# ISTP or ISTJ?



## brindin (Jul 2, 2010)

I've been looking into the two, and I take the tests, but every time I take the test it always ends up either showing 
33% Introverted
12% Sensing
75% Thinking
and then....
1% Perceiving or 1% Judging.
Then, when I look into the two descriptions it looks as if I am an ISTP, but then I realize I hold a lot of ISTJ traits when I read the ISTJ description. While I am athletic, and also play lots of "extreme sports" like paintball, the part where it says that ISTPs live in the present just does not fit me. I tend to think a lot of things out also, but I do not like following a schedule. Also, I read that ISTPs enjoy the process in which they carry out to get to a solution, while ISTJs find enjoyment in not the process, but the solution itself. I do not enjoy the process, but I do enjoy the solution. I don't consider myself a 'mechanic' in most cases either. Also, the career suggestions for an ISTP just do not suit me. I don't like engineering, or computer programming, that stuff seems just too complex for me. The profession I'd like to go into is actually psychology and the medical field, to become a psychiatrist hopefully one day. But when I look at the descriptions/characteristics of the two, I am always positive I fit the description and most characteristics of an ISTP.
But then when I look at the ISTP forum and the ISTJ forum side by side, I feel more comfortable around the ISTJ forum. That may be because my best friend is an ISTJ though.

Feel free to ask any questions, if it can help you reach a conclusion on whether you believe I am ISTP or ISTJ. Thank you very much.
Excuse the English; though I have lived in the US my life, it is not my first language.


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## Harley (Jul 5, 2009)

When it comes to personality typing, focus on the cognitive functions and not arbitrary traits such as whether you are athletic or not. While there is some correlation between type and hobbies/activities these do not determine type, since all types can be athletic/artistic/scientific etc. 

ISTP and ISTJ are actually very different in terms of functions, ISTJ follows as= Si>Te>Fi>Ne whereas an ISTP is Ti>Ne>Si>Fe. 

I think the types on the bestfit.com website provides a very good description of types, that focus on how functions manifest.
Here's the one for ISTJ and ISTP. Read both of them and see if you can relate to one more.


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## brindin (Jul 2, 2010)

ISTJ


> I think for the most part I try to make my life pretty structured, and one thing that other people can depend on is that I have a very strong sense of duty. *I’m a team player but I work best with some time alone.* *I like it when everything is laid out and I can just concentrate on doing the job.** I hate it when I don’t know where I am going*,and I like feedback so I know I’m on the right track. If part of the job entails ambiguity, that’s fine just as long as the goal is to reduce ambiguity. *I like being financially secure with the bills paid on time* so my family can enjoy the things that we like to do. I like to have a fallback plan. I do like to laugh and have fun too, but work is more important to me, and then I make my little jokes. I always think I have to get my work done before I can go out or go home, when I can just sit down and relax without anything hanging over my head. I take responsibility seriously, and if I’m going to put my name on something, my desire is to insure it’s as good as it can be.
> *A sense of right and wrong is extremely important, and I will not just stand by and watch people doing things wrong.* It really tears me apart. *I tend to want things in order and people doing the right things.* I want to have some rules. I always *wanted to please people*, and a safe environment to me is where I don’t have to compete with anyone else’s wishes. *If I get into a situation where I feel very strongly and can’t articulate the words or can’t win, I just don’t say anything. I tend to put up with conflict rather than deal with it. I try to deal with stress, but I am not necessarily a good confronter. I would like to be more of a stress avoider. *
> I find myself duty bound sometimes and find that I do things because of what’s expected of me. People can trust and count on me, and I am very dependable, almost to a fault. I strive to keep balance between work and home, and if I’m going to provide for my family I’m going to have to swallow some things at work. When I see families that really want to be together, that’s a relationship that those people worked at for many years to achieve. Being a friend means caring enough about an individual to call them to see how they are doing, and if I can see someone has held true to their word, then they’ve probably gained my trust. If you were to ask me to define the word love, you would get responses like caring, responsibility, and loyalty...
> I get up in the morning and do my routine. And I take time at the end of each day to try to plan what’s happening the next day, what I’m going to be working on first, second, third, and so on through out the day, to eliminate the unexpected. Sometimes I might carry a book or something in case I have to wait somewhere. That makes life easy and full. Stability is important to me and change may not be that easy, but variety is good too. I seek advice when I need to change.


ISTP


> Inside I am continually reworking an issue. I am constantly open to new directions, * always tweaking and bringing in new information*. *I solve a problem by looking at all the angles, probably whatever side I need to. There is an answer, and I just need to get to the best way to figure it out—to meet my objectives and give it to people how it is without annoying anyone.* *To work with difficult situations I become very logical and very analytical, and I look to see where things fit. I always watch and if there’s a problem, I go back inside myself to see what may need to be done and how best to approach a situation. I like to find a technique.*
> The observational part of me is the ability to see when an opportunity exists and to actually act on it and make things a little bit better.* I like to choose the timing for when it’s appropriate to say or do something.* *I spend a lot of time considering scenarios before I make decisions.* I’ll usually go with a hunch, my intuition, what’s the most likely cause. *I do my best problem solving in my head away from whatever it is.* I step back outside of things, think for a while, and make adjustments—could this be better than that, how do these react, and how does the whole system go together? *I’m willing to do the upfront work, which makes it expedient because I never have to repeat it. *
> *In my work, I don’t want to be just  doing stuff for the sake of doing stuff.* I like to accomplish things—make a contribution. That’s real important. I take a “do it” type of approach. *It’s very practical. **It’s very here and now*. That does not mean I don’t take into consideration the big picture and what’s down the road and what’s best for the organization, *but at the same time my big focus is “let’s get this show on the road and let’s do it.*” I do it as well as I can. Then I think very well on my feet. I can be quick with the verbal comeback—I like the impact. I just get in there and do it, and whatever job I go into, I hit the ground running. *And I’m very competitive,* often with myself. I tie one hand behind my back and see if I can still do it...
> I like flexibility in what I do.* Fun means something that interests me.* *Organized things don’t come to me easily, but I can do them. I’ve always found ways to make things fun. It’s a game to make sure you can come to the next point where you have freedom again There’s something insincere about doing something just because of somebody or something else.* What I do has to make sense, have impact.* I cannot stand just busy work*. It has to be meaningful. *I have an incredible amount of enthusiasm and passion for certain things that I do* and want to see done.


The big part of ISTJ that does not describe me is the organization, and putting so much value into work. 
Well, I have gone and highlighted parts of each personality type and it looks like I am much better fit into ISTP. 
Thank you for the help.


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## Alimao (Jul 2, 2010)

Based on the fact that you worry more about which group you belong with, I kinda feel that you are more like ISTJ. That's just my personal judgment haha^^but really, P types are OK with uncertainty more than J types. J types generally don't like to have unanswered questions left there. They want an answer and most of the time a very concrete and certain answer, unlike the P types.roud:Hope this can give you more inspirations about this topic^^And BTW your English is wonderful!


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