# What are the biggest myths of the ISTJ?



## jumbotoo

Question in title


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## General Lee Awesome

Their existence


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## jcal

Like most MBTI stereotypes (and stereotypes in general), there is often a tiny grain of truth behind them. However, observers often overgeneralize and/or misinterpret the true motivations behind an observed action, which leads to a grossly exaggerated caricature that takes on a life of its own, and really bears little resemblance to the folks it tries to describe. Here are the ISTJ myths that I find to be the most inaccurate or misunderstood:



_*We're stuck in the past*_ - First, the past to an ISTJ is not some distant nostalgic ideal we hold on to. It is the total accumulation of our experience... right up to and including the present. That experience is very important to us, though. It serves as our compass... a reference point for negotiating the present into the future. When faced with something new, the ISTJ will look at where things stand right now (the collective past) and make a determination of whether the change will create an improvement or degradation of our present position. 
_*We find any and all change abhorrent*_ - Closely related to the first point above, change is not something we try to avoid. However, we do want to be sure that the change will improve our position rather than degrade it. This would include consideration of, at the least:
Is this actually better? 
Is it safe? 
What risks does it represent? Are they acceptable for the gain expected to be realized? 
 What previously unforeseen collateral consequences might we be subject to? Can we mitigate them without destroying the potential benefits. 
Is the expenditure of resources necessary worth it? 
 
_*We're blind followers of rules/authority*_ - Authoritarian rules are a good fallback position when we lack our own experience to reference, but once we gain that experience we will tend to be very selective about what rules we follow (e.g., the ones our experience tell us make sense). We're also very good at knowing/understanding both the rules and our current situation, which makes us very good at knowing exactly how far we can bend them without posing an undue risk. Finally, we're realistic and practical enough to know that, even if we don't agree with the authority, working within their structure and rules to affect change is often more fruitful than blind rebellion. Don't dump all the apples on the ground just because you don't like where the cart is parked... preserve the apples and move the cart incrementally when the opportunity arises to safely do so. 
_*We're boring*_ - Truthfully, I believe we can appear that way to work and other casual acquaintances, but that's because we generally see no need to expose our good parts to them. Self promotion is not high on the list for most ISTJs, nor are we all that interested in learning more about most casual and work acquaintances. However, get to be one of those "insiders" that we do share ourselves with and you will most often find a completely different and much more fun and interesting person. Neither side of it is a facade/act, either... it's all the real "us"... there are just layers to us that only get exposed for the right (trusted) company. 
_*We're workaholics*_ - On the contrary, we enjoy and look forward to down time. However, if there is some outstanding bit of business that is not completed, we will have a very difficult time enjoying that down time knowing that business was not taken care of. Give us that extra hour on Friday night to complete the work and I can guarantee you that the weekend will be 100% yours. 
_*We're cold, emotionless robots*_ - Quite the opposite... we typically have strong and deep (emphasis on deep) feelings... they just don't bubble to the surface very often, if at all... and it's not because we are suppressing them. Our emotions are indicators to us that something is very wrong (or very right) and our inclination is always to analyze the cause of the emotion and do our best to fix (or perpetuate) the cause of the emotion. We see little need or use for discussing the emotion itself... only for dealing with the root causes of them. Even when there is valid reason to express feelings/emotions, our preference for very precise, detailed and objective communication completely fails us when we try to deal with the oh so subjective topic of emotions. The language available is too broad to be useful for describing emotions as precisely as we prefer... words have too broad a meaning and are open to interpretations in a way that we never intended. Misinterpretation of our precise (to us) intent is a horrible feeling for us, and it's safer to just avoid the conversation in the first place. DOING something about it works much better for us than talking about it. 

There are more... but those are the ones I find most misunderstood.


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## Simpson17866

They are reasonable and have a strong work ethic :laughing:


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## stripedfurball

johnson.han.3 said:


> Their existence


They do exist, they just apparently cruise under most people's radar, quietly going about their business, lol


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## stripedfurball

Simpson17866 said:


> They are reasonable and have a strong work ethic :laughing:


Lol, how many were in your sample size? My dad, like you, is an INTP; based on that sample size, I could infer that whenever you capture an INTP's queen in chess, he will wipe the board clean and leave the room, or that all of you are amazingly skilled at belching whole sentences (I did not inherit this genetic gift). That said, my dad is hilarious and a wonderful man, and I have met a few other INTPs that were similarly mellow and good humored. Maybe you just met an ISTJ that happened to be kind of a turd?


