Yes.


My grandfather is an ISTP. He's actually living out in the mountians now. I've wanted to for the longest time.


But i'd also say it depends on the circumstances... If you have a lot of people you've actually managed to get close to, it may be differant. I don't really have ANY friends IRL that i would consider close on a deep level.

But yeah... my grandfather was a police officer that did everything from undercover narcotics to SWAT, and a lot of the people he put behind bars are starting to get out of jail now... So that may be a factor as well.

I went through a semi-hermit phase for a few years. I'd spent too much time around the wrong people, got devastated, and realized that I needed to cut the ties with pretty much everyone I knew at that time. Since then I've reconnected with a lot of friends from before that time, along with some new family.

As far as living on a mountain or island, that's mostly because I want to be able to do what I want without having to worry about my neighbors. I'd get bored eventually, though.

Oh, its me dream to live in Alaska or Arizona, it is. :3

I have an affinity for it because I have an affinity for nature. I can't say I know about others.

I don't think I could do it. I could see myself withdrawing for a time, but when I spend too much time completely alone I become full of restless energy and destructive. I need to interact with people to let off some steam occasionally. Not often, but often enough that I wouldn't survive very long as a recluse.

I feel I should also add that one of my irrational fears is being eaten alive by inbred hillbilly cannibals. Being anywhere too separated from civilization is going to freak me out.

I agree with Cruciferae, I need people in my life to stop me from going completely crazy. While I often think about building a house in the middle of a forest, it's only a fantasy. I would need to know that there's a town or some sort of community close by.

Cruciferae said:

I don't think I could do it. I could see myself withdrawing for a time, but when I spend too much time completely alone I become full of restless energy and destructive. I need to interact with people to let off some steam occasionally. Not often, but often enough that I wouldn't survive very long as a recluse.

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I am reclusive but I find that too much time alone makes me a little bonkers. Hanging out with big groups of people doesn't make it better, so I have a couple of close friends that I interact with when I need to -- keeps me from going nuts, and yet I don't have to be a social butterfly.
Whenever I see "new people" on the horizon I like to hide.

LOL, never mind. I'd better refrain from commenting on this topic.

I read your comment earlier and wanted to comment on it anyway.

I find it discouraging that ISTP women take themselves out of circulation.

I saw a video the other night on failed reality TV pilots. One of them was like the Bachelorette, but they secretly set the men up with a transvestite.

Every interview before the reveal was about how "she" was the perfect woman. Logical, not overly emotional, not insane, willing to do adventurous stuff...

That's kind of how I see ISTP women. You are compatible to our company, and are just like us, except with the enjoyable girly bits...

If I didn't know, or the name didn't give it away, I can't tell reading the ISTP forum if the ISTP writing the post is a man or a woman.

You all are in great demand, and yet you take yourself off the market. We men are suffering a great, unfair loss here.

rousse said:

LOL, never mind. I'd better refrain from commenting on this topic.

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All very true. Ironic, isn't it? Anyway, I certainly don't speak for all ISTP women. Just the ones that you never see.

Yes, if by ironic you mean "this sucks".

rousse said:

All very true. Ironic, isn't it? Anyway, I certainly don't speak for all ISTP women. Just the ones that you never see.

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I suspect that you speak at least for the majority of them, then.

rousse said:

I certainly don't speak for all ISTP women. Just the ones that you never see.

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I thought about it some more as I was out walking with my dogs. It's really a simple equation: people such as myself (and I'm sure there are lots of them out there) do whatever gives them the most freedom. A relationship or marriage can provide freedom, relative to a state of less freedom (an oppressive family, for instance). But the ISTP women that I can "speak for" are the ones who already have so much freedom, that a relationship would almost certainly subtract from it rather than add to it.

The other thing is, women generally need men to give them self-esteem. Men complain about this, but the fact is you'd have a lot fewer women to choose from if it wasn't so. As much as I like men and everything about men, I just don't have the deep psychological need which is necessary in order to put up with another person on a day-to-day basis.

Damn, I ended up commenting on this topic even though I didn't want to. It's Sofort's fault. ;-)

Was it elicitation?

Hah! Apparently so. You are good. I better leave now, before you get me to tell you what I'm wearing. And my credit card number.

sofort99 said:

Was it elicitation?

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That's the only way I could do it. A woman who was opposite of me so we could keep things interesting everyday. By myself, I'd get bored quickly. I'd probably befriend an inanimate object, definitely make friends with wildlife. Probably go madder than I am already. I've taken some backpacking trips solo - as refreshing as it is, I do get lonely at times.

DJArendee said:

I can imagine doing that if I was married to a woman who I also considered my best friend. I think that would be pretty cool, actually.

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I had a few years of my life where I was a complete loner. Even read a book called "The Loners Manifesto". I ate every meal alone and sometimes went days without talking to anyone. It was also the time in my life when I was the least stable. I was absolutely despondent and insane.

I think the trick is to find the balance between solitude and being social, and being able to know when you need one or the other.

I'm a hermit, because throughout my life I've had crap happen that shouldn't happen to anyone especially as a kid and every relationship I've had has ended in fallout, because ppl wont talk to me to work it out for some reason instead they like to talk to the local gossip group. So getting close to someone is hard. Also I've realized that a large portion of ppl are pretty stupid, and they just get dumber every year. I personally would like to find a ISTP woman but...more than likely I'll never find one because well they are probably hermits just like me....sigh..

After thinking about it. I would definitely be considered a hermit compared to most people. But, compared to how I have been at certain times in the past, I am less of a hermit at the time. Mostly because my job at the moment requires me to be near people. I really only hang out with one person in my regular life. The rest of my time is spent on solitary pursuits.

I mostly think I don't have time for people. I have tons of hobbies and interests and people just get in the way of doing what I want to do. Even just dealing with one person all the time gets hard, since I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. I hate compromising on what I want to do. Especially since I never know when I'll want to do it again.

I practice music for hours at a time. I don't have time for people bugging me. Any time someone asks me how I get so good at music or other things, I say "The only way is through social isolation".

Me, I need my space and my freedom, and among my local social circle, I'm definitely reclusive. I have often jokingly described myself as a hermit.

But, I know I would go crazy from complete seclusion for an extended period of time. I get restless, bored, and lonely.

A very un-hermit-like characteristic of mine is that I don't like eating alone. If I have the option of eating by myself or having a meal with someone else, I'll opt for the latter.

But, like rousse, my happiness is not contingent on someone else. I think people can sense this, that in the long run, I don't need them. It can be very off-putting, I imagine.