What Is The INTP Personality Type?

The INTP personality type is one of the most recognizable and sought-after personalities in the Myer Briggs personality test spectrum. They are highly creative and always want to take a different path to experiencing life than their peers. But why are they so unconventional and what makes them so unique? We can only know that by decoding them from head to toe.

What Is The INTP Personality Type? Everything You Need To Know

INTP stands for Introverted, Intuition, Thinking and Prospecting. All of these big words mean that this personality type shows traits of having an introverted nature combined with an intuitive thought process that helps them come up with solutions on the fly. Their experimenting nature and creativity can help find them unique solutions to problems that most peers could not even think of.

However, they are not just tied down to things limited to the earth. Their wondrous minds naturally leads them to think about the universe, the stars and life. That is why, most philosophers have been INTPs. Even in fiction, INTP characters have stolen the show more than other characters. Because of how dynamic their inner world is, these personality types prefer to be left alone and work towards bringing their thoughts to life most of the time.

Also Read: INTP Fictional Characters in Anime, Films, TV Shows and More

INTP Strengths And Weaknesses

A girl thinking
(Image via Anthony Tran)

The INTP Personality Type is not without its strength and weaknesses. While these personalities do enjoy isolating themselves to work on their creative outlet, it can lead to them experiencing major loneliness down the line.

INTP Strengths

There are 3 to 5 things INTPs excel at. These are their strengths which help them stand out in a crowd and carve their own way.

  • Curiosity: Their curiosity to explore the deepest confines of the unknown and know everything under the sun is what sets them apart from the other personality types. Due to this quality, the INTP personality type will have a wide variety of interests ranging from psychology to guitar playing, to astronomy to personal finance.
  • Analytical Though Process: Their ‘think on their feet’ attitude allows them to have creative solutions to problems they encounter. In addition, their intelligence can help them spot overlooked patterns which can help in coming up with a solution.
  • Honesty: These personality types know how to decode information and pull out the truth. That is why, they are always reliable when it comes to expecting honest answers.

INTP Weaknesses

No personality type is without its weaknesses and the INTPs are no exception. Here are things the INTP personality type should be aware of.

  • Frequent Overthinkers: These personality types overthink quite a lot on most things ranging from solutions to problems and even what they want to do in regards to their creative outlook. This overthinking can lead to inaction.
  • Perfectionism: This is one of the biggest enemies of most personality types. Due to their creativity, the INTPs can fall prey to creating something perfect. The need to do it without any mistakes can cause them to not the project they desperately want to work towards.
  • Impatience: They hope for an ideal result right after starting something new. In addition to demanding ideal results, they also can’t stomach if people do not understand their vision right off the bat.

Also Read: INTJ vs INTP: What Are They and 8 Ways You Can Tell the Difference

INTP Relationships: Navigating Their Colorful Inner World

Relationships with INTPs can be quite colorful once they trust you fully. They will come up with different date ideas and take part in various hobbies to keep you entertained and make you feel special. Although, they do have a tendency to vanish into their own little world from time to time so partners will need to find a way to navigate that.

INTPs hesitate quite a lot to make new friends or enter relationships. However, if one shows genuine interest in them, they will go above and beyond to ensure that the other person feels loved and special.

Signs That You Are An INTP

a person painting
(Image via Marty O Neil on Unsplash)

Here are some signs that can tell you if you are an INTP or not. You can use these signs to find an INTP amidst you as well.

You Have A Creative Outlet

INTPs have a creative outlet and tend to bring out their emotions and feelings through their work. Expect them to be artists, videographers, writers and anything that requires making something.

You Love Abstract Concepts, Theories And Ideas

Superficial talk does not excite you. You like to talk about philosophical ideas, universal concepts and theories about how complex the world is and how you fit in it.

Logic And Reasoning Are Your Tools

You prefer to analyze everything around you and use logic to decode why and how situations go wrong. Sometimes, this also leads to analysis paralysis.

You Think For Yourself And Don’t Conform To Society’s Norms

These personality types are free thinkers and tend to come up with their own conclusion rather than follow society’s standards of right or wrong.

The Verdict

That is all you need to know about the INTP personality type. They are quite a handful and have the most creative minds. To know more about the MBTI personalities, give a lookover at the Encyclopedia of Personalities page.