INTP

Our daughter took a Meyers Briggs personality test the other day and asked usย what our personality types were. I searched this blog and found a post on that topic and told her that I’m an INTP.

Last night while we were waiting for a dinner to start we went and looked at what the Internet says about our personality types. This is what it says about INTP:

people with the INTP personality type tend to share thoughts that are not fully developed, using others as a sounding board for ideas and theories in a debate against themselves

Well that sounds like me and it isย what I do here at AVC.

So thank you for being a sounding board for me. I really appreciate it.

I know that I haven’t been serving up much new stuff this past week. It’s a combination of being busy (I got on back to back calls at 6am yesterday and realized mid afternoon pacific time that I had not yet posted) and working on a lot of things I can’t talk about, and being a bit empty in terms of new ideas right now.

That will change. It always does. But I’m a big believer in showing up every day and keeping the conversation going. I guess that’s what an INTP does.

#life lessons

Comments (Archived):

  1. Andy Orr

    Now I have an excuse for my half-baked ideas.Thank you Fred!

  2. BillMcNeely

    I appreciate the effort. As George Washington demonstrated in the Revolutionary War part of success is showing up and willing to get ass kicked with no return

  3. LIAD

    ISTP baby!Wifey is polar opposite. ENFJ. Not sure how that works. But, 16yrs in, so far so good.

    1. iggyfanlo

      Opposites attract

    2. fredwilson

      gotham is ESTJ. we are also polar opposites other than our preference for thinking over feeling ๐Ÿ™‚

    3. K_Berger

      I think many times that is how it works best.

  4. andyswan

    ENTJ but I don’t remember what that means. Probably something swantastic.

    1. William Mougayar

      Ear Nose Throat Jaw?

  5. Chris Mack

    INTP here too.”The INTP personality type is fairly rare, making up only three percent of the population, which is definitely a good thing for them, as there’s nothing they’d be more unhappy about than being “common”. INTPs pride themselves on their inventiveness and creativity, their unique perspective and vigorous intellect. Usually known as the philosopher, the architect, or the dreamy professor, INTPs have been responsible for many scientific discoveries throughout history.”https://www.16personalities…

  6. jason wright

    IHNIWINTPM

    1. Simone

      I won’t ask so you don’t have to lie ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. kirklove

    DCFFW

    1. Chris Kurdziel

      LOL

  8. LIAD

    If we really believed their veracity, we’d be unlikely to share MB results as its akin to giving away our psychological combination lock.Manipulating, persuading someone when you know the inner workings of their brain gives you a competitive advantage. People would be foolish to share their code publicly.

    1. Andy Orr

      Unless the FBI were to compel me to…

    2. Simone

      you can’t hide who you are from a trained eye or someone who is really paying attention.

      1. LIAD

        Sure. But you also don’t need to give them the recipe on a plate

        1. Simone

          it is only a matter of time. i realise now, looking back 5 years ago, that people more experienced than me read me very quickly and i am no extrovert. but i get your point

        2. Simone

          in my opinion is not a recipe or code, if you can ask 3-4 good questions, you will know all that you need to know

    3. LE

      we’d be unlikely to share MB results as its akin to giving away our psychological combination lock.What I have found is that people who you are competing with typically aren’t that on the ball that they wouldn’t even think to use information like that against you. They are lazy and they don’t prepare. Or if they use it, they do it in a sledgehammer way and set off all sorts of alarms that they are trying to manipulate you because they aren’t smart enough to be subtle about what they are trying to do. They don’t understand the nuance.

    4. Sierra Choi

      The only disadvantage is that people might develop stereotypical versions of their own selves, as opposed to organically evolving from their own mindsets. There are many variations within personalities. understanding your interaction w others is not the same as revealing everything you’re thinking and planning to negotiate and execute.

  9. iggyfanlo

    Don’t beat yourself up… your consistency is pretty inspiring

  10. Chris Kurdziel

    INTJ here – curious what it’s like being a VC introvert, Fred – have heard many VCs say “you have to be an extrovert in this business” but often feel like the best ones (or maybe just the ones I get along with best) tend to be introverts.

