#02 What is an INTJ?

If you were to do a simple Google search on “What is an INTJ?” you’ll most likely end up with the same vague content with little sustenance. A person simply cannot be defined by four letters. Most articles or videos you may stumble upon typically won’t even touch on such things as cognitive functions. Even if you have a firm understanding of cognitive functions, there is still so much more that defines an individual. In this article, I will give a brief overview of the Cognitive Functions, as well as provide some other anecdotal evidence.

The cognitive functions of an INTJ.

First and foremost, it is important to explain what cognitive functions are. Cognitive functions affect every person on this planet. The first person to theorize cognitive functions was Carl Jung, the creator of  Jungian Analytical Psychology. Collectively, cognitive functions make up each and every personality, with a total of eight different functions.  If you did happen to find another source that touches on cognitive functions, chances are, they only touch on the four that make up the Ego of any Myers-Briggs Personality Type. Contrary to popular belief, everybody has all eight of the cognitive functions. Now I will go over each cognitive function in the order of the INTJs cognitive stack

Introverted Intuition (Ni)

 Introverted iNtuition (Ni) (Yes, that was iNtentional…) Hero is in the forefront of the INTJ Personality. Meaning, that little to no energy is expunged at the expense of an INTJ’s mental capacity.  What is Introverted Intuition? Ni gives an INTJ their drive. Ni is the source of the INTJs indomitable willpower and laser-like focus. Personally, I have yet to draw a solid conclusion on this, but as some like to put it, Ni allows an INTJ (let’s not forget the INFJ as well) to “see into the future.”

As I mentioned above, Ni can give an INTJ, what many claim personal prescience. Unlike Extroverted Intuition (Ne) which supposedly allows users to see into the future of others. Anecdotally, Ni only allows one to see into their own future.  This in itself, is quite a wild theory, but there may be some truth to it… For me, ideally, my Ni works with my Extroverted Thinking (Te). With Ni and Te combined, it allows me to filter these ideas that randomly pop up into my head, and take the good from the bad.

Oddly enough, (and this goes for all types, not just INTJs) the Parent Function (In an INTJ’s case, Te) doesn’t typically start to develop until their mid to late twenties. Personally, my Te Parent didn’t start to develop until recently (early to mid thirties.) There were periods of my life where my Hero/ Parent loop was in effect, but for the most part, I was always stuck in the good ol’ Ni-Fi loop (Introverted Intuition and Introverted Feeling.) When in the Ni-Fi Loop, typically an INTJ will make foolish, and even selfish choices that are not in their best interest. Throughout my life.  I have made some horrendous decisions. However if I never made these choices, I never would have, for example, my son; nor would I ever have come to begin this blog. I can’t help but wonder, did my Intuition lead me here on purpose? Was it destiny?

Extraverted Thinking (Te)

In the section above, I touched on Extraverted Thinking (Te) a bit. It’s quite interesting how Te compares to Introverted Thinking (Ti.) Ti is original thought, where Te is usually an amalgamation of original thoughts combined. Te users feed off Ti users. In fact, all extraverted functions feed off introverted functions,  but more on that another time. Rational Thinkers tend to go off data or statistics, so a Te user may end up being wrong. It’s not to say a Ti user can’t be wrong, there have been plenty of instances where I’ve corrected Ti users.

If you read my first article, I stated that I get most of my information from C.S. Joesph’s Youtube Channel.  While I agree with  a lot of what he says, I do disagree with a lot of his thoughts on Te. I believe Chase overgeneralizes Te users. Chase states that Te users value credentials, and people in powerful positions  more than Ti users. Personally, I don’t care much for credentials,  but I have seen Ti users overvalue someone with a degree for instance, a lot more than I would ever value them. 

Update: I actually wrote this blog years ago. Over time I have grown to see what a fraud that C.S. Joseph is. He is actually an ENFP aka a Te user. I think conmen like him start by giving something that is true and is of value only to later distort things to work as a part of their ploy to manipulate others.

I’d say education, for the most part, is a scam. A scam designed to siphon money from citizens to keep them in debt. If a government keeps its people in debt, then it makes it that much harder for them to start their own businesses and other ventures. This form of debt slavery funnels people to work for corporations and just end up being another cog in the wheel. Perhaps it’s safer to say that many Te users find comfort in getting information from credentialed persons, but it is quite unfair  to say that all Te users value credentials, degrees, certificates, titles more than a Ti user would.

To get back on point, Te Parent combines with Ni Hero giving an INTJ the ability to sort and absorb data rather quickly. Not only does Te filter out the good ideas from the bad, it picks relevant data from what’s irrelevant. Te can take an okay idea, or even a terrible idea, and turn it into a great idea. Te gives an INTJ the ability to cherry pick what is, and isn’t important from Ti users. Fine tuning them to make a concept more efficient and practical. It’s important to add that an INTJ should surround themselves with high Ti users (such as INTPs and ENTPs). Reading is a great way for an INTJ to develop Te. This is how an INTJ, or any Te user develops their Te function, which allows them to grow and mature.

