01/03/2015

INTPPersonality(TheLogician)| 16Personalities

INTP PERSONALITY (THE LOGICIAN)

Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road crossed the chicken depends on your frame of reference.
Albert Einstein

The INTP personality type is fairly rare, making up only three percent of the population, which is definitely a
good thing for them, as there's nothing they'd be more unhappy about than being "common". INTPs pride
themselves on their inventiveness and creativity, their unique perspective and vigorous intellect. Usually known
as the philosopher, the architect, or the dreamy professor, INTPs have been responsible for many scientific
discoveries throughout history.

THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING

INTPs are known for their brilliant theories and unrelenting logic - in fact, they are considered the most
logically precise of all the personality types.

They love patterns, and spotting discrepancies between statements could almost be described as a hobby,
making it a bad idea to lie to an INTP. This makes it ironic that INTPs' word should always be taken with a grain
of salt - it's not that they are dishonest, but people with the INTP personality type tend to share thoughts that are
not fully developed, using others as a sounding board for ideas and theories in a debate against themselves
rather than as actual conversation partners.
This may make them appear unreliable, but in reality no one is more
enthusiastic and capable of spotting a problem, drilling through the
endless factors and details that encompass the issue and developing a
unique and viable solution than INTPs - just don't expect punctual
progress reports. People who share the INTP personality type aren't
interested in practical, day-to-day activities and maintenance, but when
they find an environment where their creative genius and potential can
be expressed, there is no limit to the time and energy INTPs will expend
in developing an insightful and unbiased solution.

WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER

They may appear to drift about in an unending daydream, but INTPs' thought process is unceasing, and their
minds buzz with ideas from the moment they wake up. This constant thinking can have the effect of making
them look pensive and detached, as they are often conducting full-fledged debates in their own heads, but really
INTPs are quite relaxed and friendly when they are with people they know, or who share their interests. However,
this can be replaced by overwhelming shyness when INTP personalities are among unfamiliar faces, and friendly
banter can quickly become combative if they believe their logical conclusions or theories are being criticized.
When INTPs are particularly excited, the conversation can border on incoherence as they try to explain the daisychain of logical conclusions that led to the formation of their latest idea. Oftentimes, INTPs will opt to simply
move on from a topic before it's ever understood what they were trying to say, rather than try to lay things out in
plain terms.
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The reverse can also be true when people explain their thought processes to INTPs in terms of subjectivity and
feeling. Imagine an immensely complicated clockwork, taking in every fact and idea possible, processing them
with a heavy dose of creative reasoning and returning the most logically sound results available - this is how the
INTP mind works, and this type has little tolerance for an emotional monkey-wrench jamming their machines.

LET THOSE WHO WOULD MOVE THE WORLD FIRST MOVE THEMSELVES
Further, with Thinking (T) as one of their governing traits, INTPs are unlikely to understand emotional complaints
at all, and their friends won't find a bedrock of emotional support in them. People with the INTP personality type
would much rather make a series of logical suggestions for how to resolve the underlying issue, a perspective
that is not always welcomed by their Feeling (F) companions. This will likely extend to most social conventions
and goals as well, like planning dinners and getting married, as INTPs are far more concerned with originality
and efficient results.
The one thing that really holds INTPs back is their restless and pervasive fear of failure. INTP personalities are so
prone to reassessing their own thoughts and theories, worrying that they've missed some critical piece of the
puzzle, that they can stagnate, lost in an intangible world where their thoughts are never truly applied.
Overcoming this self-doubt stands as the greatest challenge INTPs are likely to face, but the intellectual gifts big and small - bestowed on the world when they do makes it worth the fight.
Famous INTPs:
Socrates

Rene Descartes

Blaise Pascal

Isaac Newton

Carl Jung

Albert Einstein

James Madison

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Gerald Ford

2. STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES (/INTP-STRENGTHS-AND-WEAKNESSES)

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COMMENTS
Facebook (623)
623comments

