Has anyone noticed...

[Guido]

After spending most of my weekend reading and writing all over this forum (which was very fun I might add :o) I noticed a couple of weird things.

A good chunk of the threads have this format:

Post 1: "What do you think about ___ ? I think ___"
Post 2: "I think ___"
Post 3: "I think ___"
Post 4: "I think ___"
Post 5: "I think ___"
Post 6: "I think ___"

Sure it isn't all quite like that, as there is some standard forum conversations that emerge after people have gotten a little more comfortable with posting. I just find it odd that a group of INTJs would end up having such structure, even as a group. Understandable I guess, but still odd.

Has anyone else noticed that our writing styles have many similarities? Maybe we're all adjusting to each other’s styles, or maybe it's a personality thing. Apart from most posts being very conclusion based, the biggest one I've noticed to date is that our opinions are almost always surrounded by 'wrappers'. '[opinion] or so I would think' 'I don't know... [opinion]' or 'I believe that [opinion]'. When talking to most people, I almost never do this as I imagine this is true for you other INTJs as well. I'm guessing we, by default, respect each other a lot since we all claim to have the same personality type, which in turn tones down the J a bit.

Just a rando observation :o

[Tarrick]

We are INTJs. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. You're technical and mental capabilities will be assimilated to better our own.

[Rei]

We are INTJs. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. You're technical and mental capabilities will be assimilated to better our own.
:thumbsup:

I think - there it is again - (but anyway)
It's probably because normally when we talk/discuss, we simply throw our ideas out there.
Here we're actually tryign to compare (as in ACTUALLY see if other INTJ's are the same way). It'd be foolish automatically to assume everyone would agree simply because we're all the same type. So the "wrapper" as you call it, is there to... well reduce the foolishness

[Cato the Younger]

I think when talking to other INTJs we go by the old saying, "ASSUME makes and ASS out of U and ME."

That's just my opinion though. ;)

[Firelie]

Man, I love that saying.

[Cato the Younger]

I love it when people assume things. I can use it against them. :thumbsup:

[Firelie]

You know, looking at that model, it's actually not so bad.

In some forums, you get this:

1: "What do you think about this? I think ____."
2: "I think ____."
3: "I think you're wrong. I think ____."
4: "I think ____, but I can see why you think that."
5: "I think you're all %$#@ing idiots for thinking ____."
6: "*insert random flame here with no mention of the topic*"
7-infinity: "*random flaming interspersed with commentary both about the flaming and vaguely about the original topic"

[Cato the Younger]

Agreed. Just imagine if the behavior on internet forums spread to the Business world. :scared:

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[Guido]

I guess it kind of goes with our mentality. If we disagree with each other, we'll still try and convince the other person :D but in the end we're confident with what we decided. I'm thinking that logical disagreement won't set us off, it's people being FJ or otherwise inefficient that really bothers us the most. I created this thread right after reading a couple things in those big INTP forums. (Good call Firelie :o) It seems INTPs will go after each other if they feel one of their 'truths' has been violated, (I think I stole that wording from one of their profile write ups) which makes things messy when discussing stuff. I noticed a couple INFJs in there to stir things up even more hahaha.

Long story short, we pwn :D

[Jezebel]

Wow, I hope you guys continue believing this thing about INTJs being better at getting along with each other than other types. Adminning this place will be a cinch!

[Rei]

Wow, I hope you guys continue believing this thing about INTJs being better at getting along with each other than other types. Adminning this place will be a cinch!

My theory. INTJ's are all about silent understandings... if everyone are INTJs, then everyone silently understands everyone else, therefore we have no problems. ;D

[Tarrick]

It's also that INTJs generally don't like to push their ideas on to others, but rather engage in debate and discussion. If I want someone on my side, I'd rather earn it than try and bully them into it.

[Rei]

It's also that INTJs generally don't like to push their ideas on to others, but rather engage in debate and discussion. If I want someone on my side, I'd rather earn it than try and bully them into it.

That's what I always thought. And that's also how I always wanted people to act during debates. I like "being won over" so to speak.
It's frustrating when people just agree with you without fully understanding what you mean, just so you'll shut up. So I've long decided most people are not worth debating with.

[radioactivez0r]

Agreed. Just imagine if the behavior on internet forums spread to the Business world. :scared:

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That is officially the first youtube video I favorited. It was hilarious.

[Rei]

Agreed. *Just imagine if the behavior on internet forums spread to the Business world. :scared:

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HAHAH!!!! That's GREAT.

