The Contemplator – Understanding the INTP Personality Type
In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator framework, personality types represent various approaches to life. Each one is a fascinating study with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. And people have succeeded immensely by understanding them better.
Most people take the MBTI in order to understand themselves. Understandably so. However, this tool is just as useful in understanding others, especially for managers and HR personnel.
There are 16 different MBTI personality types, which might seem like a daunting list to familiarize yourself with. Yet the benefits can be intense.
When we really know who we’re working with, we’re in a much better position to maximize their potential.
One of these designations, the INTP, is also known as “The Contemplator.” It’s on the rarer side, with just 3%-5% of people identifying this way – men more so than women. Highly intellectual, INTPs want and even need to get to the bottom of things, knowing how, what, why, where, and when. They’re essentially driven by the desire to understand the world they interact with.
This nature can obviously bring intense benefits to a wide variety of situations and scenarios, making the INTP well worth studying.
An INTP’s Daily Life
INTPs take a logical and reasonable approach to life whenever possible. That’s their natural instinct and what feels most fulfilling to them in any given moment.
This facts-and-figures outlook, however, doesn’t mean they can’t see the realm of theoretical possibilities. INTPs constantly view things from the perspective of possible changes or advancements. They use their intellect to reason through complex issues, recognize patterns, and evaluate situations in order to make those possibilities actualities.
The INTP’s real motivation, however, isn’t necessarily to change the world. It’s to understand it. They desire clarity in everything they come in contact with, especially pertaining to more scientific studies.
Once they zero in on a project, the INTP easily falls into the absent-minded professor archetype. The high value they place on intelligence and their ability to solve problems by applying reasoning to theories can and often does become consuming.
Call it an obsession on their part. Or perhaps unrecognized fixation might be a better way of describing the INTP’s laser focus on results.
Everything else falls away for them, including time.
Put another way, INTPs usually spend their lives in their own minds. They don’t tend to place as much weight or emphasis on the outside world once they become determined to find logical solutions to something.
The INTP’s innate desire to translate ideas into practical knowledge can even develop into a sense of duty. They’ll believe (rightly or wrongly) that it’s up to them to address theoretical issues and advance society’s understanding… in which case, they can be counted on to nothing less.
INTP Strengths
As already noted, INTPs place a high value on knowledge, always trying to come up with new theories or ways to support or refute old ones. They approach theories and problems with curiosity and skepticism, disobeying accepted norms and viewpoints, and formulating their own strategies to tackle the project at hand.
That latter characteristic might sound like a negative. However, it can be extremely useful in advancing scientific thought. After all, sometimes the world needs some pushback on old hangups and adherence to the status quo.
Whenever something piques their curiosity, the typically very intelligent INTP automatically wants to look for trends and rational explanations to explain it. These people can be unbiasedly critical in their assessments, and passionate about theories and abstractions.
And, as previously stated, they have no problem giving a project the time it needs (or more).
Typically tolerant and adaptable, they adore novel concepts and enjoy talking about their ideas with other people. If you can get them away from their tasks, they can be truly fascinating conversationalists – provided you care about the topics of their interest, of course.
In fact, the INTP is extroverted and extremely self-assured when interacting with people they know well. Though, when it comes to meeting new people, they’re probably incredibly shy.
Challenges Faced by INTPs
Because their feeling side is their least developed attribute, INTPs often find it challenging to provide warmth and support in close relationships. They simply don’t understand the importance of showing consideration for other people’s emotions.
In worst-case scenarios, this can lead to them becoming extremely judgmental and caustic. And even in the best of cases, it can cause tensions in personal, casual, or professional interactions alike.
INTPs in general are quick to devalue anything that falls into subjective opinion or emotion. If a decision isn’t based on facts and figures, they’re not going to understand or appreciate it.
It’s as simple as that. And if anything challenges one of their deeply held ideas, they have a bad habit of becoming inflexible.
All put together, it should come as no great surprise that INTPs can find themselves struggling with social disobedience and self-aggrandizement. These tendencies, in turn, limit their creative potential, which is unfortunate for everyone involved…
Not just for them but anyone else they could have otherwise reached.
Coaching and Development for INTPs
INTPs most often use what they consider to be unchangeable truths to communicate their ideas. Normally, this involves well-reasoned comprehension of a concept; however, that doesn’t mean they’re always easy to understand.
This can become a greater issue still since INTPs aren’t inclined to bend reality to make things easier for anyone. They should just understand – right?
Yet amazing discoveries are ultimately meaningless if only one person knows about it. So it’s critical that INTPs concentrate on clearly communicating their established theories.
This might be frustrating to them considering their usual desire to finish up a project and move on – immediately if not sooner – to the next “big thing” that interests them. However, life is filled with frustrations sometimes, and every personality type needs to learn how to deal with their own.
INTPs need to be reminded that they’re no exception in this regard, no matter how they might think otherwise.
It’s also important to know that INTPs detest working on mundane tasks. They’d much rather develop intricate theoretical answers and let others handle system implementation.
Typically autonomous, nonconformist, and creative, INTPs can have complicated personalities, leading to erratic and restless behavior. But when they’re able to work on their own theories in their own way, they can come up with the most amazing applicable ideas.
Settings that therefore foster their creative, admittedly eccentric potential can help them achieve truly fascinating things.
INTPs in the Workplace
INTPs, with their unusual thought patterns and excessive intelligence, are particularly adept in scientific studies and technological pursuits. Their impressive ability to evaluate ideas from completely new angles has already been documented time and time again. And we’ll no doubt be hearing more sensational stories from this personality type going forward.
In the meantime, possible career paths for INTPs include:
University professor
Computer programmer
System analyst
Technical content writer
Engineer
Lawyer or judge
Forensic scientist
Park ranger.
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