The Top 7 Gift Ideas for INTJs
Not sure what kind of gifts INTJs REALLY want? This comes as no surprise because the INTJ tends to be one of the trickiest personality types to shop for. These types tend to dislike the formality of gift-giving, adn are more likely to search out the kinds of things they want when they want them. Then they’ll read reviews, look for the best quality, and buy the item themselves. Most INTJs don’t save up an imaginary must-have list for the Christmas season, which can leave their loved ones feeling confused and bewildered as they wander through countless aisles looking for the right gift.
“If I want something I buy it myself. I hate the social protocol of gift-giving. I think we’d all be a lot better off if we could just do away with the gift aspect of birthdays, holidays, etc,.”
– Jacob, an INTJ
Many INTJs echoed Jacob’s thoughts, saying that they preferred to just buy their own things and felt awkward or unsure how to respond when they received gifts.
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The INTJs Relationship with Gifts
INTJs are all about practical gifts, or gifts that feed into their interests, obsessions, and hobbies. The element of surprise is not so important to them; in fact, many INTJs said they disliked the surprising aspect of receiving gifts.
“I never know how to respond when I receive a gift. I don’t know if my expression is appropriately surprised or impressed. Half the time I don’t really want what I got anyway, so then I have to fake enthusiasm. The whole process is really stressful for me.”
– Nina, an INTJ
Most INTJs would prefer not to get gifts from people they aren’t especially close to. They feel that this ties them into a contract of gift-receiving/gift-buying that they’d rather not be a part of. They prefer to know someone well before worrying about finding the perfect gift or conjuring up the “right” response to receiving a gift. That said, many INTJs said they do enjoy finding gifts for significant people in their lives. Nearly all said they preferred giving gifts over getting them, but only with close friends and family members.
Gifts can mean a lot to the INTJ, but it’s best to ask them directly what they want or if they have an Amazon wish list online you can check out. INTJs are very specific about the things they like, and they usually research brands, quality, and reviews extensively before making a purchase. This is why you should try to get as much specific information as possible before settling on a purchase.
It was a daunting task to determine which gift ideas were the best fit for INTJs, but after speaking with over 100 of them, I think I have a pretty good grasp of what works best. So, without further ado…
The Top 7 Gift Ideas for INTJs
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Cash
This gift may not seem very sentimental or romantic, but it gives the INTJ freedom to purchase whatever they want at whatever store they trust. Some INTJs said to be careful about giving in proportion to the relationship. They felt awkward or uncomfortable if a friend who wasn’t very close gave them a large amount of money. This also can have the unwanted effect of making them feel like they have to match your dollar amount with a corresponding gift.
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Gift Cards
INTJs also enjoy gift cards because this gives them the freedom to shop their favorite stores without feeling like they need to put the money towards bills or other more “responsible” things.
“I always budget and won’t spend money on certain pampering things unless I get a gift card. Gift cards help me beat my own system in dealing with money which is double enjoyment. ”
– Rebecca, an INTJ
- Technological Gadgets
INTJs often have a great interest and fascination with technology. They enjoy experimenting with the newest advances in electronics and media. Again, it’s best to ask the INTJ what they’d specifically enjoy, but the INTJs I spoke with suggested video games systems, tablets, external storage devices, and items from ThinkGeek.com
- Hand-Made Gifts
INTJs are extremely practical people, but they are often touched by hand-made gifts. Do you have a particular hobby or talent? Try using that to create something heartfelt for the INTJ. Baking home-made cookies, sewing a pillow, constructing a bookshelf, whatever talent you have, there’s bound to be some way you can use that to create something sincere and appreciated by the INTJ in your life.
- A Book About Their Interest
INTJs are usually avid readers, and they enjoy escaping into the pages of a book that goes into greater depths about their current interest or obsession. Ni-dominant types like INFJs and INTJs usually have one or two topics that are fascinating them nearly all the time. Try to scope out what areas of interest they have, and then see if you can find a book that coincides with that topic! If possible, check to make sure they don’t own the book already before you buy it (or get a gift receipt!).
