People with the architect personality type or INTP are some of the quirkiest and hardest to understand. Many things they do and say may confuse others.

INTP is one of the rarest personality types, according to the Myers-Briggs classification. These people seem to have their own perception of the world, which doesn’t make much sense to those around them. The architect personality is known for a set of quirks and contradictory traits that contribute to this misunderstanding.

Here are some examples:

1. INTPs don’t care about people’s opinions but feel awkward and anxious at social events

INTPs are of those people who value independence and freedom of thought most of all. Among other things, the architect personality tends to be independent of social expectations and the opinion of other people.

Commonly, INTPs just don’t find things like social acceptance, admiration, and attention worth spending their time and energy on. They simply don’t care about this stuff so much.

On the other hand, the architect personality type is one of the most socially awkward ones. They have a hard time trying to establish and maintain social contact.

Being around other people often drains them and makes them feel uncomfortable and anxious. It feels particularly intense at large social gatherings and in the company of people who don’t have much in common with the INTP.

This is quite contradictory because an INTP will never make conscious efforts to win everyone’s attention and admiration. At the same time, they may get disappointed and angry with themselves because of their social ineptness and inability to easily find a common ground with other people.

2. INTPs may seem cold and distant but are sensitive and caring deep inside

INTPs often seem indifferent and overly rational when they deal with interpersonal relationships. For example, someone with the architect personality type will never pretend to be nice and interested in someone just to show that they have good manners. They simply see no sense in having a nice chitchat with their neighbors or tolerating a distant relative who asks embarrassing personal questions.

An INTP always looks for a reason and meaning in everything, so if these don’t exist, they won’t bother wasting their time on it.

At the same time, INTPs are some of the most loyal and sincere people when it comes to close relationships. No matter how reserved and distant they may be with others, they are funny and easygoing with their loved ones. They just have a different comfort zone around different people.

Moreover, INTPs are deeply sensitive – even though they rarely show it – and get hurt easily. They tend to bottle up their emotions and spend hours overthinking and worrying about their relationships. The architect personality type just doesn’t like to show their feelings to others, even the closest ones.

No matter how cold and distant they may seem sometimes, be sure that your INTP is fiercely loyal and deeply cares about you.

3. INTPs long for deep conversations but fail to express themselves well when actually talking to people

INTPs are deep thinkers who can’t live without reflecting on existential matters and trying to understand the essence of everything.

If you have the architect personality type, you will know that feeling when you can’t sleep at night because of your overactive mind. You just lie in your bed, desperately trying to find the answer to an eternal question or the solution to a life situation. You think over different scenarios and finally, reach some conclusion. It all sounds so sensible and well-formulated in your head.

However, when you try to share your thoughts with your colleagues in the next morning, they look confused and don’t quite understand what you mean. Thank social awkwardness for that – it often makes an INTP sound less capable and intelligent than they actually are. But it’s not the only problem the architect personality faces here.

An INTP can’t always find someone to have a deep conversation with. It often happens that those around them are not really interested in all these matters that fascinate and puzzle an INTP. This can be a real struggle, especially in today’s shallow society which cultivates narrow-mindedness and stupidity.

The truth is that the architect personality type loves to talk to people, but only when the conversation topic is worth it. Why spend your time having a boring small talk about TV shows or food when there are so many intriguing things to discuss? This is the way an INTP sees it.

4. INTPs are good at analyzing personalities and relationships but are clueless when they are involved

The architect personality type is highly analytical and perceptive. They are really good at reading people and predicting the outcomes of relationships.

They often see people’s hidden motives and inconsistent behaviors before everyone else does. While an INTP tends to be socially awkward in practice, they are great at the theoretical aspect of interpersonal relationships.

If your best friend is an INTP, I’m sure that they have given you many useful tips about your relationships. Sometimes they are able to predict what will happen between people or how a relationship will end. And usually, they are right.

But what happens with their own relationships? For some reason, this insightfulness disappears when an INTP is involved themselves. They often don’t see the most obvious things and get genuinely astonished when their partner wants to have a “serious conversation”.

INTP women may particularly struggle with relationships and family matters as many of their perceptions and behaviors are not typical of women.

Maybe this happens because the feelings they have for their partner mess with their analytical ability. Also, an INTP is a rational thinker in the first place, so making sense of feelings and love matters is not their strength.

5. INTPs have numerous ideas and plans but rarely take real actions

The architect personality has a vivid imagination and an endless creativity. They are constantly thinking about new projects, ideas and questions.

The purpose of their life is to entertain and expand their mind with new knowledge and ideas. For this reason, an INTP will often have a whole plethora of projects and plans they get enthusiastic about in the beginning.

However, when it comes to implementing these plans, this enthusiasm fades away somehow. The INTP tends to overthink things and this is what happens when the time to act comes. Before they do anything, they think about all the possible obstacles and scenarios why it may fail. As a result, the project often remains just it – a project.

It’s because INTPs are purely theoretical thinkers and often struggle with the raw reality of everyday life.

