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ISTP Personality Types

This page provides a description of ISTP personality types. If you would like to find out whether you are an ISTP, and what makes you unique and different from other ISTPs, then complete our personality test:

ISTPs direct their energy toward the inner world of thoughts (and, maybe, emotions). They analyse situations and come up with explanations of how things work. They prefer dealing with tangible problems and proven experience - they often enjoy solving organisational problems that need to be thought through.

What makes an ISTP tick?

The Dominant function is the judging one of Thinking. Characteristics associated with this function include:

• Likes making decisions on the basis of logic, using objective considerations
• Is concerned with truth, principles and justice
• Is analytical and critical, tending to see the flaws in situations
• Takes an objective approach

The judging Thinking function is introverted. That is, Thinking is used primarily to govern the inner world of thoughts and emotions. The ISTP will therefore:

• spend time thinking analytically, organising thoughts on a logical basis
• develop an understanding of the principles involved in a situation
• spontaneously feel critical of a person or situation, but not necessarily express that criticism
• be inwardly decisive, but not communicate those decisions to others
• think mostly about impersonal issues, focusing more on concepts, truths and systems rather than individuals' feelings

The Thinking function is primarily supported by extraverted Sensing perception. That is, Sensing perception is used primarily to manage the outer world of actions and spoken words. This will modify the way that the Thinking is directed, by:

• focusing the (inner world) Thinking on understanding practical or mechanical problems
• perceiving appropriate facts to support the logical analysis

The classic temperament of an ISTP is Dionesian, or Sanguine, for whom freedom is a basic driving force - seeking to enjoy the present.

Contributions to the team of an ISTP

In a team environment, the ISTP can contribute by:

• being a source of information, or an 'expert' in some subjects
• using analytical skills to produce practical solutions to difficult problems
• encouraging the team to think, and then act
• having a cool head in a crisis
• applying relevant and realistic logical arguments
• encouraging the team to realistically assess the situation

The potential ways in which an ISTP can irritate others include:

• focusing too much on the current task at the expense of longer term or interpersonal issues
• not seeing the wood for the trees
• not completing a task before moving on to the next one
• not communicating his/her understanding of the situation
• taking shortcuts
• seeming to flit from one thing to another

Personal Growth

As with all types, the ISTP can achieve personal growth by developing all functions that are not fully developed, through actions such as:

• taking time to consider the impact of the ISTP's approach and ideas on people's feelings
• expressing appreciation towards others
• consulting others, to engender ownership of the solution
• learning to acknowledge and develop the ISTP's own emotions and personal values
• developing a long term personal strategy
• developing personal relationships for their own sake

Recognising Stress

As stress increases, 'learned behaviour' tends to give way to the natural style, so the ISTP will behave more according to type when under greater stress. For example, in a crisis, the ISTP might:

• withdraw from people, to think through possible solutions
• use tried and trusted solutions to short-term problems
• criticise others efforts and ignore their feelings
• sort out detailed points that could perhaps wait

Under extreme stress, fatigue or illness, the ISTP's shadow may appear - a negative form of ENFJ. Example characteristics are:

• displaying intense feelings towards others, or insisting on things being done without any logical basis
• being very sensitive to criticism
• having a gloomy view of the future
• attributing unrealistic negative meaning to others actions or statements

The shadow is part of the unconscious that is often visible to others, onto whom the shadow is projected. The ISTP may therefore readily see these faults in others without recognising it in him/her self.