Signs of an Unhealthy INTJ Personality Type
Signs of an Unhealthy INTJ Personality Type
In the personality community, we often see more of the positive aspects of each personality type -- people can assume that strengths and weaknesses apply to every individual with the same personality type.
In reality, each quality attributed to a personality type is a spectrum; a well-developed and mature individual will present as the healthiest form of their personality type, and an underdeveloped or unhealthy person will show more weaknesses.
Known for their strategic skills, rationality, and knowledge, INTJs can possess many amazing qualities at their best. When unhealthy, an INTJ hasn’t acknowledged and worked through their flaws or developed their potential strengths. Though the same personality type, unhealthy and healthy INTJ personalities can appear completely different.
What can make an INTJ “unhealthy?”
Any personality type under stress will tend to show more of the negative traits associated with their type, and this is true for INTJs. Though they typically process stress rationally and will take practical steps to relieve pressure, some INTJs will ignore stress and allow it to build up -- causing their underlying emotions to be expressed in negative ways.
In an unhealthy state, their dominant functions can completely take over, causing typical weaknesses to become far larger issues. Here’s a look at some of the main signs of an unhealthy INTJ personality.
It’s their way or the highway.
While they certainly still have strong views on (most) things, a healthy INTJ’s love for learning and a solid debate keeps them curious and open to new ideas. Unhealthy INTJs can take their tunnel vision about their perspective to the extreme -- becoming extremely close-minded with no time for others' points of view.
Their natural perfectionism can become over-inflated and cause INTJs to be even more stubborn than usual. They’ll refuse to budge on their way of thinking or method of completing a task, even if there is a good argument for an alternative approach. It’s likely they won’t even listen to other ideas, becoming easily irritated and impatient when people second-guess them.
They truly don’t care about others.
INTJs are known for being emotionally unavailable or even “cold” due to processing situations or problems rationally rather than emotionally. Healthy INTJs are able to recognize that sometimes there is a need for emotions, whether it be tolerating others' expressiveness or even showing a little bit of their own.
Though they don’t always understand, they can factor people’s feelings into the equation and are known for being honest and thoughtful.
Unhealthy INTJs can get so swept up in their internal plans and thoughts that they truly believe others’ feelings aren’t something worth considering. INTJs are idea-oriented rather than people-oriented, and this can be taken to the extreme. In this case, unhealthy INTJs develop a lack of awareness or caring for people, making it difficult for them to form long-lasting relationships. As a result, they often end up totally alone.
They would generally rather shut people out completely than talk through a problem emotionally -- even to the point of blatantly ignoring someone. INTJs who haven’t developed their feeling side properly will use the information to hurt or manipulate others for their own gain or use people purely to gain information. They may come across as clueless or tactless in emotional situations and even vindictive and ruthless.
Unhealthy INTJs haven’t been able to accept that they have emotions or figured out how to process feelings in a healthy way. This can cause them to be more disgusted than usual by others’ emotions and snap easily when their own emotions build up.
They have a major superiority complex.
At their best, INTJs are wise and knowledgeable and keen to share their learnings with others. Unhealthy INTJs place such high value on their own dominant thinking and intuition functions that they see those with opposite dominant functions like sensing, perceiving, and feeling as inferior. Their natural self-confidence can be replaced by arrogance and conceit -- looking down on those whom they deem to be lesser.
The unhealthy INTJ can come across as overly critical and judgemental, rarely taking the time to listen to other perspectives. They can be smug with their knowledge, patronizing when they do try to share it, and become impatient when people don’t pick up their train of thought quickly.
They’re out of touch with the world.
When an INTJ takes their introversion to the extreme, they can spend so little time having real-life experiences that they become out of touch with reality. They’ll still come up with ideas and plans, but these are likely not balanced by facts and information from the world.
This means such ideas lack real-world applicability and can be impractical or even delusional. Healthy INTJs are known for taking a bigger picture or long-term approach, but unhealthy INTJs ideas will likely never come to fruition without adequate sensory data to integrate into their unrealistic visions.
Without this important data from the here and now, the truth doesn’t really matter to the unhealthy INTJ. They’ll be extremely pushy with their logic at the expense of facts and won’t hesitate to bend the truth to fit their own point of view. This can be caused by the INTJs dominant intuition (N) function taking over -- warping their thinking function to support intuition, which is less concerned with the facts than their personal truth.
The unhealthily introverted INTJ spends so much time alone and caught up in thinking and planning that their health and wellbeing can become a low priority. They may be so fixated on their thoughts and goals that they ignore or become desensitized to physical, and sensory cues like hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
It’s not irreversible
Unhealthy INTJs can become their best selves by recognizing their flaws and putting in the work. They may also benefit from accepting help and support from others and focusing on their good qualities. If you recognize some of these traits in yourself or someone you know, it’s important to remember everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Don’t get so fixated on people’s bad qualities that you fail to see the gifts every individual has to offer the world.
