Structured INTP? Or something else?

[sreyemakire]

Hello,

I've been struggling to nail down my MBTI type. I've taken several online tests and the majority of the time I've gotten INTP or INTJ. I've looked into the cognitive functions of each type but honestly it is difficult to tell which ones I relate to the most.
I really relate to the INTP type description, with the exception that I am highly organized and I do feel the need for structure in my surroundings. I am also practical and tend to value a strong work ethic in others and myself. I like to make sure everything gets done and I am pretty good at figuring out the best way to do it efficiently. If I leave something unfinished, I tend to pine about it until I have the opportunity to get back to it.
I am not a sensor, however. My husband is an ISTP and I often find myself frustrated by his (what I consider to be) short-sighted observations and interests.
As for the INTJ results, I find the INTJ focus on "getting ahead" or becoming the best, most successful, etc., to be empty and meaningless. I like to make sure things get done, i prefer to have my life organized, and i can be competitive and even aggressive, but I have no interest in the pointless pursuits that seem to be a major theme in the INTJ description.
I have considered INFJ as well as INFP, but I really can't relate to the feeling dichotomy.
Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[Brontosaurie]

what do you mean by short-sighted observations? any examples?

 

[Pizzabeak]

The husband interaction and organized, structured anti-INTJ goals/lifestyle sounds like ISTJ.

 

[Jennywocky]

Are there any past life experiences that might have contributed you in being so highly structured and goal-oriented?

(I mean, you really ARE describing an ITJ approach to life, as best as I can tell. So either you're ITJ or there has to be something that has entrenched that approach in you.)

What were your parents like?

Are you sure you're an I? What about ENTJ?

Also, a side note from the theoretical: You don't sound like the average ISFJ US female in terms of the feeling absence (you haven't given any Feeler hints), but from the practical end I know ISFJs who in their "practical" side would say the same kinds of things you've said if they weren't allowed to show their Fe side much, and they also share all their functions with INTP (you just swap the SiFe and TiNe pairs). They can be very task-oriented... especially the ones with strong e1 elements. You're probably not, but I'll pitch it out there just for something to factor in.

 

[Ex-User (8886)]

Read more desriptions, and if after a few months you still won't be sure about your type, you can be sure you're INTP.

 

[QuickTwist]

I'd look into Enneagram if I was you.


upload pictures free

 

[Fukyo]

Hey, sreyemakire. Welcome to the forum, and please don't make double threads.

 

[rainman312]

I agree with Jenny, what you're describing sounds incredibly ISTJ-reminiscent. You may not think you're a sensor at the moment, but how much research have you done on typology? Enough to say that for sure, just because you disagree with one aspect of your husband's personality. I think it should be easy to distinguish these types, they're pretty different. This video may help you distinguish the two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDIEW5b2Gyo

 

[Architect]

Are there any past life experiences that might have contributed you in being so highly structured and goal-oriented?
(I mean, you really ARE describing an ITJ approach to life, as best as I can tell. So either you're ITJ or there has to be something that has entrenched that approach in you.)

NP types can be just as intentional as NJ, what differs is the orientation. With INTP's it goes inward to the individual (Ti), with INTJ's it goes outwards to systemize people and organizations (Te). Ordering your environment is indeterminate, may just be an INTP who wants to minimize or perfect their local environment to make it easy for themselves. An INTJ might do the same to make it function optimally for their family and friends.

This example isn't trivial, it's a war in our home between my NJ INFJ and myself (NP INTP). I keep organizing things to make myself optimally comfortable and content, she worries about guests and visitors (me - "who wants guests and visitors?")

OP - who knows? You've gotta figure this one out.

 

[onesteptwostep]

I think it's possible that you might be an INTP, or some E variation like mrs. Jenny pointed out. Your writing style points to an E variant, not an I. It doesn't rule out the possibility that you are I though, since writing itself is usually an extroverted activity in itself, regardless of type.

I know a couple whom I know of that I know for sure that one type is ISTP. The other, I'm pretty sure is INTP or ENTJ. The INTP/ENTJ person gets "frustrated by his/her short-sighted observations and interests", like you said. It's possible that you have a ENTJ framework and that your F is high. I feel like mature ENTJs usually take in consideration of F, but are usually powerless to weild and control its flow, which causes the person to "IP" more (ENTJ -> INTP). The less mature ENTJ usually overrides emotion which causes all that jackassery and bulls***ness, and takes in insults as compliments or something, which I think is an interesting rationalization...

But anyway, may I ask which test you are taking? That might be the cause of confusion. I personally find the one here decent. I like their descriptions :O

 

[sreyemakire]

Hey, sreyemakire. Welcome to the forum, and please don't make double threads.

My apologies, not sure why that happened : /

what do you mean by short-sighted observations? any examples?

By this I mean he takes everything at face value. He doesn't seem to look beyond the surface of things, prefers not to question appearances, and seems to get bored if I initiate a conversation involving anything philosophical or theoretical. He just kind of shuts down and says he doesn't see the reason for discussing stuff like that.

What were your parents like?

My parents were pretty strict actually. They made sure we were heavily tasked with chores and if we weren't being productive there was always kind of a hovering tension, like we could feel that we were supposed to be doing something. I guess that could've left a dent in my natural disposition.