6. INTPs can be highly intelligent in theoretical subjects but not so good at dealing with practical issues

The architect personality type is considered one of the most intelligent ones. In fact, statistically, INTPs tend to have the highest IQ scores among the MBTI types. They often excel in theoretical fields like physics, mathematics, astronomy, etc. and become notorious scientists and innovators. Albert Einstein is the most remarkable example of this personality type.

INTPs are deep thinkers and passionate learners who often have vast theoretical knowledge about all kinds of subjects. But what happens when they have to deal with mundane everyday problems like doing some paperwork? They may find such a simple task really draining and challenging.

If you know an INTP, you may often wonder why such a highly intelligent person has such a hard time dealing with these insignificant issues. Despite all their intelligence, they can be unbelievably impractical in certain situations in daily life.

It’s not only their theoretical mind to blame for this but also their tendency to overthink things. When faced with a task, an INTP will need some time to think about all the possible ways to perform it and choose the best one. No need to say that this approach is not always effective when you need to make a phone call or buy a tablecloth for your dining room.

And most importantly, INTPs hate all kinds of mundane stuff, whether it’s some paperwork or just a boring and monotonous task. They like to spend their time and energy only on the things that challenge their mind and stimulate their creativity.

Final Thoughts

People with the architect personality may seem weird and quirky at first. You may struggle to understand them in certain situations and decode the way they think about some things. However, if you manage to get closer to them, you will see a deep person and a loyal friend fun to spend time with.

If you are an INTP, can you relate to any of the above-described traits? Do you often face misunderstanding? Please share your thoughts with us.


Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

This Post Has 19 Comments

  1. Jacob

    I’m an INTJ, and I relate to ALL of these traits. This is why I can’t trust MBTI anymore. It’s very confusing to identify with 4 different personality types.

    1. Chandra

      The only difference is P(Perceiving) and J(Judging). The P type is more open with alternatives in mind and have difficulty in making decision, while the J type is more firm and focused in one alternative.

  2. B

    More or less spot on except for point 6. I could see that happening if the problem happens to be outside the field of interest, but otherwise INTPs are one of the best problem solvers because they don’t do baindaid solutions. They fix the core of the problem.

  3. M

    Lots of truth here. I explain the whole relationship piece with the analogy of looking at an Impressionist painting. If you’re in the relationship you can’t get the right perspective to see what’s going on. Much like standing too close to an Impressionist painting can make it very difficult to figure out what the image really is. You have to step back and view it at a distance to understand the image. Relationships are much easier to analyze when viewed from a distance also.

  4. Sofia

    As an INTP I can identify with all of these except for 6. I mean, i can identify to it to some degree but it’s mostly my absent-mindedness/daydreaming that makes me forget certain every day task.

  5. Chris Morgan

    Isn’t INTJ the “Architect” and INTP the “Logician”? I’m confused.

    1. Anna LeMind

      hi Chris, it seems that different websites use different terms for INTP. Some use ‘logician’, some use ‘engineer’ and some use ‘architect’. Indeed, the 16personalities website uses the term ‘architect’ for INTJ. Anyway, I guess the word you use for each type is just a matter of personal preference. 🙂

  6. Veracious

    I found your article to be spot on and one of the better articles I’ve read in a while. I’m an INTP that thought I was an INTJ for years lol. Jacob you should look into cognitive functions between INTP and INTJ if you want to see the real differences between the two. That’s how I determined that I’m an INTP, before that I thought that I was and INTJ which I believe is common for INTPs as INTP is the most judging perceiving type. INTP/INTJ are similar so you’ll notice a lot of things interlap between them, but there are some major differences that took me years to find and now that I’ve seen them they explain the differences between me and my best friend who is an INTJ.

    Going back to the article I agree with “B” part 6 is off, although if you rephrased it you’d be correct. I’d say I suck at mundane nitpicky stuff that’s required like doing paperwork…. If it’s buying anything I’m great as long as time isn’t a factor or if there is no way of researching something before I buy it as it really drives me crazy lol. Timelines is my mortal enemy.

    I will say that while I’m great at theoretical I’m incredibly inept at sensory stuff. For instance it took me 10 weeks to realize that there is a second microwave in the kitchen at work and I had looked around multiple times seeing what was in the kitchen… My mind somehow overlooked that as one microwave as to me one was enough until 10 weeks later another coworker was using the microwave when I wanted to use it. Then I wanted another microwave, but didn’t realize it existed until I had waited for my coworker to finish using the microwave, put my food into it and saw another coworker open the second microwave while I was using the first one. I found this pretty comical and pathetic on my part. I think I only store the info that I need, anything extra I don’t store. I can be somewhere for years and not recall what’s where minus what’s important to me so my friends find that particular. So this is an issue for me as I had my first networking project at a plant recently and after going on job site I totally spaced what almost the entire plant looked like inside… I find this comical, but at the same time really really sucks as now I only have my notes to do the job and I can’t recall any of the rooms with the senior engineer that I’m working with. Meanwhile on hard theoretical engineering problems I’m badass and solve them faster/more complete then my coworkers and am viewed as extremely insightful/out of the box thinker.

