Un-INTPness

[naberus]

i think this may be a common intp attribute.

and amoungst INTJs.

 

[dwags222]

i think i am un-intp in the fact that i have really forced myself to function socially and be socially aware. i'm not saying that intp's don't do this, but i can put on a mask and play the part when i want to or am motivated enough to do so. i never choose maintain this long term, so sometimes i will hit it off with someone and then next time i see them they must think i am a completely different person.

i have also learned to give a large amount of consideration to the "real" world, and to be practical, though these things have developed through the rational deduction that they are important and necessary to function well, or properly, as a human being.

 

[Sugarpop]

I can come across as cheerful and be quite outgoing when placed in a good environment.

People perceive me as funny, and I feel some fullfilment in being entertaining.I like small portions of attention.

I enjoy getting to know knew new people every now and then.

I'm active in class discussions as long as the topic is of interest.

I often lead groupwork at school, though I hardly have a leading role in non-academic settings.

I sometimes find myself caring for people. I try to be mindful of their feelings, though I suppose I'm better at sympathy than empathy.

 

[Ermine]

I can come across as cheerful and be quite outgoing when placed in a good environment.

People perceive me as funny, and I feel some fullfilment in being entertaining.I like small portions of attention.

I enjoy getting to know knew new people every now and then.

I'm active in class discussions as long as the topic is of interest.

I often lead groupwork at school, though I hardly have a leading role in non-academic settings.

I sometimes find myself caring for people. I try to be mindful of their feelings, though I suppose I'm better at sympathy than empathy.

I wouldn't say those are all "non-INTP". I share all those characteristics. It's not that I don't like to talk. I just want to talk about something I'm interested in. And I keep on finding myself in leadership positions that I didn't ask for. I'm starting to master the art of making funny observations under my breath. Always results in a laughter chain.

 

[dwags222]

I'm starting to master the art of making funny observations under my breath.

yes! i love this . . . so INTP

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

I have awful concentration on one thing. is this INTP or Not

 

[Anling]

I'm starting to master the art of making funny observations under my breath.

I got so used to not being able to get a word in edgewise in family conversations that I just started saying whatever came to mind whenever it came. It really irritated my sister. But I would point out that no one was listening anyway. She just needs to always be at the center of attention. She is pretty much the only one who ever seemed to notice.

As for un-intp behavior, I sometimes start conversations with random people on random topics.

 

[FF]

I flirt quite a bit with my close friends. I'm always joking, and I'm not really sexually attracted to any of them (because I subconsciously flirt with my guy friends and girl friends )

Totally not INTP, for sure. This intimidates some of my INTP friends. Quite a bit.

 

[dwags222]

flirting with people your not attarcted to . . . lol, don't do that

 

[Black Pat]

If I recall correctly, one of the main things with the INTP is "chameleon-like" activity by which the INTP adopts traits of the other-lettered to meet the situation. In some ways, then, it is difficult to distinguish traits which are truly acting "out of type" from simply acting out the "chameleon-like" aspect of the type. Hmmm...

For instance, in a conversation with another NT, I'll take the opposite side just to see where the NT "worldview" (which of course I share) fails to account for something. If that means adapting an SF view of things, so be it. It isn't that I'm less of an NT, but that I'll use the other letters for the sake of the argument/conversation. So much of an INTP am I that I'll sometimes take the opposite side just to make sure my thought remains independent as people who agree with each other tend to get intellectually lazy.

On the other hand, I tend to be mechanically punctual and, on occasion, I've even been known to be tidy. Both of those traits were just reenforced over and over and over again when I was younger. Those two traits are very mechanical and unnatural, but I do them consistently.

The first instance is an INTP adopting non-INTP traits in the very INTP "chameleon-like" way. The second instance is non-INTP traits that somehow have crept their way into my routines; in other words, "organically" un-INTP traits instead of "artificially" un-INTP (which is secretly very INTP!)

See what I mean?

 

[cheese]

Yes, that's a good point.

There's a third category as well: traits that are truly organic - unlike the acquired habits you mentioned - but are not INTP traits. These could arise as a result of a stronger S preference than normal, or a stronger Fe.

 

[LucasM]

As for un-intp behavior, I sometimes start conversations with random people on random topics.

I do that too.

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

I only drink Water, and will probably continue this throughout life.

 

[mm1991]

How is drinking only water un-INTPish?

Erm, I'm religious. That's mine, I suppose.

