INTP

INTPs present a cool exterior but are privately passionate about reason, analysis, and innovation. They seek to create complex systems of understanding to unify the principles they've observed in their environments. Their minds are complicated and active, and they will go to great mental lengths trying to devise ingenious solutions to interesting problems.

The INTP is typically non-traditional, and more likely to reason out their own individual way of doing things than to follow the crowd. The INTP is suspicious of assumptions and conventions, and eager to break apart ideas that others take for granted. INTPs are merciless when analyzing concepts and beliefs, and hold little sacred. They are often baffled by other people who remain loyal to ideology that doesn't make logical sense.

INTPs are often thoroughly engaged in their own thoughts, and usually appear to others to be offbeat and unconventional. The INTP’s mind is a most active place, and their inward orientation can mean that they neglect superficial things like home décor or appropriate clothing. They don’t tend to bother with small talk but can become downright passionate when talking about science, mathematics, computers, or the larger theoretical problems of the universe. Reality is often of only passing interest to the Architect, as they are more interested in the theory behind it all. INTPs are typically precise in their speech, and communicate complex ideas with carefully chosen words. They insist on intellectual rigor in even the most casual of conversations, and will readily point out inconsistencies of thought or reasoning. Social niceties may fall by the wayside for an INTP who is more interested in analyzing logic, and they may offend others by submitting their dearly held values and beliefs to logical scrutiny.

INTP is one of the less common types in the population. INTPs make up:

• 4.8% of the general population
• 5.8% of men
• 4% of women

Famous INTPs include:

• Albert Einstein
• Kristen Stewart
• Elon Musk 
• Tina Fey
• Jesse Eisenberg
• Rene Descartes
• Charles Darwin
• Marie Curie
• Socrates
• Abraham Lincoln

Interesting facts about the INTP:

• On personality trait measures, score as Candid, Ingenious, Complicated, Independent, and Rebellious
• More likely than other types to study a foreign language
• Most frequent type among college students committing alcohol and drug policy violations
• Have lowest level of coping resources of all the types (with ISTPs)
• One of types least likely to believe in a higher spiritual power
• Highest of all types in career dissatisfaction (with INFPs)
• In school, have lower grades than would be predicted from aptitude scores
• More likely than average to complete engineering programs
• Personal values include Autonomy, Freedom, and Independence
• Overrepresented among working MBA students
• Commonly found in science and technical occupations

Popular leisure activities for an INTP include reading, art and cultural events, chess and other strategy games, writing, taking classes, working with computers, backpacking, hiking, and meditation.