7 Differences Between The INTJ & INTP Personality Types

If you've ever taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, you know that people can be divided into 16 personality types based on factors like sociability, emotionality, information processing, and more.

INTP stands for introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceiving, whereas INTJ stands for introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging. They're both relatively rare personality types: INTPs make up roughly 3% of the population (and more specifically, 5% of men and 2% of women), while INTJs make up 2% of the population (and are twice as likely to be men as women).

According to Dario Nardi, Ph.D., personality expert and author of Neuroscience of Personality, INTJs typically come across as busy, orderly introverts, who are as innovative as they are hardworking. INTPs, on the other hand, are big abstract thinkers, highly creative, and a bit more "loose" than INTJs, according to licensed therapist De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar, MSW, LCSW-S, CST.

While these two personality types are both introverted, intuitive, and thinking, the primary distinction between an INTP and INTJ is their difference in judging versus perceiving. Judging or perceiving relates to how you approach life, especially when it comes to planning for things to come. Someone with a preference for judging (INTJ, in this case) will feel supported and secure with the help of things like schedules, structure, and clearly defined expectations. A preference for perceiving (INTP), meanwhile, likes flexibility and spontaneity, and may actually be turned off by too much structure and routine.

As Nardi tells mindbodygreen, INTPs and INTJs may seem similar on the surface, as they're both creative, deep thinkers and innovators. "But when we look closely, we see that they work in different, sometimes even opposite ways," he explains. "INTP asks, Is the wording or thinking accurate? and INTJ asks, Is the idea implementable, and if so, is it effective?"

Two famous inventors—Albert Einstein and Nicola Tesla—are a prime example of this contrast, with Tesla being an INTJ and Einstein an INTP.

The INTP and INTJ may both be thinking types rather than feeling types, but that doesn't mean they view their emotions in the same way. According to Nardi, INTPs are generally less aware of their emotions, and they mostly view them as social or relational in nature. "That is, caused by interactions with other people," he explains.

It turns out the difference in judging versus perceiving can dramatically impact how other people perceive you. According to Nardi, INTJs are "generally more socially presentable, more organized in daily life, and better able to make their ideas presentable and useful."

INTJs and INTPs can both be prone to stress, but for different reasons. When it comes to INTJs, they can be obsessive, with a narrow kind of tunnel vision that can keep them in a holding pattern. They also have a hard time relaxing in general and can be extremely impatient with themselves and others.

As you're likely catching on, INTJs are considerably less flexible when it comes to organizing and structuring their days—and lives in general. This helps them be hard workers who know how to stay on track but can result in that aforementioned impatience and rigidity.

Lastly, INTPs and INTJs have some nuance in what they look for in their partnerships. Namely, according to Blaylock-Solar, INTPs love to ponder, think abstractly, and problem-solve, so they appreciate a partner who can keep up with their mind and intellectually stimulate them.