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## jumbotoo

jcal said:


> Like most MBTI stereotypes (and stereotypes in general), there is often a tiny grain of truth behind them. However, observers often overgeneralize and/or misinterpret the true motivations behind an observed action, which leads to a grossly exaggerated caricature that takes on a life of its own, and really bears little resemblance to the folks it tries to describe. Here are the ISTJ myths that I find to be the most inaccurate or misunderstood:
> 
> 
> 
> We're stuck in the past - First, the past to an ISTJ is not some distant nostalgic ideal we hold on to. It is the total accumulation of our experience... right up to and including the present. That experience is very important to us, though. It serves as our compass... a reference point for negotiating the present into the future. When faced with something new, the ISTJ will look at where things stand right now (the collective past) and make a determination of whether the change will create an improvement or degradation of our present position.
> We find any and all change abhorrent - Closely related to the first point above, change is not something we try to avoid. However, we do want to be sure that the change will improve our position rather than degrade it. This would include consideration of, at the least:
> Is this actually better?
> Is it safe?
> What risks does it represent? Are they acceptable for the gain expected to be realized?
> What previously unforeseen collateral consequences might we be subject to? Can we mitigate them without destroying the potential benefits.
> Is the expenditure of resources necessary worth it?
> 
> We're blind followers of rules/authority - Authoritarian rules are a good fallback position when we lack our own experience to reference, but once we gain that experience we will tend to be very selective about what rules we follow (e.g., the ones our experience tell us make sense). We're also very good at knowing/understanding both the rules and our current situation, which makes us very good at knowing exactly how far we can bend them without posing an undue risk. Finally, we're realistic and practical enough to know that, even if we don't agree with the authority, working within their structure and rules to affect change is often more fruitful than blind rebellion. Don't dump all the apples on the ground just because you don't like where the cart is parked... preserve the apples and move the cart incrementally when the opportunity arises to safely do so.
> We're boring - Truthfully, I believe we can appear that way to work and other casual acquaintances, but that's because we generally see no need to expose our good parts to them. Self promotion is not high on the list for most ISTJs, nor are we all that interested in learning more about most casual and work acquaintances. However, get to be one of those "insiders" that we do share ourselves with and you will most often find a completely different and much more fun and interesting person. Neither side of it is a facade/act, either... it's all the real "us"... there are just layers to us that only get exposed for the right (trusted) company.
> We're workaholics - On the contrary, we enjoy and look forward to down time. However, if there is some outstanding bit of business that is not completed, we will have a very difficult time enjoying that down time knowing that business was not taken care of. Give us that extra hour on Friday night to complete the work and I can guarantee you that the weekend will be 100% yours.
> We're cold, emotionless robots - Quite the opposite... we typically have strong and deep (emphasis on deep) feelings... they just don't bubble to the surface very often, if at all... and it's not because we are suppressing them. Our emotions are indicators to us that something is very wrong (or very right) and our inclination is always to analyze the cause of the emotion and do our best to fix (or perpetuate) the cause of the emotion. We see little need or use for discussing the emotion itself... only for dealing with the root causes of them. Even when there is valid reason to express feelings/emotions, our preference for very precise, detailed and objective communication completely fails us when we try to deal with the oh so subjective topic of emotions. The language available is too broad to be useful for describing emotions as precisely as we prefer... words have too broad a meaning and are open to interpretations in a way that we never intended. Misinterpretation of our precise (to us) intent is a horrible feeling for us, and it's safer to just avoid the conversation in the first place. DOING something about it works much better for us than talking about it.
> 
> There are more... but those are the ones I find most misunderstood.


Thank you.


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## Notus Asphodelus

They are hypochondriacs.


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## jcal

LuvGen said:


> They are hypochondriacs.


Yeah, that's another one that has never rung true for me. I'm about as complete an opposite to a hypochondriac as you can get, often ignoring things beyond reason, often to my own detriment.


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## Notus Asphodelus

Another myth is an ISTJ's affair with food. Wait.. I don't think I should put that as a myth. Food. Food. Food. Yum... The only mythical question is whether or not they are healthy eaters. I think most SJ types are very aware of what they put into their system; not towards the point of being health enthusiasts, but partly out of sensory experiences. However, as for ISTJs, food is more than just a form of indulgence and/or nourishment. It's also a spiritual thing that could bring inner strength within them to go about with their day, so it's sort of important that they eat healthily sometimes.


