An MBTI Christmas - Hollywood Holiday Character Type Table

You don't have to look very hard to find an MBTI type table that relates your preferences - or, four-letter "Type" - to a set of popular fictional characters. While intended to be a fun easy way to help people relate to their MBTI Type, I'm usually very skeptical of these tables.

Too often they are put together by non-type practitioners and are a poor representation of the actual characteristics of a Type; they make huge assumptions about about what's going on in the mind of a two-dimensional fictional character who's lines don't actually reveal all four of their preferences; it trivializes the real value of actually understanding preference and Type-theory. Of course, it doesn't help that nearly all of them represent the INTJ (my Type) as the evil villain, bad guy, or otherwise undesirable character.

I was delighted to find a Type Table recently that not only had solid matches on every one of the 16 characters, but even better, the INTJ wasn't a "bad guy." Check out this Type Table for the cast of "The Big Bang Theory" posted on http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com.

Now having restored hope in MBTI type tables and in a holiday mood, I searched high and low for an MBTI type table for our favorite Christmas-special characters but could not find one. Well! (...said the INTJ in my head) That must be corrected!

So here you have it, what apparently is the first Christmas Character MBTI Type Table! It was a whole lot more time consuming than I expected. Hope you enjoy!

Some interesting notes about the process...

While I might be the MBTI practitioner in the family, my husband is an ISFJ and his memory and retention of details is far superior to my conceptual "N" so he was a great partner to me in drawing on specific examples of a character's behavior that could narrow them to one preference or another. However... as we started the process, every warm and desirable character was "and ISFJ, of course." Sorry, honey - you don't get all the good guys and I get all the bad guys.

The INTJ on this chart is NOT a bad guy, villain or otherwise undesirable.

There were several Christmas characters that we "Typed" but did not end up using on the chart as we opted for one over another for whatever reason. Here are a few others we discussed:

Miracle on 34th Street (the original)
Kris Kringle* - - INFJ
*While there are several articles and posts out there "Typing" Santa Claus, they all seem to be focused on the general historical figure of Santa, not a specific movie/television version. We figured out pretty quickly that each Hollywood representation of Santa is different from another (and often influenced by the actor). If we looked hard enough, we could probably find a few more Santas of different Types, but I would imagine they'd all be Feelers. Well, except for Willy from "Bad Santa" who is an ISTP.

The Ref
Gus - ISTP
Lloyd - ISFJ
Rose - ENTJ

Christmas Vacation
Clark - ESTJ
Eddie - ESFP

Are there characters we missed? Any of these not feel like a "fit" for your type? If you have feedback, please share.

If you would like to re-post this Type Table on your own blog, feel free - just be sure to link back to this page, please.

Merry Christmas!
 

Managing Management

Over the last nine years I have had several management and business articles published in Parks & Recreation magazine. To my delight, several of those articles have been picked up or reprinted in other digital or print publications.

I enjoy writing (thus, this blog) but since it's not my full time job finding the time is a challenge.

If you've followed my blog for any period of time, you've probably noticed a little bit of digital dust collecting on it. Where I used to make a point of posting two to four times a month, I think it's dwindled to one to two times a year.

One contributor to the lack of writing here has been the increased writing elsewhere. In March of 2013, I was asked to write a regular monthly column in Parks & Recreation magazine called "Managing Management." This column is intended to offer advice and guidance to front-line managers who are trying to develop into leaders and has received quite a few positive reviews.


It occurred to me that the content for Managing Management is just as appropriate here as it is there, so I should probably cross-post the content.

Actually, since, as an INTJ, I tend to be long winded, there are always a few words that end up on the editing room floor (sometimes a few hundred) so the version you read hear may have bonus material you can't get in the magazine!

In the meantime, while I create a Managing Management site to consolidate the content, you can check out a few of the articles from here:

March 2013: It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
April 2013:  Measuring Performance: Impact vs. Output
May 2013:  Death In The Workplace
June 2013:  Duty To Respond
July 2013:  A Black Swan Song For Unpaid Interns
August 2013:  Battlefield Leadership
September 2013:  From "One Of The Guys" To "The Man"
October 2013:  What Are You Being Paid?
November 2013:  Micromanagement (part 1 of 3)
December 2013: Micromanagement (part 2 of 3)

If there are any topics you'd like to see me write about, please don't hesitate to let me know. While the supply concepts that managers and leaders need to know is endless, I much prefer to focus on topics that are relevant to what readers are experiencing on the job right now.

Enjoy!

