INTJ – Visionary Mastermind
by John Uke Last update: March 4, 2024
INTJs (also known as Scientists, Masterminds, Architects, ILI, Balzac) are strategic geniuses fond of creating and executing complex plans. They make great leaders thanks to their developed skill of evaluating strategies combined with their strong force of will to see things through. Their trademark method is finding and exploiting patterns, which makes them shine in games that require complex mechanics to master.
INTJs focus on observing their surroundings to develop abstract ideas and prospects. They are comfortable making assumptions from small amounts of information, while also accounting for probabilities as to their own accuracy. They are exceptionally sharp and quickly catch new ideas with large, yet accurate, logical leaps. Their main interest, however, is not observation and exploration, but rather the application of concepts in a practical way.
Rather than research for its own sake, INTJs stop just as they understand the idea enough to use for whatever reason they were learning it. Optimizing for certain variables, they are driven to make conclusions about the ideas they generate or learn. While planning INTJs will think long about output maximization and the best use of their time, but once they start they follow through in an efficient manner.
Games INTJs Like
Recommended Genres: MMO’s, roguelikes, sandbox, and turn-based strategy games.
Recommended Platforms: PC, tabletop
Recommended Games: Witcher, Skyrim (and previous Elder Scrolls titles), Fallout series, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Civilization series, Total War series, Terraria, Minecraft, Starbound, Dwarf Fortress, Dota2, WoW, D&D, Diablo, Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter, Nights, Hearthstone, Risk, Chess, Go, XCOM, Tropico, Endless Legend, Endless Space, Darkest Dungeon, Monopoly
- Love playing mages, and dislike playing warriors, the most
- Mostly play on computers
- Like RPG, strategy, and sandbox games.
Operating “out of time”, INTJs value winning through intelligence over reflexes. This fact, combined with strategic
flexibility, makes INTJs value the mage class more than any other type, on average. Computers are the optimal system for performance and real-life usefulness, so as minimizers and maximizers, it is the natural choice for the “best” gaming system, according to the INTJ. Open world RPG’s and strategy games appeal to the INTJ because of the opportunities they afford for the strategic thinking that energizes them so much. INTJs have a strong value of knowledge tempering their will to execute. While they do have their own unique approach to navigating life, in this case, it causes their behaviors to land between other extremes.
The one spot their approach is most apparent though is in their love of single player games. While true of their cousin types in general, the INTJs’ skill at maximizing strategies means that other types have less to contribute in perfect plan design, and can even get in the way. Though they are sometimes portrayed as evil masterminds because of their ability to create these elaborate plots, INTJs aren’t actually particularly competitive. Even in multiplayer, their focus is more on winning the match than beating the other player.
Why Be Friends With an INTJ
1. They will make you a better gamer
The best way to get good at games is to have good opponents. INTJs are often extremely experienced in their favorite games because they spend a lot of time on them, approach them seriously, and spend a lot of time learning the game mechanics so that they know the games inside out.
2. They are dependable
INTJs are highly discerning of who they choose to spend time with, but once they decide to consider you a friend you have a powerful and loyal lifelong ally. INTJs don’t like to gossip and will take your secrets with full responsibility and seriousness. They are also timely and reliable with their commitments.
3. They are competent
The INTJ’s pragmatism and strategic thinking allows them to give you great rational advice, even regarding your own weaknesses, even regarding their own regarding yours. Most of the time they will remain quiet until they have useful information to share. If they see that nobody else in the group is capable of leading they have no trouble stepping up. Similarly, they are open-minded to new ideas.
4. It’s a rewarding challenge
If you find one of these rare and reclusive types, opening them up can be a great joy. We tend to value things based on how hard we work for them, and the friendship of an INTJ is no exception. Highly emotional types, in particular, are drawn to their quiet depth and independence.
How to Make Friends with an INTJ
1. Be their intellectual soulmate, or emotionally endearing
INTJs have set opinions on what works, what doesn’t, and what they care about. It may seem arrogant, but to an INTJ it’s just a basic filtering algorithm that allows them to pay attention to what is important. In friendships, INTJs are usually looking for intellectual soulmates rather than just chat buddies. Those who are not ready for night-long debates are considered boring.
Being so rational, INTJs have a hidden soft-spot for certain warm and “cute” behavior. If this sounds like yours, even just being yourself will be a mystery to the INTJ as they seek to understand your ever-changing impulses and desires.
2. Let them be independent
INTJs are not actively looking for a lot of miscellaneous connections. They have their personal independence and self-sufficiency meter that ensures their freedom and having more than just a couple of friends is a violation of their own terms. They use the same idea in their already established relationships, requiring very little attention to remain good friends and encouraging others to be the same independent as they are.
3. Help them develop their emotions and emotional intelligence
INTJs are usually among the worst emotional supporters. By actively suppressing emotions of their own with logic and rationality, they are expecting others to do the same. When faced with a situation charged with emotions they have no idea how to deal with them appropriately. Helping them understand their own emotions and proving that you’re the one they can express them with is a good way to see you as a worthwhile friend.
4. Be selectively outgoing and spontaneous
As a reserved intellectual type, it’s easy for INTJs to rationalize staying inside and getting into routines. As such, they admire people who can open up their worlds to new productive possibilities.
They also think before speaking, not just to articulate something intelligent, but to also not waste other people’s time listening to something stupid or unnecessary. Inline with their minimization-maximization nature, they will often paradoxically overthink simple decisions and have trouble making decisions unrelated to logic. INTJs will be in awe of your quick and effortless decision making prowess in these situations.
Advice for INTJs on Making Friends
1. Get out more
It’s easy to rationalize staying at home and being in a routine, but you are going to miss the many random good encounters that are out there, especially with people of others types that can add a diversity of strengths to your life.
2. Lighten Up
Most people, especially Feeler (F) and Perceiver (P) types, are not as serious as you. Loosen up on your goals for a while, even tolerate some inefficiency, and you will create a more relaxed and fun environment.
3. Value Different Strengths
We have a predisposition to value in others what we value in ourselves. As the type with the highest average IQ, you have a bias to value people for their intelligence. Intelligence isn’t very important to most people though; try to value them for their dependability, good hearts, or even fun-loving spirits.
4. Do Emotional Listening
It is in your nature to try to solve people’s personal problems with the spyglass of rational observation and hammer of objective rationalism. People problems are not often solvable this way, though, your own included. While complaining, most people are actually just wanting someone to vent to who will validate their emotions. People usually know enough about their own lives to solve these problems if they really wanted to.
Famous INTJ
- Petyr Baelish
- Spock
- Elon Musk
- Batman
- Ayn Rand
- Thomas Jefferson
- Woodrow Wilson
- Augustus Caesar
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Isaac Newton
- Nietzche
What’s next?
Now that you know everything about this type, try making friends with one, or arrange a game using our app. GameTree is 100% free and available both on the App Store and Google Play.