Assertive Logistician (ISTJ-A) vs. Turbulent Logistician (ISTJ-T)

Logisticians are typically practical and reliable people. Most individuals who share this personality type value consistency and honesty. However, introduce the Identities, and we see differences in how Assertive Logisticians (ISTJ-A) and Turbulent Logisticians (ISTJ-T) express those values. The values don’t change – just the expression of them.

Let’s explore some ways these personalities reveal their differences in their unique Logistician way.

Dealing with the Unexpected

Stability is important to all Logisticians, but Turbulent Logisticians also need to find consistency in their lives. It provides them a greater sense of security and safety. They crave feeling settled in, but they can struggle to reach this state because of their perfectionistic tendencies. Things may rarely seem good enough to them, and they may have difficulty experiencing satisfaction.

A sense of satisfaction is the hallmark of the Assertive Identity regardless of personality type. This doesn’t necessarily imply a passive sort of contentment, but a positive hum is always in the background of their lives. Assertive Logisticians are no different. This applies both to how they feel about themselves and to whatever situations in which they may find themselves. This results in Assertive Logisticians having a level of comfort that many Turbulent Logisticians may find hard to get hold of for themselves.

63% of Assertive Logisticians say they always know exactly what they want, compared to 27% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Both types of Logisticians prefer planned lives with certain outcomes, due to the influence of their Judging personality trait. But this may be a more problematic area for Turbulent Logisticians, who can be unsure enough of themselves to create indecision. It’s hard to value certainty and yet not be able to land easily on a firm goal.

Logistician personality types aren’t known for their flexibility. But the positive side of Turbulent Logisticians’ indecisiveness is that it may help them bend a little more than their Assertive cousins when change is needed. Turbulent Logisticians constantly focus on improvement. Combine that with the idea that they may not be as decisively committed to a single idea (whereas Assertive Logisticians may picture a very specific target), and we have a more flexible variation of Logistician.

This, however, doesn’t mean that Turbulent Logisticians suddenly go against type or that they are flexible because they are Turbulent. Our focus here is comparing the Assertive to the Turbulent. Turbulent Logisticians are likely more flexible than Assertive Logisticians, who are surer of where they think they should be going and satisfied enough with life that the idea of change is not as urgent nor ever-present.

72% of Assertive Logisticians say their expectations are based on what they think will happen rather than what they want to happen, compared to 46% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Assertive Logisticians say they base their expectations on what they believe will happen rather than what they want their future to look like. Since they tend to believe that their expectations line up with future reality rather than their own desires, these personalities may claim a more objective viewpoint. Greater confidence can inspire a greater sense of being right about outcomes, and Assertive Logisticians are likely to also attach this Assertive feature to their predictions.

52% of Assertive Logisticians rate themselves as either highly or very highly confident, compared to 17% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Both personality variants tend to see clear expectations as being necessary for successful results. But more Turbulent Logisticians than Assertive ones say they set high standards when engaging in a new experience. Additionally, a slight majority (54%) of Turbulent Logisticians describe their expectations as being based on what they want to happen rather than what they think is likely to happen.

71% of Assertive Logisticians feel satisfied with what they have achieved so far in life, compared to 41% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Disappointment based on expectations might indicate the potential for a mild drift among Turbulent Logisticians toward feeling let down by life. Their view of the world may default to what they want not being the same as what they get. Research indicates that these personalities also worry more about their expectations. This way of thinking may partially add to the reasons why Turbulent Logisticians describe a lower sense of satisfaction when measured against their Assertive counterparts.

Self, Others, and Identity Differences

72% of Assertive Logisticians say they would pursue an important personal goal even if it hurt the feelings of people close to them, compared to 52% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Turbulent Logisticians are more likely to care about what others think about them and typically work harder to maintain their relationships. Assertive Logisticians are likely less interested in opinions other than their own and will focus more on pursuing their paths somewhat more independently. Relationships have less of a pull on where that path might go. This can also streamline their activities. A person often advances more quickly if they feel they don’t need to take the time to consult with others.

81% of Assertive Logisticians say they’re happy with the way they look, compared to 33% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Body image may seem superficial and insignificant. But how one feels about their appearance can influence – and even be a metaphor for – other aspects of how one feels about their life. Interestingly, body image is one of the areas with the largest statistical differences between the two Logistician personality variants. Not surprisingly, far fewer Turbulent Logisticians than Assertive ones say they are happy with their looks. More Turbulent Logisticians also report that they often worry about their appearance.

Appearance primarily involves one’s exterior and what other people see. Since Turbulent Logisticians are more likely to value the opinions of others, not feeling good about the way they look can contribute to how they feel about themselves generally. They are also more likely to say their mood is determined by the way they think they look. Poor body image can be the product of lower self-confidence – and, in reverse, negative body image can contribute to low self-confidence.

48% of Assertive Logisticians say they are very rarely offended by others, compared to 19% of Turbulent Logisticians.

Neither variant has a majority saying they are often offended by others. However, relatively speaking, Turbulent Logisticians may be more focused on the opinions of others, and they are somewhat more reactive. Another way to look at this is that these personalities are also more responsive. While it would be extreme to paint Assertive Logisticians as uncaring, their Turbulent counterparts are somewhat more aware of what others are doing and are more likely to act on it.

Expressing Emotions Differently

Logisticians don’t easily admit their feelings even to themselves, and as a group, they rarely talk about them. But Turbulent Logisticians tend to face their emotions more freely when measured against Assertive Logisticians. They are also likely to reveal how they are feeling to others more often. This difference can influence how other people view them.

57% of Turbulent Logisticians say they get angry more easily than most people, compared to 30% of Assertive Logisticians.

Their more reserved emotions can make Assertive Logisticians come across as aloof. This may displace their aura of calm confidence more than they like. These personalities generally enjoy cooperative relationships, but their cooler approach may make that slightly harder, depending on who they team up with.

Turbulent Logisticians who are more open with their feelings are more likely to come across as accessible. But this is true only if they express their emotions effectively. Maintaining balance is essential.

In Summary

  • Unexpected changes bother Logisticians more than any other personality type, and this is especially true for Turbulent Logisticians. However, in their ongoing need to improve and with their sense of uncertainty, they may actually be more willing to change, despite a certain amount of distress, than the more settled Assertive Logisticians.
  • Assertive Logisticians are the least impulsive personality type, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the least flexible (see the above bullet point).
  • Assertive Logisticians are likely much happier than Turbulent Logisticians with the way they look. Because of the value Turbulent personalities place on the opinions of others, this can affect much in the life of the Turbulent Logistician.
  • Turbulent Logisticians are more emotionally reactive and are more likely to express and act on their emotions than Assertive personality types. The positive side of their more expressive emotions is that they can make them more accessible to others.
  • Assertive Logisticians are less likely to be interested in what others think and are less likely to be open about their feelings. Not waiting for the opinions of others can make moving forward easier for these Logisticians.

Shared Foundations

It’s important to remember that one Identity trait, either Assertive or Turbulent, is not better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Knowing what these differences are, and knowing how they are likely expressed in individual Logisticians, can be useful. But despite their nuanced differences, both types of Logisticians are likely to remain stabilizing forces in society.