INTPs as Social Adventurers

[Comfopleb]

I probably shouldn't talk for anyone but myself, but I will. As I'm sure most of you agree, few INTPs are naturally adapt for socializing in recreational settings without there being some sort of reason for being there and for socializing with these specific people. In other words, we are not naturally suited for going on social adventures. By social adventures I don't mean a regular adventure while also being somewhat social, but I mean seeing other people as the objects of interest for a period of time, seeing people as the stepping stones in a pond that you necessarily have to go by in order to proceed on your adventure. One example of a social adventure would be to go out on town alone, socializing with other people in order to open new doors throughout the night, jumping from stone to stone until ending up at some sort of weird place or experiencing meaningful insights in others lives, some hidden knowledge or interesting events etc. I'm calling this an adventure because it might end with you finding a chest with some sort of treasure in it.

This is only theoretical, of course. I tend to avoid adventures at all costs because they may be uncomfortable. Do you? What adventures have you been on? Being an INTP, how have you oriented socially throughout your adventure? What treasures have you found?

 

[Ink]

I sometimes get myself into a completely outgoing Ne-Fe mode, it can't last too long without needing to recharge of course...

 

[pariahmariah]

Knowing that all people have something to offer is all fine and good. Finding reasons to connect with them is an issue in and of itself. I don't want to be accumulating acquaintances just for the sake of accumulation. To be perfectly honest with myself, I'm probably never going to see the value in that. On the other hand, I know that real growth requires interacting with other people and living outside of my cozy little bubble. To cure this I create solid reasons to connect with other people.

The majority of people establish how they should behave in social situations by use of social roles, group affinity, and social gestures/ graces. But being an INTP, I have to find other ways to relate to people since I don't use my feeling function externally. I turn to observation.

I try to be emotionally sensitive by seeking to understand people for a predetermined purpose (usually trying to figure out their type if there is no predetermined purpose).

I focus on recognizing others' emotional states and the circumstances that provoke those states.

And through compassion, I use emotion to objectively help others overcome their suffering.

If I look at understanding people as research to either understand their type or help them move past their problems, I can use my natural abilities to connect with other people.

 

[Chad]

I probably shouldn't talk for anyone but myself, but I will. As I'm sure most of you agree, few INTPs are naturally adapt for socializing in recreational settings without there being some sort of reason for being there and for socializing with these specific people. In other words, we are not naturally suited for going on social adventures. By social adventures I don't mean a regular adventure while also being somewhat social, but I mean seeing other people as the objects of interest for a period of time, seeing people as the stepping stones in a pond that you necessarily have to go by in order to proceed on your adventure. One example of a social adventure would be to go out on town alone, socializing with other people in order to open new doors throughout the night, jumping from stone to stone until ending up at some sort of weird place or experiencing meaningful insights in others lives, some hidden knowledge or interesting events etc. I'm calling this an adventure because it might end with you finding a chest with some sort of treasure in it.

This is only theoretical, of course. I tend to avoid adventures at all costs because they may be uncomfortable. Do you? What adventures have you been on? Being an INTP, how have you oriented socially throughout your adventure? What treasures have you found?

I guess your right at least as far as I am concerned. I don't mind going on adventures but using social interaction as a stepping stone just for the case of the adventure isn't my MO. I tend to be less shy than other INTPs however, I almost leave all my social interaction as individual adventure in themselves were I can rest and recharge in between.

 

[WhatTheFunction]

I sometimes get myself into a completely outgoing Ne-Fe mode, it can't last too long without needing to recharge of course...

I feel like I get this too. It can happen if I took too much caffeine in the morning or if I'm really excited about learning something and want to share it with people.

 

[Brontosaurie]

i love how you so astutely describe something others do without thinking

 

[Absurdity]

By social adventures I don't mean a regular adventure while also being somewhat social, but I mean seeing other people as the objects of interest for a period of time, seeing people as the stepping stones in a pond that you necessarily have to go by in order to proceed on your adventure. One example of a social adventure would be to go out on town alone, socializing with other people in order to open new doors throughout the night, jumping from stone to stone until ending up at some sort of weird place or experiencing meaningful insights in others lives, some hidden knowledge or interesting events etc. I'm calling this an adventure because it might end with you finding a chest with some sort of treasure in it.

