As we all know, INTJs are quite complex and individualistic. This has many manifestations, both in how they are perceived and how they perceive themselves. Here are some characteristics I’ve noticed that I’d like to share:
1 – INTJs are hard to get to know. Like really. They’re masters of hiding who they really are deep down and people are prone to assuming that they are merely bitter and hate humanity, but they actually care a good deal. They just aren’t terribly good at showing that they care.
2 – INTJs do not pick up on subtle hints unless they are actively watching for them, which they rarely are. For an INFJ such as myself who communicates through subtle hints a good deal of the time, it has turned into a fun game to see how obvious my hints can get until the INTJ notices. So far they haven’t noticed a single one. (Seriously, INTJs. I’ve seen you people walk into stuff and trip over things that would have injured another person, but you all just get up like nothing happened and move on. It’s incredible, really… It’s like you’ve got metal skeletons or something.)
2a – This item is more of an elaboration on #2 than anything else. When someone likes an INTJ and they attempt to show the INTJ that they like them, it’s difficult to actually get them to realize it without coming out and saying it to their face which is often a daunting prospect. (Any other types feel me here?) I know an ENFJ who likes an INTJ and ENFJ’s main way of showing someone they like them is giving them random hugs. INTJs aren’t too keen on this as ENFJ has found out and ENFJ is a little discouraged, not to mention that INTJ makes a small effort to avoid ENFJ now and it’s making ENFJ rather sad.
3 – INTJs are focused and serious. Very much so. So much so, in fact, that you’ve sometimes go to throw a small object (like a brick) at them to get them out of their hyper-focus state. Although, from past experience I would not at all recommend attempting to bring them back to reality; they are not happy when someone brings them back to this dimension where incompetent humans such as ourselves roam and talk non-stop, haha. (Also, bricks aren’t 100% reliable because INTJs often have their robot guard blast them out of the air and promptly terminate you to reduce the chances of further distraction.) INTJs, when interested in a topic, become a knowledgeable expert almost overnight. If you ask them about a topic they know a lot about (for example, the INTJ that co-runs this blog and does most of the MBTI Chronicles posts is big into firearms, as am I) and they will talk your ear off if you let them. Find a solid common ground and they’ll probably like you. (Being able to think for yourself is another requirement for being an INTJs friend, btw.)
4 – INTJs, when mad, don’t get angry like most others do. While a lot of people become physical and emotional, INTJs will usually become cold and they will openly show their disdain for the thing or being that managed to make them angry in the first place, often roasting them (if it be a person) mercilessly. This is often a terrifying thing to witness because INTJs rarely get visibly angry. People may be well-acquainted with their death-stare, but a full-on angry INTJ is usually enough to make most people shy away, leaving the INTJ to simmer down alone, which is probably best for humanity in general. They rarely get physical when angry, but if a close friend is getting physically abused they will often step in and terminate the abuser.
5 – INTJs can be poetic if they want to be. Not all INTJs take an interest in poetry, but if an INTJ wants to convey a poetic message they can indeed convey it through their writing. INTJs are also brilliant technical writers, able to explain complex concepts through simple language that most would have a hard time with. Having an INTJ explain something to you through writing is about as good as it’s going to get.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this little list of (slightly humorous) observations about INTJs. 🙂
INTJs, what are your thoughts? I’ve known several INTJs for a while, but I’m yet unsure if I know the personality type well enough to make an accurate list of traits.
Thanks you all for reading to the end! It’s almost 800 words long and that’s a fair chunk. Good job! Thank you for following the blog and INTJ promises more MBTI Chronicles posts soon! 🙂
– INFJ admin
Atashi77 