INTJ stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging, and is a personality type in the 16 Myers-Briggs Personalities, often called the “Architect” and the “Strategist.”
The Strategists are often seen as natural leaders, and they possess a strong drive to understand the world and make it a better place. They are often highly knowledgeable and are driven to use their skills and abilities to create something meaningful. They often appear independent, confident, and self-sufficient.
I’ve met a few INTJs in my life and I must say, they’re very private people, too. They don’t want people peeking into their family life and relationships, but when it comes to wisdom and knowingness, they’re very much outspoken, ready to share the concrete, abstract, and depth of knowledge.
If you’re an INTJ, despite being introverted, you don’t necessarily struggle with being friendly or sociable. However, like all types, you have a fair share of formidable strengths and a few weaknesses.
There are some things about your personality that might get you surprised. Ready to figure out the traits that are innate in INTJ personalities?
Let’s figure out a few of these in this post.
6 Best Traits of INTJ Personality
What are INTJs good at? INTJs are recognized for their ability to set and achieve long-term goals and find ingenious solutions to complicated issues. Their strengths include the following:
1. INTJs are rational and knowledgeable, and love to share that knowledge with the world.
INTJs are known for their logical approach and reliance on factual evidence and universal laws when making decisions.
They are thoroughly informed, conducting extensive research to gather all necessary information. This allows INTJs to make well-thought-out conclusions through deep analysis and apply those truths to their choices.
Because of these, it’s easy for them to process complex information and devise a logical approach or solution.
As extraverted Thinkers (Te), INTJs are voracious readers and seekers of truth. Because their Te function, a function explaining INTJ’s favor for logic, is placed as an auxiliary, sharing that knowledge with the world becomes their purpose and unconscious duty.
My father, an INTJ, is like a living encyclopedia. Whenever I have deep questions that need quite a research, I take shortcuts by asking him, and you bet the answers are always satisfying.
He’s like a walking Google, but even better!
As people who find unwavering interest in topics like politics, philosophy, technology, history, and even spirituality, making objective life decisions becomes easy for them.
And as introverted intuition (Ni) dominant, they can be too talkative because they’re often start-to-finish kinds of storytellers.
2. INTJs are self-reliant.
INTJs trust their judgment and do not blindly follow established norms or authority figures. They’re not afraid to challenge the norm and resist conforming to what is considered conventional if they believe it’s wrong.
Although INTJs may not be naturally aggressive, they’re confident in forging their path and are not afraid to chart their course.
One of INTJ best traits is not needing anyone to help them make decisions or solve their problems. They can easily differentiate right from wrong, as if separating black from white.
3. They are driven people with lots of willpower.
INTJs’ independence and introversion result in a strong sense of determination as they don’t rely on external validation or support.
They place greater importance on reaching their goals, adhering to their values, and working to their standards, making them highly motivated.
While most people rely on external stimuli for motivation, they are self-starters. Once they set their mind on something, they’ll do everything possible to achieve it.
They can “will” themselves to finish a goal — might it be a problem at work, understanding the most complicated theories, or even overcoming sickness or a disability.
People might even be surprised how they spring up with new ideas that seem out of nowhere. But that’s just how INTJs are. They are self-reliant and motivated by their own knowledge and deep understanding.
4. INTJs are inquisitive.
The analytical nature of INTJs fuels their curiosity.
They seek to understand the facts, science, and laws behind theories.
“Why is money important?”
“What’s the history of money?”
“How did we move from barter to using a currency?”
“Who dictates we need money?”
“What’s the history of currency?”
These are possibly the type of questions INTJs seek — historical, philosophical, and everything in between.
Their tendency to question prompts them to continuously seek new information and perspectives, and they are willing to adjust their views when faced with compelling evidence.
They are also the type to prompt questions to others so they can hear other people’s perspectives and compare them against their own understanding.
INTJs love to ask questions and are easily interested in convincing answers. Say, in class, you’re the one who gets more attentive as the level of difficulty of the lessons increases.
They’re pretty firm in their theories. However, if someone presents an INTJ with better arguments, they listen with an open mind.
5. INTJs are innovative.
With their deep-seated imagination combined with logical reasoning and analysis, INTJs often lead to proposing unconventional solutions to problems, finding creative, innovative approaches, and developing new theories.
