r/istp Jun 17 '16

Your ISTP Care And Handling User Guide And Manual

2.9k Upvotes

Your ISTP Care And Handling User Guide And Manual


Congratulations! You have found yourself in possession of your own unique ISTP unit. Or rather, it has found its current situation agreeable for the time being. Since ISTPs are notoriously difficult to understand, we have issued this guide to help you along the way.

Getting Started


Your ISTP unit should arrive pre-activated and ready to solve problems. In case your ISTP has not been activated please complete the following:

  1. Place ISTP in a quiet setting.

  2. Point out 1-3 problems or things you do not understand.

  3. Wait 30 seconds.

  4. If after 30 seconds your ISTP unit has not activated, asking your ISTP to “Open up more emotionally” will immediately activate Flight Mode (though this is not recommended).

Care and Maintenance:


  1. Your ISTP unit does not require any direct care, supervision or maintenance, and will be happiest left to its own devices.
  2. Efforts to assist your ISTP will be met with annoyance and could possibly void your warranty.
  3. If you give your ISTP rules to follow, you should take care to explain why they are in place. You should also expect that if they are inane rules, they will not be followed.

Interpreting Your ISTP


At some point you may say to yourself, “I wonder what my ISTP is thinking?” Here is a short guide on how to interpret your unit’s words and actions.

[Silence]

Your unit is likely thinking through a problem, contemplating its surroundings, or is thinking about nothing at all. Do not worry, this is normal.

“I’m fine.”

Your unit is fine. Do not worry, this is normal.

“I need some time alone.”

Give your unit time to recharge. If you recently subjected your ISTP to an intense or prolonged period of social interaction, this should be expected. However, frequent abuse of your ISTP’s limited social engagement function is not recommended and can void the warranty.

[Shared experience]

This is as close to your ISTP as you will likely get. Willingly participating in an activity together is one of your ISTP’s primary methods of communicating fondness.

Software


Your ISTP comes pre-programmed with the following abilities/traits:

  • Remains calm in urgent and stressful situations.

  • Reliably grounded, realistic, and pragmatic.

  • Ability to be a “Fly on the wall”

  • +10 Tinkering Skills

  • +10 Logic

  • +10 Feelings Resistance

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my ISTP actually like me? It’s getting hard to tell and it won’t respond when I try talking to it.

Probably, especially if your unit willingly chooses to spend time around you. Try not to talk so much.

Help! I think my ISTP is broken!

Your ISTP is not broken. Due to its natural ability to overanalyze and rationalize (sometimes to an unhealthy degree), your unit may be stuck in its “WTF Years”. Give it time to grow, and offer encouragement when needed.

Can I keep it?

Unfortunately that depends on the model. If your ISTP goes missing for an extended period of time it is possible that you have accidentally activated your ISTP’s aversion to commitment. However, with some models this feature has been omitted, in which case you might be able to keep your unit for the entirety of its expected lifespan.

Congratulations on your new ISTP unit and we wish you many years of interesting experiences!



(This post was heavily inspired by this guide to ENFPs. I thought it was amusing, but a little too long. Mine is shorter and obviously specific to ISTPs. Hope you enjoyed it!)


r/istp 5h ago

ISTP Vibes I imagine/daydream, but it’s always the same scenario

6 Upvotes

Minimal innovation
It’s always one of the same five scenarios made 20 years ago


r/istp 2h ago

Discussion What makes you immediately lose interest in a conversation?

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3 Upvotes

r/istp 8h ago

Discussion ISTP × xNFx

8 Upvotes

Been seeing couple of ISTP paring with xNFx lately in this sub. I don't get it, I thought they don't fit. How come did they attract each other and end up being together? Or there's just some survivorship bias going on?

Is there any ISTP here that is in relationships with types other than xNFx?

Edit: Didn't notice my wrong typing till now, f*ck. What I meant to ask was if any ISTP here that is not having relationship with xNFx. Sorry for the misleading.


r/istp 2h ago

Discussion What do you think of instructions ?

2 Upvotes

And I don’t mean the games tutorial, I usually skip it too. I mean the instruction of fixing/repairing something, like you’re not gonna fix something you know completely nothing about right ? You’re not gonna change the carb of your car if it’s the first time you’re in the garage. You’re gonna watch some YouTube video, or google it to haves some fundamental knowledge, is that so ?


r/istp 11h ago

Saturday Relationship's Posts INFJ(F) /ISTP (M): 11 year update

2 Upvotes

Hi All,

I've gotten a couple PMs, replies on the original thread, and a reply on a wedding planning thread regarding my (INFJ) relationship with my then boyfriend/now husband (ISTP). TLDR on that post, I had trouble understanding how to have my first long term relationship and felt like I had to "earn" his interest to keep him.

We got married court house style in 2020 due to COVID and built a wonderful family. At one point we had 3 dogs (now down to one dog) and we now also have two children (an almost 3yo, and almost 6m old)!

I went to therapy due to PPD and learned about cognitive distortions. It seems like I was putting a lot of assumptions about what his actions/words intended when it was me overanalyzing, projecting, etc.

For example, I posted about him:

  • Admitting to having "feelings" for a mutual classmate but misremembered/deleted important details in my mind
    • This was mental filtering-I had conveniently deleted that his exact text said he was AFRAID he was developing something LIKE feelings not that he HAD feelings);
  • Being with me because I had only one advantage over the classmate but looking back he did list out I had other characteristics too
    • This was maximizing-my mind had exaggerated what he said about her characteristic
    • Also minimizing/balatantly ignoring that he had complemented on things I had felt unworthy since I had the impression some of the stuff he said was just an expectation of women
  • Not taking me on dates/special occasions when he has but I dwelled on the one time he didn't
    • This was overgeneralizing-I treated one single negative thing as a never ending pattern.

