What is the INTJ Personality Type?

The INTJ personality type is characterized by intellectual curiosity, sharp analytical skills, and an independent nature. Unsurprisingly, people with this personality type are anything but conformist. Rather than blindly following the rules, they question everything and live on their own terms.

Forward-looking and logical, INTJs are gifted at creating strategies to achieve their goals, which has granted them the nickname of “Masterminds.” Thanks to being creative and analytical, they also excel at coming up with innovative solutions to complex problems.

What does INTJ Stand for?

The acronym “INTJ” stands for:

• Introverted. Introspective and reserved, INTJs have complex inner lives and often enjoy their own company more than that of other people.
• iNtuitive. People with the INTJ personality type tend to think conceptually and focus on the big picture rather than details.
• Thinking. Rational and analytical, INTJs consider logic and facts more valuable and reliable than feelings and emotions—especially when making decisions.
• Judging. INTJs are decisive and orderly. Rather than leaving things to chance, they like planning, organizing, and otherwise exerting control over their environment.

How Rare is the INTJ Personality Type?

The INTJ personality type is among the rarest personality types. More specifically, it is believed to be the third least common personality type—only around 2% of all people are thought to belong to the Mastermind personality type. Generally speaking, this personality type is more common among men than women. INTJ males are believed to make up just above 3% of the male population. Meanwhile, only 0.9% of the entire female population is thought to identify with the INTJ personality type, making INTJ females extremely rare.

5 Key INTJ Personality Characteristics

The INTJ personality type is characterized by:

Strategic Thinking

People with the INTJ personality type live intentionally instead of just going with the flow. Whether it comes to work, dating, or daily life, they devise strategies to meet their goals and make the most of their time.

Even though they are big-picture thinkers, INTJs also see how different elements contribute to the grand scheme of things. Thanks to their insightful and strategic minds, they have a knack for predicting how things will unfold in the future.

Naturally, INTJs have no trouble seeing the potential and limitations of any given situation. This, coupled with their analytical nature, means that INTJs typically excel not only at determining the best course of action but also at anticipating problems.

Strive for Perfectionism

Ambitious and self-motivated, people with the INTJ personality type hold themselves to very high standards.

While their critical nature makes it easy for them to spot and fix flaws in just about anything, it also means that most INTJs are never satisfied with themselves or their achievements—even though their self-confidence may come off as self-contentment.

Although INTJs are rather individualistic and prefer to stay out of other people’s business, they also have high expectations for others, especially those in their inner circle. In turn, their perfectionism may cause them to harshly criticize other people’s actions and decisions.

This may make them come across as self-righteous and conceited, but you shouldn’t take it personally. At the end of the day, INTJs see criticism as the key to growth rather than a personal attack.

Strong Determination

People with the INTJ personality type excel at setting long-term goals, and you can rest assured they have more than enough determination to achieve them.

These individuals typically possess a hunger for success, though they usually measure success differently than most people. Monetary gain, fame, and recognition may not be as important to them as knowledge, intellectual growth, and personal development.

That said, one of the most admirable qualities of the INTJ personality type is their resilience. Since INTJs are determined to achieve their goals at any cost, they don’t let setbacks get to them.

Much of their tenacity can be attributed to their unwavering confidence in their problem-solving skills. No matter how tough things get, INTJs are certain that they’ll find a solution to the problem—most likely an innovative one—and swiftly get back on track.

Logical Mindset

Since INTJs are rather analytical, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that logical reasoning comes naturally to them. These people pride themselves on being logical and rational, as they value objectivity and believe that these qualities enable them to avoid biases.

People with the INTJ personality type aren’t easily swayed by emotions. When making decisions, they prioritize facts over feelings. Striving to arrive at logical conclusions, they collect, analyze, and compare data, which also allows them to develop informed opinions about different topics.

Though they can be opinionated, one thing is certain—INTJs do their research. Instead of relying on their personal feelings and assumptions, they trust facts to guide them toward the truth and help create a logical, systematic understanding of the world around them.

Independent Attitude

Confident and individualistic, people with the INTJ personality type have minds of their own. As independent thinkers, they’d rather pave their own path than conform to social norms.

As a general rule, INTJs value critical thinking and thus find it difficult to grasp how some people can follow the rules or other people’s commands without questioning them. Unsurprisingly, they can come across as rebellious, and understandably so. Not only do they stand firmly by their convictions, but they also often refuse to give in to authority.

