An Overview of ISTP Personality Traits

•  5% of the general population

•  9% of men

• 2% of women

I live in my own little world, with my beliefs, my opinions, and I don't care what you think. Many people believe in this philosophy; the people who live their lives with their own rules. ISTPs are such people, self-assured, detached, intelligent, and risk takers, who live on their own terms.

They are one of the 16 personality types, according to the Myers-Briggs personality indicator, which uses four preferences - introversion-extraversion, sensing-intuition, feeling-thinking, and perceiving-judging, to decide your personality.

Fiercely independent and practical, ISTPs are an interesting lot. They are friendly, and can be pretty charming, as long as you don't interfere too much in their private matters. They have a natural curiosity to understand the way things work, and are very confident. They won't get angry quickly, but will stop talking to you.

They prefer to spend time alone, and work in their own space. They may not be shy; in fact most ISTPs are friendly and charming individuals. Though they prefer to talk less, they are generous, receptive, and focused.

These are realistic individuals, who live in the present. Action is more important for them rather than just talk. They won't get excited easily, and prefer facts to idle talk.

Perceiving individuals are laid-back and easygoing. They like to do things their way, and don't like too many rules or regulations. They also get distracted easily, and are always looking for excitement in life.

ISTPs are simple people, with an attractive and compelling personality. Their intelligence and hard work makes them stand out amongst the rest, but they prefer to be low-profile, doing their own little thing. You can always trust them to come up with the most innovative solutions to any problem.

They are totally in their element in a crisis, and will handle the situation better than most others. Their approach to everything, whether work or relationships will be rational and practical.

They prefer being alone, and will rebel against a strict hierarchy. It is better for them to work on their own, or in an environment where they'll get their own space. You might like to go through some career choices for ISTPs.

They love to go out and actually do things rather than just discussing theories. They have a strong urge to understand how different things work. They'll dismantle something and play with it. They'll build up something totally different with it. Basically, they just want action and innovation, all the time.

ISTPs are the happiest when they are doing something they love, and nobody can match their energy then. They will carry on their work cheerfully, without disturbing anybody, and expecting the same in return. Their industriousness makes them achieve success in any field they pursue, as long as they stick to it.

You won't find better troubleshooters than ISTPs. Their calm attitude, logical approach, and spontaneity makes them very productive in critical situations. You can totally rely on them to come up with optimal solutions. They thrive in such an environment, and become an inspiration for many.

It's hard to influence an ISTP. They can be very stubborn, and won't change their mind easily. They take time to make opinions, but once they do, there's no going back. It's hard to make an ISTP follow orders. They will do something, if and only if they are convinced about it.

ISTPs are fiercely private individuals, who will never share their personal lives. They can come across as aloof and detached. This quality of theirs can cause a lot of problems in relationships. If pushed too hard, or pressurized, they will just walk away without caring much about the consequences.

Many ISTPs find it difficult to commit to a task. They are constantly looking for challenges. This habit can make them behave recklessly and invite trouble.

A person who always follows his head, rather than heart tends to appear insensitive to many. Their rational approach to everything may hurt other people's feelings, especially when it comes to relationships. Unfortunately, the ISTPs may not realize it.

Some famous ISTPs include Sir Edmund Hillary, Tom Cruise, Keith Richards, Cher, Venus Williams, Steve Jobs, Daniel Craig, and Vladimir Putin to name a few.