PTSD the INTJ way

I became familiar with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder when I was a teenager. After my parents divorced, my mother fell in love with a man who would fill the role of step-dad in my life and it was through his experiences in Vietnam that I saw firsthand the long term effects of traumatic events on the human psyche.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine defines it like this: 

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you've seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors PTSD can occur at any age. It can follow a natural disaster such as a flood or fire, or events such as assault, domestic abuse, a prison stay, rape, terrorism and war.... Veterans returning home from a war often have PTSD.

There are more unknowns about PTSD than there are knowns: why two people could experience the same traumatic event and only one develops the PTSD symptoms; whether genetics, psychology or social conditions play a role - there are no "medical" tests for PTSD. It's entirely behavioral - having an abnormal response to a seemingly normal environment or event. 

The effects of PTSD are nonetheless very real - it changes the body's response to stress. It physically alters the stress hormones and chemicals that carry information between the nerves.

The symptoms of PTSD tend to fall into three main categories (USNLM):

1. "Reliving" the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity (flashbacks, nightmares, strong uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind you of the event)

2. Avoidance (emotional "numbing", feeling detached, memory loss about the trauma, lack of interest in normal activities, moodlessness, avoiding things that remind you of the event, feeling like you have no future)

3. Arousal (difficulty concentrating, startling easily, having an exaggerated response to things that startle you, hypervigilance, irritability, outbursts of anger or emotion, trouble falling or staying asleep)

For my step-dad, his PTSD experience would have been of the "Reliving" variety. He had flashbacks and nightmares... I distinctly remember one night that he must have been sleep walking and talking but I didn't realize that right away. It was the middle of the night and I'd gone into the kitchen for something to drink. When I opened the refrigerator door, the light revealed that he was standing there. I was startled, but he shushed me and motioned for me to get down. I remember he said a handful of things that didn't make sense (and not all of them were in English) and then I caught on that he was sleep walking and reliving something from one of his 7 tours in Vietnam (Air Force, EOD). I called his name and, although I don't think it woke him up, he turned, looked me dead in the eye and said, "and you are not going to see that new Jane Fonda movie!" and went back to bed. 

Flash-forward 11 years and I had a new context for PTSD when I became the victim of a violent crime. As an INTJ, my reaction to the event could have been described with the PTSD symptoms listed under the "Avoidance" variety… or was that just an INTJ being and INTJ? To this day, I don't talk about it (and no, I won't be writing about it here) I have so effectively disconnected from it that when I stumbled upon some old court documents and news articles a few months ago, it was like I was reading about a stranger - it was completely foreign to me. I had no emotional reaction to it (then or now). No anger, no sadness, no breakdown, no resentment, no vengeance - a sense of protectiveness, yes, but not vengeance. I would definitely use the word hypervigilance (from "Arousal" PTSD symptoms) to describe how protective I became of my boys to ensure no further harm would come to our family. I definitely looked over my shoulder a lot in the beginning, even post-conviction, sure I'd see that face in the crowd, but even that gave way to either logic (that I can't be harmed by someone behind bars) or INTJ-disconnectedness and I just didn't think about it anymore. 

Two years ago this month, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer (that could qualify as something traumatic, right?) and in classic INTJ style, I went with disconnectedness (and humor, of course). So was that "Avoidance" PTSD or is that just my standard coping mechanism as an INTJ? Did God wire me as an INTJ knowing that my life would have traumatic experiences and that my gift/flaw of INTJ disconnectedness would enable me to cope most effectively? I was cancer-free within 40 days so I hardly had time to process it... or did I just process it in an INTJ way?

So here's the more interesting, and perhaps more revealing, puzzle piece of Avoidance PTSD or INTJ disconnectedness... 

Last week, I went for my annual checkup and cancer screenings and my doctor thought she felt a lump. "I doubt it's anything, but if it is, your mammogram will catch it. I wouldn't worry." Okay, I'll roll with that - don't worry. Well, within 24 hours of my mammogram, I'm getting the urgent call from radiology that I need to make an appointment right away with this specialist to have a more intensive mammogram and ultrasound where the doctor will interpret it while I wait so we can immediately address next steps. Yeah, I'd gotten that kind of call before and I definitely had a flashback. 

