11 Ways to Be a Good Partner for an INTJ in Life and at Work

INTJs are the "Architect" or the "Mastermind" type of Isabel Briggs Myers' personality types. They belong to one of the rarest groups in the population, comprising only 2% worldwide. INTJ females are especially rare with only 0.8% of the world population, making it hard to find like-minded individuals and be understood by people around them.

In general, INTJs are rational, confident, original, idealist, curious, decisive, privately ambitious, mysterious, and strategic. However, they can be bitter and cynical when the surrounding isn't accommodating, such as "full of lazy and self-serving people." If you happen to meet an INTJ and have him or her as a partner in life and at work, consider yourself fortunate. You've got yourself a loyal and highly capable confidante.

INTJs have a keen interest in anything intellectual, and they're proud of their "nerdiness," even during their childhood. They are confident of their massive bodies of knowledge and love sharing what they know with people who want to listen. However, due to their Intuitive (N) and Judging (J) traits, they prefer to remain private when executing strategies than being overly public about their plans.

Now, if you have an INTJ partner, what should you do and expect?

1. Share your long-term vision.

Do so in a way that's favorable to them, such as offering them to take part actively in materializing that vision. As one of the most confident MBTI types, INTJs appreciate confident and visionary individuals who know where they're heading and what they're getting into early on in a relationship. So, be open with them on your vision about the relationship. It's the first step to earn the trust and respect from an INTJ.

2. Be prepared to keep up with their formidable logic and willpower.

INTJs are one of the most logical types, whose insightful observations and original ideas can be quite surprising and powerful. Combined with their forceful personality and mysterious aura, they have the capability to deconstruct and reconstruct conventional ideas. A good relationship with them can be quite transformative in the long run.

3. Understand their complex minds.

INTJs have complex minds and are often misunderstood. Take the time to get to know them in person, bond with them, and understand how their beautiful minds process information. They appreciate deep questions and are always happy to share information and "show" people "the right way" in doing things. Once you've understood them fully, you've earned their lifelong respect and can tap into their knowledge at any time.

4. Discuss the future.

INTJs live in the future. They don't waste time being melancholic after an adverse incident. They like to think about the future, so ask them what they think about the future of your business or personal relationship. In one year? In 5 years? In 10 years? Being a rational person, INTJs take into account the macro situations of a relationship, such as the economy, politics, and approvals from people around them.

5. Ask them about their "theory" on everything.

INTJs' complex minds continuously work in a way that most people don't, such as connecting the dots between things, timeframes, situations, people, and everything in between. They're analytical by nature, which can be a bit intimidating to others. They observe patterns of the past to better understand the future. They respect people who appreciate their "theories." INTJs can come out a bit too strong for those who don't get and don't appreciate their hypotheses.

6. Listen to their contingency plans.

INTJs are the eternal optimist because they're confident in their problem-solving skills and bodies of knowledge. In an INTJ's eyes, a "problem" is merely a disruption that requires some tweaking. Their eyes remain fixated on the goal, because the vision of the future has been embedded in their mind. If you've partnered up with an INTJ, listen to their back-up plans, as they might have the most "outrageous ideas" that work. The goal has been achieved in their minds; they only need time to make it happen in the physical realm.

7. Be straightforward, never be passive-aggressive.

INTJs appreciate bluntness and refrain from emotional drama when discussing about things that matter to them. They're known for their bluntness and honest feedback. Thus they expect others to do the same. Be clear about what you wish from the relationship and the things to be done. They may sound tactless, but it doesn't mean they're disrespectful, as they also expect you to do so.

8. Be prepared to earn their trust and loyalty.

In INTJs' rational minds, it's logical that trust and loyalty only come after they've been proven. During formative years, INTJs trusted people a lot and were disappointed, so they had to let them go. This explains the need to earn their trust and loyalty. Moreover, this is the only way to earn an INTJ's trust and loyalty.

9. Be prepared to be encouraged to be your best.

This is one of the most satisfying things about being in a relationship with INTJs. They would literally push you to be a better person, if not the best version of yourself. It will occur after you've earned their lifelong trust and loyalty, of course. INTJs will do whatever it takes to make you a better person, since they believe that every person has an abundance of potential within. Consider yourself blessed for having them in your life.

10. Be prepared to discuss and argue about abstract ideas.

INTJs discuss and argue a lot, because they have so many contingencies to consider. And they can talk about deep and abstract ideas, like politics, philosophy, and spirituality. However, they aren't good with personal quarrels and fights as they might not "get" that it was actually offensive. In INTJs' minds, being in a constant state of thinking is expressed with discussing and arguing on various issues. So, if you're an INTJ's partner, don't take their arguments seriously. They're not upset or angry with you, they are just being an INTJ.

11. Be aware that sometimes INTJs can take deconstruction too far.

Due to INTJs' deconstructing nature, they're in the permathinking mode, thus they'd question, evaluate, investigate, and act one-sidedly, which can sometimes be interpreted as "insensitive." As partners, understand that INTJs aren't impulsive when they act swiftly and, often, alone. Again, it's just an INTJ being an INTJ. However, as a partner, you can talk with them rationally, so they'd slow down a bit and be more accommodating to others' ideas. INTJs would listen.

In conclusion, partnering up with an INTJ can be both a blessing and a curse. It depends on the dynamic within the relationship and how you, as the partner, understands how an INTJ's mind works. Your INTJ partner will analyze your personality type as well, as it's already built in their nature. Once both parties have understood each other well, respect would grow and lifetime loyalty follows.