INTJs and Aspergers Syndrome

Arvid Walton 37 Comments

INTJs and Aspergers Syndrome

Question: “I’ve heard that INTJs are really similar to asbies? is there a reason for that?”

Answer: First of all, your question (in its nature) is a bit offensive as far as people with Asperger’s syndrome go. However, as an INTJ who is not offended in the least at such a question, I find it a valid one. I myself have been perceived as an Aspie, but have been medically confirmed otherwise.

On a regular basis, I have to force myself to say “hello,” back to people when they greet me because it isn’t natural for me to do so. To be completely honest, the only reason I’m aware of “manners,” is because my parents expected me to use them as a child (they were both Si-users).

The INTJ’s tertiary introverted feeling (Fi) makes it more difficult for use to recognize social norms on our own –especially when the Fi is relatively undeveloped. My Fi is extremely well developed, but I still have problems with this, because another thing Fi does (in the INTJ especially) is make us turned off by tradition, conformity and sameness of any sort.

I don’t like to clap for performances, sing happy birthday (or have it sung to me) and I’d rather have a sandwich on Christmas Eve than the typical feast. I discovered Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-reliance at age fifteen and never went back. End of story.

Tertiary Fi also makes it difficult for us to recognize what is deemed as “appropriate” by society (and we’re unlikely to care once we figure it out). When/if I ever text, my texts are factual, to the point and don’t include anything I feel is unnecessary.

As a result, I often end up asking a question, getting an answer and the conversation ending right there –no good byes or explanations. None of that unless I’m extremely close to the person I’m texting (in which case I care about their emotional response to my text).Most of the time, I don’t even text people back. psst* I hate my phone.

As an INTJ matures, his/her Fi will develop and strengthen, working with their Ni, so that they are able to pick up on societal cues not by connecting with people, but by recognizing “patterns.” This is the point I’m at.

INTJs are often very antisocial for several reasons. Inferior Se causes us to be overstimulated by noise, people and chaos in our external environments. We lose a lot of energy by spending time with people (which also means that if we’re taking the time to do it, we really love you).

Also, many INTJs, myself included, often either have a very low sex-drive, or little to no interest in dating or romantic relationships (likely because of our auxiliary Te – inferior Se combo).

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS NOT A BLANKET STATEMENT, AND DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL (OR EVEN MOST) INTJS.

Dominant Ni makes us quick to point out problems, but because it’s hard for us to know what’s societally appropriate, we end up offending people even though our intents are completely innocent and instinctual.

For instance, my natural instinct is to argue with people about facts –they say something about history, and if they get it wrong, my natural desire is to jump in and correct them. I also have the tendency to correct people’s grammar, but once I learned that this was “rude” I tried to stop doing it.

I couldn’t. I had to, and it had nothing to do with having a need to be “right.” It’s more that Ni has a need to search for the absolute truth in everything. We want the argument to be right, not us. So eventually, I found ways to still correct people –just without their noticing. That way my Ni was happy and their feelings weren’t hurt.

Another similarity is that our NiTe combination makes it so that when it comes to interests, INTJs are either obsessive, or completely disinterested.

We are capable of devoting our entire day to a project rather than interacting with people or surfing the internet. I’ve gone through so many obsessive phases that I can’t even name them all, but the most obvious one is writing.

  • I keep three blogs and a private journal
  • I’m a full time English Major
  • I started writing novels when I was 9
  • Published my first story at age 15
  • I spend the summer inside writing (rather than doing whatever it is normal people do)
  • I’m subsequently obsessed with Shakespeare

I think a lot of this perception also has to do with the social stigma that surounds certain hobbies. For instance, people think it’s weird that INTJs can devote 8 hours to watching documentaries about science, but it’s considered perfectly normal for someone else to watch 8 hours sensational television. As thirteen year olds, my church associates would get up in the morning and watch cartoons while eating breakfast. I got up every morning to read NASA’s news page.

They thought that was weird. I thought the same of them.

INTJs don’t usually take the traits that we discussed above to the extremes that Aspies do. You could say, in a sense that we have mild similarities to Aspies –enough that we’re capable of covering up our weirdness to a certain extent…sort of… but that we don’t suffer from autism.

Also, Aspies also carry with them a myriad of traits that are completely opposite from the traits of INTJs. For example, Aspies tend to be a great deal more impulsive than the plan-oriented than INTJs. Aspies are also very likely to think that random acquaintances are their friends, whereas an INTJ will be more likely to assume that no one (other than a select group of people) is their friend.

What you need to remember is that INTJ is a personality type that describes how a person’s thought process works. Aspergers Syndrome is a condition, not a personality definition. One could easily argue that people with Aspergers Syndrome display traits common to most of the MBTI types, however, you’ve got to remember that those people with Aspergers Syndrome also have a personality of their own.

Think about some of the characters that I’ve typed that suffer from mental illnesses –I always make a note beforehand that points out their illness and consider that extensively in my analysis, both trying to separate it from their personality, and trying to use it to help me pin-point their traits.

