Why are you an intp?

[Ghost1986]

odd question i know. let me try to expand on it.

Introverted: are you introverted because your a listener, not a talker? are your ideas usually met with hostility? do you just dislike people? are you just shy? whats the reason or reasons?

iNtuition: do you have poor senses? do you mistrust the data your given? do you prefer theory over concrete? whats the reason or reasons?

Thinking: do you mistrust feelings? do you have poorly developed feelings? do you have a more physical science than social Science mind? whats the reason or reasons?

Perceiving: do concreet things disturbe you? do you like to keep things open so you may adapt your plans when problems arise? do you take thinsg step by stap rather than plan? whats the reason or reasons?

i hope you all understand what iam asking. i had the hardest time elaberating on percieving. you answers dont need to be restricted to those questions, just want to you to know what iam asking.

 

[Thaklaar]

odd question i know. let me try to expand on it.

Introverted: are you introverted because your a listener, not a talker? are your ideas usually met with hostility? do you just dislike people? are you just shy? whats the reason or reasons?

Interacting with large groups makes me tired. It wears me out. The smaller and more familiar the group, the better I handle it. One on one, I'll talk your ear off, but in a big group, or a small group of unfamiliar people, I shut down.

iNtuition: do you have poor senses? do you mistrust the data your given? do you prefer theory over concrete? whats the reason or reasons?

Poor senses. My wife could dye her hair bright green and I wouldn't notice. "Hey, when did you hang that picture up there? Looks nice." "...Six months ago." You get what I'm saying here. My intuition, on the other hand, is an incredibly useful faculty. Put information about problem in head. Jumble information around a bit. Out springs the solution like Athena from Zeus's forehead, ready and rarin' to go.

Thinking: do you mistrust feelings? do you have poorly developed feelings? do you have a more physical science than social Science mind? whats the reason or reasons?

Feelings are all right for some things. I've certainly developed mine further than some on this board. But they're not trustworthy. Besides, using my Ti is more of a compulsion than a choice. Information gets sorted into boxes. Because it does.

Perceiving: do concreet things disturbe you? do you like to keep things open so you may adapt your plans when problems arise? do you take thinsg step by stap rather than plan? whats the reason or reasons?

What is this planning you speak of? I am unfamiliar with this concept. Concrete does not disturb me. It just makes little sense. Change is.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

Introverted: People make me feel uncomfortable for various reasons, some due to negative experience, others due to personal values. I don't dislike people, but that’s because I have low expectations of them, I can't justify disliking them for actions I expected them to take.

iNtuition: I cannot give a reason for using intuition, it's simply a part of what I am.

Thinking: I seriously distrust emotions, although I know that I probably shouldn't, at then end of the day logic never betrays me. My emotions are the result of primitive bio-chemical reactions in my brain, as such it is illogical to trust them when they have proven themselves untrustworthy.

Perceiving: I try to keep an open mind, having a closed mind is akin to being dead, since dead people cannot change who they are, were.

I retain the right to be wrong about any of this, as I know I likely am.

 

[ViS]

The E/I and J/P axes are NOT functions. The just dictate the directions of your two preferred functions and which function you lead with. The P you guys talk about is Ti>Ne which is drastically different to Se>Fi in terms of P or even Ne>Ti. As far as E/I goes, the way introversion manifests differs drastically depending on the auxillary function and the leading function itself.

Describing E/I and J/P as functions shows a huge lack of understanding of the workings of the MBTI.

EDIT: Ghost, please don't become another Perseus. If you want a rudimentary understanding in how each function manifests in a vacuum, go here.

http://www.cognitiveprocesses.com/

A deep understanding can only be gleened via interaction with different types as I have yet to find a website that adequetely describes how each function manifests in different conditions.

 

[FacetiousPersona]

Isolated - No one will love me and I am alone. I dare not leave my room after the consistent rejections and abuse. Humanity has pushed me into Isolation (I). People are selfish fools and they are only alive to scam me.

Neurotic - They think I am Neurotic for having the same faith in God as I do with the existence of unicorns. You cannot disprove either of these. When there is sufficient evidence to disprove fairies, gnomes and unicorns, I shall consider ceasing to believe in them. I am Neurotic(N) for having these 'abnormal' beliefs which I know are the truth. The world is foolish for not seeing these evident truths. The Government is leading them away from the secret organizations of other species (result of P?).