What happened next (and for the next 24 hours) would definitely fit the description of "Arousal" PTSD which would not be characteristic of an INTJ. Although in typical INTJ fashion, I'm sure no one around me knew it, but there were at least 10 to 15 occasions where I nearly burst into tears in the middle of any of the six business meetings I had that day. It was everything I could do to keep my emotions in check and I absolutely felt like I was reliving the emotions (not actually experienced) of two years ago. Then, I disconnected from an actual diagnosis, whereas here, we're just talking about more tests - yet I was losing it (by INTJ standards). By the end of that 24 hours, my INTJ kicked in to get me through the next three days before the specialist could see me and as it turned out, my regular doctor was right. It was nothing. PRAISE GOD! 

I read an article this week (the catalyst for me writing about this) that was talking about how multiple traumatic events increase the likelihood that someone will develop PTSD symptoms. So maybe that's explains my previous reactions and most recent reaction. INTJ coping mechanism, INTJ coping mechanism, Arousal PTSD.... maybe. Technically, with PTSD the symptoms are present for at least 30 days. When similar symptoms are experienced for a shorter period, it's characterized as ASD or Acute Stress Disorder. My "INTJ-ness" is a life-long condition so definitely more than 30 days, but 24-hour-freak-out over my additional tests, more like ASD.

One other related article caught my attention this week that really got my blood boiling about the US Preventative Services Taskforce issuing new guidelines that women should begin annual mammogram screenings at the age of 50, rather than the previous recommendations of beginning at age 40, to reduce the number of false positives that are reported. WHAT?!??!?! After we get past the mathematical "Duh" factor, how about this... instead of having kids going to the dentist at 3 years old, we'll push that recommendation 10 years and have them start seeing the dentist at 13 years old to reduce the number of cavities on baby teeth reported each year. Heck, I think we could cure diabetes all together if we just stopped testing for it. Seems logical right? 

Now the argument for needing to reduce the number of false positives is the emotional trauma that women experience as a result of the false positive, balanced against the statistical probability of a woman under 40 having an accurate positive. Seriously? We are still talking about hundreds of thousands of women under the age of 50 whose breast cancer was caught by a mammogram and live today because it was. As freaked out as I was, I don't think it's worth those women's lives just so I don't have to have a little anxiety attack over a false positive. Wow. How incredibly selfish would you have to be to think that's the right course. “Hey, You few hundred thousand women there, you can die from undiagnosed cancer so I don't have to feel anxious for a few days.” That seems fair.

Perhaps I'm devaluing and minimizing the true level of emotional damage that most women would experience with a false positive - that would be very INTJ of me - but seriously, I just can't wrap my head around that one. Despite the recommendations, ladies over 40, get your mammogram!

Passion

Over the past 3 weeks, my “passion” has been a topic of discussion by unrelated people or groups in my life. It’s like a Twitter #trendingtopic or something. Under normal circumstances people calling you passionate would be a good thing, right? I would have loved to take it all as a compliment but because the first remark had an undertone of negativity, it made me hypercritical of the ones that followed even though they were likely meant as a compliment.

How could being passionate be a bad thing? Well, okay, if it’s misguided or misdirected that would be bad (I’m sure Hitler was considered passionate), but that’s not what we were talking about. I was planning to roll out an upgraded benefit for staff that would be better than what they have and it would be cheaper because the employer is kicking in a significant amount of money over the other benefits. A no-brainer, right? The kicker was that the employees have to elect it. They can stick with what they have if they’d like – most people don’t like change and it was a bit more complex - but I wanted to show them the real value so they could make an informed decision and save themselves some money if it was the right plan for them.

As I prepared to hold three meetings with groups of staff to explain this new and improved benefit, I walked through it with our CEO and some colleagues. When all was said and done, everyone agreed it was a great value, but the comment was made that I may want to have one of my staff give the presentations because I’m too passionate about it. I must have had a confused look on my face because the clarifying comment came next “Lauren, you could sell ice cubes to Eskimos.”

Okay, I get that you want people to choose it because they were well informed rather than persuaded, but I know the difference. I really believed that I was being thoroughly informative … passionately committed to providing them cost effective options that have advantages over the existing alternatives… not persuading or “selling.”

A couple of days later I was at church talking with someone about the Life Coaching ministry and they said, “it so clear how passionate you are about helping people.” Now that’s a good thing, right? I know it was meant as a compliment yet on the inside I cringed a bit, still stinging from the dig at work. There were three or four other instances that week where I was talking about something – work, church, life coaching, MBTI, making peanut butter fudge, something – and a comment was made about my passion.