    1. fredwilson

      i am plenty social. but this description sums it up for me”INTPs are quite relaxed and friendly when they are with people they know, or who share their interests. However, this can be replaced by overwhelming shyness when INTP personalities are among unfamiliar faces”

      1. LE

        this can be replaced by overwhelming shynessTo me it is more “this is boring what is the point?” [1]In other words if there is nothing to gain from interacting, then there is no point in interacting. You don’t have the umph to have a conversation.This is quite different from at least two girlfriends that I had (one that I unfortunately married and am divorced from). They both like meeting and talking to people of all types. You know why? (And I’ve given a great deal of thought to this.) Because they liked to talk. It felt good to talk and socialize. It was (and I am serious) “crack” to them. I used to say “she is in her crack den”. And it didn’t matter whether the other person was interested in what they had to say or not either. They would essentially control the conversation and draw it to them in some way. [2] They felt good just having words come from their mouth. They were the ultimate social animals. Most importantly they were also quite willing to embellish and lie to control a conversation. If we went to a restaurant one time it was “oh we go there all the time”. Anything to keep those listening engaged. Anything to be popular with the group (many similarities to facebook popularity here by the way..)[1] Shyness also comes from overly critical parents in some cases.[2] An example of this was how the conversation went a family dinners. Somebody would say something “we are thinking about going to Paris” and they would shoot back with a long story about London and the restaurants they went to. Someone would try to interject a point and they would take that point and run with it and control the conversation.

      2. David C. Baker

        Here’s a good way to determine personality while waiting for an elevator, using DiSC language: a D keeps pressing the call button and then the close button; the i holds the door open for those rushing to catch it; the S keeps moving from one line to the next; the C counts everyone to be sure they aren’t over the placard limit.

        1. Susan Rubinsky

          LOL.

      3. Chris Kurdziel

        This is often how I feel (and a big reason I enjoy working with engineers).PS – if you’re interested in reading about introverts/extroverts, Quiet by Susan Cain is a worthwhile read. Covers a lot of ground but I found it particularly good on the topic of how cultures are set up to reward certain types of behavior (most commonly extroverted behaviors, at least in Western societies)

    2. Kirsten Lambertsen

      I’ve always thought his reference to the theory that introverts lose energy to socializing and extroverts gain energy from it made tons of sense. So it may not be so much a shyness thing as a management of energy thing.

      1. LE

        extroverts gain energySee my comment about my ex’s and “crack den”. And yes it is definitely both loss of energy and boredom to interact with people that you don’t share any interest in speaking to, if there is no end goal to doing so.I remember when I met my first wife and spent about 30 minutes speaking nicely with her grandmother thinking that was the right thing to do. It was effortless to do so because there was a goal (pleasing my ex wife). Then my ex wife told me “oh that’s not the important grandmother don’t worry about her”. From then on it was painful to interact with that grandmother once I was told she was not “important and don’t bother with her”. (Yeah I am a terrible..)

      2. Chris Kurdziel

        Definitely – I subscribe to this theory for sure. I’ve learned how to be an ambivert but only for a limited time before I need to recharge ๐Ÿ™‚

        1. Kirsten Lambertsen

          Yeah, I like socializing when I do it (and most would think I’m extroverted). But I find it exhausting and absolutely require equal or more amounts of time alone.

      3. Susan Rubinsky

        That’s how I’ve always understood it too.

  11. laurie kalmanson

    i’m always smarter when i talk to people — also, i have a theory about that related to cities; the more edges there are to sharpen against, the brighter the blade

  12. William Minshew

    /wave from a fellow intp

  13. LE

    people with the INTP personality type tend to share thoughts that are not fully developed, using others as a sounding board for ideas and theories in a debate against themselvesSounds like the opposite of what the media seems to feel that a political candidate should be, that is someone who has fully formed views and sticks with them and never changes their mind until the bitter end. [1][1] Bitter end:The bitter end is a nautical term. The bitt end (or bitter end) refers to the final part of the anchor rope near to where the rope is fixed to the shipโ€™s deck. Usually marked with coloured rags, the bitter end gets its name from the bollards (or bitts) on the deck to which the anchor rope was tied. When the sailors lowering the anchor came across the rags on the bitter end, they knew there was no more rope left, meaning the water was too deep to set anchor. To go to the bitter end means to go to the very end (i.e., right to end last few yards of the anchor rope).Add this as well: Bitter end because if it slips through your hands you are SOL. “the bitter end”.

