Rational Mastermind
Because Flo took a M-B test via Alice, she made me post my well-established M-B/Keirsey results:
INTJ – The Rational Mastermind
Some excerpts from INTJ profiles:
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of “definiteness”, of self-confidence. Sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, this confidence is very specific rather than general in nature; its grows out of the specialized knowledge systems that INTJs start building at an early age.
INTJs are known as the “Systems Builders,” perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Anyone considered to be “slacking,” including superiors, will lose their respect — and will generally be made aware of this. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.
Contingency planning and entailment organizing reaches its highest level of development in the Rational Mastermind. It is not an informative activity for them, but a directive one in which the planner tells others what to do and the order in which to do it. As the organizing capabilities the Mastermind increases so does his or her inclination to take charge of whatever is going on.
While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
And some “rules” for dealing with INTJs:
- Be willing to back up your statements with facts or sound reasoning.
- Don’t expect an INTJ to respect you or your opinion without reason: respect must be earned.
- Expect debate. INTJs like to tear ideas apart to discern their worthiness. They will argue a point they don’t support just for the sake of argument.
- Do not confuse the strength of your conviction with that of your argument. INTJs do not need to believe in a position to argue it well.
- Do not be surprised when you encounter sarcasm.
- The ultimate insult to an idea is to ignore it. This means it isn’t even interesting enough to deconstruct.
- INTJs believe in workable solutions. They are extremely open-minded to possibilities, but they will quickly discard any idea that is unfeasible.
- INTJs do not care about how you view them. They already know that they are arrogant bastards with a morbid sense of humor. Restating the obvious is a waste of time.
And, last but not least, a few alleged and actual INTJs:
- Augustus Caesar
- Mr. Burns
- Ayn Rand
- Niels Bohr
- George Lucas
- Colin Powell
- C.S. Lewis
- Professor Moriarty
- Gandalf the Grey
29. July 2008 at 00:45
I had a friend who, when asked about M-B, always said that he was an IDGF. I suppose I’m an IDGS.
As for you, you’re in good company with Gandalf, Moriarty, and Lewis, but Ayn Rand? Bleh. I tried reading Atlas Shrugged twice and ending up choking on Objectivism both times. I mean, I can get behind a solid work ethic, but the woman couldn’t allow even one femtogram of grace into her life. Also, as a writer, she was really into telling, not showing. Bleh.
29. July 2008 at 07:21
Yeah, Rand isn’t a fantastic writer. I never got further into Atlas than to open at random and skim a few passages (this is how I decide if I want to read something).
For one thing, I don’t buy into writing a work of fiction in order to “prove” the validity of your philosophical ideal. Talk about a closed loop.
29. July 2008 at 10:32
I made it through The Fountainhead, but I seem to remember it making me a little queasy. The emotionless, egocentric main character is set up as a paragon of individualism, the selfish genius standing alone against the attacks of the common rabble. So incredibly elitist…and not that great a writer, so double bleh.
Rand’s bad, but how do you feel about being on a list with Lucas? That’s got to cause some mixed feelings.
The last time or two that I’ve taken these tests, the outcome has changed, but that’s not too weird since I tend to be in the middle for most categories. Maybe it’s time to take another one…
29. July 2008 at 11:15
Results do tend to fluctuate if you are near the middle of the scale when taking the “informal” tests. Many tests just dump you into a group when the formalized tests place you on a scale for each characteristic pair.
Regarding lucas, I don’t know if I think that means I am capable of great things, or if it means I have already done my life’s best work.
31. July 2008 at 23:25
Also, I think when Gandalf took the M-B test, he might have been feeding biased answers to score an INTJ.
2. August 2008 at 02:59
I don’t mind the closed-loop novelization of philosophic ideals so much, since one of the best ways to teach someone something is to couch it in a story. They can take it or leave it, but at least they weren’t bored.
But when it’s as heavy-handed as Rand, it’s unpalatable. I can only handle so many comparisons between the chiseled, charismatic, work-a-holic protagonist and his buffoonish, lazy, stupid, idiotic family. She might as well have just hollowed out a little hole in Atlas Shrugged and stuck a hammer in it a la Shawshank Redemption (retroactive spoiler alert) with the words “rational self-interest” carved on the handle. The dust jacket would read: “Flip open the book, pull out the hammer, aim it at your forehead, and pound away.
* * *
And instead of thinking as Gandalf as a test-taker, I prefer to think of him as a proctor … you know, handing out SATs to nervous high schoolers and intoning, “You shall not pass!”
26. January 2009 at 13:17
i’m you only E. the field marshall. interesant.
29. January 2009 at 23:39
@skylana: but not surprising, yes?