Yes, I’m passionate about the things I do. I’m just not one of those people who could plod along doing something day in and day out that I didn’t care about. I’m just not wired that way. If you aren’t passionate about it, why are you doing it? Maybe it’s my INTJ personality, but for me, if I can’t do something with excellence, give it my all, I really see no point in doing it. So if that makes me seem oddly passionate about all the diverse things I do, so be it. Sure there are all things we have to do that not too many are going to get passionate about – laundry, getting an oil change – but for the things in life that are important, don’t be lukewarm about them (Revelation 3:15-17). Be hot, be cold, be invested, be passionate.

“P” stands for ….

My husband and I are very clear Js (he is an ISFJ and I am an INTJ) and we have two sons that are both Ps (ISFP and ENTP). With two Js trying to raise two Ps, I’ll say it can get pretty interesting … and yes, interesting is French for frustrating. But, as an INTJ, I’m always up for a good challenge and constantly looking for a better way to do something so rather than being frustrated that the boys are not naturally compliant, obedient and submissive to parental authority (like my ISFJ husband was when growing up – yes, his mother would affirm that he was the perfect child) I redirect the frustration to myself that I have not figured out the right combination of communication techniques and motivations to incent my P children to develop their non-preferences (particularly the J behaviors) on their own and for their own benefit, not mine.

Earlier in the week, my husband and I had scheduled a day off from work to spend with the boys while they were on Spring Break and had bantered around several ideas of things to do, weather permitting. The night before our day off, he says to me “have you decided what we’re doing yet?” I respond, “hey, why don’t we put on our ‘P’ hats and just figure it out when we get there?” He responds “I don’t own a ‘P’ hat … well I do, but it stands for ‘Pittsburgh Pirates’ not ‘Procrastinating Perceiver’.”

Procrastinating Perceiver – yes Perceivers (Ps) can be known to procrastinate. We all can, regardless of type, but Ps have elevated procrastination to an art form or perhaps we’ll call it a “spiritual gift.” I also think it's important to distinguish between procrastination and laziness (my husband will often complain about the boys’ laziness and attribute it to their Type). Laziness is the desire to NOT DO the task at all and respond to that lack of desire through avoidance and a clear lack of ownership or accountability that it is their task to complete. With procrastination, there is a sense of ownership (I know I have to do this) and a recognition that it benefits them to complete it, but there is a misguided self-delusion that if they put the task off long enough it will get easier or (because Ps are options-focused) that a better task will come along that they could swap it out for with someone (or perhaps if I put it off long enough, the J-fairies will come by and do it while I’m sleeping).

Js are closure-focused. They draw satisfaction from completed-tasks, from checking the box. Ps do not draw satisfaction from checking the box, they don’t understand the box we’re checking, the words next to the box are in a foreign language. Ps are options-focused, so they will draw satisfaction from generating alternatives to the thing they know they must do, but don’t really want to do. Thus it plays out like procrastination because while they are generating alternatives to doing the thing they would rather not do, it’s still not getting done. My P-boys will put more time and energy into figuring out creative ways to not do something, that it would have actually taken to complete the task!

Unfortunately, because Ps are master procrastinators BUT will often produce their best work under the pressure of a looming deadline, that procrastinating behavior gets reinforced and rewarded by the great successes that were achieved at the last minute.

So … I haven’t figured out the magic formula to make Ps embrace J behaviors yet, but here are a few things that I have figured out. Ps don’t like to be given Js’ closure-focused conclusions (otherwise interpreted as orders – clean your room, do the dishes), they prefer to hear information (remember, options-focused) that lead them to draw their own conclusions and they like questions better than statements. So “clean your room” would roll off the J’s tongue as easily as breathing (and a J child might accept that and say “okay”), but what will resonate more with the P might be “So, what’s on your chore-list today?” or "Wow, this room's not at all what I expected. What do you think I'm noticing about it?" He'll rattle off things like clothes on floor, trash overflowing, etc. Then I'll say, "So what do you think I'm going to say next?" He'll say "that I should clean my room?" Me: "Bingo! You're so smart. I knew you didn't need me to figure that out. You always know how to make me happy."

It may not be perfect and (if you’re a J) you may be thinking I just wasted a lot of words and time to essentially say “clean your room” but think about the number of times you’ve said “clean your room” that fell of the deaf ears of your P-child. I’d argue we’ve spent/wasted the same amount of time/words and in the end, accomplished the same goal, but with questions/options approach, mom didn’t come off like a nagging harpy thereby building greater relationship skills between us.


