Dr. Terry Wahls, a clinical professor of medicine who managed to stall/cure her Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, also lights up my INTJ buttons:

She is doing the “ordinary life magician” performance there. Here’s how that performance is usually carried out:

• The INTJ narrates a very difficult life problem that overtook them
• They walk through their investigation, usually a theory-based deep-dive
• They outline their discoveries and lay out the theory
• They offer striking sensory displays along with their presentation, like photos or stories of unhealthy people or things
• In the end they converge upon one general answer to the problem (as opposed to formulating new questions, for example)
• In broad strokes, they convey that a huge, impressive, positive change is possible—if I can do it, so can you! (The ESFP cheerleading values hiding behind the scientific sharing)

I admit that “uh, ok…sure” is one of my favorite responses to this performance that we INTJs tend to do…sometimes INTJs are just too great of an example for their own good, and the performance itself starts to challenge the audience’s sense of belief and self-regard.

If we really want people to believe in themselves, sometimes we have to remember to give them space to develop a sense of self-regard based on their subjective properties, as opposed to acting as a human sign post and encouraging them in a specific direction. And when it comes down to it, a lot of people really need to feel like it’s OK to be broken, sick, and outcomes-unknown.

Still, the performance is really well done and it’s definitely hope-inspiring if you’ve ever struggled with chronic illness.

In some aspects of her appearance, movement, tone, and speaking style, I would also offer that Dr. Wahls resembles Dr. Jordan Peterson.

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