53 Things That Annoy an INTJ (and 42 Positives)

The INTJ, one of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types, has a massively complex inner world. This is a safe place that we retreat into when we’ve had enough of the outer world. It’s a place where millions of pieces of information collide and new theories take shape. It’s where we visualize all the possibilities of any given scenario.

We’re in a virtually constant state of analysis — we do not have an off switch (although many of us would like the option of having one). Indeed, we analyze life to such a high degree that we’re mostly unaware of doing it. We frequently find ourselves in the situation of knowing the answer, but without knowing how we know.

(What’s your personality type? We recommend this free personality assessment.)

Could an extrovert handle being in our head for more than a few seconds? Maybe not! Even some introverts would barely survive. The INTJ’s mind can be a loud and extreme place, full of seemingly unrelated pieces of random information. Thanks to our intuitive personality, supercharged by Extraverted Thinking, we’re driven to find solutions to problems. INTJs are born problem-solvers — honestly, we can’t help ourselves.

In order to manage the “noise,” we INTJs have come to love order. Don’t misunderstand me, I love the creative chaos, too, and indeed, many INTJs are drawn to the arts and humanities. But for day-to-day life, I like to know where I am. INTJs like order, we like having a plan; we like seeing patterns and being able to categorize everything. We like solutions and understanding, we like thinking about new ideas, and in order to manage all this, we also like lists.

This brings me to my reason for writing. I like looking through lists, especially lists created by other people. I’ve been building a like and dislike list for some time, because I understand things better when I write them down. Having these lists also helps me explain myself to other people (even if it’s only the few people I trust the most).

I’ve tried to remove my personal tastes when they’ve clouded the list to leave only INTJ attributes. Fellow INTJs, can you relate? Here are 53 things that annoy me as an INTJ, and 42 things I like.

53 Things That Annoy Me as an INTJ

1. People who think they are INTJs but clearly aren’t
2. Un-optimized systems and organizations that have no systems
3. Seeing a problem and “because of politics” not being permitted to fix it
4. Using inefficient and impractical methods to complete tasks (simply to maintain organizational standards)
5. Maintaining data that has no value
6. Incompetent authority figures who can’t see the consequences of their actions
7. Unnecessary rules
8. Liars and people who distort the truth
9. Hypocrites and “two-faced” people
10. People who question my loyalty           
11. People who don’t take my ideas seriously
12. People who “sacrifice” others for their own personal gain
13. Making mistakes, especially the easily avoidable ones
14. Talking about things I’m not interested in
15. When people ask a question, then keep on talking for so long that I actually forget what they originally asked
16. Being at work and having to pretend I care about something less meaningful than the life-cycle of an amoeba
17. Monotony and repeating the same thing over and over
18. Working without clear goals
19. Illogical presumptions
20. Inconsistency and irrationality
21. Conflicts instead of logical discussions
22. Being asked to defend something I don’t believe in
23. Bright lights, strong smells, and loud noises
24. Family gatherings and parties or team-building activities
25. Crowded places
26. Socially awkward situations
27. When too much is going on and my brain freezes
28. The lack of other INTJs in the workplace
29. People who say “you look sad”
30. People who say I am unemotional or unfeeling, when in fact I am passionate
31. When the conversation doesn’t follow the predetermined script in my head
32. Overly emotional people
33. When people interrupt me or don’t even notice I’m speaking
34. Being hugged by random strangers the first time we meet
35. Alone time interruptions and invasions of privacy
36. People who talk incessantly
37. Anything that prevents me from listening to the entire piece of music
38. People who say the same thing over and over again
39. When people are chronically late
40. Receiving phone calls and being told something when I don’t have a pencil to write it down
41. Having to make a phone call without being prepared for it    
42. Being sent to meetings without any background information
43. Job interviews
44. When people ask for my opinion and then get offended by it
45. People who force others to accept their views and opinions
46. When people only listen because they’re looking for a gap they can squeeze their next words into, rather than listening to understand what I’m saying
47. Last minute changes to plans
48. Discovering something amazing late at night, not writing it down, then forgetting what it was the next day
49. When someone agrees to do something but does not make a note of it and then forgets
50. Feeling pressured to be something I am not
51. When people take my sarcasm seriously
52. Being frequently misunderstood
53. Being underestimated

42 Things I Like as an INTJ

To end on a positive note, here are 42 things this INTJ likes.

1. Deep, meaningful conversations
2. Being understood
3. Discovering new things
4. Seeing patterns nobody else sees
5. Simply having the time to think about the possibilities
6. Poetic justice and irony
7. Dry humor
8. Seeing somebody finally get something they have struggled to obtain
9. When the accounts balance the first time
10. The truth, no matter how painful
11. Expanding my knowledge and learning new things
12. Those moments when people in “position” finally drop their outdated processes in favor of something simpler that gets the job done
13. People who get to the point
14. Science-based documentaries
15. Science fiction
16. Quantum physics (indeed, any cutting-edge science)
17. Puzzles (or things that make you think)
18. Multi-dimensional geometry (complex stuff makes me smile)
19. Considering different methods of cryptography
20. Alone time
21. Music and headphones
22. Silence
23. Walking in the woods
24. Writing
25. Doodles on pieces of paper
26. Finding plot holes in films and thinking of better plot lines
27. Old books, scientific books… okay, just books in general
28. Libraries and museums
29. History and understanding the past
30. Abandoned buildings and ruins
31. Walking into a place nobody else has been to for years
32. Latin and other obscure languages (also, inventing new languages)
33. Rainy days and autumn leaves
34. Stars and trying to grasp the massive hugeness of the universe
35. The few people I trust
36. Not being questioned when I really need to leave a gathering
37. Finishing the job interview and that feeling of peace after the storm
38. Really big thunderstorms — ironic, I know
39. Explosions
40. Comfort food
41. Being viewed as “insightful”
42. Lists!

INTJs, what would you add to these lists? Let me know in the comments below.

You might like:

• Why INTJs Are Actually Perfect for the Arts and Humanities
• INTJ: 7 Tips to Deal With Your Emotions (Even When You’d Rather Ignore Them)
• What Secretly Makes Each Introverted Myers-Briggs Personality Type ‘Dangerous’

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