Get an in-depth look at what it's really like being an #ISTJ. #MBTI #Personality
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24 Signs That You’re an ISTJ, the “Detective” Personality Type

Often called “The Detectives” or the “Duty Fulfillers”, ISTJs are known for their keen attention to detail and their strict code of ethics and responsibility. These types crave a sense of structure and order in their lives, and have a knack for creating that sense of structure and order for others as well. Today let’s explore twenty-four signs that this might be the Myers-Briggs® type that suits you best!


Get an in-depth look at what it really means to be an #ISTJ in the Myers-Briggs® system. #MBTI #Personality

24 Signs That You’re an ISTJ

    1. You Use Your Past As a Guide for the Future

    As you go through life, you consider it your moral obligation to learn from each experience, whether it’s a failure or a success. You collect these experiences and recall them when a crisis hits or a solution is needed to a problem. That said, if you’re in an unhealthy phase of life, you might get hooked on bad habits from your past – enjoying the comfort or thrill of these habits and wanting to relive them even if they have negative consequences.

    1. You Remember the Facts and Details of Past Experiences Well

    You have a gift for remembering little details and experiences from the past. Because of this, you quickly notice changes and shifts. For example, if you walk into a room, you might be the first to notice that the furniture has been rearranged. You also might notice if someone’s body language differs from their typical composure and sense that something isn’t right.

    1. You Crave a Sense of Routine

    Unpredictable situations are anathema to you, so you try to have a clear direction for your day. Usually you have a calendar planned out and a daily flow that helps you to know what to expect and when. This sense of routine and consistency puts you at ease and gives you the freedom to think clearly.

    1. You Enjoy Reliving Your Favorite Memories

    All types enjoy reminiscing from time to time, but you seem to have a special affinity for it. You can close your eyes and recall a past memory and feel as if you are really living and breathing it. The past comes to life in vivid detail and lush imagery. You can even enter a state of flow through this process. Find out more things you enjoy in 10 Things That Excite the ISTJ Personality Type.

    1. Following Through On Your Word is a Huge Priority for You

    Because being consistent and dependable is so crucial to you, people know that they can depend on you to mean what you say and do what you say you’ll do. Letting someone down or forgetting a responsibility makes you feel intense shame and frustration.

    1. You Experience Déjà vu A Lot

    Because your memory for details and experiences is so remarkable, you quickly make connections between what is happening now and what happened in the past. Small similar experiences or sights can give you a sudden, unexpected feeling of déjà vu. People of your type frequently mention having this sensation on a regular basis.

    1. You Post-Process Experiences to Enjoy Them Fully

    When you’re experiencing something new you tend to feel a little detached from it – as if experiencing the full weight of the present moment would be overwhelming. However, after the experience is over you often replay it in your mind – enjoying the beauty of it more after the fact than during. Which leads to our next point…

    1. You Beat Yourself Up Over Past Mistakes

    Because you’re always trying to learn from your mistakes and you have a tendency to post-process experiences, you have a tendency to re-play embarrassing or awkward moments in your head. You might lie in bed at night beating yourself up over mistakes you made 10 or 20 years ago, feeling as if the shame and frustration of it all is happening in the present.

    1. You Try to Have a Calm, Composed Manner

    Loud, brash, over-reactive people tend to annoy you. You respect people who can maintain a sense of composure and control, even in trials and tribulations. You try to maintain an air of professionalism and coolness in any situation that presents itself.

    1. You Quickly Sense Changes in Patterns

    Because you’re so aware of details, facts, and past experiences, you quickly notice unexpected changes or shifts in behavior. This makes you keenly attuned to changes in patterns or inconsistencies in people.

    1. You Get a Strong Sense of Satisfaction From Crossing Items Off Your To-Do List

    Productively-minded, you get a thrill from crossing items off a task-list. You get a surge of joy from knowing your projects are being completed and you don’t have to worry about them anymore.

    1. Competence Is Crucial to You

    Being competent and being surrounded by competent people is vital to your well-being. Finishing tasks on time, being logical, and responding with a cool-headed manner to any crisis gives you a sense of well-being and confidence. This can make you a highly respected leader (check out the ISTJ Leader to see more about this).

    1. Fairness and Justice Are Core Values of Yours

    You hate preferential treatment and believe that solid rules and regulations should be applied to all people without bias. That said, you believe clarifying the rules and making sure they are just, fair, and reasonable is crucial. You will fight relentlessly to tear down rules you see as oppressive or unjust.

    1. You’re Skeptical of Overt Displays of Emotion

    When people are emotionally reactive, cloying, or effusive, you tend to get suspicious. What do they want? Are they emotionally okay? Can you trust them? Why is their eye twitching? Why are they crying? Why can’t they calm down?

    1. You’re a Realist More Than an Idealist

    You have core values that you strive to uphold no matter the odds. But even with that in mind, you consider yourself a realist more than a dreamer. You want to know the facts and avoid having your mind clouded by theories and emotions that might cloud your ability to see the reality of a situation clearly.

    1. “Be Prepared!” Is Your Motto

    You create plans and contingency plans for the future so that no matter what happens you will have a solution readily available. People count on you for your ability to organize and present alternative plans when a disaster occurs. That said, if a situation comes up that you’re unprepared for, you tend to feel trapped and overwhelmed. You need to get away to a quiet place so that you can devise a solution.

    1. You’re Skilled in the Art of Logistics

    You seem to innately know how to organize people and objects in the most efficient way. Getting things done on time, getting people where they need to be, and handling many moving pieces is something you have the capability to do with nearly unmatched skill.

    1. You Have Perseverance

    If you put your energy into something, you see no virtue in bowing out before you’ve given 100% of your energy to it. You put a tremendous amount of willpower into every action you take.

    1. When You’re Stressed, You See Dozens of Negative Possibilities

    Normally focused and grounded, when you’re severely stressed you tend to flip a switch and become filled with visions of doom and gloom. You see all the ways that your plans could unravel and all the potential security risks that lie ahead of you.

    1. You Despise Pretention

    People who craft elaborate phrases with superfluous words tend to get on your nerves. People who try to appear like philosophers, gurus, or “experts” without the life experience to back it up make your skin crawl.

    1. You Put Facts Before Personal Feelings

    You’ve made it a top priority to place truth on a higher level of respect than emotions. Your heart or feelings might be swaying you one way, but you know the facts are pointing in another direction. Except in really crucial situations, you’ll follow the facts over the feelings in a situation.

    1. You Hate the Idea of Compromising Your Values

    What few people know except those closest to you is that you have a deep set of unchangeable values. You know what you believe to be right and wrong and you won’t compromise that for anything. You strive to stay true to your sense of integrity regardless of what the crowd is doing or what is popular at the moment.

    1. Change Makes You Anxious

    You prioritize a carefully crafted routine that you can count on no matter what life throws at you. You crave the familiar, the quiet, and the sense of continuity that comes from having a set schedule. Unexpected changes make you nervous and rattled.

    1. You Hate Clashing Sensory Details

    Being in bright, chaotic environments or being around people who are wearing clashing patterns can make you feel uneasy and queasy. You like the things around you to be organized, calm, and aesthetically pleasing. When the details around you clash, you have an insatiable urge to “fix” them. This can make you seem a little obsessive and nitpicky to people who don’t share your tendencies.



    What Are Your Thoughts?



Discover what it really means to be an #ISTJ personality type with these 24 common traits. #MBTI #Personality

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  1. Thank you for writing this brilliant article. I am in every sense of it a true ISTJ to a T! This article is specifically written for me. It hits every aspect and character gene that i have in every way. It also explains why I do, act and feel the way I do in every situation to me so clearly. Now I need my husband to read it.

  2. I really appreciated this article, it was very accurate in my case, and I qm thankful that you wrote it because, it has helped me identify some of my faults, and has shown my what I need to improve on, without changing who I am.

  3. I’m struggling. I’ve taken several tests over the years. I equally resonate with INFJ, ISTJ, and much of the ESTP. Sho I’m struggling to figure out my type.
    I relate very much to the article on INFJ stress.

    Any ideas?

    1. I am also ISTJ & INFJ. I think I am borderline S & N and T & J, which is why my results vary. You could be answering the questions and borderline the first three.

  4. I am an ISTJ almost to the letter. I hate sudden change and crave routine in my life. I am not fond of being blunt , however, but almost everything else about the ISTJ is true in my case. Thank you very much for your brilliant articles. I am definitely hard on myself and used to think of my ISTJ characteristics as flaws. Now I see them as just being me along with many other of my type.

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