I'm an ISTP. Fits me to well...too well.
This description (found on
http://www.typelogic.com/istp.html) Kinda says it all
.
Like their fellow SPs, ISTPs are fundamentally Performers (note the capital 'P'
), but as Ts their areas of interest tend to be mechanical rather than artistic like those of ISFPs
(I always wanted to build a car, but drawing'll have to do...), and unlike most ESPs they do not present an impression of constant activity
(Which is why my mom keeps thinking I'm lazy.). On the contrary, they lie dormant, saving their energy until a project or an adventure worthy of their time comes along--and then they launch themselves at it
(whenever that time comes, it's always all-or-nothing for me). The apparently frenzied state that inevitably ensues is actually much more controlled than it appears--ISTPs always seem to know what they're doing when it comes to physical or mechanical obstacles--but the whole chain of events presents a confusing and paradoxical picture to an outsider.
Try having to tell people "shut up, I know what I'm doing." ISTPs are equally difficult to understand in their need for personal space, which in turn has an impact on their relationships with others.
My ESTJ mom doesn't seem to understand that often. They need to be able to "spread out"--both physically and psychologically--which generally implies encroaching to some degree on others
)I'll be honest, that sometimes happens), especially if they decide that something of someone else's is going to become their next project. (They are generally quite comfortable, however, with being treated the same way they treat others--at least in this respect.) But because they need such a lot of flexibility to be as spontaneous as they feel they must be, they tend to become as inflexible as the most rigid J when someone seems to be threatening their lifestyle (although they usually respond with a classic SP rage which is yet another vivid contrast to their "dormant," impassive, detached mode).
Nothing to say here, they said it better that I could. These territorial considerations are usually critical in relationships with ISTPs; communication also tends to be a key issue, since they generally express themselves non-verbally.
I hate speaking. Get out of my room. When they do actually verbalize, ISTPs are masters of the one-liner, often showing flashes of humor in the most tense situations; this can result in their being seen as thick-skinned or tasteless.
You have no idea how much I have to repress that here just to avoid attracting negative attention by many members here. Like most SPs, ISTPs may have trouble with rote and abstract classroom learning, which tend not to be good measures of their actual intelligence.
Those B's, C's and D's really contrast my generally-high test scores (and no, I don't cheat; that violates my principles). They tend, sometimes with good reason, to be highly skeptical of its practical value, and often gravitate towards classes in industrial arts; part-time vocational/ technical programs can be useful to even the college-bound ISTP.
Yup. Even in high school which I'm in now, I've learned how to work on trucks and switches in vocational programs. In terms of careers, mechanics and any of the skilled trades are traditional choices, and those ISTPs with strong numerical as well mechanical gifts tend to do extremely well in most areas of engineering.
See the last caption. Working as paramedics or firefighters can fulfill the ISTP need to live on the edge; they are at their best in a crisis, where their natural disregard for rules and authority structures allows them to focus on and tackle the emergency at hand in the most effective way.
I suppose...but the below suggestions really suit me better. ISTPs with more sedate careers usually take on high-risk avocations like racing, skydiving, and motorcycling. While aware of the dangers involved, they are so in touch with the physical world that they know they can get away with much smaller safety margins than other types.
