I’m an ENTP. And as a transformation coach and existential counselor, a lot of INTJs and INTPs come to me since I understand them, but I can also offer a very different perspective.

Often though, my clients know they’re definitely an INTx, but they have trouble deciding between INTJ and INTP.

Those two types should be pretty similar, right? After all, only one letter is different.

Well, when you dig down into the deeper layer of Jung-Myers typology (“the 16 types”), it turns out that INTJs and INTPs actually have two completely different cognitive stacks—the set of four cognitive functions, in a specific order, that explain how they take in information, process it, and make decisions (INTJ is NiTeFiSe and INTP is TiNeSiFe).

So, while their behaviors can often look similar on the outside, their internal worlds and motivations tend to be quite distinct.

In this post, I’ll lay out the most significant differences I’ve seen myself and heard about from others I trust in the typology community.

This page is for you if:

You’ve narrowed down your type to either INTJ or INTP, but you’re having trouble deciding between them
You’re trying to better understand a friend, family member, or co-worker who’s an INTx

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Are you an INTJ or an INTP? What’s the difference?

Remember as you read through this that nothing is absolute. Your type simply refers to the tendencies you have. But there will always be exceptions.

So, try to think more about average times and your natural go-to approaches to life rather than that one time you did something crazy.

Try to think about how you were as a kid—before parents, teachers, friends, movies, or whatever else told you that you should be a certain way. Who are you deep down at your core?

(And, recognize that, due to trauma and all sorts of messaging we received from the external world, many of us learned to cover up who we really were to try to stay safe or look appealing to others.)

One more caveat: Remember that this post is all about comparing INTJs and INTPs against each other—not to other types. For example, even though these tables might make it seem like INTJs are much less interested in theory, that’s only compared to INTPs, who are particularly extreme in that regard. Compared to many other types, INTJs care quite a bit about theory.

Make sense? Here we go:

Values, priorities, motivation

INTJ

INTP

“What is effective? How can we turn these insights into a strategy to make real progress toward a goal?”
Prioritizes achieving mastery, effectiveness, and system-level solutions to achieve a long-term vision, constantly optimizing along the way
Loves learning, but typically in order to apply that knowledge (e.g., affecting the world or improving themselves). Their personal values are often filtered through a strategic lens of whether a belief is serving them or humanity in achieving a purpose or goal
Values competence (both in themselves and others), and can get impatient if people seem slow, irrational, or indirect. This can sometimes cause them to feel a need to micromanage (or leave, or burn it all down) rather than being patient and trusting others’ process

“What is true? How does this work? What’s logically sound based on my internal mental framework?”
Prioritizes conceptual clarity, curiosity, and exploring multiple frameworks or approaches just for the joy and excitement of seeing how they differ
Loves learning just for the sake of it, even if that knowledge is never “useful.” They’re less interested in shaping the external world, and more in refining their own mental map of how everything works (or solving problems because that process itself is enjoyable)
Values independence of thought and the freedom to explore ideas without being boxed in or limited by rigid goals or expectations. This can sometimes cause them to resist structure or routine, even if it’s exactly what they need to finish something

Careful: INTJs love learning and ideas too. They can spend a lot of time doing research as well, so they’re not always decisive or focused purely on achieving practical goals (indeed, INTJs can sometimes even get caught in too much research since they’re trying to find the “perfect” product or solution). INTPs can also be quite goal-oriented if they have the motivation and energy, so they’re not always just philosophizing or exploring ideas just for the sake of curiosity.

Structure, planning, decision making, and taking action

INTJ

INTP

“What’s the most efficient or effective choice to reach my goal?”
Action oriented: commit to a vision, then steadily move toward it (sometimes too forcefully, neglecting their self-care)
Tendency to need to feel in control, spending too long perfecting the plan before moving forward (they also hate being controlled or micromanaged by others, unless they respect the person and trust that this is an effective means to an end)
Difficulty changing course or abandoning a failing plan, so they can push themselves to just work harder instead of slowing down to reassess
Craves structure and planning. They want a decision-making process that feels disciplined, and they can be suspicious of emotional reasoning

“What makes the most sense based on my internal framework?”
Idea oriented: think through possibilities, but struggle with follow-through unless they feel deeply interested (and they have sufficient “motivation energy”)
Tendency to overthink and spend endless time analyzing options without ever taking action
Fear of being seen as incompetent, inaccurate, or lacking expertise, so they avoid publicly revealing their projects until they’re “perfect”
Resists structure as confining, and prefers options to remain open. If it seems like there’s no “perfect” answer, they can abandon the decision-making process altogether

Careful: Even though INTJs are typically seen as decisive, they can struggle with decision-making too. But the flavor is typically a bit different, with INTJs getting stuck in needing something to be perfect and INTPs struggling to narrow down the choices or even to figure out what methodology to use to decide between those choices. Also, INTPs can act strategic if they’re passionate about something, and INTJs can be spontaneous if they’re in ideation mode (which exists for them, but usually doesn’t last as long as it does for INTPs).

