The Critical INTp

“A red breasted robin in a cage puts all the world in a rage.” Though William Blake may not have been thinking of an INTp as he wrote the line quoted it makes a charming metaphor for this type. Though the INTp may break down intellectual and social barriers odds are he will feel like he never took flight. He is an effective artist of the world, always looking for ways that he might change it to better heed his needs. He is an intellectual dreamer so lost in his own world that when shaken from his mind me may at first appear lost and distant.

An eloquent and effective speaker, he can make the most mundane things seem quite amazing with his extravagant verbal skills. The INTp is very often fluent in several languages and may have even made up his own as a child. He is very mathematically inclined due to his ability to understand structure and patterns. The INTp shows an intense interest in religion and is more often than not delving into his studies of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and any other religion ancient or modern that strikes his interest. He shows a mish mash of beliefs and usually does not commit to one religion or the other.

Socially he is charming and charismatic. When feeling sociable he will approach others with child like enthusiasm and a sardonic wit. However when not feeling social he is aloof and temperamental. The INTp puts up barriers and will rarely let them down. He is very guarded and worried that people are judging him because he himself is constantly quietly observing humans. The INTp is very skeptical about love, and though he wants more than anything to love, when he does he thinks himself foolish and quickly backs out of the relationship. As a rule he keeps a distance between himself and his friends. One of his biggest fears is to rely on someone emotionally.

The INTp is self-confident to a fault. He loves a debate not only to prove his point to the person he is sparing with but also to confirm his own beliefs. The study of human behavior is very important to him. He can be blunt and insensitive to others simply to see their reaction. He can also be a kind sensitive listener, though he does not like to give advise due to his fear of doing more harm than good. He is calm, restrained and often unreadable.

Perfect chaos is the only way to describe the choice living conditions for the INTp. He will leave the laundry and dishes undone, but the small important things to him are kept in perfect order. It is not uncommon for him to alphabetize and categorize his movie and book collections. The INTp will collect and study odd things such as, fossils, rocks, and old photographs. Things that most people might find boring are quite fascinating and important to him. He is bothered if he finds such small important things out of order and prone to fly into a rage if they are touched by one other than himself.

The INTp is incredibly instinctive. He often knows what the out come of any given situation will be. He rarely gets himself into grave trouble for this reason. He is aware of this ability but is often unwilling to share it if he has not been taken seriously in this aspect in the past.