A self-typological conundrum

[Sophius]

First off, I would like to apologize for making a thread of this sort having only been a member for a few days(with only two posts no less. The sheer numerity of all of the available topics of discussion is overwhelming to say the least), but this issue has been vexing me for months, and I decided that having some outside views on the situation would probably be more productive then endlessely mulling over it myself like I have been. The question is, am I an INTP or an ENTP.

For as long as I have been familiar with the distinction, I have always counted myself as an introvert, never having more friends then the number of digits on my hands after having a couple of them lopped off, and generally eschewing sociality and social nicety, but having read exstensively on both types( and a couple of others) I have found I identify strongly with both types, and I require clarity as to which mould I best fill. For a bit of background regarding my experience with meyers briggs typology:

On every test I've took, I have scored consistently as an INTP, with introversion at around 70% on an introversion-extroversion axis.



On a cognitive function test I took last week I scored:

Excellent on introverted thinking(the exact number being 52.2 where >35 is considered "excellent")

Excellent on extraverted intuition(46.9)

Average on introverted sensing, introverted intuition, extraverted thinking, and introverted feeling( average being in the twenties. I don't remember my exact scores but I know they were < 28 and no lower than 23)

Unused on extraverted sensing and extraverted feeling.


However, I am unsure as to how far personal bias factored into the scores, so I do not know how reliable they are. So, I looked at the various traits of both the INTP and the ENTP and observed/recalled the tendancies I tend to exhibit of each, which I will list below.


Evidence for myself as an INTP:

-A general preferance for keeping to myself. While I enjoy interracting with my friends, I have no absolute need to do so, and enjoy time alone so that I can pursue my own interests unfettered.(I actually have not spoken to anybody on more than a cursory basis for over two months, and have had no contact with any of my friends in this time.)- However, this could be due to anxiety( which I have a great deal of), or a desire to be an introvert(though these lengths would be admittedly extstensive in order prove something to oneself).

- My mind's default setting seems to be one of constant analysis, with an inherent desire to fit everything into an overarching framework. (Ti dominance)

-I am prone to intense feelings of nostalgia, and have an absolute obsession with logical/factual correctness, with the underlying philosophy behind this being that, without perfect factual awareness, accuracy through analysis cannot be achieved. (Si tertiary)

-I almost never feel much of any emotion, however, when it is present, it is very intense and generally uncomfortable.(Fe inferior.)

-While social interraction does not physically fatigue me( though I usually need naps after leaving the house), prolonged daily exposure to the public basically drains an immense degree of intellectual energy, which doesn't return until I don't interract for long periods of time.

Evidence for myself as an ENTP:

-As a prepubescent, I would have called myself more spontaneous and imaginative than pensive and analytical. (Ne dominant)

-I love making a spectacle of myself, mainly out of curiosity regarding the reactions of others.(For an example, I will standing in the middle of a crowd and start ranting at the top of my lungs about divine pickles bringing on the advent of a new age, or other lsimilar surrealist/absurdist behavior in order to see what will happen. For another example, at the end of my freshman year of highschool, I came into school with a pair of briefs on my head with a grapefruit taped to the top, whereing a posterboard around my neck reading "the end is nigh" while handing out pickles in the hallway.) Also, when I am stressed out, I tend to go out of my way to evoke reactions from people, though I don't tend toward this if I am relaxed, which is unfortunately almost never.(Fe tertiary)

-I tend to enjoy talking about myself, though I think this may be a defense mechanism for socially interracting with S's when ideas and theories are not open for discussion that has been flipped into a near-permanent ON setting because of the overwhelming SJ influence in my life.

-I revile and fear boredom and will avoid it at all costs, though I can generally retreat into my mind/imagination for several hours or so without experiencing boredom, and I make a point of surrounding myself with numerous books/games so that this does not happen. When I experience boredom, it manifests itself as physical discomfort, the exact sensation being the sense that a number of rusted cogs are grinding against each other in my stomach. This may be a manifestation of ADHD though.


For further reference, I have a number of diagnoses that could
interfere with/mask/explain some of these tendancies, those being:

ADHD(previously mentioned)
dysthymia
extreme general anxiety disorder(extreme, at leas, at the time of diagnosis)
extreme OCD(same as directly above.)

