More than other types, INTPs and ISTPs bring a pronounced focus and dedication to whatever they decide is their “one thing.” While its specifics may change or shift over the course of their lives, they crave a singular purpose in which they can invest the bulk of their time and energy.
There are actually two phases to pursuing such a purpose, which ITPs seem to enjoy in equal measure. The first phase involves seeking or discerning their purpose. While ISTPs often identify their purpose rather early in life, INTPs may function as “seekers” for many years, even decades. One reason for this, as discussed in my INTP book, is INTPs commonly struggle to find a consistent sense of purpose in traditional career paths. Hence, many feel compelled to explore and build their purpose from the ground-up, perhaps in the form of a niche art / skill, knowledge area, or entrepreneurial endeavor.
The second phase, which I’ll call the “investment phase,” is set in motion after ITPs settle on their one thing. It involves an ongoing process of refining one’s craft and working toward specific goals. For many ITPs, it also means seeing everything in their lives through the lens of their purpose. They wake up in the morning and go to bed thinking about their purpose. Whatever seems irrelevant to their purpose may be ignored or dismissed as unimportant.
In response to some early comments on the first published draft of this post, it seems appropriate to clarify here that having a strong sense of purpose does not preclude ITPs from having other hobbies or interests. Nor does it mean they are necessarily being closed-minded or unaware of alternatives. My point is simply that having an overarching purpose is so important to ITPs that it permeates their minds and informs much of what they do. So even when they are exploring new ideas or interests, they do so with a mind to clarifying / developing their overall purpose; all roads lead back to their impulse toward one thing.
While other types may fail to understand this quest for a singular purpose, ITPs know that avidly seeking or investing in a purpose is what fills them with life and vitality. Otherwise, they feel lost, aimless, and listless. This is why retirement can be such a precarious thing for ITPs, as they risk losing their sense of purpose, and potentially even their will to live. Their purpose constitutes their primary source of life and vitality.
Is the desire for a singular purpose unique to INTPs & ISTPs?
While it’s certainly not unique to ITPs, it seems most prevalent among these types. I see this as largely explainable in light of two things: sex and personality type.
With regard to sex, the desire for a singular purpose appears to be more common in men. This may be partly related to the male propensity for competition and dominance. In this respect, one could see how heavily investing in only one thing could prove advantageous for achieving success in a certain field.
Sex differences in brain architecture and functioning may also play a role. For instance, recent neuroscientific research has shown that males generally have fewer connections between brain hemispheres than females. Perhaps this contributes to their having a more “one-track mind.” Moreover, those with autism are known to have highly focused and intensive interests (some might even call them obsessions). If we think of autism as a sort extreme male brain, as autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen has suggested, one could posit a potential connection between maleness and having fewer, but more focused interests.
Personality wise, ITPs’ dominant function, Introverted Thinking (Ti), is a judging function. As explained in my recent book, My True Type, this contributes to their desire to be intentional, proactive, and seriously invested in something. Because INFPs and ISFPs also have a dominant introverted judging function (Fi), they (especially IFP males) may also exhibit a measure of single-mindedness of purpose (a number of IFP artists, for example, might fit this mold).
What motivates ITPs’ purposeful pursuits?
INTPs and ISTPs derive great joy from pursuing a purpose. They love the ongoing challenge of furthering their skills and knowledge, as well as anticipating extrinsic results and rewards for their efforts.
Since ITPs are introverts, we would expect the bulk of their motivation to derive from the intrinsic pleasure of their work. Less mature ITPs, however, operating in the grip of their inferior function, Extraverted Feeling (Fe), will predictably focus more on anticipated social pay-offs and on outdoing their perceived competitors.
With that said, it is important to recognize that even mature ITPs will struggle to function optimally without imagined social rewards. Creating something for its own sake, without having anyone to share it with or to appreciate it, is rarely enough to motivate them. This is true even for those who know that 99% of their pleasure comes from the process, not the end result, of their labor. So no matter how hard they try to convince themselves otherwise, ITPs can never completely free themselves of social dependence. In type speak, their Ti cannot operate independently of Fe.
This can be frustrating to the fiercely independent ITP, who feels he should have the inner strength and fortitude to pursue his work for its own sake (i.e., strictly for its intrinsic rewards). But his psyche, specifically his Fe, simply won’t allow it. Most ITPs intuitively understand this. As I discuss in my INTP book, they realize the necessity of having some sort of social intention or context for their work. This is also why romantic partnerships strangely seem so indispensable for ITPs. A relationship provides the social context and motivation that Ti requires to function optimally.
