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Who is Ben Fenton?

A collection of definitions:
Renaissance Man: a present-day man who has acquired knowledge or proficiency in more than one field.
Philosopher: a person who regulates his or her life, actions, judgments, utterances, etc., by the light of philosophy or reason.
Artist: one who professes and practices an imaginative art.
Writer
Photographer
Explorer: a person who travels in search of geographical or scientific information.
Inventor: to produce (as something useful) for the first time through the use of the imagination or of ingenious thinking and experiment.
Book Collector & Bibliophile: a lover of books especially for qualities of format.
Maverick: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party. "Why does the whole world have do be a damn popularity contest?"
Skeptic: See the Skeptic Manifesto at Skeptic.com.
Scanner: As described in the book Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher. See below.

I'm a truth seeker. I want to know what is real. I want to know what is out there. Like the slogan on the X-Files says, "The Truth Is Out There", and I want to find it!

Personality INTP

At some point in my existence I acquired a rare INTP personality. Only about 1-2% of the population have this condition. We're a deep and thoughtful bunch. Architects of ideas, and constructors of logical reasoning. We can spot inconsistencies of thought a mile away. And there is no end to analyzing. In fact, only second to my need for exploration and discovery, is my natural tendency to analyze everything. I can usually perform these functions in my head without annoying those around me, however. :)

A description on the intp.org web site states: "As an analytical tool, the INTP mind excels at solving problems and designing systems. It uses logic like a sword, slashing out irrelevant information and cutting straight to the heart of a problem." ... "INTP's enjoy playing with ideas and may enjoy arguing for fun. They are happiest when they are involved in discovering the intricacies and elegance of a complex system. They seek out natural laws and underlying principles from which they can build inventive theoretical models. When involved in these analytical and intuitive activities, they can produce ideas of startling creative brilliance."

Here's to creative brilliance in all it's forms!

Some more description: "People with the INTP personality type are global thinkers. They see everything as one giant Entity that is connected, and seek knowledge about that Entity. They constantly seek the Truth, and have ultimate respect for the Truth. It is not easy for the INTP to reach a conclusion about the Truth. Their auxiliary function of Extraverted Intuition allows them to absorb the many complexities in our world, and they are driven to consider each of these complexities before reaching a conclusion. Once they have reached a conclusion, or discovered a Truth, they are *very* particular about the way that Truth is expressed and understood. They want to know that the principles of their understanding have been understood correctly, and demand absolute precision and correctness from others when describing these principles. They also apply these standards to themselves when communicating their knowledge. If they take the time to develop their communication so that it meets their own approval, they can be extremely good educational writers."
From http://www.personalitypage.com/INTP_per.html

Not long ago I took the test again and discovered that I have become and INTJ as time has progressed. I think that I may be one or the other depending on the day or the situation. The INT seems stable, but if I am (P)erceptive or (J)udging might depend on the current cycle I'm in.

With Introverted Intuition dominating their personality, INTJs focus their energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. Their mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. They are tremendously insightful and usually are very quick to understand new ideas. However, their primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way. Unlike the INTP, they do not follow an idea as far as they possibly can, seeking only to understand it fully. INTJs are driven to come to conclusions about ideas. Their need for closure and organization usually requires that they take some action. From http://www.personalitypage.com/INTJ.html

This would suggest that at times I am motivated to apply my many ideas(INTJ), while at other times I am content to just create solutions in my head and then not to act upon them(INTP).

But if you really want to understand what Ben Fenton is all about you need to read this book:

Refuse to Choose! : A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything That You Love by Barbara Sher
(Besides, I'm quoted on page 82 and page 267. You'll have to read the book to see what I said.)

Thanks Barbara for giving hope to all us Scanners! You truly are a inspiration and a genius. barbarasher.com

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