 

[sagewolf]

There are some religious members here, actually-- you're not the only one at all! Cryptonia, Fusionknight, and Da Blob come immediately to mind.

Forgot one-- I care about what I wear. Strongly. I don't care if other people think an outfit looks stupid, but if I think it looks stupid, there's no way I'll wear it outside my room. Indeed, there's no way I'll wear it period. (FastFashion-- SotH is right: I'm female. ...Externally. )

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

How is drinking only water un-INTPish?

Erm, I'm religious. That's mine, I suppose.

it isn't is it.

i just thought.....

as you were........

 

[Red Mage]

I'm not entirely sure what all constitutes INTP-ness, but I'm almost certain I'm INTP (at least as certain as I can be about anything involving the self). Here are some things about myself that I think I have read are not INTP-like:

• 
  Perfectionism -- It's so great within myself that it affects everything I do. I have this weird thing where if things aren't perfect I have to start all over (instead of trying to fix it and get on with my life). And I'm also always changing my view of "perfect," so I start over a lot. When I can't start over, I get extremely frustrated and possibly depressed. This also manifests into dwelling on past negative experiences, and the desire to start my life over.

• 
  Organization/Neat-freakness -- This may have to do with the aforementioned perfectionism. As a young kid I was so messy that I would just throw any garbage anywhere in my room. For instance, I would even throw food, such as apple cores or pudding cups, behind my dresser. One day (literally, this ONE day when I was like ten or something) I suddenly realized how messy my room was and did a huge cleaning. Now I hate having a messy room/workspace.

• 
  Poor concentration -- Like a poster above, I cannot concentrate on anything too long. It's taxing on my brain when I try and most of the time I just let my brain roam free. Sometimes I'll be contemplating something interesting and then go off on a tangent and then remember that I was contemplating something interesting or of great importance and have to backtrack in my mind to remember what it was. Usually I realize it wasn't that important after all.

• 
  Extremely poor memory -- Probably partly due to poor concentration. Things just do not stick. Especially names and dates and figures, but anything really.

• 
  Bad at systems -- This seems like a huge thing about INTPs. My best subject in school was always English (languages are systems, and INTPs are supposed to be good at them) and I can usually point out errors, even if I can't always say why they are errors. I am always extremely interested in the way things work, especially languages but also anything else, but any time I research them I get overloaded and I can't remember anything about the subject. I also can't apply what I do take in. I can't take things and put them together -- which includes not being able to express in words anything I am thinking. I think in extreme generalities and concepts and do not picture anything or think in words, so I'll have a definition or concept of a word in my mind but for the life of me cannot recall the word.

Let me know how those things measure up to the typical INTP. It's possible that I'm another personality and my extreme anxiety (both social and generalized) gives me many strong INTP characteristics, but reading posts here really remind me of how I think and feel. Some tests (usually the shorter and more vague ones) gave me a stronger INTJ than INTP, but I lurked their forum a bit and decided I'm almost certainly not like them. Most tests, including my own evaluation using the four dichotomies, turned up INTP. In my own evaluation, I seem to have the bad qualities of INTP combined with the bad qualities of INTJ with none of the good qualities of either.

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

• 
  "Perfectionism -- It's so great within myself that it affects everything I do. I have this weird thing where if things aren't perfect I have to start all over (instead of trying to fix it and get on with my life). And I'm also always changing my view of "perfect," so I start over a lot. When I can't start over, I get extremely frustrated and possibly depressed. This also manifests into dwelling on past negative experiences, and the desire to start my life over."
  
  yes, i do this and i think a lot do. i also kind of like a messy look, but organised. like if it is to be messy it requires a certain rawness and attitude to it.

• 
  "Organization/Neat-freakness -- This may have to do with the aforementioned perfectionism. As a young kid I was so messy that I would just throw any garbage anywhere in my room. For instance, I would even throw food, such as apple cores or pudding cups, behind my dresser. One day (literally, this ONE day when I was like ten or something) I suddenly realized how messy my room was and did a huge cleaning. Now I hate having a messy room/workspace."
  
  most INTPs (me included) seem to thrive in messiness (at least on the outside of us). i think this sudden event is similar my only drinking water. one day i just decided to drink water and it stuck

• 
  "Poor concentration -- Like a poster above, I cannot concentrate on anything too long. It's taxing on my brain when I try and most of the time I just let my brain roam free. Sometimes I'll be contemplating something interesting and then go off on a tangent and then remember that I was contemplating something interesting or of great importance and have to backtrack in my mind to remember what it was. Usually I realize it wasn't that important after all."
  
  totally. all the time,, literally even now.