    1. Vasudev Ram

      Wow, that article is even more telling than the digg one above.

  14. Magnus Wikegรฅrd

    Isn’t there a risk these personality types become self-fulfilling prophecies. If I remember right from a previous post, contributors to this forum is over-represented by INTJ personalities.

  15. Emily Steed

    I like your questions as well as your new ideas so keep them both coming! If you are too busy to share an idea, then share a question! Both are great.

  16. Ian Smith

    I’ve enjoyed doing the test, as have friends. I liked the use of it for partner matching. However it may still be rather unproven scientifically: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/b

  17. Drew Myers

    I had to share for the first time ever. INTP as well. You nailed it – this is exactly me too….Thank you.

  18. Jaikant Kumaran

    I read this in context of your yesterdays post. Appreciate your truthfulness.

  19. Dave Root

    like button.

  20. Sierra Choi

    The similar minds mbti test is the most accurate imho. http://similarminds.com/pre…The humanmetrics short test I find types people incorrectly compared to the standard long test. Just my experience.

  21. David C. Baker

    I use personality type research a lot in my consulting. There are six constructs that are scientifically valid: Myers-Briggs, PI, Kolbe, DiSC, Indra, and TJTA. The remainder are pseudo-science at best. M-B is the least, but still valid. PI is the best. The DOL only recognizes two: PI and Kolbe.Most of this research dates back to William Marston. Who, by the way, invented the lie detector…and the Wonder Woman character. :)One interesting side note that relates to this list. I did some deep research in personality types of successful entrepreneurs. They were all over the board except for only one trait: risk-taking. No other trait could be said to predict success. There were 5 outliers in a sample size of 1,340 test participants, but that’s an astounding degree of certainty (relative to the sample size).

    1. Kirsten Lambertsen

      “They were all over the board except for only one trait: risk-taking.”Resonates. Resonates a lot. Although, I wonder if it also applies to “unsuccessful” entrepreneurs ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. David C. Baker

        Yes, absolutely. To put it in cruder terms than I normally would: If you are not a risk-taker, you will not be successful as an entrepreneur. If you are a risk-taker, you might be.

        1. LE

          That’s the problem that I have with categories like this. One is not a risk taker or not a risk taker it’s a matter of degree and how you see things and the world most importantly at a particular point in time. And a risk that one person might take when they are 20 is not the same as they would take when they are 40. Or if they have kids or don’t have kids. And if someone has family to backstop them they will take more risk then if they don’t. Risk goes everywhere from “take a chance” to pure gambling and everything in between.

          1. David C. Baker

            The only people who want to nuance the definitions of risk are those who are nervous about it. ๐Ÿ™‚ But of course you are right–I didn’t say stupidity but rather risk.I am also uncomfortable with the simplicity of the concept of risk. Try this instead: killer instinct.

          2. LE

            Try this instead: killer instinct.To me killer instinct means what it means. “Willing to die” or “Bet the ranch”. Which on a personal level is typically stupid. [1] Reason people get egged on by others. Others (friends, family, media) have no downside and mainly upside (perhaps family has downside..)[1] Same as someone who jumps on a subway track to save a complete stranger because they have been brainwashed into thinking that being a hero matters relative to the chance of personal harm. Killer instinct of course benefits all of us but then again we don’t have the downside the person’s family does.

          3. David C. Baker

            I’m not sure that’s what people think of when they hear that phrase. It’s not what I do, anyway. What I mean is going after something doggedly. Stepping out and accepting a fair bit of risk for a fair bit of reward. Unstoppable.

          4. Lawrence Brass

            Where does being relentless fall? As a termite carving wood, that’s another form of unstoppable in my opinion.

