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INTPs - mental stimulation after FIRE?
Old 08-31-2018, 08:28 PM   #1
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INTPs - mental stimulation after FIRE?

Since many of the folks here are INTP, I'm curious what you're doing post-FIRE. Supposedly a key INTP trait is enjoying intellectual challenge and using our minds. I'm looking to FIRE next year at age 57, but one of my concerns is that I'll miss the day-to-day mental exercise that I get from w*rk.

For the most part my work is amusing stuff that they pay me decent money to do (data crunching and analysis, SAS programming, MS Access db development, Excel, etc). I just want to do less of it, so I have more large chunks of time to travel and do other things. Freelance contract gigs may be an option to still use my mind and earn some mad money.

What are the rest of you INTPs doing to keep mentally challenged? Or is that even a concern?
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Old 09-01-2018, 07:12 AM   #2
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It hasn't really been difficult for me. There are so many things to learn out there.........the key is to finding one (or a few) that you are passionate about, and then dig in and start learning/doing. For me, they are things like foraging for wild foods, diet/nutrition/fitness, and teaching environmental education to kids. Since I retired, I've had the time to really get into those things (and some others), and it has been rewarding. Toward the end of my career, there were not many mental challenges associated with my job anymore. Some parts were interesting, but a whole lot of it was pretty routine and dull. So I feel like I can definitely use my mind more in retirement. I also get more personal satisfaction out of the things I spend my time on now than I did toward the end of my career.
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Old 09-01-2018, 11:06 AM   #3
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I am an INTJ, not an INTP. But I guess that's a little bit similar.

There is no way I could ever be lacking intellectual stimulation in retirement, with the entire internet right here in front of me. Everything known to man, and a million questions about everything, are all available right here at my fingertips to explore.

Quote:
For the most part my work is amusing stuff that they pay me decent money to do (data crunching and analysis, SAS programming, MS Access db development, Excel, etc).
I had to quote this because I got a big kick out of it. I did a lot of the same things, and used all of those tools, in my job as well. But I have been pretty happy in retirement.

One thing that I have been enjoying lately, is that nobody is TELLING me what facets of the universe I should be exploring. Instead of restricting my inquiry to various useful scientific/engineering problems, I can explore anything that appeals to me.

It helps that I have a high level of initiative. My parents brought me up that way. You can't really just sit back and expect someone to put a problem in front of you to explore - - you have to go out there and find one. That said, really it's not that tough! The world awaits.
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Old 09-01-2018, 11:22 AM   #4
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I volunteer at my local food bank in their finance dept., as that is where my skills lie. 4-6 hours, one day a week is just enough for me. I get mental stimulation and they appreciate having a skilled volunteer. I take weeks off whenever I want (always giving them advance notice). No meetings, no taking work home, no HR bs. Been there for 2 years now. It is the best of both worlds for me.

My food bank would kill for skills like yours. I’m sure other types of nonprofits would as well.
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Old 09-01-2018, 11:57 AM   #5
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What I find really enjoyable is learning something without any time pressure. While working, I'd catch myself going down a rabbit hole when learning something new and say "Dang, Rabbit hole". Now, it's like "Oooo Rabbit hole!"

I've just decided to learn stuff. I can now knock-out something pretty complicated in Sketchup in reasonably short order. I just kept plugging along, watching youtube videos, trying things, and trying more things. Eventually I got reasonably proficient; I can build me a kick-ass, multiple ridged roof now, down to the individual rafter. The next step is to figure a way to get the stresses on timber frames so as to be able to size the posts beams accurately.

On another tech front, I've got applications released now on both Google Play and Apple App Store. I'd never written a line of mobile code before retiring (although I used to code for a set of MegaCorps, so wasn't starting coding from scratch). But the same idea as Sketchup...just keep plugging along, taking my time, enjoying the journey. Sometimes it was slow-going...you get stuck, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you figure it out.

