Who is the INTp? (Ni-Te, INTJ in MBTI)

Intuitive-logical introvert (ILI) can be called the strategist of all strategists. The combination of strong intuition and logic gives people of this type qualities of wisdom and knowledge of life's laws. The distinguishing attributes of ILI - are precaution and prescience. One of the notable representative of this type was the M.I. Kutuzov. He fought all his life, but didn't win any remarkable battles - all his victories are ambiguous, with an even score. Despite this, he is known as one of the greatest military generals. Napoleon and Suvorov called Kutuzov a "clever fox". Why? Kutuzov's intellect shows itself in a simple acceptance of the fact that there was no way to defeat Napoleon in an open battle. Napoleon was a master of attack, who would thoroughly think through the plan for the battle in advance, but Kutuzov knew how to retreat. That is one of the most complicated military tasks – to hold back enemy forces using only one part of the army, while constantly switching maneuvers, changing from a fighting formation to a retreating and marching formation. Kutuzov carefully calculated and was able to predict that Napoleon would not manage to provide enough forage for horses of the cavalry, and was absolutely right about this. At the end of the war there were only 5,000 people remaining of the great "Grand Army" - and this was from five or six hundred thousand soldiers! Meanwhile, Kutuzov retained half of his army for the main battle to come.

ILI's main drawback is painful inability to adequately demonstrate his emotions. To memory comes the historical fact of Kutuzov eating chicken during the Battle of Borodino. Representatives of this type sometimes make an impression of being gloomy, sullen, and melancholic people. However, under their mask of perpetual skepticism and pessimism hides an idealist and a dreamer. To not be seen as an "avaricious knight" the ILI is capable of being generous and undertaking reckless actions. For example, he can give a dear person an expensive gift. However, even in such a case the ILI doesn't spend all of his money. More likely he will calculate in advance how much should be spent and when he should stop. ILI's weak sensing functions manifest as an indifference towards external appearance, that for some ILIs turns into slackness and untidiness. In general, ILIs tend to simple styles in clothing. 

 

Balzac/INTp

1. "Imagination directs me". He possesses a powerful, intellectual imagination. A representative of this type, Honoré de Balzac, in his series of novels, The Human Comedy "painted" the portraits of more than 2000 people who appear hyper real: "he is comparable perhaps only to the city controller's office" —wrote of him Andre Maurois. Similarly, the phantasmagoric world of Gabriel García Marquez is impressively precise in every detail. Due to this quality The Critic can forecast the future quite well. From empirical observations of how a man acts at various times he creates something like a functional model in his mind. In general, he tends to know everything in advance. If he did not have to warn other people about possible dangers (opportunities interest him less), he most possibly would feel himself redundant. 
2.  "A priest's calmness and restraint". He almost never expresses emotions and protects from them his family and friends. He sincerely believes that passions, too strong, will lead one to his doom. Honoré de Balzac has constantly demonstrated throughout his literary works how passion spreads like a devastating cancer that eats away the souls of men until it finally suppresses all else. This holds totally true in the case of his dual (Caesar, The Politician), a hyperactive person that easily gets carried away. 
3. A profound analyst. He is convinced that living is impossible if one disregards the natural laws that regulate the world. One who ignores reality is heading for disaster. The Criticist believes that it is better to be somewhat too cynical then be a hypocrite. Hearing of a situation, he very soon thoroughly understands it and begins to tell to the bewildered interlocutor the details and aspects that the latter had overlooked. His analysis is devoid of any self-encouragement. "You shouldn't have a different attitude towards life than you have for the kitchen—the same amount of stinking odor; if you want to cook a dish, you'll have to get your hands dirty, just make sure you'll be able to wash the dirt off once you are done; that's the entire moral of our day and age."—So speaks Vautrin, a hero of Balzac's books. Such misanthropy can kill the anybody's spirits, except his dual (The Politician)! 
4. "First and foremost, he is kind". In spite of all his "negativism", he is really a very kindly person in nature. The above phrase about Honoré de Balzac belongs to George Sand who knew him very well. He likes strong people who know their way in life, who demand concessions: such people release him from the necessity to invent goals, while using methods invented by him (he is a master of inventing methods.) He is capable of pouring a bucket of cold water out on the head of an enthusiast. But on the other hand, he is likewise capable of easing one's despair, when they are unlucky, when things go the wrong way, when destiny seems to be hostile. 
5. Unapproachable and thus desired. A girl-student by the name of Laima (The Politician) gave a good description of this type when she tried to describe the hero of her dreams: "He must be handsome and smart, with big and sad eyes, not talkative. He does not tell compliments, and by that he creates an impression of his inapproachability. He is taunted by myriads of problems, which, in my opinion are nothing to be bothered with. I am attracted by his sadness, seriousness, so I try to amuse him, to raise his spirits, to make him happy. If such a boy is present at a party, I wouldn't be bored." This is a vivid description of this personality type, who is constant in his feelings, does not like adventures, and desires total dependence of his demanding partner.

 
Appearance: ILI's gaze is calm, a little melancholy, cold, detached, and thoughtful; at times it is self-submerged, at other times testing and experimental, and most offen quite scattered and diffuse. Now and then the expression of his eyes becomes mocking and sly and a bit of luster appears in them. Frequently his eyes are large and hold a concentrated look. ILI's mimicry is quite monotonous; his facial expression is often dissatisfied or lamenting. The smile of politeness on his face sometimes does not correspond to the situation and thus seems somewhat artificial, but most often it is soft and predisposing, now and then even coquettish. ILI is usually calm and melancholic. He makes an impression of someone who is balanced, serious, a person of some depth. If he dislikes something, he may refer to it with sarcasm. His motions are smooth, unhurried, and relaxed; gait is a bit uncertain, though he tries to hold himself with dignity; his gestures are modest and undemonstrative, as is his entire manner of behavior. His pose is relaxed and unconstrained. Usually he is somewhat slow, likes to talk and chat. His speech is smooth and a little monotonic. 

 

Character: Big skeptic and a pessimist. Liabilities and more conservative: do not like change, extremes, and when people are in a hurry and goryachatsya. Wary of enthusiasts, it encourages them to judgment. Highly intelligent, he loves to accumulate information on their situation. Curious, a good counselor in business matters. Conscientious in work is careful and accurate. He is able to move away from the useless cases, dispose of material means and calculate the budget. Appreciates a cosiness and comfort, though not always know how to create them. If his case drags, technology can bring it to perfection. Committed to peace and inner balance. It has an associative and creative thinking. Inclined to contemplative, he has a philosophical attitude to life. It can be slow and inertia in business. Long ranges in decision-making. Far-sighted, has good strategic capabilities, but has difficulty in the transition to action. Restrained in the expression of feelings, waiting for initiatives from others. I tend to analyze the actions and statements of the shortcomings of others, though not always expressed aloud. Mistrustful and tends to expose any doubts.

People of this type perfectly feel the situation in time, for example, what the outcome of the case was started, or how to behave in a familiar person in a given situation. These predictions are rarely comforting, more often - "It does not come out anything," etc. The interesting thing is that most of his predictions come true. For example, many of the prophecies have come true French-telja predictions of Michel Nostradamus. In general, "Balzac" inherent pessimism and skepticism. At the same time he is able to logically calculate the business benefits of an event or person.

