WTF is wrong with my INTJ

Some days I feel like I have every answer to this question. On other days I feel like I have none of the answers to this question.

The INTJ archetype, as a type, is super troubling in lots of ways. So I think part of the key to the most relevant set of answers to this question is figuring out where your INTJ differs, or enjoys differing, from that archetype.

What’s the best career for INTJs?

Oooh! TOTALLY become an economist. Wait, no. IT guy. No…no, I’ve got it! Web developer. Oh! Financial strategist. Well, or a professor.

OK. Professor, there you go. Just be really careful in how you communicate, professor. INTJs can fall into that “empathy blind spot” quite easily. So, be kind to people. Try to be gentle.

Well actually, that makes me think…you’ll need to learn to be less of an INTJ in a lot of important ways. That’s relevant to your career for sure. The same is true of life in general…

Huh. Well actually if THAT’s true, then maybe you could do…almost anything? The question of work itself becomes more of an exercise in creativity, open-mindedness, growth, change, and hopefully even fun…

I’ll probably write more about this later…

A lot of times you are critical of INTJs. I feel like some of the things you say are harsh, but INTJs are just people, and we’re not all that bad.

This might come from my having been a pretty unhealthy INTJ myself. I was frightened, desperate, paranoid, critical, selfish, rude, and a bunch of other embarrassing things. That was a relevant part of my life journey.

If you are feeling the heat, I admit that I have a lot to say to my past self. If it feels too harsh, please know that I’m probably not talking about you, or to you. But I also have a lot of good stuff to say about INTJs, and I try to highlight those things here when I can.

Do you think personality type is real?

Nope.

Well, yep. But also nope.

The nope part makes it really fun to write about.

What’s your favorite book?

It might be Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman. That book sang lullabies to me until I finally swallowed it whole at about 38 years of age. I don’t find myself reading it as often now, because it’s fortunately become part of me forever. But I read it more times than I read holy scripture, and I used to be a missionary…

I’m a very ambitious INTJ. What’s one tip I should…

No…no…please. Don’t do this to yourself. Stick around, read, digest. Commit.

What’s your favorite strategy game?

I have a few ongoing military strategy campaigns. I am some kind of cross between a simulationist and a strategist, so these are more like improvisations.

These days I find that I really like the story, and the people, so I’m less of a strategist than I ever was…

I mostly use strategy at work, where I help people strategize prior to important decisions, or meetings, or planning sessions.

That’s all for now! Enjoy the week.

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