Emotions, socializing, speaking

INTJ

INTP

Tends to be aware of feelings but keeps them deeply private. May appear cold, analytical, closed off, or distant, but still deeply values loyalty, integrity, and connection
Often comes across as more self-assured, intense, focused, and strategic, like they know what they’re doing and where they’re going
More direct and linear, reaching internal clarity before speaking, and often working out the details of their thoughts and plans in their head until they’re polished and ready
Tends to focus on relationships that align with their personal goals or values. Can suppress their own emotions or dismiss the feelings of others as ineffecient or irrelevant
Tends to be more energy-efficient with their speech, and it can often feel like they’re just intensely observing, analyzing, or judging the social situation
Pays a lot of attention to the power dynamics, social rules, and behind-the-scenes forces in the room or interaction

Tends to be less aware of their feelings (either by discounting them, repressing them, or not even being able to access them). But, they often have a surprisingly emotional side that can come out when they feel intellectually met and understood
Often comes across as intellectual, quirky, rational, or meandering/absent-minded, with thoughts jumping around to different topics
More exploratory and tangential, often working out their thoughts by exploring out loud or analyzing on paper on in a spreadsheet
Tends to focus on relationships that provide intellectual stimulation and idea-sharing. Can avoid emotional depth or difficult interpersonal conversations out of discomfort or fear of conflict
Tends to be more spontaneous with their speech, often mixing in some dry humor or subtle wit
Pays a lot of attention to the logic of people’s arguments or explanations, and connects the dots to look for patterns to explain things

Careful: Both of these types can seem robotic on the outside and secretly have an emotional part inside. The INTJ version tends to be more carefully hidden away so they feel safe and in control, whereas the INTP version can be more a matter of lack of awareness or social anxiety.

Common areas of stuckness, suspicion, stress

INTJ

INTP

Gets stuck in perfectionism and planning (“I need to figure out the perfect path before acting”), leaning on micromanaging and focusing on the model of reality they have in their head rather than actual reality around them
When stressed, they can either fall into impulsive indulgence, engage in risky behavior, or push their bodies to extremes (e.g., working out hard, difficult rock climbing, fast motorcycle driving). They can feel defensive, superior to others, overly judgmental of self, or highly internal, obsessing over how they feel
Dismissive of emotions or “messy” human needs, especially their own self-care
Can shut out other perspectives if they don’t align with their current vision, and they can become hyper-controlling or rigid, trying to force a system to conform to their will

Gets stuck in analysis paralysis (“there are too many angles, so I can’t decide”), avoiding reality and getting stuck in theory or philosophy
When stressed, they can get caught in emotional outbursts, tunnel vision, hesitancy to try new things, reclusivity, or shame spirals. They can feel obsessed with proving they’re logically right and feel overly-sensitive to criticism
Dismissive of hierarchy, dogma, faith, or anything that demands conformity or finishing before something is logically ready (according to their sense of what’s logical)
Can doubt their own competence when they seem to never finish anything to their satisfaction, and they can become withdrawn, unmotivated, or sarcastic, losing themselves in distraction or endless theorizing

Famous people of each type

INTJ	INTP
Elon Musk Karl Marx Ayn Rand Walter White (Breaking Bad) Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones) Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)	Albert Einstein Bill Gates Sherlock Holmes Neo (The Matrix) Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons) Velma Dinkley (Scooby-Doo)”

Ok, so what? What should you do now that you know your type?

Finding your true type is important, but it’s just the first step. I’m a big believer in actually putting that knowledge into practice to improve your life—to increase your self-awareness and take active steps toward overcoming the barriers you face in living the most fulfilling life possible for yourself.

Here are some next steps I suggest:

If you’d like support customized for you, INTJs and INTPs are some of the types I most commonly work with as a transformation coach and existential counselor. I help people like you set better boundaries and put your needs first; deal with overthinking and procrastination to take action and get more done; improve your confidence; and more.
Become full-stack human to transform your life and unlock your full potential.
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