Ten Ways INTJ Personalities Think and Do Life Differently From Others

1. We see through the facades of people and ideals.
   That means at work, at church, at school, and in the home. No one is safe or excused from our death glare if they come across as fake. Consider yourself warned. Let’s just say there is a lot of false advertising in the world, and we have the fortunate/unfortunate ability to see right through it. The Presidential election of 2016 made us cringe and groan all the way through, not just when Clinton and Trump were pitted together.

The reason we see through everything so clearly is out of self-defense and the defense of others around us. Someone has to do it, which is why we step up to the plate. Someone has to call out the falseness of this world and put a stop to it so that chaos is minimized. In that sense, we are sometimes viewed as superheroes and/or super villains. Such is life.

1. We are indeed masterminds.
   This leads to my next point---that we INTJ types are considered to be masterminds in comparison to the other personalities under Myers-Briggs. We are thought of as masterminds because not only are we able to see through everyone’s façade, but we are able to block, evade, and counter the falseness of the world with ease. In many cases, we are even able to work behind-the-scenes as it were to deter (or for some, create) chaos just by bringing up facts about a topic to see what the masses do with it. In the workplace, we are bringing up ideas with real solutions to problems major and minor; sometimes, we are praised for our ideas, and other times not.

At any rate, we are considered to be the master puppeteers, always shrouded in mystery and holding all the keys because of our tendency to step up to the plate and take control of situations that others will not.

1. Many of us do have a higher than average IQ (although, that doesn’t mean a whole lot in the long run.)
   A person’s IQ, whether it’s our own or someone else’s, doesn’t actually prove much about their true intellect, and therefore doesn’t matter to us. While ours may be rather high, it is high in certain areas we find interesting at the time, while other areas will likely be lower. As much as we would like to be good at everything we do, we instead focus our energy on our talents, be it in the arts, music, sciences, or anything we have an interest in.

It’s the same with other people’s IQs, as those tend to rise and fall depending on what people feed into their minds. Many have potential, but few do the work and rise to it. Those that wish for an ordinary life tend to remain at a lower IQ than those who work for what they are called to do.

1. We value practicality rather than frivolity.
   That is, we value what is practical to the needs of our individual talents, than what is frivolous or unnecessary. For example, an INTJ (like myself) is involved in the world of graphic design, illustration, filmmaking, and storytelling in general. The needs of my talent are typically in watching movies, playing video games, reading books, and drawing on my own free time in order to keep those skills sharp as a dagger. These things will likely be viewed as frivolous to another INTJ who is a scientist, a doctor, or a lawyer and surrounds themselves in academia related to their field. For me, based on my chosen career path and where my talent lies, it would be frivolous for me to on a whim go back to college and strive for a degree in science or math. It’s just not needed for what I do, and if I did that, it would be based out of pride in wanting to be a know-it-all, which serves no real purpose. You get the picture. It’s different for every person, INTJ or not.

2. We not only dream big dreams; we turn those dreams to goals, and we work tirelessly to accomplish them.
   We INTJs are dreamers of grand dreams. We also put the pedal to the metal and make those dreams a reality, which most definitely differentiates us from the big talkers of the world. My dreams are to become a filmmaker and bring all of my stories to life as much as I can help it. Therefore, I’m continually working in the industry as a writer, a graphic designer, an illustrator, and an animator, and eventually as an editor and filmmaker. I write my own stories, come up with my own ideas, and set them in motion daily. I’m a busy person! That’s how all of us are when we are working. It’s never an easy life; many of us have had to give up certain luxuries such as dating, marriage, and the “normal American dream” life in an effort to see our goals accomplished. In the end, we find it’s worth it to do so. We find fulfillment in setting goals and accomplishing them, especially goals that are far-reaching and wondrous.

3. We hate being categorized and put into boxes.
   Sounds a bit ironic if not hypocritical given the nature of this list, but it’s true nonetheless. The only reason we somewhat agree to being called INTJs is because it fits us so…accurately. It’s almost frightening. Are you watching us?

