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“Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.”

George Washington – ISTJ

The ISTJs

are known for their quiet integrity, their resolve, and their keen eye for detail. They are often called The Duty Fulfillers, and they live up to this name by following through on their words and keeping their responsibilities. ISTJs may not say a lot, but internally they collect numerous facts from the world around them and store these facts carefully in their memory. Their masterful Introverted Sensing (Si) gives them a vivid memory for all the nuances and details they collect in the world around them. While an Intuitive may see a broad landscape, the ISTJ will see the facets of every leaf, tree, plant, and crevice. The ISTJ combines their Introverted Sensing with a strong use of Extraverted Thinking (Te). This makes them quiet but organized leaders who can arrange and delegate to get any job done. They are quick to implement logical solutions to problems, and they try to remain as objective and fair as possible when making decisions. The ISTJ believes in helping his or her community and family, living honestly, and working hard to accomplish goals. While the ISTJ may sound extremely serious from these descriptions, they balance out their quiet thoughtfulness with an offbeat sense of humor that draws others in.

What Does ISTJ Stand For?

I = Introversion. ISTJs focus inwards before responding to the outside world. They gain energy from alone time when they can reflect on their own thoughts.
S = Sensation. ISTJs prefer taking in information that is tangible, realistic, and concrete. They would usually rather focus on what exists than hypothesize about abstract possibilities.
T = Thinking. ISTJs step outside of a situation in order to see it as objectively and logically as possible.
J = Judgment. ISTJs like having things settled, having decisions made, and having a sense of control or structure to their life. They are typically work-before-play people.

ISTJ Motivations and Weaknesses:

  • Driving Force. To live a life of stability, wellness, and comfort. To understand what can be trusted, what’s true, and what will satisfy an inner need for health and safety.
  • Backup Strength: Ability to draw up plans and map out goals in order to create an orderly, systematic, and productive way of living.
  • Weaknesses: Can become “stuck in a rut” and overly-cautious about trying new things. May fail to entertain new ideas because they conflict with “tried-and-true” methods.
  • Stressors: Lack of alone time, being thrown into unpredictable situations, inconsistent people, multi-tasking, emotionally chaotic people or situations, dealing with people who are unrealistic or impractical.

ISTJ Personality Traits:

Everyone has one-of-a-kind qualities as well as influences from their background that shape their personality. But most average to healthy ISTJs have the following characteristics:

  • They believe in being responsible for their community
  • They crave predictability and a sense of routine
  • They are highly detail-oriented
  • They easily spot discrepancies and pitfalls and aim to fix them
  • They crave a tranquil, calm life
  • They are skilled at conserving resources
  • They easily compare and contrast past to present
  • They enjoy post-processing experiences and reflecting on them to make them last.
  • They are usually down-to-earth and grounded

ISTJ Careers:

ISTJs are hardworking, detail-oriented, and responsible people who pride themselves on doing a task well and on time. They have a natural eye for understanding systems and procedures, and they’re often the ones who keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. Clear and consistent expectations and logical leadership are crucial to their well-being at work. Throwing them in an unpredictable situation every day or being wishy-washy as an employer will only frustrate and overwhelm them.

The ISTJ’s biggest hardship in the workplace is being in a situation that feels chaotic or out of their control. They thrive when they know what to expect when they show up to work, and they prefer predictable schedules and routines. Competent leadership is crucial; they need their manager to be able to give clear instructions and provide adequate support when needed. Anything vague or ambiguous will cause them more stress than is necessary. Finally, they need a calm and orderly work environment; a place where they can focus on their work without interruption.

Career Suggestions: Financial manager, bank officer, accountant, auditor, efficiency analyst, real estate appraiser, police officer, detective, school principal, flight engineer, engineer, judge/magistrate, medical researcher.

Famous ISTJs:

You’ll find a wide variety of ISTJs in numerous career fields; Investor Warren Buffett, Philosopher Thomas Hobbes, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, and even Queen Elizabeth II are all ISTJs.

Your Important ISTJ Links:

7 Things ISTJs Experience in Childhood

12 Amazing Fictional ISTJ Characters

21 Hobbies That ISTJs Love

24 Signs That You’re an ISTJ, the Detective Personality Type

The ISTJ Leader

The Flirting Style of the ISTJ Personality Type

10 Things That Excite the ISTJ Personality Type

Get an in-depth look at the unhealthy ENTJ personality type. #ENTJ #MBTI

10 Signs of an Unhealthy ENTJ

Have you ever met an ENTJ that made you feel intimidated, small, and unimportant? Chances are, you encountered an unhealthy ENTJ. Every personality type can show up in positive or negative ways depending on many factors like their overall maturity, emotional intelligence, upbringing, and more. Today we’re looking at the unhealthy ENTJ and going over…
Read More 10 Signs of an Unhealthy ENTJ

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