Testosterone - I am definitely high Testosterone (T) due to my persistent aggressive behaviour and tendency to compete with other people that I encounter; obviously seldom due to my (I)solation and (P)aranoia. Luckily, this benefits my I and P, because it scares other people away, who were possibly planning on harming me (P) or invading my need for privacy (I). This also leaves me craving sexual contact, but I am deprived as a result of the (I)solation and (P)aranoia. I cannot find a partner while in my bedroom most of the time (I), and my social skills decline consequently, which create difficulty for me to communicate my need to a female. The (P)aranoia also makes me fear intimacy and typically avoid females, but the T is strong at times and I overcome the P to approach them.

Paranoid - I am certain that people plot to harm me, which I believe to have contributed to my Isolation (I). It is logical for me to have resorted to avoiding everyone to ensure that there is an decreased probability of people being successful with their plans to damage me. Plus, new people cannot spot me and begin planning to hurt me. What if they warn me alone? All of this causes people to think I am Paranoid (P). They are labeling me to make me an easier target, I think.

 

[Thaklaar]

The E/I and J/P axes are NOT functions. The just dictate the directions of your two preferred functions and which function you lead with. The P you guys talk about is Ti>Ne which is drastically different to Se>Fi in terms of P or even Ne>Ti. As far as E/I goes, the way introversion manifests differs drastically depending on the auxillary function and the leading function itself.

Describing E/I and J/P as functions shows a huge lack of understanding of the workings of the MBTI.

EDIT: Ghost, please don't become another Perseus. If you want a rudimentary understanding in how each function manifests in a vacuum, go here.

http://www.cognitiveprocesses.com/

A deep understanding can only be gleened via interaction with different types as I have yet to find a website that adequetely describes how each function manifests in different conditions.

Yes, yes. The axes =/= functions. But regardless if you are SF or NT, whether you are Extraverted or Introverted says something about you. There are features common to all Extaverts and all Introverts. Likewise, for the P/J axis. The question is not insensible. Quit picking nits.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

Why are you an intp?

Because I am? It seems that being an INTP dictates the actions that you then ask about... or do those actions dictate INTPness? Or they're all wrapped up in the same thing, which is just my nature. My nature can be described as intp, that's why I'm INTP.

EDIT: Ghost, please don't become another Perseus.

We could use another Perseus, as long as he was Perseus-like in another direction.

 

[ViS]

Yes, yes. The axes =/= functions. But regardless if you are SF or NT, whether you are Extraverted or Introverted says something about you. There are features common to all Extaverts and all Introverts. Likewise, for the P/J axis. The question is not insensible. Quit picking nits.

The P affects S types in a completely different way to N types as well as Fe being COMPLETELY different to Te for obvious reasons. I'm not picking nits when the majority of such a potentially well-educated community is confused over such a major aspect of the MBTI.

Viewing I/E and J/P as just another set of functions leaves too many holes.

 

[Anthile]

Isolated - No one will love me and I am alone. I dare not leave my room after the consistent rejections and abuse. Humanity has pushed me into Isolation (I). People are selfish fools and they are only alive to scam me.

Neurotic - They think I am Neurotic for having the same faith in God as I do with the existence of unicorns. You cannot disprove either of these. When there is sufficient evidence to disprove fairies, gnomes and unicorns, I shall consider ceasing to believe in them. I am Neurotic(N) for having these 'abnormal' beliefs which I know are the truth. The world is foolish for not seeing these evident truths. The Government is leading them away from the secret organizations of other species (result of P?).

Testosterone - I am definitely high Testosterone (T) due to my persistent aggressive behaviour and tendency to compete with other people that I encounter; obviously seldom due to my (I)solation and (P)aranoia. Luckily, this benefits my I and P, because it scares other people away, who were possibly planning on harming me (P) or invading my need for privacy (I). This also leaves me craving sexual contact, but I am deprived as a result of the (I)solation and (P)aranoia. I cannot find a partner while in my bedroom most of the time (I), and my social skills decline consequently, which create difficulty for me to communicate my need to a female. The (P)aranoia also makes me fear intimacy and typically avoid females, but the T is strong at times and I overcome the P to approach them.

