Mark Hootsen Left Book Club: CELEBRITY MBTI: How to Spot an INTP

I. Introduction: why?

This is the first of a series in which, using Rod Novichkov's method, I'll be typing celebrities - mainly artistic people (actors, musicians, models, writers, artists) and some politicians, journalists and intellectuals. This post shall look at celebrity INTPs.

Novichkov, in his How to Find Yourself and Your Best Match (2007), only managed to type a handful of celebrities as INTPs. These were: Prince Charles; Ralph Fiennes; Seth Green; Gary Oldman; Jude Law; Jodie Foster - not many. For whatever reason, I've done better than Novichkov and have managed to find at least a dozen.

Novichkov's method throws up some surprising results. From what we know of MBTI, and INTPs, yes, we can understand how Prince Charles could be typed as an INTP; but Jude Law? Gary Oldman? Jodie Foster? That doesn't accord with what we know of these people - of their image.

Nevertheless, Novichkov's method works in a consistent manner, and I've found, when applied in the circle of family, friends, and colleagues, it is always accurate. Type a friend or relative as an ESFJ or ISFJ or ENTP using the method and you get a perfect match: the person not only behaves as an ESFJ, according to your knowledge of ESFJs, but looks like one, according to Novichkov's visual description.

II. Visually identifying the INTP

Let's run through, briefly, how an INTP looks according to Novichkov. Remember that INTPs are Introverted Thinking-dominant (and therefore are Introverts) and Extraverted Intuitives; they are also (in Socionics) Judgers.

The INTP as Judger: because the INTP is a Judger - his dominant function, Introverted Thinking, is a Judging and not a Perceiving one - he has a judger's neck. In the below diagram, Novichkov contrasts the 'Conceiving' (Judging) and Perceiving neck and head shapes:

Here we see the side view of two Judgers, Prince Charles and Christopher Lee:

The INTP as Thinker: Novichkov lists these attributes of the Thinking, as opposed to the Feeling, type:

1. Large, flat, expressive forehead;
2. Pronounced, jutting superciliary arches (bones beneath eyebrows);
3. Angular or non-existent bridge of nose dip;
4. Deep eye sockets;
5. Hawkish nose;
6. Narrow, inexpressive lower face.

Boris Karloff, as Frankenstein's monster, gives us a highly exaggerated, caricatured example of a Thinker:

Ludwig Wittgenstein's face tallies with Novichkov's description:

The INTP as Extraverted Intuitive: Intuitives tend to be gangly in their build, and they sit and stand in an unusual, awkward way. When sitting, they tend to flop and sprawl, and seem to lack a sense of personal space. Their fingers are long and knuckled. Jarvis Cocker gives us a good example:

The gaze of the Extraverted Intuitive pierces and unsettles. It seems restless, erratic and a little crazy:

The INTP as Introvert: a person's facial expression tells if they are an Introvert or Extravert. An Introvert appears withdrawn and somewhat melancholy. We see a remarkable lack of tension, as if the feelings and thoughts are kept locked behind a wall. When the Introvert is called upon to smile for the camera, he looks sheepish and surprised.