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The Daily Insight

Are INTPs really that rare?

Author

James Stevens

Updated on April 28, 2026

The INTP is one of the rarest of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types, making up only 3-5 percent of the U.S. population. As a result, INTPs are often misunderstood and can easily feel alone in the world. If you relate to most of these signs, you might be an INTP.

What is the INTP shadow?

Shadow functions for INTPs generally refer to an unhealthy or immature INTP that is too involved with introverted thinking. When this happens to an INTP, he or she will become isolated, harsh, and disinterested in people they usually care to be around otherwise.

Who is more intelligent INTP or INTJ?

Overall the smartest type is INTJ. More specifically on average the top 3 smartest types are INFJs at third place, INTPs at second place and INTJs at first place.

What are rare earth elements and why are they important?

What are rare earth elements, and why are they important? The rare earth elements (REE) are a set of seventeen metallic elements. These include the fifteen lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium. Rare earth elements are an essential part of many high-tech devices.

What is a bad thing about INTP?

A pure, bubbly heart is in an INTP — and that can sometimes be a blind spot for them. A pure, bubbly INTP is a good thing, but it can lead to forgetting something. 17. An INTP can be so wrapped up in their own world, that if not careful they can forget the world of others.

What does the INTP personality type mean?

The INTP means the personality is predominantly introverted, intuitive (pattern seeking and metaphors), thinking (rational over socially-emotional reasoning), and perceiving (more laid back than “J” types.

Is being an INTP a blessing or a curse?

Left to your own devices, there’s a chance that you’d become so wrapped up in your own thoughts and ideas that you’d forget the world of others—this is both a blessing and a curse. To compound the problem, INTPs are a rare breed, making up just three percent of the population.