Because the Myers-Briggs approach to understanding personality types and communication styles is very useful, sometime ago I worked with a professional to determine my own type: INTJ. Following are excerpts from the description of this type to be found in Keirsey & Bates' "Please Understand Me." The description of the INTJ personality type captures my personality to a surprising degree.
"INTJs are the most self-confident of all the types. Found in about 1% of the general population, INTJs focus on possibilities, using empirical logic. Decisions come naturally to INTJs. INTJs look to the future rather than the past. The essence of the INTJ is builder -- a builder of systems and the applier of theoretical models.
"INTJs are the supreme pragmatists. They are natural brainstormers, always open to new concepts and in fact aggressively seek them. The logic of an INTJ is not confined to the expressible logical. INTJs need only have a vague, intuitive impression of the unexpressed logic of a system to continue surely on their way. INTJs always have a keen eye for the consequences of the application of new ideas or positions.
"INTJs have a drive to completion, always with an eye to long-term consequences. They subject every idea to the test of usefulness. Difficulties are highly stimulating to INTJs, who love responding to a challenge that requires creativity. They build data and human systems wherever they work. They can be outstanding as executives who generate a plethora of implementations of ideas. INTJs usually rise to positions of responsibility, for they work long and hard and are steady in their pursuit of goals.
"INTJs are high achievers in school and on the job. On the job, they take the goals of an institution seriously and continually strive to respond to those goals. They make dedicated, loyal employees whose loyalties are directed toward the system, rather than individuals in the system.
"INTJs tend to verbalize the positive and eschew comments of a negative nature; they are more interested in moving an institution forward than commiserating about mistakes of the past."
- From David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates, Please Understand Me
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