Revisiting the Types: INTP 

"They represent a paradox of anxiety and confidence." Spot on.

It's not that we make things more complicated than they actually are, it's that everyone oversimplifies everything.

They have confidence in their thought but anxiety to speak their mind.

I think INTPs have a gift for mimicking other personality types. We are the architects and logicians, but we are also chameleons. If you asked those who know me little or little more than a little, they would say I'm an extrovert. I am not an extrovert. I enjoy being around others, but that rapidly fades.

my life as an intp: watches an analytical video on youtube (cause no life), finds something worth critiquing, writes a long and well thought-though comment, posts it, immediately deletes it because people might not understand and reply negatively, goes on to watch another video on a completely different topic (cycle repeats)

This was VERY well done. "A paradox of anxiety and confidence." YUP

I'm INTP but i am skeptical of the scientific validity of the MBTi test. Isn't that typical.

This video is amazing, I lasted almost a full 18 minutes before having to pause to complete a hypothetical debate in my head about something i don't remember anymore because I began typing this comment about it in which I want to convey an idea I forgot what is because I had to google "convey" to make sure I used it correctly instead.

"Stop making the world so complicated, INTP." Yet I swear the world is far more complicated than I could ever "make" it out to be. At the end: "Don't worry, INTP, you can talk to them. Be smooth. Be smooth like ESTP." Incidentally my dad is ESTP and in social situations when I'm too uncomfortable to know how to behave, I just imitate him.

Being an INTP is a blessing and a curse! I love my individuality, stoic, artistic and observational nature but hate my anxious, overthinking and self conscious nature. I am a being with 2 warring sides in me!

"They want to understand things, they want the blueprints in front of them so that they can reference them as they move about the world. Blueprints written in the language of Ti, with illustrations and examples provided by Si." To me, this is the most profound articulation of the INTP's purpose I have heard. Thank you, Michael.

I think the INTP is nervous in crowds because he has a tendency to dive into all the possibilities of a thing, so while he's standing on stage he might project himself into the heads of everyone watching and see himself from their point of view, he then sees that if he makes a mistake or does not come off as relaxed they will perceive this, this makes him afraid and ironically makes him act exactly in this dreaded way. Im an intp and iv noticed that i project myself into other people and this makes me self conscious whereas someone who's consciousness stays very much in their own immediate surrounding is going to be more relaxed because he doesn't perceive too far outside of himself, he sees less possibilities and therefore is more comfortable as you illustrated in the video. As an intp you need to learn that your projections onto others are exactly that, they are projections and although they could be very accurate one must instead try to act from one's own center, ignoring your analysis of the situation. Bringing your consciousness more to a localized place will make you feel better, but its something you need to consciously do, for instance following the breath for 15 minutes will start turning off this projection of consciousness and you can sit in comfort in the present moment and enjoy things at face value. Anxiety comes from diving deeply into things and trying to figure them out instead of taking them at face value, taking things at face value makes your thinking more simplistic but its relaxing. Its possible to override your default disposition through meditation, as you become aware of your tendencies you can start to question whether the automatic reactions you have are benefiting you or not. Meditation gives you free will, without meditation people are playing out their own conditioning in a very automated fashion, you will keep falling in the same traps and you will repeat patterns/habits.

"If I were wrong, then one would have been enough." - Exactly!

I watch your video's because it makes me feel "normal," whatever that is.

Nice to see that you briefly mentioned the artistic side of the INTP (2:50). As it's so often ignored or not seen as an INTP "thing" due to the aforementioned stereotypes and cliches that are a given with the MBTI system and popular descriptions. But I've always loved art and drawing, simply because its one of the best and most effective ways to bring an idea down to "reality" at least on to paper, and give it some solidity, on that simple blank canvas the impossible can be made possible - megastructures, orbital rings, spaceships, space battles, alternate history, futuristic technology and space fantasy, the possibilities are limitless, in drawing and even in simple fantasy/daydreaming the endless surge of ideas (due to Ne I assume) has somewhere to manifest itself. Interestingly I find that 95% of the time I'm drawing its just simple pencil/pen on paper, no embellishments of color, or complex perspective if not required, rarely any fancy composition or expressiveness in line, very little experimentation with styles or mediums, concerned only with realizing whatever idea I had in mind to draw and then moving on, but also never knowing when a particular idea/drawing is finished and finalized so I rarely produce any drawing I feel is complete. I wonder if this is an INTP thing or just the way I do it. Would be very interesting to see a video on how different types handle/produce art and artmaking perhaps.

