[Hemoglobin]

In the past I have struggled with the classification of INTJ. I have done the test multiple times even trying to "trick" it a little to see if I would get a different typing. But, alas I always remain the same. I have done Internet tests, tests in books, and tests performed by psychologists. Again, always the same.

When I was younger I thought the test labeled me as some kind of monster, I thought that there was something wrong with me. Maybe I was meant to be in a male body? I always assumed females were meant to be warm, nurturing, and loving. I had major gender issues growing up.

I have played with the idea of being an INTP and an INFJ (wishful thinking), but in the end neither of those really describe me.



But I have come to terms with this. I am who I am, and I have embraced it. People often mistaken me for being extroverted, but it really is not the case.

There are a lot of things about me that do not fit the mold, and I assume there are others on here that have their own contradictions.

Mine are:
I enjoy public speaking
I did 12 years of acting school- something not very INTJ I assume
I enjoy getting up on stage performing belly dancing
I constantly lose my keys/glasses/wallet
My work desk is neat, but while I am working it looks like a war zone
I have emotions, and lots of them. (I cry a lot)
I have severe anxiety. (Aren't INTJs meant to be really confident?)
I am really not a tidy person
When I am with family and my close friends I am extremely talkative
I am snuggly, it is almost embarrassing to admit.

[knght990]

Mine are:
I enjoy public speaking
I did 12 years of acting school- something not very INTJ I assume
I enjoy getting up on stage performing belly dancing
I constantly lose my keys/glasses/wallet
My work desk is neat, but while I am working it looks like a war zone
I have emotions, and lots of them. (I cry a lot)
I have severe anxiety. (Aren't INTJs meant to be really confident?)
I am really not a tidy person
When I am with family and my close friends I am extremely talkative
I am snuggly, it is almost embarrassing to admit.

I took acting lessons but never performed for an audience.
I took tap lessons but never performed for an audience.
I lose everything that isn't attached.
I have tons of emotions and im terrible at hiding them.
The tidyness of my environment relates to my state of mind. The better my mind the cleaner my world. But then when im losing my mind i test intp.
I love to snuggle, but only with very very very very select people. Like 3 ever.
I will talk the ear of anyone when im drunk and act extrovert to my close friends. To everyone else im a mute.
I get starry eyed and lost with girls i like.

[Peter]

There's no obligation to fit the standard description of an INTJ. You are more than simply the preferences of your brain. Your experiences determine who you are more than your MBTI type. I never really cared much for people, yet I find understanding why people behave the way they do very interesting. It's why I learned about the MBTI, body language and facial expressions.

INTJ's do have emotions just like everybody else. The way you deal with those emotions are determined by your cognitive function preferences (the underlaying theories (of Jung) of the MBTI)

Everybody is unique, but life is much easier if you can categorize people into types.

[Murky Muse]

You're a human being before a certain personality type, so of course you won't fit completely. Also must of what you've said doesn't seem that contradictory to me.

1) I've heard talk about to sub-types within INTJs; hermits and actors being two. Hermits just hide away from social contact, while actors are able to put on a 'mask' during social interaction. Also INTJs don't have to be bad at public speaking or getting up in front of people. While I'm normally uncomfortable with it, when I know what I'm doing and know what the audience is expecting I'm very capable.

2) I'm very forgetful. Why should I worry about where I set my phone or keys or where I parked my car when what's going on in my head is so much more interesting. Those other things are details that I don't particularly care about so they get overlooked. That sounds like INTJ behavior to me (actually it's probably general N behavior).

3) I can be snuggly. The closer I am to someone the less sense of personal space I have; some of my life long friends and I have what we call 'shared personal space'. We're always doing things that no one else could get away with (using each other as pillows and such). No one who's known me for a short period of time would expect this from me. My friends also like to say that before they got to know me I was insanely quiet but now they can't get me to stop talking. When it comes down to it, all humans are social creatures; INTJs are just more picky about it.

4) I have a duality when it comes to neatness. Some things have to stay nice and clean, while others can remain messy.

5) Everyone has emotions. Whether we want to admit it or not. Your anxiety might have root in something that happened to you or something; and that doesn't have to have anything to do with type.

I'm not saying there aren't things about you that fit outside of the 'INTJ mold'; you just hit a pet peeve. People always see things that don't fit the given information and assume that it's contradictory; instead of just looking at given infromation I try to look at contextual and implicated information too. When I do, what others say is contradictory doesn't seem that way to me.