In many respects, ITPs can be seen as operating like a hunter (Ti) in a tribal context (Fe). We can imagine the hunter devoting the bulk of his time and energy to honing his Ti craft (his “one thing”): working to perfect his techniques, prepare his body, modify his weapons, understand his prey, etc. With the exception of learning the “tricks of the trade” from others, much of his development would result from hours of independent study and practice. Of course, underlying this intensive Ti regimen are the imagined social rewards (Fe) of excelling at his craft. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more celebrated occupation than the hunter who reliably supplies food to his fellow tribesmen. This scenario nicely illustrates the symbiotic relationship of Ti and Fe as it exists for ITPs.
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David says
Great post! I am curious as to how you come to some of these general conclusions? Is this based on results of a survey(s) or from actual experience working with people of these 2 types?
I am curious because, as an INTP, I agree with some of what you are saying in the first 3 paragraphs but not all of it. For example, I agree with the laser focus aspect but not just on one thing. Is this perhaps because I have not really determined my purpose or that my purpose is not general enough? I tend to focus on a few things that are important to me (actually many things). I do consider them all part of my purpose and do go through the 2 phases you mention, especially ignoring anything that is not relevant to my purpose. I also don’t find it “all consuming” and again maybe it’s because I have not identified/defined my real purpose just yet. I will definitely get easily distracted on something else of interest and jump around quite a bit, oftentimes never actually seeing something that was at one time important to me, through to a satisfactory completion or state.
Thanks for the post and look forward to your thoughts.
A.J. says
Hi David,
The post was based on my observations of these types, as well as my personal experience as an INTP. ITPs can be susceptible to “workaholism,” especially when they are passionate about what they are doing (Mark Zuckerberg’s early days developing Facebook comes to mind). As athletes, I’ve seen them work a lot harder than ETPs, who are a bit more apt to rely on their natural talent. I attribute this to ITPs having Ti first, whereas for ETPs, it’s auxiliary.
As you point out, ITPs can sometimes get distracted, which is true of any P type. They also need breaks and diversity of activities to stay balanced, but may still find themselves thinking about their overarching purpose.
For those who haven’t found their purpose, their explorations may appear broader, or might consist of shorter bursts of intense investigation before moving onto the next thing. But underlying the seeking process is a sense of “moving toward something,” of advancing toward “my thing,” which can be pretty exciting.
The last thing I’ll say is there may be some intratype variation here. I suppose even birth order could play a role. But I still think the general pattern stands.
Hope that helps!
A.J.
David says
Thanks. Its all very interesting. Loved this comment: “But underlying the seeking process is a sense of “moving toward something,” of advancing toward “my thing,” which can be pretty exciting.” I have this feeling as well but its not clear where things are truly headed. Loving the journey though!
Meredith says
I agree very much with this. Growing up though, I wanted to perfect everything. I wanted to be beautiful and healthy, but also have good relationships, and I wanted to be creative, yet logical. I had a hard time for a while deciding what would be the best stuff to pursue – music, or visual art, or writing or what. I eventually got some story ideas and decided I needed to tell them and that became my all-consuming “one thing”, so I woke up thinking about stories and went to bed thinking about stories (especially from the characters’ perspectives). I didn’t decide permanently on a medium until recently, however (settling for writing). But my skill, my thing, was weaving good stories together.
Of other ITPs I know, it seems true of them as well. ISTPs seem to pick actual skills (like programming, sports, etc) that will be continuously used until they can no longer perform them, however, while INTPs seem to pick long projects (writing a specific series of books, in my case) or theoretical concepts to explore.
Anna says
You have some of the most keen insights on MBTI types. When I read other sites, I often refer to what I read here to correct any inaccuracies as I read. A lot of the inaccuracies relate to the functional stack. One common error is attaching certain INTJ traits to INTP’s. I recognize the errors and I just file it over in the INTJ file. :)
Anna says
(I don’t correct the inaccuracies on their sites, only in my mind, as I read.)
Mr Skittlz says
I’m going to have to say this article is completely untrue.
ITPs definitely do search for a singular purpose, but my guess is very rarely do they find it. Ne provides an overarching sense of all the things they could do, and usually Ti is unable to figure out which one will pay off the most, and in the end they usually end up stagnating with no real purpose, more so for INTPs.
ITPs do not have internal focus.
“Since ITPs are introverts, we would expect the bulk of their motivation to derive from the intrinsic pleasure of their work. Less mature ITPs, however, operating in the grip of their inferior function, Extraverted Feeling (Fe), will predictably focus more on anticipated social pay-offs and on outdoing their perceived competitors.”
Their motivation does not come from pleasure in their work. Their motivation is derived from their Fe, which is external, but a result of the joy they find in solving problems and working with systems. ITPs can be “In the grip” but that won’t likely translate to outdoing competitors. It will likely translate to giving up when there’s too much work or stress, or an ” I’m out” attitude for ISTPs.
