[AmberJorr]

I'm curious if there are other INTJs out there with learning disabilities.

Reason for inquiry: I don't know many people with learning disabilities, so given my shitty weekend, I figured that rather than raving about how someone close to me decided that I couldn't calculate a tip in my head because I just wasn't working hard enough, I could do something productive and seek out others like myself and learn about their experiences.

I'll go first: I am dyslexic.

My writing is legible, but only because I wrote a three hundred page book by hand. It was good practice. I can spell, somewhat, but only because I want to be a writer, and I basically went through and memorized the spelling of every word in the English language on a case by case basis since I have no grasp of spelling rules. (Proof: I spelled every word correct on the English spelling part of the IQ test for learning disabilities last year, but I did miserably on the one where you're supposed to spell made-up words that follow the normal rules. Of course, the tester claimed this meant I had coped successfully and didn't need accommodations.)



I am very good at complex math, but I'm awful at basic math. I mix up numbers when I try to calculate them in my head and can't hold very many numbers in my head at once. Having someone attempt to explain how to do a problem without showing me in writing what they're doing is an exercise in futility. I prefer to use a calculator for percentages, addition, subtraction, multiplication and addition since it's faster and far more reliable. I can, however, grasp the switch from Cartesian coordinates to spherical and cylindrical coordinates better than most human calculators I know. I also find doing high level mathematics to be a unique form of zen-like meditation.

I cannot tell right from left (unless I am facing a specific direction) and can never keep track of the cardinal directions. Reading non digital clocks is also pretty challenging, but I've managed to get the hang of it.

[bethdeth]

I have problems with numbers, I may have dyscalculia. Probably not to the extreme of some but it's proved itself to be a pain.

[Paradox of Vigor]

Get the "hand" of it! Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!

OMG that was funny...

*turns back to serious mode* I've had that same problem since childhood. I am terribly slow with simple things(math, directions), but I can solve the most complex problems. I haven't had a chance to learn much past algebra, so I can't talk there, but I've always solved big math problems in my head before the class even began writing. When I'm approached with a small math problem, I get stuck and my mind begins overlapping on a step that isn't there.

Face it: I think this is true for most NTs because we're better at solving big problems than small ones. Thank you iNtuition!

[Coonsy]

I have problems with numbers, I may have dyscalculia. Probably not to the extreme of some but it's proved itself to be a pain.

I have this as well...constantly switching numbers around.


I am not aware of any other learning disabilities, but I had a horrible time in math in high school. Basic algebra just did not compute for me, even though if you gave me a multiple choice test on my math101 in college I could tell you what the right answer probably was - I just couldn't explain how to get there. Geometry and 3-dimensional thinking is right up my alley. I can easily picture things 3-dimensionally, and operate well in that regard.

No issues with reading or writing, but I was an avid reader from a very young age, so that helped immensely with my writing and spelling skills. As does a web browser with spell check, and if I misspell a word enough times eventually I'll get around to figuring out the correct spelling.

I'm absolutely horrible at rote memorization though. I find it nigh unto impossible to memorize and regurgitate facts and figures, dates and names, etc. Hence being an art major.

[AmberJorr]

Get the "hand" of it! Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!

OMG that was funny...

Thanks. I'm surprised it was the only one that slipped through, honestly.

[bethdeth]

I have this as well...constantly switching numbers around.


I am not aware of any other learning disabilities, but I had a horrible time in math in high school. Basic algebra just did not compute for me, even though if you gave me a multiple choice test on my math101 in college I could tell you what the right answer probably was - I just couldn't explain how to get there. Geometry and 3-dimensional thinking is right up my alley. I can easily picture things 3-dimensionally, and operate well in that regard.

No issues with reading or writing, but I was an avid reader from a very young age, so that helped immensely with my writing and spelling skills. As does a web browser with spell check, and if I misspell a word enough times eventually I'll get around to figuring out the correct spelling.

I'm absolutely horrible at rote memorization though. I find it nigh unto impossible to memorize and regurgitate facts and figures, dates and names, etc. Hence being an art major.

Exactly! I would have to write in English exactly what I was supposed to do when it came to what kind of formula and process, random letters and numbers that change their value are totally meaningless to me when it comes to any maths formulas. I am good with multiple guess on these things too and good with spatial tasks. The numbers turn into a sea of shit but I am good at data entry....Oh I am good at making a budget and money in general. I just process it through imagination I guess...Go figure.

[PianoWizzy]

Learning disabilities? Do mental disorders count?

I have ADD and Asperger's Syndrome, and possibly some mild OCD. All this, combined with the INTJ personality type makes me a rather self-contradictory character. [For example, I can employ sarcasm seamlessly into my sharp humor like a natural INTJ, but I can't detect sarcasm when someone else uses it at least 77% of the time because of my Asperger's Syndrome. I want to get things done as an INTJ, but ADD keeps my focus off par. The ADD also makes me a bit more emotional than the average INTJ.]

[Noe]

Oh, what an interesting thread.
I don't have anything that can be medically defined but I have severe issues with math, also. A lot of it is related to what Vigor was explaining - I have problems with small calculations and can look like an utter idiot. The more complex the problems are, the easier it is for me. Also, I'm a physics major so this can be highly contradictory.
.. I forget basic algebra a lot.

[PianoWizzy]

That's interesting. All I've acknowledged about algebra is that I hated it. I almost failed Algebra II. But then again, I found out the next year that I was supposed to actually take Geometry before Algebra II. Ahahah.

[Noe]

It's quite irritating, too.
It's intriguing being an INTJ with Asperger's and ADD, though. If anything I'd think Asperger's would drastically amplify your INTJ tendencies.