personality

For a project I just finished I pulled out some temperament descriptors that fit someone like me who's code is INTP, I copied some of them here for fun. I got them from this website. They don't all describe me perfectly, and there are much more on the site that I didn't transfer here because of space limitations, but I thought it might be interesting to share. If you take the Meyers-Briggs or already know your code, go to the site linked above and read through the narrative descriptors, you may be surprised by what you learn. Post your description narrative in the comments if you dare.

INTP's

-Have a major interest is in figuring out structure, building, configuration -- the spatiality of things.

-Only when forced to by circumstance do they allow themselves to take charge of activities, and they exit the role as soon as they can without injuring the enterprise.

-Have as a distant goal to rearrange the environment somehow, to shape, to construct, to devise, whether it be buildings, institutions, enterprises, or theories.

-Are pensive, analytical folks. They may venture so deeply into thought as to seem detached, and often actually are oblivious to the world around them.

-Precise about their descriptions, will often correct others (or be sorely tempted to) if the shade of meaning is a bit off.

-Are relatively easy-going and amenable to most anything until their principles are violated, about which they may become outspoken and inflexible. They prefer to return, however, to a reserved albeit benign ambiance, not wishing to make spectacles of themselves.

-A major concern is the haunting sense of impending failure. They spend considerable time second-guessing themselves. The open-endedness conjoined with the need for competence is expressed in a sense that one's conclusion may well be met by an equally plausible alternative solution, and that, after all, one may very well have overlooked some critical bit of data. Arguing a point he may very well be trying to convince himself as much as his opposition.

-Thrive on systems. Understanding, exploring, mastering, and manipulating systems can overtake their conscious thought. This fascination for logical wholes and their inner workings is often expressed in a detachment from the environment, a concentration where time is forgotten and extraneous stimuli are held at bay. Accomplishing a task or goal with this knowledge is secondary.

-In seasons of low energy level, or moments of single-minded concentration, is aloof and detached in a way that might even offend more relational or extraverted individuals.

-Feeling tends to be all or none. When present, the concern for others is intense, albeit naive. In a crisis, this feeling judgment is often silenced by the emergence of Thinking, who rushes in to avert chaos and destruction. In the absence of a clear principle, however, they have been known to defer judgment and to allow decisions about interpersonal matters to be left hanging lest someone be offended or somehow injured.

-Live in the world of theoretical possibilities. They see everything in terms of how it could be improved, or what it could be turned into. They live primarily inside their own minds, having the ability to analyze difficult problems, identify patterns, and come up with logical explanations. They seek clarity in everything, and are therefore driven to build knowledge. They are the "absent-minded professors", who highly value intelligence and the ability to apply logic to theories to find solutions.

-Their minds are constantly working to generate new theories, or to prove or disprove existing theories. They approach problems and theories with enthusiasm and skepticism, ignoring existing rules and opinions and defining their own approach to the resolution. They seek patterns and logical explanations for anything that interests them.

-They love new ideas, and become very excited over abstractions and theories. They love to discuss these concepts with others. They may seem "dreamy" and distant to others, because they spend a lot of time inside their minds musing over theories. They hate to work on routine things.

-Do not like to lead or control people. They're very tolerant and flexible in most situations, unless one of their firmly held beliefs has been violated or challenged, in which case they may take a very rigid stance. They are likely to be very shy when it comes to meeting new people. On the other hand, they can be very self-confident and gregarious around people they know well, or when discussing theories which they fully understand.

-They usually have complex characters, and may tend to be restless and temperamental. They are strongly ingenious, and have unconventional thought patterns which allows them to analyze ideas in new ways.

-Is at his best when he can work on his theories independently. When given an environment which supports his creative genius and possible eccentricity, he can accomplish truly remarkable things.

-Using their intuition to process this information, they are usually extremely quick and accurate in their ability to size up a situation.

-They are good at most anything that interests them.