21 September 2006

My Incredibly Complex Personality

I finally got around to taking the Jung typology test, and I'm highly amused/impressed by the accuracy of the results. If you've ever had a hard time figuring me out, read on.

"To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.

INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" They are rather rare, comprising no more than, say, one percent of the population. INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness."

Are there any other INTJs in the house? ;)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You wrote:
"INTJS apply the criterion, "Does it work?"

How does this mesh with being a disciple of Christ, since God speaks to us in Isaiah 55:8 and 9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. . . "

Jennifer R. said...

Well, if you think about it, being human at all often doesn't "mesh" with being a follower of Christ, since human nature in general makes it hard for us to submit to His rule.

Still, I understand why you ask. It's important to keep in mind, though, that what we call personality is really just a broad range of behavioral tendencies, and these tendencies don't necessarily bind us to behaving in any particular way; we can always choose otherwise. So, in this case, I do indeed have a tendency to ruthlessly try to understand and streamline everything (just ask my boyfriend), but I can choose to loosen up a bit and accept the fact that I can't control or streamline everything. It isn't easy, but I always have the choice. Naturally, I rely on God's patient sanctification in my life to help me do that. God uses experience to teach me, and so far experience has taught me that:

1.) God, as the perfect and sovereign Creator, is NOT subject to my evaluation of Him

2.) God's ways may seem incomprehensible and/or chaotic from the human perspective, but I know that He is goodness and that He does everything at just the right time and in just the right way. He is supremely efficient; we just rarely know exactly what He's up to, so it's hard to see.

So that's how I deal with that particular personality trait of mine, which, along with several others, can be a real thorn in my side, but was given to me for a reason. God is good.

Anonymous said...

Good answer, Mulltrain! -- I'm glad I asked . . .

Jill said...

Sometimes i come out as an INTJ, but more often an ISTJ. Either way, i know what you mean! And i think Meyers-Briggs is on to something.

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