I have had an itch to write this for a bit now, and decided I will go ahead and give it a shot. As classified by the Myers-Briggs personality test, I am an INTJ. I am not going to bore you with a lengthy and drawn out description, but I can tell you that it essentially describes someone who observes and plans, rather than actively engaging and reacting. More on this later, or tomorrow, I don’t know, whenever, we’ll get there. For now, I thought that it would be fun to just share some observations that I’ve made about myself, and maybe they also apply to you or even those around you. By the way, it is important to note that I have a strong belief that no personality type is better or worse than any other. Each has their strengths, and without those strengths our world wouldn’t function as it does.

Doing that thinking thing.

You've probably seen INTJs do it a lot, heck you do it yourself. It’s that moment right before you snap out of a long starring session with that blank spot on the wall. That moment when you are so enveloped in thoughts, memories, or dreams that the world around you seems to pass on by without you even noticing it’s doing so. For most, this probably happens when things are boring, or dull. Like a long lecture, or a boring documentary. For others, like me, this actually happens at almost any time. This can be troublesome, because that often means you miss out on a good joke, a chance to make a joke, or even the important things like creating memories. It’s ironic though, since usually it seems as though the thinking, is actually contemplating the next “right” thing to say. Here’s a secret; there’s usually not a “right” joke, comment or question, and if there is, you’ll probably be thinking so hard that you’ll miss the chance to say it anyways. I’m only critical because I’m talking about myself, and happen to believe that there are others who feel similar things about this thinking thing.

The Solution: I’ll let you in on another secret; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The best way for me to think about it though, is that it is not a weakness to be observant and logical. Sometimes it’s a terrific asset. However, it’s crucial to remember that in some cases, the best way to observe is to experience. And yes, that may just mean you say the “wrong” thing. But it would be a shame to not say one-hundred “right” things if it means the possibility of saying one “wrong” thing.