Android Studio is free, as is Xcode, as is Sketchup, so zero up-front cost if you have the computers. Apple charges $99 every year to have an app to their store (which annoys the crap out of me because my apps are free), but otherwise, it's not a money thing.

The hardest thing for me is to just decide to do something specific. Once I decide, I'll pick my head up and it's two weeks later, and people wonder where I've been.
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Old 09-01-2018, 07:18 PM   #6
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I just transferred all that laser like focus from work, which had become boring and annoying with all the upper mgmt and HR bs, to the volunteer work I had already been doing, just got more involved in without any of the annoyances. Was nice to finish the certificate in religious ed that I had started while working. That was very satisfying to work online in a group i found very easy to get along with, except of course for some of the annoyances from the university administrative types. Also, the pet care became more of a focus as each animal added more diseases needful of research on care as they aged.
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Old 09-01-2018, 10:35 PM   #7
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I am an INTP - very strong P (max).

I very deliberately pursued intellectual challenge upon retiring as I was very hungry for knowledge. My engineering education and career neglected several areas of interest for me - so I caught up with natural sciences, working through several college level textbooks, and an online course. There were various syllabi available online to review to choose textbooks etc.

I also developed several new skills in various areas.

And we did a great deal of traveling those first few years, much of it related to our natural history interests as well as the new skills I was mastering.

I’ve slowed down a bit now , but I’ve been retired 19 years!
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Old 09-02-2018, 06:05 AM   #8
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Youtube is an endless source of intellectual stimulation for me. Long-form discussions, talks and lectures from experts in a variety of fields, debates over complex philosophical and political issues, DIY instruction on everything you can imagine, and a range of opinion you will never find in traditional media. (It's not just Youtube but the whole internet, as W2 said above, although what's going on with Youtube has been a revelation to me.)

I'm in an intellectually challenging field, but my work is much less mentally engaging than my leisure time. I often find myself feeling bored and listless at work, but when I get home, my mind snaps awake.
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Old 09-02-2018, 10:19 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sengsational View Post

The hardest thing for me is to just decide to do something specific. Once I decide, I'll pick my head up and it's two weeks later, and people wonder where I've been.
Didn't you tell anybody that you were going to Romania?
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Old 09-02-2018, 02:09 PM   #10
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Didn't you tell anybody that you were going to Romania?
I made no secret of that!
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Old 09-02-2018, 05:15 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by pdxgal View Post
For the most part my work is amusing stuff that they pay me decent money to do (data crunching and analysis, SAS programming, MS Access db development, Excel, etc). I just want to do less of it, so I have more large chunks of time to travel and do other things. Freelance contract gigs may be an option to still use my mind and earn some mad money.

What are the rest of you INTPs doing to keep mentally challenged? Or is that even a concern?
INTJ, not INTP. I have created some electronic home projects for myself, learned to design with the new-fangled 32-bit ARM chips that I did not get to play with when working, learned to write firmware for them using downloaded free tools that are surprisingly good. Lots of nifty analog chips too. So many chips, so little time...

It sometimes made me want to go back to work, where people would pay me for the work. Perish the thought.
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Old 09-02-2018, 07:49 PM   #12
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What a fun thread!

So it started exactly 60 years ago when I graduated from what NICHE has named the "Best Liberal Arts College in the Country".... So fascinating !.. Psychology major, German minor, and along the way as many courses as I could squeeze in... Imagine... Astronomy, Music, Creative Writing, Comparative Religion, Art Appreciation, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Calculus (ugh), and a few others that I can't remember. BTW the hardest were Religion, Astronomy and Music...

As a student, you learned what "liberal" meant. Greatest group of beer drinking genius fraternity members ever. Loved every minute.
So next, marriage, then kids, and 60 to 70 hours a week of wo*k and the only time to indulge was two hours of reading between 11 PM and 1 AM.