Able to manipulate the money, not love them razbrasyv-vatsya. Very often young "Balzacs" "no" pocket money - they just do not want to spend them. The advanced logic to successfully engage in mathematics, physics, programming. For example, Norbert Wiener was interested in the problems of modeling and management, which led him to the idea of ​​creating a new science - cybernetics. In dealing with others, "Balzac" is demonstrating its ability to conveniently, comfortably dressed, take care of health and comfort, interest etsya these issues. He does not like it when someone violently emotes, trying to get away, and sometimes even sleep .... For this reason, it seems quite emotionless - emotions and suffering for him the same thing. He likes strong-willed, determined and pleasant to talk to people.

 

1 Leading Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni)

Dynamically comprehends all worldly processes. Ability to traverse the time axis permits them to see distant prospects. Skeptical and critical. When confronted by a situation they know how to select from a set of variants, oriented towards the distant prospects.

Ni – Program function. The consciousness of any introvert is always working with internally constructed imaginary models. The external world for him only serves as a starting stage for developing internal imagery. Since the leading function of ILI is intuition of time, it allows him to successfully model evolution of processes in time.

The consciousness of ILI easily encompasses any periods in time and perceives the world comprehensively and systematically, and all the processes occurring within it dynamically. His ability to freely traverse the time axis allows him to see distant prospects, and consequently few can match him in the realm of strategic forecasts.

ILI's imagination perceives the world in dynamic flow – within it everything is in motion, everything interacts, people work, take some actions, which are based on some motivations. In consciousness of ILI, a model of people's behavior arises, examining which he can predict the future consequence of actions that a person undertakes in the present. Possessing the gift of foresight, he often already knows what a person is going to say or do in a certain situation – frequently, it seems to him that he knows and sees straight through everything (and in a certain sense, this is true).

The ability to see the essence of a problem and to envision the eventual result seems insightful, such that ILI may earn the reputation of a wise and far-sighted person or a philosopher. As a rule, his prognoses are colored by skepticism – he prefers to voice warnings to admonish those around him from taking unnecessary steps and acting rashly. He himself is cautious – will repeatedly and scrupulously check everything before doing anything. He calls on others to do the same, making critical remarks of those whose statements and actions are made too hastily and lightly and have not been carefully thought through.

One of the main driving forces of ILI is a sense of his own worth, and by association – self-assertion. Frequently he feels good from observing that others are incompetent at something, which comes easily and naturally to him. Many of his mental abilities are indeed high. People of this type often have an immaculate memory. Using this advantage, he identifies the source of a question and comprehends all the aspects of the problem, building a massive foundation for his erudition. It is precisely among this sociotype that one can meet individuals who possess an almost encyclopedic knowledge. However, a measure of conservatism is also characteristic of them. This is expressed in their distrust of anything new, untested and unproven, when it is not clear where it will lead.

His inclination to assert himself, to feel himself significant, does no mean that he will attempt to achieve a high position or status in society. Rather his tendency is to elevate himself as high as possible in certain fields of knowledge, and to go as deep as possible in his perceptiveness, to feel his superiority to others in exactly this (Ni). 

 

Introverted intuition in ILIs is often characterized by well-developed imaginative abilities and mental wanderings. They can spend a great deal of time simply thinking and may appear to live 'in their heads'. This mental focus is demonstrated through reflection on scenarios, pondering bodies of information, etc. They can be prone to excessive daydreaming, creation of intricate inner worlds or universes, or considering the past or future. ILIs may even have novelistic tendencies with the ability to create intricate plots, characters and places. ILIs, however, are not necessarily inclined to share their imagination with others.

ILIs are naturally attuned to hidden connections between things as well as hints of greater implications in everyday reality. They easily recognize patterns of events, repeating outcomes and contradictory messages. This overarching understanding of patterns and behavior allows ILIs to critically analyze present situations and determine both immediate and far-reaching consequences of certain actions. The mind of an ILI is an oasis of sorts where knowledge is treated as a toy or even a vehicle that allows them to visit complex mental landscapes that are continually shaped and revised by new information. Nonetheless, they are likely to find the process of gathering new information tiresome compared to their mental explorations; new information is often accumulated and updated in a rather lethargic, periodic, and occasionally incomplete fashion.

ILIs are often stereotypically represented as reclusive scholars, philosophers, scientists, artists, seers, and sages. With their often unusual perceptions, they may come across as unreachable, esoteric eccentrics. Because of their confidence about analyzing the implications of their gathered knowledge, ILIs often appear perceptive, especially in fields of interest, and commonly tend to view the ideas of others with skepticism and scrutiny. They may even see others' intellectual contributions as deeply misguided or limited in scope.

ILIs often predict inevitable disasters. This type of fatalism is fueled by their ability to see the negative in anything, which has its roots in the ILI's general dislike of expressing or reinforcing positive emotions. For an ILI, it may be easier to predict pessimistic results in order to avoid unpleasant emotional reactions. Likewise, the ILI's sense of self doubt leads him to be very conservative in his general outlook; why unnecessarily subject oneself to the uncertainty of possible disappointment?

ILIs typically exhibit a general detachment from day-to-day affairs. While an ILI might devote a great deal of time to pondering the possible consequences of some political decision, very little attention is likely to be paid to such tasks as household maintenance or cleanliness, which the ILI sees as trivial matters undeserving of his time or effort.

ILIs can, in certain situations, act very tentatively. In many situations they are inclined to hesitate prior to taking any action or making important decisions. They often prefer to observe and gather an understanding of a situation rather than actively participate. The ILI's restraint complements the hyperactivity of his dual, the SEE. 

 

 

The INTp (ILI) lives according to the principle "hurry unhurriedly" and does not like it when other people try to assign him any other pace. One can only envy ILI's manner to not hurry anywhere and yet rarely be late for anything (even intentionally he cannot make himself be late). Traffic jams on the roads similarly in no way complicate his life: despite everything, he still arrives on time.

This is partially so because in INTp's life there is rarely anything that is unforeseen – the INTp knows how to foresee everything. This realization of his or her talent for forecasts very early ceases to surprise and excite the ILI. It is as if he was born knowing all the things that will happen with him in the future, and all that which has already happened in the distant past. This, it would seem, enormous advantage turns into a fundamental problem for the INTp: sometimes he feels too bored to live; he foresees everything so well that there remain very few refreshing and exciting surprises in his life.

The INTp does not hurry to share his predictions with everyone; he doesn't work as a "fortune teller". The ability to see "through time" for the ILI is all too natural to present this as an "attraction". He prefers the role of a mentor, adviser, or counselor, who analyzes past mistakes, failings, and omissions and admonishes others about repeating them. The ILI possesses the ability to spot the weakest link in any chain of events and occurrences. He proceeds to analyze concurrently the hidden risks and dangers that are involved and the future difficulties and troubles that may lie ahead. With characteristic for him negativism, the INTp frequently fulfills the role of that enchanted stone from a folktale that tells the hero: "If you go to the right – you will lose your horse, if you go to the left – you will lay down your head..." And seemingly there remain no other options except to turn back.

The INTp does not glorify and "sing odes" to the brave. To the contrary, the ILI considers it to be his responsibility to timely warn others against rash decisions and actions, to counsel them about all the possible deficiencies and dangers, to point out all the unfavorable courses of events. The ILI, as no one another, sees the original hopelessness of many enterprises and the foolishness of poorly timed undertakings. Nevertheless, even with all these expectations of the worst, the ILI, in contrast to some other intuitive types, does not foretell of an imminent end of the world; he is generally against causing public hysteria by means of bleak predictions.

