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captain, Bowditch performed a navigation feat that would have been considered utter lunacy for
anyone with less navigational skill. But as we shall see, when an INTJ has thought a problem
through to their satisfaction, they have a surprising amount of confidence in their conclusion—more
so than the rest of humanity would.
In his last voyage, Dr. Bowditch arrived off the coast [of Massachusetts] in mid-winter, and in the height
of a violent north-east snow-storm. He had been unable to get an observation for a day or two, and felt
very anxious and uneasy at the dangerous situation of the vessel. At the close of the afternoon of
December 25, he came on deck, and took the whole management of the ship into his own hands. Feeling
very confident where the vessel was, he kept his eyes directed towards the light on Baker's Island, at the
entrance of Salem harbor. Fortunately, in the interval between two gusts of wind, the fall of snow became
less dense than before, and he thus obtained a glimpse of the light of which he was in search. It was seen
by but one other person, and in the next instant all was again impenetrable darkness. Confirmed,
however, in his previous convictions, he now kept on the same course, entered the harbor, and finally in
safety.
His biography notes that "Upon this occasion, he had given his orders with the same decision and
preciseness as if he saw all objects around, and thus inspired the sailors with the confidence which
he felt himself. One of them, who was twenty years older than his captain, exclaimed, 'Our old man
goes ahead as if it was noon-day!'" When he appeared in town, the ship's owners were aghast and
immediately sprang to the conclusion that their ship had been wrecked. They had to be persuaded
at length that this was not the case.
So here we see an example of the INTJ confidence, calmness and leadership ability. Their
resolution and composure can have a powerful effect on their followers.
Teaching
When Bowditch was seven, he had the privilege of attending the best school in the town of Salem.
There was a dictionary and, "Each day, the scholars were called upon to spell aloud, all together, in
chorus, the word honorificabilitudinity; spelling and pronouncing the first syllable, then the two
first, three first, &c., which process, applied to the whole word, of course occupied several
minutes." (Bowditch, 1839) He stayed in this school for three years before his father called him
back home to help with the family business (barrel-making). I suspect it was this early schooling
that taught Bowditch how not to teach.
Keirsey has noted that Rationals are good teachers for advanced students, but tend to lack the
patience to deal slower students. 155 This is true for the most part; one seldom sees Rationals
teaching at high school level or below, 156 whereas they crowd the faculty of universities. 157 Newton
(INTJ) had little interest in teaching and did it as little as possible. However, Bowditch was an
exception to this rule. He had a knack for grabbing a high branch and pulling it down so that less
gifted people could pluck fruit.
During his days as a sailor, he taught his fellow seamen--even the cabin boy and the black cook--
how to calculate the notoriously difficult lunar observations used for navigation. The result was
impressive. On a voyage to the Philippines, the ship passed through a monsoon and arrived safely
in Manilla Bay:
[When Bowditch's captain was] asked how he contrived to find his way, in the face of a north-east
monsoon, by mere dead-reckoning, [he] replied, "that he had a crew of twelve men, every one of whom
155 Keirsey, 1998
156 Hoffman & Betkouski in Kent & Fisher, 1997
157 DiTibeiro; Sears, Kennedy, & Kaye in Beckham 2012