When it comes to someone having an INTP personality type, one must know that not everyone is a clear-cut INTP. In fact, there are two versions of INTP: INTP-A and INTP-T. Some people fall on the spectrum between two types, while others are more accurately described by their unique personality type.
This can be confusing for both employers and employees alike since it’s hard to understand how different personality types work together in teams. Moreover, when it comes to one’s personal life, knowing the difference is also key to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a person.
The good news is that you just need enough awareness about yourself and your strengths so that you can leverage them into actionable strategies when necessary.
Differences Between INTP-A and INTP-T
The INTP-A and INTP-T are two personality types that share a lot of qualities. Most notably, both individuals tend to prefer the same cognitive functions but in a different order. Both are introspective personalities who enjoy diving into abstract theories and possibilities.
The difference lies in how expansive and thorough they are when it comes to this type of work. Here are the differences between the two INTP types when it comes to major areas in life.
Friendships
The INTP-A and INTP-T display different tendencies when it comes to making and keeping friends. The INTP-A is the kind of person who craves deeper connections with people, even close friendships.
He enjoys spending time with a small group of friends, expanding his interests as well as theirs. He dreams of the kind of deep bond they’ll share where every thought and feeling is transparent to both.
The INTP-T has a larger circle of acquaintances than friends. He spends time with various people and connections for different reasons, one being a sense of safety that comes from being surrounded by others – even if it’s only on a superficial level. He’s happy to be close with some people while distancing himself from others
Relationships
The INTP-A has a strong sense of empathy. He’s an affectionate partner who knows how to make his loved ones feel good about themselves. He enjoys taking care of those closest to him, whether it is material or emotional needs – he sees this as a way for the two of them to build and strengthen their connection.
The INTP-T does not connect with others in the same way. He prefers to handle his relationships on a need-to-know basis. He’s more concerned about what his loved ones can offer him rather than the love and support they might get.
Workplace
When it comes to the workplace, the INTP-A is often found in academia. He’s an independent thinker who thrives on exploring abstract theories and concepts. This kind of work requires patience and focus, which he excels at.
The INTP-T doesn’t enjoy spending time in this way – he wants to get straight to the result as fast as possible. He craves practical application and direct communication with people, so he can better understand how things work and what they want from him.
Working in a Team
The INTP-A is a good team player because he respects people and their opinions. He’s open to listening to the thoughts of others, recognizing that everyone has a piece of the puzzle for solving problems.
If there’s something wrong with the group dynamic, he won’t hesitate to voice his opinion on how to improve it. The INTP-T is a loner by nature – but also not afraid when isolated tasks are required.
Instead, he enjoys being able to work independently without distractions from others. Even if he craves social connections with others, this type of teamwork doesn’t fit him well unless it is centered only on clear and concise communication.
INTP-A Strengths and Weaknesses
Below are the main strengths and weaknesses of the INTP-A personality. Not all individuals will possess all of these traits. Having a healthy amount of them is what makes this type of person so unique.
List of 3 Strengths of INTP-A:
Self-aware: The INTP-A is conscious of his thoughts and feelings, as well as the thoughts and feelings of others. This permits him to see himself from an objective perspective while also giving him tools for understanding how he works with others at a deeper level.
Analytical: The INTP-A prefers spending time on his own looking inward instead of outwardly interacting with people or other external factors that distract him from personal work. He can easily get lost in his mind, which is a great place for personal growth, self-discovery, and problem-solving.
Thinker: The INTP-A is an independent thinker who values truth above all else. He’s not afraid to voice his opinion and encourages others to do the same. This type of person can serve as an inspiration for others seeking to speak up in their lives – especially if they’re feeling suppressed by someone else or a group of people.
List of 3 Weaknesses of INTP-A:
Difficulties for INTP job paths: The INTP-A has difficulty deciding what he wants – and this applies even when it comes to major life steps like choosing a college degree that will benefit him after graduation, or selecting which job offer is best for his future goals.
Emotional disconnect: When it comes to INTP in relationships, they sometimes have difficulties with maintaining and developing their intimate relationships.
Unrealistic expectations: The INTP-A places great value on honesty when it comes to communicating with others – but even so, this person’s dislike of playing along or pretending may cause him to project his own needs onto everyone else.
INTP-T Strengths and Weaknesses
Below are the main strengths and weaknesses of the INTP-T personality.
INTP-T Strengths and Weaknesses
List of 4 Strengths of INTP-T personality type:
Creative: The INTP-T is capable of drawing connections between things that most people wouldn’t even consider possible. They are also incredibly innovative, which is often helpful when coming up with new ways to solve an existing problem or improve on an already existing solution – no matter what it is.
Logical and rational: This personality type is particularly observant, which allows them to make sense of the world around them. They are good at finding patterns (both in themselves and others) and are especially adept at solving problems when using logic and reason.
