INTP PERSONALITY (THE LOGICIAN)

Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road crossed the chicken depends on your frame
of reference.
Albert Einstein

The INTP personality type is fairly rare, making up only three percent of the
population, which is definitely a good thing for them, as there's nothing they'd
be more unhappy about than being "common". INTPs pride themselves on
their inventiveness and creativity, their unique perspective and vigorous
intellect. Usually known as the philosopher, the architect, or the dreamy
professor, INTPs have been responsible for many scientific discoveries
throughout history.

THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING

INTPs are known for their brilliant theories and unrelenting logic - in fact, they
are considered the most logically precise of all the personality types.
They love patterns, and spotting discrepancies between statements could
almost be described as a hobby, making it a bad idea to lie to an INTP. This
makes it ironic that INTPs' word should always be taken with a grain of salt it's not that they are dishonest, but people with the INTP personality type tend
to share thoughts that are not fully developed, using others as a sounding
board for ideas and theories in a debate against themselves rather than as
actual conversation partners.
This may make them appear unreliable, but in reality no one is more
enthusiastic and capable of spotting a problem, drilling through the endless
factors and details that encompass the issue and developing a unique and
viable solution than INTPs - just don't expect punctual progress reports.
People who share the INTP personality type aren't interested in practical, dayto-day activities and maintenance, but when they find an environment where

their creative genius and potential can be expressed, there is no limit to the
time and energy INTPs will expend in developing an insightful and unbiased
solution.

WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER

They may appear to drift about in an unending daydream, but INTPs' thought
process is unceasing, and their minds buzz with ideas from the moment they
wake up. This constant thinking can have the effect of making them look
pensive and detached, as they are often conducting full-fledged debates in
their own heads, but really INTPs are quite relaxed and friendly when they are
with people they know, or who share their interests. However, this can be
replaced by overwhelming shyness when INTP personalities are among
unfamiliar faces, and friendly banter can quickly become combative if they
believe their logical conclusions or theories are being criticized.
When INTPs are particularly excited, the conversation can border on
incoherence as they try to explain the daisy-chain of logical conclusions that
led to the formation of their latest idea. Oftentimes, INTPs will opt to simply
move on from a topic before it's ever understood what they were trying to say,
rather than try to lay things out in plain terms.
The reverse can also be true when people explain their thought processes to
INTPs in terms of subjectivity and feeling. Imagine an immensely complicated
clockwork, taking in every fact and idea possible, processing them with a
heavy dose of creative reasoning and returning the most logically sound
results available - this is how the INTP mind works, and this type has little
tolerance for an emotional monkey-wrench jamming their machines.

LET THOSE WHO WOULD MOVE THE WORLD FIRST MOVE

THEMSELVES
Further, with Thinking (T) as one of their
governing traits, INTPs are unlikely to
understand emotional complaints at all,
and their friends won't find a bedrock of
emotional support in them. People with
the INTP personality type would much
rather make a series of logical
suggestions for how to resolve the
underlying issue, a perspective that is not
always welcomed by their Feeling (F)

companions. This will likely extend to most social conventions and goals as
well, like planning dinners and getting married, as INTPs are far more
concerned with originality and efficient results.
The one thing that really holds INTPs back is their restless and pervasive fear
of failure. INTP personalities are so prone to reassessing their own thoughts
and theories, worrying that they've missed some critical piece of the puzzle,
that they can stagnate, lost in an intangible world where their thoughts are
never truly applied. Overcoming this self-doubt stands as the greatest
challenge INTPs are likely to face, but the intellectual gifts - big and small bestowed on the world when they do makes it worth the fight

INTP STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

INTP STRENGTHS
Great Analysts and Abstract Thinkers - People with the INTP
personality type view the world as a big, complex machine, and
recognize that as with any machine, all parts are interrelated. INTPs
excel in analyzing these connections, seeing how seemingly unrelated
factors tie in with each other in ways that bewilder most other
personality types.
Imaginative and Original - These connections are the product of an
unrelenting imagination - INTPs' ideas may seem counter-intuitive at a
glance, and may never even see the light of day, but they will always
prove remarkable innovations.
Open-Minded - INTPs couldn't make these connections if they thought
they knew it all - they are highly receptive to alternate theories, so long
as they're supported by logic and facts. In more subjective matters like
social norms and traditions, INTPs are usually fairly liberal, with a "none
of my business" sort of attitude - peoples' ideas are what matter.
Enthusiastic - When a new idea piques their interest, INTPs can be
very enthusiastic - they are a reserved personality type, but if another
person shares an interest, they can be downright excited about
discussing it. More likely though, the only outward evidence of this
enthusiasm will be INTPs' silent pacing or their staring into the distance.