“They tend to emphasise what we don't know rather than what we do.” Damn, you put it in words.

“Can’t seem to decide if they’re afraid of people or not.” My therapist is trying to get me over that but whatever. I guess that will just stick around forever!

I would just like to sit home alone all day in my thoughts, and I can do that my whole life.

100% dead on Now to sit back and watch all the mistyped INTPs have a hissy fit

I feel a little naked! This is as good a description of INTP as I've seen. Bravo....

"Go away lady, I'm doing science." I have never before seen a sentence that describes me so well.

20:13 is basically me when I attempt to be social or funny because words do not come out the way I want them to. Spoken language does not agree with my mind... someone please kill me now.

I'm a talkative INTP and when to many ppl text me or tries to talk to at the same time over the phone (not so much in person) I get (semi) stressed out.

We don't care about what others think of us but, care about how others perceive us.

Great video. I have a friend who is a INFP and we get along great. We understand each other so well. She helps me in the feeling side and I help on the rational side so she doesn't take things to personally

Amazing. This is the most accurate analysis I've ever seen. Scary almost. Its like you nailed me down in every aspect. Not one word can I really disagree with. You know me better then anyone in my family. I don't know if that's sad or cosmically impressive.

As an INTP I always feel like I have to put on a mask during social gatherings (which I loathe) I come from a family who’s very extroverted and they STILL find me weird. Its quite exhausting pretending. Anyone else feel the same way?

Other people: that's my truth Intp: that's the facts Other people: your truth Intp: no

I feel like crying. This video has apparently brought my main complex to the fore. I'm an INTP. I had a very unstable early life (my mother tried to kill me so I had to physically flee from her, my father abandoned me, ended up homeless where I was constantly used by others). When I was young I would have poems stolen, essays for school stolen, ideas I was discussing with friends appropriated, which then always led to their need to demonize me as a person to relieve their guilt, and various similar experiences that seemed to define my role in other people's concept of friendship. So now, I stand on the verge of collaborating with someone (an ENTJ no less...) and I'm just finding myself crippled by the very negative (Si? I'm new at this) past experiences. With such a low functioning Fi on his part, his tendency to make others feel as objects situated in reality to help him accomplish his goals, and my past, I don't think I can continue, and yet, because I am so afraid, I know it's what I need to be doing if I am to ever have a chance at unraveling this complex...Or maybe it's best not to explore this dynamic and my corresponding complex with an ENTJ?...I don't know...Plus I really love my ENTJ, so if he stabs me in the back I'll probably spiral out of control, whereas I can expect it and can take it from people I don't care about.... At least in the last few years I've developed two friendships with woman (finally.) One is an INFP and the other is an ENFP and they are both so utterly and exceptionally intelligent with and through their own processes, and they would be there for me through this process, which is different than when I was young as I had no one... but still fucking terrifying... ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like intp aren’t necessarily shy in the sense that we are scared to talk to people more that we wish not to talk to people

Great Job! It showcased INTP's with more dimensions than the original.

That part where the Ti was screaming about nihilism winning was very relatable. I felt exactly the same way when my framework was shattered by my wife betraying me. Also, as an INTP, I debated about leaving this comment for a while. I finally decided to because it's such an old video and no one will probably see it at the bottom of the comment section.

This is probably the best descriptions of an INTP on youtube. Thank you

I really hope you see this. Ok so It's not that I'm afraid of people, I see it this way: Life is suffering, our species sucks. *However*, people are amazing and life is a wonderful gift. Unfortunately barely anyone else views life in such a way and that causes people with inherent good to embrace their inherent evil. Its much easier to be bad than to be good. I've been lucky enough to learn to see god in everyone and everything despite all the perceived evil in the world. I'm not afraid of people but I am deeply mistrusting because, like I said, people think more with their ego as opposed to their true self. I see the immense potential of our species, but I also see it being constantly squandered. It makes me sad but there is hope. As long as we have life, we have hope. I think we'll get there eventually. Not in any of our life times, but eventually our species will get there

This video was really fun to watch! I like that you bring in other types and compare them to the type that you're talking about because it helps me to see the differences and to get a clearer view of the type. Also please keep making these videos over 20 minutes long

my brain just exploded. thanks a lot, now i have to put it back together...

