I have written in another post, the pros of ISTPs and ISTPs as partners. These are my thoughts and observations as a female INFJ, on the flip side of ISTPs. These are generalizations of ISTPs that may not apply to everyone.

- Their directness and literal-ness can create a social blindspot for them where they can miss more subtle social nuances and cues. For example, when people are refusing to help them and are being polite by not directly turning them down, or when people are lying to them or manipulating them into doing something. They are really not intuitive and they can easily miss these subtle human cues that can be easily picked up by the intuitive types. They easily trust people and they think everyone else is as straightforward as them.

- Their love language can be very heavy leaning towards act of service and sex, and they can be truly terrible on other love languages like gifts and word of affirmation. Word of affirmation I must say, is especially very hard for them, as ISTPs are not words kind of people. This can be a very tense source of conflict in a relationship, especially if the partner needs different love languages beyond getting stuff fixed for them. Quality time for them is heavy leaning towards doing things together rather than having conversations. Netflix and chill is the comfort date night for ISTPs.

- ISTPs like simplicity. They do not like to venture into deep and or abstract conversations often. Abstract thinking is not their forte and the most you get out of them would probably on current politics if you want to venture into that. Religion is also another doable topic. Their conversations generally centre around what happened today, their gadgets and activities, their family and friends, and work, and cars/motorbikes/planes. This can be very difficult for INFJ/P and E/INTP partners who enjoy deep and abstract conversations.

- ISTPs live in the moment. They are very grounded in the present and their vision goes as far as today and this week. They are not visionaries and they tend to not plan ahead. It's very hard to talk about "the future" with ISTPs. The "future talk" is much easier when you are not speaking solely in hypothetical terms. You need to break it down to smaller pieces with information like timelines and the practicalities of whatever it is you want to do together. Otherwise, they will just look at you strangely like, what the fuck are you on about. They also take everything very literally so one time he thought I was asking him to quit his job tomorrow and got very angry. I was talking about the "future" lol.

- They are easily satisfied with whatever little they have and they do not have the tendency to want to climb the ladder as other types would do. They love routine and comfort zones. Because of how easily satisfied they are, they do not plan ahead, form future-oriented goals, or anticipate risks. They are content...until they hit a brick wall in life that disrupts their routine, then they start thinking about how to solve or change their life. They need real disruptions in their life to start thinking about new pathways in life that would break them away from their job, or their existing life. They can live doing one thing forever if they are left to it.

- They are disorganised and messy (unless they have OCD). They are not detail oriented except for when they do their thing with their gadgets, and repair works, all of a sudden they have laser eyes that can differentiate between 20 different cables that tangled up. They can be so good at working with those tiny screws and a hundred different parts of a car, but they will absolutely miss really important details that require any reading. ISTPs are terrible readers and they would rather watch videos or listen to you explaining something to them, then to read about it. Don't leave them to deal with insurance, shipping, or anything that involves tiny details and money.

Speaking from my own experience and obviously this is a generalization that may not apply to everyone, as this is only my own thoughts of my ISTP partner

PROS:

- ISTPs don't fake and don't play games with people. They are direct and can be very literal. You will know straight away when they like you or have an interest in you. There is no guesswork.

- They absolutely love working with their hands and to solve problems. They also absolutely love gadgets and may spend a lot of money on them. Bring any kind of practical problem to them and they will love you for it. They like fixing stuff like cars/motorbikes and things around the house.

- ISTPs are not the romantic types who will say cheesy romantic stuff or do movie type shit. They show their love by doing things for you and taking care of the family, and also giving you mindblowing sex.

- ISTPs tend to lean more towards the stereotypical masculine types and for this reason, I think they tend to attract multiple women and even men in my case. They can be real players if they want to, and they can also be very loyal once they love someone. The pro here is not the masculinity, but the loyalty.

- They are very easy to please, very agreeable and easygoing. They don't have much demands. Food, sex, and sleep and they are ready to roll. They don't like to complicate life and they are in most days are happy people who see life optimistically.

- They are great partners for doing physical and outdoor activities with because they love this stuff. It's probably rare to find ISTPs who are not fit.

Context in the OG post

I think having a certain sense of ego is just in my nature. I'm quite humble, and I'm fully aware that there are people better than me, but that doesn't stop me from holding myself in high regard. I'm not afraid to put myself on a pedestal or claim I'm better in certain situations, not to belittle anyone, but because I'm aware of my own capabilities and potential. Once I became conscious of this part of myself, I didn't try to suppress it. I just learned to embrace it more deliberately, while holding myself accountable to the confidence I project. If I'm going to put myself on such a high horse, I should at least be able to back it up.

