From: sstrazdu@vulcan.intel.com (Stephen Strazdus)
Newsgroups: alt.psychology.personality
Subject: Re: Update on Poll Results (Move the Group, MBTI Type)
Date: 12 Jan 1993 17:45:31 GMT
Organization: Intel Corporation
NNTP-Posting-Host: vulcan.intel.com

In article <1993Jan12.012752.9272@netcom.com> noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring) writes:

>So, there's what I have so far.  Now I turn it over to you NT's to analyze
>and dissect it to your hearts content.  I look forward to the discussion.

O.K., this INTP will have a go at it.

>According to my MBTI summary, the INTP has the following personality:
>
>INTP:  "Architect".  Greatest precision in thought and language.  Can readily
>        discern contradictions and inconsistencies.  The world exists
>        primarily to be understood.
>
>The next two most common personalities who responded to my poll are the INFP
>(22%) and the INTJ (18%).  Here are the short descriptions for those types:
>
>INFP:  "Questor".  High capacity for caring.  Calm and pleasant face to the
>        world.  High sense of honor derived from internal values.
>
>INTJ:  "Scientist".  Most self-confident of all types.  Decisions come very
>        easily.  A builder of systems and the applier of theoretical models.

While it is iNtuitively obvious to me why INTP's and INTJ's are found in
such high abundance in this group, I have to admit I'm a little less sure
of what qualities make the INFP's so abundant.  I assume it has something
to do with the "high capacity for caring."  The INFP wants to know how
other people feel, think, etc.  They truelly care on an emotional level
what makes others tick.  Can any NF's tell me if I am even close in my
understanding.

For me, "The world exists primarily to be understood," sums everything up
beautifully.  I also care what makes others tick, but it is a different
kind of caring than what I percieve from an NF.  It is more of an
"intellectual" caring, for lack of a better term.  I would hesitate to
say that it is not emotional.  For an NT (at least this NT) nothing evokes
more emotion that a beautifullly constructed theory or explanation.  I
guess the best way to put it is that the NF's caring seems to be more
personal.  NF's care how MBTI relates to individuals.  NT's care more
about the intrisic beauty of the theory.  (more meaning "more than NF's"
not neccessarily "more than individuals")

Now, I would guess that SP's and SJ's also care.  What kind of caring is
it that they do.  Would one of the few S's care to comment?


>If the poll statistics can be extrapolated to the typical poster on Usenet,
>then almost 75% of all posters should fall into one of the above three
>personality types (INTP, INFP, INTJ).  Is it a truism that INTP's are most
>apt to start the flame wars on Usenet because they are so nitpicky about
>written details?  :^)  -->  aka *smile*

Of course INTP's would say flame wars are the fault of others for not being
very precise in what they post.

>Fortunately for Usenet, the presence of a large number of NF's balances the
>over-aggressiveness possible with NT's, and must bring some semblance of peace
>and harmony to Usenet.  Without the positive influence of the NF's, Usenet
>would've been closed down long ago.  :^)  :^)   (I'm not biased, am I?)

And you are claiming that INTP's are responsible for the flame wars? :-)

>Charter Member of the INFJ Club.

No self respecting INTP would ever start a club.  In fact I kind of hate
the fact that there are so many other INTP's reading this group.
--
Steve Strazdus    sstrazdu@sedona.intel.com
80960 Design      (602) 554-3867
Newsgroups: alt.psychology.personality