Please elaborate. I'm really interesting to see why you think this.

 

Aye!

Well...this is more from looking at some tests that I did, though admittedly my Si vs Ni was very on-the-fence (it's always around >10% between each other). In other things, I tend to be a bit of a traditionalist (i.e. I believe in loyalty towards parents - a very Asian mindset due to my Asian heritage) and pragmatic in my goals for life (I read that INTJs tend to be very conjectural in their beliefs - something that I have always felt doesn't really fit me). I'm also considered quite respectful and kind to subordinates, even willing to forgive a mistake or two - something that seems to contrast stereotypical INTJ traits.

The one thing for me that really struck me as more ISTJ than INTJ is one of my basic fears of life and something that's affecting me a lot in college - stability. I'm quite frightened of being unstable and doing radically new things (granted, I do like eating new kinds of food, but that's minor in the scheme of things). INTJs typically are more "f$%@ it all and do what I want" in regards to life - something that contrasts me greatly.

On the flip side though, I tend to be loose with my morals, meaning that I'm willing to sully my hands (figuratively speaking) to get what I want. I also do have very strong passions and, in a perfect world, I would love to pursue them for life. I read that stereotypical INTJs tend to possess strong passions for certain things and relentlessly absorb information on such subjects. Furthermore, I don't believe that facts are not always concrete - something that tends to resonate with ISTJs. I actually enjoy arguing how facts could be modified or slanted in a way to make a certain party look better under examination.

I'm still doing side research on this since I heard ISTJ vs INTJ is an easy confusion. Heck! An ISTJ mentioned that I might just be an INTJ with tons of ISTJ traits. I also take MBTI with a grain of salt since I don't believe that one's personality could be fully contained in a four letter acronym.

That being said, I'm interested from people on this side of the forum of what they think I am since even the tests themselves are kinda on the fence about whether I'm a Si or Ni :happy:.

 

In parting (though not really, we're still in the same forum), I suggest to perhaps look further into the functions, especially Si vs Ni, and see what really suits you. The tests can only determine so much about what's going on in your mind.

(Also, I don't think ISTJ is already the most common type; there are still the extroverts. Nothing inherently wrong with the distribution of the types in the population. And all those are beside the point.)

And no matter what your type, no matter what part of PerC you end up in, you are still yourself first and foremost (I'll do my part in keeping this in mind as well.)

 

And no matter what your type, no matter what part of PerC you end up in, you are still yourself first and foremost

That's right. Changing your label doesn't change you. It just changes your understanding of you.

 

I share a lot of those traits: need for stability, traditionalism, pragmatic goals for life, respectful and kind to subordinates.

Remember, MBTI is about how you take in and process information. Do you process information through your own lens or do you take things at face value? Do you rely on facts and words, or do you rely on ideas and concepts?

I think there's a lot of overlap between INTJ and ISTJ. In fact, a friend at work who I was sure was an ISTJ told me he's an INTJ. Keep in mind this guy is the most traditional, stable, pragmatic person I know. But he makes associations in his mind faster than he can logically process them, which is a clear N over S trait.

I'm not trying to sway you either way. Just be aware that it is possible to bridge the gap between types. Not every INTJ or ISTJ (or any type) is created equal.

 

I have a strong out-of-preference Practical ability in the N-S range, which makes me able to relate to S-types quite well, and also it made me appear much more ISTJ when I was in my twenties compared to nowadays.

Basically, it's possible to be a mixture and also to use different parts of your functions at different times in your life. My Ni is way better now than it was back then, simply because there is that much more life experience that's gone past me and been taken in as data. Hence I rely on it more. And I've got more used to my Fi and I listen to my own Fi more nowadays. It was always *there*, I just didn't know *how* to use it and I didn't know that I *could* rely on it.

INTJs take a long time to grow up into themselves, I think I read somewhere. Late developers. Certainly I *looked* way more like an ISTJ in my twenties.

 

That's quite interesting :happy:. Maybe I'm still an INTJ...but one that's still trying to cobble up an identity. To be frank, the twenties are quite a tumultuous time for me in regards to schoolwork and life in general. This might inversely affect my answers concerning MBTI tests...

 

Have you looked at ISTP as another alternative? Since Ni is their third function it could be confusing the issue.

Also; INTJs least favoured function would be Si and ISTJs would be Ni on a theoretical basis.

But; take into account that what we do (line of study/work) and our influences (ie parents) and our own perceptions of what we are good at can sometimes be a little clouded.

and; the cognitive functions test questions are not always that clear. Sometimes people end up with Te Ti Ne Ni Si Se simply because of not knowing the specifics and the way in which the questions are asked it could be simply representing Te Ne Si or Ti Ne Si (or any other combo) because of the questions and the interpretation. They are't accurate by any means.

If you feel as if you fit INTJ better than other type then just pick apart the above and more to see why. It really isn't science, they are your preferences after all.

 

That is an interesting suggestion. Then again, I might just be stressed and confused - something college can do to you. That could be affecting my responses on quizzes and such...

 

Whenever more and more people start switching from INTJ to ISTJ, or in other words "figuring out their true MBTI type", this subforum will become great once again.

 

I suppose? I did read that there are lots of "INTJs" who "think" they embody their traits...and then they uphold the stereotypes...in the bad way.

 

INTJ is one of the slowest types to fully mature, as I recall the theory.

Which is why INTJ isn't *advised* to marry before age 40, as I think I read somewhere.

Of course, by then a woman would have passed the age of greatest fertility, so maybe this is a massive plot to prevent the INTJs from reproducing...:dry:

There are times that I wonder about the people who write these theories...

but @starscream, you can certainly have out of preference traits and still average up to an INTJ. One of the reasons I got properly tested was that my online test results were so inconsistent.