An Introverted mind, combined with Judging’s focus on planned actions, makes for a fantastic self-contained mental laboratory in which causes and effects are easily simulated on a grand scale. In a sense, the pursuit of knowledge is the pursuit of what causes what, whether in terms of physics or friendship, philosophy or finances. Judgers prefer to consider causes and effects in advance in order to map their intended paths, and Introverts have all the limitless space of their own minds in which to examine those causes and effects. So while Extraverted Judgers map their paths outside, focusing on actual actions, Introverted Judgers make their maps in thought, and a map made of thought needs no borders.
This places IJs in an ideal position to reflect on ideas of cosmic breadth and universal applicability, seeking the underlying whys behind all things. These whys are principles, the universal and natural rules of how everything works. Universal principles are more than trite truisms or simplistic generalities; real principles accurately reflect the grand complexity of how reality works. More than situational observations or proverbs, real principles are always true, without exception, because they’re observations of the workings of reality itself.
For example, “Never fight a land war in Asia” isn’t a principle, it’s not a rule of how reality works; rather it’s a situational observation that may or may not always be true. “A problem well stated is a problem half solved,” however, is an observation of the way life universally works. Without exception, a necessary and helpful step in the solving of any problem is a correct understanding of the problem itself; this is a principle, a universal rule of how reality works. IJs live by principles, often without even realizing it. An innate understanding of principles guides all their decisions and attitudes; it’s just how they’re used to approaching life.
Principles are like the mathematical laws of nature, and IJs view those laws in the most zoomed-out way possible. While other types tend to focus on the lines and curves and points of life, seeking patterns therein, IJs pay less attention to the specifics of each line and instead focus on the underlying equations that cause those lines to be. By knowing the equations behind all the aberrations of life, IJs can understand principles of infinite complexity without trying to keep track of infinite points of data.
The combination of Introversion’s introspective consideration, with Judging’s deliberate, planned action, makes IJs doubly deliberate, and doubly self-driven. This means that IJs need to work extra hard to take the opinions, needs, and intentions of others into account. Since they live by zoomed-out universal principles, IJs have to be careful about judging the motives and intentions of people, including themselves. Trying to judge people by principles alone can lead to terribly false, simplistic character judgments. Principles are one thing, but applying them in life is quite another, and people tend to be the most complex application of all.
When an IJ tries to act in violation of their understanding of universal principles, they’ll feel torn in two. Their deep, sometimes unconscious understanding of principles serves as a powerful anchor and compass to them and to others around them, so when they try to take action against the principles that they tacitly know, their minds will rebel. This can cripple an IJ, all but preventing them from moving forward, or else causing them to close up and become bitter.
Particularly torn IJs may create false pseudo-principles in order to ease their consciences: “No one’s really happy anyway,” or “Everyone has to sell out sometime,” or other such self-justifications posed as if they were universal rules. Most often, these pseudo-principles will be built around faulty views of people, as a closed-off IJ will feel uncomfortable admitting how habitually wrong they can be about human motives.
Yet as IJs allow themselves to dig far and deep in search of universal solutions, root causes, and the why and how behind all things, they’ll discover how to live by the principles they know even when it’s hard. The world needs healthy IJs who will bravely open themselves to explore the universal workings of life, people, and their own selves. Healthy IJs provide the zoomed-out, all-encompassing backdrop which serves as a rock and a roadmap to all the other cognitive types. And as they patiently learn from EPs, who excel in IJs’ weakest area of understanding people’s motives, Introverted Judgers can stand as reliable and universally adaptable guideposts in any situation whatsoever.
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