The INTp likes to look at everything that is occurring around him philosophically; therefore he finds "comfort" in sayings of the type: "everything passes", "we'll all be there", "tomorrow is not the end of the world", "this, too, shall pass"...

The INTp considers that everything will come in time to a person who knows how to wait. And ILI knows how to await. He also knows how to fill this waiting time such that it can last his entire life, and still not have any negative impact on his plans.

The INTp usually knows how to manage and "own" his time, and this enables the INTp to feel independent. He does not subordinate himself to the circumstances, rather he utilizes the circumstances to his benefit. The ILI is not in a habit of holding any flattering delusions concerning himself and is thus capable of realistically estimating his own possibilities under the specific circumstances at some stage in time.

The INTp is able to see the most subtle, hidden, and imperceptible tendencies of the historical development of a society. He is perceptive of the interrelation of events in time and understands how the proceedings of today will influence the future unfolding of history. Whichever event the ILI reflects upon, he sees it simultaneously in the present, the past, and the future. And this for the ILI is nothing more than his natural perception of everything that is happening around him.

Following his perpetual desire to avoid possible errors, the INTp frequently takes on the role of an outside observer. At times this spurs accusations in ILI's address that he relates to life in a manner that is too passive.

One significant drawback of INTp's warnings and admonishments is the absence of positive alternatives to accompany them, in consequence of which they frequently have the effect of "freezing" or "stopping" some activity.

With all of ILI's efforts to prevent all the errors committed in this world, their quantity does not diminish. One reason that this happens is that a rejection of a propose plan or course of action in order to avoid some danger that is associated with its realization, can in itself be another mistake. 
 

2 Creative function: Extraverted Logic (Te)

Fitness for work is exceptionally selective. If they find an appropriate job they work without tiring, indeed are difficult to stop. Knows how to find the principal team needed to unwind a chain of events. A meticulous and scrupulous pedant, knows how to separate information within a system.

Te – Implementation of the program. ILI surveys the the dynamics of ongoing events and processes and aims is to guide these dynamics towards their practical realization. After correctly predicting the outcome, he awaits the "right moment" to act and will not do anything until such a moment arrives (he doesn't like undertaking unnecessary action). When he perceives a real prospect, he moves to act.

His perception is characterized by wholesomeness, which leads ILI to perceive multiple variations in solving the same problem. Thus, now and again, he finds it difficult to prioritize one thing over another. He does not like being hurried, but waits for a problem to "ripen" and its resolution will be incorporated into the general picture of things, which is already present in his imagination. Certain reservation is characteristic of him; he tries to leave enough room for possible corrective actions to be taken in the future.

ILI's fitness for work is exceptionally selective. If he finds a proper job or profession, he can display remarkable energy and fantastic productivity. In his life there can also be a continuum of sleepless nights and states of extreme anxiety and stress, which last for months or even years. The nature of his work style is usually solid and pedantic.

If he has failed to find the right job or profession, then his skepticism begins to take the upper hand: "Why is all of this necessary? Nothing good will come of this…" He cannot even force himself to meet the bare minimum expectations, which may lead to serious repercussions such as being dismissed from work or dropping out of school or university. In such cases, he feels helpless, lacking a "spine" – the resolve to do anything – as his irrationality makes it difficult for him to meet even the minimum requirements for his survival.

 

ILIs place great importance on factual accuracy and a basic understanding of how things work. They may be inclined to look down on or pity people who consistently demonstrate ignorance of what they consider to be simple, essential facts. It is often also very important to ILIs that a person's beliefs account for any new factual information. For this reason, ILI's are often characterized by a nagging and constant sense of doubt, contradiction, and misinformation. They tend to be skeptical of other people's positions, and even frequently question their own. In groups the ILI will often question the validity of the information exchanged. Likewise, many ILIs will use a mocking and aggressive tone if they believe that the information being presented is incorrect or absurd. ILIs can also be very adept at removing errors in facts and statistical data, especially in undertakings that they consider as high priorities. ILIs may brush off failure unconcernedly, viewing it as merely a necessary misstep on the road towards success.

A sense of the efficiency in an ILI's life is a prerequisite for his inner peace. This manifests very differently in ILIs than SLIs; the latter are much more likely to be proactive about making their physical environment comfortable and managed with an efficient use of resources. In contrast, ILIs are largely indifferent to their physical surroundings, and their desire for efficient allocation of resources may extend to less tangible forms, e.g. the allocation of resources in a game or hypothetical political scenario, the efficiency of a computer program or corresponding piece of code. An ILI will demonstrate perfectionistic tendencies most clearly in such situations where they can work out the details in their heads or on paper. 

 

ILIs can differ significantly from dominant types in that they are less likely to take direct action to achieve practical and societal gain, and may not even choose to gather new information very actively. ILIs often do not acquire knowledge with any clear purpose other than to further their own understanding. When ILIs do use their knowledge for specific purposes, such knowledge is not usually considered a means to an end. When ILIs are required to pursue practical knowledge required for some aspect of their functioning -- such as how to fill out a series of bureaucratic forms -- sometimes ILIs embrace this information and quickly assimilate every aspect of it. More often, they will be disinterested and spurn this activity to whatever extent possible.

ILIs tend to have a deep, factual understanding of subjects or fields of interest. Sometimes ILIs perceive the real-world occurrences around them, such as the daily tedium of work or school, through a lens created to understand the information that they care about most, though they may choose not to share this perception with others. They often have little to contribute in many social situations, but when a topic of interest comes around they can end up being the center of attention, disseminating the information of their expertise.

ILI humor is typically saturated with irony, cynicism, witticisms, and sarcasm. When provoked, an ILI can engage in highly toxic sarcasm, insulting the offender's intelligence. In such situations, the ILI can come across as cold and malicious, but the ILI will see himself as simply punishing an obnoxious individual for his foolishness. 

 

ILIs are often highly critical of others' ideas and actions. Typically this is because these ideas violate the ILI's understanding of the facts, or because ILIs see more efficient or realistic solutions. ILIs often channel their energy towards constructive criticism because they frequently lack the initiative to take decisive action themselves.

 

 INTp's time is filled either with matters and affairs or with deliberations and reflections on how to better conduct them.

The INTp performs best when he is not pressed, influenced, distracted or interfered with, and when there is little chance of any kind of unnecessary fuss, confusion, urgency, ethical sorting out of relations or intrigues in the working group.

Internally, the INTp is deeply independent and strives to free himself from circumstances in any matter. However urgent and pressing the matters at his work may be, this has no effect on him: the ILI will methodically and calmly get through his workday, deliberately and conveniently distribute his strengths, switching up different types of work and the different types of loads.

The INTp pedantically follows assigned requirements and specifications. If a specific sequence or procedure of work has been established, he will strictly follow it through. In situations when he is only responsible for the final result but the sequence of steps is not specified, the ILI prefers to follow his own plan, his own work schedule, and his own rational procedures, if possible.

The INTp is very assiduous. He with pleasure takes on tedious, meticulous work, thoroughly familiarizes himself with all its details. Before turning in work, he attentively checks it, verifying that there are no errors and omissions. It is very important for the ILI that the analysis of mistakes in his work is timely, and, most importantly, constructive.

The ILI constantly worries about his level of qualification. Always grateful for valuable indications and advice regarding his work.

The INTp greatly worries when his work does not earn appreciation – this leads him to thoughts of his own unsuitability for a given profession. Sometimes he comes to the conclusion that he will bring more benefit working as a consultant, instructor, methodologist, or inspector, rather than occupying positions that require executive and implementary activities.