As an INTP, I approve. Mainly because, at the time of this video, I'm learning all about typology to expand my world view. Might I say though, all but the inferior function of an INTP can be overcome. Of course, this is the case with any personality, but in the pursuit of an understanding of things, INTP's like myself also scrutinize ourselves enough until we improve. INTP's may be prone to dislike politics, but I throughly enjoy discussing it. Many are stubborn, I am not. These are things I've dealt with, I've been immensely stubborn and idealistic in the past. I think that in my own scrutiny of myself and my thoughts, I've kind of shored up my weaknesses to a point. I'm no longer stubborn, and enjoy a good debate. I've gotten rather good at incorporating new knowledge given from other people. The only things I still struggle with are occasional pride, arrogance, impatience, and most of all feelings. Overall this video was exceptional though.

I come back to this video for therapy sometimes. It's the only time I've ever felt understood. Thank you.

You know you're talking to an INTP when they're not offended by the Frankenstein analogy. Edit: Ok NOW I'm offended by you calling me subjective and not listening to evidence. Triggered.

good stuff, man :) I like the comparing and contrasting between the types likes ISTP and INFP for clarification

I can't say I relate much to the way of the NTPs, but this was a great explanation and comparison Michael! I learned a lot about this type as well as others. You did a great job balancing this lesson with solid information and clever humor! Looking forward to the next one. :)

This is me. Every thing was dead on. And by the way, I loved the examples and illustrations. Very funny and very good.

As an male entp with a beloved beautiful intp father who’s also my best friend, I’d very much agree with this comment and I like this video. The two of us can just talk forever about everything that exists as and beyond. I gota deep love my mom and older brother entj and intj, but frustratingly there isn’t quite the same chemistry when interacting, compared to my intp pops.

Fantastic! The three exceptions are so bang on... I laughed out loud at the pop concert because my INTP boss actually seemed to enjoy the Bieber concert he went to with his daughter.

A real INTP will respond to this video in a daze, is this really me? Am I that awesome?

As an INTP, I believe anyone who agrees with 100%, has not given that subject enough thought. I don't even agree with me 100%. How weird is that??? My issues have issues. LOL

I happen to be an INTP My sister got depressed today. I felt uncomfortable hugging her but I didn't really know what else to do or say.

Oh god, this describes me so well its almost horrifying, warts and all. Every test I've taken has pointed to me being an INTP and so far I can't find any fault in the description, as much as I wish it all weren't so true. I can verify from personal experience that the relationship between an INTP and his emotions are to say the least, complex and anachronistic. Myself, I feel as if I have been in a constant battle with consensus and the opinions of the majority for years, my close friends have jokingly called me a 'hipster' because I have so stubbornly refused to be swayed by popular opinion, even if that means alienating myself from everyone else in a room. That little side story concerning the argument over biological genders is extremely apt, as I too only make the distinction based on reproductive capabilities, the personal feelings of others be damned! This pattern also runs true with purely academic pursuits, for I will happily disregard a popular, more common theory perpetuated by many in favour of a theory supported by an individual whom I have deemed trustworthy.

I find it refreshing that you have sources.

I'm only 3 minutes in and this is already oddly reminding me of myself. There is a certain accuracy to the personality type test, at least for me.

Ok I've only gotten 4 minutes in (seen your other INTP and INFJ video and enjoyed them) but the Frankenstein metaphor had me grinning with absolute mischievous delight from ear to ear from the moment you said "please follow me for a moment here" - I was surprised to notice how persistent it was actually hahaha, I thought I'd start cackling at any moment - but I also have to catch my bus - I am sold and look forward to watching this when I return hahaha. Thanks for the laugh anyway

