![ISTJ Personality Type [Inspector, Investigator, Trustee, Realist]](https://psychologia.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/istj-personality-type.jpeg)
People with an ISTJ personality type account for approximately 10-14% of the general population, which is great because it means you aren’t alone.
The ISTJ is the most common personality type between men.
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One thing you should know is that the ISTJ personality type has several other names. These names are meant to be more descriptive than just a four-letter combo, so if you happen to stumble upon one of these names, chances are you are reading about the ISTJ:
- Responsible Realist (official MBTI site)
- Inspector (David Keirsey, “Please Understand Me II”)
- Trustee (David Keirsey, “Please Understand Me”)
- Planner Inspector (Linda Berens)
- Super Dependable (Alan Brownsword)
- Investigator (Jonathan P. Niednagel)
- Life’s Natural Organizer (Otto Kroeger, “Type Talk at Work”)
Some online sources use other descriptive names, such as Logistician, Examiner, Pragmatist, and Duty Fulfiller.
In terms of the four classical personality types, ISTJ is a pure Melancholic.
What does ISTJ stand for?
According to Otto Kroeger, the author of “The Type Talk,” ISTJs are simply “doing what should be done,” and looking at their four faculties, this doesn’t come as a surprise.
The meaning of ISTJ is introverted (I), sensing (S), thinking (T), and judging (J).
Being introverted means you prefer to focus internally and energize yourself by spending time alone.
Sensing means you prefer dealing with concrete facts rather than abstract ideas and concepts.
Thinking means you are a logical person. You tend to make your decisions based on reason rather than emotion.
Being judging means you favor structure and organization more than spontaneity.
The ISTJ Personality Overview
If for ENFJs, it’s all about empathy and kindness; for ENTJs, it’s about achievement; for INTPs, it’s about creativity and innovation; when it comes to ISTJs (Introverted-Sensing-Thinking-Judging types), it’s all about responsibility.
They do what needs to be done, including behaving out of character if the situation calls for it. David Keirsey, the author of “Please Understand Me II”, said about ISTJ:
They base their self-image on being seen as dependable, beneficent, and respectable.
Dependable, beneficent, and respectable — if you want to really understand ISTJs, you have to keep these three words in mind.
Nearly everything ISTJs do and say reflects their desire to appear to have these three qualities. This is how they want to be seen by others and how they want to feel about themselves.
Systematic and hardworking ISTJs honor their commitments while respecting the existing structure and following the hierarchy. They will get the right things to the right place at the right time. Their ability to keep track of facts and details is particularly remarkable.
ISTJs aren’t attention-seekers. Generally, they prefer comfort over style, but if they had to choose a style, it would be something classic.
Although ISTJs aren’t into fashion, they look put-together at any given time, and their clothes are always adequately matched and color-coordinated.
Looking good 24/7 takes a lot of effort and attention to detail, but ISTJs have all the right traits to pull that off. In fact, what separates an ISTJ from an INTJ is ISTJ’s neater appearance and their greater regard for rules. Read more on ISTJ vs. INTJ here.
ISTJs dislike fanciness, be that in clothes or the interior. They dislike showy things; their homes — like their clothes — are typically plain, neat, and orderly.
The ISTJ avoids luxury; price and durability are their primary consideration. Even when they can afford it, they won’t buy anything ultra-modern and instead go for something old-fashioned.
Unlike some other types, ISTJs don’t want to be original; anything unique or anything exotic makes them feel uncomfortable.
Despite their introversion, ISTJs are likely to participate in community service projects, particularly those that promote traditional values. Unlike some other types, ISTJs believe in the importance of social events such as engagement parties, weddings, anniversaries, etc., and will attend without fail.
ISTJs aren’t risk-takers and will not take chances with their own or others’ money, which means they are less likely to be self-employed. Yet, the ISTJ is the third top-earning personality type after the ESTJ and the ENTJ.
ISTJs earn significantly less than ESTJs or ENTJs, but on the other hand, they are still ahead of all other personality types.
From a young age, ISTJs train themselves to complete what they start. Career-wise, they choose large and stable organizations because it implies their financial security and stability.
Because ISTJs are stable, persistent, and reliable, they are often rewarded with positions of responsibility. More than most other types, ISTJs will likely dedicate their entire working life to one organization. As long as it provides financial security and stability, they will not leave, even if they aren’t completely happy with their job.
Most of the time, ISTJs operate in an information-gathering mode. They constantly screen for objective, concrete, and pragmatic data that can be translated into immediate action. Because of this natural habit, ISTJs expect the same behavior from everyone else — whether at home or work, ISTJs are impatient and demanding.
ISTJs have rules for everything and expect them to be followed without questions. Their homes should be orderly; their meals should be served “properly” and on schedule; their children should get good grades, do their homework, and go to bed on time; their spouses should look a certain way and do the household chores assigned to them…
Having such an inflexible and demanding spouse may sound like a nightmare, but more often than not, ISTJs are excellent and reliable life partners.
You can read a lot more about ISTJ’s personality traits here.
ISTJs in Love Dating and Relationships
ISTJs make life partners many of us want to have. Just like they honor their other commitments, they honor the marriage contract. If you want a loyal and committed partner that will be a source of strength, look for an ISTJ.
