INTP personality type in a nutshell

INTPs are complex intellectuals who love nothing more than digging into concepts and seeking truths. They have an internal framework of knowledge and will carefully vet new information for validity because accepting false information feels wrong to INTPs on many levels.

INTPs manage to combine this rigorous analytical temperament with creativity, so it’s no wonder that many scientific breakthroughs are attributed to people of the INTP personality type. They are adept at recognizing patterns across pools of data and prefer spending time coming up with well-thought-out, unbiased solutions rather than jumping to conclusions without knowing the facts.

“Learning never exhausts the mind.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

INTPs have busy minds and their ability to see a situation from many different angles means that they can struggle to make decisions. They think best when they’re alone without distractions and they are more comfortable in the world of logic than the world of feelings. Reading their own and other people’s emotions can be challenging for people of the INTP personality type.

Famous INTPs

1. Albert Einstein: Albert Einstein, an INTP, was logical and enjoyed solving problems. This led to his discovery of the theory of relativity.
2. Bill Gates: Bill Gates is an INTP, which is no surprise as he started as a computer programmer and is highly intelligent.
3. Alice in Wonderland: Alice is a rare Disney INTP character. She lives in her own world, Wonderland, and questions all aspects of life around her.

Best matches

ENFJ

ENFJ: So Giving

ENTJ

ENTJ: So Ambitious

INTP personality type relationships

When it comes to relationships, INTPs work best with partners who they can have intellectual conversations with. Relationship and dating dynamics don’t come naturally to INTPs and they’re not particularly adept at reading people. The realm of irrational emotions can be both overwhelming and confusing for people of the INTP personality type.

INTPs are most compatible with partners who are intelligent and creative so they can form a deep connection. So which types are the best matches for an INTP? ENFJs and ENTJs are the best personality matches for INTPs. You can read our complete guide to INTP compatibility to learn more.

Ideal date

Cosy up next to a roaring fire and get competitive with some board games.

Strengths

Weaknesses

The meaning of INTP

So what is the meaning of INTP? INTP is one of the 16 personality types. INTP stands for Introversion, iNtuition, Thinking and Perceiving. Each letter represents certain personality characteristics:

1. Introversion means that INTPs direct their energy to their inner world.
2. iNtuition means that INTPs focus on concepts and abstract theories.
3. Thinking means that INTPs primarily make decisions based on logic.
4. Perceiving means that INTPs prefer to keep their options open and explore different possibilities.

At So Syncd, we call INTPs ‘So Logical’ because they are one of the most rational personality types. They are also known as The Logician, The Architect and The Rational Philosopher.

If you want to delve deeper into what it means to be an INTP, check out our post about INTP cognitive functions.

INTP personality type characteristics

INTPs are a unique personality type who are often misunderstood. Being a rare mixture of creative and logical, they think in a very different way to most other people. INTPs are constantly searching for the meaning behind life and everyday matters.

Analytical and private, INTPs can come across as detached and distant to some people. They spend a lot of time in their heads and can become quickly exhausted by too much socializing. INTPs are adept at noticing connections between seemingly unrelated concepts and they are often highly intelligent.

INTP values

INTPs have a strong desire to understand and they seek truths. With this aspiration comes an ability to ask tough questions…an INTP won’t hold back. People of the INTP personality type are happiest when living a life that makes logical sense to them.

INTPs aren’t particularly concerned about what others think of them and they don’t follow tradition for tradition’s sake. As a result, INTPs have a quietly rebellious nature. Using their analytical mind, they’ll work out if certain ways or living or conventions make sense and they don’t mindlessly follow the crowd.

The paradox of the INTP

INTPs are creative but logical. They love data and analyzing numbers but at the same time, they are innovative. INTPs naturally think outside the box and this unique mixture of personality traits means that they are great inventors.

INTPs have active and complex minds. Thinking up ingenious solutions is fun for people of the INTP personality type. INTPs aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo and they’ll usually do so in an understated and calm manner.

Are INTPs rare?

INTPs are the 6^th rarest personality type. INTPs make up:
1. 3% of the general population.
2. 2% of the female population.
3. 5% of the male population.

Female INTPs

Female INTPs are even more rare than male INTPs and it’s common for them to feel like they don’t fit in. They can struggle because society expects women to be in touch with their emotions and this isn’t something that comes naturally to people of the INTP personality type. But the right person will deeply appreciate these traits of a female INTP.

Male INTPs

As rare personality types who place little value on tradition, male INTPs often feel misunderstood. Male INTPs rarely meet people who they truly click with but the right person will find their uniqueness attractive. They aren’t usually proactive when it comes to relationships, often waiting for their love interest to make the first move and they can find it frustrating that society expects men to take the initiative.

Find meaningful connections as an INTP

If you’re looking for meaningful connections, sign up to So Syncd today to meet your perfect personality match. You can download So Syncd from your iOS or Android app store.