It's fun to hear Michael click his pen on the desk to reinforce the syllables

As an INTP, I enjoyed this video. For a while I've been onto writing-- for years that is. As my writing improved I actually noticed my personality had changed, I would take multiple tests, just to see if what was happening was real. I went from an ENFJ to an ENFP, INFP, concluding at INTP over the course of 3 years, in little time, you learn so much about the world. it's an eye opener of sorts. I had also noticed that in my writing, I was more conscious about it. Spotting errors much more easily and coming up with elaborate characters, I really do believe your description in a whole was amazing. But just to clarify, I'm not sure if my personality is real stagnant yet, I am only 13. I do hope to see some improvements in the future. Even so, if anyone has the time, I'd like them to critique this little 'short' of sorts of mine..thanks! My Mind, Like The Winter The steep rocky terrain was always so enthralling during winter, the thin sheets of tinted blue ice that coated the lakes, and the flurries of refreshing cold snow that layered the mountains with a blanket of sympathy, my mind dazed off while my physical body labored away, senselessly. Fingers numb and bitter with the nipping frigid of the sky that surrounded me, my eyes grew just as lifeless and frozen as this miserable, ravishing, place. I was hiking through my despairs, a trail of footprints tailing me. Even so, there was no looking back. For I've chosen my course, whether that be the correct one or not. Lonely I was, in this cold desert. Lonely. Just the thought brought tears to my eyes, only for them to be stolen by this unforgiving winter. A winter of doubt, and solitude.

Love the Beethoven at the intro, way to lure all the INTPs in; nice touch! 😉

I keep doubting myself and overthinking if I am an INTP or not, but some aspects fit my personality and some don’t. I know there are different types of INTP’s: SUPER INTROVERTED, TALKATIVE INTP, SMART INTP, DUMB OR LIMITED KNOWLEDGE INTP DUE TO ENVIRONMENT/UPBRINGING/LAZINESS/ETC. I get confused on how people say INTP’s think of loads of things at once, physically impossible, yes maybe you can think of a topic for a minute or less and jump onto something irrelevant like how much cheese in the world is enough to feed the world for 10 days. Another thing I relate to is how INTP’s can’t stop thinking, I don’t know how to stop thinking, I think about anything, doesn’t have to be deep intellectual thoughts of existence but anything like what am I doing tomorrow or college or daydreaming...etc. I can’t turn if my brain, I don’t know how people sit or stand still and do nothing or think of nothing. I can not do that.

Wow. Such a great analysis of INTP! Well made and quite spot on. Best video I have found so far in explaining the INTP. First that I've seen that kept me nodding, laughing and thinking, "Check. Check. Double check" How many others have noticed the similar facial expressions and speech patterns of INTP's? The more I've explored, the more I see distinct similarities, but that could just be confirmation bias.

what in the world how did you know i love one direction?? this video feels like a personal attack on me. big improvement over the first intp video which was already great

Many of the greatest Philosophers are INTPs

I would like to know how you find this much depth because this is really accurate. Reflecting on my pre-knowledge and probably bias of mbti I could see me doing all those things and it's good that you showed the creativity of intps. I think you could have maybe explained (more?) what makes some more laidback/quirky and others uptight/driven because I was torn between intj and intp for a while.

I always hesitated or outright rejected the notion that what I have is "social anxiety". the tension is less prohibitive or paralytic as an anxiety would be. I describe what I have as "social paranoia", in that I can never fully trust that my social behavior is truly "kosher in the eyes of the grand social authority". I invariably suffer a crisis of "my god, WHAT HAVE I DONE!!" upon reflection of even the most minuscule/insignificant interactions.

This has captured my interest and challenged my intellect you may continue

Hey man I really enjoyed watching this video and it described my thought processes accurately. For a time I went back and forth between istp and Intp and now I am pretty confident in my best fit type. Keep up the good work. 😎

Just found this video: Listened to the first half, watched the second half. I'm buying your book before I get lost in the RU-vid rabbitholes again. Great work!

17:00- "The difference, then, is that the ENTP is not really trying to find anything: having a destination is simply an excuse for making the journey. The INTP, however, is certainly trying to find something, as much as they might say they are not." I'm an ENTP. Ouch, that cut deep. Like, actually. But when I think about it, it's true...

Very true about artistic ability. Or rather a certain ability to effectively employ imagination toward a problem, an ability that may be latent but with deliberate effort can be exercised until it becomes second nature.

So can we say: INTJ: Knowledge for a goal. INTP: Knowledge IS the goal. We just wanna know the truth. ENTP: No goal? Or rather exploration is the goal?

