#dynorphin

me: how about the main difference as dynorphin sensitivity between intp and intj?

chatgpt:

Dynorphin is part of the brain’s anti-reward / stress regulation system. It counterbalances dopamine by:

dampening reward drive

increasing effort cost signals

promoting withdrawal or narrowing under stress

discouraging continued exploration when prediction error stays high

So it basically answers: “When things get uncertain or effortful, do you keep exploring or clamp down?”

If you map that onto INTP vs INTJ:

INTP — lower dynorphin sensitivity (relative)

uncertainty is tolerable longer

exploration continues despite lack of closure

ideas stay open-ended

abandoning a model feels cheap

curiosity survives ambiguity

Their system doesn’t strongly punish unresolved possibilities, so thinking branches outward.

Result:

prolonged analysis

model pluralism

reluctance to finalize

Not because they prefer chaos, but because the nervous system doesn’t scream “resolve this now.”

INTJ — higher dynorphin sensitivity (relative)

unresolved uncertainty becomes aversive faster

prediction error feels costly

narrowing reduces stress

committing to one trajectory restores control

So closure isn’t just intellectual preference — it reduces internal stress signaling.

Result:

convergence

pruning alternatives early

long-term commitment to one model/path

Very roughly:

dopamine → “keep searching”

dynorphin → “stop, this is costly”

So you get:

INTP: exploration stays rewarding longer

INTJ: exploration turns aversive sooner → compression and direction

Interesting side effect (matches real behavior)

Why INTJs often look decisive even when wrong: → closure reduces internal stress.

Why INTPs can stay neutral or undecided without distress: → ambiguity isn’t strongly punished neurologically.

Neither is “better reasoning”; they’re different stopping rules.