37 thoughts on “INTJs and Aspergers Syndrome”

  1. I hate to say this but as an INTJ and someone diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, I stopped reading at the first sentence of your answer. We all have our own pet peeves and I understand that this could you yours and I respect that, but not everyone will share your likes and dislikes. It’s called “consensus bias”. Not only do I not find the question offensive at all, I actually had a similar question myself and that’s what brought me here in the first place.

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  2. Found this article by accident. I am an INFP (I think?) and not Asperger, but it’s extremely relatable. Specially the part about correcting others on history and grammar. But unlike you, I never ever tried to stop doing it because it was “rude”, I just don’t give a damn.

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  3. Interesting article. I do note though that, at least if the sources listed on Anna Moss’s site, ‘www.oddlydevelopedtypes.com’ are accurate, among people who are diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder (FYI, I’m an INTJ [though borderline on ENTJ now] who was diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism in 2009 since my initial delay in displaying speech prevented a diagnosis of Asperger’s – though with DSM V, neither diagnosis would be considered valid anymore and I’m not sure I’d be diagnosed with ASD if I were to be assessed on who I am right now), INTJs and INTPs are over-represented amongst diagnosed with ASD, so the behaviours you’ve identified could be considered an overlap.

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  4. Well done, as an INTJ I have been told more than once that I could have Aspergers. I have always disagreed with that assessment and have done enough research to solidify my position.
    I also have found writing to be of great value to myself and my ability to explain myself in less offensive terms. I currently am working on getting some small stories published and have hopes that it will take off. My biggest struggle as an INTJ has been that I am also dyslexic, so dispite my attempts to self edit I have to rely upon a more talented individual to look over my work.
    I recognize that I’m commenting on a rather old story, however what you wrote was an enjoyable read and it only works as more conformation to my belief that INTJs are still gravely misunderstood.

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  5. I am an INTJ female married to a man with Asperger’s. You are correct in your assessment.

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  6. As both a strong intj and a behaviour analyst who works with children and adults on the autism spectrum, thank you. I was just having this debate with myself this morning because there are so many similarities in the presentation, but likewise, there are similarities in the presentation of asd and trauma. Its not the presentation, but the underlying causes.

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  7. “So eventually, I found ways to still correct people –just without their noticing. That way my Ni was happy and their feelings weren’t hurt.”

    I find this extremely interesting as an INFP who would like to correct others without alienating them by appearing egotistical or superior. It can feel dishonest to say nothing, yet going ahead and saying something can be disastrously received and misunderstood, however well intended the correction may be.

    Could you elaborate on your method and perhaps give an example? Thanks in advance!

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  8. I came back to read this post again, and it repeats some common misconceptions about Asperger’s. 1. There is no medical test or physical basis for diagnosing Asperger. It’s a socially invented “condition” based on the irrational social fear of “the outsider”. 2. Asperger’s is not Autism. 3. Asperger’s is a “normal” visual brain type that was common in humans before the agricultural revolution, when due to population concentration in urban environments. Tameness was selected for in humans, just as it was in what are now domesticated animals: modern social humans are domestic humans – they are neotenic; retarded development that does not reach adulthood, but remains adolescent.

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    • Respectfully, I’ve known several people with variations of Aspergers and Autism. I’m pretty sure there’s something a bit different about how a “normal” person’s brain and an “Asperger’s” person’s brain will work. Now, if you have a source that thoroughly and scientifically debunks that theory I would love to see it. But saying that there is no physical basis for diagnosing Aspergers seems to me to be akin to saying that you can’t diagnose depression medically.

      Again, not trying to be rude. Just curious why you think that it’s impossible to physically/medically diagnose Aspergers. Because another part of your argument states that “normal” people have retarded brain development compared to Aspies, and that would be easily visible in most brain scans once you compared the two!

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  9. I’m Asperger and INTJ and have been examining the two “states” – there is much to identify as similar from the OUTSIDE – observations that sync up. But, personally there is an experiential difference that I recognize. A difference in mood; being INTJ is over-the-top confidence in myself (a bit manic) but being Asperger is visual, creative, doubting, curious, following my interests to the end. Both have depression / anxiety problems. I’d have to say I like being in Asperger mode better than INTJ. I write a wordpress blog about Asperger’s from a “critical” basis, debunking psychology/psychiatry as pseudoscience.

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      • With all due respect its not a matter of if you agree. Truth is truth, facts are facts. Although as an intj I would expect you knew this.

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        • Yes, I just have to point out that I won’t always agree because many people state their opinions as facts and then get offended when I’m not convinced by their arguments. Not to say that #Gone Wild would have been one of those people –but just in case.

          One of the problems with Post-Enlightenment society is that we’ve gotten it into our heads that fact is equatable with truth. In reality, there is a huge disjunct between truth and fact, and as a Te user, I find that disjunct not only annoying, but a hindrance to any sense of organised knowledge.

          Saying that something is a scientific “fact” is really just a shortcut for saying we’ve tested this so many times that we have adequate evidence to believe it’s true. Fact doesn’t actually try to “prove” anything so much as it tries to eliminate other likely possible answers to a given question. In other words, fact aims to disprove rather than to prove.