 Objective - INTPs' analysis, creativity and open-mindedness aren't the

tools of some quest for ideology or emotional validation. Rather, it's as
though people with the INTP personality type are a conduit for the truths
around them, so far as they can be expressed, and they are proud of
this role as theoretical mediator.
Honest and Straightforward - To know one thing and say another
would be terribly disingenuous - INTPs don't often go around
intentionally hurting feelings, but they believe that the truth is the most
important factor, and they expect that to be appreciated and
reciprocated.

INTP WEAKNESSES
Very Private and Withdrawn - While INTPs' intellectualism yields many
insights into their surroundings, their surroundings are ironically
considered an intrusion on their thoughts. This is especially true with
people - INTPs are quite shy in social settings. More complicated
situations such as parties exacerbate this, but even close friends
struggle to get into INTPs' hearts and minds.
Insensitive - Oftentimes INTP personalities get so caught up in their
logic that they forget any kind of emotional consideration - they dismiss
subjectivity as irrational and tradition as an attempt to bar much-needed
progress. Purely emotional situations are often utterly puzzling to
INTPs, and their lack of timely sympathy can easily offend.
Absent-minded - When INTPs' interest is captured, their absence goes
beyond social matters to include the rest of the physical world. INTPs
become forgetful, missing even the obvious if it's unrelated to their
current infatuation, and they can even forget their own health, skipping
meals and sleep as they muse.
Condescending - Attempts at connecting with others are often worse
than INTPs' withdrawal. People with the INTP personality type take
pride in their knowledge and rationale, and enjoy sharing their ideas, but
in trying to explain how they got from A to B to Z, they can get frustrated,
sometimes simplifying things to the point of insult as they struggle to
gauge their conversation partners' perspective. The ultimate insult
comes as INTPs give up with a dismissive "never mind".

 Loathe Rules and Guidelines - These social struggles are partly a

product of INTPs' desire to bypass the rules, of social conduct and
otherwise. While this attitude helps INTPs' strength of unconventional
creativity, it also causes them to reinvent the wheel constantly and to
shun security in favor of autonomy in ways that can compromise both.
Second-Guess Themselves - INTPs remain so open to new
information that they often never commit to a decision at all. This applies
to their own skills as well - INTP personalities know that as they
practice, they improve, and any work they do is second-best to what
they could do. Unable to settle for this, INTPs sometimes delay their
output indefinitely with constant revisions, sometimes even quitting
before they ever begin.

INTP RELATIONSHIPS
When it comes to romantic relationships, INTPs have an interesting mixture of
traits that often pleasantly surprise their partners. People with this personality
type are always full of ideas, but they have few opportunities to explore their
more romantic notions. As with any of their theories, INTPs love sharing with
others, and in finally meeting someone where romantic thoughts are
appropriate, they show themselves to be excited, enthusiastic, and even
playful, flirting with word-play and intellectual games.
None of this is to say that these relationships come easily to INTPs - they are
shy and withdrawn individuals, and getting out and meeting new people,
risking rejection and making themselves the center of attention in emotionally
delicate situations are far from being their strengths. It is more likely that INTP
personalities will leave a trail of breadcrumbs for a potential partner, allowing
them to make the first move and committing to their partner as an act of
reciprocation rather than bravado.

MARRY! A GOOD WIFE MAKES

HAPPINESS, A BAD ONE,
PHILOSOPHY
From the start, INTPs take their
relationships seriously - their
imagination and vision, and the

challenge of getting to know new people, make them all too aware of how
important it is that they're involved with someone, and they will prove
themselves surprisingly loyal. Even early the dating phase, INTPs are
unusually direct and honest, doing their best to express their mindset and
create mutual understanding, believing that this shared knowledge will help to
minimize misunderstandings and avoid conflict.
As their relationships progress, INTPs' daily needs prove remarkably simple.
Gifts, surprises, complex social plans and date nights are all fairly unimportant
to people with the INTP personality type, but this is also one of their chiefest
weaknesses - their partner may very much need these things, and it won't
even occur to INTPs to plan them out. For all their analysis and attempts at
mutual understanding, INTPs are notoriously bad at picking up on others'
emotional needs.
When it comes to conflict, there is a certain willful ignorance for INTPs, and
they often set aside their partners' feelings, and their own, for far too long.
When these conflicts do arise and are inescapable, INTPs will do their best to
find a logical solution. But this hardly helps if the problem is logic itself, that
INTP personalities aren't meeting their partners' emotional needs. INTPs
should keep this in mind, and try to meet their partners halfway by
communicating on an emotional level - if they make this effort, understanding
partners will recognize and appreciate the gesture, clumsy though it may be.
After all, they need to afford INTPs the same benefit, and meet them halfway
with logic and simplicity as well.

