INTP personalities are likely to be very knowledgeable, intelligent friends, but they are notoriously difficult to get to know, and few people have the patience and determination to get through their shields. The INTP’s mind is always buzzing with ideas, riddles and solutions – in contrast, communicating with other people is often more a nuisance than a pleasure for an INTP. Consequently, INTPs tend to be very picky when it comes to choosing friends – if the other person has significantly different interests or simply cannot cope with their endless stream of ideas, it is unlikely that the INTP will see them as close friends.
Bearing this in mind, it is not surprising that INTPs are likely to have a very small circle of good friends. Many personality types seek friends for chatting, emotional support, social validation etc. INTPs tend to dismiss these things as trivial and this naturally restricts the pool of potential friends. People with the INTP personality type are bound to gravitate towards other NT types, who share their passion for theoretical discussions and intellectual riddles. That being said, INTPs will value and respect their friends greatly, and work hard to keep these relationships strong.
INTPs friends are unlikely to be very warm or emotionally supportive – if you are having some issues, the INTP will easily come up with several rational solutions, but do not expect them to understand your feelings or know how to explain something that is more emotional than logical. This does not mean that INTP friends have no feelings and should only be seen as walking encyclopedias – quite the contrary, INTP personalities may have very strong sentiments, but they are likely to be hidden from plain sight. Still waters run deep.
INTP friendships are likely to be unambiguous, strong and straightforward, free from power games and emotional baggage. INTPs reward their friends’ loyalty and understanding with thought-stimulating ideas, sound advice and reliability – it is not easy to become an INTP’s friend, but if you are inclined to try, you will find that such a relationship is worth the effort.
Keep reading: