ISTJ personality
source: http://www.16personalities.com/istj-personalityMy observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty... it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.The ISTJ personality type is thought to be the most abundant, making up around 13% of the population. Their defining characteristics of integrity, practical logic and tireless dedication to duty make ISTJs a vital core to many families, as well as organizations that uphold traditions, rules and standards, such as law offices, regulatory bodies and military. People with the ISTJ personality type enjoy taking responsibility for their actions, and take pride in the work they do - when working towards a goal, ISTJs hold back none of their time and energy completing each relevant task with accuracy and patience.
ISTJs don't make many assumptions, preferring instead to analyze their surroundings, check their facts and arrive at practical courses of action. ISTJ personalities are no-nonsense, and when they've made a decision, they will relay the facts necessary to achieve their goal, expecting others to grasp the situation immediately and take action. ISTJs have little tolerance for indecisiveness, but lose patience even more quickly if their chosen course is challenged with impractical theories, especially if they ignore key details - if challenges becomes time-consuming debates, ISTJs can become noticeably angry as deadlines tick nearer.
Associate With Those of Good Quality if You Esteem Your Reputation...
When
ISTJs say they are going to get something done, they do it, meeting
their obligations no matter the personal cost, and they are baffled by
people who don't hold their own word in the same respect. Combining
laziness and dishonesty is the quickest way to get on ISTJs' bad side.
Consequently, people with the ISTJ personality type often prefer to work
alone, or at least have their authority clearly established by
hierarchy, where they can set and achieve their goals without debate or
worry over other's reliability.ISTJs have sharp, fact-based minds, and prefer autonomy and self-sufficiency to reliance on someone or something. Dependency on others is often seen by ISTJs as a weakness, and their passion for duty, dependability and impeccable personal integrity forbid falling into such a trap.
This sense of personal integrity is core to ISTJs, and goes beyond their own minds - ISTJ personalities adhere to established rules and guidelines regardless of cost, reporting their own mistakes and telling the truth even when the consequences for doing so could be disastrous. To ISTJs, honesty is far more important than emotional considerations, and their blunt approach leaves others with the false impression that ISTJs are cold, or even robotic. People with this type may struggle to express emotion or affection outwardly, but the suggestion that they don't feel, or worse have no personality at all, is deeply hurtful.
...For it is Better to be Alone Than in Bad Company
ISTJs' dedication is an excellent quality, allowing them to accomplish much, but it is also a core weakness that less scrupulous individuals take advantage of. ISTJs seek stability and security, considering it their duty to maintain a smooth operation, and they may find that their coworkers and significant others shift their responsibilities onto them, knowing that they will always take up the slack. ISTJs tend to keep their opinions to themselves and let the facts do the talking, but it can be a long time before observable evidence tells the whole story.ISTJs need to remember to take care of themselves - their stubborn dedication to stability and efficiency can compromise those goals in the long term as others lean ever-harder on them, creating an emotional strain that can go unexpressed for years, only finally coming out after it's too late to fix. If they can find coworkers and spouses who genuinely appreciate and complement their qualities, who enjoy the brightness, clarity and dependability that they offer, ISTJs will find that their stabilizing role is a tremendously satisfying one, knowing that they are part of a system that works.
Famous ISTJs:
George Washington
Andrew Johnson
Benjamin Harrison
Herbert Hoover
George H.W. Bush
Angela Merkel
Natalie Portman
“Hermione Granger” from Harry Potter series
“Adrian Monk” from Monk
“Dana Scully” from X-Files
ISTJ STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
ISTJ STRENGTHS
Honest and Direct - Integrity is the heart of the ISTJ personality type. Emotional manipulation, mind games and reassuring lies all run counter to ISTJs' preference for managing the reality of the situations they encounter with plain and simple honesty.
Strong-willed and Dutiful - ISTJs embody that integrity in their actions too, working hard and staying focused on their goals. Patient and determined, people with the ISTJ personality type meet their obligations, period.
Very Responsible - ISTJs' word is a promise, and a promise means everything. ISTJs would rather run themselves into the ground with extra days and lost sleep than fail to deliver the results they said they would. Loyalty is a strong sentiment for ISTJ personalities, and they fulfill their duties to the people and organizations they've committed themselves to.
Calm and Practical - None of their promises would mean much if ISTJs lost their tempers and broke down at every sign of hardship - they keep their feet on the ground and make clear, rational decisions. Peoples' preferences are a factor to consider in this process, and ISTJs work to make the best use of individual qualities, but these decisions are made with effectiveness in mind more so than empathy. The same applies to criticisms, for others and themselves.