He greatly enjoys when new workers are sent to receive instructions from him. The ILI loves to teach, to advise, to instruct – this is his moment, his hour of triumph, which he impatiently awaits.

One should not tell the INTp in which sequence he should realize his plans, when and how to engage in his matters. Especially, one should not try to teach him what to do and how to do it. The ILI prefers not to deal with people who know "how it should be": he knows this better than anyone.

A significant point is that the INTp knows whether some matter or task in general is worth taking up. First of all, in his opinion, one should thoroughly think over what this matter or task is, to whom and for what it is necessary, and precisely how he will be instrumental for its realization.

If the INTp is assigned some work but not given a time frame for its fulfillment, the INTp won't even consider this to be an assignment: he either will forget about it or ignore it. He needs to be argumentatively explained for what it is needed and how soon his contribution is expected. Only then the ILI will approach the assignment with seriousness. Such approach is more easily understood if we consider ILI's tendency to avoid undertaking any superfluous, pointless actions, and to not engage in something that nobody needs.

For the INTp, as for any representative of the 3rd quadrant, it is very important to have a perception his own usefulness and necessity: the ILI won't do anything that is not needed by anyone, he wants to be free and available for matters and tasks that are actually necessary. The ILI will take up any work which he considers to be useless only if he has been unemployed and has no money to pay for his livelihood. Later, he will try to find himself a more useful application.

The ILI is one of those people who will "measure off seven times" and think one hundred additional times before deciding to "make the cut".

The ILI will compulsorily think about the consequences of his participation in anything. He tries not to risk with anything and never subject himself to indeterminate risks. He is not one of those people who join the opposition or dissenting movement, although he can maintain personal relations with individual persons from such groups. This is not needed for him, for the ILI knows how to wait for the right political situation to use it for realization of his plans.
 

Super-Ego Block

3 Role function: Introverted Sensing (Si)

He feels well in a comfortable and cozy home but is unwilling to spend the necessary time and resources to create such himself and so prefers if another would take this responsibility. Sometimes difficult to mobilize himself to carry out necessary activities, appears as if paralyzed, and in such cases external interference proves useful in helping him to "unwind". 
 

Si – Role function. In all matters regarding questions of health, aesthetics, lifestyle, and clothing, ILI appears modest and does not go beyond what is needed. Poorly discerning in such matters, he prefers to obtain such information from capable (in his opinion) sources. Sometimes in such spheres – for example, his home life – he is so helpless, that he incites concern in others and requires real care. If he falls ill, he will try to observe physician's instructions and scrupulously follow prescribed regimen in diet and medicine, etc.

The volitional qualities of people of this type manifest a bi-polar nature: some individuals display an enviable sense of purpose, stubbornness and perseverance, while others, to the contrary, demonstrate complete inertia and paralysis of their will. This can also be seen in actions of a specific person: in some cases he manifests excessive drive, in others compete passivity. In conclusion, it must be said that for ILI finding a proper occupation and self-realization are especially important, otherwise his innate talents will remain undeveloped and be utterly wasted. 

 

ILIs generally place moderate to minimal importance on such matters as cleanliness, comfort, and sensory stimuli. Some ILIs may consider them distractions. It is not atypical of ILIs to be completely uninterested by and unable to find any value in something like a fine piece of artwork. Different ILIs respond to different artistic stimuli in different ways; for example, an ILI might think painting is worthless but possess sufficient background to enjoy other media, such as sculpture or music.

ILIs are often uncertain about the messages they receive from their bodies. An ILI might feel some irregularity in their own body and not realize its significance to the overall functioning of the body. An ILI will often try to determine the consequence of such symptoms through their own understanding of anatomy (or 'google it'), often blowing things out of proportion. An ILI's sense of self doubt may lead to such assumptions as the presence of a brain tumor as the result of a mere headache. In contrast to valuing types, ILIs are significantly less adept at making adjustments to their lifestyle to correct these minor ailments.

Even so, ILIs are capable of placing a moderate focus on maintaining their physical comfort. ILIs often construct a lifestyle based on various activities that feed their own intellectual stimulation. Though attention to comfort is never a priority, it is not completely ignored, as some attention to it goes hand in hand with their inactive lifestyle. Still, ILIs often neglect the world around them and become consistently mired in their own inertia, and are unlikely to notice that anything is missing.

ILIs are often hesitant or resistant towards lifestyle changes that threaten the commodiously constructed surroundings that they create for themselves. No one is better suited to opening the ILI for change than the hyperactive SEE, whose flurry of constant activity is seen by the ILI as refreshingly active.

Balzac tries to do everything necessary to manage and sustain his lifestyle. House of Balzac is not only his fortress, but it is also a spiritual and intellectual "oasis", where without fail must contain all the things that are dear to him: valuable books, favorite music, treasured portraits and photograph on the walls, prized "memorable gifts".

Balzac can comfortably accommodate himself in a small room – the main thing is that there would be place for his "dear" armchair and pile of books. Balzac loves comfortable and convenient furniture, it is not important, what style, loves muted, soft illumination. Loves to light up the fireplace in the winter evening, loves to listen to the noise of rain outside the window.

Balzac tries to be prepared "for the rainy day" and make all the necessary provisions. Non-dualized Balzac may purchase everything possible "in two, four, six, eight" exemplars. One of the representatives of this type built in his home a cozy basement, which he stocked with everything necessary "in the case of war".

Balzac greatly values his own comfort and soulful rest. He tries to create comfortable and convenient medium for his living. With pleasure he surrounds himself with beautiful things. He loves to start small collections of the works of art and other articles, and to contribute "memorable gifts" into these collections.

He feels wonderfully well in a comfortable and pleasant situation. He loves to pay visits to the hospitable and plentiful households (but only if he is sure, that he is indeed welcome there). Willingly accepts invitations to parties and gathering of pleasant and interesting company. He worries beforehand about how to spend advancing holidays. Enjoys receiving a small circle of close friends at his place, entertaining them not only with tasty food, but also by pleasant intellectual conversation about what he has recently learned and analyzed of the latest events and developments in spheres of politics, culture, region. An evening spent without intellectually saturated conversation Balzac considers to be unsuccessful. (Therefore the success of "Balzac's evenings" in large degree depends on the perceptiveness of his dual Caesar (SEE), to cease taking up the leading position and retreat into the background in timely manner, to not interfere with Balzac's intellectual initiatives.)

Balzac is always open to experiencing new sensations. With a child's curiosity he will try new dishes and foods. He listens to new music very attentively. For his tastes, the mixing of various musical styles is not alien: he can record "heavy metal" and "baroque" on the same CD.

However, some of the representatives of this type try not to encumber their ears by music of low quality, which relates to Balzac's desire to develop his artistic taste and erudition, to create most pleasant conditions for himself: surround himself with things of the highest quality, to dress expensively, neatly, beautifully, to try to be up to date in all artistic novelties – premiers and openings, fashionable exhibitions, concerts of famous artists and performers.

For the same reason Balzac is watchful of his health. As is needed, he looks after his weight, takes up diets, implements preventive measures, tries to eat healthy vegetarian food.