Additionally, the social rewards discussed, are not the ITP’s goal. Fe simply assigns value to external things, and usually this is something related to Ti, not Fe itself. Fe is simply an engine of supplying Ti with motivation to continue diving into its current interest.
“While other types may fail to understand this sort of single-mindedness, ITPs know that avidly seeking or investing in a purpose is what fills them with life and vitality. Otherwise, they feel lost, aimless, and listless. This is why retirement can be such a precarious thing for ITPs, as they risk losing their sense of purpose, and potentially even their will to live. Their purpose constitutes their primary source of life and vitality.”
1.ITPs are not filled with life and vitality for the most part.
2. Most of the time, they are aimless. Their sense of purpose is usually never filled by their occupation.
3. ITPs are usually never single minded, they have alternatives to everything.
A.J. says
Hi Mr. Skittlz,
Thank you for your comment.
As I point out early in the post, seeking or discerning one’s purpose is actually a purpose in itself. Those who are unsure of their purpose are not “aimless,” as you seemed to imply. If they are seeking their purpose, they are still acting purposefully. And insofar as they are acting purposefully, they are, at least to some extent, filled with life and vitality. That is what purpose-seeking behavior engenders. Those lacking vitality are often those who have thrown in the towel on finding some sort of meaningful pursuit in their life.
This of course does not guarantee that ITPs will find or settle on a purpose. As I point out in the book, in can take years, even decades, for this process to unfold. But they can still enjoy and benefit from the seeking process, as indicated in the post.
I agree with you that ITPs, to a certain extent, are motivated from without . INTP’s Ne, for instance, enjoys exploring existing concepts and ideas. Likewise, Ti and Ne enjoy manufacturing creative solutions to problems encountered in a given situation or framework/system. But ultimately the motivation of social rewards are still there, even if the ITP is not fully aware of it. From an evolutionary perspective, all types are probably socially motivated to some extent.
In light of the above, I must disagree with your assertion that “this post is completely untrue.” I think you may have jumped to the conclusion, perhaps as a result of its title, that the post was “too closed off,” which I realize could seem threatening to an INTP’s Ne. But that wasn’t my intention. There is plenty of room for openness and exploration within the context of having a purpose, regardless of which phase one is in.
In response to your comment, I’ve amended the post to try to make these things clearer from the outset.
All the best,
A.J.
I'm FiNe says
Hi, A.J.
Thanks for the thoughts. As an INFP man I would support your picking up on the possibility that this is not related only to Ti doms but also Fi doms (the Ji doms). Purpose and finding my place/role in life has dominated my life. At 50 I am still trying to refine that search for my authentic self especially as it relates to fitting into the world. For me this search includes a sense of “ought” or “should”. It considers not only what I can do but factors in my values and moral code to find that purpose.
Nicholas says
This is all very true for me as an INTP.
I would only add that, while on a day-to-day basis I do have a single purpose, this purpose can change dramatically and without warning. When I was younger, I shifted purposes probably every 2-3 months. (Perhaps this is the “seeking” phase you describe.)
In college, I finally settled on an academic field as my sole purpose. I pursued it all the way through graduate school, at which point purpose dramatically shifted. Instead of this highly mathematical, scientific discipline, all I wanted to think about was religion and spirituality. There was no recovering my previous purpose. Things changed in an instant.
Looking back, I think that I ended up giving too much weight to immature Fe in how I pursued my purpose. It was too much trying to please professors and not enough following where Ti-Ne was directing me. Still, I don’t think that fully explains the sudden shift.
Anyway, great post!
Nicholas says
Fil, I’m not A.J. but I would recommend Iain McGilchrist’s book “The Master and His Emissary” on left/right-hemisphere differences.
Fil says
Thanks, Nicholas. I’ve been meaning to read that book, and I think I actually already have it!
A.J. says
I (A.J.) would second that recommendation. It’s actually on my recommended reading list.
Fil says
Thank you, AJ, and thank you for your books also — great, great stuff in them.
RedWell says
I agree. This article is mostly spot-on, but I would say that ITPs need a driving, coherent purpose, like the search for truth for INTPs, but that usually overlaps a number of interests, which, at any given time, will feel like the “one thing.”
I recently read a account of Elon Musk by a journalist. I can’t quite place Musk’s type (though he’s clearly NT), but the writer’s point was that though his various efforts seem unrelated, they are all actually tied to a single, coherent purpose: improving humanity’s technological lot and making, particularly by making it a multi-planet species. It seems far out, but it nicely illustrates how this single agenda might manifest in very different ways.
katherine says
OH yes. Other people look and see a grain of sand. A situation. I look and see an ocean. A universe. But it is not mine to implement anything. So frustrating! I hear you, Karen. I hera you.
Janneke Gramberg says
Wow! A hunter! That’s it. That’s who I am. Thank you for this article!
