Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventions, prejudices, and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.
Albert Einstein
Overview of “the Mastermind”
INTJs are Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Judging.
- Extroverted because they are energized by time spent alone and connect most with the inner world.
- Intuitive because they explore a world of creative ideas and search for information about abstract concepts and new theories.
- Thinking because they prioritize objective data and logic when making decisions.
- Judging because they prefer to have things organized and like control in their outer environment.
INTJs are self-confident, ingenious individuals. They are highly strategic and can understand the consequences of each move they (or other people) are about to make. This ability to break things down and interpret them intuitively helps the INTJ embrace challenges and difficulties. They want to analyze problems, find the holes, and turn a project into a more efficient, focused mission. Their intentional adaptability makes them incredibly insightful.
INTJs are willful and invest their time and energy with the intention of following through and improving systems. Whether playing strategy games or navigating high stake professional situations, INTJs are good at knowing what steps need to be taken in order to achieve a desired outcome. Their intuition guides them and because of this confidence, others follow. They are calculated, wise, well-timed, and inventive.
Cognitive Functions
In the Myers-Briggs personality system there are eight cognitive functions. Your unique personality is a road map pointing to the four cognitive functions that you access consciously. Every personality will have two extroverted functions and two introverted functions. Every personality will also have one feeling function, one thinking function, one intuitive function, and one sensing function. For more help and practice identifying cognitive functions for the sixteen Myers-Briggs personality types check out this worksheet. All eight functions are as follows:
- Extroverted Intuition
- Introverted Intuition
- Extroverted Sensing
- Introverted Sensing
- Extroverted Feeling
- Introverted Feeling
- Extroverted Thinking
- Introverted Thinking
Ni (Introverted Intuition) – Dominant
An INTJ’s dominant cognitive function is Introverted Intuition, abbreviated as Ni. Dominant cognitive functions are used approximately 80% of the time by an individual and are hardly noticed by the user. This function will feel like second nature and “drives” an INTJ.
10 Signs You’re Ni-dominant
- You are driven by inspiration
- You love abstract things
- Spend time day-dreaming
- Love hidden meanings and metaphors
- Strategizing is fun
- Always asking “why”
- You have many insights and hunches
- Living in a world of ideas
- May have trouble focusing
- You try to zoom out and see the big picture
Positives of Being Ni-dominant
- Grasping very abstract concepts
- Looking at the big picture
- Connecting the dots and strategizing
- Having a surreal ability to think outside conscious awareness
Struggles of Being Ni-dominant
- Being mentally elsewhere
- Passing over important details
- Not being able to explain your perceptions
- Avoiding the present and living for the future
A note for the INTJs reading…
Ever wonder why you have an uncanny ability to almost predict the future? That’s Ni. Have you ever questioned why you have impressions that seem to come from nowhere? That’s Ni. Have you ever noticed your natural ability to pick up on metaphors and use them naturally in thought and speech? That’s Ni.
Introverted Intuition is the reason why you can accurately read between the lines. It helps you see “behind the curtain” of what’s real and come to certain epiphanies about people, yourself, and the world around you. Introverted Intuition gathers information and spots patterns on an subconscious level. It can be your secret weapon and your Achilles heel if it isn’t properly balanced with the other cognitive functions.
Te (Extroverted Thinking) – Auxiliary
An INTJ’s secondary function is Extroverted Thinking/Te. If someone is an extrovert, their dominant function will be extroverted and their auxiliary function will always be introverted. Balance is necessary — especially in the brain! Te helps bring new information to Ni.
10 Signs You’re Te-auxiliary
- You naturally delegate work
- Fairness is very important to you
- You like your outer world to be organized
- You enjoy planning
- Structure is comforting
- You may feel that others around you are incompetent
- You value credentials
- You enjoy reading and gaining knowledge
- You want others to think well of you
- You can be very sensitive in public settings (when made to feel small or embarrassed)
Te takes a backseat to Ni. Because Ni is the driver, Te goes out into the world to gain more information when Ni feels ready to receive it. This is why INTJs need to brain storm with others after long periods of alone time. Ni is processing information and Te wants to gather more knowledge from other people and exterior resources.
INTJs are very introverted personalities and will identify themselves as such. With many types there is moderate confusion concerning introversion and extroversion (depending on how much the user accesses their auxiliary function), with true INTJs there’s no doubt they need space alone to recharge. Their extroverted activities look like one-on-one debates, brain storms, list-making, and categorization. INTJs want to truly discover how to improve systems in the most efficient and effective way possible. Because of this, they don’t spend time doing typical social activities and may come across as shy, reserved, and private.
Fi (Introverted Feeling) – Tertiary
An INTJ’s tertiary cognitive function is Introverted Feeling/Fi. This position as third in the “cognitive stack” often means that NiTe is running the show the vast majority of the time. Because of this, Fi is a bit underdeveloped and usually starts to show up in an INTJ’s mid-20s. Tertiary functions usually have the maturity level of a ten-year-old child — they can serve as a strength or a weakness depending on how the user responds to it.
Tertiary Fi is part of an INTJ’s “gut feeling.” It’s why they know that something is right without specifically outlining how they know. Fi also helps them read other people and understand what they’re feeling. When positioned as a tertiary function, Fi makes it easy to misread other people and assume they are feeling one way when they are not. As Fi develops, it will help the INTJ stay true to their values, engage in activities that are consistent with their beliefs, and help them find deep resolve within themselves.
Se (Extroverted Sensing) – Inferior
An INTJ’s inferior cognitive function is Extroverted Sensing/Se. This function is typically concerned with present surroundings, immediate action, and the physical environment. Inferior functions develop in midlife. Because of this late-blooming, there will be many times Se pops up in uncomfortable, weak, and even self-destructive ways.
Healthy Se-inferior looks like
- Coordination and athleticism
- Awareness of physical environment
- Being fully present in the moment
- Responding to the body’s needs in terms of food, temperature, sleep, etc.
Unhealthy Se-inferior looks like
- General clumsiness
- Unwillingness to engage in exercise or sports
- Getting lost in thought and blocking out the moment
- Ignoring the body’s physical needs in terms of food, temperature, sleep, etc.
Personality City 