Introverted Feeling (Fi)

The second part of the Ni-Fi loop, Introverted Feeling is the 3rd function in an INTJ’s Cognitive Stack, or the Child Function. Fi is the origin of a person’s morality, or how one feels they should conduct themselves on an individual level. Many see Fi users as more selfish than Fe users, and in ways, this is correct. Fi is how a person feels on a personal level, compared to how Extraverted Feelers can pick up on the emotions of others, namely Fi users. People with Fi often make decisions based on deep moralistic values. Ideally, an INTJ will typically use their Te, unless it hasn’t been developed yet. That’s not to say there isn’t room for emotional decisions when the time to be empathetic comes.

Making decisions based on Fi rather than Te is what can get an INTJ, (or any Te-Fi user.) in trouble. I’ve touched on the Ni-Fi loop before, but it is the result of an underdeveloped Te. An INTJs Introverted Intuition will pop an idea into their heads, but rather than fact check it, an Immature INTJ, or even a stressed INTJ may just go off what they feel rather than what intuitively, should be the best idea. As of late, I have been falling into this trap due to the stress of losing my job, and having difficulty finding employment. In the past, this has come to bite me in the ass on more than one occasion. 

It’s safe to say that many INTJs have a difficult time establishing relationships on all fronts, probably more so in a romantic sense. With me being almost 35, it's somewhat of a shame to say that I only have had two serious relationships, and they have both been disastrous. Though how bad these relationships may have been, I can’t say that I regret them, as the latter resulted in the birth of my son. This is a conundrum that we all face. Can I help a young INTJ develop their Te, preventing them from making such mistakes? Or is it of necessity for young INTJs to make these mistakes to grow and learn?

Extraverted Sensing (Se)

Extraverted Sensing is one’s awareness of their physical environment. The higher the Se in any of the  MBTI types, generally means a higher mechanical aptitude. Se allows a user to manipulate their surroundings with ease. This may be arguable, but I’d say a high Se keeps someone in the moment, and gives them the ability to think on their feet and react quickly, providing a higher rate of athleticism. Generally, high Se users have a short temper. For many instances, I’m no exception to that rule. Se is in the 4th slot, or the inferior/aspirational slot. Se Inferior gives an INTJ (and INFJ) performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is similar to stage fright, but it’s not necessarily a public performance. 

INxJs are the rarest types out there, and with rarity comes misunderstanding. INxJs often struggle to find a group or a clan that is supportive and encouraging of them. Being so different leads to what others perceive as odd, or insane behavior. The simplest things that other types may not even realize what they are doing could be foreign to an INTJ. On the other side of the coin, an INTJ may do something that is second nature to them, and others see it as strange. I’m not trying to over mystify Ni heroes, but we do seem to resonate on different frequencies than most. We often live on the fringes of society, and this is not conducive of anyone’s mental health. INxJs often bear the burden of conformity, and this doesn’t sit right with us. There may be some self sacrifice involved if an INTJ wishes to participate with fellow humans, but it's not impossible.

Turning the Se Inferior into Se Aspirational is one of the biggest challenges for an INTJ to overcome. If an INTJ can vanquish this fear, they can access their Subconscious, bringing an INTJ true happiness.  Se Inferior is a form of stage fright, or so to speak. If not encouraged to tackle this fear from a young age, an INTJ can develop very high anxiety and low self esteem. The biggest contributing factor may be due to Ne Nemesis (I’ll discuss this later on in more detail.)  With Se Inferior and Ne Nemesis combined leads me to believe this is what gives an INTJ such a deep mistrust of people,leading to paranoia. I think it’s safe to say that most INTJs do not like sharing personal matters, but this blog is an attempt to develop my Se to become an aspirational ESFP.

Conclusion

Seeing this is only my second article, I haven’t quite developed a format on how I’m going to release content as of yet. Until I get the hang of it, I plan on releasing an article every other week. This article itself will at least be a two-parter. The next part will be going into the INTJ’s Unconscious, or their ENTP Shadow. One of the most frustrating aspects of the Myers-Briggs system is it totally negates the other three sides of the mind. As previously mentioned, I recently lost my job,which makes raising  a 3-year-old by myself quite the challenge. It seems I lack  fresh and reliable source material that’s accessible to my budget. Not trying to pimp him out or anything, but C.S. Joseph seems to be the most researched of the sources that I’ve found, but they are primarily videos, and I feel that isn’t the best way to learn. If anyone is reading this, let me know what you think, and where I can improve.