INTJ Notebook

What’s at the heart of it?

Hitler sold a Ni-vision to the German people through Fe – the idea of a collective (us against them; the Germans against the Jews) is extremely Fe. Fi is “me against the world,” not “us against the world.”

Moreover, assuming eradicating the Jews would fix all Germany’s problems is typical of the sort of massive-over-simplification an unhealthy INXJ would make. Ni’s tend to search for ONE solution to fix MANY problems. “One truth.” Having poor Se means they forsake reality (you cannot fix all the world’s problems by getting rid of one race of people) in favor of the conclusion they want to reach (oh yes, this will work!). Everything about Nazism is unhealthy Ni – the idea of a “master race,” and the obsessive pursuit of an unapproachable ideal.

This “one fix” to mend “all things” is pure Ni; you also see it in Ayn Rand’s philosophy (INTJ), only her grand “fix” to the world’s problems is “capitalism.”

First of all, thank you! I’m glad you like my blog and can relate to it.

Second, I must warn you that this is by far the hardest question I have ever answered so I will do my best to answer.

Top things to do if you wish to be INTJs friend

One thing we INTJs are is loyal. We appreciate it. If you are loyal to an INTJ, we will be more likely to trust you and return your loyalty.

If an INTJ has been hurt by someone before, they will be harder to get as a friend. But the best way to get them to like you is by talking to them. No small talk. Talk about deep subjects, things that intrigue him. If you can get an INTJ talking, we won’t shut up. Another way to do this is being straight forward. Don’t beat around the bush. It bothers us very much.

Remember that INTJ’s need space and freedom. We need to recharge and have alone time after social events. As an INFJ you probably feel the same way. But as an INTJ, we love our alone time. It is the best time of the day for us. It’s when we think about things, make our future plans, etc. Smothering an INTJ with attention is not the way to tell us you like us. In fact, it will make us trust you less with our free time.

Don’t control us. INTJs are very, very, self reliant. INTJs hate it when we get bossed around by others. If you boss around an INTJ just once, you could lose their trust.

According to what you’ve asked, it seems as if this INTJ you want to be friends with believes that everyone is trying to use him whether it’s emotionally or physically. If he thinks of it that way, you must prove that you have no intention of using him. I know this seems difficult, but it is possible. Give it awhile, and after some hard work he will hopefully accept your friendship.

Respect. If you respect an INTJ, it will mean a lot to them. And I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the most important things to do. If you don’t know how to show that you respect them, just straight up tell them that you respect or admire them. But ways that show disrespect in an INTJ’s eyes are things like cutting them off while they were speaking, undervaluing their opinions, belittling them in public, or dismiss them as unimportant.

Don’t criticize an INTJ in public. Even though we are not the social type, we care deeply about what others in our social groups think about us. We want them to think great of us, to respect us, and when criticized in public, it makes us feel as if they think we are inadequate.

Don’t forget to have patience with an INTJ. We have a hard time trusting people and letting them in our lives, especially if we have been hurt. We might argue and debate with you for awhile but, most of the time, that’s how we get to know you. You must prove to an INTJ that you will always be there. Eventually when they realize that you aren’t giving up, you will no longer be an acquaintance, but you will be their friend.

Lastly, remember to include them/text them. You can invite them over to hang out or go to a social event, just leave the option for them to chose whether or not they want to come. Chances are they will probably decline the offer, but it would mean a lot that you invited them. When they decline, don’t let it hurt your feelings. Just keep inviting them every once in awhile to let them know you care. And when they don’t reply to a text, don’t think that they hate you. It’s sometimes very difficult to reply to texts. We have to think about our reply and we check it for misspellings at lest fifteen times before we send it.

Introversion: peoples r just,, so scary! :((

Extroversion: My good bro please IV a literal party into me or I WILL DIE

Intuition: ~*+^eVeRyThInG’s a SoCiaL coNsTRuCt^+*~

Sensing: I live my life content when my grass is always trimmed to precisely 3.5 centimeters, as it always was, ever since the days of my great grandfather…

Thinking: Cold and hard but it numbs the pain within.

Feeling: i like to FEEEELLLL the RAINBOWWW huRRICANESS canDY CANESSS

Judging: If your blazer is slightly wrinkled I will judge your every breath.

Read the full Function Theory Guide (mbti-notes.tumblr.com/theory) for more detail, including notes about common typing issues.

Mirror functions possess the same structural framework which might lead to mistyping because the two functions can produce similar behaviors on the surface even when the underlying cognitive processes are quite different.

This is a tough question. To understand Ni, you need to understand how it stores information. Every cognitive function selects particular kinds of data to remember. Ni stores data about relationships: abstractions about the way in which things are related to one another. Relationships between things come in many different forms: logical, causal, correlational, metaphorical, symbolic, qualitative, interpersonal, intrapersonal, etc. These abstractrelationships inform Ni about the meaning or significance of an object. This is why Ni dominants always focus on the idea of (underlying) meaning or purpose…

I’m in a bad mood today. Stupid Daylight Savings Time is screwing with my normal sleep cycle, so if I’m a bit salty that’s why. But this basically allows me the chance to trash every single type, so this fills me with pure joy. lol

These are for “average health levels” types – the older you get, and the more you mature you become as an individual and functionally, the less you will make this mistake.