BEWARE THE BARRENNESS OF A BUSY LIFE

All this material asceticism and conflict avoidance support one primary goal to free up mental resources for more important things. INTPs' creative, vivid
imagination make for a surprisingly enthusiastic, passionate, and romantic
partner. While INTPs may prioritize their inner world too much, imagining
interesting and exciting intimate situations that are never expressed to their
partners, they also use this rich inner world to achieve as much as possible in
intimacy - they rarely want for ideas.
Physically, intellectually and with a little effort emotionally, INTP relationships
are rich and rewarding connections. Partners who share the Intuitive (N) trait

are usually best, along with one or two

opposite traits to create variety and
balance, but so long as INTPs
remember that they are with people
who have their own, independent
wants and needs, and so long as their
partners remember the same of their
INTPs, these are long-lasting and
satisfying relationships.

INTP FRIENDS
Many of the usual motivations for making friends - emotional support, social
validation, shared routine - simply don't apply to INTPs. More likely, these
concepts are met with disdain, as people with the INTP personality type prize
intellectual depth above all else. It is not easy to become good friends with
INTPs, but if there is a common interest and a common train of thought, the
connection is likely to spark instantly, surprising everyone else who thought
they had this distant personality type pegged.

BE SLOW TO FALL INTO FRIENDSHIP...

INTP friendships are knowledge-based, defined by the exchange of ideas,
theories, and concepts, and those who aren't able to keep up with this, or who
have sharply differing tastes (don't talk to INTPs about celebrities) will find
stony faces that border on rude. To INTPs, communication is often more of a
nuisance than a pleasure, and conversation is reserved for topics that they
find meaningful, or for people they already like enough to stick it out.
Unless there's a natural affinity for this intellectual style, few have the patience
to try to penetrate their shields, and INTPs are left with a naturally small circle
of good friends.
Other Analyst (NT) types are a natural fit for INTPs, who share their passion
for new ideas, riddles and solutions. People with the INTP personality type are
knowledgeable and intelligent, and have a great deal of respect for those who
can keep them on their toes in this regard. They will gladly help to tackle any
dilemma thrown their way, offering up sound advice and rational solutions. As
valuable as these qualities are though, they are not always the best approach

- when it comes to emotional support or advice in dealing with matters of the

heart, INTPs are at a loss.
It's not that INTP personalities don't feel - quite the contrary, they actually
have very strong sentiments. But Feeling (F) is one of INTPs' least developed
traits, making their emotional reactions strong, untrustworthy and naturally in
need of being tempered by their well-trained logic and rationalism. Still waters
run deep.

...BUT WHEN IN FRIENDSHIP, CONTINUE FIRM AND CONSTANT

While they may not be able to help directly with these sorts of problems,
INTPs help indirectly with unambiguous and reliable friendships. INTPs'
friends need never worry about power games or emotional baggage - they are
liked for their minds and abilities, not their status or possessions. While it may
not be easy to establish true friendships with INTP personalities, once the link
is made, they will provide years of understanding and thought-stimulating
ideas, making them well worth the effort.

INTP PARENTS
In parenting roles, as with many social roles, INTPs find themselves facing a
robust but healthy challenge. Not a naturally sensitive type, INTP personalities
struggle to identify with the raw emotions and irrationality that are often the
standard with young children, who have yet to develop the sort of self-control
and logical thinking that INTPs take for granted.
People with the INTP personality type are nevertheless incredibly devoted perhaps not in the traditional, emotionally supportive sense, but they are
parents who are committed to encouraging their growing children to think and
act independently, seek out new knowledge, and voice and defend their own
opinions.
For INTPs knowledge is key, and they will do their best to give their children
the tolerance and freedom necessary to acquire it. INTP parents take a
relaxed, intellectual approach towards their children, allowing them to explore
the world around them and overlooking the more minor offences along the
way.

Having no interest in exerting control over other human beings, INTPs are
likely to allow their children to form their own principles - though they may take
the opportunity of the "why?" phase to share their own perspectives and
ideas, just in case.
INTP personalities are not particularly demanding parents, at least not in the
sense that they expect their children to live a traditional life of
school/career/marriage/house/kids/retirement (and in that order, thank you
very much). Rather, INTP parents are demanding in an intellectual sense they want their children to ask if this path is the best path for them, and how to
go about following a different one if they need to. This level of personal
freedom can be daunting, and can take a long time to come to terms with, but
INTP parents are prepared to stand by their children with support and advice
for as long as they need.
While there is hardly a better parent for having rational, intelligent discussions
with their children, there is hardly a clumsier example when it comes to
providing the emotional support that many children need, especially as they
approach their teenage years. In this area, INTPs will need to either rely on a
more capable partner, or to take themselves far out of their comfort zone in
order to empathize without trying to clear away the tears with an endless
series of rational suggestions and blunt truths.