Then at 53, FREEDOM.
Catching up on everything possible. Sometimes an article in the paper, sometimes a word or two on the TV that needed explanation. Sometimes a mention here on ER.. What a great life. Politics... split between CNN, MSNBC and FOX. Music from Amazon or Alexa...Classical and no need to parse thetic 1 or anacrusic 3. And what could possibly be better than my German neighbor to practice mit mein Deutche.

Anything and everything... like knowing where my humming birds go in the winter, to how bitcoin works... (yeah... finally, but I'm not telling).

Like, who knew? who could've guessed back in the 1960's that you could sit at home and ask any question and get an answer... instantly. How well I remember the trips down to the Pawtucket Library, and the encyclopedia Americana that my mom bought for me when I was 10 in 1946. Seemed like I read the whole thing (not). Best gift ever.

What a wonderful life, and now even as the physical abilities are slowing down, the world of unlimited knowledge is wide open. So many new things to learn about, so much to look forward to... the list is pages long. Current interest is AI... still over my head, but getting better.

My Hero is Thomas Young... . He Knew!
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Old 09-02-2018, 07:52 PM   #13
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There is no way I could ever be lacking intellectual stimulation in retirement, with the entire internet right here in front of me. Everything known to man, and a million questions about everything, are all available right here at my fingertips to explore.
+1,000,000

I "retired" from working for a standard paycheck shortly before I got married in 1992. I taught karate part-time through the end of 1992. Since then, I've managed to entertain myself quite well, when I wasn't otherwise busy with household duties, child rearing, etc.

Reading, TV shows, movies, all passions of mine since childhood, even easier now with the Internet. I have a few bylines to my name from the early to mid-1990's. I sold books on eBay for 7 years and quit when the post office started making more money than I was. I've done work on MTurk when the mood strikes. Off and on, I work on genealogy. Lately it's been more off because I'm concentrating on Runescape right now, which is more mentally stimulating at times than any video game has a right to be. I've always had a passion for investing and continue to try to learn to be better at it.
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Old 09-02-2018, 07:57 PM   #14
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Couldn't remember what I was... Apparently an INTJ...

Found this old article about insufferables...

Quote:
Which MBTI type or types is hardest to get to know and why?
There is no other possible answer.

They are lost in their own heads, furthering their own agendas, and doing their own thing. Alone. Intentionally. They don't want to be distracted. They typically don't need anybody for anything. Unless you are a workplace that offers something enticing to occupy their ravenous minds, they can not be distracted.

In spite of how dismissive that may sound, there is an underlying gem. The mental frenzy is not a selfish pursuit. Their goal is to continual improvement of everything imaginable, and they are doing it for tthe greater good of humanity.

The INTJ does not offer the slightest crack, weakness, or vulnerability for anybody to use as a means to infiltrate their concrete shell exterior. You will know nothing about them and have nothing to use as leverage.

If you can conjure something amazing and get any opportunity to penetrate that barrier.. there is a chance they will drop everything and make your happiness their plan, their goal, their priority. They will devise a way to put the universe (everything you have ever dreamed of) in the palm of your hands.. But, only if they deem you worthy.

And, to make matters worse, that offer only lasts for as long as you can continue to exhaust yourself by keeping them interested. If they don't see continual improvement, their priorities will be updated to rectify the inefficiency. They will go right back to doing their own thing leaving you to wonder if they even recognize you anymore.

Pretty tough to deal with, right? Impossible.

That was me from age 15-35. Lots of lessons learned along the way. Lots of soul searching. INTJs eventually outgrow that dreaded personality specific Insufferable Bastard Syndrome and tone down their eccentric nature.

Well, the smart ones do.
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Old 09-04-2018, 06:24 AM   #15
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E/INTP checking in! I am new to the ER gig. I am about 5 months in.

I agree with other comments that work got very wrote and repetitious at the end.

How to occupy my mind:
  • Welding: I did computer work in my career. Learning welding is new & different.
  • Travel: Researching new places and putting together trips.
  • Reading: I read a bunch more than before
  • Exercise: Getting in great shape!
  • Language: I haven't started but would like to learn a 2nd language


I think the bottom line is that there is plenty to do. With a job, you were told how to occupy your time. Now you have to decide and commit yourself to doing it, which is the part that is really new.

