[blackacidlizzard]

The extreme complexity of the universe?

We all manage to have a unique genetic code too (minus monozygotic twins, of course) even at seven billion strong.

[L]

I was wondering if someone could tell me why is it that every individual has unique handwriting? This has been puzzling me all day...

It's a conspiracy I tell you! Conspiracy!

[Chrysantheist]

We all manage to have a unique genetic code too (minus monozygotic twins, of course) even at seven billion strong.

Is that really true? Even the "unique" handwriting thing... I dunno, I grew up being told no two snowflakes were the same, but it turns out that's not true either, so now I really doubt any claim that there are no two identical things of any kind.

[L]

Is that really true? Even the "unique" handwriting thing... I dunno, I grew up being told no two snowflakes were the same, but it turns out that's not true either, so now I really doubt any claim that there are no two identical things of any kind.

They say everybody has a twin out there to, but who honestly knows these kinds of things? I would rather phrase it "You will probably never meet anybody who looks like you, writes like you, etc. etc."

[grandpa2390]

Am I a strange INTP?

I find pure math utterly boring. In fact, I find anything I can not connect to something manifested in reality boring. I don't give a damn about any sort of math until I can connect it to something I care about. At the moment this means that the highest level math I bother to understand is percentages and averages - grade school stuff.

nothing wrong with that. You can't expect everyone to fit in one of 16 neat little packages. There are points when I don't care about math, then there are conceptual... abstract maths that I find fascinating. One such example are higher geometric dimensions and the concept of infinite sets. But if you expect me to be interested in derivatives... sorry. But nobody says an INTP has to like math or be good at programming.

Further, I love the English language and its aesthetically pleasing uses.

actually this is a trait of INTPs according to many sources. INTPs love languages, and we like to use them with precision and accuracy. If I can not think of the right word, I will give up on my argument because I feel like I can not make my point without that one word. I won't be able to get my point across clearly. According to most sources I have read, INTPs are deadly with language in our arguments. (I can't argue with that. He who defines the language, controls the argument).

In short, H L Mencken and Mark Twain = orgasm; Euclid and Gottfried Libnez = yawn

Saw this in another thread:



That doesn't peg me, I love confronting people with oppositional ideas and either breaking apart their justifications (usually) or finding out I was missing something (more and more rare, as time progresses). It's just rare to find an interesting rival. Maybe my "I" is not as much an inherent direction as a reaction to a species I largely find to be unsatisfactory.

Any of ya'll INTPs with me? :p

I think this is common for most INTPs. I for one can not sit and listen to nonsense. If I hear someone saying something that isn't right, even if they aren't talking to me, I have to step in. Furthermore, we are always seeking the truth. We don't care whether we are right or wrong, which is why we will just as soon play the Devil's Advocate. We want to know what is right: not for the sake of being right, but for sake of knowing what is right. If an INTP turns out to be wrong, he would be just as happy as if he was right because he has learned something knew.

Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, and for the INTP profiles I have read. I also base this off of conversations and observations on this forum. In all likely hood, there will be those who differ as 4 billion people on planet Earth can not fit into 16 nice personality boxes. but... anyway.

[Neurasthenia]

Has it struck anyone else that NFs in general seem to have better vocabularies than us INTPs? I have a pretty good vocabulary, but it seems I do not absorb words and their meanings as widely as some NFs I know do. However an ENFJ I am thinking of seems to learn rather obscure words in an attempt to feel superior. But aside from that, an INFP I know has an expansive vocabulary greater than mine and English is his second language. I know some foreigners are taught better and are brought up with values that support language (especially the learning of English) more than what I grew up with in the US. An INTP friend of mine stated that she learns words within their context. She doesn't really look up and memorize them. She simply assumes their meaning based on how they are used. I do this as well. As a consequence, there are many words which I grew up not certainly knowing. Many words I believed all along to mean one thing, and now that I have been curious and wanting to expand my vocabulary in the last couple years, have found that my understanding is usually slightly off. Also, it seems that my ability to remember a new word's meaning once I look it up is not stellar. I have to look words up a few times before the meaning has really solidified for me. That INFP friend I mentioned recently used the word "unabashed" and I felt ashamed that I did not know for certain what it meant. I assumed it meant uninhibited, open, honest, shameless because of its context and the way it sounded. This assumption was pretty correct once I looked it up, but my point is that I am never sure and feel that my vocabulary is somewhat lacking. Perhaps this is simply because I doubt myself so frequently? I would say that many times when I doubt my understanding of something (perhaps a word) I will look it up and find my understanding was correct. Still, I am never too sure about myself...

