Short Descriptions:

       "Theme is strategizing, envisioning, and masterminding. Talents lie in defining goals, creating detailed plans, and outlining contingencies. Devise strategy, give structure, establish complex plans to reach distant goals dictated by a strong vision of what is needed in the long run. Thrive on putting theories to work and are open to any and all ideas that can be integrated into the complex systems they seek to understand. Drive themselves hard to master what is needed to make progress toward goals." ³

       "Usually have original minds and great drive for their own ideas and purposes. In fields that appeal to them, they have a fine power to organize a job and carry it out with or without help. Skeptical, critical, independent determined, sometimes stubborn. Must learn to yield less important points in order to win the most important."⁴

       "INTJs take their energy from the inner world of thoughts and ideas. They prefer dealing with patterns and possibilities for the future, and making decisions using impersonal analysis. Their life is organized on a logical basis. They are strategists, identifying long term goals and organizing life to meet them. They tend to be skeptical and critical, both of self and others, with a keen sense of deficiencies in quality and competence. They often have a strong intellect, yet are able to attend to details that are relevant to the strategy.
       INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. They are insightful and mentally quick; however, this mental quickness may not always be outwardly apparent to others since they keep a great deal to themselves. They are very determined people who trust their vision of the possibilities, regardless of what others think. They may even be considered the most independent of all the sixteen personality types. They are at their best in quietly and firmly developing their ideas, theories, and principles."⁵

       "For INTJs the dominant force in their lives is their attention to the inner world of possibilities, symbols, abstractions, images, and thoughts. Insight in conjunction with logical analysis is the essence of their approach to the world; they think systemically. Ideas are the substance of life for INTJs and they have a driving need to understand, to know, and to demonstrate competence in their areas of interest. INTJs inherently trust their insights, and with their task-orientation will work intensely to make their visions into realities"⁶

       "INTJs direct their energy towards the inner world of thoughts and emotions. They use their imaginations to come up with new ideas, possibilities and perspectives. They often organize their lives on a logical basis, and produce plans and strategies to put their ideas into practice."⁷

       "The theme is contemplation. Dictated by a strong vision, they devise strategy and establish complex plans fro the future. Philosophical thinkers with highly focused concentration. Unimpressed with titles. Naturally high achievers and academics."⁸

       "Cool, formal and independent. Intellectual, logical, and skeptical. Complex, and challenging with a sometimes superior attitude. Conservative dressers with an individual look. Tips for communicating with INTJ: Appeal to their creativity and innovation. Base your arguments on logical reasoning. Be organized and avoid errors than undermine your competence." ⁹

The Negative Side of INTJ

       "One of your problems is that your facial expressions and demeanor do not always reflect your real feelings. This often leads others to think of you as a cold and distant person. You also tend to loose contact with people that you have made emotional connections with. Another of your problems is an inability to push your talents and make others aware of it. Your often absent self-confidence amplifies the problem. Sometimes you lack determination and do not adapt very well to rapidly changing life situations. This often makes your already difficult life worse. You often need outside stimulation when beginning new projects." ¹⁰

INTJ Under STRESS

       "INTJs' precision thinking and need for accuracy causes them to be inflexible at times. Having thought out a strategy, the INTJ may stubbornly disregard those who they think have not spent as much time reflecting on an idea as they have. This, along with their drive to produce something significant, can make them demanding and difficult. If their plans and solutions fall short of their high standards, INTJ's feel pressured as if everything is on the line."Everything," for an INTJ, is the competence and ability to produce something significant. Fear of not living up to this expectation will increase their stress and possibly dissuade them from risking or trying out their ideas. They may then find themselves thinking about ideas that do not have a meaningful or productive end.
       When stress increases, the INTJ can become argumentative and disagreeable. Social interaction, which is not their strength, becomes increasingly difficult for them. Not trusting their own abilities, they become preoccupied with obsessive notions. The INTJ may then find themselves spending an inordinate amount of time fighting horrible thoughts, tempting absurdities, and feelings of worthlessness. Fearful of others recognizing their perceived failure, the INTJ incessantly ruminates about mistakes, inadequacies, weaknesses, ineptness, and incompetence. Because this distracts them from risking what little confidence they may have left in themselves, it therefore keeps them from obtaining the success and achievement they so desperately need." ¹¹

       "Under great stress, INTJs may overindulge in Sensing activities such as watching TV reruns, playing cards, overeating, or become overly focuses on specific details in their environment that they normally do not notice or usually see as unimportant (housekeeping, organizing cupboards)."¹²

Stress Management for INTJ (Feeding the Fourth)

       Do activities that require you to ask, "How can I get sensory pleasure from this?" in a subjective, emotionally aware manner, such as inviting a friend along to enjoy Natural Splendor