Special attention he devotes to leisure and sleep. Some representatives of this type follow a very idiosyncratic schedule of work and rest. Balzac may not see anything wrong with falling asleep whenever and wherever it occurred to him. Sometimes it is possible to see Balzac sleeping at his work desk or even while carrying out monotonous work, that he continued automatically doing with his hands, during a lesson or a lecture, at a musical premier. Balzac can even comfortably arrange a bed outside, out in nature, and sleep. (Kutuzov, as is known, could fall asleep during the military council.) 

 

Nevertheless sensing of experiences is an area that Balzac tries to develop in himself to the accepted norms. His successes in this is future guarantee of successful dualization: Balzac's efforts to look well-groomed, to dress neatly and trimly, to approperly organize his household, are rewarded by attention and appreciation of his dual Caesar (SEE), who has a well developed sense of self-respect and astute sensory perception, and who will not suffer next to himself an unsightly and slovenly person. (There are cases of unsuccessful dualization of Balzacs with underdeveloped sensing which did not meet the norms.) Therefore, with his entire unwillingness to force himself into exerting volitional force, Balzac is pressed to invest his time and efforts into his own upkeep, to thoroughly take care of his own appearance, to set up his household with tasteful and impressive items, to go out into the "social light" more often where he has many more chances to meet his dual at home, sitting in his own comfortable chair. 
 

4 Vulnerable function: Extraverted Ethics (Fe)

Tries not to act emotionally since he is not confident that he can always control his feelings. When he does lose control his behavior towards others, and himself, is unpredictable. With close people prefers to associate at a close psychological distance, tries to be polite, to develop relations over time; however, does not always succeed for is capable of offending others without noticing.

Fe – Painful function. Poorly orientating in emotions, ILI prefers to hide his feelings. However, if he is strongly afflicted by something, his emotionality can literally pour out as he loses control of himself. In order to prevent such situations from happening, ILI prefers to maintain a large psychological distance with others. Familiarity irritates him – he is a proponent of a calm and respectable manner of interaction.

ILI often compensates for his lack of emotional involvement in interaction with others by playing intellectual games. Very often interaction for him becomes similar to a game of chess or checkers, where the goal is to show what he is capable of, and to demonstrate another person's incompetence. ILI is a master of games – he loves to play with people and events.

He finds true enjoyment from realizing his intellectual superiority over others and will not let an opportunity pass where he can directly or indirectly express this. If his upbringing conflicts with such displays and expression, he will, nonetheless, satisfy his silent vanity by other methods.

In communication with those few people, whom he trusts, ILI can be open and sincere. Sometimes he displays kindness and generosity to a surprising degree – gives away his belonging, which are essential to him. However, this is often because he feels indifferent to them (sensing is his weak function).

ILIs analyze situations and make decisions in a very logical and scientific manner. Their reliance on objectivity and accumulation of factual knowledge leaves very little room for decisions based on emotional considerations. ILIs deeply dislike being asked or coerced to express their emotions. They are most comfortable expressing negative sentiments which indicate their disdain for required emotional participation, such as wry, sardonic pessimism. Some ILIs have very poor control over their emotions, and may lash out angrily if provoked.

When discussing important matters, ILIs often betray a harsh, critical perspective on viewpoints and ideas that they find particularly stupid or insensible. ILIs do not attach emotions to factual information, and so do not consider such criticism to be offensive. If confronted with somebody whose intelligence, persona, or ideas they do not respect, they may react in a hostile fashion, which can be perceived as arrogant or insensitive; not all ILIs, obviously, will react this way.

ILIs' reactions to the sphere of emotions can vary greatly, but they are particularly apparent in the sphere of social relations. ILIs are typically not social creatures. Some do not understand the importance of social connections and choose to ignore the area of emotional involvement with others altogether, instead delving into virtual reality, mystical introspection, or private study. Others trudge through the social landscape without truly understanding the art of socialization, ignoring politeness and not caring about offending others. ILIs may view people who constantly try to make others happy as foolishly involving themselves in a completely pointless exercise.

ILIs tend to be nervous about interacting with other people due to lack of confidence in their social abilities, and often feel that they are not socially respected. They find it difficult to gauge a person's mood without an obvious expression or gesture. Only with a small number of people whom the ILI trusts deeply does the ILI let down his emotional guard. To these people, the ILI can be surprisingly sincere and kind. Nonetheless, the ILI will be little more than an acquaintance to the mass of people that the ILI does not completely trust.

This function manifests as attempts of Balzac to guard himself from strong influences or pressuring, and in his unwillingness to get drawn into strained emotional regime.

Balzac considers it necessary to subordinate his emotions to his reason – this is his firm rule, which he strictly adheres to himself, and constantly suggests to those in his environment.

"Tragic-nervous breakdowns, fainting, tears..." Balzac cannot stand, however, while he attempts to avoid them at any cost, he frequently behaves himself unethically and immorally to a certain extent, such that he involuntarily provokes such episodes himself.

Attempting to be maximally restrained in showing his own feelings, to not reveal in any way his true emotional state, from fear of getting drawn into some personal intrigue, Balzac unconsciously behaves in a most intriguing manner, by manner of which he subjects himself to the risk of the stormiest explications of relations. Assuming a demonstratively dispassionate appearance, he, in reality, frequently creates a falsely meaningful "mask", which simultaneously intrigues and irritates. In many of his partners this "mask" evokes a desire to tear it away, to reveal his true face. Frequently it happens that the more "mysteriousness" he assumes, the "sharper" and more aggressive are such investigations. ("Pretended indifference" of Balzac is frequently for him a tactic of "ethical reconnaissance" designed to test how invested and interested his partner is in further development of relations.) For emotionally vulnerable, easily hurt, uncertain of his attractiveness Balzac, it is extremely important to know the degree of interest of his partner. Sometimes he uses the following trick": after addressing his partner about anything of prime importance, he suddenly pauses, as if he is distracted by something minor, and secretly observes the behavior of his partner, waiting for when he will show an interest in the topic that he touched upon. In relations with Caesar (SEE) this is also a method to discipline his inattentive dual, an attempt to catch his attention; and also, what is very important in the process of dualization, the attempt to estimate the significance of his own values with the values of his partner.) 

 

It stands to reason, Balzac even for himself cannot explain the true reason for his "imperturbability" (he generally does not see any mysteriousness in himself and never admits to intentionally creating such - he is a logical type after all). Most frequently he behaves in this manner from desire to shield himself from psychological discomfort, which he experiences in emotionally oversaturated atmosphere. For this very reason, as he considers, the only possible way to safeguard himself is to keep up impassive appearance. Since this is also done in ethical situations, Balzac's partners frequently feel themselves insulted by this feigned indifference. Thus, it turns out that farsighted Balzac becomes the first victim of his own hedging.

Situation may get even worse when Balzac tries "to equalize" the emotional state of his partner, encouraging him by look or words. In itself, this is probably a good gesture, but in a complex ethical situation this kind of behavior is usually received not only as "moral support", but also as an appeasement, which leads to the subsequent sorting out of relations with all emerging emotional consequences.

His own emotional displays also do not pass without complications. Due to the eternal fear of being incorrectly understood during their natural manifestation, or with intentional concealment, Balzac is often in state of confusion when the matter concerns the expression of his own feelings. Here he runs into many problems simultaneously: sometimes he simply cannot tell them apart - his feeling seem either contradictory or insufficiently differentiated and developed. Furthermore, he doesn't always find a suitable form for their expression, and won't allow just anyone to aid him in self-expression. Often he is afraid of saying something excessive, to not encourage someone and then inadvertently let them down. His own emotional capabilities to him seem obscure and insufficiently studied. He can display his feelings in such an "odd" form as concerning about the fate of his partner, warning him against associating with himself, the "unworthy". He can say many unpleasant things about himself, subjecting to judgement "what kind of roses were prepared for us by Hymen". Moreover, since all this is said in a confident and reasonable tone, almost no one will suspect that underneath this pile of contradictory reasons hides an elementary uncertainty in himself. 