• 
  "Extremely poor memory -- Probably partly due to poor concentration. Things just do not stick. Especially names and dates and figures, but anything really."
  
  same

• 
  "Bad at systems -- This seems like a huge thing about INTPs. My best subject in school was always English (languages are systems, and INTPs are supposed to be good at them) and I can usually point out errors, even if I can't always say why they are errors. I am always extremely interested in the way things work, especially languages but also anything else, but any time I research them I get overloaded and I can't remember anything about the subject. I also can't apply what I do take in. I can't take things and put them together -- which includes not being able to express in words anything I am thinking. I think in extreme generalities and concepts and do not picture anything or think in words, so I'll have a definition or concept of a word in my mind but for the life of me cannot recall the word."
  
  i can relate to this. i am not good (but by no means bad) at maths but like English and just seem to have a natural inclination towards it. i can't explain what i mean but i know clearly for some reason

most are INTP-ish and the tidiness like my water is just individual to you not the MBTI typing (it can't be perfect)

 

[QSR]

I am messy, but I don't think anyone would ever call me "dirty" as you described above. I feel like my mind is very highly organized, so much so that I don't need to organize my outside world. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Also I was pretty good at math, as are a lot of people here. I think NTs can be good at either math or liberal arts.

I have a very good memory, and excel at trivia-type things (not best of the best, but pretty good.) But I don't have particularly good attention to detail. I always feel like details just sort of get in the way of the big picture. I'd rather hire somebody else to pay attention to the details for me.

 

[Red Mage]

I did great in all math classes except for geometry. It may have been more about the teacher and class, though. I got almost all A's in high school, some B's and only two or three C's and D's combined. Those were usually due to hating the teacher's style, general lack of interest in the subject, and/or overwhelming anxiety due to having to do too much public speaking. Most of the time in class I never paid attention. I was always daydreaming. I also neglected to read the textbooks and never took homework home. I always got my work done in class or not at all. I am, however, an excellent test-taker. It wasn't unusual for me to achieve a higher grade on any final exam than anyone else in class (of course, the teacher pointing it out would cause me to shrink in my seat).

Regarding math, however, I would be able to remember the crap only up until the end of the semester and then it would be out of my brain forever. For English, as I said above, I'll completely forget the exact terms and rules, but I'll know when something isn't right (iNtuition?), and usually I'll be able to make it correct but not always. I also took three years (six semesters) of Spanish and managed A's and B's in it, but I can only remember the basics and very little vocabulary. I took two semesters of Latin in college, and while it was fun, I found it hard to remember everything I needed to construct sentences. It's also a confusing language because of so many declensions and the fact that it uses the same two (okay, maybe as many as five) word endings for everything from nouns to verbs.

Edit: By the way, sorry to get all biographical, it's just that it seems like these things go against a core, fundamental INTP trait (at least according to the profiles I've read on them/us).

 

[echoplex]

I have moments where it seems that my Fi is VERY strong, as if I'm an INFP instead. Also, I'm not at all nerdy or geeky, although I'm not sure it's fair to associate that with INTPs anyway.

 

[cheese]

Mac OS X Ocelot:
Welcome!

Quite a lot of your post reminded me of myself, although I am extremely messy.

This in particular:
In my own evaluation, I seem to have the bad qualities of INTP combined with the bad qualities of INTJ with none of the good qualities of either.
is typical of the way I think about myself. It could be that you are naturally pessismistic and tend to remember only negative experiences. I realised after lengthy reflection that my good INTP qualities do indeed exist, but manifest in other areas and situations.

In my own experience I often feel like I can't create anything (like you said) out of what I have - pure creation, or even just synthesis of present material, seems to elude me. However if my brain is provided with something "set" to pick at, analysis and error-detection is quick and accurate.
Recently I have started to notice areas where I am capable of the former, and have found success often comes when I don't try or think about it, but let my brain work on its own.

