ISTP Characters

Apparently this type is good at surviving a zombie apocalypse. Their minds are pretty much hardwired to respond quickly and logically when faced with unexpected situations. Michonne is a survivor capable of handling an apocalypse even while on her own. Like many ISTPs, she has the ability to adapt to extreme situations and find ways to work them to her advantage. She also has excellent spacial awareness and strong physical skills, which are typical strengths of SP types. Like other Thinking types, she can initially come across as cold but is intensely loyal once she cares about/trusts someone.

Dr. Alan Grant is a paleontologist who was one of the first people invited to tour Jurassic Park. His cool, analytical demeanor and sly, sarcastic sense of humor will be relatable to any ISTP. Like all ISTPs, Grant wants to understand how things work by taking them apart and observing them closely. The chance to see dinosaurs in real life is both exhilarating and terrifying for him because unlike many of his counterparts, he can guess how dangerous this experiment is.

Toph works with what is logical within her own experience; it is based on the visual, the tactile, or on special cues. Hence, why she is more comfortable being on the ground, immersed, and a part of what ever process is occurring rather than from afar making decisions. Her judgment needs to be interacting in order to be used. Her sense of self and autonomy come first and she doesn’t like being controlled, labeled, or pigeonholed. She doesn’t care what society wants and is going to be 100% Toph and true to herself no matter the cost. Toph has a complete disregard towards social expectations, most of all with her own family. She cannot play the role of delicate, wealthy young woman. She refuses to adhere to her role in society and of being told what role she is supposed to fill in her family. She literally runs away from these expectations. 

Tris analyses the situation before leaping to action. She primarily uses common sense, and it shows—especially in the way how she’s constantly scolding herself whenever her ‘irrational’ feelings overwhelm her, and she would never let herself to be led around by them, not under any circumstances. She suppresses her emotions because of her craving for staying true to her own logical system at all times. Tris has a strong use of her auxiliary function, but as much as she uses it, it isn’t affecting her as much as being logical. She always wants to stay within reason, and don’t do anything too reckless, always questioning whether what the other Dauntless are about to do is reasonable. Tris has a hard time pinpointing what she’s feeling, but on the other hand, she’s good at describing how the emotion makes her feel—her stomach is in knots, electricity runs through her body, her palms are sweating, suddenly there’s a lump in her throat, etc.

Reserved, mysterious, and complicated, Ennis Del Mar is a good example of an ISTP who is struggling to understand his own values and romantic needs. Rough-mannered and quiet on the outside, Ennis consistently chooses what he feels is the most practical and logical path for his life instead of following his heart. Underneath his tough shell, Ennis does have a vulnerable, emotional side – but he’s unwilling to let anyone see that except in his most trying moments.

We see Minerva light up and get involved with her logic when she gets to use her skills and abilities in the moment. We see her judgments come from an inner place. Lots of her decisions in punishing or not punishing students comes from a place independent of systematic rules and expectations. She doesn’t uphold the rules of the schools as hard as she may seem in the eyes of Harry. She uses Ti to alter them in the moment depending on each situation as it arises. Minerva doesn’t deal in potentials or the past. She deals directly in the present. This is what makes her quite pragmatic. She doesn’t have time for those who uphold past traditions or have big ideas for the future. She works realistically in the now. She adapts accordingly and doesn’t have time for what she sees as frivolous.

ISTPs have a unique ability to capture the world around them exactly as it is and remember things exactly as they are in very specific detail. This ability is emulated perfectly in Jason Bourne, who also has the ISTP’s ability to adapt to sudden changes, respond quickly to sudden crises’, and stay cool and level-headed when things are chaotic and dangerous. Bourne’s innate ability to stay focused on the present, be tactically proficient, and immediately notice threats in his surroundings are signs of his advanced use of Introverted Thinking and Extraverted Sensation. ISTPs will relate to his hunger for truth, his boldness in action, and his calm, cool demeanor.

All his life, Paul has primarily thought using logic and rationality; this ability was honed by his training as a mentat (a human trained to think only with logic to the exclusion of emotions). As he starts to consume more and more spice, Paul can summon up virtually any factual information he wants to, but this is not enough for him; he has to analyze and evaluate the information he does access from all sides. Paul decides for himself which social norms make sense and which don’t. Paul has an analytical mind and an intellectual streak, he is very much a man of action. He was taught to fight at an early age, and he so good at using bladed weapons that he spars with his teachers – some of the best fighters in the known universe – on nearly equal terms when he is in his mid-teens. Paul is known to have complete control over his nervous system in combat, and his incredible reflexes allow him to escape death on multiple occasions, even when he is barely awake. Paul is always concerned with what is best for his family and for his people, and he adapts without a hitch to the Fremen way of life, in which the community takes precedence over the individual. Although Paul kills when he must, he takes no pleasure when he takes lives.

Reserved, detached, and quick on her feet, Black Widow is something of a stereotypical ISTP. She makes decisions based on what’s logical rather than following her feelings (except in cases of life or death for the people she loves). As an ex Russian spy and current member of the Avengers, Romanov uses her tactical abilities to defeat some of the most daunting opponents. In typical ISTP fashion, Romanov stays focused on the task at hand and knows how to detach herself from chaos in order to think clearly.

Jill operates based on an interior sense of logic that is not necessarily based on empirical evidence. As a result, she is the only Friend of Narnia who is willing to believe that other worlds exist before she enters one. Jill generally prefers taking a rational approach to life, and she can be disdainful of people who lose control of themselves. When she is faced with a difficult situation, one of her first reactions is usually to focus on remaining cool and calm.  Jill’s Fe function is somewhat unreliable. She senses other people’s feelings, but she does not always respond sympathetically. Although she is very upset when she accidentally knocks Eustace off the cliff, she reacts with irritation more than guilt when he repeatedly brings up the incident. On the other hand, she shows an enormous amount of sympathy for Puzzle, despite his part in deceiving the Narnians, because she knows that he was also being manipulated. Jill neither analyzes her own emotions nor tries to talk them over with others. When deeply upset, she will sometimes break down, even if others are present, but normally she does not show intense emotion in public.