[qwerty]

As far as sharing yourselves guys keep it up. Normally most forums don't motivate me to pour over threads to see as many different sides to the topic as I can. I'm getting this niggling feeling that although everyone has different experiences or not the same views (not 100% the same anyway) that everything is understood by and large by everyone.

And Guido the reason I myself I am follow the pattern you describe is because I've never met anyone similar in thought to me before and I have to know as much about you all as possible.

[Firelie]

Oh man, that video was awesome. Thank you for sharing. :thumbsup:

[Tarrick]

Wow...That's so true. Thanks for the laugh!

[Jack]

Agreed. Just imagine if the behavior on internet forums spread to the Business world. :scared:

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:o...Maybe not Business, but more than likely in Politics...Funny nevertheless! ;D

[deicruxified]

It's also that INTJs generally don't like to push their ideas on to others, but rather engage in debate and discussion. If I want someone on my side, I'd rather earn it than try and bully them into it.
and also another thing we noticed about us intj's is that we don't debate unless the situation calls for it and if we debate, we try to look for common grounds and have them settled first there. we're more into compromising ideas than imposing them as what the other guy here said. and if ever someone raises a point which actually makes sense, we put them into consideration and concede... this is also why sometimes we're mistaken as fickle because we keep on "updating" our thoughts. our n makes us easier to accept all possibilities and potentialities around making us like sponges absorbing ideas easily.

[rwyatt365]

and also another thing we noticed about us intj's is that we don't debate unless the situation calls for it and if we debate, we try to look for common grounds and have them settled first there. we're more into compromising ideas than imposing them as what the other guy here said. and if ever someone raises a point which actually makes sense, we put them into consideration and concede... this is also why sometimes we're mistaken as fickle because we keep on "updating" our thoughts. our n makes us easier to accept all possibilities and potentialities around making us like sponges absorbing ideas easily.

I agree that many people view this as being fickle (or indecisive). But I view it as being flexible and open to change. In a world that professes itself to value "agile thinkers" it's amazing to see how little they respect that quality when it is staring them in the face.

[Doppelbock]

Notice that it's always "I think...". You'll NEVER catch an INTJ saying "I feel...".

DB ;-)

[aude]

Notice that it's always "I think...". You'll NEVER catch an INTJ saying "I feel...".

DB ;-)

I said that once to a friend and i think his heart stopped for a second ;D. Most of the time it's scary for most people to understand our mentality. We just dont really understand how emotions play into alot of scenarios . And how vapid we look when some one starts say those two words so often :o . Its like married guys and those three words 'i love you'

[Rei]

It does become rather inconvenient when you can see right through how people think... but not so much how they feel.

I think that's always been my problem with people.

It's so wierd now that I think about it. Everything that was supposedly emotion enduced were actually unconciously rationalized. :o

For example, I tend to get very sympathetic and try very hard to help a few F friends whose parent's are not around. The reason behind it was that I knew they were bright people and it would be a huge waste if the absence of their parents caused them to do badly in their academic career.

Odd... sometimes everything is so logical that it's actually a little scary. ;)

[thecraig]

This is the most civil forum I have ever found... by far. I aslo find it some what comical that every one has pretty much kept to the outlined format Guido mentioned at the beginning of this string.

[thegnat]

We're just all robots trying to pretend we're human on the Internets so we use "I think" :suspicious:

[iwin]

We're just all robots trying to pretend we're human on the Internets so we use "I think" *:suspicious:

:laugh:

[thegnat]

We're just all robots trying to pretend we're human on the Internets so we use "I think" :suspicious:

:laugh:

Glad someone saw the humor :)

Anywho: It really is amazing how often threads follow this style.

If you're confident about what you're saying you shouldn't have to say "I think". Also, It's obviously the person's opinion who's writing the post. That's what my English teachers used to say. It's your opinion, so why use "I think", etc?

Unless perhaps it's an "Oh no! I'm not different here! I have to differentiate myself by saying 'I think' so people really don't get me confused with others!" Which really, the avatar's right next to the post.

Or maybe people just want to claim their ideas by saying I.... But then again, the author is quite obvious.

OR maybe we do have feelings...maybe we really don't want to act like our way is the best way, ever!

OR maybe we're claiming it because we think our idea's so freaking brilliant, we have to claim it for all to see!