The truth is, most INTJs bear a deep desire to rise above the status quo and mediocrity. As such, they aren’t afraid of standing out from the crowd, especially if it helps them realize their full potential.

In other words, INTJs would rather live up to their own standards and expectations than try to meet those that society puts on them.

INTJ Personality Type Cognitive Functions

There are 16 personality types based on the psychological type theory developed by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology.

Each of these personality types is made up of four primary cognitive functions—or mental processes—that are arranged hierarchically based on their influence. The dominant function has the most impact on the personality, followed by the auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior functions, all of which support the dominant function to a certain extent.

With this in mind, here’s an overview of the INTJ cognitive functions:

Introverted Intuition

Introverted intuition is the dominant cognitive function of the INTJ personality type, meaning that it largely shapes their entire personality.

Thanks to introverted intuition, INTJs are in perpetual search of meaning. Instead of taking things at face value, they read between the lines, seeking to understand the deeper meaning that others might miss.

Introverted intuition also gives INTJs the power of single-minded focus. Rather than entertaining multiple possibilities, they prefer to define a single vision and work toward making it a reality.

Moreover, this cognitive function enables INTJs to easily find patterns, even between seemingly random events. This, coupled with their tendency to focus on the future, explains their uncanny ability to anticipate what lies ahead.

Extraverted Thinking

Extraverted thinking—the auxiliary INTJ cognitive function—primarily shapes the decision-making process of people with the Mastermind personality type. Because of this function, INTJs strive to remain objective and keep their emotions at bay when making decisions.

On top of that, extraverted thinking causes people with the INTJ personality type to put a high emphasis on efficiency. INTJs often plan their activities, automate tasks, and streamline all areas of their lives to ensure they’re using their time and other resources wisely and effectively.

Not to mention, since extraverted thinking values truth and fairness over compassion, INTJs can sometimes come across as cold-hearted. Unsurprisingly, they find it much easier to criticize others than comfort them.

Introverted Feeling

As the tertiary function, introverted feeling is much less pronounced in the INTJ personality than introverted intuition and extraverted thinking.

Still, it subtly shapes their beliefs and values. In fact, this function gives INTJs an individualistic streak and explains why they show little to no concern toward social conventions.

Since their feeling function is not only relatively weak but also inwardly focused, it’s only natural that INTJs are quite out of touch with feelings, both their own and those of other people. It’s not that they don’t have them—surely, they do, but they consider them less valuable than cold, hard facts and prefer to keep them to themselves.

Extraverted Sensing

Since extraverted sensing is the inferior cognitive function, INTJs often have trouble staying in the present moment.

It’s not unusual for them to get lost in thought with little to no awareness of what’s happening around them. Because of this, INTJs may come off as distracted, clumsy, or forgetful, especially early on in their lives.

Due to inferior extraverted sensing, INTJs might also have trouble noticing and remembering details, particularly in their surroundings.

5 Growth & Development Tips for the INTJ Personality Type

Here are five practical tips to lead a fulfilling life and realize your potential as an INTJ:

#1. Embrace Feelings and Emotions

Instead of ignoring their feelings, INTJs should get in touch with their emotions. Sure, they are fleeting and subjective, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable—emotions make us human, after all. Learning to recognize and understand their own emotions can help INTJs balance their personality, better understand others, and form close, authentic relationships.

#2. Let Go of Overly High Expectations

The truth is, very high expectations can only lead to disappointment. For this reason, the key to happiness for most INTJs is letting go of expectations and learning to strive for “good enough” instead of perfection. By accepting that nothing in life is perfect (and that’s perfectly fine!), INTJs can learn to relax and put less pressure on themselves and others.

#3. Don’t Get Too Consumed by Work

INTJs’ ambition and single-minded focus are truly admirable. Nonetheless, it’s not unusual for them to lose track of time when working on tasks and projects to the point where they neglect other areas of their lives. Since this can lead to strained relationships, burnout, and other similar problems, it’s in their best interest to be more mindful of their work-life balance.

#4. Learn to Trust Others

Self-confident and fiercely independent, INTJs often lack trust in others and underestimate their abilities. Although they typically regard asking others for help or feedback as a waste of time, this couldn’t be further from the truth. At the very least, it can give them insight into their own blind spots and help them realize that they don’t have to do it all alone.