Although many INTJs are not abstractly artistic, they have a vast imagination and organized creativity where they easily picture theoretical concepts.
No wonder the greatest minds — inventors, scientists, philosophers, and engineers — that changed the world are INTJs. Just take Nikola Tesla, a rumored INTJ and an inventor who had breakthroughs in the application of electricity, for example.
INTJs see beyond the bigger picture. They don’t just find a solution to the apparent problem. Instead, they discover a better way of seeing the whole scenario. Even better, they can explain what they mean in a manner that a layperson can understand.
6. They’re extremely goal-oriented.
As Strategists, INTJs love to reverse-engineer their plans and theories.
Instead of listing down Step 1 to Step 2, they would picture the end result, backtracking on which methods should go where, following a backward systematic, yet chronological structure, until they reach the destination.
While INTJs love to be independent and free, these Strategists also love crafting structured plans and methods that they want to follow to a T. As goal-oriented and strong-willed people, they can embrace routine if it’s to reach their ultimate plan.
4 Weaknesses of INTJ Personality
INTJs maintain a relatively private life and may not initiate conversations about personal matters unless they’re close to someone. This is often the reason why they’re seen as aloof.
They value their independence and desire the freedom to be true to themselves, which can sometimes hinder their ability to form deep and meaningful relationships. Some INTJs prefer this independence and are not interested in pursuing such relationships.
However, remember that every strength of the INTJ personality type has its accompanying weakness. To learn more about the INTJ weakness, let’s start.
1. INTJs can be too detached from emotions.
INTJ’s detached demeanor may cause difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships, including friendships. This behavior can lead to failed relationships due to their emotional problem opening up.
INTJs can also be highly critical and judgmental, making the person they’re dating feel like they’re constantly being evaluated. This behavior can worsen as they put more effort into making a relationship work.
They may mean well, but sometimes, the people close to them might feel that INTJs are judging them. Since they’re more attached to their mind than their emotions, these Strategists might say things more straightforwardly. This may make them look cold-hearted.
As a result, INTJs may prefer casual relationships as it reduces the pressure on them.
But once they find someone who fits the standard, they’re committed and loyal partners.
2. INTJs may be over-reliant on logic.
INTJs approach everything logically and make decisions based on facts and knowledge. However, this can become problematic when they disregard emotions.
I once heard an INTJ talk to someone who was dealing with a serious disease. Unlike people who would cry and feel emotions, INTJs’ way to comfort their loved ones is to check and say something along the line of, “it’s mind over matter.”
I’m not saying they’re cold. They care, but their way to reassure people remains on a logical perspective.
But truth be told, that’s how INTJs are because personally, they themselves are willful and have a strong mental state.
They may persist in finding answers through logic and rational analysis, even if it means disregarding emotions, and alternative perspectives and approaches. Unfortunately, the lack of emotional understanding is one reason why INTJs may lose people close to them.
3. Loves to procrastinate
INTJs, with their aversion to following rules blindly, are seen as rebels against the status quo. And also, there’s perfectionism. These reasons manifest as procrastination in INTJs.
INTJs strive for meaning in their actions, but it’s important that they work on their terms. They may say they’ll start working at a specific time, but they’re prone to delaying them, too.
4. INTJs may appear arrogant to others.
It’s undeniable how INTJs seem to be jacks of all trades, and knowledgeable, too. However, they have extraverted Feeling (Fe) as a Trickster function in their cognitive stack, which means INTJs are not highly aware of other people’s emotions.
Sometimes, they may be too straightforward, making them look condescending. They are less likely to read the room in a social setting, creating awkward atmospheres.
Unfortunately, their direct approach and sarcasm can be easily frowned upon and seen as offensive, especially to sensitive people and those who value social harmony.
Takeaway
Knowing INTJ’s positive and negative traits is like raising our flashlight of awareness. It’s not meant to crucify INTJs for not being the best version of themselves. Instead, it helps them celebrate, nurture and grow their good characteristics.
On the other hand, it also helps them work on their weaknesses and come out strong from them. At the end of the day, their improvement means better relationships with their loved ones.
That’s it. I hope the post gave you insights about INTJ personality. Thanks for reading!
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