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## niss

LuvGen said:


> They are hypochondriacs.


Never, ever heard this about ISTJ's ... ever. Quite the opposite, actually. We are prone to ignore health issues until it is too late. We are over represented in groups that die early due to such illnesses as heart disease.


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## stripedfurball

LuvGen said:


> Another myth is an ISTJ's affair with food. Wait.. I don't think I should put that as a myth. Food. Food. Food. Yum... The only mythical question is whether or not they are healthy eaters. I think most SJ types are very aware of what they put into their system; not towards the point of being health enthusiasts, but partly out of sensory experiences. However, as for ISTJs, food is more than just a form of indulgence and/or nourishment. It's also a spiritual thing that could bring inner strength within them to go about with their day, so it's sort of important that they eat healthily sometimes.


Here's my question: How many of you have flirted with veganism? Did it take? My boyfriend is vaguely interested in it, and as a normal human omnivore I'm kind of worried, but willing to be supportive as long as this doesn't escalate into affecting my own dietary choices.


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## Notus Asphodelus

niss said:


> Never, ever heard this about ISTJ's ... ever. Quite the opposite, actually. We are prone to ignore health issues until it is too late. We are over represented in groups that die early due to such illnesses as heart disease.


Well, sometimes it could be a waste of time and resources to see a doctor and then the next day one would realize it's just a 24-hour flu. Unless it's a chronic and serious illness, I'm guessing most would prefer to concoct simple remedies? As for the hypochondriac symptom, I put it as being a debunked myth then.


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## Despotic Nepotist

That all ISTJs tend to act like a combination of the Daleks and Cybermen from _Doctor Who_.


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## Cesspool

stripedfurball said:


> Here's my question: How many of you have flirted with veganism? Did it take? My boyfriend is vaguely interested in it, and as a normal human omnivore I'm kind of worried, but willing to be supportive as long as this doesn't escalate into affecting my own dietary choices.


Being Vegan/Vegetarian should be mandated.


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## stripedfurball

Cesspool said:


> Being Vegan/Vegetarian should be mandated.


Is this assuming that if it was, it would be more affordable than it is now?


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## Angina Jolie

That they are boring.

Every ISTJ that I've gotten to know where very reliable at work. They put their work duties and other duties a a priority, but seems that only so they can party hardcore afterwards. I've never seen anyones inferior functions come out so obviously except with ISTJs. They become the most fun, funny and talkative people when the midnight strikes.


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## Cesspool

stripedfurball said:


> Is this assuming that if it was, it would be more affordable than it is now?


Yes.


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## stripedfurball

Cesspool said:


> Yes.


I'm trying to think of a legitimate reason to eat animals aside from that they're really delicious; I can't. The only thing I can really think of is the importance of yogurt and probiotics; are there good vegan sources for this that I'm not aware of that would have similar cultures to Greek yogurt?


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## jcal

LuvGen said:


> Another myth is an ISTJ's affair with food. Wait.. I don't think I should put that as a myth. Food. Food. Food. Yum... The only mythical question is whether or not they are healthy eaters. I think most SJ types are very aware of what they put into their system; not towards the point of being health enthusiasts, but partly out of sensory experiences. However, as for ISTJs, food is more than just a form of indulgence and/or nourishment. _*It's also a spiritual thing that could bring inner strength within them to go about with their day, so it's sort of important that they eat healthily sometimes.*_


:crazy: I'm only aware of and care about what I eat due to recent and specific health issues. Before that, food was food... I ate what tasted great with little consideration otherwise. Even now, it's based on specific needs/requirements... NOT something "spiritual".



stripedfurball said:


> Here's my question: _*How many of you have flirted with veganism?*_ Did it take? My boyfriend is vaguely interested in it, and as a normal human omnivore I'm kind of worried, but willing to be supportive as long as this doesn't escalate into affecting my own dietary choices.


Not me. Nothing particularly attractive about the thought of it, either. As a matter of courtesy I would certainly eat what was provided if visiting a vegan, and I don't deny that I probably would enjoy some of it. I cannot, however, fathom living on a 100% vegan diet.


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