Paranoid - I am certain that people plot to harm me, which I believe to have contributed to my Isolation (I). It is logical for me to have resorted to avoiding everyone to ensure that there is an decreased probability of people being successful with their plans to damage me. Plus, new people cannot spot me and begin planning to hurt me. What if they warn me alone? All of this causes people to think I am Paranoid (P). They are labeling me to make me an easier target, I think.

Self-criticism is the first step to self-improvement.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

The P affects S types in a completely different way to N types as well as Fe being COMPLETELY different to Te for obvious reasons. I'm not picking nits when the majority of such a potentially well-educated community is confused over such a major aspect of the MBTI.

Viewing I/E and J/P as just another set of functions leaves too many holes.

I don't think we're viewing them as functions, we're viewing them as trends. Functions are reserved for SNFT, as you know. Just because E/I and J/P change the other functions doesn't mean they aren't identifiable & useful to think about. It's easy to spot introverts at parties. If my teacher is a P, I can get away with more late work.

You're right, there are major misunderstandings with E/I and J/P in the general population. But most of us here know our MBTI. So from our perspective: you're nit-picking.

 

[Ermine]

Introverted: are you introverted because your a listener, not a talker? are your ideas usually met with hostility? do you just dislike people? are you just shy? whats the reason or reasons?

I'm a listener, and I'm not too confident with my ability to talk for extended periods of time. Also, many people don't understand my ideas and it would be too hard to explain.

iNtuition: do you have poor senses? do you mistrust the data your given? do you prefer theory over concrete? whats the reason or reasons?

I'm not too aware of what's happening around me because I'm focusing on other things all the time. I also am much more stimulated by theory because you can actually do something with it. Facts on the other hand, are just there, not living and breathing.

Thinking: do you mistrust feelings? do you have poorly developed feelings? do you have a more physical science than social Science mind? whats the reason or reasons?

I don't mistrust feelings. I just have a hard time identifying them and knowing what to do with feelings. My feelings usually just merge with my thoughts. And I actually am more fascinated by social science, perhaps because it can often be more complex than the physical world, and therefore better to dissect. I just have a hard time participating in the system of social science.

Perceiving: do concreet things disturbe you? do you like to keep things open so you may adapt your plans when problems arise? do you take thinsg step by stap rather than plan? whats the reason or reasons?

I just have to have options. I'll do things when I'm able to, and when I think the time is right, not when the deadline is, unless the deadline is important. I have to have control over what I do and when I do it, rather than being controlled by the time frames of others.

 

[Concojones]

The reason why newbies reason in terms of the 4 letters (I, N, ...) is because most online tests are providing that explanation. Very usable, is my experience so far.
Meanwhile I've noticed that there's another level of understanding (Ti, ...). To me it looks promising (potential of adding real clarity) but I haven't got around yet to analyzing it till the point where the new world opens to me.

So no criticism from me on that account.

Another issue is whether there's a reply to the question 'why' we are INTP. It's not like someone locked me up in a closet during my entire childhood, after which I began to show 'peculiar' behaviour.

 

[jiarem]

Introverted: are you introverted because your a listener, not a talker? are your ideas usually met with hostility? do you just dislike people? are you just shy? whats the reason or reasons?

I'm not sure of the original reason. As a kid, I never connected with anyone, with the exception of one or two. I simply never felt compelled to interact. I could entertain myself, and the others were nothing like me, they had nothing to offer me, so why bother? Later on, introversion was reinforced by shyness.

iNtuition: do you have poor senses? do you mistrust the data your given? do you prefer theory over concrete? whats the reason or reasons?

I do have poor senses, but I don't think that's why. With intuition, I see things others don't. I see beyond the mundane and trite. Furthermore, I have several possibly NT relatives who were influential.

Thinking: do you mistrust feelings? do you have poorly developed feelings? do you have a more physical science than social Science mind? whats the reason or reasons?

