# INTJs - rarest personality type?



## netnet (Nov 9, 2011)

I read somewhere once that INTJs are the rarest personality type (comprising about 1% of the population). Is this true? As an INTJ it feels true. I only know a few others, and only one well.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

Only because David Kiersey says so. There really are no large scale studies to show this (and much of Kiersey's descriptions favor Western culture anyway which is a major criticism - would everyone in a highly collectivist society be Fe-types?) There's a lot of urban legends going around about how many XXXXs there are relative to other types, but none of it substantiated. (In fact the existence of types at all isn't scientifically substantiated!)


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## netnet (Nov 9, 2011)

That would make sense that certain countries/cultures would have different norms personality-wise. So maybe what he meant was that INTJs are rare in American society.


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## thunder999 (Oct 15, 2010)

Most statistics say they (INTJs) represent 2% and that INFJs are the rarest.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

thunder999 said:


> Most statistics say they (INTJs) represent 2% and that INFJs are the rarest.


But these are statistics for something that isn't provable in the first place.


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## netnet (Nov 9, 2011)

I wonder why more research hasn't been conducted. I find the whole personality typing most fascinating. I think my interest stems from how much my INTJ friend and I have in common. When we were introduced to each other by a mutual friend, she told us that we were so much alike. After getting to know each other, we discovered how many quirky interests/obsessions we had in common. It made me wonder if hobbies and interests are correlated with personality type.


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## Miss Scarlet (Jul 26, 2010)

Here is a list of statistics for you! Surprise! 

Meyers-Briggs Statistics


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## netnet (Nov 9, 2011)

So according to that (no idea if these statistics are valid), overall INFJ's are the rarest type, but female INTJ's (me) are the rarest gender/personality combination. Awesome.


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## Hastings (Jan 8, 2011)

ENFP are rare in their preciousness.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

ENFPs aren't rare at all they make up about 10% of the population, comparable to both ESFPs and ISFPs. INFPs fall somewhere in between, and INFJs are actually the rarest, which is too bad.

ESFJs, ISFJs, and ISTJs are extraordinarily common...I believe ISTJ is actually *the* most common type...at least it's the most common type for men, with ISFJ being the most common type for women.

ESTPs are like...on par with INFPs...in their numbers (no really).

INTJs and ENFJs are *almost* as rare as INFJs, but not quite.

I don't understand why either ENFJs or INFJs would be rare, but honestly INTJs being rare seems like a healthy, beneficial thing for the population. While some are awesome, rational and impressively smart, many I've encountered on-line seem to be suffering from either narcissistic or antisocial personality disorder or both, and we definitely don't need excessive amounts of that...


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

Okay...I'm even going to take back what I said on the tentative possibility that people with narcissistic or antisocial personality disorders falsely type themselves as INTJs on-line because they identify with Ayn Rand or Vladimir Putin or someone else they see as antisocial, unempathetic, cruel and imposing.

I'm not going to say that these people necessarily are INTJs because they type themselves as such on-line. Perhaps the INTJ label attracts a number of highly dysfunctional, self-absorbed cruel people who think it's "cool" to call themselves INTJ (when they actually might be ISTJ or ENTP, in reality...you know what I mean?)

Nobody be too mad at me, because I have known some nice INTJs...I've just also encountered some frighteningly almost subhuman people giving themselves that label on the Internetz.


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## apmeggison (Nov 5, 2011)

fourtines said:


> I don't understand why either ENFJs or INFJs would be rare, but honestly INTJs being rare seems like a healthy, beneficial thing for the population. While some are awesome, rational and impressively smart, many I've encountered on-line seem to be suffering from either narcissistic or antisocial personality disorder or both, and we definitely don't need excessive amounts of that...


I agree. INTJ's are not the rarest type, though most might like to think they are. I observe that some INTJ males can be fairly narcissistic and rude. There is a sense of elitism that ought to shoved up their arse. We are all human. We are all worthy, regardless of type, and I don't care how smart or 'rare' you think you are, that is never an excuse to think you sit above anyone else. There are a few INTJ males here that I could say "kiss my ass" to. I think some people "typify" themselves right out of being part of the human race.


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## lovegames25 (Oct 7, 2010)

From what I've seen on personalitycafe and other websites for MBTI, it's not the rarest type at all, it looks like SJs and SPs are the rarest.


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## Doom (Oct 25, 2010)

From what I recall INTP are the rarest females, I've actually met quite a few INTJ females but I don't think I've ever met an INTP female. With both males and overall (yay me) seems to be INFJ, I've met a few others who I think might be INFJ but I think a lot of people get miss typed so it's not entirely accurate.


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## Donovan (Nov 3, 2009)

fourtines said:


> ENFPs aren't rare at all they make up about 10% of the population, comparable to both ESFPs and ISFPs. INFPs fall somewhere in between, and INFJs are actually the rarest, which is too bad.
> 
> ESFJs, ISFJs, and ISTJs are extraordinarily common...I believe ISTJ is actually *the* most common type...at least it's the most common type for men, with ISFJ being the most common type for women.
> 
> ...


the reason ENFJ's and INFJ's are rare, along with any other type of XNXJ, is because Ni exists within their top two functions. it's a rare function and occurrence....

i want to say a lot more, but it will just seem self-absorbed and off topic, so... hope that helps you to think about it.


