[Ista]

I'll separate this into a starting background post and then the question in the next post so that it's easier to quote.

Background:

I know that the knowledge of being INTP can be very useful. At first it's very alluring to get involved in all of the personality profiles.

Then, it seems that similar information is regurgitated all over the place. Particularly in forums where people post massive pieces of profile description pages, as if others have not read it before. What I'm looking for is a deeper understanding and discussion.

There does seem to me to be a deeper aspect to it that can offer the starting points for inventive solutions to daily challenges experienced by the INTP (and in a longer term sense as well). I have started reading books about this, and am finding them to be very informative.

I've been allowing myself to analyze them and pick up ideas on the likely consequences of INTP-ness in daily life, seeking to move past the "INTPs procrastinate" for example, into a knowledge of how, when, why and alternatives.

 

[Ista]

Question:

Have you looked into being INTP in depth?

Aside from feeling validated in who you are, how has specific knowledge about different parts of who you are changed the way you respond in daily life?

 

[qingdom]

It hasn't... not one bit... it's a Saturday evening, and I'm on the internet while sorting out my music, ebook, and video library instead of doing something more exciting... like playing stare with a honey badger or laughing with hyena's... or kicking it up with black bears or playing fetch with direwolves.

 

[crazyeddie]

Well, it's helped me figure out a writing system that works for me, more or less. And it helped me figure out why the pre-writing stuff they had us do back in high school never worked for me.

 

[Richard]

It helped me find these forums, as much as they can be a distraction from my work I am truly thankful to have found you guys.

I first found out about MBTI when I was 16, I printed out the description to hand to my teachers because I thought it might help to better understand me in the school setting. Unsurprisingly, and much like the lovable honey badger, they didn’t give a shit.

Has it changed the way I approach life and others ? Nope.

 

[nadjasix]

I'm either:

An INTP with well-developed Si/Fe.

An INFJ with superstrong Ti.

Or a lazy INTJ. (My hostparents abroad told me "____, du bist soo faul", which translates literally "you are soo lazy"...)

Testing INTP and reading about the fact that INTP females are the rarest in our society, and are misunderstood and judged harshly for being the opposite of what's considered feminine (ESFJ) in our culture, helped me quite a bit. Before that I'd only ever felt at home among my group of 'eclectic' and eccentric friends. In the world at large I felt like an alien. It also explained that although I'd consider myself more of an 'artfag' than a nerd, I get along best with geeks and people with deep interests. I can't deal with XSFXs all day without exercising a lot of self-control.

What it's helped me most with is understanding that SJs aren't necessarily stupid, they just see the world differently and have wildly different priorities than I do. They still frustrate me, but I try not to take their BS and intermittent animosity towards me personally anymore.

 

[Cheveyo]

Understanding what I am has helped me accept and understand my own faults.


Aside from that, nothing has changed.

 

[joellr17]

When I found out that I was an INTP, I was in a point where I had a lot of pressure from society to conform with the rules. I took this new knowledge as kind of a license to be myself, and fight for my individuality, and keep defying social norms.

I became a more honest (honestly cynical) person, and stopped trying to be someone I was not.

 

[BUtheBabyUnicorn]

Well, it's helped me realise why the stupid people act stupidly.
And it's helped me understand why I'm... Like this, and that it's totally okay.
...and that's about it.

 

[Ista]

It hasn't... not one bit... it's a Saturday evening, and I'm on the internet while sorting out my music, ebook, and video library instead of doing something more exciting... like playing stare with a honey badger or laughing with hyena's... or kicking it up with black bears or playing fetch with direwolves.

That does sound exciting. I'm surprised you'd like to do those things so much since your Naturalist score is relatively low on your Multiple Intelligences test.

 

[killingbunnies]

Learning that I was an INTP helped me in a lot of ways. I always sort of wondered why I didn't have a bunch of friends or particularly cared about fashion/makeup/shopping (you know, stereotypical girly stuff). This sort of answered it for me, and gave me motivation to continue to fight the 'norm' and be completely myself. In finding out that I was an INTP, I also discovered the other types, and that has helped me understand the reasons I don't (or do) get along with certain people. It's also generally allowed me to deepend my relationships with the people who are close to me, because I feel like I can understand them and how I could relate to them.

 

[Ista]

..instead of doing something more exciting... like playing stare with a honey badger..

..Unsurprisingly, and much like the lovable honey badger, they didn't give a shit.

I hadn't seen this before. Laughed so hard.

 

[qingdom]

That does sound exciting. I'm surprised you'd like to do those things so much since your Naturalist score is relatively low on your Multiple Intelligences test.

30% > 0% is the way I see it! I may not have the most apt, but I do have a little... whatever that counts for at the very least. \(^_^)/

 

[QuietStorm]

Question:

Have you looked into being INTP in depth?

Aside from feeling validated in who you are, how has specific knowledge about different parts of who you are changed the way you respond in daily life?

Hasn't changed a thing - except now I can explain some of the stuff I do as being part of my 'type' description... which doesn't do much for anyone but me since not many of the people I know know/care about types. It's just another thing I've found out about myself.

 

[QuietStorm]

What it's helped me most with is understanding that SJs aren't necessarily stupid, they just see the world differently and have wildly different priorities than I do. They still frustrate me, but I try not to take their BS and intermittent animosity towards me personally anymore.

Didn't realize you had a similar duality as me before you said that (INTP/INFJ), though I'm pretty 'on the fence' about it all.
Anyway... about your quote(!) I'm still working on that... I tend to just assume that if someone's priorities aren't on similarly 'practical' things, then they don't know what they're doing with their lives. I have to keep reminding myself that what I see as important or practical isn't the same for anyone else.

 

[Ablysmal]

I've spent a great deal of time thinking about how my discovery of being an INTP has impacted my life. And after such pondering, I've concluded that it hasn't really affected my outer world, but it did impact my inner one.

It has helped me more self-accepting, and it taught me that I am not an alien. But having this knowledge isn't going to change the fact that some people can't accept those like me. All I can do now is hope to run into fellow INTPs, or anyone with similar interests for that matter.

The research fanatic component of the INTP has helped me be more accepting of others as well. In a way, it has somewhat assisted in my Fe development. It has gone from 5% to a now whopping 15%, but hey it's progress