NP types can be just as intentional as NJ, what differs is the orientation. With INTP's it goes inward to the individual (Ti), with INTJ's it goes outwards to systemize people and organizations (Te). Ordering your environment is indeterminate, may just be an INTP who wants to minimize or perfect their local environment to make it easy for themselves. An INTJ might do the same to make it function optimally for their family and friends.

Yes, most of my organizational tendencies come from my wanting to get things done with so I can concentrate on other things.


A couple months ago I took the enneagram test and typed 5w4. And as for the MBTI tests, honestly I've exhausted all I could possibly find online, which would add up to maybe 10 or 12 different test sites. I've also taken 2 or 3 cognitive functions tests, and with these I got INTP, INTJ, INTJ again. But with these tests the function order was strange, like Te-Ti-Ni-Se-Ne-Si-Fe-Fi, or mixed around each time I took it, leading me to wonder if I wasn't selecting my answers carefully enough.

 

[StevenM]

I dunno, to me you write like an INTP. Running simulations of known INTP behaviour, and then INTJ while reading your post, my guess is leaning towards INTP.

I had similar problems with ISTP as well, especially the 'short-sighted' bit. It works well with them when they just 'dive in' and get thier hands dirty, however mistakes are made from not planning and thinking in advance. Also, they'd much rather remain on the surface of things, and have little patience for the whimsical topics of the unnatural deep bizarre.

I think Ti also strives for organization, but contrasting to Te, it is much more independent and quiet about it. To me, Ti is that thing that struggles to be left unperturbed, decisions and choices must be made on the self's own account. In the spirit of maximum resourcefulness, all productive handling of events must be dealt with alone. Ti desires complete control of any decision pertaining to the self and is most concerned with protecting itself from other people's influences.

Thus it's kind of a road block to being cooperative. And that's where Fe comes in to tame the beast.

Unlike the INTP, who is ever conscious of his rationale, the INTJ is more focused on observation, which is hardly constrained by the yeilding efforts of reason. Actual rationalizing is always seconded, it is basically used when needed to make a certain end meet. But much perferable is the act of 'playing' with perception. Again, these wild strayings of imagination are left unsupervised by moral or practical constraints, and seep through every crack residing in dream. I'm sure if an INTP experienced this process for too long, he would go crazy; I believe it's the judgement functions, that hold a person back from diving too deep into the trance wilderness of the subconscious.

Anything quite simple and subtle will trigger this cascading reaction, where the INTJ toys imaginitively with all combinations and effects. Somewhat like a hacker brute-force attacking a password, only with this done more fluidly and organic, holistically taking it all in and through shifting phases of perception.

That was quite fun to write, though I would be wary of it's correspondence to what is actual.

 

[redbaron]

I really relate to the INTP type description, with the exception that I am highly organized and I do feel the need for structure in my surroundings. I am also practical and tend to value a strong work ethic in others and myself. I like to make sure everything gets done and I am pretty good at figuring out the best way to do it efficiently. If I leave something unfinished, I tend to pine about it until I have the opportunity to get back to it.

I don't think this is really an exception to being INTP so much as a learned behaviour in response to external responsibilities, as well as the recognition that total lack of structure makes it really hard to actually get time for yourself and your interests.

Any person who has to juggle work, a relationship and other commitments and doesn't want to sacrifice any of them, is going to prefer having structure in order to dedicate the desired amount of time to each of those things. Personally speaking I want to spend time with my partner, play music, maintain my health and fitness as well as perform well and enjoy my work. The only way I can possibly do all these things is with some sort of structure or by sacrificing something.

Choosing to adopt structure as opposed to denying yourself things because you're poorly organized isn't really a type thing if you ask me.

Spoiler

When I was younger I'd end up sacrificing things, but after a while I realized there was no real need. I don't enjoy having to plan (loosely) out my days in advance, but I sure do enjoy it when I can get up early, exercise, get home, make a decent breakfast, go to work feeling good, get home and spend some time with my partner, going to bed at a time that I know will get me a decent night's sleep.

The me from 4 years ago would just be rolling out of bed 30 minutes before work, feeling like shit from lack of sleep, maybe slurp down a meal replacement shake or stuff a single piece of toast in my mouth, shower, get dressed and brush my teeth in a huge rush, still be late to work anyway, spend all day feeling like shit because I haven't slept or eaten properly, go home feeling like shit, too tired to make a proper meal so I just end up getting fast food or packet noodles, numb my mind with some reading or video games, end up going to bed late again because I'm wired after a day of being tired, eating shitty foods, struggling to concentrate and then being over-tired and tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep because I'm worried about the fact that I won't be able to sleep.

 

[Architect]

Yes, most of my organizational tendencies come from my wanting to get things done with so I can concentrate on other things.

Yes that's probably indicative of an XP type, INTP, INFP, ISTP or ISFP. Depending on how strong it is either N/S, T/F. F types orient more towards others, as do S types. It's complex however and I wouldn't use this in isolation to determine these traits.

And, of course, it could be that your just an INTJ (or whatever) who wants to organize and get things done.