Consider Colossians 3:21 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart (NAS); do not be hard on your children, so that their spirit may not be broken (BIBE); do not make your children resentful. Otherwise, they'll become discouraged (ISV). Good advice for all of us, really: fathers, mothers, teachers. And of course "above all, have fervent love for one another: for love shall cover the multitude of sins." - Peter 4.8

So an ENTP and an INTJ walk into a funeral …

One of the things I find most enjoyable about my ENTP son is the random out-of-nowhere questions or conversations he comes up with that, as an INTJ, I might have the thought, but it would never make it out of my mouth. These are the same conversations that would make my ISFJ husband want to drive a fork through his left eye because he doesn’t understand why the question is even asked and even less why I engage and prolong the agony.

ENTP: Mom, if I died right now, how many people would people would come to my funeral?
INTJ: I don’t know, 200 – 300 maybe?
ENTP: Really?
INTJ: More than would come to mine, that’s for sure.
ENTP: Nuh uh. Why would you think that?
INTJ: You’re a classic Extrovert, Dear. In half the years, you’ve made 3 times the friends.
ENTP: Ehh, all those people at my funeral are only showing up for the goodie bags.
INTJ: Goodie bags? What kind of funeral have you been to that has goodie bags?
ENTP: You know, goodie bags! Something to bring home to remember it by.
INTJ: Well you better remember tell your future wife, ‘cause I won’t be there to plan it.
ENTP: Why not?
INTJ: Well, I hope to be long dead by the time you die.
ENTP: No, no, no. You can’t die before me. I can’t deal with that.
INTJ: Honey, I have to die first, otherwise that means you’ll die young, and that’s not cool.
ENTP: No, you can live to be 102 and I’ll still live into my 80’s.
INTJ: Oh honey, I have no desire to live to be 102. My financial advisor says my retirement money’s going to run out at 92, so I better croak before I see 93 or I’ll be on your doorstep.
ENTP: Oh, Mom. You can come live with me when you’re 93. You can run around my house telling my kids that when you grew up teachers still used paddles.
INTJ: Honey, if you’re kids are still living at home when you’re 85, you’ve got bigger problems than your mom running out of retirement money.
ENTP: You know, my kindergarten teacher had a paddle too. She never used it, but she made sure we knew she had it.
INTJ: Yeah, clearly you were permanently traumatized… Did you get a goodie bag to remember it by?

Real conversation we had on the way to church tonight.

Uncle Sam’s 0% Savings Account – Just Say No!

Welcome to tax season! Over the next several days millions of Americans will be waiting at their mail boxes for their final forms and receipts to come in and racing to get their returns completed so they can wait for their big fat check from their Uncle Sam.

But wait, that makes it sound like some surprise inheritance that didn’t work over 2000 hours to earn, but rather like it was some benevolent gift. Hey – you know that’s YOUR money, right? They’ve kept it for a year, paid you no interest on it and then gave it back to you ONLY after you filled out 15 pages of paperwork and waited for several weeks for the check to come slowly through the mail or for the wire to hit your bank account.

I know a lot of people who intentionally pay more payroll tax than they need to so that they can get the big fat tax return in the Spring, but wouldn’t make more sense to pay less tax out of each paycheck, take the difference and put it in a savings account and earn a little interest on it? You can still withdraw it all and give it to yourself in the Spring, but now there will be more of it.

Now I realize that some people just aren’t that disciplined and if they got the extra money in their net pay every other week, they’d just spend it rather than save or invest it – I get that. But how about a direct deposit from your pay directly into that savings account so you never see it? Just a thought.

Self-discipline has never been a big problem for me when it comes to money (chocolate – yes, cash – no). I’m a saver. And I never did fancy giving the IRS money that they may change a rule mid-stream and cleverly arrange for me not to get it back.

Having spent a lot of years running payroll departments, I used to have the formula down to a science. I had my return down to no more than a hundred dollars or two… that is, until we moved to Northern Virginia. New economy, different tax bracket, state and property taxes we weren’t accustomed to and both of our Florida employers that we left taxed our vacation cash-outs wrong and the first tax returns we filed in Virginia came with a $9,000 tax bill! Ouch!

Because I’m a saver, we had the means to cover it, but it left us with little room for other financial surprises. Over the next several years I tried to find that greenback groove, but kept hitting roadblocks to a consistent pattern to the tax levels (including a half year of unemployment, a full year of unemployment, and another half year of unemployment) so we had another year with a 4-digit payment followed by 3 years of 4-digit returns… which are nice, but not what I was shooting for.

This year, quite by accident, we hit the right formula: $101.00 return! Now, it IS what we were shooting for, but I have to tell you, after 3 years of healthy returns, it was hard to celebrate my perfectly calculated $101 tax refund … especially when I’m only getting 1.1% interest on my savings account that the difference went into.