With a very strong suspicion on my part for an Autism spectrum disorder, for which my psychologist is conducting a screening.





NOTE: having reread this, I see that it is a big inchoherent and disorganised mess, for which I blame on the fact I have not slept in over 24 hours. If anyone here can satnd to read enough of the incoherent wall of text to provide some clarity or present an avenue to clarity, it would be much appreciated. I will try to be a bit more clear once I ahve gotten some sleep.

 

[undragonslayer7]

I would classify you as an INTP. It is my belief that the evidence you have presented in favor of you being an INTP is much stronger than the evidence for you being an ENTP. With regards to bias, INTPs are very honest with their self to themselves. My knowledge of ENTPs is much more limited, but, being similar types, I would think that we share that trait. Talking to oneself is common among auditory learners and, as far as I am aware, has very little to do with your personality type. Also, types can change, I used to be an ENTP myself and have since become very introverted. I do not know how old you are but I will still classify your point about your childhood as irrelevant. The only point that gives me serious pause for consideration is that you like to make a spectacle of yourself. However, it seems that this is done for analytic purposes and therefor fits in with the insurmountable evidence of you being an INTP. Also I don't know very much about the Myers-Briggs Personality Test itself, but if it's as accurate as it is said to be, it should take into account common biases among types. So welcome to your new internet home.

 

[GeneralPatton]

I would gather, even in my relative new status on these boards, INTP as well. I find myself to be quite as your are, and after talking it over with a career assesment psychologist we determined that the extravert qualities were that of a "chameleon" type ability we have to make ourselves comfortable in any situation, if we so desire. Whilst on any given occasion we may elect to sit quietly and simple ponder whatever it is that is on our minds, we can also elect to participate openly if we so think we should. I've found myself in the same boat many times, and usually I elect to stay silent, but sometimes copius amounts of alcohol will work wonders on social interaction. Sometimes I think i've already come to the conclusions I wanted on my "internal topics," and therefore with little else to do decide that I can allow myself to engage in worthless chatter with others, and in those times is when some would think of me as an extravert. I always, much to the ire of my wife, return to my normal introverted self.

 

[Manic]

You sound more like an INTP to me, although there is nothing exact about MBTI typing, and we all have our individual pecadillos regardless of basic personality traits. I'm a strong introvert but still need social interaction of some sort, and I think most everyone does. Even misanthropes, I'm sure, wish they were different. I prefer social interaction with one or two people with similar personalities and interests, and generally feel out of place and self-conscious in any crowd. Still, I have done some out-of-character and even outrageous things, usually when drunk, although I can't say I've ever put a pair of briefs on my head with a grapefruit on top and handed out pickles to passerby!

I find the relationship between MBTI and mental disorders interesting. I wonder what the correlation is--I suspect there have been studies but haven't looked into it. I always felt like a stranger among my fellow humans and as the years went by I became more prone to free-floating anxiety and bouts of depression. I went through several long periods of profound, almost suicidal depression even though I continued to function well-enough on the surface and managed to hide my biggest issues for the most part. I finally went to a shrink after the consequences to my career were no longer a concern. I was eventually officially diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression and later as bi-polar of the moderate variety.

I wonder how many INTPs suffer from diagnosable mood disorders? I'll bet the percentage is very high.

 

[Sophius]

In regards to the mbti and mental disorders, I am at this point fairly certain that OCD occurs when an individual's intuition function and thinking function are both highly developed and equally developed(explaining why ocd occurs primarily in, but not limited to, NT types), which causes the need to to explain phenomona in logical/rational form through thinking to conflict with the need to make connections and imagine possibilities through intuition. This description of the conditions under which OCD would occur would also account for the variations in the disorder, ie. A person with strong Ti would be more prone to obsessive tendancies whilst a person with strong Te would display more compulsive symptoms and the axis of Ne and Ni would account for the prescence of "psychotic symptoms"( for an exmaple, a person with Ni, thinking empirically, would be more likely to develop obsessions of a more mundane nature, such germs, danger in their immediate enviorment, parasites, and etc., where a person with Ne, being more prone to free association, would develop obsessions centering around things such as paranoia, magical thinking, fantastic obsessions, and so on.).

