The 9 Possible Charisms for INTJs

Hey,everyone.

So I have a few updates to share, but if you're not interested, go ahead and skip down to the bolded Today's Post.

Anyway, as you can guess, things have gotten a little messed up. Easter Sunday and Monday didn't go as planned. I was also busy looking into different kinds of blogs to relaunch this one, but I can't find any that I really like or are as flexible as good, old Blogger here. My only real problems with Blogger are that older posts within a topic don't show up in a feed and my URL/site name doesn't really make sense for what this blog has turned into.

Unfortunately, it makes little sense to just move all my posts onto a new Blogger page since it's the same platform and most of my views are through Facebook and Pinterest links which means no one's really bothering to commit my site address to memory. Plus, if I removed stuff from this blog, those links would become useless. I'd have to put up duplicates. Not a big problem since I own it all and I can do with it all as I please, but it could be confusing for some.

Anyway, it seems like the only thing I can do is stick it out with this one until I get the money to have a true blue website which means I need to work on my Patreon as well as come up with something for opt-ins so people will join my mailing list. With the way things are, I'll probably need to have a mailing list for INTJ posts and a separate one for my writing stuff as those are the only two "things" I put out that I believe people would subscribe for. And like I said, I'm working on bringing up my INTJ/MBTI t-shirt store which is a little more difficult than I thought. But if you truly believe in the work I'm capable of, show me the love and join my Patreon. I have a variety of levels for patrons and a variety of rewards. Check'em out!

Today's Post

To the matter at hand... About two months ago, I enrolled in a program called Called and Gifted. It's put on and through the Catherine of Sienna Institute. Catherine of Sienna is a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church, but as a Roman Catholic myself, I do admit that she might have been crazy. Anyway, the point of this program is to help people discern their charisms, and some charisms can be personality type specific, so I've decided to cover the nine possible charisms for INTJs. But what is a charism?

Well, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 799 says, "Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world." Meanwhile, the Catherine of Sienna Institute in their Called and Gifted program define a charism as a "spiritual gift granted by the Holy Spirit that gives a Christian special empowerment to bring God's redeeming love into the world." Basically, a charism is a super power from God that helps to make His presence, power, and love known. It's also the blanket term I used in ROCCO for my characters superpowers.

Before I continue, I must address the elephant in the room. I know the last paragraph talks a lot about God and Christianity, and I know that INTJs are statistically the least likely to admit to the existence of a higher power. Therefore I have to tell you that everyone has charisms, even non-Christians. Although I will admit the Called and Gifted workbook, Discerning Charisms, does say that having an active faith life increases the efficacy and presence of a charism. So it's completely possible that you have some of the nine below even without being a Catholic or even a Christian. However, it is also possible you may have none of the charisms below. And unfortunately, you can't discern your charisms by simply taking an online test. That will help point you in the right direction, but discernment takes your entire life. But I don't want to get into how to discern your charisms in this post and all the other nitty-gritty. For now I'll list what they are along with their definitions, and why I think it's possible INTJs can have these nine.

1. Knowledge

Knowledge empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s truth through diligent study and intellectual activity that enables us to better understand God, ourselves, and the universe.

There's not too much more that can be said about Knowledge, but since it is one of the charisms I'm thought to have, I can tell you a little more about it. The thing that really sticks out about Knowledge is that whereas most people might say they can feel God, His presence, or His love, I've never had this feeling myself. My understanding and study of God's wonders isn't a personal, feely (feeling), or emotional experience. It's actually an intellectual or academic understanding. Rather than listening to about how people feel blessed, I'd rather study the theology of God's power. If I have a question about God or the Catholic Church, I go look up the answer myself in The Catechism of the Catholic Church. And if I have follow-up question, I then pursue the theological documents that the Catechism is written from.

However, charisms aren't necessarily always tied up with God and religion. One of the "moderators" for Called and Gifted shared that he is able to recall specific pieces of knowledge, but not always know how he got the knowledge or where. This reminded me of the idea that many INTJs report having "Eureka!" moments. Some believe this is because our Introverted Intuition (Ni) is constantly operating, even on a subconscious level. However, in religion, we have the term "divine revelation." Basically, it means that there are things out there that we can't know on our own; they have to be revealed to us from a higher source. While INTJs may experience Eureka naturally, I believe that some of our Eureka moments could be influenced by divine revelation. If not, then at the very least, it is because we have the charism of Knowledge. Perhaps one can't be had without the other.

One important thing I have to mention about Knowledge is that it isn't a charism that can be used by itself. In order for knowledge to have any real worth, it must be conveyed by some other means. For this reason, Knowledge often works hand-in-hand with other charisms such as Writing and Teaching. Speaking of which...

2. Writing

Writing empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s creativity by using words to create works of truth or beauty that reflect the fullness of human experience and bring glory to God.

This is another charism where just because God and Christianity are being mentioned, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are directly involved with Writing. In The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, it is mentioned that J.R.R. Tolkien likely had the charism of Writing. According to the Inventory, some people have converted to Christianity due to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings which many of us know isn't directly Christian although it may have Christian themes or virtues.

This is something I may be able to vouch for. A few months ago I was contacted on Facebook by someone who read my blog. I don't remember why she did, but she said she agreed with some claim I had made about INTJs. The main point of our discussion was the fact that some INTJs get hung up on "INTJ orthodoxy." That is to say the idea that INTJs must possess certain traits and can't possess others at all. Well, while I was speaking to this young lady, religion did come up. She admitted that the Eastern religions appealed to her most although I did try to softly evangelize for Christianity. But my point is that something I wrote moved an individual to better understand herself and has possibly set her on the path to God. This could be proof for the existence of a charism of Writing.

