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How to Tell INTJs Apart From INTPs
Before we go any further, we'd better look at the INTJ/INTP dilemma. One question that many
INTs struggle with is, “Am I an INTJ or an INTP?” Even type practitioners themselves can be
uncertain of their own type in this regard.
Type INTP is the type which most resembles INTJ. The resemblance is not merely superficial, but
actually includes deeply held values.
However, many categorize INTJs and INFJs together on the basis of cognitive function theory.
Here is a brief summary of why the cognitive functions are not much good for differentiating
between INTJs and INTPs. (You can read more in Appendix 1.)
A recent study 45 set out to determine what exactly each of the cognitive functions consisted of—i.e.
the researchers set out to determine a standard, agreed-upon definition for each cognitive function.
To do this, they collected 152 descriptive words and phrases used in type literature to describe each
cognitive function and its attitude (i.e. thinking introverted, thinking extraverted, intuition
introverted, intuition extraverted, etc.). 31 type experts—authors, practitioners, trainers—were
called in to review the list and decide which descriptors fit each of the eight function-attitudes.
The experts rated each descriptor's applicability to each function-attitude on a 1 to 5 scale. For 72
of the 152 descriptors, there was an expert consensus that a descriptor primarily matched a unique
function attitude. For the rest of the descriptors, it was found that experts tended to assign the
descriptors equally to two or more function-attitudes, or else didn't agree on any particular functionattitude
at all.
So, how does this apply to type INTJ?
The original list of 152 adjectives included the following 25 descriptors, which type literature
suggested were characteristic of Ni: overlooks details, mystical, trusts the unconscious, conceptual
thinker, dreamy, forward thinking, imaginative, insightful, psychic sensitivity, reads between the
lines, sees multiple perspectives, sees the whole picture, theoretical, thinks in flowing images,
thinks in metaphors, visionary, absent-minded, artistic, forgetful, quiet, strongly individualistic,
individualistic, overcomplexifies, detached, and likes mental models.
45 McPeek & Martin, 2012a; McPeek & Martin, 2012b