It’s no secret that Introverts like their privacy but, for many introverted folks, opening up doesn’t come naturally – not even to those we trust and love. As a chatty INFJ who’s often mistaken for an Extravert, I, too, have wondered why it is so hard for me to share how I feel with those closest to me.
When I was pregnant with my first children, a set of twins, I had playdates scheduled before my third trimester check-up. Friends would talk about the importance of nap schedules and I’d joke that the babes could sleep in the car between adventures. An Extravert since birth, I’m always on the hunt for the next big adventure, and people (all the people please!) that I can adventure with.
The holiday season is a time to connect with loved ones, but it can be a stressful time for Introverts who are trying to keep up. Getting enough alone time is important to introverted types, but if they’re skipping events to be alone, they often feel a major case of FOMO. So how do you balance the much-needed time to recharge with the demanding social calendar of the holidays?
As chill and nonchalant INTP personalities may seem on the surface, we can be masters at disguising our stress—into self-deprecating humor, perhaps, or even excessive socializing. Uncharacteristic behavior is the number one identifier for extreme stress in INTPs.
“I’ll never be able to delegate. I just don’t have the personality for it.”
Well, yes and no. Or, more specifically, no and yes. Delegation phobia, as I like to call it, is definitely rooted in personality. My ENFJ friend has no problem with it. She recently told an entire meeting, “Someone needs to write these thank-you letters, and I’d prefer it not to be me.”
Perceiver personality types can be a lot of fun to spend time around. They’re playful and good at adapting to new situations with ease. They’re innately curious and always following the next exciting project, and they thrive without too many guidelines or structures, finding success on their own terms and in their own ways.
From the joy of a sweetheart’s embrace after weeks of being apart to the familiar smile of a long-time friend, INTP personalities deeply cherish true love. We may have the reputation for being relationship-shy and emotionally indifferent but actually, INTPs take their relationships very seriously. It’s just that we prefer long-term, monogamous relationships masquerading as a friendship over the flashy types of romance that other types may prefer.
Regardless of personality type, we all have a sixth sense that makes us do, feel or say something that we already know. It might be a physical sensation, like sweaty hands or a knot in the stomach that alerts us to some kind of danger. Or it might be a deep conviction that something is ‘right’, even if we’re not sure why it’s right or what led us to that conclusion.
How often have you heard someone say that body language makes up 90 percent of communication? The number may or may not be true, but we definitely know that our words are only one avenue of communication. Body language conveys information about thoughts, perceptions, moods, and emotions, which other people pick up on either consciously or subconsciously.
It can be difficult for anyone to decide which of Myers and Briggs' 16 personality types fits them best, but INTPs especially may have a particularly challenging time settling on their type. Personality type results might conflict with who an INTP would ideally want to be—which can distort the test accuracy further.
THE FINE PRINT:
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