Personality Dualities

[BloozeGit]

I was wondering if any of you have different approaches in different scenarios which directly contradict the INTJ assumptions.

As someone with a technical background, I tend to approach problems and new concepts in an analytical manner and when a task needs to be done I plan and consider options like a textbook INTJ.

However when it comes to my hobby (music) I very much prefer to improvise and abhor most forms of planning, instead preferring to listen and respond to what others are doing (or trying to at least). I also do not read music and know nuts about music theory or what time signature I'm playing in, although I can probably replicate most rhythms that I hear. This, to me, seems like a rather un-INTJ method. ::)

Does anyone else live with such contradictions?

[Nomad]

I do whatever works best.

-Nomad

[qwerty]

This is something that has bugged me for a while. One of my 'qualities' to others is that I live for the moment and don't plan for the future. Yet the way I see it is that I plan too far into the future to have a set in stone routine for each day though I do try.

I guess it's something you learn having the ability to plot your course precisely and that is that other people don't necessarily see your plans and they walk in front of the locomotion so you need to master the art of reactivity.

When you have mastered proactive and reactive patterns then you are truly in my books an INTJ and you are able to see the future come to life before it does.

I see the paths that lay before me. I choose the solution I wish to reach. I head in the general direction and anticipate the changes that I may encounter along the way.

So in relation to your music. You know what you want to play. You know how to play it. So why get bogged down with the theory stuff that the INTP's and other types need to prove you played it correctly :) all that matters is that you reach the destination of the completed song.

[thegnat]

I think an INTJ characteristic is to adapt your plan/strategy to whatever you're faced with as qwerty was implying.

But sure, I adapt different strategies to different things.

With music I learned to read and then kind of "feel" rhythms. It's weird but for some reason I never was able to count really well out and then I kind of adapted a sense of the correct pace to go.

Tennis is a completely different type of analysis. It's analysis in a split second. You can't logically think out stuff in a split second but you can learn to anticipate patterns and just analyze really quick. he hit cross court topspin to my forehand and short therefore I hit a forehand down the line with heavy topspin because it is *so* short! in a split second.

[Firelie]

Hmm...Well I guess I have a few things that are not what INTJs are supposed to be. I don't care much at all for science and technology, for one. I oftentimes like to do things just because they feel good at the time. I only plan things out half the time.

[BloozeGit]

I'm thinking that being able to do things in a manner contrary to your personality is something that can be developed or learnt. It just so happens that the forms of music I indulge in are mainly improvisational in nature and oral in tradition, so that's the way I learnt to do it.

If I had picked up on classical music I don't think I would have tried winging my way through Beethoven's 5th symphony ;D

[rwyatt365]

One of the qualities of the INTJ type is to examine a situation, devise an appropriate strategy and put it into effect. Sort of like and "ends justify the means" mentality. The Ni in us allows us to see connections and patterns that enable us to shortcut traditional methods and create a functional end-product. Thus, you skip the music theory and go straight to execution (playing), and do so successfully. That's not necessarily a duality, but just an alternate use of an innate ability.

In another thread I mentioned that I played violin as a child. I never learned to read music, but was in the (school) District Orchestra. I did that because I could replicate what I heard, and I just faked the rest – and was good at it.