But my personal experience not withstanding, it is well-known that INTJs express themselves better through writing than speaking. When we talk to ourselves, we are some of the most eloquent speakers you'll ever have the pleasure of never hearing, but in the heat of the moment, that all flies out the window. However, in writing, we are able to retain most of that eloquence, sometimes even being able to find a more eloquent way of putting things.

3. Teaching

Teaching empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s truth and wisdom by enabling others to learn information and skills that help them reach their fullest spiritual and personal potential.

Again, another charism that isn't strictly religious and has potential in secular ways. Note: "personal potential." So teaching something secular can be proof of Teaching. I for instance am a tutor and certified dog trainer. Now, while "Sit" may not get anyone to Heaven, me teaching someone Italian, Spanish, English, or mathematics very well could help someone reach their potential. One of my tutoring students suffers from ADHD and was doing abhorrently in his maths. But thanks to me and whatever teaching abilities I possess, he understands his algebra much, much better. His grades and confidence have greatly improved. He even seems to enjoy himself when I tutor. He has also encouraged me to become an actual teacher.

Obviously, I'm not going to do it.

But as for INTJs, again, going back to Knowledge, it's well-known we're information sponges. We collect it like some people collect bottle caps. Add to that, it's been said that INTJs are most comfortable in social situations when our intelligence is stimulated or activated. While we're not very good at flirting, we manage to show an attractive confidence when we are in teaching positions. This also likely means that we're the sort to mess around with our students, but this also means that we can easily snag a phone number when we find someone bad at something we're good at. I know that for myself I get excited by the prospect of teaching some sweet, young thang archery, rollerblading, or even Italian. (By the way, two of those three have actually happened.)

4. Administration

Administration empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God's wisdom by providing the planning and coordination needed to accomplish good things.

Thanks to our Extraverted Thinking (Te), INTJs have a natural eye for organization and efficiency. This means we're able to spot weak links and potential problems, and solve them before they happen. We can also allocate resources and people to where they're needed most. This may not seem like a big deal, in fact, in discernment, that's how we tell the difference between a skill and a charism, one's ordinary and the other is practically a miracle, but it is amazing how inefficient some systems are. Also, I would think God would want to give someone a charism that they already have the mind for. So be on the look out for this one.

5. Helps

Helps empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s goodness by using his or her talents and charisms to enable other individuals to serve God and people more.

I can feel a lot of INTJs cringing at this one. The idea of helping another--say it ain't so! Not to mention, so you help someone--big deal! But before you shirk this one off, listen. Helps is actually a little more complicated and miraculous than the above definition. Like I said in Administration, the result of using a charism is almost a mystical experience with often (semi-) miraculous effects. And, using your charism makes you feel good. In one meeting, we were given the insight that using your charism "gives you life." You can feel absolutely drained and sh*t-tastic, but after using your charism, you feel much, much better.

Also, it is important to note that Helps is a charism that is used behind closed curtains. So it's entirely possible INTJs have used Helps when assisting someone they like to shine. Helps is very focused on helping the individual and not so much focused on the task. And the thing about INTJs is that while we like people from a great distance, those that we're close to we absolutely adore. However, if an INTJ doesn't see the change he is making or the importance of the change he's making, he can lose his feel for Helps.

6. Wisdom

Wisdom empowers a Christian to be a channel of God’s goodness through remarkable insight that enables him or her to come up with creative solutions to specific problems and make good decisions.

Another ability or gift that sort of seems like a no-brainer, but again, the important thing to remember about charisms is that they have miraculous results. And with a charism like Wisdom, it can handle the weirdest situations with ease. Wisdom cuts through the fat and gets to the bone of the matter, and solves the issue with a masterful flourish. And with that I'm sure I don't need to remind you that INTJs do have the stereotype of being seen as wise men. Perhaps not literally, but it is said that people seek our advice and insights. That's almost never happened to me, so I can't comment, but that's what I hear. But perhaps our eye for detail along with our Ni are the sources for this charism.

7. Leadership

Leadership empowers a Christian to be an agent of God's purposes by sharing a compelling vision of a better future with others and by directing the overall efforts of a group as they work together to make the vision a reality.

That's right; Leadership is a charism. But how is it different from Administration? Well, Leadership is about unifying people and getting work done. Administration is making sure the materials and resources that are needed to complete a project get to where they need to go. Leaders are on the cutting edge floor, making it happen. Administrators are in an office handling the money. Hopefully that answers the question.

Anyway, just like with Wisdom, an INTJ's Ni and Te (possibly with a little help from Extraverted Sensing [Se]), INTJs can be good leaders. We see the problems, the problems piss us off, and then we boss others around into helping us fix the problems. Well, maybe not quite. That sounds a bit too much like an ENTJ, but if a problem pisses off an INTJ enough, we can definitely act like an ENTJ.

However, considering that most INTJs take leadership on begrudgingly, INTJs may not possess Leadership. Like I said, I believe charisms are given to those who have a mind for them, and INTJs don't really have a mind for it. So, I don't feel that confident about this one.

8. Encouragement

Encouragement empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s love nurturing others through his or her presence and words of comfort, encouragement, and counsel.

Just like with Helps, at first it appears that the prickly INTJ doesn't have Encouragement. However, no one said we have to nurture others all at once. We can do it one-on-one. And again, INTJs do greatly value those closest to them. So it's possible INTJs may have Encouragement, especially through something like counsel. Although, I will admit that I think Encouragement would better benefit someone who can let the love out for strangers, like someone with Extraverted Feeling. So, this isn't one of those that I feel particularly confident of, but INTJs do want everyone operating at their best.

9. Pastoring

Pastoring empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s love and build Christian community by nurturing the relationships and long-term spiritual growth of a group.