- Wine and Chocolate
Feed your INTJs inferior Extraverted Sensing (Se) with a delicious gift of the food variety! Many INTJs said they enjoy getting wine, beer, or homemade whiskey as a gift. Others loved teas, coffees, and chocolates.
- Quality School or Office Supplies
High-quality pens and pencils, leather-bound organizers, and printing solutions were all mentioned. INTJs love high-quality tools they can use to keep their life more organized, productive, and efficient. Just try to get an idea what they actually need before picking something out.
What Do You Think?
Do you love or hate these ideas? Do you have any suggestions? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type, The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer, and The INTJ – Understanding the Strategist. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
Other articles you might enjoy:
Inspiring Morning Routines for INTJs, INTPs, ENTJs, and ENTPs
The Shadow of the INTJ Personality Type
10 Things You Should Never Say to an INTJ
Gifts for Your Significant Other, Based on Their Myers-Briggs Personality Type
All About INTJs
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You nailed it! Sharing this article… – An oft-misunderstood INTJ
Thank you! I appreciate that 🙂
That was surprisingly accurate. I’m an INTJ and I hate the obligation of gift giving, I’m really bad at presents unless it’s something I really care about and then I get really excited. For Christmas this year I asked for money for a computer for grad school and then as a side note gift cards for clothes because I only have like 8 outfits. I hate shopping and spending money on clothes and when I do shop I buy 2 or 3 pairs of the same shirt in a different color. I’m really bad at being a girl.
One more thing. If you ask me what I like and it’s reasonable, don’t get me something like it or improve on my request. I have almost never gotten what I wanted I guess because I’m picky, not as a child, or in a relationship. I am polite. But I think you can be pretty sure whatever you get an ENTJ will be wrong. I’ve probably read the book, and whatever tech stuff I need, I already have. Handmade is GREAT but not in reality.
Good input! Thank you! I definitely think that ENTJs are going to be tough to come up with anything for 🙂 My dad is an ENTJ and he NEVER wanted anything for his birthday or Christmas. I like the point you brought up about not improving on what an INTJ asks for, just getting them precisely what they requested.
I third that. If I’m specific then get what I specified. Don’t get a kohls gift card if I asked for a target one. Or a blender if I asked for colored pencils.
Laughing my way through this! If I’m the only relative that doesn’t receive a gift I’m not offended (ok, so it’s never actually happened). But for me personally I have to disagree with the homemade crafts. My honest response is to deem this gift worse than a boughten useless trinket because someone (probably a sensor, possibly feeler) invested their time and emotion into making something special. …and the likelihood that I will never use it and feel obliged to keep it is very high. And then if I am perceive ungrateful. … well I love my family enough that most of them will never know. …unless they read this post. 😉
Pretty much right on, I hate Christmas season for this reason. It’s just so stressful, especially because I don’t have a lot of extra money to buy gifts. The obligation just makes my stomach churn, especially if they spend more money than I can afford to.
I also have a hell of a time thinking of gift ideas when someone asks. I usually ask for gift cards. Thank goodness everyone knows I’m a Star Wars nerd so at least that makes things easier. I actually really love my Death Star salt and pepper shakers.
These are all great ideas. But I think most people often forget the intjs very weird, silly side. However unless you know said INTJ well, the other ones are much more safe bets. For instance, my main two obvious loves are Star Wars and hawaii. They’re my defaults for anything gift related. Someone who doesn’t know me would go for a practical gift of maybe a Hawaii travel book or photo/art book of hawaii or Star Wars. But someone who gets me( my INFP friend) gets me Death Star salt shakers even when she knows I hate pepper and rarely use salt. Or if say, she found a storm trooper dash bobble wearing a hula skirt.. I’d love it.