          That being said, a facts are only facts as long as they are not disproven by a new piece of evidence being added to whatever equation said fact is part of. Once again, I beg to disagree with you.

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  10. I am an INTJ, and I found the moving graphics so disturbing on this page, that I took the time to write this. Really noisy, and this confirms your statement above.

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    • Interesting. I have actually come to find my own graphics more annoying in recent years. Lately, I’ve been trying to avoid using more than one, but way back when, I got a bit carried away at times.

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      • Not INTJ, but I agree somewhat. The slower one/s are okay, but the fast ones give me a headache.

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  11. Thank you for your article, I found it very helpful. I am I N T J. I have no patience for others’ review comments. Thank you.

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  12. It occurs relatively seldom that I’m getting enthused about something, but… This is amazing and yet a bit eerie, ’cause it seems like you’ve read my mind.
    By the way I’m also obsessed with writing since the age of nine years and I’m still a spelling fanatic. [English isn’t my native language therefore it could be that I’ve made a few mistakes.]

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  13. You said INTJs have a low sex drive, but I do beg to differ. From my understanding, INTJs are very sexual.

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    • Did I say that? I don’t think I meant to say that. I think it depends on the person and their individual traits. Let me look at the post.

      Oh dear me could I use some clarity. What it ought to say is that many (not all, or even most) INTJs are associated with Aspergers for this reason.

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      • I can confirm that some INTJs have a high sex drive, although that isn’t the main point of this article.

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      • I agree with all your statements including the sex drive 🤷‍♀️.. not isn’t important.. I have more important things to research.. more interesting things that need my attention.. to me at least. Good stuff you wrote. Thanks.

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  14. Good article.

    However, MBTI types are wired differently, hence why they perceive the world differently from each other, it seems the belief in Aspergers being more real than MBTI is in the ‘Nature vs Nurture’ debate, and people simply attributed MBTI as merely nurture which is totally incorrect, as the MBTI types are code lettered preferences that indicate cognitive functions – conscious and unconscioues, what priority and combination they are used in and what orientation they take.Just like an acorn that’s destined to become nothing other than an oak by nature, regardless of how it is nurtured, so to is the same true of MBTI types.

    And traits develop later on because as a person of a certain MBTI type matures, their weaker cognitive functions in their stack becomes more awakened after they’ve developed their predominant functions, so yes, age is also a factor in all the types.Next, Aspergers was never part of Autism, Hans Asperger never ever considered it Autistic, and it wasn’t a disorder but a ‘syndrome’ – all a syndrome is is a set of prsonality characteristics that co-exist together, so by that definition, every MBTI type can be called a syndrome by default as well. Hans simply observed a few children that shared some personality characteristics that he recognised in himself and simply gave his name as a label for it, it was only added to ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) – which is a true disorder, by Lorna Wing in 1981.

    There is a difference between Lorna Wings re-invented label of Aspergers and Hans Aspergers true original version of Aspergers. He’d openly laugh today if he saw anyone try to attribute his name to Autism. There is a clear difference between the two as all CT scans have verified. And there’s in-fact a lesser gulf between Autism and NT than there is between Autism and Aspergers.And when you read the typical Aspergers information online, in a book or anywhere else, it simply reads more like personality traits and characteristics than an actual disorder like proper Autism is.

    This stereotype of them being geeky and Nerdy is likely just INTPs misdiagnosed with the label according to what is really their normal type development, and the stereotype of them being robotic and stubborn ect is likely just being an INTJ who was misdiagnosed with it also, these two are particularly prone to being misdiagnosed with it, especially if only mild to moderate cases.Aspergers has been re-invented and re-defined to often to have any validity anymore, I’m not surprised to see it was eliminated as a result in all revised manuals.

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    • Unfortunately I’m not a psychology major. The point of the post was to dispute the fact that personality type can be equated with Aspergers Syndrome (regardless of whether it’s on the autistic spectrum or not).

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  15. And after editing my own reply, I see I should have said aspies and asbies. Of course, must return to correct myself …

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  16. As an INTJ I feel compelled to comment on your editing. Half the time you say asbies, and the remainder you call asbies, and capitalize it once ? Your title picture says
    Asbergers, your first paragraph says Asperger ‘s syndrome ? Are you sure you are an INTJ ?

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    • I’m going to resist hypocritically criticising your spelling nazism.

      As a published author / English Major, I think I’m justified in saying that content is always more important than grammar (to a certain extent). I edit my professional writing extensively, but I look at this blog far more casually.

      I’ve got no excuses for that particular error, though the majority of other spelling errors you’ll find on this blog are due to my earlier years of trying to use American spellings to target a specific audience. Eventually I gave up and just went back to my UK spellings.

      However, no spelling error, especially when it’s only one word, eliminates the possibility of somebody being an INTJ, nor does the level of anyone’s intelligence ever correspond directly to their personality type. Or have you misunderstood the Myers-Briggs Theory?

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