The bright side is we didn’t have to PAY. Those two years we had to write big checks were horrible. For me, I was almost as angry at myself that I blew the calculation as I was that I had to write a check that big… but that just me and my INTJ Type.

So do you loan Uncle Sam your money interest free for a year, do you shoot for the low refund or do you end up paying each year? If you had a little extra money in each paycheck, would you be disciplined enough to save it?

ISFP/INTJ Conversational Classic

ISFP teenager: Mom, is _ _ _ _ _ a word?

INTJ mother: No… how are you trying to use it? Maybe I can help you find the word you’re looking for.

ISFP: I’m not trying to use it. It just came to me…. Can YOU use it in a sentence so I can figure it out?

INTJ: If it’s not a real word - has no actual meaning – there’s no way to use it in a sentence.

ISFP: But if it WERE a word, how would you use it?

INTJ: There’s no way for me to answer that. Without a meaning – because it ISN’T a real word – I can’t use it in a sentence.

ISFP: Okay… what would its meaning be, if it were a word?

INTJ: But it’s not a word. So how would I know its meaning?

ISFP: Well, if you’d just use it in a sentence, we could figure out its meaning.

INTJ: Are those lights flickering? I think you’ve induced a brain aneurysm.

I wish I were creative or funny enough to have made that up, but that was an absolute real conversation I had with my ISFP teenage son the other day (although there were just a few more “Who’s on First” loops before I escaped the exchange).

Now I’m sure an I/E NFP parent would have handled the conversation differently – perhaps played along and played “create a definition out of thin air” but as an INTJ that was not an instinctual direction for me to go.

How would you have responded? (Include your “Type” if you know it.)

ISFP-INFP-INTJ: a comment on the creative process

INTJ’s are not necessary known for being creative. Visionaries, yes, but not creative in an abstract or artistic way, so I’m always surprised when people say “oh, you’re so creative.” Of course usually it’s the outcome or product they are assessing as creative, but the process that birthed that outcome or product, if witnessed, might have been quickly characterized as “oh, you are such an INTJ” or “you just suck the fun out of everything, don’t you?”

Nothing will humble what little creativity an INTJ may have than to spend 30 minutes in a room with a couple of UBER-creative, talented, soulful, remarkable and gifted ISFP and INFP musicians.

You see, recently I begged the help of my ISFP friend to help me record the songs I sang at my father’s funeral onto a CD. Besides having a heart of gold, this ISFP is one of the most talented people I know – a worship leader at prominent church in the DC area, has opened for major Christian artists, released his first album last year, in the process of cutting another – which is very daunting for a corporate executive INTJ square like me to sit down and sing my little songs into a microphone.

As an INTJ, of course, I am a perfectionist, highly critical of self, always seeking improvement so I’m never completely satisfied with anything I do. But knowing this about myself (and how annoying it can be for others to be around) I have learned to let go a bit and if someone I recognize as an authority says it’s good, I move on (well, physically anyway – mentally, I’m still in constant review.) So when my dear ISFP said a take was good, I accepted it as good. When he wanted me to repeat a section, I resisted the urge to repeat the entire thing 80 more times and just repeated that section identified.

The part I found typologically remarkable was the ISFPs joking comment of jealousy that each time I sang a particular song or section that it was almost identical to the time before. The consistency from take to take was apparently enviable (which, of course, if I’m repeatedly and identically singing a section poorly, I’m not sure why consistency would be an enviable trait) and in the back of my head I’m seeing one of those INTJ posters that have a picture of a robot and some comment about precision.

In the rehearsal after rehearsal that were a part of this INTJ’s process long before I showed up at the ISFP studio, my goal was precision so of course the outcome was precisely the same each time. I wish I knew a different way, could experience it a different way, feel it through an I*FP beat and taste the freedom of a true creative process that is counter intuitive for an INTJ.

The typological icing on this creativity cake was made by the kind, uber-talented INFP musician who composes, orchestrates new sheet music weekly and plays 173 different instruments at the church. As the ISFP is repeating his remark of jealousy at the INTJ consistency, the INFP says, “Well, of course. Lauren is always a consummate professional.” And then turns to me directly and says “and I mean that in the best possible way.”

Now wait – INTJ brain is going to have an aneurysm. How could “consummate professional” ever be a bad thing that it needs to be clarified as “meant in the best possible way?” Is that an “I*FP” thing? Do I need to “loosen up” fellas?