[awordforthat]

Glad I'm not the only doubter around here! It took me at least a year to come to the same conclusions you did. Based on anxiety, pathological messiness, and an actual (annoying at times) ability to feel (lots of) emotions, I could have sworn that I was an INFJ, but everything I read just didn't fit. I can't say I've ever felt anything but horror for public speaking/acting, but I've definitely got my non-INTJ quirks.

To sum up...you are not your letters.

Cheers!

[Nexus6]

I think it's safe to say that all types question the results they are given, it's only natural. While I am extremely interested in the MBTI because of its general accuracy, I think it is important to bear in mind that people cannot really be defined by 4 letters and a description of a "type".

I am very confident in my fields of expertise. I am a translator and interpreter and speak in public all the time without a thought. I spent an afternoon around network architects yesterday and I can tell you I didn't open my mouth once. The context of our confidence is really the issue. Get us in our element and we will speak ad nauseum.

I'm sure you are an INTJ - it doesn't mean you don't have emotions, or that you are cold, unfeminine or a robot/monster. I chose the name Nexus6 [the type of androids in Blade Runner], because of this misunderstanding of "INTJ-ness." We have feelings, but we are not frivolous with them, they are deep beneath the surface and perhaps reticent but they are there. It can be very painful to have strong intense feelings and just not have the means to express them. EF types do not get this about us. The irony about it is I think we are truer to our emotions because we are not frivolous. An INTJ feels something, and usually very, very intensely, because she thought about it, and realized it was an emotion worth having. Hopefully you will understand what I am trying to articulate, as it is challenging to express.

I think the element about us that is quite important is detachment not coldness or vacuousness. We use our reason when we process what's going on in our world, not our emotions. I love this about us, and I think it gives us a great deal of liberating clarity to make decisions and come to conclusions about things, without being persuaded by our emotions. The irony about the androids in bladerunner was that their seemingly cold ethical code, made them "more human than human", in comparison to the ostensibly empathic humans, who were enslaving and killing androids.

Our feelings are possibly more real and acute to us, than the fickleness of those who display them openly. You're in good company.

[bethdeth]

Ha yes a pet peeve of mine too is having your type constantly questioned....it seems to happen here a lot...usually by people who aren't INTJs. I have been all those things that were mentioned by Murky Muse to degrees as I have tried to negotiate through different phases of my life. It really isn't cut and dried.

[Goodewitch]

Well, OP, I'm in the same position, only reversed,.. I used to always type as INFJ, it seems it was my default setting, but age seems to be a huge factor in changes in using functions, am I an INFJ with well developed Te or a mistyped INTJ.
Hard to tell, but recent tests type me INTJ, theres so much of the descrption that applies, and so much that doesnt.
The biggest doubt of INTJ typing for me has been the 'emotons' issue. Now I see other INTJ's have explained that they do feel deeply and intensely, but they're probably just more reticent in expressing it, or find the expression of intense emotion difficult.
This thread is seriously making me think about changing my typing,.. as i feel INTJ may be more authentic for me now.
Thanks for this illuminating thread, and to all contributers.
G. x

[dagdraumur]

I'm a total slob about anything that I don't care about, like my room, my work clothes, the exterior of my car, my back yard, etc. but all my projects are very well cared for.

I'm really good at public speaking, as long as I absolutely have to do it.

I'm fairly social with strangers, but in such cases I put on a mask of confidence. It's like I stop being me until they go away. I also like doing the hermit thing, and will hide out in my room with a good book all through the weekend.

I get called on being a robot a lot. I don't mind so much though, as I just imagine myself as an R. Daneel Olivaw I am also a very emotional person, but it's compartmentalized for convenience. I actually really enjoy it more that way, and I cry with very strong emotion over things like the end of "Boys Don't Cry" because I give it the serious thought and attention that I think it deserves. I usually do my best to not cry in public though, and then sometimes it happens anyway.

@hemoglobin: It's funny you should mention having once thought that maybe you should be in a male body. I've been there too. Sometimes I still wonder.
In contrast I have another INTJish friend who identifies as MtF, and she seems fairly confident about her transition. I was even considering making a thread on the subject of INTJ and gender identity. What do you think?

[Peter]

Now I see other INTJ's have explained that they do feel deeply and intensely, but they're probably just more reticent in expressing it, or find the expression of intense emotion difficult.

To me "difficult" isn't the right word. It's more like that the expression of emotion is not necessary and I consider it a sign of weakness. Not that having (intense) emotions is a weakness, but showing them is, especially when you can't control it.