Omg, so true for me! I thought I was weird xD
Not weird at all! 🙂
This is so right on, for the ideas and the not knowing how to react appropriately. However, I’m an INTJ and I struggle horribly with BUYING gifts for others. I think this is because I will gladly offer up ideas for things to buy me if someone asks. I find it completely practical to have a small number of ideas to give people, and also I love nerdy things and usually will be glad to receive anything from my various nerddoms. But, buying something for someone else without a list of ideas hobbles me. I can’t do it. It’s incredibly stressful to judge how they will react emotionally to a gift I purchase.
Thanks, I’ll just pass it on to my family 🙂
Hope it helps! Thanks for reading 🙂
Cash and gift cards can be nice for an INTJ child, but as an adult where there is a need for reciprocal giving, they are a bit crass. Do I just give you back the money you gave me and we’ll call it even? Am I the only one who needs to think of a gift that fits *you*?
For me, #1 would be giving to a charity in my name, one that focuses on an issue I care about.
Very accurate! Though I prefer to stay away from technology unless I really need it or want it because it corresponds with my interests.
INTJ and I can’t concur with wine and chocolate. There is nothing logical about drinking. And INTJs are all about logic. In fact most people who drink often end up drunk, bitter, broke, and alone. But you nailed it with the cash and gift cards for sure.
i second that!
On point!
No alcoholic beverages, but the tea option is great. Tea varieties is an interest of mine.
I prefer cash, gift cards or even better, a receipt for a bill. My brother always pays my electric bill for my birthday gift- which is amazing bc that’s when my ac runs the longest 😉
It’s a fact that wine is a good stress reliever in reasonable quantities. There is nothing illogical about appreciating a good flavored wine just like any other food or beverage in moderation. Moderation is logical. As an INTJ, My favorite wines are the sparkly ones. They are yummy. I don’t have wine a lot but I will have a drink or two when they are offered or when going out to eat with friends. I don’t buy them because its something I shouldn’t buy since I am on a tight budget.
INTJ here and I also really enjoy wine, rum, gin, or some local drinks for 20-50ml a day only because:
1. They smell nice
2. They give me warmth.
3. They help with the blood pressure
4. They are great stress reliever
Anybody who said that drinking will get you drunk clearly doesnt know how to control themselves lol
I also happen to be a chocolate lover, a tea lover, a fragrance lover. I love things that smell good.
Any holiday that involves gift receiving is a tough one for me. In my experience, the best gifts that I received had no material value at all. I love the book recommendation though. That actually made me light up and beam with excitement. #intjwoman
Dead on!
Cash and gift cards are the best gifting options for INTJs because we always have a list of things that we want to buy and cash and gift cards gives us the freedom to buy whatever we want.
Indeed, the #6, could strengthened the dangerous INTJ loop. Ni.Se. I think about chocolate, of course…
And money, it’s just vulgar no? For a child, agree.
But now I know that gift cards exist. Thanks.
Being an INTJ I believe if you relly want to gift an INTJ any memorable thing,
Ask them directly that what they really want?.
No surprises. No drama.
Else most of the time they don’t like your choice of gift, and you can clearly see that on their face.
Ugly but truth.
INTJ here, and love chocolate and tea and good quality office supplies. Also love gift cards and cash gifts, and handmade gifts from my kids and husband are wonderful. I do like surprises, and have practiced finding something that I love about each gift so that I can be genuinely grateful, even if I know I’ll be donating the gift at my first chance.
As an INTJ, I think I would be offended if someone gave me cash.
I would not be offended but I would definitively think “this person does not know me well” or “I am not a priority for them”
INTJ. I always liked craftes gifts. Other items I just buy when I need as you wrote. I am also extremely picky and have people around me who do not like buying gifts from a very specific list.
What really works is when someone has the talent to craft something of outstanding quality. Double appreciation if it is something I like and can use.