#5. Dare to Be Different

Since INTJs are very individualistic, there will always be people who will try to “fix” them and make them conform to societal expectations. As such, INTJs should always remind themselves that there’s nothing wrong with being different—even if others are forcing them to fit in. Besides, embracing your uniqueness is much more rewarding and empowering than suppressing it!

Best and Worst INTJ Personality Type Career Matches

People with the INTJ personality type thrive in work environments that embrace efficiency, structure, and innovation.

Since the last thing they want in a career is to be micromanaged, INTJs are typically drawn to jobs that allow them to work independently and make their own decisions.

The ideal career path for INTJs is one that allows them to put their analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills to good use. In other words, they usually excel at intellectually challenging jobs that offer them plenty of opportunities for learning and career growth.

Best Careers Paths

The most suitable career paths for INTJs are those that engage them mentally, enable them to solve complex problems, and, preferably, allow them to work autonomously, such as:

• Architect
• Business Analyst
• Data Scientist
• Electrical Engineer
• Financial Analyst
• Lawyer
• Management Consultant
• Marketing Strategist
• Project Manager
• Research Scientist
• Software Developer
• Software Engineer
• Technical Writer

Careers to Avoid

INTJs are inventive people who’d rather work with data than people. As such, they should avoid careers that require them to perform monotonous tasks or constantly engage with people, especially emotionally.

Some of the worst career options for INTJs include:

• Administrative Assistant
• Counselor
• Customer Service Representative
• Data Entry Clerk
• Kindergarten Teacher
• Nurse
• Receptionist
• Sales Assistant
• Social Worker
• Telemarketer

How INTJs Behave at Work

Without a doubt, people with the INTJ personality type take their careers seriously. Believing that their skills and achievements should speak for themselves, they make every effort to perform their tasks to the highest standards. Naturally, they may look down on people who get ahead by kissing up to their bosses, as well as those who slack at work. While their work ethic is worthy of admiration, most INTJs strongly dislike networking, which can make it difficult for them to advance in their careers. Still, their perseverance and hard work usually pay off and help them become established professionals in their fields.

INTJs as Leaders

Although INTJs prefer to work independently, they usually don’t mind stepping into leadership roles and tend to make terrific leaders. Thanks to their organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills, they usually succeed in bringing their vision to reality and accomplishing business goals.

Typically, INTJ leaders emphasize efficiency and have a hands-off approach to leadership. They tend to let their teams manage their work as they see fit, as long as they complete it on time. Since they welcome change and innovation, they usually encourage their team members to think outside the box and take calculated risks.

Nonetheless, INTJs are very decisive and independent. As such, they may not always consider other people’s opinions when making important decisions.

INTJs in Teams

While it’s true that most INTJs would rather work alone than as part of a team, they can work equally well in small teams of highly motivated, hard-working people. However, INTJs may struggle with teammates who prioritize relationships over results, as they have little to no patience for inefficiency and keep their personal and work lives separate.

In team settings, INTJs excel at defining goals and creating strategies to achieve them. Being highly driven and analytical, they don’t hesitate to voice their opinions and take apart their teammates’ ideas.

That said, if their teammates are unreliable, INTJs may take it upon themselves to do all the work. In such cases, they usually have no problem taking credit for it—after all, they value fairness and efficiency above all else.

INTJs in Relationships: Assets & Shortcomings

Navigating interpersonal relationships, be they romantic or platonic, isn’t always easy for people with the INTJ personality type.

While they approach and seek to understand everything in life logically, relationships are inherently emotional and thus often puzzling to the rational and aloof INTJ personality.

Luckily, INTJs love a good challenge and constantly seek to improve themselves. Thanks to this, they often make great romantic partners, friends, and parents—even though relationships may not be their top priority in life.

INTJs as Romantic Partners

People with the INTJ personality type have a reputation for being lone wolves, so it goes without saying that winning their hearts isn’t easy. They are so comfortable being by themselves that they often find it hard to imagine sharing their life with another person.

Naturally, they tend to maintain their independence in relationships and avoid getting involved with overly demanding and clingy people.

INTJs usually have a long list of qualities they expect their ideal romantic partners to possess, with the one they’d never compromise on being intelligence. After all, the ideal relationship for them is one built on trust, honesty, and intellectual intimacy. Love at first sight is a foreign concept to them, as they usually fall for someone’s mind rather than their looks.