This is one of those charisms where it seems like you can't get around the whole religious thing. But I bet that's not what's hanging some of you up. No. The complicated bit is how is it that an INTJ might have this charism even if we assume the INTJ is religious?

Well, one of the reasons for my argument is that Pastoring came up in my assessment. At one point in my past, I was a youth minister and a Catechism aide. And more recently, I've helped to relaunch a young adult group at my church. But I will admit that I didn't get into any of these because I wanted to pastor a group of the faithful. However, if we think of Pastoring as being a combination of Leadership, Teaching, Knowledge, and Encouragement, it doesn't seem all that impossible.

INTJs are natural leaders, even if we don't want to lead--we still have the ability. And INTJs can be very supportive. We may not support someone emotionally, like we may not always be there with a hug, but we do value the best in ourselves and in others. As for Teaching and Knowledge, when you add them on top, it begins to make sense how INTJs could make good pastors. Now, we may not make great pastors, like say being a Pastor for a church, but for small, casual groups, we may just do the trick.

Conclusion

So those are the nine possible charisms for INTJs. Are there more charisms out there? Oh, yes. There are 26 charisms mentioned in The Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, and there are potentially many, many more. There could be no limit.

Charisms are also tricky things because they can't be discerned in a vacuum--they require extensive testing and you could be discerning one for your entire life. And sometimes, charisms are temporary--they only stick around long enough for you to get the job done. Perhaps I'll go into detail about these nine in future posts, but if you would like to investigate the phenomenon yourself, you can contact the Catherine of Sienna Institute at info@siena.org or visit their website: www.siena.org. There are a bunch of materials for this whole Called and Gifted thing.

As for me, I'm pretty sure Knowledge, Teaching, and Writing are all my charisms. The others, not so much. I tried to test Wisdom, but it didn't really work which may have been a sign from God that I don't have it. But even if I don't have them, I don't really mind. I know for myself that I know a lot, I'm a better than decent teacher, and my writing ain't so bad either. And all three give me joy. So it's probable that they are, but who cares if they're not. And maybe that's a sign that I do indeed have them.

For my next post, I'm not sure what I'll do. I think I may cover the idea of why MBTI, as great as it is, isn't a perfect system. I've been reading My True Type by A.J. Drenth and it has been most illuminating. So illuminating that I have to go back and correct some of my assumptions in earlier posts. That's gonna suck. But until then...

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

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What Color Best Represents INTJs?

Hey, everyone.

So I ended up keeping my word this time, and I'm going to write about the perfect color to represent INTJs. Now, I'm not going to get complicated about this and say something like mauve or maroon, and instead I'm going to focus on the basic Roy G. Biv scale plus white and black. And like I said, this is mostly for fun as well as a way to enlighten others to the characteristics of INTJs through a playful concept. Don't be offended if you're an INTJ and I don't mention your favorite color.

Before we get into this color aspect of INTJs though, I want to remind you all of my Patreon. If you enjoy my content and you'd like to support my blog, maybe "buy a stake" and give me money to grow, I would definitely appreciate it. For $1 a month, you get access to my news feed and the ability to give input on what blog topics I write about, whereas for $5 a month, you'll get teasers for my new books and recognition on my blog as a patron. And there are plenty of more goodies the more you donate. Go to my Patreon to find out what those are.

Wonderful Colors

Alright, then. So in examining the qualities of INTJs, I came to the conclusion that there are four colors that can be used to represent INTJs. They are blue, red, violet, and black. Well, black's not technically a color--it's a shade, but you get the idea. So let's start this off from the top.

Blue

Calm, cool, and calculating are all words you can use to describe INTJs. They are rational and slow to anger, although they'd love to smack an idiot some days. And they can be as deep and as mysterious and as the depths of the sea. What wonders lurk within the fathoms of their minds are mind-blowing discoveries still waiting to be found. Just beware as those wonders can be as weird and as eldritch as some of the creatures of the deepening abyss.

For these reasons, as well as a strong masculine quality, blue is a great color to represent INTJs.

However, might this understanding of INTJs be a little too basic and perhaps stereotypical? For instance, blue doesn't say anything of their strong passion.

Red

Despite their cooler outer exterior, a strong passion runs through the veins of an INTJ. It can be difficult to access for the cooler shield blocking the way, but a fire certainly rages inside. In the right company, an INTJ is strongly opinionated and wastes no time or effort in expressing said opinion. And for those things and people they genuinely care about, their love and passion can be quite strong, sometimes unrelenting. For such a cool and brooding people, INTJs can be the most idealistic when it comes to love and loyalty.

For these reasons, it makes sense for INTJs to gravitate toward red.

But supposing you're an INTJ who pays equal respect to both red and blue, and you want to emphasize the power of your intellect?

Violet

Thankfully, red and blue mix into violet (purple). It's the best of both worlds as it balances out the stability of blue with the energy of red. Add to that, if you've ever studied the properties of crystals, amethyst may have a property that an INTJ might value. According to CrystalsandJewelry.com on their page "Amethyst: Meaning, Properties and Powers," amethyst is said to improve "intellectual and cerebral thought." Besides all this, violet is also a royal color befitting the INTJ sense of self-importance.

So, for one looking to balance out red and blue, emphasize his intellect and represent his nobility, violet is the color to go with.

But might there be a simpler answer to this question of what color best represents INTJs?

Black

You basic black. It goes with everything and has a slimming effect, not that that's of any importance to an INTJ. No. What interests an INTJ about black is that it's classic, severe, powerful, intimidating, and somewhat understated. Black is thought to be the "color" of all colors because all colored light is swallowed up by it. This is the reason why priests wear black because it dominates all other colors just like how the one, true God dominates all pagan gods and forces. And because all colors go into black, it can be argued that black has the best qualities of all colors making black the jack-of-all-trades in the color world. Perfect fit for INTJs who are the jack-of-all-trades in the people world. Not to mention, black is just cool.