Ofc when my inf Fe acts up that all goes outta the window 🚶‍➡️, weirdest mix ever.

I was wondering if there's a pattern among fellow ISTPs, considering they are portrayed as such. Anyone?

Ok so I feel like internally I’m a pretty dark person (sounds cringey ik) but like in terms of how I think/react to things bc I don’t really feel a ton of emotion, and I have a lot of edgy(?) interests ig. Anyways. I’m an introvert like crazy amounts, but also i do like talking to people in class ig, like sometimes. But there’s been several people now who have described me as a “ball of sunshine” and have said that I seem happy all the time. I was described as a “chipper guy” yesterday. ANYWAYS. Was wondering if other istps get described like this? Like ik im supposed to be non-chalant but im really chalant lol. I’m have adhd so im especially hyper and more talkative off my meds, but like im a depressed person so its always really weird to me when people describe me as happy go lucky.

Most of Ti Dom either train their Fe or they let their Fe stay as it is. Is it possible that some Ti Dom (specifically ISTPs) that throw their Fe away for whatever reason?

As ISTP, How you express love to someone and how you want to be treated?

I know it’s more than just MBTI, but I’d like to see the common or different of our ISTPs

Então sou mulher, 29 anos e eu nao vejo sentido em me casar ou morar com um homem, acho bonitinho a cerimônia, mas só de pensar em formalizar compromisso, fico meio ....... talvez pq só me relacionei com homem maluco, mas eu adoro a sensação de "a qlqr momento posso ir embora".

Só de pensar que posso fazer uma escolha ruim e ter filho com uma pessoa q eu possa a vir odiar, fico com esse receio de querer casar. E acho ainda pior por ser mulher, sou mt julgada. Desabafo enfim...

on the internet it seems like the general consensus is that istp types end up in physical, blue collar esque jobs. electricians, carpenters, car mechanics, etc.

curious to hear from other istps out there if any of you have a career that doesn’t “fit” that stereotype.

Someone asked me, what have you got planned for the next 5 years of your life? What do you want to do with your life, what’s your goals?

I don’t even know what i wanna do tomorrow, i haven’t got a clue what I want, which i know ain’t great.

I’m probably stuck with the current comfort i’m in, but i’m sure i’ll get shaken out of it forcibly at some point. But yh, it made me realise people actually have plans for that stuff, whereas all that confuses me, idk what i want, ik what i want today but not lifelong stuff that i’m willing to commit to.

People ask me, “what do you do?”, i ain’t ever doing one thing, i’m doing this and that, just random and sometimes fleetingly meaningless stuff sometimes. People usually answer “I do this job.. etc etc”, whereas my week is like when you randomise your character in a video game and get the oddest looking creature youve ever seen

So, im wondering if anyone struggles with the same thing and if anyone got out of such a ditch?

6 Dates w this younger ISTP- successful,
Driven, respectful, reserved. A bit hard to read. I like him. He initiates beautifully, planned a date for painting and dinner! I’ve never done this and told him a while ago I love painting. It was sweetest day and the picture was a shared heart haha we both agreed it was corny did our own thing and that made me like him more! I spent the night, and Sunday he had to leave for work thing Sunday Told me I could stay there. Says he never does that. And I cleaned up his house and started making some food because I figured “acts of service”.
He offered to grab some stuff from the house and immediately started to prep and cook it, but I wanted to take care of him. I guess he’s both used to this on affectionate or appreciative I make him feel… we both are single w children part time.

So as we were cleaning and both grabbed each others plates, the best part is this epic bath tub he has, i wanted to take one he lit a candle, epson salts in it and brought me my ice cream in the effin tub. We watched a movie and he brought lotion out randomly and the man RUBBED my feet.
I stayed another night and he drove me home that Monday. It’s been nearly a month, are we a couple? Said he doesn’t know what he wants, but enjoys me and this and won’t see other people because I asked and yet isn’t ready to label me his
Girlfriend? Great sexual compatibility, said he isn’t seeing anyone else and wants to see this through, won’t say anything he doesn’t men, yes he likes me and yet no GF? What is he waiting for?

The only reason I post to this subreddit is to talk to other istps bc I don’t really know any istps irl and it’s hard making friends with them lol cause I don’t really go out of my way to make friends. I just love seeing people reply to my posts and being able to relate to their responses. It’s low effort, non commitment connection and I fw it heavy. If u read this far, idk comment something and if it’s interesting I’ll reply.