I believe the above can be explained through MBTI. Precision and analysis are Ti qualities. Synthesis, pattern recognition and so on belong to Ne. INTPs have dominant Ti and auxiliary Ne; it seems like your Ti is significantly stronger than Ne. Note also that data-retention is greatly improved when related to a web of other information. If your mind does not naturally create these webs as often then your forgetfulness is understandable. I'm quite a bit like that actually, yet I do have a good-ish memory and often remember odd bits of trivia. I reckon if you reflect more on past experiences you'll find you're a lot more successful at these supposedly "weak" areas than you think - just that you might not be as good at them as other INTPs with a more developed Ne function.

Just in case you don't know:
Ti is Introverted Thinking (our dominant function)
Ne is Extroverted iNtuition (our auxiliary function)

I'm not sure if any of this was helpful; hope it was!

 

[Parodyofme]

I like to dress up and act like a pirate...

YouTube- The REAL Captain Morgan???

SotH, and anyone else who suffers depression, keep in mind how powerful our minds are and how all-encompassing our thoughts can be. As an INTP is going through puberty, all those raging hormones and excessive emotions tend to be just too overwhelming.
1. You're likely to have only a small group of friends, if any (not trying to be mean)
2. The chances someone you already are good friends with is a fellow INTP is slim
3. Even if they were, the chances that you'd be inclined to share your feelings with them is slimmer still
4. You're being overhelmed by this internal stimuli, and your powerful mind is working to reason it all out
BUT
5. You're not getting any external input, so there's no reason to believe that anything you're thinking might be wrong (I'm weird, I'm all alone, I'm worthless, etc).
A single negative thought, left unchecked in the superpowered, highly unstable mind of the struggling, teenage INTP, can lead to a very long chain of negative thinking. It's incredibly destructive. And it can go on for years (off and on phases of course, but ultimately the INTP will revert to the unhappy state, especially when all alone) if you don't get help.
I didn't get therapy or take medication for it, and it lasted about 10 years for me (keep in mind you can get some pretty decent poems or other such writings during that time). In fact, I made the situation worse a few years ago when I took the diet pill Stackers; it made my rage almost uncontrollable and my thoughts of suicide increased in frequency.
Point is, you're not alone. You've found this site, and you've got a bunch of people who are going through, or have gone through, exactly what you are. Open up, if not to your friends and family, do it here. Don't let that powerful mind of yours wander down an unnecessary path. Its dark, its dangerous, and its not worth it.

Think happy thoughts

 

[sybyll]

God, I was sure I posted this before going to work this morning... I think the thread has moved on since then, but since I found it again... :-/

I tend to be very tidy, too, but only at work and at school, not at home, for some reason...

Also, I have a pretty good memory for facts which I read somewhere that INTPs are really bad at , although ow that I think about it, It's mostly facts about things I'm interested in that I tend to remember - which is very INTP, no?

I agree with Black Pat, it's hard to distinguish between what is un-INTP and the things that just look like they are...

 

[cheese]

Parody:
That more or less mirrors my own experience. Your point about a lack of external output was especially good. It's absolutely vital that we do not trust to our minds alone to inform us of Truth. We may be brilliant thinkers, but we do not have all the facts at hand, ever, and especially not at that age.

Sorry I haven't got anything to add. I just thought your post worth noting.

 

[Sugarpop]

Mac OS X Ocelot:

Your academic performance has been excellent. You complain that your ability to recall and concentrate isn't on par. Do I need to point out the paradox here?

I tend to make the exact same assessment of myself. As concentration is required to learn and perform well at tests, I don't think I am comparing myself to a realistic ideal.

Is a mind capable of random wandering necessarily incapable of concentration?

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

I like to dress up and act like a pirate...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd4gGYMziTQ

SotH, and anyone else who suffers depression, keep in mind how powerful our minds are and how all-encompassing our thoughts can be. As an INTP is going through puberty, all those raging hormones and excessive emotions tend to be just too overwhelming.
1. You're likely to have only a small group of friends, if any (not trying to be mean)
2. The chances someone you already are good friends with is a fellow INTP is slim
3. Even if they were, the chances that you'd be inclined to share your feelings with them is slimmer still
4. You're being overhelmed by this internal stimuli, and your powerful mind is working to reason it all out
BUT
5. You're not getting any external input, so there's no reason to believe that anything you're thinking might be wrong (I'm weird, I'm all alone, I'm worthless, etc).
A single negative thought, left unchecked in the superpowered, highly unstable mind of the struggling, teenage INTP, can lead to a very long chain of negative thinking. It's incredibly destructive. And it can go on for years (off and on phases of course, but ultimately the INTP will revert to the unhappy state, especially when all alone) if you don't get help.
I didn't get therapy or take medication for it, and it lasted about 10 years for me (keep in mind you can get some pretty decent poems or other such writings during that time). In fact, I made the situation worse a few years ago when I took the diet pill Stackers; it made my rage almost uncontrollable and my thoughts of suicide increased in frequency.
Point is, you're not alone. You've found this site, and you've got a bunch of people who are going through, or have gone through, exactly what you are. Open up, if not to your friends and family, do it here. Don't let that powerful mind of yours wander down an unnecessary path. Its dark, its dangerous, and its not worth it.

