ISTP 2w1: (A Complete Guide)

In this article, we will describe a combination of ISTP 2w1 personality type i.e. ISTP personality from the MBTI types and the type 2w1 from enneagram types. We will be describing each personality separately followed up by giving an in-depth overview of a combination of both personalities i.e. ISTP 2w1.

ISTP 2w1

ISTP 2w1 shares traits of both ISTP and 2w1 personality. These personalities are afraid of being unloved and unaccepted. So, they adopt the role of the caretaker to get the validation and love they need from others. They are warm, practical, empathic, and helpful people who genuinely take care of the needs of others. They do so in a quiet manner in the background without calling attention to themself. They like to solve problems and fix things. However, they get bored easily and look for new challenges to maintain their interest. 

MBTI: Four Cognitive Functions

 Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), based on Carl Jung’s 16 personality types, approaches personality to be composed of four cognitive functions that govern how people think, process, and make decisions. The top two cognitive functions play a dominant role in guiding a person’s personality. Whereas, the latter two play less of a role. However, they still have some impact or influence on how a person behaves in certain situations. ISTP is one personality type out of the 16 types. 

ISTP: The Crafter (Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving)

The ISTP personality type from the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is based on Carl Jung’s 16 personality types. It describes people who are independent, action-oriented, prefer freedom and flexibility in their life. They are open to new experiences and like engaging in practical activities. Logic,  rationality,  concrete information, and practical application of things appeal to them more than abstract ideas.  They dislike routine and prefer newness in their life. 5.4% of people have an ISTP personality type in the world.

Four Cognitive Functions of ISTP

Four cognitive functions that guide how ISTP personality type processes information includes:

Introverted Thinking

ISTPs spend most of their time thinking and processing information which they rarely express to others.  Consequently, they prefer being quiet most of the time. Their actions are based on their strong observational and thinking skills.  You could say they are rational and logical people who like to engage in practical activities.  Furthermore, while analysing situations,  they can put their emotions aside and see things objectively.  Such personalities are hard to get to know for other people due to their action-oriented and reserved nature.

Extroverted Sensing

ISTPs are present-oriented who do not think about the past or the future excessively.  They are logical and enjoy learning about how things function and operate.  They love the practical application of concepts. So they learn more by doing than from reading theories or abstract ideas. 

Introverted Intuition

ISTPs often have gut feelings about different situations especially before making a decision. They can turn abstract concepts into actions or practical ideas.  Due to their intuitive function,  they are also able to have moments of insight about themselves and others. 

Extroverted Feeling

This is the weakest part of ISTP’s personality. They are usually calm and logical.  However,  in stressful situations, they can have emotional outbursts and lash out at others.  This is because they usually ignore their feelings till they reach a breaking point. 

Enneagrams

Enneagrams are a map or typology of human personalities. It was developed by George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, Oscar Ichazo, and Claudio Naranjo.It is divided into nine personality types that are spread across 3 triads i.e. Feeling triad, Thinking Triad, or Instinctive Triad. It describes a person’s fundamental psychological orientation in the form of good or bad traits and sees which triad quality i.e. emotion, intellect or instincts is most characteristic of his or her personality.  The Basic Personality Type is the most characteristic of a person. Whereas wings add elements to the overall personality. Type 2w1 is one of its types.

Type 2w1: ‘The Servant’

Type 2w1 has basic traits of type 2 and secondary traits of type 1. Type two pushes these people to be emotional and interpersonal but type one emphasizes rationality and self-control. Thus, type 2w1 is empathic yet restrained. They strive for love through being good, selfless, and meeting other’s needs before their own. Sense of duty and obligation drives them to have a strong conscience and act according to principles of treating others fairly, no matter how bad they feel at the emotional level themself.

Healthy versions of this subtype can contribute a lot by different means like teaching, adding to philanthropic causes, improving lives, and working for charities. They have a sense of purpose and seriousness in doing this. They make good teachers as they can be rational but warm with good values, supportive, and encouraging. 

Average versions of this personality empathize with others but in moderation with a hint of judgment of others on moral grounds. However, they are still driven to help others and find it hard to say no. They can be controlling of others and themself in the name of love. Being the center of attention embarrasses them due to which they try to be in the background. They can be highly self-critical and find it hard to express even their basic needs.

