Someone I work with reminded me today that I'm an introvert.
In real life, despite often appearing vivacious and chatty, it takes a lot of energy and effort for me to interact with others. I am not naturally outgoing, although I think I'm generally likeable and fun. But I need a lot of "alone" time to re-energize and feel truly content. And I spend a lot of time up in my own head.
The results of the Myers-Briggs test I took a few years ago indicate that my type is INTJ: Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging.
Apparently, less than 1% of the general American population is INTJ (well, I always suspected that I was unusual. So now it appears that I have my proof!).
I Googled "INTJ" and found several websites that provided very in-depth analyses of the INTJ personality. Here are a few excerpts (probably of interest to absolutely no one reading this except me, haha):
"Introversion does not mean shy or antisocial. It refers to how a person revitalizes himself. MBTI introverts are people who need to be by themselves to recharge their energy and feel their best. Though some introverts are truly shy and stay away from social gatherings whenever they can, others develop coping techniques like stepping out for about 15 minutes to be alone, and things like that.
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of definiteness or self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance, 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 more importantly, they know what they DON'T know.
As children, INTJs are often inwardly focused on their thoughts of the way the world is or ought to be; they enjoy daydreaming. They can be quite stubborn when information relayed to them by authorities, such as parents and teachers, contradicts what they believe. They are sure of their own belief system. Often, in high school, INTJs can be underachievers who score well on formal tests, but are unstimulated by the details of day-to-day classroom learning.
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. INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning.
They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose the INTJ’s 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.
INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are supreme strategists.
When under a great deal of stress, the INTJ may become obsessed with mindless, repetitive, sensate activities, such as over-drinking. They may also tend to become absorbed with minutiae and details that they would not normally consider important to their overall goal.
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. 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.
As mates, INTJs want harmony and order in the home and in relationships. They are the most independent of all types. They will trust their intuition about others when making choices of friends and mates, even in the face of contradictory evidence and pressures applied by others.
They do not enjoy physical contact except with a chosen few.
Statistically, there are more male INTJs than female. Not surprisingly, the INTJ female's independence, intellectual aloofness, and argumentative style may result in her feeling somewhat out of step with those attributes more traditionally associated with femininity. For an INTJ female to be true to herself may put her out of step with the mainstream.”
That just about hits the nail on the head for me. I usually don’t put too much faith in personality tests, but there are too many things that are dead-on about me here.
If you want to find out your type, you can take the free quiz at www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp.
Have fun!
Labels: deep thoughts, FYI, work
In My Head