[Solaris]

Agreed. *Just imagine if the behavior on internet forums spread to the Business world. :scared:

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Hilarious!! :thumbsup:

[Solaris]

When I was in college, I studied outdoor recreation for a while. While taking a group dynamics course, they taught us this "format" for addressing conflict: "I feel (insert emotion), when you (insert undesired action)." It could be followed up with a request for a substituted behavior that was less...conflicting, like this: "In the future, I would appreciate it if you would (insert new behavior."

I hated it. However, the premise was that it couldn't be dismissed because you'd be dismissing somebody's feelings -- and that's not acceptable. Even challenging the statement was not really ok, for the same reason. And, of course, you couldn't just say something like : "It makes me pissed off when you're a dumbass." This didn't assign emotional responsibility to the correct party, it just shifted blame. In order for the other party to take responsibility, you had to take ownership of your emotions.

I noticed a long time ago that a close INFJ friend and I converse differently, but with equal intensity. I always say "I think" and he always says "I feel". Sometimes, I almost cringe when I say "I feel" because of that manipulative statement drilled into my head during college. However, when it really is "I Feel" and not "I Think" I'm fine with saying so.

I've also noticed that I say "I think" a lot because I can explain and defend that with greater ease than why I feel something, and having to defend that, or the resultant actions.

[Paul V]

I love this forum. Period. It's the only place I know where people isn't dumb or malicious. It's nice to have a place to relax and talk about interesting subjects in a calm and orderly manner.

I use mostly "I believe". Not sure if it's a T thing or a F thing.

[AresX9]

I love this forum. Period. It's the only place I know where people isn't dumb or malicious. It's nice to have a place to relax and talk about interesting subjects in a calm and orderly manner.

I use mostly "I believe". Not sure if it's a T thing or a F thing.

Agreed. This is the only forum that I can actually speak in my native dialect of English rather than having to water down my statements so much that I should just throw my hands up in the air.

Oh, and that video is made of pure WIN.

[Deepdelver]

Yes, I have noticed as well. Also, I think it's a little funny after reading a thread that I have nothing to add because what I was thinking was already said.

[Hakka]

I often use "I think" (or similar 'wrappers') in conversation. This has to do with the fact that I want to add how certain I am over my statement. Using "I think" means that I do not have sufficient information to make a completely objectively certain statement and my understanding can still be changed by new information. It can also be seen as an invitation to other people to express their ideas over the subject.

When I state something without 'wrapper' it means you'd better bring some solid arguments to challenge my statement, because I consider it to be objectively true.

When I say I'm sure about something, it's useless to challenge me because that means I am right.

I think (!) that this is related to the "knowing what we know" and objectivity-aspects mentioned in INTJ-descriptions.

[Meyer]

In my case it also has to do with the fact that I know I can be wrong or missing some piece of info and for some reason or another I trust an INTJs advice/opinion or perspective much more than any other types. Could be closing me off to other perspectives but I am inclined to think the combined Ni of this forum will open up all sorts of perspectives.:thumbsup:

[Hypomanic]

that's how I intentionally format my posts...

it's the art of discussion.

[MattG]

I use "I think" a lot in conversations if I'm trying to correct someone, but I don't want to be abrasive. In my head, I know that I'm 100% correct, but I'll say "I think" to make the other person not feel as dumb. Like, if my grandma said to me, "Isn't Ronald Reagan still president?" I'd say "I think he's dead."

[BlackHawk]

I agree with Matt!
My history professor gets mixed up sometimes (usually when he asks for a student answer, the sudent gets it wrong, but he doesn't want to say it's wrong and adopts it as true)
I always say "I think ___ happened after the ____, not before. Is that correct?"
He'll generally get back on track without me offending him

[logos]

*I think* saying "I think" expresses that the idea I am discussing is not settled. -- My mind may change at any time as anything is possible and I am always open to new information. That I am expressing my ideas, however, makes it evident that *I feel* I have given them enough thought to consider them worthy of consideration. Anything that is not wrapped with "I think" may be presumed to be "I believe" which is a far stronger stance on an issue and truly *I feel* I am almost incapable of belief when it comes to things outside of myself.

I often say "I feel" as well (twice in the previous paragraph). I generally use this to express intuition-derived presumptions about myself. Every once in a while, though, I do catch myself saying "I feel" in place of "I think" to soften a blow when correcting someone I know to be emotional.

*I think* another key INTJ point about using "I think" is that it is also a defense against being wrong. Thoughts can change when the weight of evidence tips the scales, but beliefs pretty much have to be disproved.