INTP Personality Type (Ti-Ne)

What is an INTP Personality Type?

INTP stands for Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving. Originally, it was a term from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI), which was developed by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs. The Myers-Briggs theory (which many incorrectly refer to as just “MBTI”) originally labelled 16 personality types. Myers and Briggs drew their inspiration from Carl Jung’s theory of the cognitive functions. The 4-letter acronyms have now become commonplace within various offshoots or interpretations of Carl Jung’s original work.

INTP Meaning

The INTP personality type is Introverted, which does not necessarily mean that they are socially introverted, although many are. They will, however, be cognitive introverts. In Carl Jung’s description of the cognitive functions, Introversion simply means a focus on the subjective, or their own internal world.

The INTP personality type values Intuition, which means they prioritize abstract information over concrete information. Being an Intuitive does not mean the INTP is incapable of interacting with the concrete world in an effective way, but rather they will prioritize abstract information when making decisions.

The INTP personality type values Thinking, which does not mean they have no emotions or are unaffected by their emotions. Rather, they will have a natural focus on impersonal data, in an attempt to approach things in a way that they believe to be the most logical.

The INTP personality type prioritizes Perceiving, which means they prefer a spontaneous and flexible lifestyle. Perceiver types are prone to feeling smothered by too much structure or organization.

INTP at a Glance

INTPs use systematic thinking to categorize and understand everything around them, including people. This is often what draws them to personality theory to begin with: a system within which to categorize and understand others. While they can be excitable and expressive, the majority of the time, they default to an aloof or emotionally-detached state. INTPs are often fascinated by a variety of subjects, and have a diverse range of interests. They enjoy speculating about possibilities, whether those are based in reality or purely abstract. Having an eye for precision, INTPs prefer to fine tune their ideas as much as possible, before implementing them in reality.

Common Strengths (when healthy)

Analytical
Level-headed
Laid-back
Adaptable
Candid
Speculative
Verbally Expressive

Common Weaknesses (when imbalanced)

Cold or distant
Excessively apathetic
Hypercritical
Overthinking
Indecisive
Overly reclusive or disconnected from society

Cognitive Functions of an INTP

The cognitive functions for the INTP personality type, in order, are Ti-Ne-Si-Fe. Below, we attempted to break down each cognitive function and practically explain how it will surface in an INTP. Please realize however that everyone is unique, and the entire world cannot fit into 16 personality type boxes. Ergo, it’s unlikely that an INTP will relate to or demonstrate every single quirk or trait mentioned below. However, an INTP should relate to the underlying principle of each function, and most of what is described below. Exceptions may occur when the INTP is stuck in a Ti-Si loop or in the grip of Fe. These scenarios may be briefly mentioned in the description below, but this page is not specifically written with those scenarios in mind. With all that said, we hope you find this description useful for self-analysis or understanding the minds of others.

Dominant Function: Introverted Thinking (Ti)

The INTP personality type leads with Introverted Thinking (Ti). Dominant Introverted Thinkers, like the INTP, desire to make everything they see and experience in life fit logically into what they already know to be true. Their mind will be in a constant state of analysis, as they try to determine what makes sense and what doesn’t. Established facts will mean little to INTPs, if they don’t seem to make sense. This personality type will naturally question any fact, regardless of how many authoritative sources have backed it, until they are able to make sense of it.

INTPs will be among the personality types that call out inconsistencies in arguments and notice where something in a project isn’t quite fitting together right. In an argument or debate, they will focus on the logical nature of the argument, and they’ll probably make hesitant comments like “That doesn’t sound quite right” or “I guess that makes sense”. They won’t want to state an absolute, especially if they haven’t had time to properly analyze the point in question. Their tendency to not state absolutes is partially why they appear to be fairly open-minded. However, INTPs do lead with a judging function, but unlike the Fi dominants, the INTP will be judgemental toward someone’s logic rather than their morals or beliefs. Therefore, the focus of their judgements when they do surface will probably be more about calling out logical errors and inconsistencies within a belief or argument rather than emotion or value-focused.

INTPs may have a hard time not thinking, and just letting their mind rest. (That’s not to say that all the ‘thinking’ will be constructive, but they’ll probably struggle to get their mind to ‘shut up’). It’s common for Ti users to enjoy puzzles and strategy games since it’s a natural way to exercise Ti. Since everything must be logical, strong Ti users, like the INTP personality type, will struggle if a rule or regulation in place is not logical. They’ll likely ignore the rule if they judge it to be pointless or illogical. They also tend to be cynical as a result. They will not have a natural respect for authority. They’ll respect the person if he proves himself/herself with sound judgment calls. Bear in mind, they can learn to respect the authority of the office, but it won’t come naturally to them.

While Ti is an identity function like Fi, it is a different sort of identity function. While Fi users focus on self-exploration and learning how to define themselves, high Ti users tend to not give identity, in the classic sense, any thought. They typically don’t find doing so to be important or necessary. In other words, those with the INTP personality type have a strong sense of self that is overall undefined. They just do what they do, and strive to keep their actions consistent with their logic.

Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)

The INTP personality type has Extraverted Intuition (Ne) as their second, or auxiliary, function. This function specifically is the one that gives INTPs the reputation of being inventors. Coupled with Ti, Ne tends to focus more on technical problem solving, causing them to imagine unique ways to resolve real world issues. This may be something small likely coming up with a doohickey that fulfills a necessary household function, or it may be more wildly imaginative. INTPs will tend to be into science fiction because of this Ti-Ne combo. Ne will be constantly feeding them ideas in their everyday life, and the more you get to know the INTP, the more you’ll hear these ideas. However, an extremely introverted INTP may keep these thoughts to themselves.

Ne tends to connect thoughts and ideas together even when the connection is slight. This may cause them to produce an abundance of references (movies, music, etc.). Their conversations, once you get them talking, may also seem “off the wall” and random, leaving you wondering “How did the conversation end up here?” They’ll probably enjoy debating and discussing new ideas and theories, and will be prone to rabbit trails when telling a story or explaining something. Their humor will likely be referenced based, witty, quirky, and possibly very “punny”. Ne by itself is a rather talkative trait because it enjoys entertaining ideas and calling out patterns in the real world, so once you get them talking, you may find that they have a lot to say.

Extraverted Perceivers are prone to having many hobbies because they get bored of just one. Ne specifically will get bored of an idea once it has finished fully analyzing it, which is why INTPs may struggle to see their “inventions” or ideas through to reality. The INTP personality is also prone to being indecisive. As mentioned earlier, Ti dominants don’t like stating absolutes. However, INTPs tend to be markedly more indecisive than ISTPs, because INTPs are more interested in theory and speculation (Ne), rather than making applying a goal to current reality (Se). They’ll want to just keep asking “what if?” Ne users are especially good at ‘falling down the rabbit hole’ of YouTube, or Wikipedia, or the internet in general. They go online to look up one thing, and then several clicks later, find themselves somewhere completely unrelated.

Tertiary Function: Introverted Sensing (Si)

The INTP personality type has Introverted Sensing (Si) as their third, or tertiary, function. This function aids the aforementioned Ne by allowing them to retain much of the random information you might hear them sharing. They may seem like a well of random information, trivia, or technical data, depending on their specific interests. Si will also allow them to compare their ideas and theories with what they’ve already experienced in the past. It may also cause them to cling to any past tragedies, being incredibly averse to any situation that looks like it may share some of the same details since they introverted all of that sensory information.

Si will also give them an underlying desire for stability and routine, although they may struggle to maintain any semblance of it. For instance, an INTP crutching on Si may refuse to leave a toxic situation (like a job or a relationship), because not only are they accustomed to dealing with it, but Ti-Ne will rationalize that it could get better in the future or perhaps much worse if they leave. Si could also lead them to having very specific preferences, or wanting to cling to childhood traditions since repeating those experiences recreate the fond memories and feelings from their childhood (assuming their childhood was positive.)

Inferior Function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)

Lastly, the INTP personality type has Extraverted Feeling (Fe) as their fourth, or inferior, function. Inferior Fe will surface in a few different ways, a major one being a fear or general insecurity that they will be incapable fitting in with those around them and rejected as a result. Those with this personality type may fear that they will never be truly accepted as a part of the group, resulting in them remaining aloof and separate from others. They will struggle to understand and adhere to the social rules around them, and may occasionally obsess over small, minor things like dress code.

Since Fe tends to call attention to the emotions of others, having inferior Fe as one’s only feeling function will also cause an INTP to not be very aware of their own feelings. INTPs will process emotions on a delay, and probably won’t realize how something makes them feel until a while after the situation has passed. Inferior Fe may also cause them to have an extreme and unnecessary emotional outbreak in response to something that they’ve been bottling up for a long time. It may also cause them to silently worry about how others might view them, and cause them to fear that what they might say will hurt or offend someone. They will have an awareness for other’s emotions, but won’t really trust their ability to analyze them. They might find themselves accidentally offending people and then realizing it after the fact. Particularly troublesome inferior Fe may cause the Ti Dominant to freeze in a social situation in which they are unsure what reaction is appropriate or if they fear they may be misreading the situation.

If an INTP has suppressed their inferior Fe, due to it’s troublesome nature, the resulting INTP personality will be one that completely disregards others and lacks all signs of empathy or feeling.

INTP Careers and Job Ideas

At Practical Typing, we hesitate to list specific careers, because each person is far more than their personality type. Cognitive functions do not determine skills, only cognitive preferences. However, there will be certain aspects within a given career field that play better to an INTP’s strengths. For instance, INTPs typically excel at jobs that are analytical or technical in nature. They will enjoy a job that allows them to accumulate knowledge and deepen their understanding of related subjects. They will appreciate a work environment that allows them to lean into their creative nature, and explore a variety of possibilities as a means of coming up with unique solutions. INTPs can be prone to boredom, especially if the job includes a large amount of tedious tasks. As emotionally detached people, INTPs will likely struggle with a career that relies too heavily on interpersonal skills and forming personal connections with others.

INTP Relationships and Compatibility

INTPs bring a rational yet curious nature to any relationships. They constantly seek a deeper understanding of the world around them, and appreciate someone who can engage them on this level. They will enjoy sharing ideas with their loved ones, and discussing theoretical subjects. In addition, they will appreciate the opportunity to engage in intelligent debate without the involvement of messy emotions. INTPs are highly independent, and need to be given the space to pursue their interests. They are often disconnected from their emotions, and will prefer to surround themselves with people who are understanding of that.