Challenges

3471 Views 14 Replies 12 Participants Last post by amnorvend, Sep 13, 2010

Fiddler

Discussion Starter · Sep 11, 2010

Everything I read about INTPs mentions our supposed love of "challenges", and how if we aren't challenged we become depressed or listless, or something along those lines.

Am I the only INTP who actually wants things to be easy as possible? I can't imagine for the life of me why someone would want to put extra effort into something. Could any of you fellows enlighten me? :|

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nothingnew

· #2 · Sep 11, 2010

The only real challenges I care about are personal ones. One INTP definition of impossible standards set for yourself and others is very true in my case. I hold everyone to high standards. I am critical of all authority figures that I feel have inadequacy. I will point out my friends inadequacies to them; it is what I would like others to do for me.

I have been told many times during my entire life that I am too hard on myself. I admit that I may take the easy way most of the time, but I cannot stop myself from aspiring for greatness. It is the execution of my goals that gives me trouble. I lack really good structure and realize that in myself. I prefer sitting around and thinking about my interests to actually doing something productive about them. None the less, I cannot quit thinking about future perfect scenarios. This may be unique to me and just my endless personal challenges.

I also like chess or any games of challenge. I could probably play chess for 12 hours straight with a good friend.

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Thu

· #3 · Sep 11, 2010

Hmm, well for me, I think, I like challenges as long as no-one is putting any hopes on me, if someone does that I usually start losing my confidence and in the end might even not want to deal with that thing at all. But when it's just me or I don't sense much pressure from othes then I love to challenge myself!(I also have this mode in which I can switch myself into when I don't give a crap about others)
Like nothingnew said, I have high standarts for everyone and I've also been told that I'm being too harsh on myself, but one thing I can't perform well any longer than 5 minutes is playing chess, I just lose focus, although I like that game...

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honestfi

· #4 · Sep 11, 2010

Physical or emotional challenges, no. I want them to be as easy as possible and avoid them.

I become frustrated if I can't see my way through a problem. When I can see the pathway, and know that it is by my own logic that found it, I get a tremendous buzz. It's not a "challenge" as such, which evokes thoughts of pathways unknown, they are roads trod, but previously in a different order. If I get a really good buzz from this particular journey, I'm happy to do this a few more times.

I had such a challenge on Friday, a problem which I had encountered a few times before, but I had to completely rethink the strategy in getting it completed. And I always try to find the easy route.

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Mendelevium

· #5 · Sep 11, 2010

I generally tend to avoid challenges when they are unnecessary, such as physical or emotional ones, or challenges that carry a personal impact. However, when I attempt to further my thinking, I enjoy knocking down any obstacles, the more the better. I also prefer a steep learning slope most of the time, mostly because I can challenge my data processing capabilities and see how far I can go with the new information as compared to the length I went before I received it. I learn for the sake of learning how I learn to learn.

Was that nonsensical?

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Sybyll

· #6 · Sep 11, 2010

Hmm... Where is this "everything" you speak of?

I hate challenges. I hate it when I don't "get" things the first time I do them. I think this may partially be because I coasted through the first 10 years of my schooling, never actually bothering to put in much work into learning (I got good grades, though, and now I look back and think "what if I had applied myself to those things? How much better would I have done?").

Hating challenges do not prevent me from trying to challenge myself a lot, though. I feel that it helps me grow as a person to do things that are difficult. I like knowing how to do something, but I hate being a beginner at anything...

Take martial arts. I love the idea of it, but in practice I find it really hard to learn. So I went to folk high school and did aikido full-time :laughing:.

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ObsidianShadow1

· #7 · Sep 11, 2010

I love personal challenges, but I cannot stand challenges that other people give to me. I should be the one to choose the challenges, not them!

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Ben

· #8 · Sep 12, 2010

I only like challenges I give myself or have to do with something I'm interested in. Otherwise, I really won't bother.

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noosabar

· #9 · Sep 12, 2010

Im pretty sure I love a challenge on all levels, especially when It comes to the opposite sex, the girls who intrige me the most are the ever changing crazy morphing puzzles.
The challenge seems not to end at the termination of an intimate relationship, rather it just begins. I spend months trying to disect the relationship to gain a better understanding of what happened or what went wrong. During the relationship things generally move too fast for accurate analysis or action. Im slow on the uptake but thorough on post understanding.

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amnorvend

· #10 · Sep 12, 2010

Fiddling Lass said:
Everything I read about INTPs mentions our supposed love of "challenges", and how if we aren't challenged we become depressed or listless, or something along those lines.

Am I the only INTP who actually wants things to be easy as possible? I can't imagine for the life of me why someone would want to put extra effort into something. Could any of you fellows enlighten me? :|

I have two responses:

It's only effort if you think of it as effort. If that makes no sense to you, then you haven't found your calling!
This might seem contradictory, but I'll put in extra effort to make things easy.

To give you an example of #2, I'm a programmer that will gladly spend an hour to write a script that will do a 10-minute task for me. Over time, this is usually worth it.

Reactions: 3

Fiddler

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 12, 2010

Hmm. I suppose I consider challenges to be things that aren't enjoyable for me, then...? I don't know. xD

dagnytaggart

· #12 · Sep 12, 2010

Challenges are humbling. They prove that you're not as smart as you thought you were.

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splash

· #13 · Sep 12, 2010

I enjoy intellectual and physical challenges, but I need to have a clear goal. Without challenges, I would be pretty bored.

honestfi

· #14 · Sep 13, 2010

amnorvend said:
I'm a programmer that will gladly spend an hour to write a script that will do a 10-minute task for me. Over time, this is usually worth it.

Absobloominglutely. And they accuse you of wasting time. Chuh.

amnorvend

· #15 · Sep 13, 2010

Here's a quote I find to be somewhat on topic:

I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid.
Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!

— General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord

I think this is a pretty pro-INTP quote, don't you? I find it difficult to explain how it fits into this thread though (damn you Ti!).

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