INTP Personality Type, Strengths & Weaknesses

What are the traits, strengths and weaknesses of the rare Myers Briggs Personality Type the INTP personality type, aka The Logician? Also, including general characteristics, what careers are they suited to, and famous and fictional INTP characters?

The Introverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiver INTP (The Logician) is a rare personality type. Only about 2% of the population are believed to be of the INTP personality type. Being unique is important to them, so that pleases them. They are also very logical, reserved and deep thinkers, always looking for patterns and connections between things.

They are likely to dress in dark colours to avoid attention. However, due to their desire to be unique, you may see some unconventional lifestyle choices. They may also have a scruffy appearance, as they live in their heads, not naturally paying attention to details. For entertainment, they prefer science fiction and fantasy movies and books.

INTP Personality Type Careers

The INTP personality type, or The Logician, is suited to careers that involve working alone. Also, careers that allow for deep analytical thinking, such as philosophy, psychology, science, computer, and technology-related careers. Example careers: software developer, computer programmer, engineer, architect, economist, scientist, financial analyst, writer, graphic or motion designer, and a teacher or professor.

INTP Personality Functions

• Dominant – Thinking (Ti)

• Auxiliary – Intuition (Ne)

• Tertiary – Sensing (Si)

• Inferior – Feeling (Fe)

INTP Personality Type Strengths

Open Minded

INTPs are very good at keeping an open mind, open to ideas, concepts and different ways of thinking. INTPs are good at coming up with unconventional ideas, out of the box thinking and they find traditions restrictive and limited. They don’t just look to conform, INTPs look for the best way of doing things.

The Analysts & Knowledge Seekers

INTPs are deep-thinking analysts. They look for the logical answers and patterns in things. They are constantly craving knowledge and looking to improve themselves.

None Biased Thinkers

While most people tend to be highly biased and subjective in their thinking, INTPs are great at remaining unbiased and objective. This unbiased thinking allows clarity of thought that few can understand. This unbiased thinking results in a high level of honesty with themselves and others, and they’re also straight talking, which can lead to many advantages in business.

Great Fault Finders

Due to their unbiased and objective thinking, INTPs are great at finding faults within systems or organizations. They will look beyond all the noise and nonsense and discover the truth.

Passion

INTPs are incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about subjects or projects that they’re interested in. They will often skip meals and lose sleep to complete a task which sparks their passion. They will also be highly interested in talking with others that share the same interests, or have the same goals.

INTP Personality Type Weaknesses

Doesn’t Consider Others Feelings

The INTP personality type focus on the logical and rational, often emotions take a back seat. Because they often don’t consider other people’s feelings they can often offend and even hurt the feelings of others. This can be an obvious disadvantage when dealing with sensitive issues or when compassion is required.

Emotional Instability

For an INTP, Thinking is the dominant function, which makes Feeling their inferior function. This means they can struggle with emotional control in stressful or pressured situations. They’re generally more sensitive and emotionally unstable when emotions come into play. For example, they’re more likely to shed a tear in an emotional situation, or emotional scene in a movie. They’re also more likely to take criticism personally, and develop infatuations.

Indecisive

Because the INTP is so open to ideas and different ways of thinking it can become somewhat crippling. It can cause them to never commit to an idea or make a decision due to them considering so many different possibilities.

Doesn’t Conform Well

When people conform it can create stability within a group, and overall people tend to get on better with others when everyone is on the same page and follows the same social norms. However, INTPs natural temperament is to go against conformity and the social norms, to be unconventional and unique. Within certain groups and situations this can cause obvious frictions.

Single Minded

When an INTP is engaged in a passion or project they can become very single minded and solely focused on completing that task. This can lead to neglecting others, including friends, family and perhaps even their own health.

Absent Minded

An INTP will often find their own internal world more interesting than the outside external world. This can lead to a lack of awareness of their surroundings, including people. This lack of attention and awareness often leads to absent-mindedness.

Highly Private

For an INTP, privacy and independence is very important. This need for privacy and independence is greatly connected to their own personal pride and self-respect. Intruding on their privacy could result in a negative or defensive response. This need for privacy can also make it difficult for people to get to know them.

Premature Ideas

INTPs often get excited about and share ideas that are not fully formed, or lack evidence to back them up. This is due to their intuitive side. It can sometimes come across as dishonesty. However, being dishonest is far from their motivation, they’re simply excited about their intuitive and unique ideas, and they’re also looking for feedback on those ideas. Their intuitive side also tilts towards the non-practical and punctual. They may come up with good ideas, but they don’t always deliver those ideas on time.

Other Traits & Characteristics

Talking to Themselves

The INTP personality type will often have full-on conversations with themselves. This is often mistaken for simply talking to themselves or loneliness. However, more accurately, this is thinking out loud. INTPs often have complex thoughts, and they need to express those thoughts, even having imaginary conversations. This is not loneliness, this is thinking.

Going for Walks

Going for walks is often something that the INTP personality type will do. INTPs love to think, and walking increases the blood circulation to the brain. Studies on this show that cognitive ability does improve after and during light exercise. While this trait isn’t just restricted to an INTP, INTPs often share this habit or trait.

Big Picture Thinkers

INTPs naturally tilt towards seeing the forest and not the individual trees. They may have little interest in the smaller details. These smaller details often seem petty to an INTP. The broader picture is what they focus on.

INTP Famous & Fictional Characters

• Albert Einstein
• Bill Gates
• Elon Musk
• Charles Darwin
• Jeffrey Dahmer
• Isaac Newton
• Christina Chubbuck
• Will Hunting (Good Will Hunting)
• Bruce Banner (The Hulk)
• Yoda (Star Wars)
• Donnie Darko
• Napoleon Dynamite
• Neo (The Matrix)
• Amy Farrah Fowler (The Big Bang Theory)