 

Unfortunately, to free Balzac from this uncertainty and lack of confidence in himself is a long, arduous, and often thankless labor. The only one who can manage this task successfully is his dual partner Caesar (SEE). Without troubling himself with reflections about the discrepancies and contradictions of Balzac's ethics, he naturally draws him into his naive, guileless, and sincerely compassionate relational game. Practice shows that even the closest ethical type of the same quadra, Dreiser (ESI), cannot successfully manage and resolve Balzac's "ethical puzzles".

Balzac is always frightened and irritated by inadequately expressed emotions, regardless of the fact, whether they are positive or negative. One immoderate or inappropriate exclamation is sufficient for his mood to drop. Therefore, Balzac painfully endures conversations conducted in a raised tone. Irrespective of whether this is a business conversation or sorting out of relations, he feels himself badly within a continuous flow of saturated emotions. Balzac dislikes irritated tone, but he is doomed to encounter it for his entire life: in the childhood he suffers from the irritation of parents and teachers, in adult years he irritates his bosses and colleagues. This irritation can be caused by anything: sluggishness or awkwardness of movements, monotony of voice, gentle or frightened appearance, old-fashioned manners – the matter is not so much in himself, as in the inconvenient and uncomfortable relations into which he constantly falls (as, however, happens with each one of us).

What is there to say about hysterics with tears and reproaches, about scandals with beating of dishes, tears and exclamations, with "valerian pills" and "emergency medical services" ... This for Balzac is simply a punishment of the powers above – it is only incomprehensible for what sins. Finding himself in the whirlpool of hysterics, on top of that accompanied by pressuring, Balzac experiences panicky horror – the state, from which he does not know how to get out. Therefore, in that moment, he is capable of committing the wildest, the most unexpected act. (For example, similar to Pierre Bezukhov, swing a marble table at his wife.)

In any awkward ethical situation, Balzac feels himself very restless. Sometimes in the searches for an exit he aggravates the existing tension, no longer thinking, whether he is right or wrong, desperately trying to "extinguish" the situation whatever it costs him. In such minutes, he is capable of an act, about which he will then possibly regret, but for the moment this is of no importance for him: his reason is completely subordinated to the whirlpool of emotions, before which he is helpless, and therefore he is not in control of himself.

Being blinded by emotions for Balzac is equivalent to madness. The same he thinks about others. Therefore, he fears and hates the manifestation of socio-political hysteria in any shape or form. As soon as there appears the next maniacal political leader or latter-day prophet , Balzac "departs" to his well-organized basement and wait there until the better times or escapes somewhere "overseas".

After all shake-ups experienced by him in the real life, an easy emotional discharge in the form of a scary story or a horror movie for Balzac is no more than children's amusement. Favorite genre - comic necrotriller (of type "Adams Family").

Humor of Balzac - is a kind of tactic of intellectual-emotional "retribution". Sometimes, it is expressed as reaction to the perceived by him psychological discomfort:

"Celebrating ahead of time,
he started delineating in his soul
the caricatures of all the guests."

Sometimes Balzac's humor is expressed in the form of very successful epigrams. Sometimes, this is the simply thin irony, painted in darker tones. Balzac's "black humor" is characterized by unique necro-orientation. Perhaps Balzacs, in contrast to Hamlets, do not philosophize over the skulls of their friends, but fairly often they joke on this theme. From an early childhood Balzac forms a philosophically-ironic relation to the question of death. (Children Balzacs frequently entertain themselves by drawing skeletons and reading "horror stories".)

Super-Id Block

5 Suggesting function: Extraverted Sensing (Se)

ILIs are often characterized by their inertia. If left to their own devices, they may choose to do relatively little to interact with the outside world. When they do interact, they often find their activities empty and unsatisfying. To ILIs, life is characterized by periods of stimulation. True stimulation is spontaneous, and the intervals between periods of stimulation are often characterized by tedium, inertia, and apathy. ILIs are not very adept at finding new areas of interest, and may seek to continue to reproduce past experiences instead of moving on to new things. In order to break out of this cycle, ILIs require an active, external, spontaneous stimulus. This spontaneity allows the ILI to discover new experiences and escape from the confines of his own mind.

ILIs are also very indecisive. They may lack the ability to make important decisions, especially regarding their own future. ILIs do not always know what they want out of life and may have difficulty setting or achieving long term goals. In order to act, the ILI needs a clear, tangible signal from somebody who is well grounded in external reality and knows exactly what must be done in a certain situation.

ILIs may consider work-related or intellectual pursuits important in the long term, but not in the short term. Even so, losing himself in these interests will rarely suffice as a true replacement for the discomfort that he may feel at his lack of decisiveness or inertia.

The INTp respects strong, willful people, who know their goals and who do not cower before difficulties but rather act confidently, actively creating their path ahead. INTp's dual the ESFp (SEE) possesses precisely such qualities.

The INTp does not attempt to take the lead himself, preferring to remain a figure "number two" – a "shadow" leader and adviser who supports a powerful patron.

Democratic by nature, the INTp does not openly boast of his position and influential connections. Knowing perfectly well that "everything passes", the ILI is not one of those people who will trade his life and his health for an outstanding career. Even at the very peak of authority, he is, first of all, a person, who will not hide his weaknesses, preferences, and habits.

Nevertheless, the ILI has a deep sense of his own personal value. He also knows how to value the merit of another, and he knows how to demand respect for himself.

Although making demands is precisely what is difficult for the INTp. He is a kind of person for whom it is difficult "to pull his will into his fist". The ILI doesn't know how to and doesn't like to subordinate someone else to his will. Neither will he suffer direct pressure applied to himself. (Willful pressuring of ESFp, realized by ethical manipulations, is not perceived by the INTp as suppression of his own personality. While direct volitional actions – "volitional sensing" of Zhukov (SLE), Maxim (LSI), or Dreiser (ESI), just as the demonstrative energetic nature of Hugo (ESE) – are oppressive for him.)

A typical state of the INTp is one of constant semi-relaxation. He prefers not to make excessive efforts and tries to expend his physical energy very economically. He won't invest more effort and strengths in anything over what is dictated by objective necessities, not even into the most captivating work. The ILI is not the type of person who will thoroughly apply himself, "wholly put himself out", solely on basis of enthusiasm. The ILI always seeks respect for his own labor and a worthy payment.

Money for the INTp has an important meaning. (Although some representatives of this type relate to its absence with philosophical calmness: "Money comes and goes.") Nevertheless, the ILI typically approaches this topic very seriously, for he is acutely and deeply aware of the advantages of money as a real lever of force and authority. Rarely you will meet an INTp who quietly accepts lack of money or a negative balance in the bank. To the contrary, many of people of this type see money not only as means of supporting themselves, but also as a guaranteed possibility to realize the plans that they devised long time ago ("If only I will want - the halls will arise before me...")

Accumulation of money for the INTp is also a method of "conservation" of the labor he has invested, a possibility to preserve and maintain a reasonable distribution of his own strengths: for the ILI it is the "equivalent of force" saved during young years in order to support himself in the old age.