NOT JUST LIFE, BUT GOOD LIFE

INTPs want nothing more than for their children to grow up smart,
independent, and tolerant, but if they want them to be well-adjusted too, they
must make this effort. INTPs' parenting style affords a great deal of latitude for
their children, but with this freedom comes responsibility, and it is INTPs'
responsibility to ensure that it is used constructively. Though it's a challenge
for people with the INTP personality type to teach empathy alongside
rationality, if they are able to pull it off, their children will grow into confident
adults who know how to ask questions, use their minds, and take care of
themselves no matter what comes their way.

INTP CAREERS
INTPs are solitary, eccentric, and independent - none of which is listed as
desirable for corporate positions, which are usually designed for very different

personality types. INTPs duly struggle in finding careers that meet their needs,
but what they do bring, qualities in much higher demand, are creativity, a
passion for theoretical methods and ideas, and an entrepreneurial, innovative
spirit. If they are able to put this better foot forward to secure a position in a
suitable line of work, people with the INTP personality type will find that,
whatever the job listing says, these "less desirable" qualities will prove an
asset after all.

A POEM OF NUMBERS
Chief among INTPs' interests is exploring and building models for underlying
principles and ideas, even going so far as to find these concepts, in their own
way, beautiful - this makes them natural mathematicians, systems analysts,
and career scientists, especially in more abstract fields such as physics. There
are many other careers that allow INTPs to explore these interests, but many
of them are far too rooted in uninteresting practical applications. As useful as it
is to develop a better vacuum cleaner, it is no Large Hadron Collider.
INTP personalities are self-driven and have very high personal standards "good enough" is never good enough - but have few environmental needs.
Despite this relative simplicity, they are often hard for more people-centric
types to understand. INTPs live primarily in their own heads, and have little
interest in social distractions like chitchat and motivational speeches.
All INTPs really want is to immerse themselves in an interesting project, and
anything that interrupts that, be it overactive managers, the need to manage
others, or office parties or meetings, are simply unwelcome burdens.
For this reason, the flatter the workplace hierarchy, the better, making small,
technical workplaces and fields such as law, forensics, and laboratory
research very desirable for INTPs. Insightful and open-minded managers who
can accommodate these needs will find their INTP subordinates to be a
tireless generator of brilliant and unique ideas. However, many people with the
INTP personality type may do away with the immediate hierarchy altogether,
opting instead to provide their services on a freelance basis as consultants.

EMOTIONAL VALUES: A MERE ILLUSION

Where INTPs do not thrive is in workplaces that require them to provide a high
degree of emotional satisfaction - cruise ship masseuses they are not. INTP
personalities struggle to understand emotional exchanges, and serviceoriented positions will prove baffling and exhausting for them. Though INTPs
are talented analysts who are perfectly capable of understanding the
theoretical importance of customer service, the day-to-day application of such
a scheme is simply better left to more people-oriented personality types.
Business is growing more complex every day, and this complexity is managed
with technical systems, economic theories, and data. The need for novel
approaches is stronger than ever for people and organizations to distinguish
themselves. Though general people skills are often phrased as a must, it is
the technical work that creates something to talk about, and it is in this pursuit
that INTPs thrive.
Work as business analysts and corporate strategists is well suited to INTPs,
but they can also move things forward as data analysts, mechanical, electrical
and software engineers, and even as technical writers and journalists,
provided the field is interesting enough. If they can smile and shake hands just
long enough to establish themselves as the brilliant innovators that they are,
people with the INTP personality type will find that whatever the expectations
for social conduct, it is the qualities unique to them that are truly in demand.

INTP IN THE WORKPLACE

The running theme for INTPs is their desire for solitude, need for intellectual
stimulation, and the satisfaction of the final piece of a puzzle clicking into
place. Whether in subordinate or management positions, with colleagues or
working alone, these privileges and the freedom to pursue them unfettered by
social obligations and progress reports are about all people with the INTP
personality type look for in their workplace.
Though INTPs may scoff at the notion, they actually function best when paired
with another person. Their position determines which personality type best fits
their needs, but INTPs' tendency to live in their heads and vent inspiration and

creativity seemingly at random demands the presence of an implementer,

preferably a Sentinel (SJ), to ensure that no stroke of genius goes unnoticed.