Think happy thoughts

How do you know all of this? but Thanks anyway....

 

[Red Mage]

Mac OS X Ocelot:

Your academic performance has been excellent. You complain that your ability to recall and concentrate isn't on par. Do I need to point out the paradox here?

I tend to make the exact same assessment of myself. As concentration is required to learn and perform well at tests, I don't think I am comparing myself to a realistic ideal.

Is a mind capable of random wandering necessarily incapable of concentration?

My mind also wanders during tests, and it takes a great deal of energy to obtain the level of focus required to even complete them. Consider this: almost every test in high school was multiple choice. I had a teacher explain multiple choice questions to us in a class before, but this was all something my subconscious picked up on without my knowing long before he explained it. It goes like this: there are four choices. Two of these are always complete bullshit. One is an ingeniously chosen wrong answer that sounds like it is right if you don't know the actual answer. The last one is, of course, the correct answer. My mind just happens to be talented at subconsciously eliminating the two wrong answers without a second (or first?) thought. Then it's a 50/50 chance. Of course, if this were the only way in which my mind took tests, I'd score roughly a 50% on every one. However, there's something also to my mind that lets me choose the right one. It might be a subconscious memory -- of the things that I hear in class but aren't listening to because my mind is wandering -- that I can't consciously dig into. The only classes this doesn't really apply to are math classes. Fortunately, most of my math classes allowed us to use index cards to write any applicable formula on to use on tests. That effectively removes the ONE form of data that I would have otherwise needed to remember. After that, it's all just following a strict process to get to the correct answer. (By the way, I was also one of those people who refused to ever show his work in math. In some classes, that's a penalty, in others they let it go).

Contrast this with college (from which I dropped out after three years). College requires much more studying, large amounts of information from several broad subjects to remember, and more interest in the subjects you're studying (which totally sucks for gen. eds.). My first year was easy because they really go easy on you in 100-level classes and all of my classes tought everything I was already familiar with from high school classes (like refresher courses). Then the next two years were hell. I couldn't decide on a major and there were classes, mostly from majors I knew I would drop but also some gen. eds. I needed but hated, that I just stopped attending halfway through. I was crushed under a huge workload I couldn't commit to and discouraged because I couldn't find my path in life. Put on top of that the fact that I have super generalized and social anxiety and I just happened to go to a college that had mostly 30-student classes and lots of required participation. I should have gone to a larger university with 300-student lecture classes.

Wow, I usually don't type this much on forums.

Edit: By the way, Parody, your video was awesome. You could host a PBS program or something.

 

[QSR]

Yeah I can see how college would be really fucking tough if you didn't pick a major. I was forced to pick mine in the second semester and we had everything laid out in a really nice road map so we knew where we were going. Not a whole lot of electives in comp engg. You're probably going to suffer from this lack of direction for most of your life if you don't pick a target and head for it. I had a really tough time with this after graduation. After a year of doing my job I realized I had nothing to really work towards, it was just work for work's sake. INTPs don't fare well in this scenario.

 

[Bluey]

Hmmm....well, how I think I'm different from most INTPs is I love public speaking. In fact, we just had to do a huge project and I chose the psychology of influence, how people, situations, and society influences an individual, good stuff. And the speech part was really fun.
I personally like my most of my classmates, I like having fun with them and making memories. Well, I think I've read somwhere that a intp is actually sentimental. Um..I also like to dress up and stuff with accersoies and the whole shabang, amybe 3 times a week.

Oh and something I've noticed is a lot of INTPs like L from thier pictures. Am I the only who was on Kira's side? So I guess many INTPs like manga, huh.

And I'm actually verryy scared to post stuff on the internet. I can never take it back...and there are psychos out there. You guys are just comfortable posting all this stuff?