Create and Enforce Order - The primary goal of any ISTJ is to be effective in what they've chosen to do, and they believe that this is accomplished best when everyone involved knows exactly what is going on and why. Unclear guidelines and people who break established rules undermine this effort, and are rarely tolerated by ISTJs. Structure and rules foster dependability; chaos creates unforeseen setbacks and missed deadlines.
Jacks-of-all-trades - Much like Analysts (NT), ISTJs are proud repositories of knowledge, though the emphasis is more on facts and statistics than concepts and underlying principles. This allows ISTJs to apply themselves to a variety of situations, picking up and applying new data and grasping the details of challenging situations as a matter of course.
ISTJ WEAKNESSES
Stubborn - The facts are the facts, and ISTJs tend to resist any new idea that isn't supported by them. This factual decision-making process also makes it difficult for people with the ISTJ personality type to accept that they were wrong about something - but anyone can miss a detail, even them.
Insensitive - While not intentionally harsh, ISTJs are often hurt more sensitive types' feelings by the simple mantra that honesty is the best policy. ISTJ personalities may take emotions into consideration, but really only so far as to determine the most effective way to say what needs to be said.
Always by the Book - ISTJs believe that things work best with clearly defined rules, but this makes them reluctant to bend those rules or try new things, even when the downside is minimal. Truly unstructured environments leave ISTJs all but paralyzed.
Judgmental - Opinions are opinions and facts are facts, and ISTJs are unlikely to respect people who disagree with those facts, or especially those who remain willfully ignorant of them.
Often Unreasonably Blame Themselves - All this can combine to make ISTJs believe they are the only ones who can see projects through reliably. As they load themselves with extra work and responsibilities, turning away good intentions and helpful ideas, ISTJs sooner or later hit a tipping point where they simply can't deliver. Since they've heaped the responsibility on themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility for failure is theirs alone to bear.
ISTJ STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
ISTJ STRENGTHS
Honest and Direct - Integrity is the heart of the ISTJ personality type. Emotional manipulation, mind games and reassuring lies all run counter to ISTJs' preference for managing the reality of the situations they encounter with plain and simple honesty.
Strong-willed and Dutiful - ISTJs embody that integrity in their actions too, working hard and staying focused on their goals. Patient and determined, people with the ISTJ personality type meet their obligations, period.
Very Responsible - ISTJs' word is a promise, and a promise means everything. ISTJs would rather run themselves into the ground with extra days and lost sleep than fail to deliver the results they said they would. Loyalty is a strong sentiment for ISTJ personalities, and they fulfill their duties to the people and organizations they've committed themselves to.
Calm and Practical - None of their promises would mean much if ISTJs lost their tempers and broke down at every sign of hardship - they keep their feet on the ground and make clear, rational decisions. Peoples' preferences are a factor to consider in this process, and ISTJs work to make the best use of individual qualities, but these decisions are made with effectiveness in mind more so than empathy. The same applies to criticisms, for others and themselves.
Create and Enforce Order - The primary goal of any ISTJ is to be effective in what they've chosen to do, and they believe that this is accomplished best when everyone involved knows exactly what is going on and why. Unclear guidelines and people who break established rules undermine this effort, and are rarely tolerated by ISTJs. Structure and rules foster dependability; chaos creates unforeseen setbacks and missed deadlines.
Jacks-of-all-trades - Much like Analysts (NT), ISTJs are proud repositories of knowledge, though the emphasis is more on facts and statistics than concepts and underlying principles. This allows ISTJs to apply themselves to a variety of situations, picking up and applying new data and grasping the details of challenging situations as a matter of course.
ISTJ WEAKNESSES
Stubborn - The facts are the facts, and ISTJs tend to resist any new idea that isn't supported by them. This factual decision-making process also makes it difficult for people with the ISTJ personality type to accept that they were wrong about something - but anyone can miss a detail, even them.
Insensitive - While not intentionally harsh, ISTJs are often hurt more sensitive types' feelings by the simple mantra that honesty is the best policy. ISTJ personalities may take emotions into consideration, but really only so far as to determine the most effective way to say what needs to be said.
Always by the Book - ISTJs believe that things work best with clearly defined rules, but this makes them reluctant to bend those rules or try new things, even when the downside is minimal. Truly unstructured environments leave ISTJs all but paralyzed.
Judgmental - Opinions are opinions and facts are facts, and ISTJs are unlikely to respect people who disagree with those facts, or especially those who remain willfully ignorant of them.
Often Unreasonably Blame Themselves - All this can combine to make ISTJs believe they are the only ones who can see projects through reliably. As they load themselves with extra work and responsibilities, turning away good intentions and helpful ideas, ISTJs sooner or later hit a tipping point where they simply can't deliver. Since they've heaped the responsibility on themselves, ISTJs then believe the responsibility for failure is theirs alone to bear.
