I'm the Worst of the Week in Star Magazine

Minstrel · Feb 23, 2009

I won some "millionth customer" sort of thing at Sea World when I was 7-8. Got a nice pin and probably a poster or something.

But you don't see me bragging.

DaRizzle · Feb 23, 2009

I won some internet prediction thing, but you dont see me bragging

AgentDrazenPetrovic · Feb 23, 2009

I was voted RipCityTwo's Poster of the Year for 2k9.

Master Shake · Feb 23, 2009

I once won a spelling bee in grade 2. Man, did the girles talk to me at recess.

boatsandstars · Feb 24, 2009

Well, to be fair, I think you earned your placement on that list.

maxiep · Feb 25, 2009

Two words: Pinewood. Derby.

Suck on that, bitches!

Spud147 · Feb 25, 2009

Dumpy said: ↑

Here goes.

(Deep breath.)

I understand why Zach Addy reminds Ghoti of me. In many ways, he’s correct, but it isn’t a perfect match—and the reason for that may solely be because the show’s writers haven’t portrayed him as well as they could. Or it could be that Zach is a little different than me. Eric, I think I’m going to need your help to sort it out.

I’m a big believer in the Myers-Briggs brain type indicator test. According to Myers-Briggs, there are 16 distinct personality types that explain and reveal how people process information and interact with the world around them. [In case this is new to some of you, I’ll be happy to start a separate thread on it] According to this model, there are four different “scales”, and you can have one of the two attributes on each scale to varying degrees. That leads to 16 permutations. Each of the four scales interact with each other, to form a vibrant, detailed, descriptive understanding of what motivates a person’s behavior—in other words, the “whole” is more than just the four “parts.”

I am what is known as an INTP—actually, a pretty extreme INTP. INTP stands for Introvert/Intuition/Thinking/Perceiving. The words used in the Myers-Briggs typing (such as introvert) don’t have the same meaning as ordinary usage, but you get used to it. In this case, for instance, an “introvert” is someone who focuses on their own internal thoughts and ideas, someone who reflects on a question before answering it—and generally likes to think before they act. They like quiet spaces, and they need to be alone to “recharge their batteries.” They also prefer to work alone. The opposite of “introvert” is “extravert,” who is someone who talks while they think of what they ultimately want to say.

Anyway, one of the archetypical characteristics of the INTP is that he or she finds patterns in limited sets of data. They think independently to solve complex problems in an unstructured environment. The stereotype of the “absent-minded professor” is an INTP—as was Einstein, Newton, Darwin, etc.—basically all great scientists.
Zach Addy has these characteristics. In one episode, Zach discovered a pattern in the use of the number “12” and was able to use this to figure out who the murderer was, and where the victim’s head was buried. At first glance, he certainly seems like an INTP; this is exactly the sort of ability that the typical INTP would have. Another give-away is that he started two PhD degrees and finished neither. INTPs are poor at school, and are driven by their own quest for knowledge, not for something tangible like a degree. They often lose interest when they can conceptualize finishing a project, and at that point want to move on to something else. They are pretty likely to end up off track and changing directions. (BTW, in my view it is nearly impossible for an INTP to become a scientist, just because of all the crap you have to go through to get a science undergrad degree, which is far better suited to a different personality type, the xSTJ. INTPs will just struggle to memorize formulae and chemical reactions; they are better at understanding concepts and drawing analogies).

The problem is that there is a definite cost to having these skills, and they are costs that I haven’t really seen in Zach Addy. An INTP is a poor leader, since they don’t really have many people skills and would rather be working independently by themselves. This seems like Zach. They also interact on an intellectual rather than an emotional level. They prefer to communicate via e-mail than by telephone. However, INTPs tend to procrastinate, work in a messy environment (they only care about cleaning things up if the mess starts to interfere with their thoughts). They hate timetables. They also present their views as tentative and will always want to collect data indefinitely to continue to hone their ideas and theories. When they argue with others, it will be more to convince THEMSELVES of the right answer, then to convince others, so they can change their minds as they collect more information, and they don’t see anything inconsistent about that. They prefer to present options over certainties, to focus on a process for finding an answer more than the answer itself. They are easy-going and spontaneous, but also shy and awkward. Often when trying to explain their ideas to others, they get so bogged down in details, that no one else can follow what they are talking about, so they are often dismissed as nuts. They also often get so focused on their own thoughts inside their head that they become oblivious to the world around them, and can get annoyed if someone approaches them and forces them to interact. They don’t fit in, because non-INTPs see them as daydreaming time-wasters who don’t follow rules. One common weakness among INTPs is that once they conceptualize how to finish a project, they lose motivation to actually finish it. [Darwin, for example, took 16 years to write Origin of Species, partly for this reason, partly because he kept collecting more and more data—he only published when a colleague independently developed the same theory and was about to publish it himself]

I haven’t seen any of these things in Zach. It seems as though he doesn’t exhibit these weaknesses (other than being socially awkward). However, it may be that he is an INTJ and not an INTP—I don’t really have enough information from what I’ve seen to draw a conclusion. He is DEFINITELY an INT-something. There is no question about that. This is where I need your help. If Zach is a “P”, he would be more interested in gathering information; he would constantly seek additional options; he would be flexible. He would enjoy starting tasks, but leaving them unfinished and taking up others (like not finishing two PhDs). He would postpone decisions in order to discover and weigh more options. He would feel restricted by too much structure.

