ISTJ Archetype: The Archivist | UDSF
ISTJs are gritty traditional types who like to keep a record of struggles in order to judge character. They tend to follow the bouncing ball in life, often electing safe careers that others approve of, which offer a guaranteed payoff no matter how long it takes. Usually geared toward faith, religious or otherwise, with a high tolerance for difficult work, they strive tirelessly for security and order. They search for positions, relationships, and pursuits that keep them in check as they wish to push forward the systems which forced them to grow.
Examples of famous ISTJs you may know include:
- Edward Snowden
- John Cena
- Noam Chomsky
- Olivia Munn
- Patrick Mahomes
- Warren Buffett.
Expression Style
As is the case with all personality types, ISTJs lie at the intersection between a specific expression style and a specific worldview. They belong to the four finisher types, meaning that they are direct, responding, and progression.
Direct: ISTJs are one of the most consistent types, and their language reflects how cut and dry they are. They keep it short and sweet, having faith in the sensibility of their words.
Responding: ISTJs feel important when other people seek them out for communication. They stay on topic, often fearing that tangents will lead them down delusional paths.
Progression: When it comes to relationships, work, or play, ISTJs prefer to dive in headfirst. They strive for efficient completion in order to move from experience to experience, having faith that things will fall into place.
Worldview
ISTJs belong to the Guardian worldview, also known as the SJ temperament, meaning that they are concrete, affiliative, and systematic.
Concrete: ISTJs are known to be very down-to-earth people. Common sense comes easy to them, and they expect it from other people. They trust empirical evidence, believing it is generally sensible to think inside the box.
Affiliative: They're always looking for their people. The struggle between favoritism and egalitarianism dictates how ISTJs fit into groups. They may seek to be the greatest participants in society at large or find themselves wrapped up in the culture of a specific organization.
Systematic: ISTJs keep track of more information than any other type. They find a best practice within a given reference frame and stick to it. Their Master System becomes a balancing act between facts and feelings.
Cognitive Functions
Si Hero
The long-term memory of an ISTJ's Si Hero goes farther back than any of the other types. They hold on to their past to avoid making previous mistakes. Si Hero is excellent at steadfastness. ISTJs have faith in themselves to endure hardship, drawing personal strength from continuous struggles.
Te Parent
Te Parent is all about beliefs and opinions. ISTJs are cautious about the sources they listen to, knowing that sometimes it is not always best to take people at their word. They question the goals of people who present facts to them. They rely on the counsel of others to help them handle anything they missed.
Fi Child
Fi Child is very innocent about its moral compass, the purest way to evaluate good versus bad. ISTJs seek quality in everything and bring that quality to others when they're lacking in it. An ISTJ who takes Fi Child too far feels entitled to other people's help. They need to remain grateful to others by counting their blessings so they never grow too lazy or selfish.
Ne Inferior
ISTJs are fearful for the future of humanity. They work to give freedom to others so the best choices can be made. They seek to be the VIP in the room, a hot commodity. ISTJs understand better than anyone else that history repeats itself. They keep track of patterns to forecast the consequences of life events.
Si Nemesis
ISTJs worry that they make others uncomfortable. They typically give people the same experiences they like to have to alleviate this stress. ISTJs are all about first impressions. They go out of their way to present themselves as prim and proper.
Ti Critic
Ti Critic makes it so ISTJs cannot escape the burden of proof. They realize how inaccurate their logic tends to be and doubt everything they think. ISTJs waste away all their knowledge if their Ti Critic is not consistently challenged.
Fe Trickster
ISTJs are clueless in social settings. They do not understand social norms and often behave inappropriately without even realizing it. They need the rules of the social game laid out plainly for them.
Ni Demon
Ni Demon causes ISTJs to neglect their own future. The only option they typically consider is changing nothing at all because they don't care about personal freedom. ISTJs hate being forced to make a choice.
Four Sides of the Mind
ISTJ Ego
The ISTJ's ego consists of ENFP subconscious, ESTP unconscious (also known as The Shadow), and INFJ super ego. These functions shape their core personality.
ENFP Subconscious
The ISTJ's subconscious consists of ENFP. It represents their path to happiness when they break through the fear of their inferior function. They become strong and capable, knowing when to take away another person's freedom of choice. ISTJs are on a journey to discover metaphysics, becoming the greatest forecasters, and advocating for a better future.
ESTP Unconscious
The unconscious for ISTJs is ESTP. Embracing their unconscious allows them to accept that they can handle abandonment. They are unafraid to obligate others because they know what is best for them. Wise ISTJs can expose the flaws in any situation.
INFJ Superego
The ISTJ's superego is INFJ, led by Ni Demon. Over time, as the ISTJ realizes that it's all on them to lead humanity forward, they become unafraid to expose the lies of society. ISTJs use their personal strength to make meaningful sacrifices.
Path to Love
The INFJ super ego is led by Ni Demon and starts out hateful about its own direction in life. Over time, ISTJs learn that sometimes it is better to assert their integrity and push other people to be their best. INFJ super ego, in its Angelic form, is one of the purest expressions of integrity.
Octagram
Unconscious Developed, Subconscious Focused (UDSF): "Adversity Reveals What's Important"
UDSF ISTJs have faced significant adversity, leading them to develop their ESTP shadow early in life. They value independence and have learned to stand alone, often due to challenges in their childhood. This variant embodies the belief that enduring hardships leads to personal growth and, ultimately, hope. Their discernment in choosing where to invest their efforts is strategic and reflects a maturity born of overcoming obstacles. UDSF ISTJs have a keen sense of what truly matters, focusing on principles and relationships that have been tested and proven reliable.
Summary
ISTJs are often criticized as being the most boring of all the types; however, there is much more to them than meets the eye. They stay devoted to their cause of serving their community but can also rebel when it is needed the most. The best ISTJs keep track of current events to make sure the stories of humanity are never lost. Their record-keeping enables them to use old traditions in a new way and to leave their own mark on the world.
