INTP - Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking and Perceiving

Honestly, I've gotten this personality type repeatedly since 6 years ago lol - Guess I never change. :P

Anyway, here's what this site has to say about INTPs.

“Philosophers”, “architects”, “dreamy professors”… These epithets are most often used to describe the INTP personality type. INTPs love theories and believe that everything can be analyzed and improved. They are not that concerned about the real world and practical things – from the INTPs’ perspective, it is often less exciting than ideas and intellectual pursuits. People with this personality type have no difficulties noticing patterns where others cannot – this makes them brilliant theorists and analysts.

 - I knew it! I should have gone into theoretical biology instead. xD

The accumulated knowledge is the most valued asset of any INTP. Imagine an immensely complicated clockwork which is constantly absorbing, processing and generating all kinds of theories – this is how the INTP mind works. People with the INTP personality type possess the most logically precise mind of all personality types – they can easily notice even the tiniest discrepancies between two statements, no matter how much time would have passed in between. It is a bad idea to lie to an INTP. They may appear dreamy sometimes, but this is not because their mind is resting – quite the opposite.

- Heh, so don't lie to me? But even if you lied to me, it may take me years before I recall that exact moment of the lie and realised the discrepancy? :P No worries, I don't mind white lies or any lies that do not concern me btw lol 

INTPs are enthusiastic and impartial when it comes to dealing with problems – they drill through the details and then develop a unique approach and ultimately a viable solution. INTPs are usually very intelligent and insightful people, able to remain unbiased in any situation. They absolutely love new ideas and theories and would never miss an opportunity to discuss them with other people – however, this never-ending thinking process also makes them look somewhat pensive and detached, as INTPs are perfectly able to conduct full-fledged debates in their own heads.

 - I absolutely love new ideas! If you friended me on fb, you can, almost everyday, see me posting new stuff or stuff that are new to me :) and I'll be like itching to try out experiements and stuff... but in the end, I'll probably be too lazy and don't want to waste money on these sort of stuff. 'Waste' money on books is definitely better :D And oh about that debate part, it's so true lol.

- To go or not to go; to do or not to do; that's the question. I'll be like listing the pros and cons of stuff or looking at the 'worth' of a thing that I want to get/ or something that I want to do and the debate will commence! And sometimes, I'll tell other people about the debate in my head (like my parents or my bf :P) and they will be like... this lady can't make up her mind lol - and my bf will go like, you're so cute when you do that. xD 

People with this personality type may also find it quite difficult to explain their thoughts to others, even when it becomes obvious that their theories are not easily graspable. INTPs may also move on to another topic before their co-workers or partners have figured out what the INTP wanted to say.

- A.L.W.A.Y.S. Every damn time... I'll stutter, I'll stumble over words, I'll pause awkwardly as I think of a more understandable sentence to say, but somehow I can convey some of what I was thinking to other people lol... I think and when I -think- I've explained enough on that topic, I'll automatically jump to a new topic and start talking about that instead. And perhaps halfway through the new topic, I recalled something about the previous topic and I'll jump back to talk about the previous topic. It can get pretty hard to follow my conversations lol :P

INTPs cannot stand routine work – they would much rather tackle a difficult theoretical problem. INTP personalities really have no limits when it comes to theoretical riddles – if there is no easy solution and the topic is interesting enough, an INTP can spend ages trying to come up with a solution.

- This sounded very much like me when I'm solving the puzzles in Aarklash Legacy (there are like no hints as to what I should do with the puzzles lol - so I just tested them out :P though some are pretty straightforward ;)), but I do give up from time to time... usually after spending a ridiculous amount of time on it lol.

INTP personalities are usually very shy and reluctant when it comes to meeting other people. However, INTPs can also be very friendly and confident when they interact with people they know well or talk about things that interest them. INTPs are flexible and relaxed in nearly all situations, except when their beliefs or logical conclusions are being criticized. In those cases, the INTP is likely to become very defensive and argue tirelessly.

- YES! True. And the defensive part is true as well. It's not like I cannot accept other people's opinions or accept criticisms, it's just that you'll need to convince me that I'm wrong or sometimes, I'll make the thing easier for you by realising, by myself, that I was wrong and you'll see me saying 'ohhhhhhh..... aha, ya ya, you're right. Sorry.' lol :P

Sharing many personality traits with other T types, INTPs do not really understand or value decisions based on feelings or subjective opinions. In their opinion, the only good solution is the logical solution – INTPs do not see a point in using emotional arguments. Such an approach preserves the “sanctity” of their intellectual method; however, this also makes it difficult for INTP personalities to understand other people’s feelings or satisfy their emotional needs.

Individuals with the INTP personality type are likely to be very open-minded and even eccentric. These traits, combined with their capacity for inventiveness and original thought, make up a very

- lol, I'll bet I've made a name for myself at my postgrad lab as being a young eccentric lady lol. I'm also open-minded, so that's true :P Honestly though, I dread that day when my close friend has an emotional breakdown or something and needed my help and I'll be like standing there awkwardly and don't know what I should do. Maybe a hug and saying 'Everything will be alright'?

One of the few bottlenecks that INTPs impose upon themselves is their restless fear of possible failure. No other personality type worries that much about missing a piece of the mental puzzle or overlooking some crucial fact that might lead to a better solution. Unlike their more confident INTJ or ENTJ cousins, INTPs could spend ages reflecting on their actions. Even when an INTP is arguing with someone, this should be taken with a grain of salt – they might as well be arguing with their own mind.