Other Colors

Now, is it possible that there are other colors out there that might represent INTJs also? Well, I did think of silver and gold. Both colors are rich, important, and wealthy. And depending on whether or not an INTJ wants to be subdued or noticeable, he can choose either to suit his purposes.

But there are colors that I just don't see being for INTJs like orange, yellow, brown, or green. Yellow is far too bright and optimistic, orange is similarly too bright and sticks out. Brown just looks like mud, or something worse. Green however is an earth tone that suggests growth and nature. INTJs aren't really associated with either quality preferring things to be static and sterile in their lives. Well, except for their ENFP girlfriends, but...

The only other color that may be befitting of INTJs is white. White can become any color also making it a jack-of-all-trades, and it is just as classic as black. It's also more the absence of color which might fit INTJs since I can't imagine anyone calling us colorful people. Unless they're talking about our language. We might be one of the few kinds of people in the world that can actually curse a blue streak.

 



Conclusion

But beyond that, I'm afraid that blue, red, violet, and black are the best options for INTJs. I personally quite like red because it is the color of passion, but I do like it to be surrounded by black to give it that ominous feel. Heck, my phone case is red'n'black, my mouse is red'n'black, and my mouse pad is red'n'black. And don't even get me started on my clothes!

But anyway, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this fun little post and maybe learned something about INTJs. For next week, I'm not sure what I'll do. There are a couple of topics I want to write about, and there is a response post or two I can put out. Because Easter is this Sunday and I might be distracted by the holiday, I'll probably keep it simple and do a response post for next week. Will I be able to put out a second post? I'm not sure yet. We'll see. But until then...

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

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The INTJ Mentality Regarding Sports

Hey, everyone.

I know I mentioned writing a rant about INTJs and friends/-ships, but like I said in last week's post on socio- and psychopaths, I can't remember for the life of me what the point to that rant was supposed to be. So instead I'm going to write a piece on sports and INTJs. What INTJs think about sports, if we do sports, if we're any good at them, and if we do sports, why do we do them?

But before we get into that, I want to remind you all of my Patreon. If you enjoy my content, I would like to ask that you consider becoming my patron. $1 a month would certainly help by leaps and bounds whereas $5 could work miracles. That's only .17 cents a day.

Now then...

I realize that this topic of INTJs and sports does come somewhat out of left field. Why in the hell would I want to write it? I'm not responding to someone else's post. Well, let me tell you a story.

A Story...

A couple of weeks ago, my friend John had his Dirty 30 birthday party at a bowling alley in St. Clair Shores. I've been bowling before. I'm not great, but I'm no stranger to strikes and spares. During my Vector Marketing/Cutco days, some of my fondest memories were going bowling late at night with some of my co-workers after a "phone jam" or weekly meeting. So, going to my friend's bowling party, I've got something to prove to myself and to the others in attendance, that being that Bryan C. Laesch can bowl.

I got my butt beat pretty bad in the first game, and I was not happy. I scored under 100. One of the guys bowling with us, the spouse of the sister of a guy I went to high school with, apparently does a lot of bowling. He had two balls, two gloves, his own shoes, and a bag for all his goodies. I had researched some bowling tips before I went and I had made a flippant comment after a strike that it was better to look at the floor (the arrows) than it was to look at the pins. Well, said guy gave me some free advice for the second game. He told me I was absolutely right and that I should line up my right shoulder with the arrows and then finally with the pins. He also said I had the best form of anybody there except for himself, which felt pretty good. But anyway, I took his advice, and the strikes and spares started to pile up. That second game I did something like 115 or 119. That was a great feeling.

The rest of the night wasn't anything too special. We tried to let some of the other party-goers take a turn, but they weren't interested so it was just me and the guy I went to high school with for the third-and-a-half games we played after that, except this time, I was bowling for two people and my personal score did suffer for it. But there were plenty of strikes and spares to go around. And man was I sore the next day! I felt it mostly in my legs.

So, that's why I decided to write this post on INTJs and sports--to explore the INTJ mentality regarding sports. Let's get into the meat of this topic.

What Do INTJs Think of Sports?

We don't typically think of INTJs as being sporty people. MBTI in general doesn't give real insight into the sporty or athletic aptitudes of the types, but INTJs are typically looked at like the Dr. Frankensteins of the world: we keep to ourselves, in our studies or our laboratories, and study the mysteries and complexities of the universe, sometimes committing heinous acts against nature in the process.

This really doesn't say "football scholarship" or "all-star material."

Despite that though, INTJs do have a reputation for being jacks-of-all-trades. Hell, I used that same philosophy when I came up with my twitter account name: BryanofallTrade. But we tend to throw around that term without ever really thinking about what it means. It basically means that INTJs can do everything. Not necessarily well or that we're the best, but we can do anything and know a little bit about everything. You'd be surprised what I know about women's attire. Especially lingerie.

But this jack-of-all-trades attitude extends into the wide world of sports. While I by no stretch of the imagination consider myself sporty or athletic, I've always felt that I have a working knowledge of and ability with most sports. I played baseball for two years when I was kid (I wasn't any good), I always did well in gym, I had three years of karate, my grandfather took me to a driving range a lot, I played HS soccer Freshman year (I wasn't any good), some of my fondest memories involve playing backyard basketball by myself, and I've recently taken quite the shine to archery and sport whip cracking. Plus, and I know these aren't technically sports, but I'm not half bad at pool, I've been weight lifting to get into better shape, I rollerblade, when I lose more weight I'm going to ride my bike more, and I'm self taught at HEMA.

I'm not that good.