Something like homebrewed beer (I like craft beers) is a great gift. Interesting, unique, and represent an investment in time from the gift giver.
If the giver takes enough pride in what they can craft to consider it a worthy gift, it works for me 🙂
Just don’t give a half-arsed effort, then it has the opposite effect.
And do not give me nice things I don’t like. It feels like a waste to get rid of them and I do not like to keep things I do not like. This is why perishables are nice. They offer an experience and then disappear, leaving my space for things I want to keep.
The best present that has ever been given to me (a INTJ) was a heat sensitive mug that turned from black to a marauders map. I LOVE coffee, I collect mugs and I am a HUGE Harry Potter nerd so this present was both useful and touching.
Chances are your local INTJ is a huge nerd too so use this in your favor, but do your research!
Wow. That’s pretty much that for me : 1) cash / 2) gift cards / 3) hand-made gifts / 4) a book (last cited because it has to be one i would choose myself which can be very tricky for other people)
“Gift Ideas for INTJs”
There are none. Show your love in other ways.
This ingenious list should be made more widely available to the people around me.
These gift ideas makes me look old. Well i am known as a granny. I did like the article. Thankyou for researching. I can never show myself to others because i will be seen weird and i am already are. Pardon me for my poor English.
I don’t like cash and gift cards. But other things are pretty cool. I have a soft spot for mugs, coffee, books and office supplies. And I adore hand made gifts! If you invest your time and energy into making me a gift I’ll love you for a lifetime.
Pretty much nailed it, except for wine and chocolates. I’m too particular about what kind of each….organic red wine and dark chocolate only.
As an INTJ Woman, probably the complete opposite of what most women like, and what would probably offend them. A plant instead of flowers, as flowers die.
Best gifts I’ve ever received:
*An awesome Samsonite Garment Hanger/Suitcase Combo All In One
* Toolbox and Tools
* Rowenta Iron
* Cooking Pot with Lid
* Pull Up Bar (over door jamb)
* Antique Stainless Steel Potbelly Percolator (that worked)
* Swiffer Sweeper
* Coffee Beans
My ultimate favorites, though, are:
* Anything handmade – because they invested in ME the most precious commodity of all, their time.
My children have always given me the best and most meaningful gifts. They’ve given me things that I can actually use, like an essential oil diffuser necklace, and bracelet, and have made me the most beautiful terrariums, dish gardens, and painted paintings of what I love. And, they’ve made me the most creative and heartfelt handmade cards.
It’s not the cost, but the heartfelt thought and the time invested.
I don’t know WHY anyone would be offended by being given cash, especially from family, particularly when we ARE SO difficult to buy for,
INTJ female here. I adore functionality. So, anything that i can use is a win. For example, I am currently moving so mops or brooms or towels would be lovely. Even cups or a wok. A ex once bought me a plastic figure. It was a lovely idea but it was a waste of space. It litterly just sits on a shelf. For that amount she could have got me a bento box for lunches or leather bound journal for note taking.
INTJ woman here. My ideal gift is a book – whether hardcopy, eBook or Audiobook format – although, as a passionate bibliophile, it’s best if the person first checks that I haven’t already got it or maybe asks me what I’d like. This will certainly remove the factor of ‘surprise’ but it will definitely my appreciation of the gift! Tech items are ideal, too, although they’re not cheap to buy. Like other INTJs, I also like mugs and items that are functional. Ornaments, for example, just take up needed space. As I write a great deal, decent stationery and pens are always welcome and will get put to use straight away.
I dislike gift cards as they limit me to just a few shops – especially as the area I reside in has very little variety of items in the few stores that accept such cards. Unfortunately, however, my mother continues to send me these although I have politely requested – many times over the years – that she just transfer cash to me instead rather than send gift cards to me in the mail. My mother knows I love books but for some reason has rarely asked me what I’d like. And I don’t want to make her feel I expect a gift from her for my birthday so haven’t requested she looks into books. By asking her to avoid gift cards and transfer money instead I can use the cash to buy a book that I want to have.