[grandpa2390]

Has it struck anyone else that NFs in general seem to have better vocabularies than us INTPs? I have a pretty good vocabulary, but it seems I do not absorb words and their meanings as widely as some NFs I know do. However an ENFJ I am thinking of seems to learn rather obscure words in an attempt to feel superior. But aside from that, an INFP I know has an expansive vocabulary greater than mine and English is his second language. I know some foreigners are taught better and are brought up with values that support language (especially the learning of English) more than what I grew up with in the US. An INTP friend of mine stated that she learns words within their context. She doesn't really look up and memorize them. She simply assumes their meaning based on how they are used. I do this as well. As a consequence, there are many words which I grew up not certainly knowing. Many words I believed all along to mean one thing, and now that I have been curious and wanting to expand my vocabulary in the last couple years, have found that my understanding is usually slightly off. Also, it seems that my ability to remember a new word's meaning once I look it up is not stellar. I have to look words up a few times before the meaning has really solidified for me. That INFP friend I mentioned recently used the word "unabashed" and I felt ashamed that I did not know for certain what it meant. I assumed it meant uninhibited, open, honest, shameless because of its context and the way it sounded. This assumption was pretty correct once I looked it up, but my point is that I am never sure and feel that my vocabulary is somewhat lacking. Perhaps this is simply because I doubt myself so frequently? I would say that many times when I doubt my understanding of something (perhaps a word) I will look it up and find my understanding was correct. Still, I am never too sure about myself...

THis will vary between individuals, but I have a great vocabulary. NFs may have a higher quantity of words that they know, but INTPs (as well as INTJs I think) tend to recognize the subtleties of a word. Which is one reason we have to have the right word. Sure, the definition of word x may be the same as the definition of word y, but there is a distinct and subtle difference between the two words. Word x is the right word because there is that distinct difference that only INTPs seem to be able to distinguish. Most times, when I listen to other speak and they try to use adjectives or verbs, I always think to myself about how the word's meaning is just a shade off, and that such and such word would be a better choice. Sometimes I vocalize this... and sometimes I don't.
I think my strong Te has something to do with it also.

Final point: It is one thing to know a word and use it correctly. It is a completely different thing to know a word and use it effectively. I find that INTPs tend to do the latter. I am not sure who knows more words, but because of our ability (in general) to recognize the shades of grey, we, or I at least, am able to effectively communicate what it is that I need to, efficiently.

[Neurasthenia]

THis will vary between individuals, but I have a great vocabulary. NFs may have a higher quantity of words that they know, but INTPs (as well as INTJs I think) tend to recognize the subtleties of a word. Which is one reason we have to have the right word. Sure, the definition of word x may be the same as the definition of word y, but there is a distinct and subtle difference between the two words. Word x is the right word because there is that distinct difference that only INTPs seem to be able to distinguish. Most times, when I listen to other speak and they try to use adjectives or verbs, I always think to myself about how the word's meaning is just a shade off, and that such and such word would be a better choice. Sometimes I vocalize this... and sometimes I don't.
I think my strong Te has something to do with it also.

I am this way also. I suppose I am speaking of NFs' tendencies to have a wider vocabulary. Perhaps not a better one, and perhaps not a better command of those words, but certainly it seems they know more words. Or perhaps they simply know some words that I do not. Hmm. But yes, you are correct about INTPs (at least in my case) picking up on those subtleties in each word that affect their appropriate usage.

[grandpa2390]

I am this way also. I suppose I am speaking of NFs tendencies to have a wider vocabulary. Perhaps not a better one, and perhaps not a better command of those words, but certainly it seems they know more words. Or perhaps they simply know some words that I do not. Hmm. But yes, you are correct about INTPs (at least in my case) picking up on those subtleties in each word that affect their appropriate usage.

I added to my post, not sure if you caught it:

Final point: It is one thing to know a word and use it correctly. It is a completely different thing to know a word and use it effectively. I find that INTPs tend to do the latter. I am not sure who knows more words, but because of our ability (in general) to recognize the shades of grey, we, or I at least, am able to effectively communicate what it is that I need to, efficiently.

[Neurasthenia]

I added to my post, not sure if you caught it:

Hmm. I think my problem is perhaps the Te part. What I mean is that often times when I speak my vocabulary does not reflect my actual intelligence or wealth of understood words. I say "um" and "uh" a lot because when I speak I have a hard time thinking and because of my perhaps weak Te my outward command of my vocabulary is less than I would hope.