Otto Kroeger and Janet M. Thuesen, in their book, Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types, describe the INTJ's world as being one rich with endless possibilities, giving them a drive toward constant improvement of everything around them.

The authors remark on the INTJ talent for organization and their tendency to be "big picture" thinkers. Known for their ability to follow through on projects, INTJs can be relied on to do a job well.

Commented on too is the well-known independence of the type. "As with other NTs, this independence often gives them an aura of arrogance that makes in-depth relationships develop slowly. At both work and play they can often seem aloof and sometimes argumentative. For INTJs, such behavior is simply the result of their attempt to stimulate the world around them. They can be stunned, even appear hurt, when others accuse them of being distant and seemingly uncaring, but it is, ironically, the INTJs' caring that has been the source of the provocation. They may even seem seemed surprised at others' taking offense when their motivation was fostering improvement. Again, as with other NTs, INTJs learn by arguing, part of their continuing quest to understand the universe. The problem is that an INTJ's 'friendly discussion' maybe seen by others as hostile, even obnoxious behavior."

Krueger and Thuesen note that male INTJs outnumber the females by a large margin, and state that the female INTJ may have a harder time fitting in with her peers than her male counterparts, due to the rather 'unfeminine' nature of the female INTJ.

As parents, INTJs seek to foster independence and self-sufficiency in their offspring at the earlier age possible; their intention is to teach the child to stand on his/her own.

The INTJ desire for improvement extends to their personal relationships as well; they seek mutual self-competency. They can become very frustrated in a relationship that seems to be stagnant and may become overly critical or depressed.

An INTJ's home will reflect their current pursuits and is likely to be filled with books related to whatever concept currently intrigues them. Though the house may appear well-organized and neat, there are likely to be half-finished projects tucked away, an assortment of potential challenges. In their continuing search for mastery and improvement, INTJs need to be careful not to let themselves get too wrapped up in the planning stages of a project; if they do not take a project to completion, they may set themselves up for frustration and depression resulting from too much self-criticism.

INTJ children may have a very difficult time of it growing up if their parents cannot understand their need for independence. Their need for privacy is intense in youth and power struggles may erupt if they are not given the freedom to explore and experiment. Unless they are sufficiently stimulated in the classroom, the INTJ student in high school is likely to be a classic 'underachiever', doing well on formal tests but poorly in day-to-day classroom studies.

In the workplace, INTJs need room to stretch and crave a free hand in their work. They become frustrated if they are too tightly controlled. They see each work assignment as a potential for re-organization and improvement and learn the language of each new project very rapidly. They do best in careers that provide a mental challenge and worst in those that involve too much detail or a high demand for personal services.

As they approach midlife, the INTJ's preferences become somewhat moderated. Their intuitive searching for the abstract starts to lean toward a desire for more sensory fulfillment, and they may begin to discover more of the emotional and subjective sides of their Feeling nature.

-Kroeger, Otto, and Thuesen, Janet M., Type Talk, The 16 Personality Types, 1988, pp. 226-229.