How do we live as an INTP?

Joel Johnson, INTP-A

Answered Oct 8, 2016

It’s important to realize what matters to you, and to do even more of that (rather than listen to or feed into feedback/advice from others). INTP’s will generally be happiest when they have many active interests at a time (rather than one or a handful, as many will try to force to be the case); are working on things that are progressive, worthwhile, and future-oriented; and aren’t frequently having to deal with other people’s emotions or having to socialize.

Many INTPs can have issues with depression and motivation, so it’s good to figure out ways to buffer against ending up in a depressed state. An exercise routine, proper nutrition/supplementation, and not having to be around limiting/annoying people will help prevent descending into depressive spirals. If you go the route of exercising, then you have to sit with it until it becomes ingrained and a natural/fluid part of your life, or you’ll likely not be able to stick with it (or will find it stressful/draining).

Another good thing INTPs can do to ensure they experience high levels of freedom and happiness is to choose very carefully who they enter into relationships with. That is, an INTP will likely realize early on that they aren’t as needing of relationships as most others, and they need to realize the significance of this, as it makes it possible for them to avoid relationships that aren’t healthy for them (whereas others would find their way toward the relationships anyway, because they can’t handle being alone). If you aren’t completely certain that you’ll be compatible with who you’re interested in, then don’t bother. Bad relationships and bad surroundings can be a significant source of distress and misery for INTPs (in addition to issues with motivation and depression), so the more that can be done to avoid such situations, the better.

With incompatible partners (the previous generation of INTPs would often end up with ISFJs, for example, which is now known to be a terrible idea) and not so good friends (usually the backward limited thinking forced in by guardians (xSxJs) or judgers) out of the picture, a significant weight will be lifted (or avoided), and you can then focus on finding more of what you’re interested in, and on developing strategies to overcome any motivation issues (and to buffer yourself against any lulls in ability to do things).

You could also potentially get genetic testing done to see if you have any genetic predispositions feeding low motivation levels (higher COMT or MAO-A activity, for example, which are resolvable with a COMT (Entacapone) or MAO-A (Moclobemide) inhibitor) and could also ensure you don’t have any vitamin or nutrient deficiencies (keeping yourself healthy and properly fed, essentially).