Seeing as they are both NTs (rationals) these two personality types have a lot in common. They both highly value knowledge and aptitude, both are inclined to ignore emotions in favor of logical arguments and both have high standards for almost everything.
However, these two types express themselves in significantly different ways. ENTJs have dominant extroverted thinking while INTPs have dominant introverted thinking. This makes ENTJs oriented towards the outer world of possibilities, goals and challenges and the INTP oriented towards reflection, thinking, theorizing and pondering in their inner world. All the other cognitive functions are also inverted (i.e. introverted intuition for ENTJ and extroverted intuition for INTP). This is not very helpful in a relationship but it can be overcome with effort. An encouraging fact is that right from the beginning these two types will understand each other and will be open for cooperation, but the hard part will be opening up intimately to each other.
What ENTJs like about INTPs:
- providing unusual ways of thinking and new options
- intelligent, insightful and usually very knowledgeable
- can take criticism well
- are rational
- are not overly emotional
- good listener
- patient, thorough idea “processors”, reflective
What INTPs like about ENTJs:
- enthusiasm for knowledge and debate
- can take criticism well
- are rational
- are straightforward
- not complicated
- intellectually stimulating
- capable/competent
ENTJs are usually fascinated and sucked in by the deepness of knowledge and understanding the INTPs have. The feeling is not always mutual. From the ENTJs perspective it might seem that the INTP always thinks he is wiser and deeper and that he doesn’t want to be influenced by the ENTJ. And as INTPs are so allergic to being led or manipulated they can fall into a trap of thinking that the ENTJ wants to lead them, correct them or prove that they are better somehow when all the ENTJ wants is to show them a better way of doing something. This is why the ENTJ needs to learn to present his suggestions and ideas in a less forceful way, because the INTP always wants to reach a conclusion by himself. To convince an INTP you have to make him come to your conclusion by carefully choosing your words. To convince an ENTJ all you have to do is lay out the facts as fast as possible and he will surrender to a superior way of thinking, if your argument is superior. This tendency of the ENTJ to get involved in win-lose arguments can be annoying to an INTP.
Whether they like it or not, the ENTJ and the INTP will spend a lot of time debating and while the INTP will try to slow down and broaden the argument, the ENTJ will try to narrow it down, get it over with and determine who was right. The ENTJ has to learn to be more patient with the INTP and the INTP has to accept the ENTJs directness and forcefulness in presentation as a personality trait, not a defect.
To summarize the possible pitfalls:
- INTP not listening to any of the ENTJs suggestions and not willing to change anything
- INTP getting bored with ENTJs lack of spontaneity
- ENTJ seeing INTP as too scattered, unrealistic or disoriented
- INTP being overwhelmed by the ENTJs extroversion and forcefulness
- Not being completely honest and truthful from the start (can kill any relationship)
For the INTP it’s best to just tell everything that’s bothering them to the ENTJ because ENTJs will not always pick up on subtle emotional cues. But when explicitly told they can be surprisingly understanding.
It should be noted that like in every other relationship there are a lot more factors than just personality that come into the equation, so this relationship can work splendidly in one set of circumstances and it can be a disaster in another. One thing is true; this match has a lot of potential for a relationship full of growth and prosperity.
However, these two types express themselves in significantly different ways. ENTJs have dominant extroverted thinking while INTPs have dominant introverted thinking. This makes ENTJs oriented towards the outer world of possibilities, goals and challenges and the INTP oriented towards reflection, thinking, theorizing and pondering in their inner world. All the other cognitive functions are also inverted (i.e. introverted intuition for ENTJ and extroverted intuition for INTP). This is not very helpful in a relationship but it can be overcome with effort. An encouraging fact is that right from the beginning these two types will understand each other and will be open for cooperation, but the hard part will be opening up intimately to each other.
What ENTJs like about INTPs:
- providing unusual ways of thinking and new options
- intelligent, insightful and usually very knowledgeable
- can take criticism well
- are rational
- are not overly emotional
- good listener
- patient, thorough idea “processors”, reflective
What INTPs like about ENTJs:
- enthusiasm for knowledge and debate
- can take criticism well
- are rational
- are straightforward
- not complicated
- intellectually stimulating
- capable/competent
ENTJs are usually fascinated and sucked in by the deepness of knowledge and understanding the INTPs have. The feeling is not always mutual. From the ENTJs perspective it might seem that the INTP always thinks he is wiser and deeper and that he doesn’t want to be influenced by the ENTJ. And as INTPs are so allergic to being led or manipulated they can fall into a trap of thinking that the ENTJ wants to lead them, correct them or prove that they are better somehow when all the ENTJ wants is to show them a better way of doing something. This is why the ENTJ needs to learn to present his suggestions and ideas in a less forceful way, because the INTP always wants to reach a conclusion by himself. To convince an INTP you have to make him come to your conclusion by carefully choosing your words. To convince an ENTJ all you have to do is lay out the facts as fast as possible and he will surrender to a superior way of thinking, if your argument is superior. This tendency of the ENTJ to get involved in win-lose arguments can be annoying to an INTP.
Whether they like it or not, the ENTJ and the INTP will spend a lot of time debating and while the INTP will try to slow down and broaden the argument, the ENTJ will try to narrow it down, get it over with and determine who was right. The ENTJ has to learn to be more patient with the INTP and the INTP has to accept the ENTJs directness and forcefulness in presentation as a personality trait, not a defect.
To summarize the possible pitfalls:
- INTP not listening to any of the ENTJs suggestions and not willing to change anything
- INTP getting bored with ENTJs lack of spontaneity
- ENTJ seeing INTP as too scattered, unrealistic or disoriented
- INTP being overwhelmed by the ENTJs extroversion and forcefulness
- Not being completely honest and truthful from the start (can kill any relationship)
For the INTP it’s best to just tell everything that’s bothering them to the ENTJ because ENTJs will not always pick up on subtle emotional cues. But when explicitly told they can be surprisingly understanding.
It should be noted that like in every other relationship there are a lot more factors than just personality that come into the equation, so this relationship can work splendidly in one set of circumstances and it can be a disaster in another. One thing is true; this match has a lot of potential for a relationship full of growth and prosperity.