So I'm not physically challenged. But getting back to the question at hand, what do INTJs in general think of sports? Well, we're not against sports. We have a sort of laissez-faire attitude about sports. Sports doesn't bother us, and we don't bother sports. But generally speaking, we're not big into sports. The reason for this is because most sports are team activities. Football, baseball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, kickball, volleyball, hockey, ultimate frisbee--while these activities are fun to indulge in by yourself, the real fun to be had in them is with teams. And being INTJs, the obvious problem here should be obvious.

This team aspect is likely the single biggest reason as to why most INTJs are not into (most) sports. We don't have a lot of friends to begin with, and we're not the sort to invite ourselves or even accept an invitation to a pick-up game. Other reasons would include price, such as with leagues, equipment, and the like, (personal) time, and the fact that we don't like watching sports. Well, I don't as anytime I watch sports, I just end up wanting to play myself, so that doesn't do me any good.

Are INTJs Any Good at Sports?

Well, I've already answered this above by admitting that we're jack-of-all-trades. But how is it that we are decently good at sports if we don't actively pursue them? Well, INTJs may not be the physical sort, but we are well-aware of everything around us, including our own bodies. We know how they move and how to move them in order to get the result we want. And due to our studious nature and photographic memories, we can watch a player demonstrate proper form once and duplicate it almost perfectly. We also absorb theory like a sponge, and in a bid to do well or better at something, we will of course explore the theory behind a technique and see if we get favorable results. So, in theory, INTJs are at least decently good at most sports.

Why Do INTJs Do Sports?

But the real question is why do INTJs do sports? There are many acceptable reasons why someone may indulge in athletics: fun and diversion, to hang with friends, to excel at a skill, get a scholarship, be rich, and/or just because they like the activity. Many of these reasons are shared by INTJs--we're not that different from everyone else. We do put on our pants like everyone else does--both legs at the same time by jumping into them as they are suspended from the ceiling. But there is one other reason why people, and INTJs included, may do sports. Perhaps you picked up on it from my story above: to prove something to ourselves and others.

I personally don't consider myself a competitive person. In fact, I try not to be competitive, but let's face it, we all want to be winners and most of us are envious of them. I try to shrug off the envy because I know I'm likely to get stomped and I don't want to deal with that disappointment, so that's why I don't bother in the first place. But if your sh*t performance is out in the open for all to see, you may as well try your damnedest and prove to yourself that you have some ability.

I don't find anything wrong with this self competition, or even the subtle and farther reaching competition with everyone else. But there are some people, like my friend Jessica, who don't seem to understand it. 'Course though, she is athletic. She runs all the time. That includes 5K's, so perhaps she doesn't need to prove anything to herself as she already has. The other side of it is that it could just be natural male competitiveness. You know, the stone age principle of the strongest, fastest, smartest competitor getting to sleep with the most bang-able women without any need for a real personality. But, would INTJs allow themselves to be so base as to be influenced by a Paleolithic urge? ...Probably. It might be old as hell, but it is an essential piece of evolution.

However, might there be something else at work here? Something specifically related to INTJs? At first glance, I did suspect that it was our inferior function, Extraverted Sensing (Se), at work. After all, in my response to "The Top 7 Gift Ideas for INTJs" one of the gift ideas was stuff like wine, coffee, and chocolate as a means to please or indulge an INTJ's Se. So, I thought that that they may be a possibility, but there is a problem with that theory: sports are not just about the tactile aspect. There is a lot of strategy and theory that goes into athletics, not to mention the validation and self-worth that come from a well-played game.

So I decided to look at the INTJ function stack (Ni, Te, Fi, Se) to see if anything came to mind and I did indeed have a brain wave. I wondered if the reason why INTJs indulge in sports has anything to do with the possibility of discovering something new (Ni), coupled with the theory of how to do well (Te), along with the desire to feel good about ourselves (Fi), hitched up to the physical experience of actually having proof that we're skilled (Se). Looking from this perspective, sports become a functional stack orgy, for lack of a better term. Or, in more eloquent words, sports allows an INTJ to use all of his functions, and an INTJ wants to use all of his functions to their fullest potential, hence resulting in his intense self-competition. Of course though, that's just a theory.

A Game Theory!
Wait! No--it's an INTJ theory.

 

Conclusion

In the end, the INTJ mentality toward sports is mostly ambivalent. We aren't really for it, and we aren't really against it. Given the right motivation, we could come up with plenty of arguments both for and against the practice of sports. But there's no denying that INTJs do possess some elementary skill at athletics, and with training, we could become quite competent. And really, who doesn't like making the basket swish, seeing the ball fly over the stands, seeing the arrow hit the bull's eye, or knocking down all the pins with one throw, and knowing that you personally are responsible for making that happen?

Alright, you guys, that's it for now. I'm sorry I didn't do a second article for last week. Sh*t happens, like laziness. Although, if I had some patrons, I might be more willing to stay on the ball. Hint, hint...

But anyway, this week is a little different from most weeks. We are currently in Holy Week which means, among other things, that because Holy Thursday to the Holy Saturday Vigil Mass is a time of great solemnity and sacrifice, I will be giving up video games and frivolous videos on YouTube in honor of JC's crucifixion. Which means I'll be focusing on my writing to fill up my time. So, hopefully I will have a second INTJ article out this week. It won't be a serious article, rather something I'll write for fun, but it'll be about the perfect color to describe the INTJ personality. That should be enlightening. But until then...

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

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Are INTJs Psychopaths?

Hey, everyone.

So, in my attempt to further lend a sneaping wisdom to what an INTJ is and what we're about, I'm tackling a new stereotype regarding our legend, that being that we're sociopaths or psychopaths. Now, I have looked up an article on either subject, specifically the signs of each, and I'm going to go through them and talk about whether or not INTJs have them or why people might think we have them.