 

[EyeSeeCold]

In regards to the mbti and mental disorders, I am at this point fairly certain that OCD occurs when an individual's intuition function and thinking function are both highly developed and equally developed(explaining why ocd occurs primarily in, but not limited to, NT types)

OCD does not primarily occur in NT types. OCD is an umbrella term for a range of unbalanced, unhealthy repetitive behaviors and disturbed psychologies associated with strong fixations and phobias.

It's more debilitating than what people usually mean, which is probably the lesser obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Either way, I've noticed tendencies in more than one type, the differences are just in where they apply or how they manifest.

 

[NinjaSurfer]

so it's just the introversion/extraversion you're confused about?

introverts gain energy when alone
extraverts gain energy when mingling with others

what situation suits you best when you're stressed out, lack energy, and need to recharge?

if being with people stresses you out for the most part, or drains you, that would lead me to believe you're an introvert

if being alone too long gives you anxiety and you get antsy and you "need" to get out... then I would think you lean more towards extraverted

 

[xeno_girl]

I struggled with this same question and spent a lot of time researching it... here is what I discovered:

ENTPs are commonly diagnosed with ADHD. They tend to be cognitively bouncy and their brains race from idea to idea. They lead with their Ne, which means their cognitive process looks like an hourglass (go from many many ideas Ne and then focus in with logic/analysis Ti and then ultimately produce more ideas). They are very creative and are idea generators. They experience great pleasure in sharing their initial ideas with others (even before analyzing them) and ultimately want to see their ideas implemented in reality. I have also read that ENTPs are actually the most "introverted" of the extroverts, which might be part of the confusion here. This is because their auxiliary is Ti, which means they still need to spend a lot of time thinking; however, ENTPs will still be more social and talkative than INTPs. If you are a younger ENTP, your Fe will still not be very well developed because it is tertiary.

INTPs can concentrate for hours and hours. While an INTP might still chase down various rabbit holes when they come across a new idea in the midst of their research, they can still focus for extraordinary lengths of time. The INTP cognitive process looks like a diamond shape. We start out with an idea or judgment (Ti), then begin exploring all possibilities to support or refute it (Ne supported by Si), then narrow it down to an analytical conclusion. We are less concerned with implementing our ideas and will usually not share an idea until we have spent many hours analyzing it. Eventually though we do find fulfillment in sharing our well-thought out ideas with others. INTPs *can* be quite talkative and social with people then know well and in situations in which they are comfortable. Or if they have consumed a sufficient amount of whisky. INTPs have more social/emotional challenges than do ENTPs.

 

[HDINTP]

I struggled with this same question and spent a lot of time researching it... here is what I discovered:

ENTPs are commonly diagnosed with ADHD. They tend to be cognitively bouncy and their brains race from idea to idea. They lead with their Ne, which means their cognitive process looks like an hourglass (go from many many ideas Ne and then focus in with logic/analysis Ti and then ultimately produce more ideas). They are very creative and are idea generators. They experience great pleasure in sharing their initial ideas with others (even before analyzing them) and ultimately want to see their ideas implemented in reality. I have also read that ENTPs are actually the most "introverted" of the extroverts, which might be part of the confusion here. This is because their auxiliary is Ti, which means they still need to spend a lot of time thinking; however, ENTPs will still be more social and talkative than INTPs. If you are a younger ENTP, your Fe will still not be very well developed because it is tertiary.

INTPs can concentrate for hours and hours. While an INTP might still chase down various rabbit holes when they come across a new idea in the midst of their research, they can still focus for extraordinary lengths of time. The INTP cognitive process looks like a diamond shape. We start out with an idea or judgment (Ti), then begin exploring all possibilities to support or refute it (Ne supported by Si), then narrow it down to an analytical conclusion. We are less concerned with implementing our ideas and will usually not share an idea until we have spent many hours analyzing it. Eventually though we do find fulfillment in sharing our well-thought out ideas with others. INTPs *can* be quite talkative and social with people then know well and in situations in which they are comfortable. Or if they have consumed a sufficient amount of whisky. INTPs have more social/emotional challenges than do ENTPs.

Yes that concentration sometimes leads to Not Sleep Mode in my case