A lot of people (well, actually just Kelly and I) wonder why I am so different from other people. Some might say I am anti-social. But I don’t think that’s totally accurate. I love spending time with a select few close friends, especially when we can talk about things that are deep and meaningful. I really enjoy having conversations that analyze world problems (political, social, ecclesial (of the church) and figure out theoretical solutions. If the solutions would ever be realized that would be wonderful, but if not oh well. At least I’m right.

Being an INTP (1% of the population) is a great way to live. If you aren’t sure what an INTP is, you might not be familiar with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The MBTI categorizes human personalities in four pairs of preferences that offer sixteen combinations. The four pairs answer the following questions.

• Where does one focus attention?
  Extroversion (E) - Introversion (I)
• How does one take in information?
  Sensing (S) - Intuition (N)
• How does one make decisions?
  Thinking (T) - Feeling (F)
• How does one deal with the world?
  Judging (J) - Perceiving (P)

As I said before I am an INTP: an I (introverted) N (intuitive) T (thinking) P (Perciever). In other words I am a Designer Theorizer.

DESIGNER THEORIZER

Becoming an expert. Seeing new patterns and elegant connections. Talent for design and redesign. Crossing the artificial boundaries of thought. Activate the imagination. Clarifying and defining. Making discoveries. Reflect on the process of thinking itself. Detach to analyze. Struggle with attending to the physical world.

Here are some of my favorite activities

• asking hard questions
• critical thinking
• systematic theorizing
• abstract modeling
• data analysis
• systems synthesis
• minimizing problem structure
• loophole analysis
• algorithm development

It is clear that my current profession of being a campus minister is well outside of my natural abilities. I know I am wierd but I think about inventing and designing stuff all the time. One of my favorite pasttimes other than watching movies, playing games, and sleeping, is inventing things. I dream about having a studio, an inventor’s laboratory to concoct secret potions to turn animals into agents of espionage. I’m just joking by the way. “But seriously, how cool would it be if…” is a phrase you will hear often if you spend time with me.

So until the think tank calls me home and asks me to figure out how to build a rocket from 3 straws, a cardboard box, some coffee, and a roll of duct tape, I’ll be dreaming of the next website or technological advancement, designing a logo, or maybe just theologizing. In any case, you can be sure that I’ll be making something new even if you don’t want it.