If he was a “J,” though, he would prefer to make decisions than to collect options. He would set goals, and be organized. He would prefer to plan his day out in advance, and he would get upset if something came up that he didn’t expect, throwing his schedule off. He would seek structure and focus on completing the tasks at hand.
One great example of the difference between a “J” and a “P” is that a “J” will make a list of all the things he has to accomplish, and cross things off when they are finished. If he does something not on the list, he will add it and then cross it off. A “P”, on the other hand, will also make a list—but then he’ll lose it and forget that he ever made one.

Another difference can be stated this way: If a “J”’s boss visits him in the morning and says, “J, I have a new project for you to do, and it has to be finished by the end of the day,” The J will slam his door in anger and pout for three hours. This has completely upset his schedule! Then he’ll get over it, and methodically complete the task by the end of the day. When the boss goes to see the “P,” he is just thrilled: He gets a chance to do something new, something he hasn’t done before! But then, instead of diving right in, the P will go get some coffee, go talk to someone down the hall, go surf the internet, etc. At around 2:00 p.m., the P will finally turn around to the task, work feverishly, and finish just at the same time as the J. Two different approaches, same result.

So Eric, you have to help me. Is Zach a J or a P? If he is a P, as I’ve said, he hasn’t been portrayed by the writers as well as he could have been . . . if he is a J, well, then I have to do more research into what an INTJ is normally like.

[incidentally, the reason why I’ve attacked this right now is because, in true INTP fashion, I am procrastinating from doing something else, and hoping that I will free my mind by doing something else for an hour]
Click to expand...

Okay, I'm coming very late to this party but I just took the Myers-Briggs and got the results yesterday. I'm an
INTP too! When I thoroughly analyzed the results (as any good INTP would) I kind of figured out the difference between and INTP and the INTJ. This may not help because it's compairing them to characters on a different TV show but I think you'd actually find the show kind of funny. It's called "The Big Bang Theory" - http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/big-bang-theory/cast/288041.

The two main characters are big time nerds (like the rest of us INTP/Js) and I think the character Sheldon is the INTJ and the character Leonard is INTP. Sheldon thinks he's completely right about everything all the time (brainiac stuff or daily life stuff) and you can't tell him otherwise. Leonard is just as big of a geek but isn't very decisive because he's never sure he has ALL the data required to make a decision so he isn't as confident as Sheldon (that might be a side effect of the chronic underachieving and procrastinating that INTPs share), heh. I think Zach Addy is an INTP but I might change my mind if he's in more episodes, hah. Also, I really like the show Bones... I think the Dr. Brennan is the INTJ in the group.

And Eric, the shiny pants are guaranteed to get you on the list... next time wear the matching sequinned glove and see what happens. Also, I miss Zach... can't they bring his character back to "consult" from the loony bin? He's fairly harmless except for that one little murder and they could keep him behind plexiglass... they did it for Hannibal Lector! He just can't be trusted to make unsupervised decisions but in this "best of both worlds" scenario he won't have to.

Spud147 · Feb 25, 2009

Dumpy said: ↑

wow--I--that's interesting. Check this out:

http://www.anxietyzone.com/conditions/aspergers_syndrome.html

I have to think about this some more, do some research about the condition, and watch that episode again in that light. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Wow! I really wish I'd be in on this discussion earlier... this statement made me laugh because I've asked my mother if it was possible I had a mild form of Aspergers syndrome. She thought the idea was ridiculous and continues to make fun of it to this day. The reason I asked is because I work with a group of 3 women and we all have the same job. They are very close and do stuff outside of work. The idea of spending more time with my co-workers (unpaid no less!) is horrifying to me. I'm constantly hurting their feelings but never know why and it turns out I can hurt their feelings just by existing. They recently let me know that it hurts their feelings when I come into work in the morning and go directly to my desk and start working. Mind you, they are in a different cubicle/pod than I am and it would take a special trip to greet them every morning. I wanted to respond, "Get over your bad selves ladies. I'm not snubbing you on purposes... it's not about you all the time and frankly I'm thinking about work when I walk by in the morning and you don't even register with me." But I'm a professional and agreed to try and do better. It's really annoying!

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I'm the Worst of the Week in Star Magazine

Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

DaRizzle BLAKER

AgentDrazenPetrovic Anyone But the Lakers

Master Shake young phoenix

boatsandstars Lilywhite.

maxiep RIP Dr. Jack

Spud147 Mercy Mercy

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I'm the Worst of the Week in Star Magazine

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Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

DaRizzle BLAKER

AgentDrazenPetrovic Anyone But the Lakers

Master Shake young phoenix

boatsandstars Lilywhite.

maxiep RIP Dr. Jack

Spud147 Mercy Mercy

Spud147 Mercy Mercy

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