh well.

 

[Architect]

Sure do. RIP Tesla.

But srs. Not the fame part (ok...maybe a little...But I can't help it!), but need to see the physical embodiment (S) of our intuitions (N). Drives us a little, oh well.

Ha! I stuck the X in there (ENTX) but wasn't really thinking of the ENTP, but yeah that's the case. ENTJ's probably benefit more from the formal validation (awards and such), with you ENTP's it's maybe more the embodiment of your intuitions, as you say.