I feel like the most useful tip for INTP has to be to work on your speech/vocabulary - it is the tool you will use the most to work out your ideas and makes your personality-type sociable and interesting to other people. This then helps work against the potentialy life-ruining aspects of INTP, beeing imo; the emotional detachment in social interactions due to „overthinking“ and the incapability be a working gear in scalable indevours due to the constant need to rearrange things when they seem imperfect. I found Jordan Peterson to be very helpful in that regard. He seems to be an INTP and to me embodies like no other the unique potential of well integrated features of this personality type. I recommend his lectures if you find yourself often overwhelmed by the aforementioned „side effects“. I hope you will find a way to accept the gift biology presented you with and don‘t get bitter about yourself and the people around you. Have a nice day, law student, 22, from berlin, germany

These vids are spot on, I've been thinking I had autism lol

Very true about INTPs having multiple realities in which we test our theories about what is actually real. Drives me crazy sometimes because without knowing what reality I'm actually dealing with, I feel I'm constantly having to recalibrate to whatever reality I'm presented with in the outside world--a reality that for most my life was baffling, and so I always felt out of step, in some parallel reality.

The best video about INTP! ❤️

Thanks for the video. I am an INTP and found this very interesting. In terms of politics, I often enjoy rating politicians in TV debates based on their mastery of the art of persuasion (pathos, ethos and logos). Politics is appealing as we like to entertain contradictory world views (playing devils advocate) without having any strong convictions. It's interesting that you said below that you're an INFP. It seems that this is a common personality among those with an interest in Myers Briggs. (The other RU-vid type guy called "Type Tips" is an INFP. The majority of my friends who responded to my request to take the MB questionnaire on facebook were INFP.) the other thing I have found with INFPs is their strong interest in music.

can't believe I just found this 5yrs later. very well articulated and accurate. thank you for the drawings 👍

Thanks for another great video. I really enjoyed learning more about Ti.

Spot on! You have been able to describe parts of myself i have only recently been able to describe and that impresses me!!

I am literally one to two questions off from being an INTP. I consistently rank as an INFP and this seems to be my nature. However, the T and F function are seemingly 50/50.

I'd really like to thank you for this video. I was hanging on to every word and all of what you said more or less does corroborate with my experiences/my worldview. So again, thank you! I'd probably watch this many times over like your other videos.

This is without question the most accurate and in depth description of an INTP I've found on RU-vid!

I'm very appreciative of you having made and shared this; it's well done, I think -and illuminating too. Thanks.

I liked this video, but while accurate enough, I don't know why, it seems incomplete. That... or simply that you just had a more to say. Once you're done with the revisiting the Types series, will there be a third series going even further down the rabbit hole ?

This scared me a bit with the accuracy. Stop stalking me 😂

This is really, really good work. INTP agrees about almost everything in this video.

20:03 This picture is very accurate to INTP, anyway as an INTP and a girl I am a christian, which I feel like that combination would be uncommon, so just to let you know, we exist.

5-8 minutes sound so much like any argument I ever have. It's so draining and frustrating - I don't really enjoy "debates". Even when I think I know something or I'm given the facts, I can still lie awake into the night, wondering what could've been overlooked or what I've missed. Still not convinced I'm an INTP (maybe too many learnt gender expectattions) but much of this video resonates with me and it's the only video I didn't have to pause and replay parts of. I'm rambling. I ovethink everything and I've always been very intellectually insecure. I don't know if I come off as passionate due to XXFJ or XXTP. I have an autistic INTJ son and we have many common interests (including DW and Sherlock) he's far more confident in his findings and understanding of them. We both enjoy sharing information on many different subjects that we find because it really means something to him or he feels strongly about what he's sharing. I collect data and share because I enjoy it, by itself. I've given up on sharing thoughts on what I think of things, because people don't understand where I'm taking it or they're disappointed that I don't do something with whatever I've spent so much time thinking about. The last part of the video os true about me, whether I'm an INTP or not.