Other (394)
Addacom m ent

KitMarsh TopCommenter
IalwaysgetINTPorINTJ,buteitherwayIamalwaysperceivedasacoldsociopathbyothersandevenbymyself.
IfindmyselfneverwantingtobeinalongtermrelationshipbecauseIcanneverfindsomeonewhois
intellectuallystimulating.OnceIhaveemptiedthecontentsofapersonsmind,Ifindtherelationshipgoessour.I
wantanIntellectualenigma!SomeonewhoIcanshareadeepconversationwithforhoursaboutsomethingless
trivialliketheweatherorsentimentbasedmovies!
ReplyLike

621FollowPostMay26,2014at11:10am

KaylaGrovCollegeofCapeTown
Ifeelyou.(WhenIsayfeelimeaniunderstandyoursituationbecausemineissimilar)
ReplyLike

94June13,2014at9:41pm

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INTPPersonality(TheLogician)| 16Personalities
ValentinaPivettaBangkok,Thailand
Iunderstandyoutoo.Aninterestinganddeepconversationforhours?AtmaximumIachievesome
minutes,thenpeoplestarttolookuncomfortable.ToreadPlatoismybestadvice(maybeyoualready
knowwhyIsayso).Seriouslyspeaking,foralongtermrelationship,youhavetwooptionsinmy
opinion:
1_trywithacademicpeople(facultyofphilosophy,physics,mathematics,logicsetc.)andfindpeople
withinterestssimilartoyours.Timeagoitwasdifficult,butnowyoucanfindacommunityforalmost
everythingyoucanimagine.
2_findapersonwhomakesyourlifebetterandyoulikefornonintellectualreasons,soyoucould
havetimeandtherightmindsetforadeepintellectualdialoguewithyourpeers,
fromanINTJorINTPineverytestIhavemadeinthelast20years.
ReplyLike

69June18,2014at3:27am

ClarisaRodriguez TopCommenterUniversidaddeMonterrey
Eh...samehere,INTPthistime(INTJforthepast2years)andINTPbeforethat...ThinkallINTP's/
INTJ'scomplainaboutthesamethingLOL
ReplyLike

40June25,2014at1:49am

View117more
AmyIrving
BeinganINTP,Iautomaticallythoughtthiswouldbeapointlesstest.Forme,selfanalysisisextremelyimportant
soIimaginedthistestwouldjusttellmewhatIalreadyknowaboutmyself.Well,itdid.However,asIreadthe
breakdownIrealisedthisisthefirsttimeIcanagreewithabsolutelyeverysinglepoint!It'salmostlikethisisthe
firsttimeanyonehaseverunderstoodme!IlovenothingmorethanahotbubblebathwiththeiPadplayinga
documentarywhetheritbeonscience(currentlylovingRichardFeynman),Greekphilosophy,politics,quantum
physics,spiritualityetc.Ifindallthesekindsofsubjectsinterestingbutamsoquicklydistractedbysomethingnew
thatIrarelyspendthetimegettingfullyacquaintedwiththem.(ThisisalsotrueofpeopleItendtogothroughan
enthusiasticphaseofwantingtofindouteverythingaboutacertainpersonIfindfascinatingatthetimebutafew
monthslaterwillhavefoundsomeonenewtobefascinatedbyandbecomelessinterestedintalkingtomy
originalfriendsoundsawfulbutI'mbeinghonest!)
Ifinditextremelydifficulttofindpeoplewhothinkthesamewayasmeandamprettyanxiousinsocialsituations
too,whichdoesn'thelp!It'swonderfultofindI'mnottheonlycreativethinkerinthisbig,wide,unfathomable
universe:)So,hellotoeveryone!
ReplyLike

137FollowPostOctober26,2014at4:32pm

HashimKhan

FollowLahore,Pakistan

Samehere,INTP...andidon'tliketalkingasmuchasyoudo:/
ReplyLike

33November11,2014at5:48pm

DaveSimoneauUniversitdeSherbrooke
IhaveexactlythesameproblemwithpeopleandIhavetriedreallyhardtoovercomeit.I'vealways
thoughtitwasauniqueproblemandreadingyouisreallyhelpingmeout.NowIknowIamnottheonly
onesufferingfromthatproblem.Itisnotasolutionforsurebutknowingthisissomekindofnormal,I
mighttrydifferentsolution.
ReplyLike

