INTP Personality Biases Examined

Given the qualities of the INTPs first two cognitive functions, introverted thinking and extroverted intuition, it may seem like INTPs ought to be open-minded by nature. Many INTPs would likely take pride in this, but they fail to realize what everyone else around them sees: they have very strong biases.

The reason for this is that after analyzing information with Ti-Ne, the new information gets stored into their memory. This database of information is also known as the Si memory. It is constructed through Ti-Ne and expressed through inferior Fe. When the realizations they have stored into Si memory is called to the surface in the future, the INTP will not reanalyze anything unless they feel a strong reason to. Doing so would bring them great discomfort providing further incentive to not do so.

So when a topic is brought up to an INTP, who believes they have already analyzed sufficiently, they will use Si-Fe to immediately reject any new input. Rather than reanalyzing the old logic and the new logic together, they will argue against the new logic using the old logic as a ‘flawless’ base of comparison. This is why INTPs can seem stubborn in the eyes of many.

After the incident, the INTP may reanalyze the new information using Ti-Ne when alone. But this does not mean they will be unbiased in their second Ti-Ne analysis.

This is partially because they tend to be insecure about their naturally weak Si-Fe skills. All INTPs have some level of desire for social acceptance but due to their naturally weak Si-Fe, they are unable to achieve it with the kind of natural people skills that an ESFJ type would exemplify. This leads INTPs to take pride within their thought systems, which becomes a part of their identity, an identity that would attract others and bring social recognition.

Because they are insecure about their inferior Si-Fe pair, they will see this new information as a threat to their self-image, and they will attempt to justify their initial argument by logically trying to refute the new argument. If they cannot, one of two things will happen. Either they will change their minds (if they have well developed tertiary and inferior functions), or they will get even more emotional about the subject and blind themselves to all counterarguments.

Put simply, INTP biases can be reduced to three main weaknesses of the INTP:

1. Laziness
   In general, most INTPs have an aversion to stepping out of their comfort zone due to tertiary introverted sensing, even if they see value in doing so. Many will deny this however, since they view themselves to be ever-changing and open-minded, but there are certain habits and beliefs that are extremely difficult to alter, even if the INTP sees necessity in changing them.
2. Pride
   All INTPs live with a construction of an internal system of logic and information. Imagine a pyramid made of building blocks. A slight disturbance in this system may send the whole pyramid crumbling. INTPs take pride in their database of knowledge and wisdom, as it is essentially their life’s work, leading them to defend it at any risk. INTPs are prone to perceiving their database of knowledge as great and flawless, and oftentimes superior to everyone else around them.
3. Low Self-Awareness
   INTPs have low self-awareness in the sense that they tend to be unaware of how strong their bias is. People who are unaware of the way how they think, are also unaware of the influence that that weakness has on their worldview. INTPs, let alone anyone, will be unable to solve problems with the same consciousness, or database of thought in the INTPs case, that created it. This requires that the INTP detach themselves from initial biases, at least momentarily, and attempt to listen with a “beginners mind” without being closed off from the beginning.

The more self-aware any individual is, the more they will understand and the more they will prosper. Understanding these weaknesses for an INTP can help to eliminate biases.

This post was written in collaboration with an INTP Guest Contributor.