INTP SUBORDINATES
Under the right conditions, INTP subordinates are innovative, resourceful, and
hard-working, easily wrapping their minds around whatever complex problems
are placed in front of them and delivering unorthodox but effective solutions.
However, these qualities require a great deal of freedom, something
stereotypical managers are loath to cede. It is difficult to quantify these
qualities on a resume - several other characteristics, like a relative indifference
to job security and to being liked, exacerbate the challenge - and it can take
time to grow to trust INTP subordinates enough to allow this latitude.
INTP personalities prefer to work alone, but at the same time they despise
"grunt-work". Their focus on conceiving new and exciting ideas and ignoring
the details of execution means that INTPs need someone alongside to keep
things in order and actually put into practice their often unrefined ideas. Such
a condition can't be forced on INTPs, but a few logically phrased criticisms
(certainly not emotional appeals or pep talks about working as part of a team)
and clever management can make it happen.

INTP COLLEAGUES
For INTPs, colleagues aren't so much a group of people who they socialize
and work with as they are a series of obstacles and diversions with
occasionally useful knowledge. Mingling, chitchat, drinks after work - these
make INTPs want to work alone, not get up in the morning. Despite this
distance, people with the INTP personality type are unusually good at
developing insightful and unbiased interpretations of others' motivations,
though sometimes they overthink it, becoming unnecessarily suspicious of
others' goals.
What they do enjoy are riddles and patterns, and any INTP would be proud to
be the guru who is sought after as arbiter on the validity of an idea, or for their
insight on how to apply a principle to novel situations. INTPs love discussing
theories, at least with "proven" colleagues, and are almost always available as
impromptu consultants. This, however, does not apply to emotional riddles

and conflicts, INTPs' Achilles Heel - in these charged situations, INTP

personalities have no clue what to do.

INTP MANAGERS
While INTPs don't care for managing other people, it is likely the most
rewarding position as it provides the opportunity to direct concepts and
theories while others handle the logistics. INTPs have a very tolerant and
flexible style, characterized by an openness to logical suggestions and relative
freedom for their subordinates. But this freedom comes at a cost - INTP
managers have very high standards, and they expect others to grasp their
insights instantly, and to provide their own in equal measure.
As well as their demand for innovation, INTPs are better than any other type
at noticing logical discrepancies - their tendency to ignore others' feelings
means that their criticisms often come hard and fast as they direct projects to
their own perfectionistic standards. Here again INTPs do best with a partner,
this time a delegator who can filter their thoughts and direct their team in more
socially productive ways. A liaison can also help to deter schmoozing and
attempts at emotional manipulation, a sure mistake for anyone who tries.

CONCLUSION
INTPs' intelligence and logical reasoning skills are a force to be reckoned
with. Be it a minor debate or a life-changing decision, INTPs will find it easy to
entertain multiple ideas and keep a cool head. This allows INTPs to overcome
many challenging obstacles - yet they can be easily tripped up in areas where
careful and rational thinking is more of a liability than an asset.
Whether it is finding (or keeping) a partner, making friends, reaching dazzling
heights on the career ladder or learning to make difficult decisions, INTPs
need to put in a conscious effort to develop their weaker traits and additional
skills.
What you have read so far is just an introduction into the complex concept
that is the INTP personality type. You may have muttered to yourself, "wow,
this is so accurate it's a little creepy" or "finally, someone understands me!"
You may have even asked "how do they know more about me than the people
I'm closest to?"

This is not a trick. You felt understood because you were. We've studied how
INTPs think and what they need to reach their full potential. And no, we did
not spy on you many of the challenges you've faced and will face in the
future have been overcome by other INTPs. You simply need to learn how
they succeeded.
But in order to do that, you need to have a plan, a personal roadmap. The
best car in the world will not take you to the right place if you do not know
where you want to go. We have told you how INTPs tend to behave in certain
circumstances and what their key strengths and weaknesses are. Now we
need to go much deeper into your personality type and answer "why?", "how?"
and "what if?"
This knowledge is only the beginning of a lifelong journey. Are you ready to
learn why INTPs act in the way they do? What motivates and inspires you?
What you are afraid of and what you secretly dream about? How you can
unlock your true, exceptional potential?
Our premium profiles provide a roadmap towards a happier, more successful,
and more versatile YOU! They are not for everyone though - you need to be
willing and able to challenge yourself, to go beyond the obvious, to imagine
and follow your own path instead of just going with the flow. If you want to take
the reins into your own hands, we are here to help you.