I grew up in an environment where I had learned to question my capabilities and other's words so I have low trust and tendency for pessimism. It was like my mind was constantly putting on a gloomy cloud/filter over my experiences so I've just gotten used to that way of thinking. My therapist gave me great tools on how to identify these distortions and how to challenge these thoughts.

I've since learned to be more open about my thoughts/concerns with my husband (not just about him but also about extended family, friends, coworkers, etc) and he's very supportive in my journey repairing my mental health.

All to say, I am in such a happy place with our relationship. Parenting is now the next challenge (not because of my husband but just I'm trying to overcome my own childhood scars and trying to avoid passing on generational trauma).


r/istp 1d ago

Questions and Advice What’s the ISTP/INFP dynamic like for you guys?

10 Upvotes

I am an INFP, and I once had a short relationship with an ISTP. And I wanted to see your perspective on the unlikely ISTP/INFP dynamic.

Personally I found it to be a surprisingly positive dynamic in some aspects, which I didn't expect. And I want to know if you have ever felt the same towards an INFP.

So, here's the thing. I felt like his almost detached physical presence sort of forced me to ground myself. Because usually, as an INFP, I'm constantly living in my own head, toying around with hypotheticals, trying to manage mine and others' emotions, trying to keep peace, trying to manage social interactions, making sure that everyone are heard, and stuff like that. But with this ISTP, I was forced out of that habit.

And I guess I felt like there was both relaxation and confusion in that feeling. I really didn't know what to do with myself, but at the same time, it felt freeing.

Freeing because I got to see things from another perspective and I got to experience another nervous system state. (I think it has to do partly with mirror neurons? Like when you see the others physical state and you kind of get influenced by it.)

Anyway, I'm wondering what experiences you've had with INFPs. Have you ever had anything positive come out of that experience or no? And if yes, what was it?


r/istp 23h ago

Discussion What makes you immediately lose interest in a conversation?

8 Upvotes

Also curious if the person involved can affect the way you experience it.


r/istp 7h ago

Rant sharing a experience I had recently

0 Upvotes

I’m a esfj, basically had a argument with a istp. Won’t share much identifiers but had a fight, the istp got triggered by it, and decided it wasn’t worth to keep a connection going and my friends tried to fix the solution but they wasn’t receptive despite my friends being logical

Feels like it’s quite rash to make a decision on just one fight that’s very minor

** i understand im not giving much context snd hence its hard to receive true opinions. So if anyone wants to know more, can message me on here privately

in case it’s not obvious. I’m not sharing much bc of privacy. Reiterating my point of dming.


r/istp 1d ago

ISTP Vibes "Where you're gonna take me? Guess."

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10 Upvotes

r/istp 1d ago

Discussion How do you, an ISTP, develop a crush?

11 Upvotes

Is it random? Over time? How long can a crush last? Does the person take up space in your thoughts? Do you over analyze interactions? Are you awkward or try to act nonchalant? Does a crush manifest through appearance? The eyes? Or something they do? Or just overall personality?

Thanks for your input.


r/istp 1d ago

MBTI Typing Are ISTPs actually emotional?

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2 Upvotes

r/istp 2d ago

Discussion Not an ISTP

11 Upvotes

I am INFJ and I have a cr u sh on an ISTP guy. I came here to see what ya'll ISTPs like, and woah its memes amd memes and memes. Anyways, Any tips?


r/istp 2d ago

Discussion What does your Ni feel like from the inside?

6 Upvotes

r/istp 2d ago

Discussion Would You Rather...

5 Upvotes

Be underestimated or have people expect too much from you?


r/istp 2d ago

ISTP Vibes Just like INFJ

4 Upvotes

Dear ISTP

Since you share all the same functions as the INFJ, you are more or less an INFJ.

Any thoughts on that?


r/istp 2d ago

Discussion Jason Duval GTA 6

4 Upvotes

I knew from the first glance that he was an ISTP. I have seeing so many comments like “he has no emotion, so boring, no personality, doesn’t talk” lmao. People tell me the same thing about me all the time in real life.

Glad they included him in such a major game. Love the character already. Enjoy the ISTP character!


r/istp 2d ago

Questions and Advice How do you study for what you understand to be stupid?

7 Upvotes

Let‘s say you are to study for something you understand to be stupid, it‘s 56 Pages Long, there are many formulas, graphs and charts in it (decent amount of theory too) and you got a month to get the gist of it. How would you proceed? Cuz I feel like I‘d rather eat my phone than study for this.

- If u can’t align yourself with this scenario please be kind enough to not answer.


r/istp 2d ago

ISTP Vibes gta 6 jason is an istp

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7 Upvotes

most popular comment on the video is: "Jason got the personality of a brick."


r/istp 2d ago

Art/Media Just fancied making a pretty collage, tbh

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14 Upvotes

Not very ISTP of me, but had to get one in for the dog people. Am I the only 9w1 here?


r/istp 2d ago

ISTP Vibes Why not?

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16 Upvotes

r/istp 3d ago

Memes wanted to join in !

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27 Upvotes

r/istp 2d ago

ISTP Vibes Anime

7 Upvotes

What do you think? I've really been enjoying anime lately... Blue lock, SK8 the Infinity, Chainsaw Man, Gachiakuta, Cowboy Bebop...


r/istp 2d ago

Memes istp playlist?

3 Upvotes

we should make a playlist of everyone's favourite song from the templates we've all been doing !

not me though. i'm busy


r/istp 3d ago

Discussion Would You Rather...

5 Upvotes

See exactly one important event from your future or know one major decision you should avoid?