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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Its quite uncanny how I can relate to 99% of what youve said, and to the many other good sites that explain the INTP personality type. The only thing I differ from is that while im extremely creative and can get lost in my thoughts, I can also translate them it into reality, usually by making/ building my designs. I am very practical and dexterous too.This is however a learned skill.
Eh. I’m an INTP and entrepreneur. All that had to happen is that I had to be an entrepreneur in a field I’ve been obsessed about since I was young and then I had to give myself time to visualize the complex system I’m creating with my business. Also, I had to make clear what problem I was finding solutions to. It’s not hard, it’s just different. As an INTP, what’s new?
This is TOO accurate. Why do INTP's have to have so many bad characteristics LOL. Anyone else feel like deep down they wanna be an extrovert but they just CANT?
I’m being exposed and it’s scary how accurate this is.
SSSttt...now we are both exposed.
Actually really funny reading how freakishly close all the points are. I find i have a Fine line between Sensing and Intuition and Perception and Judgement. The test usually says INTP But also comes up J sometimes. Also how could so many INTP's misspell words and be ok with that? Up your game people. We're meant to be the best! I feel like some kind of freak INSTPJ. Or perhaps i just have a personality disorder. Lol. It is great to actually get some sense out of why we can be surrounded by people but still feel alone. Unless you've something interesting to say or want me to beat you in an argument, then don't say anything. That's how I feel. + Birthday and Christmas cards are stupid.