INTJ vs INTP confusion & mistyping (MBTI)
Main cause of confusion between INTJ and INTP: (Ni + Te) and (Ti) tend to very closely mimic each other when put in practice, that’s why INTJs and INTPs can often mistype themselves.
The way to tell the difference, however, is that if INTJs (Ni + Te) become too passive in their life for long periods of time, they will become very restless and stressed about wasting their time on useless thoughts or activities. They might feel a sudden need to start learning useful skills that will improve them and help them progress in their careers or other fields. If intensely stressed, they can hoard a lot of new skills they believe they must absolutely acquire, and devise a strict weekly schedule for this learning process. INTJs will absolutely learn these skills for a particular purpose, because they need to be assured that the time they spend on that skill will have practical application and reward at the end of the road. Whereas INTPs (Ti) will remain comfortable with how they spend their time, as they’re laid back Perceives rather than purpose-oriented Judgers. INTPs may focus on acquiring certain skills, but primarily out of curiosity than function. Think about a sudden desire to learn a particular new language: INTJ’s reasoning would be “I need to learn French because there are companies in France that need my expertise in business, and I could also attract more female attention,” whereas an INTP’s reasoning would be “I want to learn French because it’s a fascinating language.” This is not to say that INTJs wouldn’t pick up a new language purely out of fascination, but even if they would, in the end they will still begin hectically searching for a goal-oriented justification to do so even if it’s a half-assed justification, because they need justification to stay committed to the task. They need to justify their time investment, otherwise things just won’t work out, they won’t be able to gravitate to the task’s completion.
INTJs and INTPs will likely project their attitude towards learning onto others, which is why when you approach an INTJ and tell him that you’ve decided to start learning Chinese, his reaction will be: “But why would you do that? In what way will that improve your life? Are you moving to China or something? If you’re intending to study it just for the sake of studying, then it’s a waste of time and I suggest you drop it. Instead invest time into a subject or language that will have immediate impact on your life.”
Another good way to assess the difference between an INTJ and an INTP is to observe how they walk. I assume both of them can utilize walks in the park or on the street to stimulate their thought process, but INTJs tend to be more intense about their thoughts, and that intensity tends to convey to their movements. INTJs will walk fast unconsciously, because they are goal oriented. If their goal is to get to a destination, they will get to it as quickly and efficiently as they can. If their goal is to solve a problem in their head while walking, they will likewise mind-“bulldoze” their way to an efficient solution, while also physically leg-“bulldozing” their way through the park or a street. This walking assessment however is not absolute, there can be exceptions. But if a person has a general preference towards walking fast no matter the situation, and does it unconsciously, then he is leaning more towards the INTJ side than the INTP one.
Another differentiating factor to consider: INTJs naturally feel the need to control their environment, because they feel threatened by it. INTJs are more likely to be concerned about their appearance than INTPs, if they feel the need to control their external image. (especially if INTJs feel that having a “wrong” external image might endanger them in some way.) When put into a new unfamiliar environment, INTJs will try to assess how that environment functions in order to feel a sense of control over it, which in turn will make them feel safer. They need to be assured that no bad (or good) surprises will ambush them while they’re not paying attention.
Finally, both INTJs and INTPs tend to be insensitive to other people’s feelings. However, they express that insensitivity quite differently. INTJs are more aware of the fact that emotions and feelings exist in the human world, even if they end up suppressing theirs. So when an INTJ will unintentionally hurt another person, upon realizing that the person is hurt, INTJ’s thought process could resemble: “But you don’t have a logical reason to feel hurt. I thought about it logically, and your hurt is definitely misplaced here. And I don’t know how to deal with that misplaced hurt. I would probably want to empathize, but I will find it hard to do until I logically understand the source and function of your emotional pain.” Whereas an INTP, who is even less attuned to emotions, is unlikely to search for the logical explanation and justification of the person’s emotions, he will simply be confused. This is of course a stereotypical caricature, and mature INTJs and INTPs will find ways to compensate for their insensitivity in the adult world, but it is important to remember that INTJs will always be focused on trying to identify the source and purpose of a particular emotion, before they can allow themselves to empathize with it; just as they tend to require to understand the purpose of a rule, before they permit themselves to follow it.
All people tend to be different even if they’re of the same MBTI-type, and how they tick may also depend on their particular circumstances, so the methods described above should be used as useful cues rather than as absolutes.
