Confessions of an INTJ

I (Introvert)
N (Intuitive)
T (Thinker)
J (Judger)

"The Architect"

"It's lonely at the top, and being one of the rarest and most strategically capable personality types, INTJs know this all too well.  INTJs form just 2% of the population, and women of this personality type are especially rare, forming just 0.8% of the population - it is often a challenge for them to find like-minded individuals who are able to keep up their relentless intellectualism and chess-like maneuvering.  People with the INTJ personality type are imaginative yet decisive, ambitions yet private, amazingly curious, but they do not squander their energy." 

That's what the 16 Personalities website says, anyway.  There's a lot more to my personality, though!  Here are a few things you may not know about me...

* It's not an accident that I'm wearing mismatched socks.  I planned it.  Look again, they even match my outfit, don't they?

* If you are making that annoying clicking noise, you should probably know I am currently planning your demise. 

* I love talking to you, I just hate initiating conversations. 

* If you have something to tell me, just tell me!  Don't make me guess. 

* I have the attention span of a two year old.  If you don't grab my interest within the first minute of our conversation, I will "check out," simply nod, and agree with everything you say while my mind wanders to something more interesting.

* I thrive on conversations that make me smarter or cause me to think about things I've never thought about before.  Even if I don't agree with your conclusions, I view it as a successful conversation if you've caused me to think outside the box.

* When inspiration hits, I can work on a single project for hours on end, not even stopping to eat or sleep.  However, if inspiration is lacking, I struggle to focus for five minutes. 

* If you bring me a problem, expect a solution, not a shoulder to cry on. 

* Liars irk me not because they are lying but because they insult my intelligence when they expect me to believe their falsehoods.

* If you're going to lecture me, give me an outline of the topics you covered at the end, because I probably zoned out somewhere in the middle.  I want to hear your thoughts, but I know what you're going to say after the first ten words come out of your mouth.  The fact that it takes you fifteen minutes to say what I already know you're going to say bores me.

* Sarcasm is my way of insulting you in an appropriate fashion.  Essentially, I am running mental circles around your illogical frame of mind. 

* I will readily admit I'm wrong if you can prove to me that your way is better.  Otherwise, I will stick to my opinion, even if I am stacked against 100 people who disagree with me.

* I am fiercely loyal to those who prove themselves to me, and give you the benefit of the doubt until then.  But if you stab me in the back, I will disown you forever.

* Justice is more important to me than mercy. 

* I have a reason for EVERYTHING I do... the way I turn a doorknob, why I double knot my shoes, why I hold the hand-held mixer backwards instead of forwards.  If you don't understand, just ask!  I'm not weird, I just live outside the box in order to make my life worth living!

* Furthermore, if you are telling me I'm doing something wrong but can't back up your own actions with a well thought-out logical argument, you've just lost my respect. 

* I overthink social interactions.  Don't be surprised if I'm still thinking about our conversation a week later... it's just what I do. 

* I expect you to tell me what you want me to know.  I'm not a mind reader - if you're upset, then say so.  God gave you words, use them! 

* I learn anything and everything I can so that life doesn't catch me by surprise.  Not knowing is the scariest thing to me.

* Failing in front of people is not acceptable under any circumstances.  If I'm trying something for the first time and am not confident that it will be a success, I will not tell you what I'm doing.

* Team work only works when the team sees things my way. 

* If you've succeeded in telling a joke I haven't already guessed the answer to, you'll make me laugh every time I think of it.

Want to be a part of the 16 Personality post series?  Take the test (http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test) and email your results to christiellaryder[at]gmail[dot]com!  If the slot for your personality type is still open, you will get a chance to help people understand YOU!
 

Christi Ella Ryder lives in the country with her dogs and her books.  She's a jack of all trades, picking up many new hobbies, learning everything she can, and storing the knowledge away for future dates.  Although she loves to travel, she spends a lot of her time at home, homeschooling her younger siblings, learning homemaking skills from her mother, and entertaining herself with reading, writing, sewing, photography, dancing, and watching movies.