6 Activating function: Introverted Ethics (Fi)

ILIs deeply value feelings of attachment to those whom engage them in a deep and lasting emotional kinship. They have a hard time establishing these sentiments as they are naturally disinterested in most people, who seem outwardly unremarkable or have nothing in common with them. But when an ILI has developed deep interpersonal bonds, he makes an effort to hold on to them. ILIs are almost always deeply unconfident about their social abilities and, consequently, they rarely speak of their most valued relationships with others to common outsiders that they consider superficial acquaintances. Feelings of this sort are rarely talked about with others, but the ILI may be painfully aware of these sentiments for fear of appearing overly sentimental or having feelings that are "out of line" or inappropriate to their present level of social interaction. ILIs may love from afar and in their solitude if there is something or someone they love, due to their lack of confidence in their own feelings. Some ILIs may even be closet romantics. ILIs can also be quite sensitive, despite their outward emotional reservation, and are sometimes far more emotionally vulnerable than they appear.

In general, ILIs are fundamentally good-natured and conscionable people who may place a great deal of importance on ethical principles. In fact, ILIs have a very strong sense of good will and loyalty towards others if they find the others to be similarly reasonable, trustworthy individuals. ILIs will not usually demonstrate this loyalty explicitly. As a consequence, ILIs are not always seen as kind people, and more often appear standoffish, cold, or hostile. If an ILI is drawn in by sincere and engaging individuals, his sense of compassion may be realized and so surface. ILIs can be calm, attentive, and sympathetic listeners to the plights of their emotionally volatile duals, easily establishing a relationship of deep affection with them.

Many less actualized ILIs hold a far more vindictive attitude. This occurs, among other scenarios, when ILIs are depressed about people, especially when ILIs are suffering from a lack of support from others. In these scenarios the ILI can aggressively attack people's intelligence, ideas, or character rather unrelentlessly. Even so, such actions may precipitate conflict which the ILI is liable to find highly tiresome and frustrating -- blurring the ILI's mental image of the facts and making him feel as though his work is unfinished. Such people who have been 'blacklisted' are often in the ILI's eyes very deserving of this role, but the ILI may find that other people do not agree and faces the choice of either withdrawing in order to avoid interacting with the object of derision, or else continuing to interact, thus perpetuating the process and compounding the ILI's frustration. Such judgments may be very difficult to extract from the ILI; such a process requires a copious amount of often thankless moral support and truth; SEEs are the only persons well-equipped for this task, and may in their occasional naivete of others' motivations benefit from the ILI's harsh stances. Typically, however, if the ILI is engaged with people with whom he feels very close and who accept his observations, explanations, and expositions (his mental image of the facts, as it were), he sees little need to interact with individuals that would inspire his aggression.

ILIs rarely, if ever, take it upon themselves to display emotional, social, or physical initiative. To engage other people, especially in unfamiliar circumstances, can be a harrowing task for ILIs, one from which most try to refrain. Nonetheless, ILIs are often treated with uncertainty or hesitance by others due to their inability to give off clear emotional data; ILIs can appear overly polite, formal, and robotic in social situations. ILIs seeking emotional ties with individuals may find themselves forced to take the initiative with others, a task for which even friendly ILIs are ill-equipped. Even when ILIs do take some initiative, they rarely succeed at reaching a depth of emotional connection that truly satisfies them.

Realization and development of in ILIs as a weak and unconscious function is a process of growth. Some ILIs with minimally developed can be far less aware of the importance of lasting emotions, and can appear much more insensitive, unfriendly, and antagonistic.

The problem of INTp's ethics is that it is frequently not in the center of his attention – rather it is a steady passive value for him, and nothing more. The ILI is interested in obtaining of information on this aspect – he is inspired by sincere interest and sympathy expressed in his address. Benevolent, compassionate relations impel him to noble emotional outbursts, which also get expressed by means of concrete help and supportive actions.

Those relationships that the INTp can subordinate to his reason fold comparatively well for him: the ILI is predisposed to be a good and responsive friend, thoughtful family man, who sincerely loves his close ones. He is soft and yielding by nature, able (when he desires so) to be tactful, gentle and self-controlled, having a sense of self-respect, the ILI, it would seem, is safeguarded against "ethical troubles".

However, at a closer examination, it becomes clear that the INTp has numerous problems in this respect. A simple example: the ILI imperceptibly to himself has a habit of dropping a conversation as soon as it ceases to be interesting and meaningful to him, not worrying about the sense awkwardness his conversation partner will experience after this, and what kind of opinion he will form of ILI's manners. In such cases, the ILI is directed by the question of expediency of continuing an "empty" conversation and by the dislike of pointlessly wasting time. Let us suppose that such single instance won't result in any serious ethical repercussions and complications, however, since relationships are built from a sum of many such instances, and in each instance there's a real danger for the ILI to unconsciously display his unethicalness and personal insensitivity, in the circumstances of unfavorable intertype relations this can be received by the other person as quite conscious and intentful behavior.

Problems already begin at the formative stages of relations: from one side, in view of his exceptional ability for foresight, the INTp sometimes sees from the very beginning the approximate likely course of development of events. This means that he can sufficiently rapidly lose interest in these relations, with which he risks to offend his partner and to provoke unhealthy episodes of sorting out and explications of relations.

Another potential issue is when the ILI in spite of his reason nevertheless yields to his feelings: under unfavorable intertype relations this creates additional emotional stress, as a result of which his contradictory and unethical behavior only aggravates the problems.

In addition, let us not forget the ever present inclination of ILI "to even out" the emotional state of his partner. Preaching the principle "Learn to control yourself" he frequently places himself in a ridiculous and absurd position (especially, if his partner is an ethical type), for which the ILI will later pay by forced isolation and remaining unsettled in the long run.

And these are yet not all of his problems. Subconsciously being oriented at his dual SEE "Caesar" - a bright, strong, positive personality - the ILI is constantly expecting the "crane in the sky", preferring not to trade it for insignificant "titmice" *. Sometimes, relying on his own foresight more than on real observations, he doesn't even permit himself to take time to examine the next titmouse to see in it his desired crane, later in life repeatedly regretting the opportunities that he has missed.
[*Editor's note: This is a reference to a Russian proverb: "It's better to have a titmouse in your hands than a crane in the sky" - equivalent English version: "Sparrow in the hand is better than a cock on the roof" - which means that it is better to have a small but real benefit over one that seems greater and more lucrative but is unattainable and out of one's reach.]

Furthermore, the INTp frequently does not recognize and admit to the presence of some deficiencies in himself. Practice shows that sometimes, when he finally meets the embodiment of his ideal, i.e. when his partner meets his criteria for both external and internal qualities, even then the ILI managers to write off his own failures and flaws and attribute them to some traits of his partner, which he personally cannot make amends with. (Possibly, the fable of the "Fox and Grapes" was written by "Balzacs" for themselves.)

Irrespectively of his individual qualities, it is precisely the arrangement of his personal life that frequently causes serious difficulties for the INTp. Specifically here all "weak points" of this sociotype "work" against him: the passive relation to personal life, the deep pessimism concerning it, the unwillingness to make an extra effort, the fear of new situations and experiences, the lack of understanding of basic ethical principles, and the overestimation of his own capabilities. The absence of these qualities would substantially facilitate resolution of ILI's personal problems.