While INTJs may not be the most affectionate romantic partners, their loyalty and dependability certainly make up for it. They aren’t big on romantic gestures—some don’t even say the words “I love you,” believing that their love should be a given—but they’re always there to help their partners tackle complex issues in creative ways.

INTJs as Friends

People with the INTJ personality type have little need for social interaction and are very selective about who they let into their inner circle. As such, they tend to have a small circle of friends, and they wouldn’t have it any other way—in friendships, they value quality over quantity.

While INTJs enjoy delving deep into intellectual conversations and can explore abstract concepts with their friends for hours on end, they still need their alone time. Because of this, they are more than fine with seeing their friends once in a while as long as they spend quality time together.

Although INTJs can be honest to a fault—it’s not uncommon for them to harshly criticize their friends’ actions or choices—they’re also surprisingly fun to hang out with. Their dark sense of humor may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but those who appreciate sarcasm and dry, witty jokes will certainly enjoy the company of INTJs.

INTJs as Parents

Parenthood may be quite a challenge for people with the INTJ personality type. Children can be messy, emotional, and unpredictable, which INTJs may find downright confusing. And yet, even though parenthood often wrecks their perfectly structured lives, INTJ parents usually enjoy every second of it—even the hard parts.

As parents, INTJs strive to bring up children who are no less independent than they are. Not only do they encourage their kids to question everything around them, but they also resist spoon-feeding them answers to foster independent, critical thinking. Even though INTJs flourish when solving problems, they also usually let their children think of solutions first.

That said, while INTJ parents generally succeed in nurturing their children’s independence, creativity, and problem-solving skills, they often have trouble attending to their emotional needs.

Although it may be more natural for them to offer advice than a warm hug, INTJ parents should learn to be more affectionate with their children to support their healthy development.

INTJ Compatibility With Other Personality Types

Any two people can form long-lasting relationships regardless of their personality type. Nonetheless, understanding personality type compatibility can help INTJs pick people who complement them, as well as anticipate potential issues.

INTJ Best Matches

INTJ personality type compatibility is highest with extroverted intuitive personalities that share their passion for meaningful conversations and can help them come out of their shells, such as:

• ENFP. Not only do ENFPs make great conversation partners for INTJs, but they can also encourage them to step out of their comfort zones.
• ENTP. ENTPs make great matches for INTJs because they are not only intelligent but also capable of handling their sarcasm and constructive criticism.
• ENTJ. INTJs and ENTJs have a lot in common, from their goal-oriented attitudes to their love of efficiency and beyond, which lays a strong foundation for long-lasting relationships.

INTJ Worst Matches

INTJs generally struggle to find common ground with sensing personality types due to their different worldviews. Some of their worst matches are:

• ESTJ. INTJs tend to perceive ESTJs as bossy and demanding, which doesn’t work well with their independent natures.
• ISTP. INTJs and ISTPs have very little in common, which makes it difficult for them to get along—especially since both types are rather reserved.
• ISFJ. ISFJs and INTJs tend to have different needs in relationships—while ISFJs crave emotional connection, INTJs seek intellectual intimacy.

What Interests & Hobbies Do INTJ Personality Types Pursue?

People with the INTJ personality type are innately curious, so they usually have a wide variety of hobbies and interests. More often than not, though, they gravitate toward solitary activities, especially those that stimulate them mentally or facilitate their personal growth.

They also tend to enjoy hobbies that are rather challenging and have a steep learning curve, such as chess or learning foreign languages. After all, nothing brings INTJs as much satisfaction as bettering themselves, solving problems, and developing new skills!

On that note, here’s an extensive list of the most common hobbies and interests among INTJs:

INTJ Celebrities & Famous People

Some examples of famous people and celebrities with the INTJ personality type include:

• Nikola Tesla. The Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla was not only intelligent but also very insightful. Many of his predictions, likely stemming from his dominant introverted intuition, came true, including wireless technology.
• Elon Musk. Like Nikola Tesla and many other INTJs, Elon Musk is passionate about technology, engineering, space, and futurism.
• Stanley Kubrick. Stanley Kubrick, who directed 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, among other cinematic masterpieces, is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. However, it’s no secret that he was also very demanding.