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This type, being an original thinker, has a vision of how to do
something better and he/she perseveres in trying to persuade others
that he/she is right. They do have good organizational ability, but they
think they can improve everything. Indeed, unless the thinking or
judging dimension is strong, there is a risk that the introverted
intuitive (IN) person will be absolutely convinced he/she is right, even
when wrong. Difficult problems fascinate him/her; routine jobs are
considered a waste of time. They make good scientists. They are not
easily directed but will consider new facts and other opinions when
carefully presented. They tend to be skeptical and critical, frequently
not considering other peoples' feelings as much as they should.
For comparison let's look at the ESFP personality type. This type
makes decisions by how they "feel," rather than by thinking or logical
foresight. Their world centers around people; they are friendly, tactful,
accepting, fun-loving and fun to be with. They are also sensitive and
aware of others' feelings, good judges of people, and good
compromisers. They may be good with practical matters and concrete
facts but are not abstract thinkers or grandiose planners. This type is
realistic, relying on their own senses--perception of the situation--and
not on expert opinion, theory, or book-learning. They may not develop
a plan for coping with a troublesome situation; they simply handle
problems as they arise, often with confidence. They like using their
senses--looking, hearing, tasting, feeling--and may be good with
machinery because they can "see" how it works. They like material
possessions.
Obviously, these are two very different types of people. Jung's
theories and the Myers-Briggs scales make it clear to us that two
people in the same circumstances may be experiencing two entirely
different "worlds." I recommend you take the Myers-Briggs test and
read a book about the types (Myers, 1980; Kroeger & Thuesen, 1988).
It will help you understand and work with others and yourself. The
online test based, in part, on Jung's personality characteristics. This
test yields scores similar to the Myers-Briggs. Extensive descriptions of
different personality types and how to understand one's own scores
are also given on this site and in Keirsey's books.
The Myers-Briggs Types are based on Jung's 70-year-old
description of personality types. Let's discuss that briefly. Jung's basic
focus was on the introvert-extrovert dimension. As described above,
note that his "introvert" had little to do with being socially shy; an
introvert directs his/her mind inward towards his/her thoughts,
feelings, and awareness. The introvert wants to understand life before
living it. An extrovert directs his/her attention outward towards
external objects, people, and actions. The extrovert plunges in and
lives life, then he/she understands it, maybe. Secondarily, Jung ranked
people according to mental processes: thinking, feeling, sensing, and
intuiting. He believed one of these four functions tends to dominate
but an optimally adjusted person would be facile with all these
functions. Jung spoke primarily of 8 major personality types:
