INTJ Hobbies--16 Personalities

This is a short piece that I wrote for the English website 16 Personalities on the personality type INTJ and their hobbies. They seemed impressed with it.

             Every type of the 16 personalities has qualities in varying degrees that makes them unique. These qualities affect the individual in every aspect of one’s life from family to friends, to romantic relationships and business associates. It is no surprise then that these qualities would affect the individual’s hobbies. Everyone does something that they love purely for the fun of it, but what may seem like a good time to one personality may not seem like fun to another. INTJs for instance are likely to be a victim of misunderstood interests. But as an INTJ myself, I can tell you that there are activities that we do like to do. It is just that due to our analytical and complex nature, we are often looking for an activity that stimulates our minds. Therefore, most INTJs are likely to be seen as intellectuals, or in a less decorous label, nerds. So allow me to set the record straight as I tell you about the likely interests of INTJs and why they find these activities so appealing.

            1. Reading: INTJs love it when a plan comes together. And what’s more, they love it when they can predict what will happen next. Being able to draw conclusions from character action and desire, and being able to make connections between two seemingly unrelated instances makes the INTJ feel superior to other audience members who may not have seen a twist coming. Such a position allows the INTJ to put himself on equal ground with the author and be able to understand him, and to an INTJ, knowledge is empowering. Also, an INTJ doesn’t need to interact with anyone in order to enjoy reading as INTJs tend to keep to themselves.

            2. Strategy Games: If an INTJ loves anything more than when a plan comes together, an INTJ loves it when his plan comes together. And for those times when an INTJ must socialize, he’d much rather socialize through a game that requires strategy like Chess instead of talking. There are other games that an INTJ might enjoy such as Blackjack or Poker, but because these games have icky mechanics like luck and probability involved, an INTJ isn’t as likely to enjoy them as much because an INTJ must be in control—INTJs don’t like to lose and will only submit to a superior opponent with a superior mind, not a lucky idiot with destiny on his side. Chess is the kind of game where it comes down to who can out think whom. It also offers an opportunity to manipulate and fool the other player into falling into a trap which is appealing to some INTJs who do desire to control everything they can.

            3. Video Games: Despite the fact that video games haven’t been around for long, INTJs are being constantly born over and over. And so, video games offer an easier diversion for younger INTJs who aren’t as likely to be as analytical as older INTJs. With video games, an INTJ can slowly learn the mechanics of the game while learning strategy and testing their own strategies in a safe, risk-free environment. An INTJ is also likely to be enamored with a complex and well-written story, and the possibility of gathering rare items to constantly tip the odds of survival and success in their favor. Some INTJs really dig deep into a game’s mechanics even trying to solve and “break” the mathematical formulas that have been designed by the game’s programmers that rule the outcomes of conflict based on variables of a player’s characters. When the INTJ player can “break” the game, no baddie in the game, or even other players that he may come across through online interaction can pose a threat to him.

            Despite the fact that I’ve mentioned games twice, please keep in mind that these are only possible hobbies for an INTJ. INTJs can have varying interests from sports to cooking to even sewing. Regardless of the activity, an INTJ is always looking to satisfy his intellect. He’s analyzing the intricacies of the activity and trying to decipher how to turn those intricacies to his advantage, even if it is only slightly. To an INTJ, it’s always about analysis and control.