I know plenty of T types who have a preference for social sciences. I understand that social sciences attract Fs more than natural sciences, but social sciences attract plenty of Ts. Think of economics.
Anyway, I mistrust feelings. In fact, I think I might have been an INFP as a child, but my ESTJ mother was so insensitive that I was forced to be a T in order to tolerate her. Also, expression of feelings were somewhat stigmatized and held in contempt in my family.
Despite my possible F childhood, I have never been very responsive to certain emotional stimuli. A friend from adolescence once told me that she could never understand why I never got upset over some of the things that were going on. I also analyzed some of the things I've written when I'm emotionally upset (I do write about my feelings, albeit for later analysis), and noticed that I write about them as if they were external forces, imposing upon my will. In other words, I almost see them as not being part of me, but as forces that hold me back.
I notice that T types emphasize independence more than F types. This was a cardinal virtue to my parents, and they taught it to me well. I've hated being dependent on others since my teenage years, and it haunts me to this day. This feeds into my introversion--I see intimate social bonds as emotional dependencies, which must be minimized.

Perceiving: do concreet things disturbe you? do you like to keep things open so you may adapt your plans when problems arise? do you take thinsg step by stap rather than plan? whats the reason or reasons?

This one's tricky. I want to balance my Perceiving a little better by introducing a sort of schedule. In fact, I do like having my day partially scheduled. The key is in having plenty of free time at the end of the day. The problem with being in a schedule is that it makes me feel like I'm a slave to the clock. Freedom is of the utmost importance, but living in a world too orderly, I feel trapped.
I also hate having to choose to focus on one thing to the exclusion of others. This is especially apparent in when I have to choose careers or majors. There are too many things I want to know and do to choose just a handful. I don't like restraining that energy, I like to explore many things, and see how they mesh together. Also, I detest pushiness. Js, particularly the extroverted ones, like to be pushy, which I hate.
On the other hand, I also value productivity and efficiency. This is another way in which my ESTJ mother might have rubbed off on me. If I feel I've been unproductive for too long, I get a little depressed.

That said, I'd also like to note that there's more to being INTP than being an Introvert and iNtuiting and Thinking and Perceiving. For instance, why do I display a dominant Ti function? Some attributes of this function are independence (particularly intellectually), stubbornness when faced with a bossy ESTJ trying to rush a decision, "I don't have to prove myself to anyone" attitude, etc. These are attributes which help define an INTP, but are not reducible to the four preferences.

 

[Carnap]

Introverted : I am super quiet for months in large groups like school. So then, when people see me jabbering away one on one with someone they are shocked. Or if som E does come to pick on me, he is crushed with my subtle sarcasm, mwahahaha.

Intuition : I love theory. I love it.

Thinking : No, really, I love theory. I love philosophy.

Perceiving : I am not good at judging my priorities, am a slacker, etc.

 

[zephryi]

Why are you an intp?

Well, er, because I am? It depends whether or not you believe personality is set at birth or not as well... Anyways...

Well, if we must be sure to define the differences between functions and axises, how about this?

E/I, J/P preferences:

Introvert: I believe I'm an introvert because... well, those six years in which I did nothing but read in class and during recess instead of playing four square and talking are a pretty good indicator. Plus, other people often simply don't hold my attention, nor much of the outside world beyond things related to my interests. I'm known for my severe lack of pop culture and internet culture knowledge.

Perceiving: I say I'm a perceiving type because of the countless assignments I finished the bell before they were due, sometimes literally the minutes before. Deadlines are relative.

Functions:

Ti/ weak Fe: The former is because I always try to make things fit into systems, and make sure that what I'm saying makes sense and isn't affected by subjectivity. The latter is due to my habit of dissecting any strong emotions in order to figure out why I feel a certain way and to get rid of them.

Ne: I love theory. I love the moment when I fiddle around with the different pieces and suddenly the idea just clicks into a coherent whole, and other things can be clicked on that theory and you can create a gigantic theory structure. As for sensing, when I was younger, I'd make up for lack of wearing a coat in the winter by forceful ignoring of the temperature- and it worked most times.

Si: Even though I don't notice actual things, atmospheric qualities like lighting and the wall color do affect the way I feel about a room. It's why I love my room the way it is even though lavender is not my first choice in wall color- on cloudy days, grey light makes the lavender very soothing. However, in front of a computer or a book, perception disappears rather quickly. XD
--

 

[Legionnaire]

Introvert: I hardly never leave my home. I prefer isolated in my room. I hate being around a large group of people. I have friends but we may not see each other for months or so.

iNtuitive: I don't like living in the "real world". I prefer to lose myself in the land of Azeroth. I prefer guitar hero to the real thing. "Losing" myself in video games gets rid of my stress, especially when playing GTA IV. I often think about the future and what could happen with different situations.

