• Philosophy and Spirituality
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Threads of Note Socialize
  • P&S Moderators: Xorkoth | Madness

INTP vs. INTJ

protovack

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
2,681
The INTP first needs to get his or her lists correct. This means that for the INTP, what matters is the internal world, where they will have a vast network of inter-related concepts which all fit together, hopefully in perfect harmony. Their "lists" are a series of logical presumptions upon which all of their conclusions are based. In other words, they are constantly working on their brain's "operating system", trying to build a perfect internal system of concepts. This is what is meant by "getting your goddamn lists correct."

Whereas the INTP must get their goddamn lists correct, the INTJ faces a different problem. Whatever they say, it must get exactly that. For the INTJ and their extroverted thinking, the world is a collection of things that must be put into the correct order and made most efficient. It isn't the internal world of the INTJ that matters, it is the external world and how rational it is. The INTJ doesn't really have any lists to get correct. Whereas the INTP thinks, "Why are we here?" the INTJ thinks "What are we supposed to be doing?"

The INTJ first must order his surroundings. The INTP first must order his internal world.

The INTJ has to clean their house before they can relax, whereas the INTP does not.

The INTJ needs closure, whereas the INTP can agree to disagree.

The INTJ will always ask, "How does this apply to reality?" whereas the INTP doesn't really care?

For INTP, it is enough to simply work out the correct list of theories and concepts that make sense to them. But for the INTJ that isn't enough. Even if the list is correct, it has to be tested in reality.
 
Last edited:
amen

....although...
Why are we here?" the INTJ thinks "What are we supposed to be doing?"

these are both fundamentally the same question

why are we here? to surve a purpose
what are we supposed to be doing? serving a purpose

its the same purpose/meaning either way you ask the question

..sorry must be the INTP in me ;)
 
I twice tested for INFP. I find it interesting to distinguish between INFP and INTP. I find that, for me, thought is harmonious with feeling, and the harmony is not "numerical" or logical, but ordered in a more "poetic" fashion. That does not mean that it is irrational, it simply means that the way thoughts are ordered may change priorities on the run based simply on mood (sort of like perma-tripping ;))
 
I tested as an INTP but have always been very close to the I/E and P/J lines. Your INTP descriptions seem to describe me, though I do need closure and most definitely care "how this applies to reality", finding elaborate justifications and real-world purposes for things and ideas that may or may not have them. Given my closeness to the P/J line, this result is precisely what one would suspect. Way to exercise that overdeveloped judgment! (Or is this just a copy and paste?)
 
>>
these are both fundamentally the same question>>

As a hard-line INTP, I disagree FUNDEMENTALLY. Figuring out the purpose does not entail pragmatic activity in the world. We must first figure out what is on the table and why. No, more strongly, we need only to figure these things out. :)

Note, that these are only my personal inclinations, not prescriptions with any sort of "objective" weight.

ebola
 
AcidRain said:
these are both fundamentally the same question

why are we here? to surve a purpose
what are we supposed to be doing? serving a purpose
heh, another INTP already responded to this

you are presuming that there is a 'purpose', so all we have to do for those two questions is find the purpose

they are fundamentally different questions if the answer is not 'to serve a purpose'
 
Pretty much hit the spot. Especially the one about ordering the internal world.
We need to know how things come about, why, what, when..
However, I agree to disagree that INTPs don't need closure!
 
i am an INTP but i feel like i need my room cleaned... (not that i clean it)
 
I've tested as an INFP but believe I'm almost on the cusp with INTP because I am also a very deep thinker who has always wondered about things like whether there is life on other planets, is there life after death, factual data about various climates, plus all sorts of scientific facts which I don't think a more typical INFP would be that bothered with. I feel emotions intensely but can also experience detachment and over-analysis, which would probably be more of an NT than NF trait.
 
Seems like a majority here are INTPs (and not surprising).

I wonder if there are any other INFPs there? Maybe we can start a new thread on that?

Monalisa: Actually I think the word "wonder" is key for INFP. It seems like INTP does not require as much of a "passionate" drive to study something as an INFP does.

My idea is that INFP to INTP is like poetry/symbolism is to mathematics. Both seek the same answers with two different methods.
 
Jamshyd said:


Monalisa: Actually I think the word "wonder" is key for INFP. It seems like INTP does not require as much of a "passionate" drive to study something as an INFP does.

My idea is that INFP to INTP is like poetry/symbolism is to mathematics. Both seek the same answers with two different methods.

Not this INTP! And my test weighted 'Thinking' over 'Feeling' quite strongly too. Mathematics interests me on a philosophical and general conceptual level but I can't stand doing it (or puzzles, card games, or any form of 'pure entertainment' that involves mostly analysis for analysis' sake). Additionally, I love literature, world cinema, and even a few select poets. I'm hopelessly disengaged from anything I'm not passionate about. I did better on the verbal and written portions of the GRE than the mathematical/analytical sections as well. My I/E and P/J dimensions are near 50/50 so maybe a different dimension other than T/P effects these differences you cite (though it's obvious why you would think the relevent dimension was T/F). It could also be because I'm passionate about dispassion and rationality in most affairs that the results of the test are what they are. One could imagine this trait really throwing off the relevance of the test results for for those symbolical/poetical types that possess it compared to those who don't.
 
This is an overgeneralization. I am an INTJ and the OP doesn't match me well at all. Let's take this example:

The INTJ has to clean their house before they can relax, whereas the INTP does not.
You're not going to get nice clean cut results like this, because the driving force behind these decisions is rationalization. Not every INTJ will come to the same conclusion. I sure didn't... (I clean when I feel I need to, and it has no bearing on if I can relax or not)
 
StagnantReaction said:
Hello, what's it like in extroversion town?

And what about ENTJ?

Well, its quite nice actually. Being able to express your opinions openly to others without feeling an overwhelming feeling of awkwardness ( like it was back when that E was an I ) is priceless =D
 
Top