Generally, however, I don’t think much of being given cash. Cash as a gift tells me the person doesn’t know me and/or couldn’t be bothered actually asking me if there’s something I would like. Or that they were too lazy to investigate my interests and ask me about them. This is the opposite way I deal with giving gifts! When I give someone a gift, I do my best to choose something I know they’ll like and if I have any doubts I will ask them so I can find a present they will enjoy. Yes, asking someone can remove the element of surprise but if you can determine a few items someone would like you can retain a bit of mystery in what exactly it is you’ve chosen to give them.
INTJs don’t tend to like giving gifts on days they think have become commercialized like Mother’s Day or Christmas, for example, although we will do this until typically sometime in our 20s or 30s when we are more confortable eschewing traditions – and we instead prefer to give gifts for someone’s birthday or other special day that is specific to the individual.
When it comes to Christmas cards, for example, most INTJs get to a point where they’re tired of being expected to reciprocate especially with people they’re not close to such as neighbours who send them such cards well before Christmas leaving the INTJ feeling pushed into reciprocating or being seen as rude if they don’t. For myself, I now tell neighbours that I don’t celebrate Christmas so they should understand I don’t wish to send or receive cards and it’s not a slight against them but a personal matter relating to my Spiritual beliefs. This is indeed the case with me but I try to avoid explaining the exact details as it deals with personal matters I don’t want to discuss with anyone I’m not very close to. In my case it involves Judaism which I prefer not to bring up with many people due to antisemitism unfortunately being on the rise.
This is a very helpful list. I have a “saved for later” list on Anazon, but hubby just does not trust it, I guess. He’s fully aware of my particular nature. But he also is a “gift giver…” so I do not get those things on the list and he teases me saying, “it’s come to this, I look for something that I think might make it 6mo to a year before you will throw it out…” it’s true I chuck a LOT of stuff, but I keep those things I actually want. Kindle. Love digital books. Last Christmas he finally succeeded in a good gift. Now, about the surprise. No. Do not like surprises… I dont like not knowing how I’m supposed to respond. I’m a “peeker.” Have been since elementary school… I was very happy when I saw he’d got me a new Paperwhite – I was still using the original Kindle. Gift-giving lol hate it. So I have created a “system” of organizing gift giving for the various required holidays and birthdays, mother’s day, etc). Works ok for me. That tertiary Fi lol can be helpful in influencing the “type” of gift per significant person… but everyone else gets nothing. I dont participate and they all just know me or hate me lol I dont know, but they stop buying me gifts and I’m off the hook. It’s plain out stressful. I do wish that giftgiving could just stop. This year I’ve already started a plan to eliminate gifts for the kids and make our holiday about experiencing something. And that we get things when we need them, we get things when it’s something we really truly even want, and we leave all the excess alone. That’s been my mantra for better than 2 decades
Hehe! You’re spot on. My husband has officially declared that all Birthday & Anniversary gifts will be amount put in a special holiday travel fund.
However, at times, he can suddenly become pouty & kiddish, & claim that I never give him gifts ( we are both excellent & specific, unique gift-choosers), so I sometimes pick up a random laptop bag … or a pair of bathroom slippers (yeah! THAT mundane!!! ) at random 😀 😀 😀
That’s so funny! I love the idea of a holiday travel fund. That’s awesome!
Spot on suggestions. I love them all
Thank you!!
All of your gift ideas are great. I’m an INTJ and I also love: strategy games, books in general but more specifically fantasy, tools, knives, and anything made out of leather.
Haha nice, except that I’d probably replace handmade gifts with socks. I love getting socks!
But yes, cash, gift cards, wine and chocolate. I’ve asked for these as gifts for the last 30 years or so! When people asked me what I wanted for my 21st (many years ago…) it was cash. Covered the cost of the party!