          5. David C. Baker

            Relentless seems like a good synonym for what I was trying to imply. I like that word.

          6. Lawrence Brass

            Curious. When I read “killer instinct” I read willing to kill, fast, bet the opponent’s ranch instead of his/her.

        2. Sierra Choi

          However, there’s a difference between calculated risk vs those people who jump in blindly into an empty swimming pool, trying to quickly launch a product before it is ready.There’s all sorts of risk. Gamblers should be differentiated from calculated risk takers.

        3. Ryan Frew

          I wonder, also, if we would find highly successful people to be risk-takers across the board, beyond entrepreneurs. Jerry Seinfeld? Jay Z? Obama? Milton Friedman?

    2. Ana Milicevic

      Interesting. Why do you consider PI to be superior?

      1. David C. Baker

        It’s the most repeatable assessment and has the best scientific testing behind it. Unfortunately, 1) their licensing requirements are draconian and 2) the reports are not all that digestible to a participant.

    3. Twain Twain

      ALL of the psychometric tests and their “putting people into boxes and a under normal distribution curve” are “invalid” and that’s why the system I’ve invented fixes those flaws too.I’m borderline ENTP-ENTJ.Still, there are times I’ve very very introverted and getting me to share about something is harder than getting blood from a diamond.

      1. Susan Rubinsky

        It’s important to look at your scores when you take the test because you fall in a range on each of the four pairs of traits. I like that you did that for P/J. Knowing your traits is a great way to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and to make decisions about how you can augment weak areas and build on strengths.

      2. ShanaC

        most people are fairly balanced if you see clusters of personality behavior in practice. Super heavily Unbalanced personalities are technically Axis 2 DSM disorders.(and I say this knowing I have abnormally high E and while also being borderline ENFP-ENFJ, though as of recent, slightly more P than say 5 years ago, when I was slightly more J)

      3. Pete Griffiths

        I don’t think the extrovert introvert axis is about sharing so much as where you gain your centered strength.

    4. Kent Karlsen

      Great reading. Do you know how Myers-Briggs define “introvert”? Some definitions are being shy and keep feelings for themself. Other would define introverts as people who need to have alone-time to get back energy.

      1. David C. Baker

        An introvert loses energy being with others, as you say. Another good way to describe an introvert w/o the negative connotations: matter of fact.

    5. William Mougayar

      How about the Social Styles one with just 4 quadrants: Driver, Analytical, Expressive, Amiable. Does it have a name, and what do you think of it?That was the basis of what I learned at HP, and we used it in strategic selling.

      1. David C. Baker

        That’s the Social Style Model from Tracom Group. It’s one of hundreds of variants of the DiSC model. They base their work on the four major segments rather than diving down into the fifteen subtypes.If you map their terminology to the underlying DiSC research, Analytical is C, Driving is D, Amiable is S, and Expressive is i.

        1. William Mougayar

          Thanks!

    6. ShanaC

      Ok, so I am trying to parse this.I think DOL == Department of laborM-B == Myers Briggs personality testPI == I have no idea, possibly Predictive index, or Personality IndexKolbe == appears to be a company, http://www.kolbe.com/why-ko…DiSC == dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance. (according to wikipedia, directly founded by William Marston – dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wi… Also apparently a company https://www.discprofile.com…Indra == a god in the rigvedas and a common name. I have no idea what this has to do with personality testingTJTA == Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis. some links, https://en.wikipedia.org/wihttps://www.tjta.com/asp/in…I’m still confused.The one acronym I was expecting to see, OCEAN or CANOE (aka big five) isn’t there. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wi… ) I also have no idea what most of these tests even are, or the point of them. (or even the point of meyers briggs, which I get the feeling is the most famous one.)The risk taking comment does not surprise me at all, though ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. David C. Baker

