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INTJ Rational-Mastermind

My personality type is INTJ or “Rational-Mastermind” according to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter — one of many tests and examinations I have taken over the years to determine my INTJ status.

There are less than 1% of others in the world with the INTJ personality type.
That means I am often misunderstood or negatively judged by those who are frustrated by their inability to bend me to their unreasonable orders.

No matter where I am or what I am doing I am always alone but never lonely.
It was a great relief to discover my “Rational-Mastermind” diagnosis because it brings years of experience into a new and satisfying light.

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We Become What We Hate

One bit of hard advice I received while I was a graduate student at Columbia University in the City of New York was the warning that — if you are not vigilant and demanding of your talent every day — you will slowly become what you hate.

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The Real Me

It was on The Who’s 1973 album that a song of the name The Real Me appeared. The album was one of a story of a man lost, trying to put together for himself some sort of an identity. In a large sense, many of the struggles we have as people have to do with a struggle for some sort of identity.

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Transforming Type A Personality

by Carol H. Lankton, M.A., LMFT

Does anyone really need to hear again about the dangers of living a Type A lifestyle? About the medical and relationship problems that are by now all too well known? No way. Everyone has been told quite thoroughly that they should eliminate this disposition if they recognize themselves in its symptom lineup. But why? And replace it with what? Becoming one with laid back, new age, relaxed zombie, couch potato behavior?

For many, the thought of achieving this ‘success’ fills them with sheer terror. What would become of my leading edge, then, you might wonder? A truism for most Type A personalities is that it is much better to burn out than fade away. Which brings up the worthy point that Type A behavior, for all its adverse effects, has some point, exists for some good reason. And those who use it are loath to give it up unless otherwise convinced that they can still get their leading edge needs met. That is, they (wisely) don’t want to give up an existing choice until a better (or at least as good) choice comes along.

Transforming Type A Personality
I like to assume that behind most every behavior is a positive intention. This is true even when the behavior is considered by most everyone to be undesirable or problematic. For example, anxiety, ‘bad’ habits, criticism, procrastination, domination, overeating, substance abuse, etc. The basic premise is that we learn, often with limited information, about the world and our place in it and we seek to make the best possible adjustments we can think of at the time to get our needs met without alienating those upon whom we are dependent for survival and well being.

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