Good communicator: The INTP-T handles communication effectively. Despite a tendency toward introversion, this individual can be highly articulate (when it’s uncalled for). They also have an eye for detail – being attentive to what has been said as well as what wasn’t said but should have been.
Modest and unassuming: The INTP-T doesn’t need validation from others to feel good about him/herself or his accomplishments; they simply want to be allowed to live as they are – following their paths and working toward goals that make sense to them.
List of 4 Weaknesses of an INTP-A:
Difficulty expressing emotions: This individual may be somewhat at a loss when it comes to handling emotional issues with loved ones or friends – i.e., how to share feelings appropriately without being hurtful or dismissive of others’ feelings (or his/her own). If someone close has been through a trauma, for example, the INTP-T will want to do something to help but may not know-how.
Can be oblivious: Because they are so logical and rational, this type can have a hard time understanding or recognizing when someone else is upset or angry – particularly if the other person has expressed his/her feelings in an irrational way. The INTP-T may become defensive, justifying why they haven’t done anything wrong.
Overly analytical: This personality type tends to overthink things – The result of this tendency is that the INTP-T ends up analyzing what doesn’t matter (i.e., getting bogged down with useless details).
Skipping steps: Logicians tend to skip steps when explaining themselves or how they arrived at certain conclusions.
This trait can be frustrating for loved ones and/or friends who are often left guessing about why someone did this or that, what his/her intentions were, etc. The individual may also appear distant at times because he/she doesn’t offer additional detail even when asked directly.
Jobs and Career Paths for INTP-T
The INTP-T loves nothing more than educating others about various subjects – making them wonder how this person knows so much. They also enjoy coming up with unique ways to get through material that many would consider boring.
When communicating with others, Logician can sometimes come off as cold or critical – but that’s not their intention. They simply want to make sure everything has been communicated effectively and efficiently – so this type can excel in editing roles (where they focus more on fine-tuning language than on the broader story being told).
List of 10 Most Recommended Jobs for INTP-Ts
- Actuary
- High school teacher
- Lawyer
- Writing
- Engineer
- Author
- Computer programmer
- Scientist
- Mathematician
- Recreation worker
7 Jobs and Career Paths That INTP-T Should Avoid
Here are 7 jobs that aren’t recommended to do as INTP-T:
- Actor
- Fine arts
- Surgeon
- Dentist
- Social worker
- Receptionist
- Telemarketer
Jobs and Career Paths for INTP-A
The INTP-A loves music but isn’t necessarily drawn to the glamorous side of being a musician – namely performing live in front of others (not just recording alone). What they do love, however, is composing original pieces of music – and making sure all the details are designed to come together in a logical fashion (the same applies to song lyrics, which they want to make sound smooth and meaningful).
As a logician, they’re not particularly interested in changing the world but rather living as peacefully as possible with those who share similar values.
List of 10 Recommended Jobs for INTP-As
- Graphic designer
- Musician
- Political activist
- Animator
- Professor
- Top Executive
- Environmental Engineer
- Network Architect
- Biochemistry
- Urban Planning
List of 7 Jobs and Career Paths That INTP-A
- Should Avoid
- Politics
- School teacher
- Public health nurse
- Retail salesperson
- Cosmetologist
- Corrections officer
- Dietitian
INTP-A And INTP-T FAQs
No, INTP-T isn’t the same as the INTP personality. Actually, INTP-T is a subtype of the INTP personality and it stands for Turbulent INTP. Turbulent personality subtypes tend to be less stable and more impatient compared to their counterparts, Assertive subtypes.
Turbulent INTPs can’t make decisions quickly and overthink a lot before finally concluding something. Besides, even though they are thinking (T) types, they tend to be emotionally unstable because of their turbulent personalities.
Yes, INTP-T is considered one of the rarest personality types. Generally, INTP personalities make up only about 3% of the general population, which makes them the 6th rarest personality type after INFJ, ENTJ, INTJ, ENFJ, and ENTP.
Considering that the INTP personality is divided into two subtypes, INTP-T and INTP-A, Turbulent INTPs are even rarer in the general population. However, there are no official statistics about their percentage in the population.
Yes, based on the MBTI compatibility charts, INTPs and INTPs have a very good chance of getting along with each other. The reason is that INTPS usually get along with thinking (T) types because they have trouble identifying others’ feelings.
Besides, they easily get attracted when they see that people use rational arguments in disputes. Another important thing is that INTPs have flexible personality that gets along well with adaptable individuals. As a result, two INTPS are often considered perfect pairs for romantic relationships.
How rare is the ISFJ-T personality type?
Generally, ISFJ is the most common personality type among all MBTI personalities. In fact, ISFJs make up about 14% of the general population. However, when it comes to ISFJ subtypes, it turns out that ISFJ-T subtypes aren’t as common as ISFJ-A.
This means that the majority of ISFJs in the population tend to be Assertive subtypes. Still, Turbulent ISFJs are still more common than plenty of other personality types, such as INTJs or ENTJs.
