# Can somebody help me type my fictional character?



## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

Okay, this is going to sound either incredibly dumb or incredibly inane to a lot of people. Or both.

I've been working on a novel for over a year now, and am having trouble typing my character. This has less to do with not understanding my character than it does not understanding MBTI (I've been working on this novel and spending time with this character in my head for much longer than I've been researching MBTI). 

I took the MBTI answering each question as if I were my character, and the results I got were ISTJ and ESTJ. There is no way that can be accurate, as my character has absolutely nothing but contempt for traditional values and social hierarchies. It dawned on me afterwards that this might have been due to me answering the questions according to traits my character was forced to adopt as opposed to the traits that came naturally for him. But there is no way he is an ISTJ or ESTJ. He is most likely either an ISTP or an INTJ. _Maybe_ an ENTJ or INFJ. 

Here's some information about him: 

- He's an openly gay (yet masculine) hitman who primarily does work for the mafia. His personality isn't determined by his sexuality by any means, but it might be significant that he primarily shields himself from the potential violence towards LGBTs in the wise-guy world through implicit intimidation and his reputation, rather then keeping it a secret. 

- He has no loyalty to anyone. He regularly plays families and syndicates against each other. While there are people he cares about, he distanced himself from them long ago because he thinks his presence in their lives could be toxic, if not deadly. 

- Most of his manipulation tactics involve instilling a sense of paranoia that trickles its way to the top of the mafia hierarchy (he's just an associate, not in a position to directly interact with any administrative members). 

- He has a code, but a very loose one. He believes that getting involved in the organized crime world means you accept the possibility of getting whacked at any time for any reason in exchange for a chance to get ahead of everyone else (a rule he extends to himself). He won't kill anyone not a part of the crime world. 

- He is a practical hitman. He won't kill without having a reason for it (even if its a selfish one), and never prolongs people's suffering. 

- His code is for instrumental purposes, to avoid becoming a complete psychopath, rather than something he views as a moral absolute. He tends to rationalize what he does through fatalism more so than by judging his targets as deserving of death. "Once the bosses give the 'okay' on someone, me not pulling the trigger won't do them any good."

- Likes to unwind with movies, drugs (though he's slowed down a lot in the last few years), and the occasional opera.

- The only two people he considers friends have no connection to his career. One is an ENFP, the other an unhealthy ESTP. 

Well, that's all I can think of that might be relevant for now. I assume if anyone wants to help me with this there will be questions, so ask away. Thanks again to anyone who even read through this.


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## Lord Fudgingsley (Mar 3, 2013)

I'm thinking ENTJ, though there's plenty of room for doubt. His ethics sound fairly primitive (likely low-order Feeling), and he doesn't sound like a perception-dominant.

The other type that leaves is ISTP.


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## TyranAmiros (Jul 7, 2014)

Not a lot in there that directly corresponds to a type, other than probably Thinker more than Feeler. 

Why is he a hitman? Is he happy? What does he think of his career? 

Where does he get his cases from? Is he a loner or does he work for an organization? What about associates at work? Does he ever market himself?

How does he plan his executions? What does he think about?

Where does he see himself in the future? What does he do in his spare time? What would he like to be doing otherwise?


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

Well, he originally became a hitman in prison. After killing two guys who raped a mentally ill person in their cell (and would come after him next), a guard connected to the mafia offered to cover up the killing in exchange for having other people "taken care of." More offers came later, yadda yadda, he becomes full time hitman. He's not really happy. He sees his career as a path he's already taken so he's stuck in it. He doesn't so much hate his job as much as hate what it did to him (destroying all of his relationships). At the same time, he likes living a lifestyle where the only rules are his rules, and doesn't think he could live a life where he has to deal with structure or being accountable to someone. 

He gets most of his cases from an emissary for the mafia, who he sometimes consults unofficially. He'll sometimes approach members of rival families as well, convincing them to use his services when it fits him. He mostly works for the DeSasso family but he isn't a member, and doesn't want to be. He's kind of a loner. 

As for the job, he usually plans out the entry, kill point, and exit beforehand. One of his hits has him acting as a getaway driver for his target, shooting him in the head when they reach a remote spot, throwing the body in the trunk, and taking the car to a junkyard to be demolished (the junkyard being owned and opertated by a friend of his he calls on for favors). Sometimes, his hits are more basic. He doesn't like using the same methods because he doesn't want to leave a pattern. He usually has his head in the moment when he's on a job, and making sure he hasn't missed any details. 