At any rate, the main reason we hate being put into boxes is because it is limiting and we’re naturally rebellious. For us, much like the goals we set for ourselves, the universe is the limit. Not the sky, the universe. To limit us is to make us annoyed if not angry. We will likely find ways to jump out of the box and make ourselves individuals again.

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice a trend that people take it too far with putting each other in different categories and boxes? I have noticed this quite a bit. It is one thing to be able to identify with others and enjoy each other’s similarities of interests and certain behaviors; it’s another thing entirely to entrap others saying to them, “you’re only this personality type if you do this/only artists do that/if you’re a member of this race or gender, you will do x and not y”. Humans are at their core rebellious, for better or worse. It is generally unwise to try to fit every member of the human race into one box or another. We’ll always break out.

1. Some of us enjoy books; others enjoy movies or videogames more.
   This goes along with the point about what is frivolous vs. what is necessary to our talents, as well as what our interests are. Many of us enjoy all three if we have the time to spare! Another trend I’ve noticed is that we are closely tied to those who enjoy only books, as this somehow means we’re more intellectual than other types. Let’s burst apart that myth right now. We do enjoy books of all kinds depending on our interest, but not as a point of pseudo-intellectual pride. We enjoy books as anyone should enjoy them; because reading brings us into worlds we would otherwise never know! It’s fun and continually amazing! The same goes for movies and video games; we are brought into brand new worlds that inspire us to think about things in new ways. For me, books, movies, and video games inspire me to create new things. It’s wonderful!

2. Trophies and praise don’t mean a whole lot to us; we are happy when we have accomplished our goals, long-term and short-term.
   I personally only require a little acknowledgement of appreciation for what I do once in a while. There’s no need to make a big show of it; just quietly say thank you, and I’m happy. The greater joy is seeing my goals for life accomplished, seeing myself become more like Christ, and helping people along the way.

I would say that is true of all of us INTJs, in that we just want to see our goals for our lives accomplished. The joy is in the doing and the creating. Our happiness is in using every last bit of our talents and energy until we are entirely spent. Bringing our ideas to life (for me, seeing my stories come to life on the big screen!) is of greater importance than any awards receivable for achieving our goals. It just is.

1. No, we do NOT want to run for politics!
   Aw, hell no! NO thanks! While it would be great to bring significant change in this corrupt sphere, many of us have realized it to be a hopeless endeavor. Just look at that grotesque mess that is politics! It is disgusting!

Seriously, it would have to be crushed down completely, and then rebuilt from the ground up (perhaps in a place different from D.C.). There may be a lot of American history there, but a lot of corruption, deceit, and general worthlessness has occurred there as well. If forced, we would simply find a way to solve every problem in under two weeks, and then try to do that in two days!

For those who think there are many politicians who have come through in recent years sharing this personality type, it is important to realize many of them (if not all of them) have crossed the line into full-blown narcissistic personality disorder to get to that point. This mental disorder is a danger to all INTJs who get a lust for power, and many of our nation’s politicians have this problem. It is because of this mental disorder that many of these people in power have become corrupt, and don’t care at all who they hurt in the process. It is the most disgusting thing in the eyes of INTJs who work hard to stay on the straight and narrow.

1. We see the big picture in everything.
   At the end of the day, what is important is the big picture of everything. This allows us to see what actions and behaviors are fruitful vs. fruitless. This also allows us to take in new (and worthy) information when necessary to make sure our beliefs are sound.

Seeing the big picture is also a large part of what makes us dream the way we do. It enables us to set goals most won’t think of, and gives us reason to do what we do. It’s hard to describe just what it means to truly see the grand scheme of everything, mostly because it is indeed grandiose to us. A popular mental picture is that of standing above the earth, watching it below, and looking out into the universe. Of course, even that is a considerably small picture compared to that of the universe we know of in existence. You get the idea, though, right? Seeing the big picture is about looking at things from every angle, and determining what would be a good resolution to this or that problem.

It is true; we INTJs do have a different way of thinking and doing things than other personality types. Our goals are big, and we work hard to achieve them. We see the falseness of this world and are disgusted by it. The reasons behind why we do what we do involve a grand scheme and a mind open to new possibilities, as well as the guts to get it done. It’s what we do.