Relax. No offence taken. You can’t be an MBTI practitioner and see 3 dozen posters depicting the INTJ as a robot and not realize you come off as a bit stiff to others. I get it. The comment, though, was classic, and it would have been an MBTI loss not to share it.

So does NOT being a consummate professional equal more authentic creativity? Hmmmm... processing.... processing ... processing....

Because Geeks Are the New Cool

Okay, it's hardly a secret that I'm a bit of a geek. It comes with the territory when you're an INTJ. Back in November, I blogged about my favorite INTJ-geek commercial put out by Intel, although most of their commercials get a chuckle out of me.

Well, Intel's done it again and it's running a close second for favorite geek-commercial, but this one resonates for a slightly different reason. A couple of months ago I published an article in P & R Magazine on Social Media in which I joked about how dramatically technology has changed over the years I've been in the workforce. Intel just put my very sentiment into a commercial that I have to laugh at every time I see it.

They stole this from my life (pretty sure):

Unlikely INTJ Occupations

A few days ago I published tongue-in-cheek a post about INTJ's in the role of counselor. Unless the editors at CPP were drunk when the MBTI bible went to print, you won't find empathy and compassion on the INTJ "common characteristics" list. Not that we're not capable (I like to think I transcend many of the INTJ stereotypes) it's just not likely for an INTJ to choose an occupation that exercises those muscles. Although I might make the observation that since INTJ's like to dissect and solve puzzles and may be far better suited to be empathetic in dealing with other people's feelings (as long as they don't have to disclose their own feelings) they could make excellent counselors, but I digress ...

Although counseling is certainly a part of what I do, the better part of my last two decades have been spent in the Human Resources discipline. Another unlikely career choice for an INTJ for similar reasons. Although I thank God for my verbal filter, this cartoon certainly has played through my head on more than one occasion when handling employee complaints:

I also discovered a Google group a few months ago of INTJ pastors discussing their common challenges in ministry roles related to their type. Talk about a Typological challenge!

Of course, the INTJ loves a challenge. Even the grim reaper will have trouble taking the most stubborn INTJ down!

Thank God for the Introvert's Verbal Filter

One of the common (MBTI) characteristics of an Introvert (I) is that we typically have a well developed verbal filter. Since my other Type characteristics (NTJ) tend to make my thoughts critical, direct and sarcastic, I’m very appreciative that most of those thoughts remain thoughts and don’t actually come out of my mouth.

Last summer, my friend Tracey posted this Bob Newhart video on her blog, reflecting how she was appreciative that her husband Roy was the counselor in the family, because if she were the counselor, the sessions would likely go like this:

I do a lot of counseling in my job and I have to confess that this clip runs in my head from time to time. Sometimes you just want to say “stop it!”… but you don’t.

Another one of my favorite TV counselors/therapists is Jane Lynch’s Dr. Linda Freeman from “Two and a Half Men.” If Jane weren’t so busy on “Glee” (another favorite of mine) I’d petition for Dr. Linda Freeman to get her own spin off show. I could easily watch 30 minutes of this every week. Couldn’t you?

To FB or Not to FB? That is the Question.

An INTJ perspective on Facebook & Social Media

I recently wrote an article for my company on Social Media about how it’s being used in business and it got me thinking about how I personally participated in Social Media and how that might be influenced by my Myers-Brigg (MBTI) type of Introversion, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging (INTJ).

When you think about it, Social Media really hasn’t been around that long, but it’s caught on like a wildfire. Blogging became mainstream between 2002 and 2004 and there are already an estimated 133 million new blogs indexed since that time. LinkedIn was launched in 2003 and has 55 million members. Twitter was launched in 2006 and has about 44.5 million members, and Facebook had its “public” launch later in 2006 but tops the group at 350 million members.

I use each of those platforms through company profiles and saw quickly the business applications, but struggled a bit with why I would use them personally which I attribute to my INTJ personality. This blog, for example, I started in April of 2007 but it collected digital dust for about two years before I started posting regularly (despite the fact that had been maintaining blogs at work for years). I’ve been on LinkedIn since March of 2008, but that really is more of a professional tool than social (to me).

The one that made the most sense to me was Twitter. I got on board with Twitter (work and personal) in April 2009 and became quickly prolific. Interestingly, there have been at least two MBTI surveys of Twitter users and the first survey had INTJs topping the “most common Type using Twitter” list. After the follow up survey run 6 months later, INTJs have to share the top spot with INFPs. If you’re an INTJ, you probably already know why, but there’s a nice Type-based analysis of “who’s on Twitter and why” here: Which Personality Types Love Twitter?

