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 known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in
part because they possess the unusual trait combination of
imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be
working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ;
both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play,
as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the
project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors,
will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this;
INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement
critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or
co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and
even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have
gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which
others might not even notice.
In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know".
Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but
they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and
incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). 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.
Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are
their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a
relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of
natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often
act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings
behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial
expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by
consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they
care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become
established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their
robustness, stability, and good communications.
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