INTP personality type is one of the popular classification of Myers-Briggs types. It is based on one main principle: do you prefer one trait over another?
Many great thinkers with extraordinary minds and eccentric personalities were INTPs, with Albert Einstein being the most outstanding example of this personality type in its pure form.
So what makes INTPs be the way they are? Here are 6 reasons the INTP personality type is one of the quirkiest and most misunderstood:
We INTPs are great analysts, so we are able to “see” through people. It’s not uncommon for us to give advice to our friends or predict the outcome of a relationship just by analyzing people’s personalities and behavioral patterns.
Yet, some other aspects of human relationships are simply beyond our understanding. Thus, the lovey-dovey side of a relationship is incomprehensible for us as we value things like respect, understanding, and deep communication in the first place.
So flowers, gifts, cute names, and promises of eternal love don’t really make sense to us. An INTP can completely seriously say something like:
“It’s not possible that he could fell in love with you so soon. Don’t fool yourself, love at first sight exists only in the movies!”
Similarly, we are unable to understand how social relations work. We seek a deep connection with other people and crave meaningful conversations, so we see no point in maintaining relations with someone based only on social necessity.
It just doesn’t make sense to us why we should ask a neighbor how he or she is doing and how their weekend was if we have nothing in common except for living in the same street.
Our way of thinking is simple: Why would I talk to someone if we don’t have anything interesting to discuss? It would be a waste of time.
No need to say that this kind of behavior may be mistaken for disrespect and arrogance. But the truth is that we don’t hate or disrespect other people – we just don’t like having pointless, superficial conversations.
For the reasons described above, we don’t simply hate small talk – I would say, we are physically unable to participate in it. Our brain seems to have a switch button that automatically sets our mind into ignore mode when someone talks about insignificant stuff.
So when we hear conversations about food, clothes, homemaking, etc, we just slip into our inner realm of thought, paying no attention to what is being discussed.
At the same time, when someone is trying to have small talk with us, asking something like “What did you eat for dinner?” or “How was your weekend?” we give a one- or two-word answer and change the subject. This is another reason why a person with an INTP personality type may seem weird and even rude to others.
INTP personality type has a strong inclination towards deep thought. We love to reflect on the essence of being, life after death, the nature of reality, and other thought-provoking things. That’s why we can often be found immersed in our thoughts and detached from reality.
For this reason, we tend to be scatterbrained – to those around us, it may seem that we just live inside our heads and are not conscious of what is going on in the world around us.
It’s especially evident when we are too captivated by an idea or a project. We just keep thinking it over all day long, losing the sense of time, forgetting to eat, and putting on clothes inside out.
INTPs are true masters of theoretical, abstract thought. This, in turn, results in the fact that we are ridiculously impractical. INTPs can come up with the most brilliant ideas and incredibly complex theories; yet, we are useless when it comes to facing the mundane challenges of life.
Sometimes, a simple task like going to a public office for some paperwork or buying a washing machine can make us feel completely helpless. We INTPs lack practical thinking, that’s why we rarely become good entrepreneurs.
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”
– Albert Einstein
While INTPs think logically and rationally in the first place, this type is also a true example of a chaotic creative mind. We are disorganized, messy, and hate the rules. We perceive them as a limitation of our creative energy and freedom of thought.
INTP personality type also tends to value independence and freedom most of all, so there is no way we can work under control and be effective members of a team.
So INTPs rarely choose public service or office jobs as a career path. For the same reason, people with the INTP personality type may have a difficult time at school even if they may be some of the most brilliant students in the class.
Are you an INTP? Do you relate to the traits described in the article? Share your opinion with us.
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I’m the weirdest person I’ve ever known and now that I’m understanding these personality traits, I have a better sense of what makes me tick.
I agree almost all the points, except for number 5. I am actually practical but I need to detach first from my thoughts and try to focus on the task.
I'm an INTP - very high NT but borderline on I/P. I fit a lot of this article but not everything. I was very rule oriented when younger in the sense I did want to follow rules. However I would note inefficient or redundant rules, so didn't necessarily like them. Over time I've become a bit less rule oriented and better at prioritizing important rules from silly ones. Still, I hate when people inconsistently apply rules or try to break them to cheat at something or cheat others.
On small talk, I do generally hate it and used to find it very uncomfortable. But I studied/read a lot about human behavior and other personalities. So once I understood why some people found it 'important' and tested out different reactions in conversations I learned to manage it and even be OK with it. Part of the reason I hated it was it seemed meaningless and a waste of time. But now I know that for some it is important and a meaningful way they try and connect, so it isn't horrible. Same with eye contact - used to find it really jarring but am OK with it now as many personality types take meaning from frequent and extended eye contact. Empathy I had to sort of reverse engineer as well as it does not come naturally.
I'm not useless in practical things but I am far less 'practical' than most other people I know since I am more interested in theory and can lose track of time easily. I have to deliberately focus to get most tasks done (but when focused on an artistic or intellectual task it's hard to get me to stop!)
these are 100% true about me. Im really really annoyed of being impractical. could you please tell me how can i be motivated,disciplined and practical?
I became more motivated, disciplined and practical when I was a subcontractor for the US Army. I think some of those qualities rubbed off on me. So perhaps, joining the military or working for them in that type of environment raises the importance of those traits more often. I tested as an ESFJ when I added the words "at work" to the MBTI questions. Maybe knowing the aspects of our "opposite" personality type and being aware of where and how we can manifest those characteristics in our lives would be helpful too. I'm just theorizing, hopefully it will help you to generate some ideas of your own.
I am Sure That I am an INTP, Because I've always Being sarcastic. Whilst, I Didn't Realise That I may Also be the Risen Christ?