The one I’ve been resisting is Facebook. Even though at work, we’re using all the business and professional networking applications, as an individual, what’s left is exclusively social. As an INTJ that’s a tough reconciliation. I think I’ve also resisted Facebook to avoid becoming the Sheldon-cliché. Rather than having 212 friends I’ve never met, shouldn’t I (especially as an MBTI practitioner) be exercising my non-preferences to develop authentic and personal connections with the friends I have? A small circle, admittedly, but good people that I enjoy and don’t give nearly the attention they deserve. Even if I only use Facebook to connect with that small circle in a more frequent way, isn’t that cheating? How easy it would be to default to a cyber relationship in lieu of real relationship.

My kids are on Facebook (even my mother is on Facebook) and I confess that I enjoy

looking over my son’s shoulder to see what everyone’s up too, but as a very-self-aware-INTJ I fear that if I were on Facebook myself, I would feel compelled to comment on every status update, annoying or alienating the limited circle I have.

So chime in – To FB or not to FB? And why?

INTJ – Our Jokes Aren’t Like Your Jokes

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Have you seen this latest Intel commercial? I know … I really enjoy it way too much.



I have found myself playing it over and over just in the short time it took me to put this blog post together. I am such a geek – such an INTJ! And you MBTI type-talkers know exactly what I’m talking about. Whether you’re an INTJ yourself or not, you know one, you’ve worked with one, you’ve avoided one in the hallway or lunch room – oh no, here comes that Introverted-iNtuitive-Thinker-Judger!

And, of course, (geek) it was not lost on me that the company name (Intel) starts with an I N T and the little plus sign that the guy changed was right in front of a letter “J” – I N T plus J? … but I digress.

The commercial also reminds me of my favorite INTJ humor poster, which is probably what initially caught my eye about it:

As I expect is normal, even though I am a Type Practitioner who is knowledgeable about and works with all types, I’ve certainly spent more time researching my own combination of Preferences than any of the other 15 Types. If you look back at the MBTI pages here in my blog, I’ve certainly got more info for the INTJ’s than any other type.

You can check out all 16 here: Myers-Briggs (MBTI) Resource Central

INTJ - MBTI Profile, Resources and Humor

Introversion, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging

Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.

Independent, original, analytical, and determined. Have an exceptional ability to turn theories into solid plans of action. Highly value knowledge, competence, and structure. Driven to derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have very high standards for their performance, and the performance of others. Natural leaders, but will follow if they trust existing leaders.

Use these links for more detailed - and trusted - descriptions of INTJ:

http://typelogic.com/intj.html
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp#INTJ
http://www.personalitypage.com/INTJ.html

On the lighter side:

More about INTJ's (Insider Bonus Material)

Because I am an INTJ myself, I've done a bit more research and writing on the INTJ so I've pasted one of my older writeups below.

Introvert, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Judging are the four preferences that represent my MBTI Type. INTJs are one of the rarest Type profiles, making up 1.8 - 2% of the US population. Female INTJs are even rarer, reported as low as 0.005% but no higher than 0.08%.

INTJ frequently have to work deliberately to overcome the unflattering characteristics that are natural to their type and female INTJs often feel like they are "swimming up stream" against societies norms and expectations of what women "should" be.

The INTJ is typically characterized as the Strategists, the Rationals, the Free Thinkers, the Masterminds as well as being analytical and highly independent.

Some well known INTJ's are C.S. Lewis, General Colin Powell, Michelle Obama, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Jefferson and Sir Isaac Newton. On the fictional front, the INTJ type has been assigned to such characters as Mr. Spock, Dr. Gregory House and Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper.

Interestingly, INTJ's are the least likely of all 16 types to believe in a higher power of any kind - nice to know I've beaten the odds!

As described by The Myers & Briggs Foundation, INTJ's have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.

INTJs are introspective, analytical, determined persons with natural leadership ability. Being reserved, they prefer to stay in the background while leading. Strategic, knowledgable and adaptable, INTJs are talented in bringing ideas from conception to reality. They expect perfection from themselves as well as others and are comfortable with the leadership of another so long as they are competent. INTJs can also be described as decisive, open-minded, self-confident, attentive, theoretical and pragmatic.

For more information on INTJ's, here are some of the better links:

http://www.mypersonality.info/personality-types/intj/


http://www.intjtribe.com/


http://www.personalitydesk.com/intj-type-description.php


http://www.themindbehind.net/mbti/types/INTJ.html