        Sorry about the alphabet soup!DOL: Department of Labor.M-B: Myers Briggs, also known as MBTI (http://www.myersbriggs.org)PI: Predictive Index (http://www.predictiveindex.com)Kolbe: Kolbe Indexes (http://www.kolbe.com)DiSC: most accurate variant of this is from Inscape where the validation across 30,000,000 people has taken place, purchased by Wiley recently (http://www.everythingdisc.com); the most popular variant would be in the book called “Please Understand Me”Indra: spin off of above, and relatedTJTA: Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (http://www.tjta.com).Disclaimer: I make no money from this and have no connection to any of these companies; rather, I’ve just used the tools for my own research with 20,000 subjects in the marketing field. Most people that I’ve found in this field are over-selling the implications. I find it very useful, but it doesn’t solve all of the world’s problems. It is wonderful to understand yourself better, but only as a stepping stone to understanding other people and adapting your style to a manner most easily absorbed by them. That’s what good managers do.

        1. ShanaC

          I guess I wasn’t that far off!So why test a vs test b, and which would tell me more about myself on a navel gazing day?

          1. David C. Baker

            First, make sure there’s nothing going on that would throw off the results. There are three things in that category: too young (like below 18), something traumatic has just happened (divorce, death, bankruptcy, etc.), or misunderstanding the terminology (e.g., if English isn’t a primary language).Next, try to isolate your responses based on work or outside of work. We tend to be different people in those environments, sort of like putting on a suit when we go to work.Then I’d probably take whichever of those tools someone else took that you want to compare yours with. Absent any such influence, M-B seems to be the most ubiquitous. It’s my least favorite of the six, but I think I’m in the minority. My advice would be Indra or an Everything Disc product. If you’ll shoot me your email, I’ll set you up for free if you like ([email protected]).The most helpful advice I was ever given about these things was this: our strengths, when overused, are our greatest weaknesses. It’s also helpful to tell yourself that it’s an assessment and not a test. You can’t fail it and there are no bad results. It’s just data, and who we are. All of us–me included–would LIKE to change something about ourselves, but it’s really more about understanding who we are and trying to see an overreaction happening before I do something stupid, or understanding how to approach another human in a way that’s less likely to be rejected. It’s not about manipulation but rather noise free communication.

          2. Lawrence Brass

            “our strengths, when overused, are our greatest weaknesses”Amazing.

    7. Twain Twain

      There are different types of entrepreneurs building for different sectors.

    8. Simone Brunozzi

      Can you clarify what these acronyms mean?It’s actually quite rude to publish half a dozen acronym to an audience that doesn’t necessarily know half of them at least. Just saying.

      1. David C. Baker

        Sorry–I was trying to be helpful and not quite rude. ๐Ÿ™‚ There’s a later entry that explains all of them, posted earlier today. Hope that helps, but I’m glad to clarify further if I can.

        1. Simone Brunozzi

          David, I have to admit that perhaps my comment could be read as harsh – what I meant is that using too many acronyms is not nice, although I could clearly see that your overall comment was trying to be helpful :)Is there any good way to take an online test for PI and Kolbe that you would recommend?

          1. David C. Baker

            That was my off the charts “D” overreacting as if it was a pissing contest. ๐Ÿ™‚ See, I still have a lot to learn about myself.Kolbe is harder to find online, but DiSC is pretty easy. I’ve heard good things about this one (no connection): https://www.discprofile.com…The underlying science is exactly the same and it uses the same engine, so there will be no variation. So cheaper is fine.

    9. PhilipSugar

      I had to do an 8 hour online interview/test. It was stunningly accurate when I shared with my wife she made me get a good bottle of wine it was so entertaining

    10. JamesHRH

      David – I am an old friend of Blair Enns. Any thoughts on the Enneagram? It has no scientific support, but I find it uncannily accurate for rough profiling – I am not that interested the 8 hour version of anything analytical about me, see comment below by @philipsugar:disqus

      1. David C. Baker

        James, I don’t have any experience with that particular tool. But most of the tools I spoke highly off take less than 30 mins to complete. There are indeed quite a few tools that don’t have scientific underpinnings and are still helpful.

  22. Tom Labus

    What is Trump?

    1. Andy Orr

      Web says ESTP.