He sees his future as being very short, which makes him a little reckless sometimes. His overall motivation is to upset the established order and take in as many pleasures as he can while he's still alive. Sometimes though, he considers using a big score to make him enough money to leave the U.S. and go start a nightclub in Europe somewhere. He always talks himself out of it, though.


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

And yes, his ethics are kind of primitive. It's worth noting though that if even if he is an NT, he never had an environment or education where his Ti or Ne could be developed. That usually happens in college, which he was never able to attend. Be it his home, prison, or the crime world after prison, he's never been in an environment where showing an intellectual side was a smart thing to do. So he would have no clue what meta-ethics or epistemology are, though his thinking is generally nihilistic or vaguely subjectivist in regards to morality.


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## implossible (Sep 3, 2014)

He sounds like a very interesting character.
Personally I'd class him as either an INTJ or an ENTJ. However, ISTP would also make sense.


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## OberonHuxley (Jun 2, 2013)

ENTJ wouldn't know he was gay at first...probably wouldn't even have sex till after 20.

INTJ would never tell anyone he was gay...

Sounds more like a P type...J's would stay in the closet.


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

I doubt this will be mentioned in the book, but he came out the closet in high school and starting embracing his more deviant side at the behest of his best fiend at the time, who was wildly ESTP.


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## OberonHuxley (Jun 2, 2013)

yeah...definitely not an entj then or an intj...they wouldn't follow anyone for too long at all...they are total loners. The entj might come out of the closet after repressed anger is release and he goes on a wild sex spree and the intj is the type who would probably be one of those weird old creeps....


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

Honestly, my character might have came out after releasing repressed anger. His friend just helped him pave the way. But his contempt for traditional morality might strongly hint at P.


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

Although, actually idk. All my INTJ friends never cared about traditional morality either. I can only see one though ever fitting the creepy old man stereotype. One of them is a very "tamed" INTJ though, after he met his wife. He started /really/ embracing his Fe side after that, to a point where I started losing respect for him because he was letting his wife and her family completely re-mold his identity.


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## Lord Fudgingsley (Mar 3, 2013)

OberonHuxley said:


> ENTJ wouldn't know he was gay at first...probably wouldn't even have sex till after 20.
> 
> INTJ would never tell anyone he was gay...
> 
> Sounds more like a P type...J's would stay in the closet.


My ESFJ friend told me he was gay a couple of months ago. Have you an explanation for this?

(Apologies for my bluntness, but I'm angered by typologists who make incorrect remarks and treat them as fact.)


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## TyranAmiros (Jul 7, 2014)

He's the mysterious ENTP!



originalsin said:


> Well, he originally became a hitman in prison. After killing two guys who raped a mentally ill person in their cell (and would come after him next), a guard connected to the mafia offered to cover up the killing in exchange for having other people "taken care of." More offers came later, yadda yadda, he becomes full time hitman. He's not really happy. He sees his career as a path he's already taken so he's stuck in it. He doesn't so much hate his job as much as hate what it did to him (destroying all of his relationships). At the same time, he likes living a lifestyle where the only rules are his rules, and doesn't think he could live a life where he has to deal with structure or being accountable to someone.


Sounds very Fe, and Ne as well. The part where he hates structure--I'd guess Si in inferior position.



originalsin said:


> He gets most of his cases from an emissary for the mafia, who he sometimes consults unofficially. He'll sometimes approach members of rival families as well, convincing them to use his services when it fits him. He mostly works for the DeSasso family but he isn't a member, and doesn't want to be. He's kind of a loner.


Fe again--not picking a side. I'm guessing he kind of enjoys this because his Ne is thrilled at the possibility of playing both sides



originalsin said:


> As for the job, he usually plans out the entry, kill point, and exit beforehand. One of his hits has him acting as a getaway driver for his target, shooting him in the head when they reach a remote spot, throwing the body in the trunk, and taking the car to a junkyard to be demolished (the junkyard being owned and opertated by a friend of his he calls on for favors). Sometimes, his hits are more basic. He doesn't like using the same methods because he doesn't want to leave a pattern. He usually has his head in the moment when he's on a job, and making sure he hasn't missed any details.