Their own negative experience does not prevent "Balzacs" from working sufficiently successfully in the spheres of ethics and relations. Some representatives of this type are kind, patient, and responsive, and frequently become admired teachers and educators. Some of them find their calling in the field of psychology. And, it goes without saying that they may find success as writers, where they describe some ethical intrigue basing on their own intuitive understanding the ethics of relations and their deep yet subconsious ethical values. 

 

Id Block

7 Ignoring function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)

Although ILIs may have the ability to brainstorm and develop lots of new and unconventional ideas, they prefer not to do so while interacting with others. ILIs often believe that a well-developed understanding of a situation is of greater importance than an understanding of several potential outcomes. To an ILI, it would be a silly and pointless exercise to simply list an infinite number of possible outcomes without assessing their relevance or the likelihood of their realization. In contrast to leading types, ILIs are likely to be relatively immotile in the ideas that they consider. Whereas leading types may jump from idea to idea in succession, ILIs are likely to focus closely on a more limited batch of mental themes. ILIs are also often critical of new ideas which do not correspond to their overall understanding of a subject.

ILIs may be more apt to take a more practical approach to evaluating the outside world. They seek to expand upon aspects of their own internal realities, e.g. thinking of possible characteristics or plots for inner mental universes. Additionally, they prefer to use their imagination to solve real-world issues, like those regarding economics, politics, or the development of modern society.

ILIs often have difficulty adapting themselves to new intellectual interests. They would rather limit the amount of new information that they have to learn. Consequently, they may be prone to recycling interests until the same interests become a drudgery, even so much that intellectual progress becomes stunted.

An impression is created that the INTp consciously does not wish to see positive tendencies in surrounding events and phenomena - and indeed, this he does not wish for this. Only this happens not intentionally and consciously, but subconsiously for him.

Of all the observable possibilities, the INTp unconsciously notices only those, in which he suspects concealed problems. (In this the ILI sees his main function and destiny.)

In INTp's understanding, the only positive possibilities and trends are those which promise to bring fewer negatives. In other words: that is best, which is least bad of all. Therefore, ILI's unconscious observation of potential possibilities - is, first of all, a calculation and analysis of all the "minuses".

This narrowly pressimistic analysis of his observations is explained by the subconsious orientation of INTp at the exorbitant optimism of his dual, the ESFp "Caesar", and constitutes a unique kind of protection from him. For this reason, ILI's pessimism is constantly gathering and gaining in "durability" and "safety margin": to safeguard the ILI himself, as well as to "cool off" his dual.

(Try to convince an ILI that his fears are pointless - he becomes irritated, and a look of fear immediately appears in his eyes. He indeed feels terribly frightened, and, first of all, for himself.)

The strength of INTp's intuition - is in its "constructive" pessimism, which allows to take into consideration and make provisions for all possible complications in the realization of his plans (or other people's plans). ILI's pessimism makes it possible to subconsiously calculate time needed for completion of work or some plan, while taking into account the inevitability of problems and decreased rates: time needed for preparations, for tiredness and taking breaks, for distracting influences and interferences, for unforeseen complications.

The INTp - is the only type who considers such factors of expenditures of time as a slow pace in the beginning of any undertaking.

In any business, the INTp tries to safeguard himself by a necessary financial and material support - as a "safety factor", taking into account the initial sluggishness of a business trying to take off. The ILI never counts on rapid success and quick earnings - this he considers to be unforgivable adventurism.

The INTp tries not to go against something "directly" or to "break through" (and he cautions his dual from this), but rather he tries to go around, to take a "roundabout" path. The ILI knows how to find a way out of a complicated situation and can teach others how to do this. With this the ILI prefers to not give any far-reaching advice, instead preferring to show a way out of a concrete difficult situation.

INTp's insightfulness and foresight can only be envied: he is careful, discerning, levelheaded, and speaks to the point. The ILI advertises nothing in excess - he is intentionally undemonstrative, and gives no promises "in advance".

The INTp is not inclined to take someone's sensational ideas on faith, instead tries to figure everything out for himself.

The INTp often expresses regrets about his own missed possibilities - this is an inevitable consequence of his passively observant relation to life. 
 

8 Demonstrative function: Introverted Logic (Ti) 

ILIs naturally possess a strong command of logical systems such as formal logic and mathematics, but may find them uninteresting. They also tend to be very skeptical of overly systematic explanations of real-world phenomena. While they readily acknowledge the utility of many proven systematic, mathematical, and scientific systems, they tend to criticize theories that describe an absolute reality or that do not have any empirical basis. The ILI vision of reality -- scientific, philosophical, or otherwise -- is a self-contained universe with too many processes and mysteries to count.

ILIs often reject absolutist explanations, constantly reevaluating their informational outlook (e.g. "this may change, but at the moment I am kind of inclined to think that droog is better than blinth, despite these probable alternatives"). In any situation, the INTp tries to appear objective. The quality of his he demonstrates with pleasure.

But acting in interests of "absolute objectivity", the ILI frequently falls into an awkward position: thinking about the absolute justice and fairness of his actions, he frequently forgets about their ethical aspect - "just and fair with respect to whom?"

In a debate or argument, the INTp often keeps a demonstrative neutrality, trying to not "support" either side too much. His own relations to any action the ILI expresses not as a specific personal opinion, but presents it as a kind of objective and correct evaluation. The ILI likes situating himself in the role of a judge. For him, it is characteristic not to simply voice his opinion or point of view, but namely to "carry out a judgement" or "assessment" for each question (even if he was only invited to discuss the question).

INTp's arguments are characterized by their accuracy, meticulousness, and a deep insight into the very essence of things. The lightness and simplicity of ILI's statements are breathtaking and evoke a feeling of admiration. To fall under ILI's profound disposition of spirit - is an enormous "intellectual enjoyment". This always forms the richest material for reflections. These are phrases and statements that one wishes to remember and repeat as one's own. When one listens to ILI's reasonings, there involuntarily appears a desire to walk after him step-by-step with a notepad and to write down each word.

The INTp prefers not to clutter up his memory by encyclopedic information, although among people of this type one can meet many exclusively erudite people. The ILI impresses primarily by the depth of his knowledge.

The INTp loves and knows how to learn, teaching himself new information consecutively and gradually, so that it wouldn't extend far beyond the framework of his observations: the ILI is primarily interested in links and information about already studied phenomena.

Learning new information the INTp tries to immediately interconnect it into the already existing system of knowledge in his mind. Any information that contradicts already formed systems and notions, or destroys them, the ILI treats with a lot of criticism.

The INTp is not characterized by blind admiration of authorities. Making a reference to a source, he supports his statement by a precise and appropriate quotation, always clarifying what relevant it has to his discourse.

The INTp frequently supports his reasoning with instructive parables. Sometimes the parable is presented in place of reasons, so that the listener is left to make guesses in relevance to what the ILI said this. In actuality, ILI's frequently "hide" and "cover" themselves by these parables, especially when they are attempting to discuss something that poorly yields to their understanding, as, for example, the aspect of the ethics of emotion or ethics of relations (Fe and Fi).

The INTp does not see anything wrong with discussing everything simultaneously. He is ready to catch on to any theme in a conversation, freely switching from one topic to another. This occurs not because it is difficult for him to concentrate on something - these are natural dynamics of his intellect, that is subconsiously oriented at weak function with analogous aspect (Ti) of his dual, ESFp "Caesar", who unnoticeably to himself or herself jumps from one question to another. Balzac each new theme intertwines in the common course of his reasonings so that the entirety of logical connection in this case is not disrupted.