Few stones I've hopped upon have ever led anywhere interesting. Best advice to an INTP social adventurer is to just get drunk: lowers the bar on what makes a thing interesting, and if you miss a stone and land in the pond you won't give a shit that you're all wet.

 

[Analyzer]

INTP with ENTPs can be quite an adventure.

 

[SpaceYeti]

As you all could read in other threads, I'm in the military. We recently got this new private. Finally. Basically everyone in our squad has been in for at least 2.5 years. This is our squads only (real (I don't count people who are privates due to demotion)) private. Well, we just got him this week. It's his first weekend here, and our squad leader basically made me his go-to guy for doing things, general questions, and whatever. Sort of an unofficial sponsor.

I'm sure he's a fine kid, I have no reason to presume he's undisciplined or stupid or anything, but forcing myself to be social with someone seems so unnatural. It took me being here almost three months before making what I could consider potentially a future friend. I get along with everyone fine... when I have to. I have to deal with these people, so I do. Now it's cutting into my time off, though. I don't resent the new guy, I don't resent my squad leader, and I don't have anything against helping the kid out, it's simply that it takes energy I wasn't planning on spending that way.

I am definitely not a Social Adventurer, is what I'm getting at.

 

[Jennywocky]

Few stones I've hopped upon have ever led anywhere interesting. Best advice to an INTP social adventurer is to just get drunk: lowers the bar on what makes a thing interesting, and if you miss a stone and land in the pond you won't give a shit that you're all wet.

Heh. Drinking. Yes. Loads of fun. So much for inhibitions, we're flying high!!

 

[Double_V]

I don't want to be accumulating acquaintances just for the sake of accumulation.

I also feel strongly about this. I 'know' alot of people but I consider my friendships intimate (and long term).

It purplexes me when I see peoples fb page and they have have many hundreds "friends". It appears these 'friends' are people they barely know, or met only briefly. It's as tho they are 'collecting people'.

I was recently a member of a website where a woman mod doing this essentially linked every member of that site behind the sceens via her PM's & facebook. If you gave your name to her, everybody else knew it too. She'd made 'friends' with a members girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, and ex-wife trafficking much information - starting & stirring pots. The site actually ended up closed for awhile over the members reaction to it. All of which could have been avoided if people had been a bit more discreet with who they made 'friends' with.... and then were 'shocked' to realize they weren't really friends.

Edit: I'm an ENTP so I appear to be very social and enjoy being so publicly. I just don't mistake these common interactions as anything more than that. I keep friends with friends, business with business, and aquaintances 'friendly'.

 

[Architect]

few INTPs are naturally adapt for socializing in recreational settings without there being some sort of reason for being there and for socializing with these specific people. In other words, we are not naturally suited for going on social adventures.

Depending, when I was younger I got a lot out of it. I actually thought in the back of my head "OK this is the time to do this, so go ahead and get it out of your system." So I had a cadre of close friends and was a mild partier. At my age socializing is distressing. People talking about their kids or whatver; conversations I've had a million times before. I avoid all of it and have two close friends.

This is only theoretical, of course. I tend to avoid adventures at all costs because they may be uncomfortable. Do you? What adventures have you been on? Being an INTP, how have you oriented socially throughout your adventure? What treasures have you found?

For work I did have to travel to Asia and Europe extensively, where I became friends with a lot of foreign colleagues. That was interesting at the time.

 

[Duxwing]

Depending, when I was younger I got a lot out of it. I actually thought in the back of my head "OK this is the time to do this, so go ahead and get it out of your system." So I had a cadre of close friends and was a mild partier. At my age socializing is distressing. People talking about their kids or whatver; conversations I've had a million times before. I avoid all of it and have two close friends.




For work I did have to travel to Asia and Europe extensively, where I became friends with a lot of foreign colleagues. That was interesting at the time.

Oh my... O_O

-Duxwing

 

[walfin]

Somehow the idea of a "social adventure" is not quite so adventuresome because most other people do it on a daily basis...