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15. The Inventor [ENTP]

Inventing is the functional side of engineering, that is, the building ofprototypes of devices that work to make systems more efficient. It is so natural forENTPs to practice devising ingenious gadgets and mechanisms that they start doing

it even as young children. And these Inventors get such a kick out of it that theyreally never stop exercising their inventive talent, though in the workplace theywill turn their technological ingenuity to many kinds of systems, social as well asphysical and mechanical.

As a variant of Plato's Rationals and Aristotle's Dialecticals, the ENTPs arelittle different from the other NTs in most respects. Like all the Rationals, they areabstract in their communication and utilitarian in how they implement their goals.They choose to study science, are preoccupied with technology, and work well withsystems. Their point of view is pragmatic, skeptical, relativistic, focused on spatialintersections and intervals of time. They base their self-image on being ingenious,

autonomous, and resolute. They would if possible be calm, they trust reason, arehungry for achievement, seek knowledge, prize deference, and aspire to be wizardsof science and technology. Intellectually they are prone to practice strategy far morethan diplomacy, tactics, and especially logistics. Further, having a probing or option-minded nature they tend to prefer the Engineer's informative role over thescheduling Coordinator's directive role. And owing to their expressiveness andinterest in the world at large they prefer the role variant of Inventor over Architect.

There aren't many Inventors, say about two percent of the population. Theyare intensely curious and continuously probe for possibilities, especially concerningcomplex problems, and they find chaos theory intriguing. Such curiosity can be

inspiring to others, who find themselves admiring the Inventor's insatiable hungerfor know-how. ENTPs are also the most reluctant of all the types to do things in aparticular manner just because that is the way things have always been done. Theycharacteristically have an eye out for a better way, always on the lookout for newprojects, new activities, new procedures. Inventors are confident in the value oftheir approaches and display a charming capacity to ignore the standard, thetraditional, and the authoritative. As a result of this innovative attitude, they often

bring fresh, new approaches to their work and their lives.

Good at functional analysis, Inventors are keen judges of the pragmatics ofboth social and technological organization, and often become expert at improvingrelationships between means and ends. Where the INTP Architect sees design as anend in itself, the Inventor sees design as a means to an end, as a way of devising theinstrument that works, the prototype that is replicable. To these outgoingEngineers, ideas are valuable when and only when they make possible actions andobjects. "It can't be done" is a challenge to an ENTP and elicits a reaction of "I can doit." They are not, however, the movers of mountains as are the INTJ Masterminds.

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Rather, Inventors have faith in their ability to come up with solutions to problems,and they display an extraordinary talent for rising to the demands of even the mostimpossible situations. Superficially, they resemble ESTP Promoter Artisans withtheir talent for improvisation and expedient action. But the focus of the Inventorsis on competency and a sense of achievement, rather than on the Promoter's feeling

of spontaneity and freedom of action.

Inventors have an entrepreneurial spirit and can cleverly make do withwhatever or whoever is at hand, counting on their capability to solve problems asthey arise, rather than carefully generating a detailed blueprint in advance. A roughdraft is all they need to feel confident and ready to proceed into action. Because ofthis tendency to depend on their capability and inventiveness, ENTPs may, at times,neglect to prepare themselves adequately for a given task. Even after repeatedfailures in situations where their capability has met with defeat, they will developways of avoiding such situations rather than resorting to more thoroughpreparation.

ENTPs can succeed in a variety of occupations, as long as the job does notinvolve too much humdrum routine, at which point they become restless. Theyare usually outstanding teachers, continuously devising new and intriguing ways toget their students involved in learning. They make good leaders on innovativeprojects that test their ingenuity. And they are skilled at engineering humanrelationships and human systems, quickly grasping the politics of institutions andalways aiming to understand the people within the system rather than to judgethem. Indeed, they are non-directive in their handling of others, and will takecharge of activities only when forced to by circumstance.

No matter what their occupation, however, Inventors are seldomconformists in the workplace. If their job becomes dull and repetitive, they tend tolose interest and fail to follow throughoften to the discomfort of colleagues. Tostave off routine, ENTPs will try to outwit the system and use the rules andregulations within the system to give themselves room to innovate. They mayeven work against the system just for the joy of holding the upper hand. Inventorshave also been known to engage in brinkmanship with their superiors, placing theirown careers in jeopardy and behaving as if unaware of the consequences. Thus theymay create an unnecessary crisis on the job, just to give them an opportunity tocome up with a solutionwhich, more often than not, they succeed in doing.

Inventors often have a lively circle of friends and are interested in their ideasand activities. They are normally easy-going, seldom critical or nagging. Their goodhumor and curiosity tend to be contagious, and people seek out their company.ENTPs can be fascinating conversationalists, able to articulate their owncomplicated ideas and to follow the complex verbalizations of others. They may,however, deliberately employ debate tactics to the disadvantage of their opponents,even when the opponents happen to be close associates and valued friends.

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Versatile and agile of mind, they respond quickly and adeptly to another's shiftingposition. Often they are several jumps ahead. Indeed, ENTPs are the most able ofall the types to maintain a one-up position with others, while to be taken-in ormanipulated by another is humiliating to them, offending their pride in beingmasters of the art of one-upmanship.

Their home environment also tends to be full of life. They are gregarious,laugh easily and often, and are typically in good humor. Although usuallydependable providers of economic necessities, life with ENTPs is at times anadventure, and they can unknowingly navigate the family into dangerous economicwaters. Orderliness in the routines of daily living is not apt to inspire them, andthey usually solve this problem by letting their mates pick up after them. Inventorslike to spar verbally with their loved ones, and if their mates are not intellectuallycompetitive they are likely to find such one-up/one-down transactions somewhatwearying. If the mate is competitive, however, the result might be delightful give-and-takeor, at times, marital conflict.

Inventors tend to have all sorts of hobbies and to be experts in unexpectedareas, but they are not apt to share these hobbies with their mate or children in thesense of teaching them. In fact, Inventors may be very inconsistent in the attentionthey give to their offspring. Usually, it is feast or famine, wonderful warmth andaffection when they are with their children, but also benign neglect when they areengrossed in their many outside interests. In particular, Inventors have little timefor the everyday tasks of caring for and disciplining their children, and if possiblewill leave such domestic details to their mate.

Source: Please Understand Me II; Temperment, Character, Intellignence. DavidKeirsey, 1998.

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