INTJ or INTP?

I’m pretty sure we did something like this at work – years ago: the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. It’s a personality test that is supposed to help managers build better teams. Typically fads like this ripple through various industries and managers dabble in the results usually to little effect. Lately the YouTube algorithm has been offering me videos on several of the ‘personalities’ and I’ve become a little intrigued by it all. But I can’t quite decide if I’m an INTJ or an INTP. Let me explain….

INTPs are quiet, thoughtful, analytical individuals who tend to spend long periods of time on their own, working through problems and forming solutions. [So far so good I think….] They are curious about systems and how things work. [Definitely...] They prize autonomy in themselves and others. They generally balk at attempts by others to convince them to change, at which they respond by being even less conformist than they otherwise would be. [Yup, tell me to stop doing something & I’m likely to do it more – and louder] They also tend to be impatient with bureaucracy, rigid hierarchies, and the politics prevalent in many professions. [MOST definitely… hate all three] INTPs have little regard for titles and badges, which they often consider to be unnecessary or unjustified. INTPs usually come to distrust authority as hindering the uptake of novel ideas and the search for knowledge. [I’ve always hated calling people by their rank and equally have always hated being called ‘Sir’ by anyone] INTPs accept ideas based on merit, rather than tradition or authority. They have little patience for social customs that seem illogical or that obstruct the pursuit of ideas and knowledge. [I’ve never accepted things on authority. I want you to prove it to me or at least show me evidence or decent argument before I’ll accept something] During interactions with others, if INTPs are focused on gathering information, they may seem oblivious, aloof, or even rebellious—when in fact they are concentrating on listening and understanding. [I’ve been accused of being aloof, distant or rebellious many times in the last 50+ years!] INTPs' intuition often gives them a quick wit, especially with language. They may defuse tension through comical observations and references. [I am very good with language either spoken or written and I’ve always been the joker in the pack. Sarcasm is my happy place] They can be charming, even in their quiet reserve, and are sometimes surprised by the high esteem in which their friends and colleagues hold them. [My charm – or as my friends sometimes refer to it – my flirting can even catch me off guard sometimes. But I’m always surprised with compliments and most especially if people remember me after any length of time] INTPs are often haunted by a fear of failure, causing them to rethink solutions many times and second-guess themselves. In their mind, they may have overlooked a bit of crucial data, and there may very well be another equally plausible solution. [Now this bit doesn’t really fit. Although I don’t like being shown to be wrong I am definitely not haunted by the fear of failure. If I was I’d hardly try anything and certainly wouldn’t put myself ‘out there’ to be shot down in flames]

INTJs [meanwhile] apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake. [I do look at the practical side of things wanting to know how things work and if existing practices do the job adequately] Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause; both perfectionism and disregard for authority come into play. [Well, I’m definitely mot a perfectionist. Good enough and fit for purpose, yes. Perfect? No]  Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel ... This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals ... Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. [Oh, I gave up on the idea of people making sense a LONG time ago. It took me a while though. I did make a great effort trying to figure people out. Failed!] INTJs are prepared to lead if no one else seems up to the task, or if they see a major weakness in the current leadership. [Now leadership is not really me. I will start the ball rolling if there’s absolutely no one else or the person nominally in charge is an idiot but if any ‘rank’ gets pulled I’m out of there] INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. [Again, most definitely. I love learning new stuff and mixing it up with stuff I already know to create even more new stuff] They work best when given autonomy and creative freedom. [I always love it when my boss gives me a task, smiles, and says ‘Be creative’] They are often acutely aware of their own knowledge and abilities—as well as their limitations and what they don't know (a quality that tends to distinguish them from INTPs). INTJs thus develop a strong confidence in their ability and talents, making them natural leaders. [I am confident when I know what I’m talking about but I’m also acutely aware of what I don’t know. Still not a natural leader though!] They generally withhold strong emotion and do not like to waste time with what they consider irrational social rituals. This may cause non-INTJs to perceive them as distant and reserved; nevertheless, INTJs are usually very loyal partners who are prepared to commit substantial energy and time into a relationship to make it work. [Emoting all over the place is not something I ever do. People have called me cold more than once. It’s just that I view being over-emotional as unnecessary and, honestly, tacky. But I do put a lot of thought and energy into a relationship though – as long as I feel it’s valued] At times, INTJs seem cold, reserved, and unresponsive, while in fact, they view emotional expression as an irrational weakness. In social situations, INTJs may also be unresponsive and may neglect small rituals designed to put others at ease. For example, INTJs may communicate that idle dialogue such as small talk is a waste of time. [People have a really hard time ‘reading’ me. It’s far easier and much more efficient to ask me if you want to know what’s going on inside my head]

So, I actually can’t make up my mind if I’m an INTJ or INTP. Fortunately I read up on the whole Meyers-Briggs thing. The MBTI is based on the conceptual theory proposed by Carl Jung, who had speculated that humans experience the world using four principal psychological functions – sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking – and that one of these four functions is dominant for a person most of the time. There you have it – Carl Jung. So not actually evidence based at all. Apparently the MBTI test has had major holes shot in it for years by career psychologists and others because of its lack of any scientific basis. Yet it’s still used in businesses across the world to categorise the personality types of their workforces. Snake oil, I say…… [lol]