ISTP 7w8: (A Complete Guide)

In this article, we will describe a combination of ISTP 7w8 personality type i.e. ISTP personality from the MBTI types and the type 7w8 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 7w8.

ISTP 7w8

ISTP 7w8 shares traits of both ISTP and 7w8 personality. They are afraid of being deprived and missing out on things. As a result, they seek new experiences and multiple opportunities. They dislike being told to follow schedules and rules as they see that limiting their productivity. They love new challenges and solving problems. They continue to seek new ideas and opportunities to keep their life fast-paced and action-oriented.

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 7w8 is one of its types.

Type 7w8: ‘The Realist’

Type 7w8 has basic traits of type 7 and secondary traits of type 8 personality.  Type 7w8 is an aggressive personality in terms of the demands they make from others. They can be highly assertive and goal-oriented. They are driven to maintain an active lifestyle with a focus on achieving objectives.

Healthy versions of this subtype are enthusiastic and materialistic in the sense that they enjoy finer things in life. They are confident, assertive, and able to face challenges head-on. They also make good leaders due to their quick mind and business-like persistent attitude. Their approach is strategic and they make good use of available resources to get what they want. 

Average versions of this subtype are practical multi-taskers who can be workaholics but also seek enjoyable experiences. They are driven to accumulate fine and latest possessions to give out the message ‘I am worth it’. They enjoy travel, socialization but are not too needy in romantic relationships. Their approach is straightforward as they are clear about their needs and expectations, and can live alone as well. At times, they can be inconsiderate of the feelings and needs of other people with disregard for morality. Even in conflicts, they are more stimulated by confrontation than wanting to resolve them. Their enthusiasm and need for stimulation make it difficult for them to exercise self-control. Substance abuse is common among them.

Unhealthy versions of this subtype are both compulsive and anti-social. They get involved in dangerous situations and get a rush from living on the edge. Gambling, extreme sexual activity, and excessive money-spending deplete their resources. This is because they overestimate their power and wealth. Such people can be physically destructive and violent which can lead to a mental breakdown or even death. 

Examples of Type 7w8: John F Kennedy, Howard Stern, Malcolm Forbes

A Combination of ISTP 7w8

Personality: ISTP 7w8

ISTP 7w8 fear deprivation in life. To prevent that from happening, they pursue multiple opportunities and avoid being constrained by schedules. They want to be happy. So, they seek new experiences. They love new challenges that spark their interest. Consequently, they acquire knowledge and skills to help them in solving complex problems. They get bored easily and look for new problems to keep themself occupied and too feel productive.

Workstyle: ISTP 7w8

In the workplace, are energetic, calm, hardworking, and good at multitasking. They use their knowledge, skills, and experiences to solve problems and complete work tasks. They can manage crises well. However, they dislike a lot of rules, schedules, and routines. As a result, they look for innovation and freedom in what they do. They are detail-oriented and focus on concrete ideas. They prefer to work in jobs that allow them freedom and practical orientation of things e.g. travel agent, travel writer, firefighter, paramedic, video game designer, carpentry, etc.

Emotional stressors of ISTP 7w8

ISTP 7w8 dislike being controlled and made to follow rules and strict schedules. They are stressed by this and need innovation to be excited. However, when they do spend their energy on multiple things, they can get exhausted and distressed. Being alone for too long also stresses them out. They defend themself by rationalizing their bad feelings and other people’s negative actions.

Conflict: ISTP 7w8

ISTP 7w8 are good at conflict management and coming up with solutions to problems. They are assertive, practical, and logical in their approach.  They strive to be quick and to the point. Their goal is to resolve matters soon since when things get dragged, they get stressed by lack of action. 

Interpersonal Skills: ISTP 7w8

ISTP 7w8 are friendly and social with other people. However, they can be practical and logical in their interpersonal approach. This makes it difficult to understand the emotions of other people. They are assertive and clear in their communication but keep their vulnerabilities to themself. They seek innovation and thrill to keep things exciting. 

Strengths of ISTP 7w8

• They are optimistic and energetic
• They are confident and charismatic
• They are assertive
• They have good crisis management skills
• They are logical
• They learn by experience
• They are action-oriented
• They are realistic and practical in their approach
• They enjoys new things
• They are easy-going

Weakness of ISTP 7w8

• They can be materialistic
• They have difficulty following through with commitments
• They can be impatient and blunt
• They are too career-focused
• They are difficult to get to know
• They can be insensitive
• They get bored easily

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 7w8

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed ISTP 7w8 personality.  We found that ISTP 7w8 shares traits of both ISTP and 7w8 personality. They are afraid of being deprived and missing out on things. As a result, they seek new experiences and multiple opportunities. They dislike being told to follow schedules and rules as they see that limiting their productivity. They love new challenges and solving problems. They continue to seek new ideas and opportunities to keep their life fast-paced and action-oriented.

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-7-wing-8

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