    2. Simone

      NPD or BPD and possibly the next president

      1. Tom Labus

        oh please no

    3. Lawrence Brass

      He can be whatever he wants, he is a performer. I have seen him performing “The Asshole”, “The Creep” and lately.. “The Chameleon”.If by chance he doesn’t get to the Presidency, he has a promising career in Broadway. He is amazing.

  23. David Noรซl

    ENFP and Enneagram Type Two ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. ShanaC

      Woot! (another one of ENFPs, weeee)

  24. panterosa,

    I wonder where the 5 love languages fit into Meyers-Briggs (Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, Physical Touch). Will have to look up.

    1. Susan Rubinsky

      Let us know what you find out! (I suck at love relationships, LOL. I’m an ENTP).

  25. Ana Milicevic

    ENTJ for me pretty consistently and I think that’s accurate. I’ve used personality type profiling when team-building and to understand what type of communication will work best for which person. Often times just simple tweaks in how you approach someone can lead to dramatic increases in the quality of your relationship (be it personal or professional). It’s also interesting to see some people test differently as they mature in their careers, indicating that a component of personality may simply be experience.

    1. Sierra Choi

      Do you find men becoming suddenly intimidated when you announce you are ENTJ? I have heard from other women of negative reactions from men, including suddenly becoming competitive etc.

      1. Ana Milicevic

        Those who consider themselves Type A often have a problem at first and try to establish some type of dominance; since I’m usually their boss that often translates to excellent business results (e.g. bringing in a marquee client, taking a risk, hacking together a new idea prototype, etc – all things that would be interpreted as quick wins and demonstrations of competence). I’m a great communicator so I’ll vary my approach to working with different personality types and that helps proactively diffuse any potential negative effects.In personal life It’s actually a great filter and helps quickly identify the men I do not care to have around ๐Ÿ™‚

        1. Sierra Choi

          I LOLed at the last part. I also think there are very distinct differences in gender of the same personality types. Would love to trade notes sometime on your experiences. I’m sure a public forum is not the place to go into detail of these interpersonal intricacies ๐Ÿ™‚

          1. Ana Milicevic

            :)Let’s make that happen! Are you on Twitter?

          2. Sierra Choi

            I’m not on twitter, but I added you on linkedin

      2. ShanaC

        Interesting, as I get that from men, especially when I was younger, but I am not an ENTJ

        1. Sierra Choi

          I noticed that there is immense pressure upon some boys by their parents to “win” particularly in sports. I’ve never personally experienced it when I was younger, but I think it can be more pronounced for some women if they’re in male-dominated professions.

  26. Kent Karlsen

    ENTP – teachers nightmare

    1. Susan Rubinsky

      That’s me!

  27. Lawrence Brass

    Just got an ENFP but don’t quite recognize some descriptions. What if you repeat the test later and get other type?

    1. Sierra Choi

      I’ve heard people who get vastly different results on personality tests referred to as sociopaths. ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Lawrence Brass

        *laughs* Good to know, I will lock all my knives and the pencil sharpner before taking the second test, just in case.

        1. Sierra Choi

          Well ENFPs are the opposite of sociopaths, so unlikely ๐Ÿ™‚

    2. Simone

      you can answer to test questions with who you are, and you can answer with who you would like to be, people do it all the time :). there is also who we think we are vs. who our friends think we are.Ken Robinson has a critique of personality tests in his book ‘The element’ and my understanding is that no test out there is definitive and many are terribly misleading (the people who are labelled/make life decisions based on such tests)

      1. Sierra Choi

        Agreed. Which is why the similar minds test is more accurate than others on the Internet. It tests both values. http://similarminds.com/pre

        1. Simone

          thanks, will give it a try

      2. Lawrence Brass

        I agree. There has to be some science behind those tests and some common behavior among us, but I like to think that we are all unique jewels, treasures waiting to be discovered and polished. Sometimes self discovery is possible, sometimes we need some help, sometimes we need some love… to flourish.

