INTJ?

[Lilo]

A friend of mine tested INTJ. I have known him for two years since he was 16. He has always been very assertive and outgoing in social settings and expressive of his emotions. He also talks a lot and to anyone. I would have never guess him to be an INTJ. I suspect he has tested incorrectly. Has this happened to any of you, or are you an INTJ who also has traits like I have described here?

[Erika Redmark]

I'm usually painfully shy, but I act more extroverted and assertive when I'm with my school quizbowl team. I have no idea why, but I'll say things at our practices that I wouldn't usually say: I sometimes tease people about stuff (various inside jokes), when someone asks what people want to do I speak up (which I don't do in most other situations), and so on. (I also act differently when I'm with my parents than when I'm in the outside world or with friends, but I think that's true of everyone.) I surprise myself sometimes with how uninhibited I am around the team. So people I know from quizbowl would probably be more surprised to learn that I was an INTJ than my other friends. If you observe that he acts this way across the board, though, then yeah, maybe he's not.

[Parallel]

A friend of mine tested INTJ. I have known him for two years since he was 16. He has always been very assertive and outgoing in social settings and expressive of his emotions. He also talks a lot and to anyone. I would have never guess him to be an INTJ. I suspect he has tested incorrectly. Has this happened to any of you, or are you an INTJ who also has traits like I have described here?

He could have tested incorrectly. But anyone who tried to type me probably wouldn't believe I'm an INTJ either. Though the stereotype is that INTJ's are weird loners, there's definitely some that are not. Up until college I was one of the louder, more obnoxious people, was very open with myself, and talked a lot and babbled on about things that were TMI to anyone I found interesting or whenever I felt like it.

[Lilo]

Interesting.

This brings up the question in my mind of whether one is born into a certain MBTI and stays there for life or if it is possible, through study and practice, to completely change to different MBTI(s) at will.

[onlyparallel]

I had a friend who was outgoing in just the way you described, and also tested as an INTJ, but whne he read the description he knew he wasn't. Sometimes that s the easiest way to tell, especially because poeple have different sides to their personality they show in certain circumstances.

[errrzarrr]

May he was not being objective, honest with himself and being ruled by his F-ness, so, yes it is possible.

But is true that I am very funny, social and assertive in some given circunstances and hard-core quiet, aloof and not-participative in others.

[Arcani]

A friend of mine tested INTJ. I have known him for two years since he was 16. He has always been very assertive and outgoing in social settings and expressive of his emotions. He also talks a lot and to anyone. I would have never guess him to be an INTJ. I suspect he has tested incorrectly. Has this happened to any of you, or are you an INTJ who also has traits like I have described here?

I tend to be more extroverted when I'm with people I have know for a while. On the other hand, if I am meeting someone new I tend to be quieter and more withdrawn. In either case, I can be fairly outgoing if I want to, I'm just never comfortable with it.

Interesting.

This brings up the question in my mind of whether one is born into a certain MBTI and stays there for life or if it is possible, through study and practice, to completely change to different MBTI(s) at will.

Perhaps we are born with our personality to a certain degree, but I don't believe we are bound to it. I don't know about changing it at will since it is my understanding that personality is not just what we show the world but how we view ourselves and the world around us, and therefore a more deeply ingrained thing (but perhaps thats just my introverted side talking). I do think that over time, as our situation in life changes, we will adapt and so our personality can change (to varying degrees) as well.

Assuming he wasn't tested professionally, I have to agree with onlyparallel, the descriptions are the best way to tell (at least they solidified my position). He may have also "cheated" on the test by answering the way he wants to see things and not the way he really does.

[Tenacious B]

But is true that I am very funny, social and assertive in some given circunstances and hard-core quiet, aloof and not-participative in others.
I'm the same way. Maybe there are situations that make us feel comfortable enough to override the shyness of being an INTJ.

For myself, I can put on a facade of openness and socializing when necessary, which in reality is truly closed off and aloof, fooling people into thinking they know who you really are.

Maybe this extroverted INTJ (OP's friend) always has his public facade up.

[Aronnax]

He could be typed correctly but his "I" score is low (more extroverted than most I's).

[Jgib5328]

Like parallel, in high school, I would've been mistyped by many. I acted more ESTPish to the world and had a reputation that didn't have anything to do with being an INTJ.

Right now, you could definitely tell that I'm an INTJ if you saw me in my element and had a real conversation with me. However, I am a pretty good conversationalist and I can talk about bull shit with just about anyone, probably better than most extroverts, which isn't very INTJ. I'm also a very assertive person and take charge in situations.

The reason I'm an INTJ though, is because I don't need to have these things, I don't need to be around people and often times I don't want to, but I recognized that this is a social world, and you need to learn how to be social in order to get by.

[Lagawrd]

Like parallel, in high school, I would've been mistyped by many. I acted more ESTPish to the world and had a reputation that didn't have anything to do with being an INTJ.

Right now, you could definitely tell that I'm an INTJ if you saw me in my element and had a real conversation with me. However, I am a pretty good conversationalist and I can talk about bull shit with just about anyone, probably better than most extroverts, which isn't very INTJ. I'm also a very assertive person and take charge in situations.

The reason I'm an INTJ though, is because I don't need to have these things, I don't need to be around people and often times I don't want to, but I recognized that this is a social world, and you need to learn how to be social in order to get by.

Well, said. I am exactly the same as you described within words. You sound like a mature INTJ.

[DrEast]

He could well be an ENTJ. The "field marshal" type is very interesting. Read the description and see if it matches him better.

[Retz]

I would say if you new me in real like you would take me as a loud condescending person.

Where as most of what goes on is mostly in my head.

Loud tends to be the best disguise.

I tend to think if INTJ as more of just a description of my thought patterns because other then the trouble with respecting people traits most of mine don't fit but the way I think is spot on.

[Jedi_sena]

I don't enjoy people, but when I find myself in social settings I don't feel shy and a lot of people think of me as a "people person" with the "gift of gab." I feel like I am "on" and expected to perform and talking comes quite naturally to me. Carrying on the conversation can be a joy, but afterwards I feel drained and sometimes can't remember who I had been talking to--even if I enjoyed the interchange of ideas which I often do.