    1. Anna LeMind

      Thank you for your feedback! I guess more or less, all INTPs are impractical – it depends on many things, including one’s position in the N/S spectrum. After all, INTPs are theoretical thinkers in the first place.

      And I fully agree with you about the mundane tasks and that the worst part about paperwork etc. is the monotony and a lack of interest/creativity, so I added it to the part 6.

  7. Rosalie

    Yes definitely true…find Hard to keep up in socially challenging situations…very comfortable wid my own people but wont utter a word wid new ppl

  8. Tammy

    I also am an INTP. It still amazes me how spot on the traits are to who I am. It frustrates me how long it takes me to make a selection in a store or restaurant; be it curtain/bed sheet colors, what I want to snack on, or when presented with a vast menu. It doesn’t help that our society feels the need to add more choices to our already insane amount of crap to chose from. I have dreamed as a child of a place in the middle of nowhere where nature and simplicity are the way of things. I am still chasing that dream here in middle age. Discovering who I am and how I am at this stage of my life will help guide me toward this dream. This site has been of great help, as have numerology, I Ching, Tao, Tarot, and Astrology. They all point in the same direction. Thanks goes to all who contribute to this site

  9. Kurt A. Hinds

    Never heard of this personality trait before (I’m English living in Belgium so I think I’ll have to find the dutch name for it).
    But it’s the first trait I’ve read about that really explains what I’m like. Very interesting read.
    Even Point 6… I’m no good at anything I don’t find interesting, usually not cause I can’t but because it takes so much energy to put myself to it, like paperwork, taxes, paying bills and stuff like that. Usually I do everything last minute because of that…

  10. JulieP

    Paperwork really sucks the joy out of my life. Try being an INTP female changing your name after marriage…it’s my own personal hell. 😉 Anyway great article! I feel like my brain can only handle one practical task a day, even if it’s making one phone call to my bank or emailing someone I don’t normally talk to.

  11. jim

    Hi, I find your article refreshing. I took the Myers-Briggs about 35 years ago and I think I tested INTJ at that point, although I also seem to match the traits listed here. I currently have several “projects” in the works while living in an intellectually unsatisfying, rural part of Texas. Recently and painfully, I have been reminded how my perceptions and opinions on social media are misunderstood and not valued. Thus, I have undertaken a search for my tribe, yet again, and found your website. Let me compliment you on your website and the topics you have undertaken to share with folks like me. I look forward to returning to read more intensively. Thank you for your efforts in attempting to help folks like me.

  12. Lisa Bernier

    I am an INTP female, nothing in more true than practical matters like documents becoming a vile nuisance, sensors just annoy the hell out of me and I reserve the deepest pits of hell for those who are not logical or rational which is why I can’t have a conversation with most females who are feeler/sensor type, which are the majority in society, they use logical fallacy in argumentation and when I rationally expose it they say I’m mean, cold and brutal, then slanders us to others, who is meaner, I ask? They are total hypocrites! A spade is a spade and cant be a garden hose, but dont try to tell that to the average female who does not posses logic, its what she feels it is, good god….more like dead god on a stick…I’m left thinking all women are utterly irrational… which is why my friends are typically male, then I found an INTJ female and its like……Oh my…..you’re freaking awesome, just when I had lost all faith in humanity…. in walks the INTJ into my life to redeem all women.

    1. Scion

      Ha ha good one…

    2. Kertie

      INFJ female and I can relate to all this.
      But I find most people (not just women) are utterly irrational. They make me sick.
      I share Ti and Fe with the INTP after all.
      Ni+Fe+Ti+Se

  13. Kenny

    Well, that’s 100% spot on in my case as an INTP.
    However, I don’t appreciate you telling everyone that INTP’s are actually deeply sensitive. It’s true but it’s a shield for a reason. You are killing us there by revealing it to the world.

  14. Tater Salad

    Fantastic, very well written and right on the money. Its always fascinating and a bit unnerving to read somebody describing exactly what its like to be me. At the same time there is a sense of comfort in it as well. Am i an INTP or what! It still can be hard to believe that there are people out there that actually think in the way i do, are misunderstood in the way i am, and have to constantly dumb down as i do. In my experience, what is right up at the top
    of the daily struggle is the way in which social interaction absolutely demands us to convey a perceptible degree of interest in situations that, for all intents and purpose are trivial at best. In other words, its almost as if society has formed this process in which i have little choice but to fallow, that in order to proceed or continue, i must lie and “act“ as though BS makes a difference to me and im functioning at the peak of my mental capacity so as not to offend someone endowed with authority; through which they’ve earned only because they lack the ability to see the larger picture of their life and have no conception of the true nature of their own existence. Wow! Sorry about that! Preserver INTP! Remember, we rule the world!!!!

Leave a Reply