 

[cheese]

I think a lot of us started off with great trepidation. But courage grew as we posted more. I notice you're new. Don't worry, it'll come with time.

And then we'll get you.

 

[Thaklaar]

@ Mac OS X Ocelot - That was pretty much my tactic for test-taking as well, relying heavily on my intuition (how'd you get that answer? How the hell should I know? It's right, isn't it?). It did particularly annoy my math teachers. And attempts to get me to help my less gifted brethren (and sistren) were exercises in fail. (How should I know that? It's obvious isn't it? No. Oh, well, can't help you there.) I also couldn't decide on a major (though I wasted five years before dropping out without a degree). Pick a major that interests me, get bored, grades drop, switch majors, grades get better, get bored again, rinse, repeat. It was the giant lecture classes that got to me. Left me alienated and lonely and depressed.

@ Bluey - Nah, I think it's more that many internet geeks like manga. You'll find otaku on any forum. And it becomes easier to post when you realize it's just a forum on the internet and no-one really cares who you are.

 

[dwags222]

no-one really cares who you are.

this is a good point. i think because intp's are so painfully self-aware they take longer to realize that people don't care unless they are personally invested in you. no one is watching, and no one really cares, unless they know who you really are (which they don't/won't). it sounds negative, but it is actually quite liberating. i think this applies to both real life and the internet.

 

[Waterstiller]

Same thing, except I think my preferred phrase is "I mean, it's that". It's a way of stalling when I can't think instead of letting silence fall, if I don't want to be cut off during the conversation.

1) I make (always bad) decisions based on what feels right/wrong to me, rather than what the sensible thing is.
2) I place a lot of value on the opinions of people I like (i.e., I want them to like me too, and I fear making them dislike me).
3) I attempt to start conversations with other people around me quite often (never really succeed, though).
4) I'm sensitive to the expectations and attitudes/moods of the people around me.
5) I have an idealistic streak that never allows me to be pessimistic or cynical for long.

...I have annoyingly developed F functions. If my Fi weren't so horribly immature, I'd say I was nearly INFP.

""

 

[cheese]

Thaklaar and dwags:
I don't think this is entirely true. People, especially insecure INTPs, fear any judgements made about them. It is possible to judge people without being emotionally invested in them. Passing judgements, as you read a stupid comment or melodramatic sob-story, are common. The person may not remember you afterwards, but the impression at the point in time has been made, which is the crux of the matter to Insecures - they don't want any negative judgements.

This problem is exacerbated on a forum, where the more you post, the more memorable they - and hence their idiocies - become.

 

[QSR]

LOL that's a good point, dwags. I don't think I've ever been particularly well-liked on any forum. I know of one where I'm not well liked because I'm too liberal. On most others, I barely exist, which is perfectly fine with me. This one is pretty small so people get to know each other quickly.

Chat rooms are different story. I have a quick wit, so I get noticed more.

 

[The Fury]

I'm somewhat of a modest person, it could have something to do with the fact that both my S and J are better devoloped than most INTPs. I don't really know many of the facts behind MBTI so I could be wrong.

I'm not modest to the point of stupidity though, if i worked hard at something, I'll take the credit and not just shrug it off like some do.

 

[Anthile]

I am still not sure. Am I INFJ with INTP traits or INTP with INFJ traits? The fact is that I have definitively traits from both types, but not from INFP or INTJ, which seems odd.

Is there any explanation for that?

 

[Red Mage]

I am still not sure. Am I INFJ with INTP traits or INTP with INFJ traits? The fact is that I have definitively traits from both types, but not from INFP or INTJ, which seems odd.

Is there any explanation for that?

I don't think characteristics from different types are mutually exclusive. I think it's more of a general "INTPs generally exhibit these set characteristics, but other types may also exhibit them as well" rather than "these are the characteristics of INTPs and only INTPs."

As for why you don't have traits of the INFP or INTJ, I believe it has to do with the individual functions. For instance, INTP has Ti as its primary function and INFJ has it as its tertiary function. Both INFP and INTJ prefer Te, and Ti is one of their shadow functions.

As an exercize, which of these two sound more like you:

Intuition softens and socializes Thinking, fleshing out the brittle bones of truths formed in the dominant inner world. That which is is not negotiable; yet actual application diffuses knowledge to the extent that knowledge needs qualification and context to be of any consequence in this foreign world of substance.

