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In this episode Joel and Antonia dive deep into the needs and challenges of the INTP personality type.
In this podcast on the INTP personality type you’ll find:
INTP – Accuracy/Exploration in Genius system
INTPs have a crucial role that they play in our society. That task may seem a little thankless, which helps us understand some of the challenges they face.
Deep down inside, INTPs care more than they let on.
The Driver for INTP is Introverted Thinking (Ti), which we have nicknamed “Accuracy.”
What makes analytical sense? Decision-making process.
Driver = Flow State = the most rewarding thing you can do.
Ti works the best when it is without social obligation.
The opposite of Ti is Fe “Harmony.” Fe is about connecting and social interaction.
INTPs in the survey revealed their greatest challenge was in connecting with other people.
Copilot – Ne “Exploration” – is pattern recognition. Interaction with the environment without being attached to any outcome. A zoomed out process that allows you to explore your terrain.
Podcast Introverted Intuition vs Extraverted Intuition
When Ti and Ne are combined it is a fascinating combo of zooming in (Ti – surgical approach to data) and zoomed out (Ne – an overall view of patterns).
Together, these cognitive functions create radically new ideas.
Creating patterns and frameworks and architecting new maps and models requires them to be a bit destructive – like Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.
Ti works the best when removed from the social bias component.
Emotional connection influences info.
INTPs often show up saying things that other people don’t want to hear, which is their gift to the world.
They are the great destroyer of outdated paradigms or untruths.
INTPs will always look for the strictest vetting process in their chosen field.
We are such social creatures we don’t appreciate it when people call us on our BS/Belief Systems.
We make extraordinary technical strides when we overturn the social norm.
INTPs break things down to their fundamental nature and depersonalize them.
Sometimes frameworks only get so far, and they get stuck because they run out of new frameworks for ideas.
The copilot process for INTPs is Extraverted Intuition, which we have nicknamed “Exploration.”
Exploration gives INTPs access to bigger frameworks and increases their territory, so they have more structures to hang fresh data on.
It is imperative for INTPs to grow their Exploration process.
The alternative is to stick with what you already know. If you don’t take in more territory, your framework may be radically off because you are missing a vital piece of info that’s just outside your existing territory.
Exploration allows INTPs to go out and experience things. Travel is essential to INTPs.
Going outside their comfort zone is imperative. All growth happens outside the comfort zone.
Sometimes we graft our identity to old pieces of info and INTPs overturn the things with which we identify.
But the INTP must first go through the uncomfortable terrain of change and challenge before they can do it for others.
INTPs need to be students of experience, life, and interaction.
The Survey revealed the INTPs struggle with a lack of motivation.
The INTPs that have the greatest motivation have decided they are going to bring their gifts to the world.
The more somebody rests on their laurels and holds back the more they feel a lack of inspiration and motivation.
The 10-year-old process is Introverted Sensing, which we have nicknamed “Memory.”.
Memory often means doing the thing that is known and comfortable. Finding a familiar context and staying there perpetually.
Frameworks don’t expand with Si. So, INTPs double down on Ti and continue to clean slice concepts and data until things become absurd. Without the input from Ne, they keep dividing until there’s nothing left.
Emotion is the seat of motivation, which is an INTPs blind spot. If INTPs double down on their thinking process, they avoid the emotions that will get them motivated.
Emotion is about finding the meaning behind things.
Exploration helps expand frameworks of mind and increase the narratives with which INTPs work.
Why does the data matter?
Ne gives meaning to the data. Without meaning, there is no motivation.
To see the narratives of our lives we need to zoom out.
Get outside yourself and explore beyond your comfort zone.
INTPs can have belief systems.
INTPs love absurd humor. Monty Python. Sketch comedy.
Even falling in love is nothing but a narrative.
INTPS who do the best are the ones who connect with other people through contribution.
INTPs can appear cynical because society doesn’t always honor their gift of radical honesty.
The natural state of an INTP is to be childlike and approach life with wonder and curiosity. Then they get the message that they are unacceptable which leads to cynicism.
Nobody can sustain a feeling of brokenness indefinitely. They either become depressed or resentful.
“You are not broken.”
“You are okay.”
We are seeing more and more media acknowledging the role of geeks and people who influence our technological world.
We see their contribution, but they are harder to reconcile in our day to day life.
We love truth. It reverberates through our spinal cord.
Society is getting ready for entering into a space of radical honesty, but it still means pushing people outside their comfort zones.
Modern technology is forcing us into a state of transparency; most technology is invented by INTPs.
The more INTPs show up as doing their job of being radically honest, the more we will head toward transparency as a society.
In the past, honesty brought death.
We can’t have real harmony without radical honesty, and we can’t have radical honesty without the need to connect with others.