I should however mention that sociopathy and psychopathy are not clearly defined. They do share some traits, and the DSM even eschews either preferring the blanket diagnosis of "antisocial personality disorder." So I'm going to invest some time into taking an online test to see if I have it.

But before we get into this, let me remind you all that if you enjoy my content, you can support me through Patreon. $1 a month will do wonders for my blog, maybe even pump me up to an official platform like WordPress, but for $5 I could invest in Squarespace. That's just .17 cents a day.

Now, then...

“If, instead, you find yourself often pitying someone who consistently hurts you or ... the chances are close to 100 percent that you are dealing with a sociopath.”
― Martha Stout, The Sociopath Next Door 

So what makes a sociopath a sociopath? Well, I did find an article on Psychology Today that listed 16 whole traits. Unfortunately, they admitted to the fact that sociopath and psychopath are quite similar to each other and mixed the traits together. Plus, some of the traits confused me as they were listed as "trait A or trait B" where A and B seemed to contradict one another. I've posted the link to Psychology Today so you can see it for yourself, but for a more concise list, I'm going to look at Unified Soul Theory's article of "7 Warning Signs of a Sociopath." Let's see if INTJs are really sociopaths.

1. Lots of "Friends"

Right off the bat, something's wrong. INTJs don't have lots of any kind of friends, quotations or not. Now, Facebook might tell a different story, but we're all pretty aware of the empty commitment of most of the people on our Facebook friends list. So barring Facebook friends, I stand by my statement that INTJs don't have lots of friends. We don't even seem to have lots of friends. Sometimes our real friends don't even seem like real friends to outsiders. So there's very little chance of us having a major list of phony friends since we're likely to treat any one who tries to be our friend but isn't with great disdain and distance. So, this isn't a trait we have.

2. Manipulative

Hmm, this one is sort of tough. While I think it's possible that an underdeveloped or even immature INTJ might be manipulative, most INTJs are not so. We might seem like it though. We are quite passionate about the things we want, and not wanting to muck about with the work that goes into networking or risk giving someone the wrong idea that we care about them, we could come off as manipulative, but most socially woke INTJs won't have this trait.

3. Narcissistic

Is it narcissistic to believe you're better than everyone else? Well... yes.

But, those of you who have been around for a while will remember that I wrote an article about whether or not INTJs are narcissists. I'm not going to go into that article in detail, you can read it for yourself, but while I did have some of the signs of a narcissist, true, clinical narcissism, I actually scored lower than the average range on. We may think ourselves superior, but not so superior that we think our sh*t doesn't stink.

4. Emotional Detachment

Many would argue that INTJs are emotionally detached. This is kind of true, depending on the circumstances and the individual INTJ, but for most of us, we're not emotionally detached so much as we are emotionally guarded. We put up a front of detachment so as to prevent ourselves from being hurt or manipulated. It is also possible for an INTJ to be personally upset, but to carry on professionally as if nothing happened--we don't cry in public. And we do have a sense of empathy and sympathy, but it is tempered by a rather strong sense of logic. So we only seem detached.

Ever heard the phrase, "if it bleeds, we can kill it?"
Well, if it feels, it can probably cry.

5. Compulsive Lying

INTJs don't lie. We may not always tell the whole truth, but we never lie. And even if we do, it's not compulsive, it's highly pre-meditated and well thought out, well ahead of time. Not to mention, compulsive liars get caught all the time. When an INTJ lies, we do it like we're telling the truth, which is to say, we never get caught.

6. Reckless Attitude

Reckless? Psh! INTJs don't do anything reckless. Even when we do something reckless, we thought about it first. We pre-meditate our recklessness. Plus, this trait is "reckless attitude"--an INTJ's attitude could not be defined as reckless by any stretch of the imagination. We're the most careful and calculating bunch of mofos you'll ever see.

7. Quick to Anger

I used to be quite quick to anger. I think I may have been a rage-aholic. Either that or I just liked being angry. It felt good. I felt powerful. I felt validated, like I was right and everyone else was wrong. Looking back though, I think that might be an oversimplification. I don't know if I was ever really angry. Could've just been angst.

However, looking at now and INTJs in general, it's generally agreed upon that INTJs have a long fuse, not a short one. We're actually incredibly patient despite the fact that we don't like people and we're easily annoyed. But annoyance and dislike of people isn't anger. Anger is a very specific emotion, and it's one that we don't feel that often. Even if something upsets us, due to our emotional guards, we're not likely to be angry so much as we are just upset which is more of a feeling of sadness and regret. So, we're not angry, and we're not quick to it.

Conclusion

Looking back over this list, it's immediately apparent, that INTJs are not sociopaths. We can be mistaken for sociopaths in the shallowest respects, but dig a little deeper, and INTJs are not sociopaths in any regard. But what about psychopaths?

"I'm a psychopath, but I don't have a problem with that."
--James Marsters

So to tell whether or not I'm a psychopath, I actually have a little test here from Healthy Place. They put out an article called "20 Signs You're With a Psychopath or You Are a Psychopath." The test is twenty questions/scenarios and you score yourself on a scale of 0 to 2. 0 is you don't have that trait or you don't do that thing, 1 is you do it sometimes, and 2 is you do it all the time. You then total up your score and take it out of 40. If you score higher than 30, I've got some bad news for you.

For my test, not only will I give my score, but I'll give a non-INTJ perspective score, and I'll explain why it seems like INTJs have certain behaviors on this list.

1. Do you shrug off important subjects with glibness? Do you exhibit superficial charm?

No INTJ ever shrugs off anything important. Hell, INTJs aren't likely to know what glibness is unless we're using it to criticize our beloved ENFPs with. And the only time I ever exhibit superficial charm is when I'm on stage because I know have to be charming and entertaining, so I don't think that counts, especially if I end up being charming and entertaining.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

2. Are you self-centered with an inflated sense of self?

This one I've already encountered and dealt with above. But a non-INTJ might have a different perspective on the matter.