If Thinking can desist, [you are] free to brainstorm, calling up the perceptions of the unconscious (i.e., intuition) which are mirrored in patterns in the realm of matter, time and space. These perceptions, in the form of theories or hunches, must ultimately defer to the inner principles, or at least they must not negate them.

Intuition unchained gives birth to play. [You] enjoy games, formal or impromptu, which coax analogies, patterns and theories from the unseen into spontaneous expression in a way that defies [your] own comprehension.

or

...[You] enjoy a greater clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes... Just as SP types commune with the object and "live in the here and now" of the physical world, [you] readily grasp the hidden psychological stimuli behind the more observable dynamics of behavior and affect. [Your] amazing ability to deduce the inner workings of the mind, will and emotions of others gives [you] [your] reputation as a prophet and seer. Unlike the confining, routinizing nature of introverted sensing, [you] act insightfully and spontaneously as unique solutions arise on an event by event basis.

The first one is the Ne of INTPs and the second is the Ni of INFJs. It seems only logical that you would prefer one type of intuition over the other. If they both sound a lot like you then congratulations, you're more developed than most.

Sources:
http://typelogic.com/intp.html
http://typelogic.com/infj.html

 

[PhillyFanWA]

I think personalities are not pigeon holes. I'm sure there are many axis (or dimensions if that helps) of personality on a continuous scale that shapes people. Which makes us all into little snowflakes.

@Thaklaar-
Hmm I was once a bio major, a chem major, a compsci major, a mathematics major, and an econ major. I guess I really enjoyed mathematics and economics to graduate with a double major, but thinking back I actually took like three semesters full of bio, chem, and compsci before realizing that they're not for me. Good thing I had a boat load of AP credits so I actually graduated on time.

 

[FF]

According to some people, the curiosity I've been having with religion recently is un-INTP-like...

 

[Seducer of the Homeless]

I would think so but a lot of members are religious...

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

Curiosity, whatever it is of, is always an INTP trait!

The reasonings, methodology and conclusions are open for debate.

 

[juggernaut]

According to some people, the curiosity I've been having with religion recently is un-INTP-like...

Wanting to join or participate in a religion may be a little unusual, but I think the curiosity is definitely par for the course with an INTP. The INTPs I've known have had a high level of interest in religion but it usually turns out to be an interest in figuring why people believe and how they work around the inconsistencies that seem so glaringly apparent, and problematic, to those of us who don't. I, personally, find religion fascinating from an anthropological/evolutionary point of view and, while I'm not of your ilk (INTP), I can say it's the NT in me that drives that curiosity.

Also, I think some of the appeal may be the supposed level of tolerance that xianity in particular is believed to offer. You can go on being your quiet, introspective INTP self without being harassed in a church and, in many cases, that sort of behavior is actually looked upon quite favorably. You don't have to interact with others or waste time on the ridiculousness of daily life in these environments (fundamentalist sects being the exception of course).

 

[Ermine]

I would think so but a lot of members are religious...

It seems that there are a lot of statistical inconsistencies here when it comes to INTPs, like how we have so many INTP females when statistically, they are an extreme rarity. And also, nothing can be assumed about INTPs and religion because we all have different motives and there are so many different religions and perspectives on each of those religions.

 

[PhillyFanWA]

It seems that there are a lot of statistical inconsistencies here when it comes to INTPs, like how we have so many INTP females when statistically, they are an extreme rarity. And also, nothing can be assumed about INTPs and religion because we all have different motives and there are so many different religions and perspectives on each of those religions.

It's probably due to self selection. I would think in general internet forum posters talking about feelings and psychology are heavily tilted towards women and a relatively older audience. And such demographic could easily be more religious.

It's also a possibility that most non-religious people are less vocal about it than their religious counterparts.

 

[QSR]

Most of posters here are under 25. I agree with your second point, though.

 

[Thaklaar]

Most of posters here are under 25. I agree with your second point, though.

Seriously? So am I the creepy old dude who keeps coming to High School parties? I don't wanna be Mathew McConaughey. My abs aren't nearly nice enough to go around with my shirt off all the time.

 

[PhillyFanWA]

Under 25 might seems young in RL, but on the "internetz" that's actually a really old demographic. It seems like the most vocal group are mostly 16-20 year olds.

 

[Thaklaar]

Oh, I'm aware of that, intellectually at least. However, my severe allergy to chatspeak and LOLcats gives me a bit of a selection bias against the bits of internet where the young'uns tend to congregate the thickest.