-Jimmy
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Old 09-05-2018, 01:13 PM   #16
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Can't remember the INTX stuff...not important to me anymore. Since FIRE this my short list of "stuff" to keep my mind busy....


* Bought a Class A RV and traveled across the country a few times. Learning to operate a 43 foot 42,000 lb. beast towing a SUV with a combined length of 64 feet on all kinds of roads was and still is a mental challenge. Learning to operate and repair all of the systems in the RV is and continues to be a challenge...more so now that it is 11 years old.


* Joined the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team and deployed to local disasters. The intensive training and daily "work load" of supervising 5 counties of payout to victims was a challenge. It required weeks of on-line and classroom training for the ARC and many hours of FEMA training also.


*Wife decided she wanted to "play" with a dress shop business. Learning how to create a LLC and do all that was required for the start up and maintenance of a business was certainly a learning experience as was doing all the books, taxes, payroll etc. When it became "work" for DW we stopped and sold it.


* I re-entered the SCUBA diving world. My original certification was in 1980 and I had not really done much diving for many many years. We moved to a warmer climate and I re-started my diving and added several certifications to my basic training: Advance Open Water, Dry Suit Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, and Rescue Diver. I have done over 50 dives since I retired in places like Hawaii, Cozumel, US Virgin Islands, Catalina, and Tahiti.



*Wanted to get back into some sort of Community Emergency Response but my body can't do as much as it used to so I looked for something less physical and more mental...Amateur Radio. I got my Technicians License and joined several local and state Emergency Radio Communications groups. Then I get my General License and a year later my Amateur Extra. There are no more licenses for this hobby. I am now active in our local ARES group learning new ways to communicate via the radio with computer links. That part never ends.


Other than that I work on my family Genealogy, collate my DNA testing information for ancestral matches and help others with their research.



Sill not sure what I want to do when I grow up.
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Old 09-05-2018, 01:31 PM   #17
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As an INTx myself (I'm weird and I sit directly between the INTJ and INTP) I completely get what you're saying here. As an idea, here is a fun challenge...

Solve the Travelling Salesman problem.

Should keep you busy and your full attention for quite a few weeks, until you realize it's unsolvable, but the real joy will be satisfying yourself of that conclusion. Once complete... move onto the next "question humanity hasn't yet answered" (a fun thing to google). If math, programming,statistics isn't your thing you can find similar topics of academic study to dive into post FIRE.

This is good filler fluff for the between's of living the fun life of FIRE (travel, family, all the rest). Enjoy my friend
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Old 09-05-2018, 01:49 PM   #18
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INTP A here. I have more hobbies than I have time for. One of many is learning Argentine Tango absolutely keeps brain rot in check. Figure another year or two I'll be somewhat decent dancer. It looks deceptively easy.

A short description of tasks:

One has to learn a particular walk, steps, instantly choreograph the dance on the fly, lead the woman in a way that she understands the intended direction and step, wait for her to arrive at her balance and for any decorations she my do, follow that up with a new direction and step, rinse repeat. Keep her safe from bumping into others, anotherwords keep a close eye on traffic. All the while enjoying the music, the dance, the embrace and the scent of the woman.

Oh yeah and as lead must fit all of this to he beat of the music which may change at any moment. Also learn a lot of the music in order to be able interpret not only the beat but the sentiment and mood.

And learn some Spanish so one does not create a lively movement when the story is sad one. Many tango songs are on the sad melanchloy side.


Then there is Milonga style, fast and upbeat. Another Tango system to learn. All in good time.
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Old 09-13-2018, 10:58 PM   #19
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Thank you fellow INTPs, and others, for your feedback. Sounds like my concern about missing intellectual challenge is unfounded ;-) Oceanview, if I move back to San Francisco I'll try to remember to contact you about volunteering at your food bank in case that could be an option.
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