ISTJs love traditions, and when it comes to romantic relationships, they behave in accordance with what is expected from them in every given stage of the relationship.
When they are in the courting stage, they will give gifts and flowers. When they want to propose, they will get a ring. When they are ready to settle down, they will provide a fully-equipped house. And yes, you will have a real wedding too!
Male ISTJs see themselves as the head of the family and take on the responsibility of protecting and providing for their loved ones. Female ISTJs are steady and reliable wives who do things “properly.”
When you are married to an ISTJ, the bills are paid, the house is well-maintained, and the food is ready. The downside of being married to them is that they will expect you to put in just as much effort as they do. You will have errands to run and chores to do, which must be completed by a clearly defined deadline.
If the relationship goes wrong, ISTJs will stay committed even if they would be better off alone. They do so out of a sense of duty and unwillingness to step out of their comfort zone.
ISTJ Strengths and Weaknesses
Honesty and reliability are the main strengths of the ISTJ personality type. Their primary weaknesses are their inability to express their feelings and their natural aversion to risk or anything new.
Learning Style
Because ISTJs do what needs to be done whether they like it or not, they make diligent students. They dislike theory and enjoy subject areas with practical application. The materials and instructions have to be clear and precise with no errors. The study environment should be task-oriented, with clearly defined goals and deadlines.
Work
ISTJs avoid professions that require abstract thinking and spontaneity. They want to follow established rules and tend to gravitate toward occupations that require them to achieve practical and measurable results, such as accountant, surgeon, dentist, technician, soldier, etc.
Otto Kroeger mentioned in his book “Type Talk” that ISTJ is the predominant configuration of the U.S. military, from enlisted personnel to four-star generals and admirals (based on a sample of more than ten thousand people).
ISTJs will get the job done on time following established procedures and will not cut corners or experiment with their approach. They need stability, organization, structure, rules, and clearly defined tasks; once all these conditions are fulfilled, the INTJ will not leave. In fact, they are some of the most fiercely loyal employees out there.
ISTJ Leadership Style
Typical ISTJs don’t usually seek leadership positions but often find themselves promoted to them thanks to their loyalty, commitment, and reliability.
As leaders, ISTJs lean towards a hierarchical and traditional approach. They will reward those who follow the rules and are consistently reliable; in other words, to please an ISTJ boss, you need to be just like them. Forget innovation and experimenting, don’t stress yourself trying to think of something clever and original — all you need to do is to get your job done on time while following the rules to the tee!
In addition, an ISTJ boss will be
- fair to everyone,
- clear about their expectations from others,
- consistent and predictable.
ISTJ Job List
Accountant
Actuary
Administrator
Airplane Pilot
Auditor
Bank Employees
Bank Examiner
Bank Teller
Budget Analyst
Chief Information Officer
Civil Engineer
Compliance Inspector
Computer Programmer
Coroner
Corrections Officer
Cost Estimator
Credit Analyst
Criminalist
Database Administrator
Dentist
Detective
Economist
Efficiency Analyst
Electrician
Engineer
Environmental Engineer
Estate Planner
Farmer or Rancher
Financial Officers
Flight Engineer
General Surgeon
Geologist
Government Employee
Health & Safety Engineer
Health Care Administrator
Insurance Underwriter
Lab Technician
Landscaping Manager
Librarian
Manager
Mechanic
Medical Doctor
Medical Technologist
Military Officer
Nuclear Engineer
Nursing Administrator
Office Manager
Optometrist
Paralegal
Pharmacist
Physical Education
Physician Assistant
Police Officer
Pollution Control
Power Plant Operator
Property Manager
Purchasing Agent
Real Estate Appraiser
School Administrator
School Broker
School Principal
Statistician
Steelworker
Stock Broker
Stockbroker
Surgeon
Supervisor
Teacher
Technical Instructor
Technical Writer
Veterinarian
Random Facts About ISTJs
- ISTJs have their own brand of humor, but not all people can pick up on their jokes because they are delivered in a very sarcastic way as if they were being serious.
- The ISTJ may appear blunt, but in reality, all they really want is to be honest. They will not lie in an attempt to spare someone’s feelings because they believe it doesn’t serve a good purpose. They want to be honest and real.
- Although ISTJs aren’t very emotionally expressive, they express their love by solving problems and satisfying the practical needs of their loved ones.
- A typical ISTJ dislikes change. They live by the principle: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
ISTJs do things because they believe they need to be done; they don’t need a pat on the back for anything they do. - ISTJs stick to whatever they plan to do and go through completion.
- ISTJs are hypersensitive to signals of rejection from those they care for.
- ISTJs are uncomfortable with expressing their emotions.
Famous ISTJ People
These famous people are likely to belong to the ISTJ personality type:
- George Washington
- Johnny Carson
- Henry Ford
- Warren Buffet
- Sigmund Freud
- Xenophon
- Fictional Characters with ISTJ Personality Type
- Mulan
- Joe Friday from the Dragnet series
- Stark from Game of Thrones
- Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
Everything on ISTJs here
16 Personalities main page here.
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