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• Somewhat egocentric; referred to himself in third person (NT arrogance)<br />
• Was an outstanding member of the Belgian police before becoming an independent<br />
consultant. (The modern police force is mainly ST, SJ, and to a lesser extent, NT.) 287<br />
• On vacation, he preferred to arrange detailed plans well in advance rather than doing things<br />
spontaneously (J)<br />
• Extreme liking for symmetry, tidiness, and order—mental or physical (J)<br />
"his neat, orderly mind"<br />
• Disliked travel (INTJs are the NT type least interested in "international opportunities" as a<br />
job characteristic.) 288<br />
• Typically had a grave and serious demeanor (Male INTJs favored)<br />
Everyone has heard of Agatha Christie, queen of the mystery genre. Her first published novel, A<br />
Mysterious Affair at Styles, (read here) centered around an INTJ detective named Hercule Poirot.<br />
Although nowhere near as OCPD as Monk, Poirot did have many of the same traits. In the<br />
paragraph below, for example, we learn of his Monkish habits of straightening and cleaning.<br />
An extraordinary little man... He was neat and dandified in appearance. For neatness of any kind he had<br />
an absolute passion. To see an ornament set crooked, or a speck of dust, or a slight disarray in one's attire<br />
was torture to the little man until he could ease his feelings by remedying the matter. "Order" and<br />
"Method" were his gods. He had a certain disdain for tangible evidence, such as footprints and cigarette<br />
ash, and would maintain that, taken by themselves, they would never enable a detective to solve a<br />
problem. Then he would tap his egg-shaped head with absurd complacency, and remark with great<br />
satisfaction, "The true work, it is done from within. The little gray cells—remember always the little gray<br />
cells, mon ami!"<br />
The preference for mental work rather than hands on work is characteristic of INTJ detectives.<br />
Poirot was a great champion of the mind, or as he put it, "the little gray cells." This is a<br />
considerably different style from that of say, Sherlock Holmes. Whereas Holmes was like an<br />
energetic ping pong ball bouncing around London hunting down clues and suspects, Poirot was a<br />
spider perched in the center of a web—the Professor Moriarty of justice, so to speak. From his<br />
mental vantage point, he would build up a model of the puzzle using pure logic. But what about the<br />
need to hunt for clues? Poirot dismissed the idea, stating, "Sitting at ease in our own arm-chairs, we<br />
see things that these others overlook." He was sort of like a psychological chess master, watching<br />
with steepled fingers to see how his leads would progress.<br />
In many type circles there is something of a stereotype that INTJs are cold, hard, and inhuman.<br />
Certainly this can be the case, but generally it fails to apply. Poirot was a kind, mild-mannered<br />
Belgian gentleman. Because he was seldom harsh or critical, people tended to trust him, and they<br />
would take him into their confidence in personal matters. He additionally had an excellent<br />
understanding of human nature after a career of working on the police force. One has the feeling,<br />
however, that this understanding was intellectual—the result of long experience—rather than<br />
instinctual.<br />
Symmetry, Symmetry, Symmetry<br />
Let's look at some examples of Poirot's OCPD. In some ways, his symptoms were more dramatic<br />
than Monk's: he chose to buy a house because he liked the geometrical shape of the architecture.<br />
His decor also reflected his liking for symmetry: "Hercule Poirot sat in a square chair in front of the<br />
287 Hennessy, 1999; Myers & Myers, 1980<br />
288 Myers, McCaulley, Quenk & Hammer, 1998
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