type contrast

Canonical INxJ Friendships

Arvid Walton 13 Comments

Anonymouslemer asked: “Are there any canonical examples of an INTJ/INFJ friendship?”

Look no further than House M.D. House and Wilson are a perfect example of a relationship between unhealthy INxJs. Let’s just say they’re the type of friend-pair that will feel perfectly comfortable sitting and problem solving in a room with a random comatose grandpa that they’ve never met. They both toss around Ni, understanding each other’s deepest motivations and secrets without having to ask. Both of them are gifted at figuring out other people’s deepest secrets, but House does i Continue reading →

More INTP vs INTJ

Arvid Walton 3 Comments

Ameya Ravindra Nadkarni asked: How to tell apart between an INTP and INTJ?

I have always been a analytical person, who can see a particular job done in a better way . But always procrastinate it due to even a minor flaw in the plan or method. Though I learn new things to be used for practical purposes, I may never use that knowledge unless I gain complete understanding and mastery over that subject. I have been given sometimes INTP as a result  of my personality tests and been given quite times INTJ as result with a slight preference of judging over perceiving. I am confused and hoping for your advice. Sorry for violating the rule for asking a personal question and for my grammatically improper English but I really need some advice.

If you haven’t yet, review my other INTP vs INTJ post. It’s much more detailed than this one.

I think, for the most part I understand your question –if I translated wrong, don’t hesitate to correct me. Fortunately for you, this isn’t the type of personal question that’s against the rules.

There is a strong possibility that you’re prone to locking into your shadow functions. In terms of how to tell which type you are, these are the questions you need to be asking.

Am I goal-oriented? When I set out to accomplish a goal, do I plan out all the steps and pursue them intricately (NiTe)? Or do I go about it through improv and plan steps as they come (NeTi)? Do I focus on my dreams as fixed realities that I am responsible for making happen (NiTe)? Or do I look at my dreams as grand possibilities that I could, and would like to make happen (NeTi)?

Am I efficient in practice or in theory (Te vs Ti)? When I see something that could be improved, do I ask myself whether its necessary before setting out to change it (Te)? Are my improvements more innovative (NeTi), or are they more practical (NiTe)? Do I tend to theorise about improving things without ever doing anything to fulfil those visions (Ti)?

Do I procrastinate because my plan must be over-perfect before I proceed? Or because I literally don’t know where to start with carrying it out (Ti)? (Be objective when you ask yourself this).

Also, I would suggest taking a look at my INTP vs INTJ post. (The search bar is there for a reason).

xNTP vs xNTJ Writing

Arvid Walton 6 Comments

Morally Relative Midnight asked: As someone who engages in creative writing frequently, how would you differentiate between INTJ and INTP writing styles? How would an INTJ’s tertiary Fi and an INTP’s tertiary Fe manifest themselves in a creative writing assignment or just any writing project in general?

Now that’s what I call a question.

Best examples of INTJ writing I can think of off the top of my head are Ayn Rand, Jane Austen, Flannery O’Connor and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Some good examples of INTP writing include Edgar Allan Poe, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. Continue reading →

How to tell the Difference: INTP vs ISTP

Arvid Walton 16 Comments

Anon asked: Can you do an ISTP/INTP contrast?

Dominant Ti

Ti dominants like to analyze things. Most of the questions that they ask will be why questions, or questions of how things work. As a result, they will often be good at figuring out how to fix machinery and equipment. Continue reading →

How to Tell the Difference: INTJ vs ISFP

Arvid Walton 13 Comments

alifara asked: What is the difference between XNTJ and XSFP ? are ISFPs capable of being cold, highly-critical, and impulsive ?

Yes, ISFPs can certainly be cold and highly critical –just like any type can behave coldly and critically. A good fictional example of this type of ISFP would be Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You.  Continue reading →

INTJs in Christopher Nolan films

Arvid Walton 27 Comments

The INTJ Presence in Christopher Nolan Films |#MBTI

The first time I watched Inception, I came away on fire with excitement about the concepts that had just been left ambiguously unresolved at the end of the movie. Meanwhile, the ENFP with whom I’d watched it was left scratching her head trying to comprehend what she just seen.

We watched it again. She understood a little more, but it wasn’t until we’d seen it at least three times (and I’d explained it to her in depth) before she finally understood it.

Christopher Nolan’s more recent films, namely Inception and Interstellar, both feature ISTP protagonists. However, despite featuring only one blatantly INTJ character each (Saito and Dr. Brandt), they still bear the express markings of INTJ writing. Nolan’s earlier work however, did not hold to this trend, but showed a remarkably large frequency of INTJ protagonists. Continue reading →

How to tell the Difference: ENTJ vs INTJ

Arvid Walton 52 Comments

How to tell the Difference: ENTJ vs INTJ

INTJs and ENTJs share all of the same Jungian Cognitive functions, which automatically lends to them looking quite similar. However, because of variations in function hierarchy, they are also vastly different. Let’s take a look at that, shall we? Continue reading →

How to tell the Difference: INTJ vs INFJ

Arvid Walton 74 Comments

How to tell the Difference: INTJ vs INFJ

Loads of people get it into their heads that the sole difference between INTJs and INFJs is that the latter are sweet and kind while the former are complete apathetic jerks. Unfortunately, this assumption is based on stereotypes and doesn’t include the jungian functions at all.

