Introduction:
Hello to all!!! It has been a long time since I was on here, and I think I’m due for another article!!! The focus of this article will be to explain the differences between INTP/ INTJ, as it relates to actual cognitive functions, and not “Oh, INTP’s and INTJ’s are the same except one’s lazy and the other isn’t…” Those types of threads are what made me mis-identify as an INTP (I’m an INTJ. Hardcore.) in the first place. So in order to assist those new to MBTI, and for those who are having difficulty understanding the difference between INTP/ INTJ, this article is for you.
So I want to start off by saying that when it comes to MBTI, you CANNOT, and I repeat CANNOT just take the 4 letters of the individual’s personality and determine their traits and preferences. You MUST look at the cognitive functions and processes.
So, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s delve into the world of MBTI cognitive processes!!!
Cognitive Functions:
So in our day to day interaction with the world, we are constantly receiving information, and then evaluating and acting according to how we processed the gathered information. Our information gathering functions are referred to as Perceiving functions, and are Sensing and iNtuiting. People who use Sensing as their Perceiving function take in information primarily via their senses. They evaluate what they can see, touch, smell, or hear. People who use iNtuition as their Perceiving function take in information based off of their intuition. Real world example: two people walk into the room, where the trashcan is turned upside down. The Sensor will notice that it’s upside down and flip it and continue on their way. The iNtuitor will see the trashcan, and flip it, while pondering why the can was upside down in the first place. Sensors are concerned with what they can directly interact with, and will generally shy away from theory or abstract thinking. They follow a straight line of reasoning, for the most part need to have all the steps of a process laid out for them, and are most at home in the physical world. Conversely, iNtuitors are concerned with ideas and theory, and may not be as home in the physical world. They are your absent minded professors, your daydreamers, or generally anyone who spends a significant amount of time thinking rather than doing.
Just as we have our intake or Perceiving functions, we have our evaluative or Judging functions, and they are Feeling and Thinking. Now it is imperative to understand that we define the meanings of “Feeling” and “Thinking” quite differently in MBTI than their correlating meanings in the English language; a person who uses Thinking as their Judging function is going to be the person to make their decisions based off of impersonal measures, such as points earned or what makes sense or what is mathematical or logical. Conversely, people who use Feeling as their Judging function will base their decisions and actions on more personal measures, such as the group dynamic and what makes sense “emotionally”.
Lastly, there is the first letter of the 4 letter identifier is either an “E” or an “I”. This denotes “introverted” and “extraverted” (note the difference in spelling vs. “extroverted”). An Introvert is someone who expends energy in social situations, whereas the opposite stands true for an Extrovert. What this means is that an introvert will naturally be inclined towards solitude, where an extrovert will be naturally drawn towards social situations.
Now that we’ve covered the types of functions, we are going to delve a little deeper into the function dichotomies. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m going to copy the definitions of the functions below:
From Understanding the 8 Jungian Cognitive Processes (8 Functions):
Hello to all!!! It has been a long time since I was on here, and I think I’m due for another article!!! The focus of this article will be to explain the differences between INTP/ INTJ, as it relates to actual cognitive functions, and not “Oh, INTP’s and INTJ’s are the same except one’s lazy and the other isn’t…” Those types of threads are what made me mis-identify as an INTP (I’m an INTJ. Hardcore.) in the first place. So in order to assist those new to MBTI, and for those who are having difficulty understanding the difference between INTP/ INTJ, this article is for you.
So I want to start off by saying that when it comes to MBTI, you CANNOT, and I repeat CANNOT just take the 4 letters of the individual’s personality and determine their traits and preferences. You MUST look at the cognitive functions and processes.
So, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s delve into the world of MBTI cognitive processes!!!
Cognitive Functions:
So in our day to day interaction with the world, we are constantly receiving information, and then evaluating and acting according to how we processed the gathered information. Our information gathering functions are referred to as Perceiving functions, and are Sensing and iNtuiting. People who use Sensing as their Perceiving function take in information primarily via their senses. They evaluate what they can see, touch, smell, or hear. People who use iNtuition as their Perceiving function take in information based off of their intuition. Real world example: two people walk into the room, where the trashcan is turned upside down. The Sensor will notice that it’s upside down and flip it and continue on their way. The iNtuitor will see the trashcan, and flip it, while pondering why the can was upside down in the first place. Sensors are concerned with what they can directly interact with, and will generally shy away from theory or abstract thinking. They follow a straight line of reasoning, for the most part need to have all the steps of a process laid out for them, and are most at home in the physical world. Conversely, iNtuitors are concerned with ideas and theory, and may not be as home in the physical world. They are your absent minded professors, your daydreamers, or generally anyone who spends a significant amount of time thinking rather than doing.
Just as we have our intake or Perceiving functions, we have our evaluative or Judging functions, and they are Feeling and Thinking. Now it is imperative to understand that we define the meanings of “Feeling” and “Thinking” quite differently in MBTI than their correlating meanings in the English language; a person who uses Thinking as their Judging function is going to be the person to make their decisions based off of impersonal measures, such as points earned or what makes sense or what is mathematical or logical. Conversely, people who use Feeling as their Judging function will base their decisions and actions on more personal measures, such as the group dynamic and what makes sense “emotionally”.
Lastly, there is the first letter of the 4 letter identifier is either an “E” or an “I”. This denotes “introverted” and “extraverted” (note the difference in spelling vs. “extroverted”). An Introvert is someone who expends energy in social situations, whereas the opposite stands true for an Extrovert. What this means is that an introvert will naturally be inclined towards solitude, where an extrovert will be naturally drawn towards social situations.
Now that we’ve covered the types of functions, we are going to delve a little deeper into the function dichotomies. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m going to copy the definitions of the functions below:
From Understanding the 8 Jungian Cognitive Processes (8 Functions):
INFORMATION-ACCESSING PROCESSES—Perception |