        1. Simone

          we are all unique jewels and my hope from education and society is that future will facilitate individual discovery much more than today

    3. Susan Rubinsky

      Make sure you take a version of the test that has at least 100 questions. People very rarely move to other types, except in areas where they have scored near the center of a pair of traits. For example, I have taken a professional grade test three times in my career. The first time I took it, in my late 20’s my results were ENFP. However, my F/T scores were very close to the center. When I took the test subsequently, at age 35, I scored ENTP. I also scored ENTP when I took it in my early 40’s. I also have very close scores on I/E but always fall just over the center into E territory.

      1. Lawrence Brass

        Took the one linked to Fred’s post, I think it was only 50 questions. A few questions didn’t really made sense to me, I chose neutral on those. Thanks for the advice.

    4. ShanaC

      Happens to many people. If It helps, I’m an ENFP (or J on some days.)(feeling lonely, not many of us here)

      1. Lawrence Brass

        We should throw an ENFP party anytime soon, only for ENFPs, to celebrate our ENFPiness. ๐Ÿ™‚

        1. ShanaC

          woot!

  28. Brandon Burns

    From a fellow INTP. #thestruggleisreal

    1. Susan Rubinsky

      LOL. LOVE this!

    2. ShanaC

      hahahaha.and boy do I miss good star trek

    3. karen_e

      Best joke of the day, and great joke for nerds. I used to test INTP and so did my Dad. He loved all these tests and once paid for me to go three days of testing when I was 18. (Now I test a little more E. I guess it’s the hazard of too much work as a marketer striving to understand the client’s point of view)

  29. David Goddy

    I had a similar conversation about M-B recently and found this Vox article, which pretty effectively demolishes the idea that M-B is much more than a terrific marketing success.http://www.vox.com/2014/7/1…By the way, I’m an ENTP, but I feel like an INTP.

    1. Kent Karlsen

      Same with me. ENTP, but feel like an INTP. Introvert definition might confuse people I think.

    2. Susan Rubinsky

      I’m an ENTP too but on separate scales that test primarily for Intoversion/Extroversion, I always score exactly in the middle. That’s called an Ambivert, by the way.

  30. William Mougayar

    I’m DHTTCT Don’t Have Time To Comment Today.

  31. CerterisParibus

    “showing up everyday” This is the lesson of the day!

  32. chhhris

    Fwiw I’ve read that one’s Myers-Briggs can evolve over time. That being said I’ve scored the same both times I took the test (few years apart).

    1. Vasudev Ram

      Right. See my comments elsewhere in this post. The article you linked to is very interesting, including the conclusion about radio silence by that institute. Also, P. T. Barnum is mentioned. It reminded me of a quote attributed to him:”There’s a sucker born every minute.”

  33. creative group

    Note to self:Not finding the time during a workweek for passions, hobbies or non essential tasks we choose to incorporate in our lives is usually defined as working. Welcome to everyday life.

  34. James Ferguson @kWIQly

    Type ZERO – Didn’t take the test, horoscopes are BS, don’t do the lottery, don’t believe in handwriting analysis.Is it psychologically healthy to examine oneself in detail ? -Questionable – I avoid it like I avoid mirrors – the reflection is always the same person and I am not going to go to great lengths to change it anytime soonIs grouping people into four spectrums terminally stupidI guess so but maybe I’m an anti-Briggs-Meyer-istWhat matters ? Generally happy, outgoing, imaginative, love my family and a bit chubby with emotional volatility of a well controlled yoyo (not well-grounded but very well glued to the roller-coaster)More interesting personality test:Can I sleep when I have a new idea ?Not so muchDo I take prescription drugs ?Maybe 10 anti-inflammatory tablets in last yearDo I take any non-prescription drugsAlcohol rarely , but occassionally far too much . coffee – some per dayDo I need a psyche consult ? Doubt it, who cares ? – not me – ergo – probably not?Do I spend too long at AVC ? – sometimes (but its often quite interesting)

