My temperament broken down

ISTP and ME!

Time to delve deep into the ISTP temperament and begin to understand how it affects me. I will discuss the individual cognitive functions of the MBTI typology and assess my level of preference of one element over another.

(I)ntroversion (85%) over (E)xtraversion (15%)

After a series of internal battles and a greater understanding of what makes a person truly introverted or extraverted, I realize I am very much the former. While I do not always prefer to be alone, I still require a fair amount of “quiet time” in order to recharge the batteries, assess the situation and reflect. While I do often enjoy being in a crowd, at a party, in the spotlight – it’s something that I tend to enjoy in spot situations, and not on a constant basis. That said, I often gain energy from being with others especially when it involves something I am deeply interested/involved with. If my heart is in it completely, my level of extraversion can climb very high without any significant loss of energy, often to a 30% or even 50% level. A personal goal of mine is to focus on activities which interest me the most, and search for others (become inspired).

Both of my parents appear to be introverts. Because of this, we often did not have large crowds over the house, and they disliked the way I invited many friends over at times. They were somewhat outgoing when it came to activities that interested them, but would not extend themselves very far into activities of marginal meaning. Because of this, I was often in a position where doing the things “I wanted to do” was a very, very difficult sales job and one often met with intense frustration. I was always forced to tag along with everything “they wanted to do” so I had to either embrace the fact or be forced to be miserable. I often chose the latter as I found the 3rd option (rebel) to have even more futile and resulted in even more undesirable consequences.

(S)ensing (60%) over i(N)tuition (40%)

I’m still not exactly certain about the percentages and there are a few reasons for this. On many tests, I often score relatively even between the two however after reading the many descriptions, I can say with supreme confidence that I gravitate the ‘S’ side of things.

There is a reason for the ‘N’ being as high as it is, and I believe one of the main ones is my high IQ. Because of it, I am often able to maintain a relatively high level of competence in theory and logic through “brute force” intelligence. However, this is definitely NOT my natural tendency and I will likely never achieve the extremely high level of theory knowledge that accompanies someone who is a predominant ‘N’.

I know I am an ‘S’ because I thrive on action and physical activity. Perhaps I don’t participate in “extreme” sports or exotic vacation adventures, but I definitely do better by “doing” rather than “planning”. I definitely live in the moment and can be quite impatient and impulsive. I enjoy most sports and have always wanted to be a star athlete, even though I am certainly not the most physically gifted. When playing an instrument, the physical movement while playing the drums came most natural. I often pay attention to how my body feels while writing a drum part for a new song, rather than how well the part complements the song itself (although they are sometimes mutually exclusive).

Growing up, it is my belief that my parents and other adults nurtured me as if I were an ‘N’, probably because they correlated my intelligence and thirst for knowledge with that of a “Thinker”. Therefore, my need for physical activity, exploration and “getting dirty” were not nourished and I finally rebelled around age 10. Almost overnight, I threw down the books and imaginary friends and picked up a football and a basketball. It was one of the most refreshing changes I had ever felt, however I took a considerable amount of flak from the same adults (and peers) which had characterized me in a much different light in the past. As such, my rebellion lasted anywhere between 8 and 17 years, until I finally realized that I still had a desire for iNtuition, and the magnitude of importance it would possess on the road ahead.

(T)hinking (90%) over (F)eeling (10%)

One thing I pride myself in is my objective Thinking. I can remain relatively unbiased and detach myself from emotion at any given time as appropriate. Because of this, I am often seen as cold, indifferent, scary or uncompassionate. These labels bother me, because I have more indirect methods of expressing my love, kindness and appreciation of others. I believe in the concept of “tough love”, the ability to allow the people I love to make mistakes on the principle that they will learn valuable life experience from them. I am willing to help and give advice when I believe I am in a position to make a measurable impact, but often shy away from “token” acts of thoughtfulness or generosity.

I am currently quite interested in the world of human psychology. I feel as though I would benefit greatly from understanding how others behave and react to various words and actions. These are not so apparent to me naturally, so I have resorted to various texts in order to understand what makes these people ‘tick’, what turns them off, and how to win them over. It would be easy to say that I am doing this for my own selfish purposes, but in the grand scheme of things I want to help others out by seeing things “the way they see it” and making recommendations based on their natural tendencies.

In my current profession as a computer administrator, I often find myself with a customer which I must absolutely display a certain amount of empathy in order to gain their understanding and trust. Over the years, I have made great strides in improving my customer service “face” and providing a sense of caring and compassion while objectively attending to their service request with success.

(P)erceiving (70%) over (J)udging (30%)

When others describe me, they often use the words ‘easygoing’ and ‘relaxed’ usually come to mind. And that’s exactly my preference – to allow everything to “fall into place” naturally with occasional guidance along the way. Nothing needs to be forced, and nothing is that important enough to get worked up about. Projects can easily be worked on for a little while, abandoned without notice, than revisited some time later. Strict schedules and routines are often a detriment to even greater opportunities that may arise spontaneously. Plans and deadlines can be adjusted as necessary to accommodate items of greater priority or level of enthusiasm. As such, nothing is ever set in stone, even revered traditions and laws. There is a time and place for everything, and sometimes it becomes obvious that a certain object’s time is long gone; it is obsolete and ready to be replaced by a better, more fitting idea or concept.

As the child of an ISTJ parent, the sense of a well-regulated environment with strict rules was omnipresent. I was always bound by rigid walls and a focused set of eyes which would quickly correct any deviation from the accepted standard operating procedures. Over a period of time, this style of leadership and management rubbed off on me and I began to understand the meaning and benefit behind all of it. Because of this, I often hold myself, my friends and co-workers to such standards, even though this is not my natural preference. When in a leadership role in which I do not feel supreme self-confidence and trust in my peers, I will often fall back to a “J” mindset where organization, structure, timeliness and conformity are all a vital part of overall success. In the same way, I can become overly stubborn, sticking to my guns merely on principle that it would be dishonorable to give in or back down, which would open up possibility for future moments of weakness.

That said, I work best when the environment is relaxed and everyone is free to roam around and explore the vast space. The world is a playground and the journey is just as important (if not more important) than the end result. If there are problems, we fix them as they arise, then continue on. If the problems don’t ever seem to go away, a change in approach may be in store. Everyone is deserving of an opportunity to express their point of view, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. Every organization is a living, breathing entity capable of changing identity. Every member must be regarded as a valuable asset, and one which must be utilized to their best talents and qualities. Leadership is best when every team member buys into the plan under their own will, and each relationship is honest and open and not reliant on pressure or fear tactics.