9 INTJ Stereotypes

This article was originally requested in the comments on 7 Ti Stereotypes. It’s been a while, but here it is. We think we may also aim to write a stereotypes article for each individual type, like this one, rather than focusing mostly on the individual cognitive functions, like we have in the past.

The INTJ personality type is highly coveted. It’s probably second only to the INFJ when it comes to popularity or desirability. That being the case, there are many “positive” stereotypes surrounding the INTJ. Inversely, this means that a good portion of this article may be negative. It is not our intention to bash the INTJs, so we hope it’s not taken that way. It’s simply the nature of discussing the reality of a overly-idealized personality type. That being said, let’s begin.

The Stereotypes

1. INTJs are emotionless

I imagine most people have seen the memes. The one in particular that comes to mind for me is the “coldest human” vs “warmest robot” comparison between the INTJ and the INTP. In many cases, INTJs are either described as or assumed to be cold and emotionless. They are likened to machines, robots, villains, etc. Naturally, they are human, so that cannot be the case. However, going beyond that obvious fact, INTJs that are in touch with their tertiary Fi are capable of feelings things very deeply. They just may not want you to realize it, and that is the key. Low feelers tend not to be quick to share any kind of deep emotion with others, and the INTJs are no exception to that.

2. INTJs show no emotion

Taking this a step further, there are stereotypes out there that suggest that INTJs never cry, laugh, smile, and etc. Honestly, when I was researching stereotypes for the INTJ, I saw this one and just thought “are you kidding me?” The average, healthy INTJ will be perfectly amiable and normal, which means they’ll smile politely, and laugh at a joke that they find funny. Obviously, you’re unlikely to see an INTJ cry, but they can and do. Once again – human.

3. INTJs are jerks

Continuing along the same strain of stereotypes, INTJs are oftentimes described as arrogant and mean. Of course, you add the fact that they’re always portrayed as a villain in fiction, and this stereotype is just further reinforced. While INTJs certainly can be arrogant, mean, and villainous (as can any type), this will certainly not always be the case. Once again, that tertiary Fi, if developed, can be deeply empathetic. In addition, one thing many people fail to realize and that can be hard to realize in the moment, is that high Te users can come across as harsh, but it’s not because they are trying to be mean. Rather, Te often pinpoints a problem that someone is having and then tries to fix it in an effort to help. As low feelers, they can come across as abrasive, but the intent is to help because they care. That aside, I knew an INTJ who could certainly be blunt, but he was typically polite and amiable in addition to being extremely generous to those he considered friends.

4. INTJs are a brilliant masterminds

Your intelligence is not determined by your personality type. Dumb versions of every type exist. The association between personality type and intelligence is extremely frustrating, because it implies that certain types are better than others. While the naming can make it seem like being a “thinker” has to do with one’s ability to think, it certainly does not. Feelers can be just as intelligent as thinkers. It’s possible that an INTJs particular style of thinking when combined with high intelligence may be impressive in appearance. For instance, Ni can be very mysterious due to the tendency to conceal information and work off information that is not readily apparent. However, not every INTJ is going to possess the necessary intelligence or be capable of the level of strategic thinking required to portray the “brilliant mastermind.” The reality is that with the relative rarity of highly intelligent people, a majority of INTJs will possess an average level of intelligence just like the rest of the population. On that note, it’s also worth adding here that strategy is a skill that any type is capable of learning.

5. INTJs like chess

This is one of those anecdotal associations. Is it possible that chess is catered to an INTJ’s natural style of thinking? Maybe. Is it possible that a majority of INTJs like chess? Certainly. Is that going to be a rule? No. I know an INTJ that likes chess, and an INTJ that doesn’t. Chess is a pure strategy game. There is no luck involved. It’s intense, slow-going, and requires high levels of concentration. It’ll appeal to some INTJs and not others, especially when you involve potential external factors like ADHD.

6. INTJs are antisocial

This will vary from person to person. As an Ni dominant, INTJs are likely to retreat into their head a lot, since their primary purpose is to take in information. However, that does not speak to their ability to be social, or their desire to be social. A healthy individual will desire to connect with others, even if it’s only in a limited capacity. Being antisocial is typically the result of past trauma or hurt. As thinkers, an INTJ may not feel like they need people as much as certain other types do, but many will likely want at least one significant person in their life.

7. INTJs plan how to kill every individual in the room with them

When I read this, I thought it was a joke. I mean, first off, that suggests that they’re all villainous at heart, which we already touched on earlier. But moving beyond that, what would be the point? Boredom? I suppose it’s plausible, but to keep that up regularly and/or constantly seems more tantamount to psychosis. Regardless, after reading around, this one is not true, nor does it make sense to be true.

8. INTJs are extremely ambitious

Once again, this will vary from person to person. Ni is known for being future-oriented and visionary. As a result, at one point, ambition became associated with Ni due to the idea that they focus on a perfect vision for the future. Add to that the Te goal-oriented nature, and you have the perfect ambition-geared machine. However, in many cases, what people describe as Ni is highly idealistic. Your average, every day INTJ is not likely to be any more ambitious than the next person. They will likely have established goals for their future if they are a responsible person, but those goals don’t have to be highly ambitious by objective standards in order to qualify as INTJ goals. Ni simply takes in information to perceive a path forward and then Te acts upon it. It doesn’t have to be grandiose.

9. INTJs are good at reading people

I think sometimes people assume that all intuitives are going to be going to be good at reading people, but that’s not really true. Classical intuition, the kind that is often referred to as “women’s intuition,” is the result of a feeling function, rather than an intuition function. INTJs aren’t naturally going to be geared toward emotions, and thus aren’t necessarily going to be good at reading people. I’m not saying that they can’t be if they have a particular interest in learning that skill. It’s just going to depend on what they deem important and choose to focus on.

In summary…

Stereotypes only serve to confuse people who are desperately attempting to discover their type, or encourage toxic people to continue in their toxic behavior. (I’m sure we all know at least one person who uses their personality type as an excuse to act a certain way.) I hope I was able to produce a balanced perspective on the INTJ personality type. Let me know if there are other common stereotypes that I missed!