Does he think about alternatives? What might happen if it doesn't go well? Regardless, Ne and Ti.




originalsin said:


> He sees his future as being very short, which makes him a little reckless sometimes. His overall motivation is to upset the established order and take in as many pleasures as he can while he's still alive. Sometimes though, he considers using a big score to make him enough money to leave the U.S. and go start a nightclub in Europe somewhere. He always talks himself out of it, though.


Not using Ni, then, at least in dominant/auxiliary role. I see more Ne here.


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## OberonHuxley (Jun 2, 2013)

Redthir Jerdisheim said:


> My ESFJ friend told me he was gay a couple of months ago. Have you an explanation for this?
> 
> (Apologies for my bluntness, but I'm angered by typologists who make incorrect remarks and treat them as fact.)



That would be the exception. An ENTJ would never go around claiming to be gay if he worked in an environment that didn't tolerate it 100%. Same with an INTJ. These people are concerned with efficiency and no obstacles in the way of their agenda.

Therefore, they might claim to be gay if it gave them an advantage but most likely would not say they are gay if they were if it meant any loss in career, goals...

this has to do with the J + extroverted thinking....your dude, ESFJ....is low on the totem poles of j in terms of efficiency..

P's on the other hand have a more of a devil may cry attitude and their agenda is more internal. Therefore they might be more likely to be openly gay - they would like to perceive the backlash.


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## Lord Fudgingsley (Mar 3, 2013)

OberonHuxley said:


> That would be the exception. An ENTJ would never go around claiming to be gay if he worked in an environment that didn't tolerate it 100%. Same with an INTJ. These people are concerned with efficiency and no obstacles in the way of their agenda.
> 
> Therefore, they might claim to be gay if it gave them an advantage but most likely would not say they are gay if they were if it meant any loss in career, goals...
> 
> ...


I will tell you that as an ENTP, I am extremely susceptible to the ethics of others. The ethics of others ultimately define me ethically, because my self-direction is oriented around logic. It should be known that my attitude is anything but devil may cry.

But when proving my type, xNTP were the only two that ended up possible. There was a mark, or a strong hint against the other types.

@%1;you've stated some rather insightful points, and I'm actually now starting to consider other types - though I find ENTP rather tricky to believe. However, I'm thinking a Ti may be a very likely option, in which case I am seriously enticed to the notion of ISTP right now.


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## MelodyGirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Is he extroverted or introverted? Does he get energy from action and being around people? Or is he a planner and thinker?

I'm thinking ENTP, INTP, ESTP, or ISTP. Just need to know a little more of his motivations and whether or not he's extroverted or introverted.


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## intpanonyme (Aug 29, 2014)

Are you sure he's not a sensor? Definitely not an INFJ, maybe an ENTJ or INTJ. J criminals are better at planning crimes and P criminals are better at executing crimes. J types are more likely to stick to some sort of moral or personal code. The only P type I could see him being is an ISTP, which doesn't seem too unlikely.


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## Swordsman of Mana (Jan 7, 2011)

Redthir Jerdisheim said:


> I'm thinking ENTJ, though there's plenty of room for doubt. His ethics sound fairly primitive (likely low-order Feeling), and he doesn't sound like a perception-dominant.
> The other type that leaves is ISTP.


these are the two types I see as most likely as well

for his Enneagram type, I think 8w7 Sp/Sx


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

MelodyGirl said:


> Is he extroverted or introverted? Does he get energy from action and being around people? Or is he a planner and thinker?
> 
> I'm thinking ENTP, INTP, ESTP, or ISTP. Just need to know a little more of his motivations and whether or not he's extroverted or introverted.


He's _probably_ introverted, but not too strongly. It's hard to say because he purposely only spends time with people he wouldn't have a problem with killing, with a few exceptions. He gains energy from being around people he likes, but then again, so do I and I'm an introvert. If guess he'd probably lose energy though if he had to be around people for too long. He almost always works alone unless he has a good reason not to. I tried to give him some distinct personality traits from my own, because I didn't want this to be some fictionalized fantasy version of myself.


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## originalsin (Sep 4, 2014)

intpanonyme said:


> Are you sure he's not a sensor? Definitely not an INFJ, maybe an ENTJ or INTJ. J criminals are better at planning crimes and P criminals are better at executing crimes. J types are more likely to stick to some sort of moral or personal code. The only P type I could see him being is an ISTP, which doesn't seem too unlikely.


Oh no, he could very well be a sensor. But if he is, he'd be one of the explorer types, not a sentinel.


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