- This is the truest part of them all - my restless fear of possible failure. I worry my brains off because of this and since I needed to do stuff everyday like a proper young adult lol - I have this fear for every one of the 'stuff' that I'm doing. I'll be like '*lets out a huge breath* alright, let's do this!' to 'WHY??!! Why you always don't work?!?! Why meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?' And every night (unless I'm super tired and fell asleep within minutes of me hitting the bed), I'll be thinking of whatever 'failed' interaction with people that I've done for the day lol... Like delaying that important phone call (to a random stranger to ask for info about something) for hours cause I'm not brave enough to call.

INTP strengths

• Great analysts and abstract thinkers. INTP personalities are great at noticing patterns and seeing the big picture. They also possess an impressive ability to jump from one idea to another, linking them in ways that usually bewilder most other personality types (I always 'jump around' when I'm talking as well - so well, my brain's 'jumping around' too since I think before I talk).
• Honest and straightforward. INTPs do not play social games (yes, I don't. Casual chatter with complete strangers in public places, more often than not, seems like a total waste of energy) and see no point in sugar-coating their words. They will clearly state their opinion and expect others to return the favor.
• Objective. People with the INTP personality are very logical and rational individuals, who see no point in involving emotions in the decision-making process (Hence, I'm stuck in this postgrad study and it seems like I'm forever in an emotional turmoil - how would you feel if the main project that is going to get you graduated is getting delayed since early this year and it seems like the project will be delayed some more until perhaps NEXT F-ING YEAR?). Consequently, they tend to pride themselves in being fair and impartial. (I try :))
• Imaginative and original. An INTP’s mind is always working, always producing ideas regardless of whether they are likely to see the light of day (my ideas ended up on paper stuffed on the tray on my desk lol). Not surprisingly, INTPs have no difficulties coming up with innovative, original solutions (though I doubt most of my ideas are very much 100% original :P I tend to always modify other people's ideas to make it my own - I don't like exact copying).
• Open-minded. INTPs tend to be open-minded and willing to accept ideas different from their own, provided that they are supported by facts and logic. Furthermore, INTPs are usually fairly liberal when it comes to social norms and traditions, judging people solely on the basis of their ideas (True this :P).

• Enthusiastic. INTP personalities can spend an enormous amount of time trying to figure out something they are interested in. They will also be very enthusiastic when it comes to discussing that topic with other people (If you know me as long as my friends or family do, you'll realised that this practically describes me lol).

INTP weaknesses

• Absent-minded. INTPs are able to focus all their efforts on analyzing a specific idea, but this usually comes at a cost of ignoring everything else. They may be forgetful or simply miss things that have nothing to do with the object of their interest. - this is so me!
• Second-guess themselves. INTP personalities may be excellent analysts, but they often lack the decisiveness of J types. An INTP may find it quite difficult to decide which idea is the best one, always looking for more information and doubting their own conclusions. - Always lol.
• Insensitive. INTPs are likely to find it difficult to include emotions in their decision-making process, focusing all their efforts on getting the rational basis right. Consequently, they may often come across as insensitive or be puzzled when it comes to dealing with an emotionally-charged situation.
• Very private and withdrawn. INTPs are often reluctant to let anyone inside their minds, let alone their hearts. They may often come across as shy in social settings and even the INTP’s friends are likely to have a difficult time getting to know them well. - Yup, I doubt my friends know me as well as my family
• May be condescending. INTP personalities are usually proud of their extensive knowledge and reasoning abilities, but they may get easily frustrated trying to describe their thoughts other people. INTPs enjoy presenting their ideas to other people, but explaining how they got from A to Z is another matter. - Um, my bf may agree to this... sometimes lol :P
• Loathe rules and guidelines. INTPs need a lot of freedom and have little respect for rules and traditions which put artificial limits on their imagination. People with this personality type would rather have less security and more autonomy. - yes! No wonder I have always hated the maximum word limit on essays for school work - which was thankfully changed soon thereafter :D

Oh and there's even some food for thought for my personality type:

Have you ever wondered why…

• …you feel energetic in some situations and exhausted in others?
• …your self-esteem seems to fluctuate, even when you outperform your peers?
• …your dreams and idealism are so often misunderstood?
• …you are not quite sure how to reach your full potential in the world that sometimes seems so foreign to you?
• …you often feel lost when it comes to attracting fulfilling relationships or simply taking the first step?
• …you find it easier to talk to some people, but not others?
• …your friends sometimes say that you are special and mysterious?
• …you have difficulties studying certain subjects?
• …your success in networking and advancing your career is often hit and miss?
• …you sometimes find it difficult to convince your boss, colleague or a client?
• …you seem to have an unsettling “dark side” that only comes out in rare circumstances?

-- I believe I can say yes to almost all of the questions above lol. (I do have a dark side ;))

Link to the said personality test: http://www.16personalities.com/

That's it I suppose. I'm sorry for the lack of blog posts these days - I'm awfully busy (plenty of paperwork at my lab... sigh) and since my job at the tuition centre started, I hardly have any weekends to begin with. But well, I'm going to KL for this Big Bad Wolf book fair and I can't wait!!! :D Cheerio! I'm off to prepare for my next tuition class lol.

P/S: Teaching tuition class for little kids (standard 1 and 2) makes me realise, again, why I dislike noisy, hyperactive kids.  :\ Don't worry, I'll put up a post of my experience teaching little kids at tuition class soon enough.

P/P/S: I've recently (a few days ago) finished playing Rage and it was AWESOME! Review coming up soon as well - with lots of nice screenshots ;) stay tune!