INTJ: 0-1

N/INTJ: 1-2

3. Do you need stimulation constantly or from more extreme experiences?

Psh! INTJs don't need stimulation at all. Everything is up in our brains. We're one of the few people that can sit quietly, do nothing, and be thoroughly entertained. As for "more extreme experiences," well, we're certainly not thrill seekers if that's what you mean.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

4. Do you lie to your partner or others?

Already dealt with above.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

5. Do you con or manipulate your partner or others?

Already dealt with above. Well, from the INTJ perspective anyway. I have no idea what an non-INTJ would say here. But, I'm going to bet that people think we're psychopaths because of our emotional detachment and not because we have a reputation for manipulation. Which we don't.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

6. Do you show a lack of guilt and/or remorse when you hurt someone?

Actually, INTJs can show quite a bit of guilt and remorse for hurting someone. It bothers us years and years after the fact. Especially if the person was/is important to us. No apology can ever express how sorry we are. However, there are some times when we can be cold and don't give a f*ck. But in those cases, we're not trying to hurt someone, we're just being who we are. So, I don't know how to score that, but I'll score heavily on this just to be on the safe side.

INTJ: 1

N/INTJ: 2

7. Do you appear to have only shallow feelings or feel things superficially?

INTJs either feel something or they don't. There really isn't an in-between here. There have been times in the past when I've tried to hype myself up by trying to feel things like other people felt them, but I couldn't pull it off, so I don't know how to score that. As for non-INTJs, most probably think we don't have any feelings, so I think this is goose eggs all around.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

8. Do you have trouble empathizing with the pain of others? Are you callous towards others?

Isn't this the same sh*t as in #6? I guess there is a small difference in that this is empathy and not guilt or remorse. In which case, I have dealt with this above in my sociopath examination.

INTJ: 0-1

N/INTJ: 1-2

9. Are you in relationships where you use others (i.e. parasitic relationships)?

No. And again, I don't think non-INTJs think we have this quality either.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

10. Do you have poor control over your behavior?

F*ck no! If anything, we're too controlled.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

11. Do you display promiscuous sexual behavior?

Well, this is really something that relates to an individual and not to the whole personality. Although, in Heidi Priebe's article about the sexuality of the types, 50% of INTJs said they didn't care for the hook-up culture, and another 48% said they were on the fence about it. So INTJs aren't very likely to be promiscuous. And, I'll go a step further and say that INTJs are very unlikely to ever display promiscuity out in public.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

12. Did you have behavioral problems early in childhood?

I'm not entirely sure what they mean by "behavioral problems." Do they mean misbehaving, or something more serious? I don't know, so I'm going to score high, just to be on the safe side.

INTJ: 1

N/INTJ: 1

13. Do you have a hard time making realistic, long-term goals?

Psh! INTJs always plan from the perspective of eternity. Plus, we really don't like change. After all, what do you think that J at the end of your type is doing there? Holding down the T?

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

14. Are you impulsive?

Again, already dealt with. Even when being impulsive, we've actually thought it out.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

15. Are you irresponsible?

Psh!

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

16. Do you refuse to accept responsibly?

Isn't this the same thing as #15? But unlike numbers 6 and 8, I can't split any hairs here.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

17. Have you had many marital or significant relationships?

Hmm... I know I haven't. And generally, I would think that most INTJs haven't either. Again, Judging types.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

18. Were you a juvenile delinquent?

Nope. And it would be really difficult for most people to see the average INTJ as being a juvenile delinquent. I stress average because most villains in movies are INTJs, but they're far from being the average, healthy, or mature INTJ.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

19. Have you ever been on parole and had that parole revoked?

No. And again, the average INTJ wouldn't have parole revoked either. He would take that sh*t seriously.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

20. Are you a criminal in many areas (a versatile criminal)?

Again, speaking averages here, no.

INTJ: 0

N/INTJ: 0

TOTAL:

INTJ: 2-4

N/INTJ: 5-7

So, looking at these total scores right here, it's quite obvious that INTJs are not psychopaths. Not even a little bit. Remember, this score is out of 40 and requires as least 30 to be considered a psychopath.

And I'm not even going to beat around the bush here, I'm just going to give you guys the results from my antisocial personality disorder test. (Take it here.)

Screencap'd straight from the site.

I'll be honest, that was a bit of surprise. I didn't think I would get anything from this test. But I do have some problems with some of the questions. One of them was "No one knows how dangerous I truly am" and I agreed with it because no one actually knows how dangerous I can be. Hell, I don't know how dangerous I could potentially be until I try. And just between us girls and the AC-130, I think if I tried my hardest, I could be really dangerous. But I think that's true of most people.
Another one I took issue with was "I want to become a millionaire as quickly as possible and I'll do so by any means." Number one, who the f*ck doesn't want to be a millionaire as quickly/soon as possible. That's f*cking stupid to ask. Number two, if I "strongly disagree" with the second part of the statement, does that mean I "disagree" with the whole statement or that I "strongly disagree?" I had no idea how to score myself on that.

Anyway, it doesn't matter since I'm over 25. Plus, while I have some of the symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, I also only have some of the traits of sociopaths, psychopaths, and narcissists, but everyone has some of these traits. So then, that begs a question: how do INTJs get saddled with these labels?

I think the fundamental problem is that people don't know what a psychopath or sociopath truly is. People only know about the lack of emotion and assume that's all there is. They also probably only see the lack of remorse or guilt on the outside of an INTJ and assume it isn't there. What with being introverts and all, we're not likely to show such things, and since people can only judge what they experience (see), they make mistakes in their judgment.