9November12,2014at10:02pm

DraganZeljkaMisita TopCommenter
Neverreallydidthesetestsbefore,and,boyamIgladIdid.Notonlythedescriptionabovethatfitsme
perfectly,buttoseeyourcomments,andhowsimilarweare!Itisamazing.Peoplefailingtoseethe
logic,drivemecrazy...andIdrivethemcrazytoo:)
ReplyLike

9November25,2014at4:51am

View12more
KaylaGrovCollegeofCapeTown
EverytimeIfeeldowninthedumpsIcomebacktothiscommentsectiontoseealltheawesomelikeminded
people.
ReplyLike

176FollowPostJune25,2014at2:03am

JoseSanchezSanClemente,California
Hey...imnotalone..lmfao
ReplyLike

28July17,2014at9:57pm

JohnnyLewer TopCommenter
Iprefertohearthethoughtsofpeoplewhothinkdifferently.Butheythatsjustme
ReplyLike
SomitJain

10December23,2014at10:07pm
Follow10thGenerationBossatVongola

That'swhatIamdoingnow,thoughIneverreallycommenthere
ReplyLikeJanuary16at11:36am
View1more
MeaganPagcaliuagan

FollowWorksatTahoeJoe's

"Mymind,"hesaid,"rebelsatstagnation.Givemeproblems,givemework,givemethemostabstruse
cryptogramorthemostintricateanalysis,andIaminmyownproperatmosphere.Icandispensethenwith
artificialstimulants.ButIabhorthedullroutineofexistence.Icraveformentalexaltation."
SherlockHolmes
^Hegetsit.
ReplyLike

61FollowPostOctober20,2014at3:48am

JacobLewis TopCommenterSaltLakeCity,Utah
Irecognizedthisquoteat"rebelsatstagnation"!:D
ReplyLike

1February13at1:31am

EmilyPearceExtendedCoverageTechnicianatSwiftTransportation
Ilovereadingthecommentshere!Yayforlikemindedpeople!Ialsolovehoweveryoneiscorrectingeachothers

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INTPPersonality(TheLogician)| 16Personalities

Ilovereadingthecommentshere!Yayforlikemindedpeople!Ialsolovehoweveryoneiscorrectingeachothers
wordandgrammarusage,andqualifyingalltheirstatements....andnooneisgettingangryaboutit.INTP'srule!
ReplyLike

63FollowPostAugust15,2014at7:44pm

JaredRonning TopCommenterCCBCEssex
*eachother's
*INTPs
)
ReplyLike

59October21,2014at4:32pm

MuhammadAdilZulfiqar

FollowCoOwnerandCoFounderatIbnesinahighschool

JaredRonning*INTP(s)
ReplyLike

17November12,2014at12:05am

AmandaJuddFoodServiceWorker/CookatAramark/VMI
No,"INTPs"iscorrect.Andtheapostrophewasmorecorrectthanusingparentheses...atleastin
modernAmericanusage.I'veneverseenparenthesesusedtopluralize.
ReplyLike

7January29at9:45am

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YOUR PROFILE
PERSONALITY: INTP ("THE LOGICIAN") (../INTP-PERSONALITY)
VARIANT: ASSERTIVE
ROLE: ANALYST
Extraverted

Introverted

Intuitive

Observant

Thinking

Feeling

Judging

Prospecting

Assertive

Turbulent

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Blog
Personality Types and Leadership Styles (/articles/personality-types-and-leadership-styles)
Does Your Personality Type Determine Your Job? (/articles/does-your-personality-type-determine-your-job)
The Perfect Type: The Problem of Perfection (/articles/the-perfect-type)
Your Personality Type, Warts and All (/articles/your-personality-type-warts-and-all)

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Our Theory (/articles/our-theory)
Unsure about Your Personality Type? (/articles/unsure-about-your-personality-type)
Strength of Individual Traits (/articles/strength-of-individual-traits)

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