Unhealthy versions of this subtype are moralistic, rigid, and self-righteous. They deceive themselves into believing they are right on moral grounds but are actually highly critical of others. They deny their feelings of anger. Hypochondria, psychosomatic disorders, and OCD related to the body are common in such types.  

Examples of Type 2w1: Mother Teresa, Lewis Carroll, Eleanor Roosevelt

A Combination of ISTP 2w1

Personality: ISTP 2w1

ISTP 2w1 is afraid of being unwanted and unloved. So, they become the caretakers of others to prevent that from happening. Their desire is to be loved and accepted. In the process, they repress their needs and solve problems quietly in the background. They use their experience and skills to fix things and move on to the next target as soon as possible to avoid being bored.

Workstyle: ISTP 2w1

ISTP 2w1 are cooperative workers who help out their team members by contributing their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems. They love contributing to a cause and finding solutions to difficult challenges. This makes them good at crisis management. However, they dislike being constrained by routines and schedules and prefer independence. They focus on details, concrete information, and practical ideas. They prefer to work in jobs that allow them to help others but also give them personal space to re-charge e.g. counselor, nurse, school psychologist, advisor, video game designer, scientist, firefighter, pilot, etc.

Emotional stressors of ISTP 2w1

ISTP 2w1 is often stressed by being criticized by other people and not being of use/help to them. This leads to feelings of guilt and shame which is distressing for them. At the same time, putting the needs of others ahead of their own also creates unconscious resentment in them which can be another source of stress. 

Conflict: ISTP 2w1

ISTP 2w1 personalities are good at handling conflict as it gives them the opportunity to fix things. They try to be fair, quick, and practical in their management. Their focus is to take action immediately, empathize with both parties, and use effective and clear communication to resolve matters as soon as possible.  

Interpersonal Skills: ISTP 2w1

ISTP 2w1 are warm, friendly, and polite in their relationships. They are practical people who are at the same time attentive to the needs of others. They try their best to be empathic and helpful. Yet, they struggle a bit at an emotional level. They are driven by a sense of duty and obligation in their relationships and strive to do things right. 

Strengths of ISTP 2w1

  • They are attentive to the needs of others
  • They are self-aware of personal areas needing improvement
  • They are supportive of others
  • They focus on the present
  • They are logical
  • They learn by experience
  • They are action-oriented
  • They are realistic and practical in their approach
  • They enjoy new things
  • They are self-confident and easy-going

Weakness of ISTP 2w1

  • They are overly Self-critical
  • They can be overly self-sacrificial at times
  • They need the approval of others
  • They find accepting criticism from others hard
  • They are difficult to get to know
  • They get bored easily
  • They are risk-takers
  • They do not like commitment

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

 FAQs: ISTP 2w1

Who should an ISTP marry?

ISTP should marry ESTJ or ENTJ. This is because their dominant introverted thinking can be matched well by the dominant extroverted thinking of such partners. However, they can enjoy good relationships with other personality types as well.

Is ISTP rare?

No. ISTPs are not rare among the general population but they are rare among women. 

What is Type 2 personality?

Type 2 personality is altruistic, quiet, and want to alleviate human suffering. They fear being unwanted by loved ones. So, they try really hard to be helpful to prevent that from happening. It is one of the types from the nine enneagrams.

What is Type 2w1?

Type 2w1 or Type 2 wing 1 is an enneagram personality subtype. It has core characteristics of type two personality and complementary characteristics of type one personality.

 

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed ISTP 2w1 personality.  We found that ISTP 2w1 shares traits of both ISTP and 2w1 personality. These personalities are afraid of being unloved and unaccepted. So, they adopt the role of the caretaker to get the validation and love they need from others. They are warm, practical, empathic, and helpful people who genuinely take care of the needs of others. They do so in a quiet manner in the background without calling attention to themself. They like to solve problems and fix things. However, they get bored easily and look for new challenges to maintain their interest.  

I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any queries or comments, please state them in the comment section 😊

Citations

https://www.verywellmind.com/istp-introverted-sensing-thinking-perceiving-2795993

https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/type-2-wing-1

Personality Types – Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery by Don Richard Riso with Russ Hudson

The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson

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