IXFJ: Assumes they are oh-so-rational and that their logic is sound, when really it’s mostly used to come up with reasons to justify their higher functions’ conclusions – in other words, Ni perceptions (stubborn about “I’m right, and here’s the reasons why, even though you can’t understand them”) or Si perceptions (”This is why it should stay the same and unchanged”). In a loop, they can become stubborn, defensive, and refuse to change their mind, which is never helpful in a work or relationship environment.

IXTJ: Can think of themselves as moral and guided by principles, when in reality they are justifying their decisions through whatever they want to do, and whatever they want to say that validates their true opinion (”I am right, and you are wrong, and here are the reasons why my decision is the moral one”). In a loop, become fixated and hyper emotional, defensive and easily hurt, overly reactive about defending their perceptions (Ni vision or Si perceptions).

ISXP: Assumes they are good at reading between the lines and seeing what is ‘truly’ happening, when really their ability to understand complexity is minor; they often leap to the wrong (negative) conclusions and stubbornly defend them as ‘going to happen,’ or ‘this is the absolute truth,’ which can negatively impact their performance or make them paranoid. Loops will include finding logical reasons for the inevitable (Ti/Ni) or stubborn moral certainties (Fi).

INXP: Considers themselves good with details, but remembers things wrong and has a poor ability to systematically learn how to perform to the best of their ability, so scatters their energy and wastes time having to re-look up or learn things; can make mistakes in details or have massive anxiety when forced to adapt quickly to a new situation. Sometimes their heightened Ne sense of “I’m better at this than I actually am” leads them to take jobs unsuited to their low Si, which causes mistakes. Loops involve chronically reliving mistakes or feeling stuck and unable to move forward.

ESXJ: Believes their Ne to be competent in reading between the lines and in brainstorming solutions, but fails to realize its limited scope and its tendency toward a focused bias (framed by Si) which seeks to branch out from what is ‘known’ rather than create its own independent interpretations or theories. Can mistype as a Ne-dom (and often does). May become forceful with their ideas, only to break down and become anxious over the unknown in stressful situations.

ENXJ: Believes their Se is their greatest asset and does not realize the often negative role it plays in their life; their fascination with it includes their sophisticated love for high quality things and new experiences (exotic foods, fancy clothes, sports cars, high-adrenaline hobbies, etc), but it often leads them astray and causes them to make short-sighted, reckless decisions (hopping into bed with the wrong people, over-eating or over-exercising, throwing themselves on a new opportunity only to realize they lack the focus, energy, and skills required to complete it). Often, they over-estimate their ability to use Se well and wind up stumbling through Se-driven work environments.

EXFP: Thinks their Te is efficient and competent, boastful that they can do and finish anything, but finds it a daily grind to actually follow through and do all the boring things necessary for total completion. May under-estimate how long things take and overload themselves with too many responsibilities and too little time; feels a strong desire to produce things and may over-work. Can assume their reasoning is sound, when really it’s just finding facts to support what they want to believe. Can steamroll over other people and make enemies.

EXTP: Can assume they are super charming, able to con anyone into giving them what they want, and able to understand and appeal to other people, and not realize some of their tactics are obvious, their understanding of other people is skewed, and their tendency to ‘mess with’ people’s feelings makes them more often disliked than appreciated. Can assume they will sail through life on charm alone and be able to talk their way out of anything, only to fail.

Thanks. I have a feeling these asks will keep trickling in so I’m going to kill all 16 of you birds with one post. Tertiary functions may or may not be developed well depending on the individual and how self-aware they are. This function embodies the immature/irresponsible aspect of our personality.

Tertiary Expression: Childish/Stubborn vs. Childlike/Fun

INTP: “That’s not the proper way to do it!” <> revisit past interests/memories

INFP: “That’s not how I usually do it!” <> reimagine what might’ve been

ISTP: “This is all bullshit!” <> visualize different solutions to a problem

ISFP: “I’m so done with this!” <> creative exploration of intuitions

ISFJ: “THIS is the correct way to do it!” <> work out solutions step-by-step

INFJ: “You are totally irrational!” <> learn the intricacies of a puzzle/system

ISTJ: “I’ll tell you what your problem is!” <> spontaneously help someone

INTJ: “You can’t tell me what to do!” <> spontaneous displays of empathy

ENTJ: “Just try and stop me!” <> spontaneous joy in mundane moments

ENFJ: “My way is better than yours!” <> find joy in aesthetic pursuits

ESTJ: “You can’t do anything right!” <> randomly try a new activity/idea

ESFJ: “I’m not the one with the problem!” <> explore a random life change

ESFP: “Everyone knows I’m right!” <> find joy in organizing/rearranging

ENFP: “I demand respect!” <> play with different strategies/methods

ESTP: “You’re being unfair to me!” <> find joy in relational intimacy

ENTP: “I’ll make you agree with me!” <> spontaneous displays of affection

I think: INTP, INTJ, ENTP, ENTJ

I know: ISTP, ISTJ, ESTP, ESTJ

I believe: INFP, INFJ, ENFP, ENFJ

INTJ - The Mastermind

ENTPs and ENFPs both argue with other people and point out inconsistencies – that’s a byproduct of being a Ne-dom instantly able to see multiple angles on the same subject. What you describe (being able to shift your perspective and change your logic) is also Ne-dom, so if that’s the only thing keeping you from thinking you’re an ENFP, it’s a stereotype. Doesn’t mean you’re not one.