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## Hastings (Jan 8, 2011)

fourtines said:


> ENFPs aren't rare at all they make up about 10% of the population, comparable to both ESFPs and ISFPs.


I said they were rare in their preciousness. I was trying to make the funnies.




> I don't understand why either ENFJs or INFJs would be rare, but honestly INTJs being rare seems like a healthy, beneficial thing for the population. While some are awesome, rational and impressively smart, many I've encountered on-line seem to be suffering from either narcissistic or antisocial personality disorder or both, and we definitely don't need excessive amounts of that...


I think we could only benefit from more INTJs, at least well-balanced ones. It's quite impressive how influential INTJs are considerating their relative rarity. I think they easily came out on top of the poll PerC had for which type has influenced your life the most. And when I think of the confirmed INTJs I know irl, one is a professor and one is a lawyer...




lovegames25 said:


> From what I've seen on personalitycafe and other websites for MBTI, it's not the rarest type at all, it looks like SJs and SPs are the rarest.


Sensors are in minority on Internet forums, yes. In the general population, they are in majority.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

cactus_waltz said:


> I said they were rare in their preciousness. I was trying to make the funnies.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Healthy" INTJs, yes, there should be more. They can be lovely, I agree. 

INTJs who say their mail-order bride should be grateful he rescued her, despite his flagrant infidelity, not so much.

There are different _kinds _of INTJs. Professors and lawyers aren't sainted beings, btw. You saying that to me doesn't tell me anything about who they are as human beings. There are noble lawyers, and there are total scumbags, and professors are less often scumbags, but it still doesn't tell me who is as an individual...but yeah, they can be pretty book smart and ambitious. But so can ISTJs.


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## Hastings (Jan 8, 2011)

fourtines said:


> Professors and lawyers aren't sainted beings, btw. You saying that to me doesn't tell me anything about who they are as human beings.


I was not discussing their humanity, but their influence. Professors and lawyers are generally influential people. This is of course not saying that all INTJs are professors and lawyers, but together with that poll, it certainly helped form an image in my mind that INTJs seem to be quite influential considering how few they are in terms of percentage.


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## Apollo Celestio (Mar 10, 2010)

lovegames25 said:


> From what I've seen on personalitycafe and other websites for MBTI, it's not the rarest type at all, it looks like SJs and SPs are the rarest.


INxx types rule the internet.. at least when you go beyond facebook.

Seeing a trend of Ni being much rarer than Si (as a dominant and auxiliary) 

Now if JCF has any basis outside horoscope-y personality tests, that would be worth investigating.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

cactus_waltz said:


> I was not discussing their humanity, but their influence. Professors and lawyers are generally influential people. This is of course not saying that all INTJs are professors and lawyers, but together with that poll, it certainly helped form an image in my mind that INTJs seem to be quite influential considering how few they are in terms of percentage.


I'm not sure what you mean. "Influence" is a neutral thing....influence can be bad or good, which is my point. Some lawyers are very corrupt individuals, for example. Vladimir Putin is an INTJ with great "influence" and so is Ayn Rand, so just be with that for a moment, and consider what that means. "Influence" can be a terrible, sick, twisted thing. 

Also, you seem to be under the impression that INTJs are always making enormous impacts on academia and law, when in truth, from what I understand, both fields are absolutely filled with ISTJs. INTPs also make up a significant number of academics. There are also INTJs living in their mother's basements. 

I don't see anything about your argument that recommends to me that there should be more INTJs, because my initial argument stands: when they are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad, they are completely cold and antisocial, with higher instances of things like narcissism and low empathy for other living things. 

Anyway, I added that some people think (or pretend) to be INTJs simply because they are bad people, and think it's cool to say they are INTJ, and I in no way think that represents INTJs as a whole. I think it's highly offensive, for example, that so many people think all serial killers or people who do public shootings are INTJs. I think that is a stupid stereotype, just like saying ESFPs are stupid sluts.


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## ogr_ro1 (Jan 27, 2012)

ENTJwillruletheworld said:


> It would be so interesting to do an in depth study and get statistics from all major countries and then compare them. I would love to do that.


Me, personally speaking, I would like to make a MBTI study to check which people can be the executionners in a dictatorship. For example, it's know that INTJ and ENTP can become dictators. Because they are sooooooo intelligent and they are not trusty... But being a dictator is not enough. 

I studied Stalins' period and now, I am wondering which people can, for example, execute orders. The worst orders. I have some suppositions. But I should go to verify in some countries (as Cambodia or Libya and so on). If I had money, I would like to do it.


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## ogr_ro1 (Jan 27, 2012)

Hello, guys, again, 

Here is an interesting link: 
Which Country Best Matches Your Personality?

Which Country Best Matches Your Personality? | Taken by the Wind


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