INTJ Personality Type: Characteristics and Careers

An INTJ is one of the sixteen personality types in the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator system. The acronym INTJ stands for “introverted, intuitive, thinking, judging.” Colloquially, this personality type is known as “the architect,” “the mastermind,” or “the strategist” type. Famous INTJs include Hillary Clinton, Stephen Hawking, and Isaac Newton.

INTJ, like all MBTI types, has a recognizable assortment of cognitive functions:

• Dominant: The dominant cognitive function for the INTJ type is Introverted Intuition, meaning INTJ personalities can process information inwardly through patterns and impressions. INTJs tend to see the big picture and spend a lot of time thinking.
• Auxiliary: Extroverted Thinking is the auxiliary function of INTJ personality types, meaning INTJs approach the world with order and logic.
• Tertiary: The tertiary cognitive function for INTJs is Introverted Feeling, meaning INTJs sometimes value others’ emotions when making decisions. INTJs’ introversion can challenge relationships, whether friendships or romantic partnerships. INTJs tend to be uninterested in formalities and rituals and want to plan and control the relationship. However, once they click with someone, they tend to be loyal and trusting and will devote work to the relationship.
• Inferior: INTJs’ tertiary function, the weakest cognitive function, is Extroverted Sensing. This function allows people to process information through their senses and be in the present moment. Often, INTJs experience dissociation from their bodies and surroundings.

Common personality traits of INTJs include:

• Ambitious
• Analytical
• Curious
• Independent
• Inquisitive
• Insightful
• Logical
• Perfectionist
• Self-sufficient

INTJs are hardworking, independent, and curious. INTJs often train their analytical eye on systems to see how things operate. These personality types often have self-motivation and work best independently or on small teams. INTJs usually seek out coworkers and organizations where they can work with other highly competent people and meet the high standards they hold for themselves. They tend to focus on tasks, not small talk and office politics at work. Promising career paths for INTJs include scientists, economists, lawyers, judges, academics, and engineers.

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI for short) is a self-reported personality assessment. Developed by Isabel Myers and Catherine Briggs, who drew heavily on the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, it seeks to promote self-understanding by helping people clarify their abilities and preferences in life, work, and relationships.

The sixteen MBTI types include ISTJ, ISFJ, INTJ, INFJ, ISTP, INTP, INFP, ISFP, ESTJ, ENTJ, ENTP, ENFJ, ENFP, ESFP, ESTP, and ESFJ.

The MBTI personality test organizes people into sixteen categories. The letters refer to four psychological functions or scales in human personalities:

1. 1. Introversion - Extroversion (I-E): Introversion to extroversion describes how people interact with themselves and others. Extroverted people thrive on socializing and find relationships relatively energizing, while introverts need to spend more time with themselves and often find socializing draining.
2. 2. Sensing - Intuition (S-N): This refers to how people gather information about the exterior world. Some tend to be more attentive to sensory information, while others are more intuitive about the world around them.
3. 3. Thinking - Feeling (T-F): This measures how people make decisions about the world and events. Those who favor thinking tend to be rational and deliberative and prefer logical conclusions. People who lean toward feeling tend to emphasize their emotions when making decisions.
4. 4. Judging - Perceiving (J-P): This scale measures people’s overall orientation toward people and events. Those who judge tend to favor organizational structure and precise decisions, whereas people who perceive are often more accepting, nuanced, and reserved in their opinions and ideas.

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