I already discovered that I am an INTP woman. Quite a rare species. Introverted? Really? I always thought of myself as outgoing. It took me some time, to believe it. But it’s true.
And the obsessive part: yep! That too. I am clearly not autistic. Instead,I am very empathetic. I intuitively know what people really want. And I get it. But somehow I sort of relate to that kind of thinking. I could never quite pinpoint it.
About ‘hiding’ the thinking part: it’s not hiding. I do try to share it. But my mind is so vivid and imaginary. It’s quite an effort to put it into words. I somehow need to be ‘complete’. And words never are. I discovered sculpting as a hobby. I ‘see’ what’s in the stone. The global image. I simply ‘release’ it. That feels great! Not having to explain it, but simply doing it. Just wait and see.
I make my living as a strategic adviser. I ‘discover’ or ‘hunt’ for opportunities, strategies and networks and bring them together as one, to enhance economic and personal development. I like working on complex matter.
And although I do well as an entrepreneur, some part of me hates the fact that I always ‘give’ these opportunities away. Even though I am being paid for it. Like my cat that hunts for mice for her offspring, but growls when they take it from her. Why do I need to be so selfless? Other people seem to keep their findings to themselves. Like treasure hunters. But it’s like I have to. I have no choice. People never seem to be as happy with the things I find, as I am myself. So I stay behind feeling empty-handed. And I go hunt some more…
But the most imported part for me, is the lack of sense of ‘tribe’. I believe that us humans still unconsciously function as tribes. But that we have lost this knowledge and instead have constructed a society that does not work. I think it could help, if we could understand the archetypes and how they functioned together in ancient society. To accept that we, in fact still are primitive people, that function best in a certain way.
So my question is: can you describe the other types as archetypes as well? Their original function or role? And how these archetypes would have been working together as a tribe in ancient society? Maybe this provides us with better solutions for modern society and development in a better way.
Best regards,
Janneke Gramberg
Oz says
Are intp ‘s apathetic towards everything material? Personally ,I won’t like to have a Ferrari, latest watch, clothes etc. people’s lifestyle who interest me are mark zuckerberg, Albert Einstein, bob Marley , mother Theresa etc. All I want on earth is proper understanding of the blue ball am inside and why i am here. Discovery or invention of anything in the world , unlocking earth’s mystery would mean something to me. Don’t knw what type I sound like now. Nice post tho. ??
Calvin says
Hi Nikos
Like with many things on this blog, I read your post and found myself shocked at how much it could apply to me.
Particularly the Civil Servant bit – I have a question for you. Do you think that it’s the ideal career path for you as an INTP because it is stable and affords you the opportunity to explore your myriad of interests?
Personally like that aspect of it, but at the same time I feel like I am wasting my potential or living inauthentically by working a 9-5 comfortable job dispassioantely.
regards
Calvin (INTP)
Carole Romig says
I retired a year ago and it was exactly as you describe. I was listless and sat around watching TV and taking naps. It felt like my IQ was going down every day. I’ve been able to find new purpose, which includes being around people 30 hrs a week, and now I am back on my game.
Heather says
I do agree with this and appreciated the post, like ALL your work, A.J. You are a superstar in my (female) INTP mind because you articulate and validate the intricate, complicated strata of our personalities! Unfortunately for me, as much as I am successful in my profession, my “ONE THING” that I run into my greatest trouble with are romantic relationships. It is my Achilles heel and feels like the extreme obsessive lengths and time I spend to the exclusion of all else (trying to understand and nudge a relationship toward my goal) almost destroys me especially if I am not successful. If I could humbly make any suggestion for further posts, it would be to discuss an INTP’s challenge with intimate relationships since as you point out, they are so at odds with our “better” half of logic, but seem (for me anyway) like they hold the key to any authentic, lasting joy. I always look forward to anything you write! Thank you so much for putting yourself out there!
Heather says
Karen, I totally related to your comment of being aware of feeling all the other personalities “banging against each other”. Being around other people (strangers, whomever) feels like my brain has totally been hijacked because of all the information coming in and I hate that I no longer have my brain to myself (if that makes sense). I wonder if INTP and HSP are synonymous, or maybe it’s just female INTP’s? I too am in the “middle” on T/F.
Dan says
I’m an INTP. Was thinking this morning on my way to work that I could live my life generally in these areas: reading, (r)iting, ‘rithmetic (I love math), repping (in the gym), and Rachmaninoving (I play piano). Quite a few, as others have mentioned many interests. But all of this is done under my overarching purpose of inspiring and supporting self-reliance, individualism, and personal significance. So, for me, the article made sense.
Dan says
Love the comment Karen about how people think you are making “sweeping generalizations” by making all your connections. I love doing the same thing. And of course, I get treated the same way. Surrounded by too many people who find it either too difficult or too obnoxious to think. Whatever…I refuse to abdicate my brain. ????