Thinker: When talking to peole I am usually blunt. A girl asks me if I think they look fat and I give a straight out answer or be sarcastic with them. I criticize almost everything. I enjoy arguing with someone bout whats real and whats not (especially when it comes to religion), even though I'm being a hypocrit for as I said before I prefer the gaming world to the real one. When it comes to people I know who die, I seem to not really care and just move on.

Perceiver: I'm lazy when it comes to work, I'll wait till the last moment, during which I am busy playing WoW. I'm very disorganized, my room is starting to become a dump. I don't keep to schedule, I do what I feel like whenever.

 

[chocolate]

E/I: I believe I am both introverted and extraverted in different ways, but extraverted in more ways so an overall E, if that makes any sense (I am still trying to understand this dimension in myself). It also depends how long I have been alone, as to me, prolonged solitude breeds a desire for more of the same, whereas shorter periods of solitude leave me with a desire for social interaction. I am very adaptable that way. My thinking patterns also change as I tend to switch from thinking out loud to thinking quietly when I've been alone for more than a day or two.

N: Because I can't look at anything or have any thought without thinking "I wonder..."

T: It is true I am out of touch with my feelings and have a hard time understanding them, but the reason I believe I prefer T is that I worship logic and like to analyze everything to death.

P: Structure (in life, not in thought) makes me nervous. I will do anything I can to keep things unfinished and not follow any plans (I have no trouble conceiving of a plan, but I find it very difficult to stick to one). I have trouble with procrastination as I'm always curious about pretty much anything so can get easily distracted (I would say my motto is 'every path leads to another path...', and I can (love to) walk all day)

 

[Razare]

I - My primary reason is that I dislike most people. Once someone has said a few words to me and I've been in their presence for a while, I know who they are on the inside. I can tell if they're fake or genuine, I can tell if they're like me and simply observing. Once I know who someone is on the inside, socializing with them only interests me if I decide I like them. If I do like them, then I'll engage them in conversation, but it is rare that I find a person like this.

There are also people I like, such as my family, who cannot understand me. Being myself around them is just confusing as they have totally different interest and simpler minds. I have a friend like this too, she's very outgoing and emotional. She can't come close to understanding me so I really wonder why we are friends. These two factors force me to be non-social, not to mention that social activities drain my energy.


N - Data is limited. You will never have all the pieces of the puzzle but why should that stop you from understanding what picture the puzzle will make when complete?

If you're wrong on a detail here or there, great, you've learned something that improved your understanding, making your understanding more complete.


T - I expressed my feelings often when I was a child. What resulted was never good. Wisdom and years have taught me to never let my feelings out of their box because they're childish, violent, and immature. If I'm not basing decisions on how I feel, since they are so unreliable, logic is all that remains.


P - This one I am very conflicted on. I used to score as an INTJ. When it comes to certain things, I must have structure and rigid accuracy. I used to be really into software programming, and that sort of rigid logic pushes one in the direction of an INTJ mentality. Though, I have a hatred of being confined to deadlines and time schedules. I literally feel sick in my stomach because of them. It comes down to a hatred of being controlled to the point of anger and revulsion. I may commit myself to a schedule because it is the logical thing to do, but it does not mean it is what the feeling aspect of me wants to do.

Honestly, I'd be a bum in the woods somewhere and have absolute freedom if I thought it were possible without being utterly bored.

 

[merzbau]

I: mostly because i have no desire to push or impose myself on others, and i expect the same in return.
N: because i think the sensory world is the "surface" world, the intuitive is underneath, the deeper truth.
T: because you can use thought to analyse feelings, but not the other way around.
P: because i value ideas equally, regardless of who presents them.

 

[The Fury]

Unless you examine your genetic structure and take the time to dissect your entire life, you'll never really know why you are the way you are. I don't have any valid logical reasons for being an introvert or a intuitive person, it's simply who I am. You don't choose to be a thinker or a feeler, it's simply a result of both nature and nurture. You might hate people because you're an introvert but it's unlikely that you're an introvert because you hate people.