The 3-year-old process is Extraverted Feeling (Fe), which we have nicknamed “Harmony.”
Healthy INTPs can become almost worshiped. They show up with so much credibility. They haven’t rejected Fe, they made it part of their aspiration and decided to use it to make others happy. Their intent is positive.
Podcast How To Love Yourself
Agape – Principled love. We are all in this together.
INTP men/women at the top of their game have many admirers.
Sometimes by solving problems for themselves, an INTP can find a way to solve for a larger demographic.
Female INTPs feel isolated because most women are Fe dominant, and men are usually looking for women to behave a certain way.
Spend more time in your copilot and understand why you struggle to fit in. Then go and find the context that will appreciate you for your gifts.
INTP women are polarizing. Birds of paradise. Not everyone’s going to love you, but some will and they are looking for you.
Pay for the privilege of finding your tribe. Conventions, Seminars, Cons, etc.
Online communities. Reddit.
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98 comments
Thank you so much for thepodcast. You have no idea how this highlighted a lot of things for me.
The idea of how female INTPs can overcome their unique challenges in communication by learning how certain acts/behaviours can induce more favorable responses is spot on. This had been a problem for me during highschool; I couldn’t relate with other girls easily. The strong urge to stay in a clique of sisterhood, for example, baffled me before I learnt the why/how this particular social activity is do important to some. This learning process helped me to slowly adapt to what once foreign to me as long as I’m willing to put myself into the circle.
I can relate with the cheerful, child-like attitude as Joel described earlier in the podcast. For me, this attitude only appears when I feel comfortable with the people I’m surrounded with at the moment and I’m free to share my ideas with willing listeners. It’s a startling side for others who aren’t used to seeing me with my guards dropped. I’m not sure if I did became others’ darling or anything, but it seems that people are more receptive when this attitude surfaces.
That said, dropping off my guard to allow this cheery side rising would mean I’d be more receptive to emotional pain when facing critisim. It’s logical for some INTPs preferred to show cynicism, because they wanted to nullify the potential pain. We don’t often have the best method on handling intense emotions, thus it’s easier for us to avoid confronting the potential rejections when we share accuracy function to others. The underappreciated feeling can be overwhelming.
On Exploration/Ne function for INTPs, I wonder if this can be a potential for any INTPs to be polymaths? I know, from reading the various forums on the Internet, that INTPs tend to have a wide range of interests for themselves that often most came off with above average competencies. Theoretically, if the INTP found the right motivation and enough discipline- being a polymath won’tbe a far-fatched reality.
I have a hunch that most modern and well-known religious studies scholars are likely to be INTPs. I know it’s strange since INTPs are more likely to subscribe with agnostic/atheistic views, but I think INTPs are the ones who would understand better of the concepts and nuances in religions. Besides, who would do better than INTPs on breaking to the masses of followers that they may have been doing some wrongs in worshipping all this while? They’re more willing to question than to just mindlessly follow, so what looks radical by the common followers may seems necessary (? I’m running out of words to describe this) to INTPs.
Many of my successes with the opposite sex (don’t misread the “many” to mean I’ve been a regular Don Juan marking notches in my bed post) have seemed to happen almost by accident. Whether the fact that I’m fairly comfortable with my sexuality had any positive effect is uncertain, but I’d say that my odd wit and sense of humor, as well as somewhat detached aloofness have somehow worked to my advantage in the past.
I like Antonia’s comments regarding society being ready for accuracy. My theory regarding personality types is that intuitives, in general, and INTPs, in particular, exist as catalysts to draw society’s attention to truth and alternative possibilities.
I think you can look back at various points in human history and see supposed INTP philosophers, scientists, politicians, artists and thinkers showing up at critical times, whether it be a Lincoln, Einstein, or Sanders.
Great podcast!
I have another podcast suggestion- often as introverts (I am INTP) we are often coached on how we can adapt to the world. Is it possible to unpack how extroverts can adapt to introverts? How can specific types relate to one another (How does an ENFJ relate to an INTJ for example)? I guess in other words, how can we help the world adapt to us so that there is a win-win situation for everyone?
As an INTP this podcast was extremely helpful and uplifting for me. Thank you to you both for taking the time to think about and analyze this.
I would totally agree – being charming won’t get you laid as a dude. It will get your foot in the door, however, and then it’s up to the individual to figure out the next step using strategies like you mentioned (thanks for the reference, btw).
I cut my internet marketing teeth learning from Eben Pagan and so watched/read a ton of David DeAngelo stuff. Even though I’m a woman I could see how much skill was represented in what he was teaching, especially when he graduated to his “Man Transformation” content. People have to get comfortable being social, and people have to get comfortable with their sexuality. They can be worked on separately or at the same time. I think working on them at the same time is optimal.
Thanks for the comment!
A