In my experience, there are plenty of both types that defy the stereotype beyond reason, to the point that MBTI-Typers who go based on stereotypes are bound to get them wrong.

This type of behaviour can also be observed if you watch Sherlock.

INxJs share two common functions: dominant Ni, and inferior Se. As a result, it’s easy for the Continue reading →

Mycroft Holmes: the British Government, or ESTJ

Arvid Walton 7 Comments

Why Mycroft Holmes is an ESTJ

First off, we should answer the question of why Mycroft is definitely not an intuitive. The two most commonly suggested intuitive types for Mycroft are INTP and INTJ, both of which, I’m not sorry to say, are impossible.

Why he’s not an INTJ 

Mycroft makes a lot of assumptions based on his own personal experience rather than relying on intuition to guide him in reading people. He’s very sentimental and hates Sherlock’s unconventionality. That said, he’s most certainly not an Ni dom, but rather, carries a strong Si as one of his top two functions.

Why he’s not an INTP

Do we really think Mycroft is a Ti dom? Honestly, he thrives off of being able to run and organise everything. He is the british government. Mycroft is rather controlling and wants everything to be in order and done his way –ergo, strong Te preference.

That leaves us with ISTJ and ESTJ.

Most people haven’t really even considered ESTJ as an option simply because they see Mycroft as being very antisocial. Yet, there Continue reading →

INTJ Humor vs xNTP Humor

Arvid Walton 32 Comments

*I spelled Humour the American way in the title because the majority of my readers are American.*

INTJ Humor vs ENTP Humor

Have you ever noticed how people who like Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are more likely to enjoy Doctor Who, Sherlock, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett? This is intuitive humour at its finest.

(Psst! If you liked any of the former fandoms, you should read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell!)

Intuitive MBTI types tend to enjoy wordplay related sarcasm, deadpan and hyperbole, especially NT types. The differences between Extraverted Intuitive (Ne) and Introverted Intuitive (Ni) humour are subtle, but I’m going to attempt to dispel those differences. Continue reading →

How to tell the Difference: INTP vs INTJ

Arvid Walton 91 Comments

How to tell the Difference: INTJ vs INTP

Listen to them talk

Thoughts

INTJs talk about their thoughts / thought process (Te). They need to talk through or write down their thoughts to understand them fully. Notice how Sherlock constantly talks through his thoughts, and Hamlet is the king of soliloquies? Continue reading →

MTBI Reason Why the Twelfth Doctor was Shock

Arvid Walton 3 Comments

“Could you do a post about why a lot of people hate the new doctor (in relation to his MBTI type)? Also, I’ve never met an INTJ so which doctor is your favourite?”

I haven’t yet seen all the doctors yet, but so far, my favourites are (in respective order from best to worst) 12, 4, 8, 9, 5, 10, and 11.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that people hate the 12th Doctor, though I definitely know people that do. I think what we should be asking is why the change was so shocking.

With the last three regenerations, we went from INFP (9) to ENFP Continue reading →

Hamlet INTJ or INTP?

Arvid Walton 6 Comments

“I saw that you changed Hamlet from an INTP to INTJ. I’m assuming there’s a reason for that?? Also, you said a lot of people type him as an INFP? Could you elaborate on why you’re against that? Could he perhaps be an INFJ?”

F vs T

Hamlet is the ultimate Elizabethan emo kid. He’s a teenager who suffers from an undiagnosed mental condition that affects his hormonal balance separately from his personality.

Inexperienced typers are often oblivious to the reality that depression is an illness, not a personality trait. As a result, most people assume that Hamlet is an F-type. However, one can be very logical (as Hamlet is) and yet have surging emotions as a result of depression.

My analysis of his Meyers-Briggs type Continue reading →

Why Sherlock isn’t an INTP

Arvid Walton 138 Comments

Why Sherlock isn't an INTP | #MBTI #INTJ #INTP

There are several reasons that people often type Sherlock as an xNTP. #1 They don’t fully understand the Jungian functions and are basing their argument in stereotypes… or #2 they don’t fully understand Sherlock as a character, or have rationalised his persona to fit their reality.

Just for you, I’m going to discuss each Jungian function in depth, and explain to you why Sherlock cannot possibly be an INTP…

Fi vs Fe:

Sherlock understands his own feelings a lot better than he understands anyone else’s. When he freaks out about feeling fear Continue reading →

Mycroft Holmes: ESTJ

Arvid Walton 9 Comments

Sherlock

Mycroft Holmes ESTJ ISTJ |Sherlock MBTI

Dominant Te: Mycroft is all about order and organization. He evidently “is the British government” and has a large compendium of people to whom he delegates tasks. His plans tend to be expansive, detailed and always quickly put into action. He hates it when Sherlock’s snooping interfere with any of the long-term plans he’s put into place and comes to his apartment directly tell him to stop. He likes to be in control of everything, and that often includes taking charge of his brother’s life as well (much to Sherlock’s loathing). Mycroft dislikes his emotions and seems almost to take pride in dismissing “sentiment.” He pretends Continue reading →