All the typings and observations in this post are based on definitions and information presented in the aLBoP Guided Tour 😀 So if any of it bugs you, please go read that before leaving me a grumpy comment… Or, you know what? Let’s just skip the grumpy comments! Have a nice day! <3

ISTP

The Weapons Specialist

[Calmly tied up in a chair being interrogated by Russians, getting a call offering an extraction]

“Are you kidding? I’m working.”

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, The Avengers

The ISTP Weapons Specialist is the master of… mastery; the specialist of specialism. They excel at falling in love with something and immersing themselves totally and completely in it, using their bodies and minds together as a precision instrument at whatever speaks to them. Their body is their world-discovering device and nothing will get between them and that adventure.

Young ISTPs explore from birth with lots of touching, running, biting and questions of “What will happen if I do this?” to help them discover the enormous, thrilling world around them. They’re likely to be curious and excited about seemingly menial things that pique their interest and some details may be extremely important to them, while details that types around them feel are important aren’t such a big deal. As they grow older, their specialized excitement and journey-enjoying adventure seeking may wear on the patience of adults who want them to aim their talents at more “serious” pursuits. Also, young ISTPs, who at first may have been chattery, goofy and even boisterous in childhood, may be treated by other children like the things they like and care about are uncool or unimportant, driving a young ISTP who would rather be alone in their discovery than lose it, to be more quiet, withdrawn and snarky in their humor. In their pursuit of experiencing the world, those experiences become their friends when they feel they have none. This gives the ISTP three options.

The first is to give in to their cynicism of the world and cling to themselves as the smartest SOB on two legs. At times, the ISTP will feel like they’re the only one who really understands what’s going on in the world. They’re great at applying their past experiences to their current ones and seeing what others miss; things that to them seem obvious. Plus their natural ease at drawing character judgments from the things they’ve seen is likely to give them jade-colored glasses. It’s easy for an ISTP to go the way of Dr. House and take a sort of sadistic joy in rolling their eyes at humanity. Even if it’s not to that degree, it’s easy for an ISTP to become self-righteous about their cynical point of view and not even want solutions to the stupidity they see around them, finding safety in the idea that the reason they don’t have friends isn’t their fault, it’s just because everyone’s a moron… which as an ENTP, I have to admit, is truer than I’m happy about. But an ISTP who takes this course ends up not only further estranged from others (which is what they tell themselves they want), but both hating themselves and losing any joy they had in exploration, both of which were what they were fighting for in the first place. The entire world is left meaningless to them, not exactly in an ennui way (don’t worry; art film INTPs, you’ll have your turn), but more in a “bite me” sort of way. Appreciation of the world and the way they used to touch it, feel it and taste it, is just gone and they’re left a shallow, hateful shell.

Just because an ISTP doesn’t feel like part of the group doesn’t mean they don’t desperately long to be. When they’re willing to give up the breathtaking and thrilling things they’ve found in their adventures because they’d rather have friends than be themselves, the ISTP takes choice number two. ISTPs are terribly charming, when they want to be, and when they settle for the life they’re “supposed” to want instead of the life of calculated risk-taking and discovery at which they so excel, they can appear like that’s what they wanted all along. But these ISTPs end up regretting giving up what turned out to be not only opportunities for experiencing the world, leaving them clinging desperately to memories of experiences they once had, but also end up feeling like they gave up the very essence of who they were.

Finally, though it may be the hardest thing they’ve ever done, an ISTP can defy both their cynicism and the way they feel others expect them to be and choose to find joy in the world again. They can choose to hope that others will see them and appreciate their skills and gifts if they’re just them, even if “them” isn’t a popular notion. ISTPs who choose this third road end up excelling at whatever they pick to love. Brilliant and dauntless, this is the ISTP Weapons Specialist.

The ISTP Weapons Specialist is often found in fiction as the dark and snarky hero who may cling to the social sidelines until their sure-to-be-impressive skills have a chance to be spotlighted. Or they may be the dry-humored, skeptic team member, ready to tell the others when their plan is bone-shatteringly stupid or the aloof bounty-hunter or expert at a rare and ancient art that you call when no one else will do. They’re excellently cast as the relatable bad-a and when writers need a kick-butt girl, the Weapons Specialist is one of the most common choices (along with ENTJ, interestingly enough) because they’re able to be hard-core, while still having a hidden quirky, soft side. Their Introverted Perception combined with their Sensing makes them masters of the moment, the details of what’s going on right in front of them which they’re able to make use of in a laid-out Thinking way. But, like all TPs, they have an unconventional eccentricity to the way they do things and a love of flying in their own direction. The Weapons Specialist is happy to stay out of your way, provided you stay out of theirs.

Like all IPs, ISTPs may fear being second-rate. IPs introversion and solo world-exploration may make them feel out of touch with others, not “cool” enough etc., and their perception rather than judging may make them feel like they’re not pushing forward and having the effect they’d like to in the world. ISTPs especially, in their concrete, ST way, may feel the need to defend how experienced they are. Since their natural specializing means they favor depth over breadth of topics, they can’t possibly be experienced in every area; there just isn’t enough time or energy (or enough giving-a-crap). The Weapons Specialist shouldn’t hold themselves to the same standard of competence in other areas as they do in their sphere of interest and they can end up demeaning their own amazing know-how as well as others’ talents and skills, if they do.

The Weapons Specialist likes to do their own thing, have their own interests and explore them in their own way. They like to go on their own adventures and they can usually take-or-leave anyone coming with them on that adventure. Whether alone or in a group, they’re going to do the exact same thing, in the exact same method. As long as you don’t get between them and the adventure, they’re cool with you. Of course ISTPs can still form deep attachments; in fact, because of their loner quality, the Weapons Specialist will usually take their close relationships *very* seriously, whether or not they want to show it. A Weapons Specialist who struggles with sharing their emotions with their friends or loved ones may even grow colder to the person they care about, afraid of acting “stupid and emotional” (which they tend to have a *very* low tolerance of, in themselves especially) or opening up and getting hurt. But the Weapons Specialist is sure to be an essential and treasured member of a group who comes to know them for who they really are and appreciates their tireless resolve and unexpected wry humor.

Dark Weapons Specialists are misunderstood creatures who grew cynical as the world betrayed them. Though those characteristics are common in a lot of non-evil ISTPs, a Weapons Specialist goes Dark when they choose to disregard their specific experiences and what they know through those experiences in favor of gratifying their own feelings of hurt. They were screwed by the world so they want to screw it right back. For a wronged Weapons Specialist, there is a conscious choice of either choosing to fight injustice for the good of everyone, or choosing to fight everyone for the safety of themselves. But even a Dark Weapons Specialist who is harboring sinister intentions will be excellent at what they do; harming their foes with a thin-bladed finesse in whatever manner they choose to specialize.

Weapons Specialist or Dark Weapons Specialist, a strong ISTP is sure to excel at whatever they choose to care about in a powerful, persistent, utterly determined way.

Examples:

Male: Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride

Female: Princess Merida, Pixar’s Brave

Villain: Gollum, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Who are the Type Heroes? Read the intro here, and stay tuned to meet them all!

Want more information on ISTP, the Weapons Specialist? Read their Cognitive Orientation Guidebook here.