The INTJ’s Depression Battle Plan

H Janeway asked: “How does an INTJ know what she needs? I am a bit disconnected from my emotions because of depression, depression medication and being an INTJ. How do I know what I need so that I can make a plan/schedule and hopefully get better?”

I hope the best for you in your journey.

I have depression that’s heavily influenced by PTSD, I can speak to your experience of struggling to figure out what you need to do to heal.

Before I was fully aware that I had PTSD, I was very confused and very, very concerned with how I was supposed to figure out this “trap” that had caught me. At the time, many factors combined to make it so that I was not in a position to seek help. As a result, I had to figure things out on my own.

Here is what I have learned the hard way: Continue reading

Cyrus – Pokémon: INTJ

Guest post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokemon Anime Franchise

Cyrus INTJ | Pokemon #MBTI #INTJ

Introverted Intuition (Ni): Cyrus’ entire focus is on creating his ideal world, not being content to live with the flaws of the existing one. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish, and takes actions specifically for this purpose. For Cyrus, there are no defeats; when he and his underlings lose, it is only a temporary setback, and his eye is still on his ultimate prize. Cyrus is not an impulsive man; he would rather take the slow and steady route to success than the quick and uncertain one. He believes very much in human potential, and aims to maximize it in his new universe. Continue reading

Defying INTJ Stereotypes: Anon

Guest post by Anonymous, INTJ

I’m artistic.

To a fault, I admit. Ever since I was a child I’d either be playing mind-games or writing, drawing, or outwardly narrating a story. When I was in first to third grade, we had to keep journals. The teacher would put up a prompt (Ex: Do you have any pets?) and we had to write a few sentences about it. I thought this was boring, so I asked the teacher if I could just write, and she allowed me to. So, for the next three years, I would develop new little stories and illustrations to accompany them.

I was obsessed with drawing, back then, too. I’ve always been told I’m creative and a good artist, even though I’d like to think the comments didn’t affect me, I think they’re why I began to do it more often. That, or boredom. I still think it’s more of boredom. So, now I’m, as far as I’ve seen, the most experienced artist I know. I don’t even really like it. It’s passive. It just happens.

I have a large group of friends.

Continue reading

Giovanni – Pokémon: INTJ

Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Giovanni INTJ | Pokemon #MBTI #INTJ

Introverted Intuition (Ni): Giovanni is nothing if not farsighted in his plans.  He always has some scheme in mind, whether to give out cruise tickets to trainers in order to steal their Pokemon, the backing of a long-lasting science project to clone the legendary Pokemon Mew, or plotting to gain control of three other legendary Pokemon: Landorus, Tornadus, and Thunderus.  Even when he dismissively sends Jessie, James, and Meowth on some special mission, he is not merely keeping them out of the way; he is also having them (unwittingly) perform some needed task for him, such as spying on Team Magma and Team Aqua in Hoenn, or on Team Galactic in Sinnoh.  He realizes whenever one of his plans is foiled, and cuts his losses when he has to. Continue reading

Digory Kirke: INTJ

Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

Digory Kirke INTJ | The Chronicles of Narnia #INTJ #MBTI

Dominant Ni: Digory’s curiosity is one of the defining traits of his life. He spends a lot of time gathering information, which he uses to systematically understand the world around him. These tendencies lead to his eventual career as a scholar. Digory’s attention to large-scale patterns enables him to quickly figure out what the Wood Between the Worlds is and how the rings work, despite the fact that Uncle Andrew’s instructions were incorrect. He also is the one who guesses, correctly, that burying his leftover toffee in Narnia will cause a toffee tree to grow. Digory cannot be easily distracted from his goals: when he wants to know something badly (or—in Charn—to see what will happen if he does something) he is relentless until he learns the answer. Sometimes Digory’s intense goal-focus can create problems, however. In his haste to explore other worlds, he forgets to mark the entrance to his own. If Polly had not intervened in time, they might have been permanently lost. And because of his intense desire to experiment with the bell, he failed to consider that he might not like the results. Continue reading

Canonical INxJ Friendships

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

INTJs: Uncomfortable with your Inferior Function?

Pasa Fino asked: I have a question which regards Se in a social setting. (I am an INTJ btw). This and the other Se post were helpful in a general sense, but here is a problem I personally encounter.

Whenever I am around people I don’t know well or consider as a friend, I behave in the way I am most comfortable with: distant, observant, serious, quiet, etc.. but when I am with the few people I consider my friends my Se seems to take over my brain in a most distressing manner. I begin to goof off, talk loudly, I become quirky and playful, and overall, much unlike myself. I go home feeling like a total fool. The worst thing about it is that I have little to no control over this while it is happening.

Otherwise, I integrate my Se via art, music, karate, and watching comedies on YouTube, and can control it decently well when I am in my normal environment or interacting with friends over the internet.

I am in my late teens, so I am hoping that in my twenties my Se will be somewhat tamer. Has anyone else encountered this problem? If so, is there a solution for an immediate solution for it?