I suggest you find other ENXPs to engage with in conversation on a wide variety of topics – you will start to notice differences between them in their thought patterns, in the forcefulness of tert-Te (as opposed to the “softness” of tert-Fe), in how they collect and debate evidence, and in how quickly (or not) they deal with emotions and facts. It’s hard to put into words, but visible when you’re dealing with them directly. I only truly grasped TiFe and how different it is from my FiTe process when I was engaging with ENTPs on a regular basis.

By the way, Ti and Fi are opposing functions, so your opposite (ENTP, if you’re an ENFP) is going to irritate you in Ti ways (which will conflict with your Fi) and an ENFP is going to irritate you in Fi ways if you’re an ENTP. The end result is something like an ENFP thinking ENTP has no central ballast, and the ENTP thinking the ENFP is always on a moral high horse.

This is a pretty interesting article, that draws correlations between extroversion, sociability and one’s instinctual stacking. From this‌, I have arrived at the conclusion that I am most likely an so second.

This website has some good stuff on other things as well, including Enneagram and socionics. Check it out, enjoy!

As you mentioned, the How Inferior Functions Work articles already cover these ideas, so I’ll simply adapt/synthesize some advice from the sources listed in those articles. Consult the articles for detailed explanation because short answers are easy to misunderstand without good knowledge of what the inferior function is and what it does. Reminder: Trying to develop an inferior function when the other functions remain unhealthy or undeveloped can be harmful and result in grip experiences, consult the Type Development Guide.

Inferior Si: Do a visualization exercise that allows you to wander through a pleasurable physical environment, imagine yourself carrying out the linear steps of an enjoyablephysical task. Make note of comfortable, familiar, or interesting sensory details and allow yourself to relax into the pleasant sensations. This teaches you to focus more attention on your bodily cues and entertain yourself with your own rich inner imagery instead of constantly reaching outward for stimulation.

Inferior Ni. Do a brainstorming exercise where you think of many ways of doing/approaching routine tasks, try out a different method/strategy each day. Examine the details of how each approach feels different or produces a slightly different outcome from day to day. This teaches you to visualize many possible futures and their implications as well as how things can change with even small changes in your behavior/decision-making.

Inferior Ti: Break down and analyze the details of how you manage your time and distribute your mental energy on a daily basis. Make a list of your goals, what problems or setbacks you ran into, what you accomplished and failed to accomplish. Reflect on what you wasted your time on and ask yourself why you gave your energy to those things. This teaches you to clarify and reflect upon where all of your time and energy goes so that you can prioritize and budget your time more appropriately, helping you to see what aspects of life you are neglecting and whether you are taking adequate care of your personal needs.

Inferior Fi: Engage with creative or artistic activities that allow you to channel or arouse your feelings and emotions in a safe environment, such as: music, painting, writing, engaging with fiction or literature (dramas, tragedies), journalling about your day and your feelings about how it went. This teaches you to acknowledge, explore, and honor your inner voice so that taking time to stop and introspect becomes an enjoyable and meaningful activity that enhances your psychological well-being and refreshes you for a new day.

Inferior Se: Take up activities that require heavy sensory presence and engagement but that also produce enjoyable fruits with learning and effort, such as: cooking, gardening, crafting, tinkering, sports, group game night, leadership/volunteer position. This teaches you to extract meaning and interpret situations more accurately using your hard won concrete experiences in the external world instead of getting lost in your own murky perceptual distortions (i.e. believing that you “know” how the world works without adequate concrete evidence or firsthand experience).

Inferior Ne: Engage in a fun, interesting, or creative activity that you have been successful with in the past or that you are confident will produce positive feelings/results for you. You can use your skills to help someone in need or use your knowledge to successfully solve a problem for someone. This serves as a good reminder that you are more capable and knowledgeable than you tend to give yourself credit for, and it helps you recognize that positive outcomes are also possible instead of only focusing on negative possibilities or your feelings of insecurity.

Inferior Te: With some outside help, analyze all the main decisions you make on a daily basis, especially the ones that produced a negative or undesirable result for you. Figure out what motivated you to decide as you did, map out your reasoning process and what led you to making that decision. Think of an alternative reasoning process that could have produced a better or more desirable result. This teaches you to shine a light on all of the implicit/unspoken values that you use to assess situations and to critically examine whether your value judgments are misguided or require adjustment to facts.