For the longest time, I was mistyped as a ISFJ. (I tested as an ISFJ when I was around 13 but never really felt like it fit me so I did countless hours of research). My enneagram type of 5w6 made so much sense to me, but my typing did not. It was then I learned that I was possibly an INTP. I can identify with this video so much. Often, I am scared of public speaking but have a longing to share my ideas. I also have a playful side when I get excited over a new idea as you said in your video. Furthermore, I am always looking to change/modify my idea in my head based off facts I observe. I disregard other's facts or question them because I want to find out myself to make sure I am looking at it objectively. I care about how others think about me, but I disregard tradition and society's rules. I get stressed out easily because there could just be too many possibilities. Your descriptive video helped me realize that there is a great possibility I am an INTP. Thank you. By the way, do you know if gender has any role to play in this? I know males and females have different brains. Do you think it was possible that I had a more developed feeling side because I am a female and therefore mistyped or misjudged myself? I actually asked friends and family what type they thought I was so I could erase personal bias to see if INTP made sense to them as me in the long run.

This is the best video on INTPs.

This is the video that settled my 'am I an intp or intj' debate. Thankyou for that. I had trouble with the more conventional descriptions as they were very vague, hyperbolic and not situation-specific enough for me to manage the contexts.

I’m not trying to over complicate anything, I just want to be precise

In all honesty I think the INTP´s "worst enemy" is democracy.

Huh ... Not even 5 minutes in and he's explained why I cried over Chappie and Bladerunner, as well as why I lovedthe Sci Fi stories that I did the most. Pretty cool!

I'm an infp, and this got my intp best friend spot on. Especially the INFP "You know you love me", and the INTP just responding "No. Leggo, get off me."

Killin it!

7:40 Are you tapping a pen or pencil in rhythm to the words you are speaking? haha :)

Hello, Dear Michael! Thank you for this analysis video, I'm really enjoying this in depth analysis :D. (and this video is hillarious please continue making them) I am an INTP, 5w4 594 to be specific. All of those things that have been showed at this video is relateable, so I'll give you an applause :>. INTP are often described as 'as cold as Android' yet at the same time, they just want to explode. And I do agree with other comments that mentioned we are like chameleon. We can blend easily into our environment, while still being a hard freak INTP in our core. I really like that you mentioned artistic part as well, because I do really like art and I am an artist rn. I too have A WIDE interests, both including mathematical science or social science. I currently taking social science in my senior highschool program, but I still love the other one too. Being an INTP is such a paradox. I thought I was an ENTJ before, because that is how I appeared to people, even I got tricked by myself. But when I started to seeking MBTI, INTP is just the right place for me. I was an unemotional, robot-like child until I was 14. And then kaboom, realization hits hard with COVID-19. When the quarantine begins, it was REALLY NICE. REALLY. And I began to stucked into the rabbit hole of existensial crisis. My mind spiralling as heck and they just won't stop. I've tried everything for my ENTJ side, but unfortunately, nothing worked. Until I tried the INTP's one. And they did work. So I dive deepeer, and here I am. Now, I do still have a strong side of ENTJ as well (for school, organization, and community, Te and Se are really helping) , and I can say my cognitive functions are growing well, the 8 of them, not just 4 (the Ti and Te too, sometimes they're too demanding). I've already mentioned before that currently I am in social science and I want to apply to Psychology Major as well because I want to understand me and others better, I want to understand humans better, and I want to make humans appreciate themselves for who they are. So, I just want to say thank you for introducing us to the world and let us know more about ourselves!

yes, yes, oh god I've been waiting for a video as deeply meaningful as this one. really well done and had me laughing til the very end. I haven't had a video impact me this way since finding out I'm a rooster and scorpion zodiac. Much appreciated!

Ti types need a lesson from Yogi Berra " In theory, theory and practice are the same, in practice they aren't."

>Some sort of hybrid of a homunculus and an android, a sort of cyborg >Though designed to be a computational slave, they soon decided that it would not do I choose to take that as a compliment to my own transhumanist philosophy.

Nearly perfect indeed!

As an INTP, it feels like you know me better than myself haha

You really didn't want to share that example. I could hear you bypassing Fe to get the perfect example out there. Lol you probably questioned whether or not the video would be okay without the example didn't you? Lol Michael you're awesome. I'd also like to update you on my enneagram type. Which makes me significantly different from most entj's. I'm a type 5. Most intp's are type 5, very motivated by understanding things. I just thought it was important for context to the call we had that one day.

7:27 Walter Kaufman was professor of my professor when I studied "The German Existentialists".