#1 Yes, many INTJs experiences this:

In order to illustrate to you and others, that discomfort with the Se function is not something that any of us are alone on, I’m going to share an experience that is deeply personal to me. This is not just for you, Pasa Fino (though it is for you), but for all the people out there who may be struggling to connect with the more frightening, more human parts of themselves. Continue reading

Drew – Pokémon: INTJ

Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Drew INTJ| Pokemon #MBTI #INTJ

Introverted Intuition (Ni): Drew has an obsession with Pokemon contests that consumes his whole life.  Even after a humiliating loss in his first ever contest battle, he persevered, becoming a skilled, respected, and popular Pokemon coordinator.  He focuses so much on plowing ahead that he all but forgets this humble beginning to his career.  Drew chooses each Pokemon on his team with great care, going out of his way to capture the ones that he especially likes.  When his plans are interrupted by a shipwreck that strands him on an uninhabited island, he is slow to adjust to his new reality, instead bemoaning all the training time he has lost. Continue reading

What to Do When you can’t hear an INTJ’s Sarcastic remarks

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xNTJs with ADHD

Amanda asked: I read your post on traumatized INTJ, which I most certainly have been. I feel I was dead inside until I developed my Fi to be a good mommy to my sweet baby boy (who is now working on his PhD). I have also endured Attention Deficit Disorder most of my life. I have read in an ADHD book “Scattered” (Gabor Mate MD) that ADD can be properly understood as a dissociative condition and ADHD as an attachment/anxiety condition. Basically, trauma responses.  I took medication for ADD for a few years, recently. The beneficial effects on my life were profound, and some of them were permanent. I’ve only recently become more interested in MBTI, and I think ADD is pretty ironic in relationship to my being a J. I’m a J, but the part of my brain that can ‘do’ J, the prefrontal cortex, was more or less off-line, forcing me to live the life of a P! It’s as if ADD made me a failed INTJ. Not quite the shadow perhaps, as I’m a solid introvert. I was just curious if you’d ever thought of MBTI in relationship to this disorder, or perhaps any of the cluster B personality disorders. (Which I don’t have, but Cluster Bs were the origin of my trauma.)

Several semesters ago, I had an English professor who is an ENTJ with ADHD, and it was a thrill for me to be a part of her class. Here are my thoughts.

Being an xNTJ will likely determine how you think about things. ADD/ADHD will not necessarily change that thought process, but it will definitely interrupt it. What I typically observe happening as a result is that you will come to conclusions the same way that most other xNTJs would, but while you are coming to those conclusions, you will be distracted by other things that wouldn’t necessarily distract INTJs who don’t have ADD/ADHD.

As a result, your behaviour may be different than the behaviour of other INTJs, specifically with regards to your Te and Se functions. Your NiTe ability to focus will be different. You will always have your eyes on your Ni goal, but your Te may not necessarily keep you consistently working towards it. Your Se may be more easily distracted by things in your physical environment. etc. etc.

I know this was brief, but I hope it answered your question.

Do INTJs like INFPs?

Sofia V.N. asked: Hi I am and INFP and there is this really interesting INTJ named Katie at my school and my close friend Shannon is now really good friends with her. I really want to hang out with Shannon again but she is always with Katie (Now I don’t want to be misconstrued she can be friends with who ever she wants) but I never know what to saw  to Katie because she always has this very menacing face and I can’t compose and sentence that she will be interested in. I would just like to know what I should talk to her about and what conversational topic she would be interested in. Also if INTJS like us INFPS.

Sorry that this was more me seeking advice then me asking a question.

Sofia V.N.

Since I don’t know Katie, I have no idea what topics of conversation she would be interested in regardless of whether she’s an INTJ or not. MBTI type does not dictate a person’s hobbies or interests. It merely influences how their thought process works.

Do all INTJs like all INFPs? No.

Do some INTJs dislike INFPs? Yes.

Do some INTJs love INFPs? Yes.

There are plenty of INFPs that I enjoy being around, and there are also a fair number that I can’t stand. In my experiences, it really depends on the relative maturity of each of the people in question.

Sam Winchester: INFJ

Guest Post by Occam’s Chainsaw, INTJ

Supernatural

Sam Winchester INFJ | Supernatural #MBTI #INFJ

Ni: Sam is the one to do all the researches, and it’s partially because his Ni makes him patient to dig deeply enough to get the desired amount of information and to also distinguish the needed details. He has premonitions/impressions which help him foresee the future. For instance, he sensed something was off in Home, when he insisted they stayed there in front of their childhood house to see if something would happen even after purging (and he was right about the premonition). Sam also struggled throughout his childhood, especially when he hit his teens, due to his strong aim to which he stuck strictly. It was also the reason why he didn’t get on well with the rest of his family. Sam is the one to tell which information is important for the case, and which is the one they can discard. Continue reading