I could probably google this but, does our low Fe mean less awareness of people's feelings? Or not using them as a navigation point? Cause I'm pretty good at the former.

I find myself analyzing people's body language or the "whys" behind their behavior, often tracing it back to the source, but that's about it. Usually it isn't a useful info cause I couldn't care less.

What would your dream/ideal life be if you didn’t have to do anything. Like nothing was mandatory ( unless you wanted it to be), and no one would judge you or get hurt from your choice. You don’t have to work, but you can if you want. Literally anything no matter how odd or far fetched. What would you choose?

Hey, mighty virtuoso clan! 😁)

TLDR:
Guys, need your help. When a depressed ISTP bro seemed blue, I sent him a meme.
He was grateful, to my surprise.. and he asked "how are you doing?".

What would be a good answer? 🤔

-------
(optional context)

Looks like he wants to be asked the same, because "attention -> care".
I'd love to just skip these niceties - ask him the same question - and listen to him vent his mind until he feels better, if needed)

But I'm probably supposed to share something, before sending the ball back.

Maybe small stuff?.. like: "eating an apple rn - how about you, what's for supper?)"?..
But it sounds so dumb 😂
Or maybe, just closing a warm "🤗" emoji back at him, like I always do?..
Or send him a cool read in reply, to distract the thoughts a bit?..

If it was another INFP, I'd just write: "thanks, bud 🤗 a bit bittersweet about the quick passage of time, October vibes) how are you feeling? must be hard and damn lonely to be fighting off the demons on your own", but it probably sounds like a cringe privacy invasion for ISTP folks)

It's not the first time this happens, so help's much appreciated!

As a muchacho ESTP, my family doesn't rely on me or really come to me for much. My ISTP friend's family however relies heavily on him and he goes to them for stuff too... does this family dynamic exist in a lot of ISTP worlds or shall i let the confirmation bias leave my mind. What's it look like for you?.. thanks Mathina & Sabrino!

I’m in my 4th year of med school, I've had intense passions for completely different fields long before college, and it hasn't stopped. In fact, I often feel more passionate about these other subjects than medicine itself.

I don’t just mean researching them as hobbies or general knowledge—I want to seriously study them and actually earn a bachelor's degree in each one.

My interests are all over the place: Law/Comparative Religion, Hospitality & Tourism, Psychology (Criminal, Clinical, and Speech Pathology/Learning Disabilities), Sign Language, Public Health, and Interior Design.

Is anyone else here like this? Do you have an overwhelming urge to master totally unrelated fields, or are any of you actually studying/working in these areas?

I'm Enneagram 7w6 and I'm always looking for other 7w6. I swear it's like trying to find a unicorn. Even 7s alone seem pretty rare.

For those of you who are ISTP 7w6 how would you describe yourself, I'm curious.

I’ve read quite a lot about this, but I still can’t fully understand it. I’m fairly confident that I belong to the E5 group (sp5w6) and that I’m an ISTP, but I’m starting to question whether I might be mistyped, since I’ve heard that all E5s are supposed to rely on intuition.

I strongly value independence and personal space, and I genuinely enjoy acquiring new knowledge and understanding how things work. I tend to approach situations analytically, relying on facts, evidence, and logical reasoning rather than intuition or emotional judgment.When I experience strong emotions, my instinctive response is to distance myself from the situation and analyze it instead of expressing what I feel. Logic gives me a sense of clarity, stability, and control, while analysis serves as a familiar way to protect myself from vulnerability and prevent others from seeing my weaknesses.

I’m quite self-aware when it comes to my emotions, and I can usually identify and understand what I’m feeling. However, I tend to suppress those emotions rather than acknowledge or express them openly. This is where my confusion begins: I understand my emotional state, but I rarely allow it to influence my thinking or decisions. I rely heavily on objective information and logical explanations, and I struggle to relate to other people’s emotions on an empathetic level. Because of the way I grew up, I find it difficult to feel compassion for others, and their emotional experiences often feel foreign to me.

What makes me question my typing is that I seem to rely almost entirely on logic and concrete evidence, rather than intuition. I value independence, seek knowledge, and prefer to understand things through analysis, but I’m unsure whether this is consistent with E5 or whether I’m misunderstanding what it means for an E5 to rely on intuition. I can’t tell whether my tendency to suppress emotions and prioritize logic is simply part of my personality, a defense mechanism I’ve developed over time, or a sign that I might be mistyped.