INTJ

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Characteristics of an INTJ

(I) Introverted - (N) Intuitive - (T) Thinking - (J) Judging

The INTJ is the patient visionary with a clear view of how the future should look and will work with quiet and logical determination to make it happen. Although quite deep, and mistrustful until they have the measure of people, the INTJ loves an intellectual challenge and will be stimulated by the conceptual, the abstract and the complex. The INTJ loves the complex, the new, the untried and the untested. Facts and figures bore them, and they will be looking to see the 'bigger picture,' planning for the future that they create.

Getting close to the INTJ will take some time, and they may not always involve others in the decision-making process. This can make them seem slightly detached, but it is simply that the processing which takes place, (and a great deal of processing takes place), goes on inside the head.

Unlike the ENTJ who will happily engage in verbal sparring and will be happy to process thoughts outside the head, the INTJ will be private and keep thought processes inside until they emerge with 'the plan of action.' This may the first opportunity for others to even realise that so much was going on 'inside.'

INTJs make decisions based on rational logic, rather than emotion and they will be quite measured in their approach to other people. They generally have strong opinions, are independent of thought and action and have no need to verbalise these, other than to declare the conclusions. This economy of information can be a handicap as it may leave members of the team feeling that they are 'on the outside.'

The INTJ’s dislike of the basic facts may, at times, work against them as they can make decisions based on their theories and concepts and at times they may overlook 'the obvious,' seeking instead the complex solution. However, they will generally trust their own judgments, especially as these have been considered, chewed-over and processed for a long time prior to being announced.

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Famous INTJs

Lance Armstrong

Sportsperson

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Actor and Politician

Hillary Clinton

Politician

Mark Zuckerberg

Business Leader

View more famous INTJs »

INTJ Relationships

• Private
• Difficult to know
• Talkative on ‘their’ subjects
• Bored by the mundane
• Logical and empirical
• Doesn’t understand emotion
• Loves an argument
• Prefer intellectual to emotional pursuits
• Not a good reader of people
• Economic, dislikes mundane or chitchat
• Scientific
• Complex
• Driven by interests
• Doesn’t exude warmth
• Needs challenge

The INTJ is the scientist, logical, detached, skeptical and loving the complex arguments. They do not really ‘get’ emotion as it does not compute and so they may not understand their impact with those who are more feeling based. For the INTJ everything has a scientific base and so getting close would be very difficult, especially initially, as they do not feel the need for an emotional connection. Their engagement tends to come via intellectual pursuits and complex arguments with like-minded people. They remain and work best in the realm of the intellectual and so, whilst they are great at deep diving, getting to grips with and understanding complex problems, the INTJ does not read people or emotional situations well.

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INTJ Careers

• Complex
• Perfectionists
• Empirical
• Scientific
• Solitary
• A small team of intellectuals
• Working on interesting projects
• Creating the unique
• Making things better
• Independent
• Not micromanaged
• Dislike of authority
• Non-emotional
• Important
• Freedom

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. It is only their utilitarian streak, their desire to make sure things work well, work better, and as indeed work as they should, that stops them from being a ‘just one more modification’ perfectionist, and they apply such a utilitarian principle to work, to life, to people. The upside of this is the high standards to which they aspire and indeed drive others, their relentless pursuit of perfect working order and the fact that they can be relied upon to constantly improve: processes, systems, and everything that drives their interest. The downside is often that they apply the same rigorous standards of scientific objectivity to people, and as we know people do not conform to laws of physics and this can baffle the often extremely bright INTJ who will be looking for perfection and order in all of life.

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INTJ at Work

• Logical and dispassionate
• Values interest, meaning and complexity
• Objective and scientific
• Acts on empirical logic, non-emotional
• Not people-centric
• Agents of change and improvement
• Does not like to be constrained
• Complex, prefers the unique
• Loves intellectual pursuits
• Dislikes routine, needs freedom to create
• Complex, often difficult to know
• Perfectionists, prefer structure and order
• Solitary
• Dislikes authority and micromanagement
• Independent

In a team situation, the INTJ is the radical innovator, coming up with interesting theoretical ideas and they are superb at ensuring the team covers all the bases. Although introverted, the INTJ can bring out very strong opinions, honed over much mulling around inside the head, and may surprise others by how much is 'in there.' They love to immerse themselves in deep, reflective, intellectual thought and use this in the team to come up with genuinely unique solutions.

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