The other thing I should point out is that personality and behavioral disorders affect a person, not a personality type. It is completely possible to be an ENFP, INFP, ESFP, or ISFJ and still suffer from a disorder. In fact, if you suffer from one of the disorders above, it's possible your MBTI result can be thrown off since who you inherently are is "damaged" or off.

Ergo, I have no other choice but to conclude that INTJs are not psychopaths or sociopaths. They might suffer from antisocial personality disorder, but I think it quite unlikely.

Alright, you guys. That will do it for now. I'm not sure what I'm going to write for next time, but I feel a little rant-y. Of course though, this will be an INTJ rant so it will be well thought out and orderly. And I think the topic I'll be covering is friends and friendships. If I don't do that, then I'll write a post about INTJs and their relationship with sports.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that I'm finally getting serious about that t-shirt idea I had. But bloody hell! There is a lot more to this than I expected. If everything goes smoothly, I hope to have my first designs ready to launch by April. So, be on the look out for that. And, until next week...

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

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Three Ways INTJs View Money

Hey, everyone.

So originally I was going to write a companion piece to this one called "Work is Bullsh*t." My basic point was that I didn't know how people could seemingly waste their lives at jobs that would never matter from the perspective of eternity. However, I could not in good conscience write and publish it because not everyone defines their lives or existences by their jobs. They're just something people do so they can do what is truly important to them. Also, I was ready to admit that some smaller tasks, such as my father's engineering job where he works on alternators, can actually do some true and/or moral good in the world. Plus, we're all different. Some people might actually experience joy in stocking shelves at a grocery store and argue it being an eternally important job by saying that they're helping families get the nutrition and nourishment they need so they can do their lives' work. So, I could not in good conscience write that piece despite my personal feelings that many jobs are eternally pointless.

This is another contention of mine.
I understand that life goes on, but when I die,
I want to be so integral to my work
that I'm damn near irreplaceable.

Anyway! Getting back to how INTJs view money, I don't remember why I wanted to write this piece, but I do feel like it's important for some reason. What is that reason? Well, if I knew what it was, I would be able to remember why I wanted to write this piece, now wouldn't I? But even if I can't remember the specific reason, INTJs are one of the least well-understood MBTI types and anything I can write to help fill in the gaps would be helpful. We also don't tend to look at things like perspectives on money when we look at the personalities. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if INTJ Vision, 16Personalities, Heidi Priebe, or someone else hasn't already tried to tackle this topic. But who knows? I might be able to add to it. So, let's get into three ways INTJs view money.

Before that though, I must beg you all for your money and remind you that if you like my content, please consider becoming my patron through Patreon. Just one buck a month would do wonders for me while $5 would make miracles happen. That's just .17 cents a day.

Alright. Now, let's get into this.

1. Money is Power

INTJs view money as power. It's difficult not to. There's a reason why people say "cash is king" which essentially means "money rules." Most of us are also familiar with the slogan "money talks, bullsh*t walks." Even if said "bullsh*t" isn't actual bullsh*t, but the honest to God truth, it'll still walk because money is potent enough to tell it to GTFO. And when you live in a society where you're not understood and just wish people could stay out of your way, you desire some of this magical juju with which people are willing to sell themselves for. How many people do you think would actually shut up if you paid them to? Or went about their business, worrying about things actually worth worrying about? That's a power I'd like.

Just imagine where we could be if Socrates had the bank to
back that up.

2. Money is Freedom

But let's face it, the reason why anyone wants power, or whatever can afford power, is so that they can be free to do whatever they please. It is well known how much INTJs value freedom. In fact we value it above most other things, and we're willing to go to great depths to remain free, even acting unilaterally and against logic. It's hard for me to think of a greater motivator than freedom. It's one of the reasons why I'm content not having a "real" job because I don't want to surrender my freedom. True, I'm broke, but with nothing in my life worth spending money on, I have no motivation to sacrifice my freedom. Ironic then that I would have to sacrifice my freedom to make the money to buy it back. That's why I still beg God everyday to let me win Publisher's Clearing House.



 

3. Money is the World's Curse

So, in order to get nominal freedom, I need nominal dollars, which means sacrificing my freedom, and thus I'm left wondering how in the hell this paradox exists and how to escape this infinity loop. And then there's the little fact that I do have student loans, and bills, and I've actually had women disappear on me just because I didn't make a living wage despite the fact that everything else about me was what they wanted. So, what do I turn my ire toward? The almighty dollar, and I begin to work seriously on that utopian barter system ideal.

Unfortunately, I still have a strong desire to participate in capitalism
where the selling of my books is concerned.

But this isn't the first time INTJs have looked a little disdainfully at money. I remember being on a forum, and perhaps this is where I got the idea to write this post, but I saw two INTJs complaining about the rat race and keeping up with the Joneses, and how they wanted to escape those pointless pursuits for much greater and more important work. Unfortunately, that required them to acquire capital and they had no idea how to do that, so they were stuck where they were.

Conclusion

INTJs don't want money for the sake of money. That's pointless. That's like wanting power for the sake of power which INTJs don't want either. They want money to escape all the mundane BS in life so they don't have to worry about it. We've got bigger things on our plates than our food. But since we all can't have this magical state of existence, we are forced to suffer under the yolk of the almighty dollar, always resenting the vices and obstacles it creates. But because we're so into personal responsibility, we know that we have to sacrifice our resentment so we can hold true to our values. INTJs, man... we're a bucket of contradictions.

 



Anyway, that's it for now. I know this was a short one, but INTJs thoughts and feelings on money are pretty straight forward. For next time, I'll tackle the serious stuff and answer a question that's been on the lips of many who don't understand INTJs--are INTJs socio- or psychopaths? The answer, next week. Until then...

Keep writing, my friends.

More About Bryan C. Laesch:

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