  35. ShanaC

    Now I am getting thisJung Explorer TestActualized type: ENTP(who you are)Extroverted (E) 70% Introverted (I) 30%Intuitive (N) 66.67% Sensing (S) 33.33%Thinking (T) 55.26% Feeling (F) 44.74%Perceiving (P) 75% Judging (J) 25%ENTP – “Inventor”. Enthusiastic interest in everything and always sensitive to possibilities. Non-conformist and innovative. 3.2% of the total population.Preferred type: ENFP(who you prefer to be)Extroverted (E) 73.53% Introverted (I) 26.47%Intuitive (N) 64.1% Sensing (S) 35.9%Feeling (F) 55.56% Thinking (T) 44.44%Perceiving (P) 54.29% Judging (J) 45.71%ENFP – “Journalist”. Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population.Attraction type: ENFJ(who you are attracted to)Extroverted (E) 68.97% Introverted (I) 31.03%Intuitive (N) 66.67% Sensing (S) 33.33%Feeling (F) 55.32% Thinking (T) 44.68%Judging (J) 59.26% Perceiving (P) 40.74%ENFJ – “Persuader”. Outstanding leader of groups. Can be aggressive at helping others to be the best that they can be. 2.5% of total population.Arg Arg Arg ArgUseless confused again

  36. Vasudev Ram

    IMO these types of scores are 50% [1] bull … and as with advertising, the buyer doesn’t know which 50%.[1] or more.

    1. Lawrence Brass

      So you may end eating the ….

      1. Vasudev Ram

        You got it.Though the … (oh buzz off , Google, your algo is not good enough to read my mind on caps or not after a dot; in fact, stop trying to read people’s minds, period – pun intended) is not what you seem to imply, I actually like your interpretation better.

        1. Lawrence Brass

          Just corrected the ellipsis to avoid any misinterpretation or compiler errors.

          1. Vasudev Ram

            Correction error. Program exit.

          2. Lawrence Brass

            Damn!

          3. Vasudev Ram

            ๐Ÿ™‚

  37. Vasudev Ram

    > looked at what the Internet says

  38. Pete Griffiths

    ENTP

  39. Pete Griffiths

    “people with the INTP personality type tend to share thoughts that are not fully developed, using others as a sounding board for ideas and theories in a debate against themselves”ie proceeding Socratically.I’m a huge believer in this.

  40. Lawrence Brass

    *turns on the TV at the bar*Excuse me.. look at the news, Microsoft to acquire Xamarin.http://blogs.microsoft.com/…What’s the importance? As Microsoft is not a relevant player in mobile anymore.Microsoft is looking to reenter the mobile arena through developers (developers, developers, developers, developers anyone?)The Xamarin acquisition strengthen the Visual Studio Development Platform line of products aiming effective multiplatform development on iOS, Android, Windows, Linux and Cloud (Azure, and others through .net core that was opensourced last year)Anyone who is doing native multiplatform development knows about the PIA it is today.This move means Microsoft could put “their runtime” (its actually compiled to binary from intermediate language, not a VM) inside iOS, Android, Linux, OSX and obviously Windows, which is what Xamarin is all about. Could be very relevant in the future.Well Played (TM)*TV off*

    1. Kirsten Lambertsen

      This could definitely lure developers over.

      1. Lawrence Brass

        The Xamarin core team is amazing. They initiated the mono open source project, they struggled, then they were acquired by Novell then released to regroup to create Xamarin. They were wise to keep the IP of their effort.My only worry is that Microsoft corporate culture may strangle them, but I really think that those days are over. Microsoft has learned a lot the hard way. These are good news.

  41. Richard MacManus

    I’m an INTJ and I have to say, it was a God send when I discovered that. Sadly it wasn’t until I was well into my twenties. I wish I’d done the Myers-Briggs test at school, because it would’ve pointed out my strengths and weaknesses well before I actually found out. Definitely the most useful test I ever did.

  42. Chris Phenner

    Who makes who better?A rhetorical question for each (all) of us.You show up ever day (me, less so), and I’m grateful.I love the ‘apologies’ for your being ’empty’ with new ideas.Thanks for showing up in all the ways you do; it’s been incredible.

  43. Kirsten Lambertsen

    Showing up every day is an incredible accomplishment. It’s a superpower ๐Ÿ™‚

  44. voxster

    Fred – do you think that certain MB types are better suited for building early-stage companies or early-stage investing?