Cognition is the result of where you naturally focus your attention, your desires, and your interests. Regardless of what your momentary desires or interests may be, each of us has certain deep, secret hopes that mean more to us than anything. While moods and opinions may change, these deepest desires are such a pure reflection of who we really are. In a world where there is so much to do, so much to experience, so much need and so many discoveries waiting to be found, we each inadvertently focus the most on some things over others. The things that we focus on most of all reflect what we want most out of life, deep down. This comes out through cognition, as the unique specialization of your cognitive type.
As the INTP Alchemist, perhaps nothing is more important to you than exploring how to get fascinating new uses out of every little moment, every detail, and every situation, whether in scholarship, humor, or just life in general. Cognitively, you focus on the potential use (NT) of details and situations (IP). This causes you to think of everything in terms of how it applies to theoretical people, to the lives of the human race overall. What matters most to you, deep down, is zooming in to analyze the little details of life, in order to squeeze new and exciting uses out of every situation.
This gives Alchemists their enthusiastic penchant for analysis, finding joy in modes, methods, and systems, and all the ideas and possibilities that come from digging deep into intriguing new questions. While Alchemists are often stereotyped as bookish, science-oriented, or antisocially nerdy, and while your zoomed-in analytical approach can certainly be applied to scientific rigor, INTPs can shine just as brightly in any field they choose to focus on. In athletics and in politics, in comedy and in fine arts, INTP Alchemists frequently stand out as towering figures due to their meticulous attention to the details of making a system work. The Alchemists’ approach is all about finding new ways to get the most use out of every detail, natural explorers in the realm of what could be. As the most zoomed-in of all the types, you love to use your mind to explore the world introspectively, using abstract thought to find solutions to challenges of all kinds.
None of this means that your specialization of deriving new uses from hidden details comes easy for you. You have to work at it, just as much as anyone else would. The difference between you and other types is that you care to work at this, above all else. Some may say that it’s just easier for you to keep track of long strings of data or spot unnoticed problems, but that’s not true; you simply care enough about finding new ways to make the most use out of every situation, that you’re willing to work much harder at it.
No cognitive type has it easy; every type has to work just as hard at their specialization as anyone else would have to. And every type has to deal with social pressure that tries to make them feel ashamed or embarrassed of their unique specialization. This pressure results in unhappiness and deep, internal conflict, as people feel tempted to ignore their specialization in an effort to not stand out, rock the boat, or look foolish or make anyone else uncomfortable. When we try to ignore our own deepest desires, the reflection of who we really are and really can be, we feel torn, frustrated, and unfulfilled.
This is why understanding our own cognition is so important! As we come to understand what we already wanted in the first place, we learn how to get out of our own way. We learn to let ourselves shine, rather than hiding our light. The world needs what each of us can uniquely offer. We need all the strengths of all the types; each is special at the same time, because each is special in a different way. You don’t do anyone any good when you hide your unique strength, even if you’re afraid it will make others feel uncomfortable. Let yourself be the Alchemist you are, feel free to focus in deep on the all-important details, and do it in your own personal way. As you do, you’ll implicitly give others permission to recognize and use your discoveries so that they too can get the most use out of pursuing their own specializations.
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