Guest Post by Kyle Farris, INTJ

I know––you’re shocked. But before I overcame my fear of scary-sounding terms like “cognitive functions” and “introverted intuition” my only resource for understanding MBTI types were generic descriptions on websites like 16personalities. Because of this, I, like many others, had a sort of MBTI identity crisis. How do you know your type when so many seem to describe aspects of your personality? At various points, I convinced myself I was an INTP (because of my philosophical interests), INFP (because of my career), or ENTP (because of how much I enjoyed expressing my insights).

Ironically, I always identified most with the descriptions of INTJ. Even before I learned about cognitive functions, I felt like INTJ described me best. INTJs seemed to think like me, to process information like me. A section about INTJ emotional processing or friendships felt like it was written for me. I am a problem solver, a rigorously rational debater with very little use for societal norms surrounding politeness. But then I’d get to the section about careers and interests and read about how INTJs are supposed to prefer jobs in science, engineering, research and sometimes business. They were not supposed to be focused on the helping or humanitarian professions. Even with the disclaimers that these descriptions were general and that there were outliers in every group, the consensus seemed to be that INTJs are not very good helpers.

So how could I be an INTJ if I was working as a university advisor, with aspirations towards being a creative writer? INTJs aren’t supposed to be drawn to people, or creative pursuits. According to the vast wisdom of the internet, I was probably more of an INFP. If that was true, why was I so dependent on logic and reason as my filter for understanding the world? Why was reading the profile of an INTJ like reading an autobiographical account of how I viewed the world?

When I finally overcame my trepidation and began studying cognitive functions, it quickly became clear that there was a reason I identified so strongly with INTJ. My Ni trait is so strong I might as well tattoo it on my forehead. I’ve lost track of the number of times that I’ve identified a connection between two unrelated pieces of information or instantly found a solution to a problem that was plaguing my coworkers for hours. And my Sherlock-style Te monologues are well known to those close to me. In light of the cognitive functions, it was nigh-impossible to make an argument that I was any type besides INTJ. This new clarity was quite welcome but still didn’t solve the problem of understanding why I had chosen such a different career path from other INTJs.

It turns out I just needed a little more context. They say that INTJs are problem solvers, masterminds, who look to discern patterns and solve problems. Stereotypically, these problems are mathematical, or scientific in nature, not social. However, I eventually came to realize that my mechanism for identifying and solving problems was no different from your average INTJ, I simply focused my efforts in a different direction.

I am interested in people, how they think, how they interact, what motivates and drives them. People are a puzzle, an imperfect system that desperately needs optimization. I was drawn to education not because I am interested in comforting people or helping them cope. Education is a maze; you start at point A, and want to get to point Z, but have no idea how to navigate the points in between. The solutions have always been clear to me, but baffling to others. I was thrilled by the challenge of helping people navigate the intricacies of education and career exploration. Lately, I’ve turned my attention to designing educational programs that enhance student success. My focus, as with every task, is using my intuition to identify the components of the problem and find innovative ways to address them.

The same approach is true for my other interests. I don’t just write for fun, or to express my ideas. I write so I can be an author. Specifically a paid one. Writing is about the plan, and the ultimate goal, not as much about the process itself. Similarly, my study of philosophy (more stereotypically described as an INTP pursuit) originated out of a very utilitarian desire to understand the best way to be in the world. I was not drawn to the ideas for their own sake, and in many cases, I found the ideas quite irritating, I wanted to know if there was an objective moral framework by which I should be living my life. When I found that there wasn’t one (at least not one that met my criteria for universal applicability), I quickly abandoned the field of study.

So before you go putting too much credence in your test results, take a look at the underlying theory. All of this is not to say that personality tests and websites can’t be fun, but I can attest from personal experience that they may lead to some very misleading results.