INTJ is one of the rarest personality types but it has several subtypes which are even rarer. The subtype INTJ-A is one of the rarest types of all.

The “A” stands for “Architect.” It turns out that architects form just 2% of the population, and women with this personality type are especially rare, forming just 0.8% of the population. People with the Architect personality type are imaginative, decisive, ambitious, private, and amazingly curious.

As one of the rarest, most strategically capable personality types, Architects are often misunderstood for our blunt way of thinking. We can come across as emotionless, even arrogant at times. It’s often a challenge to find like-minded individuals who are able to keep up with our relentless intellectualism and chess-like maneuvering.

Here are 18 things that everyone should know about the Architect personality.

1. Architects are highly intelligent.

Architects are born with a natural thirst for knowledge and are highly intelligent, lifelong learners. Architects pride themselves on their minds and take advantage of every possible opportunity to improve their knowledge. They are always reading, always trying to find ways to widen and deepen their knowledge, and always looking to add to their base of information. In fact, INTJ Architects hold the highest average IQ of all MBTI types.

2. Architects are ambitious.

Architects know that they can achieve anything they set their mind to. They know that with intelligence and effort, anything is possible. Architects don’t wait for good things to come their way. They make things happen; they are go-getters and are always working towards their goals and dreams. Once they have achieved one goal, then they make another list of goals to accomplish. They are never satisfied with the bare minimum and are always looking to improve.

3. Architects see challenges as lessons.

Architects recognize that life is often the best teacher. They can overcome or outmaneuver obstacles that most would find unbeatable. Architects will face any challenge head-on. They use their willpower and forceful personalities to get them through everything life throws at them.

4. Architects would rather spend time alone.

Architects love their solitude. Therefore, is often best for them to remain where they are comfortable—out of the spotlight and alone. They would rather spend time by themselves than with a bunch of people they don’t care for.

5. Architects are overthinkers.

Architects move through life as though it were a chess board. They are always analyzing every move they make and scrutinizing over the people in their lives. Architects always seek answers. From pondering global issues to personal goals, their restless minds are never content to settle. They just can’t help analyzing everything they see and hear.

6. Architects have brilliant minds.

Due to their thirst for knowledge, architects are characterized as “walking encyclopedias.” Their minds are sponges for all sorts of information, be it historical, scientific, technical, or otherwise. Architects have “photographic memories,” where they’re able to recall nearly anything they’ve been exposed to.

7. Architects love deep conversations.

Architects hate small talk. However, despite their introverted status, architects can be surprisingly talkative. If you are able to start a conversation with an Architect on a topic that interests them, you will see that they can actually talk at great length and depth. Architects love to have deep conversations that stimulate their minds and give them the opportunity to both share their knowledge and learn from others. INTJ-As are great storytellers, especially because they are highly attentive to details and can carry a high volume of information.

8. Architects are workaholics.

Architects are astonishingly dedicated to their work, putting long hours and intense effort into their passions. Architects are incredibly efficient; they will always find the simplest way to consolidate and accomplish their tasks.

9. Architects are honest.

Architects have an honest, direct style of communication. They will say exactly what’s on their mind, and they don’t care much about others’ opinions because they’d rather rely on facts.

10. Architects are jacks-of-all-trades.

Architects’ ability to strategize makes them capable of doing pretty much doing anything. Architects tend to excel at many things including linguistics, music, mathematics, or science.

11. Architects are very selective in their relationships.

Architects identify potential partners who meet their own predetermined, lofty criteria. Above all else, they look for their intellectual soulmates. Architects seek a strong, deep relationship with a companion who will both share their world and grant them a degree of independence and trust. Needless to say, the most significant challenge most Architects face in life is finding a compatible partner.

12. Architects live in a fantasy world.

Architects are brilliantly intellectual, developing worlds in their heads that seems more perfect than their realities. Architects often zone out and spend a lot of time daydreaming.

13. Architects are natural leaders.

Architects are quite effective in leadership roles because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation and are willing to change things that aren’t working well. Architects are supreme strategists, always scanning available ideas to plan for every conceivable contingency.

14. They appear to be mean.

INTJ-A types are often known for their “death stare.”  Most people think that Architects are constantly angry, but that isn’t the case. The “death stare” typically just means that they are thinking deeply about something, whether it’s a complex situation they’re trying to solve or a few theories they’re trying to combine together.

15. They are perfectionists.

Architects work very diligently for everything to be perfect. They have a seemingly endless capacity to improve upon anything that sparks their interest. Not only do Architects have high-performance standards for themselves, but they also hold others to nearly impossible standards as well.

16. They are extremely independent.

Architects are self-motivated and drawn to working autonomously. As a matter of fact, INTJ is the most independent MBTI type, and Architects are the most independent subtype.

17. They are highly curious.

Architects are generally quite inquisitive about the world around them and want to know the guiding principles behind everything they see. They work diligently to understand how everything in life functions.

18. They feel like outcasts.

Architects have difficulty fitting into society. Their brash, “uncaring” attitude can cause tremendous problems with others. Their honesty can come across rudeness, their intelligence can come across as arrogance, and their seriousness can come across emotionlessness. That 2% of the population may constantly feel out of place, but if they try hard enough, they can still find their tribe of like-minded Architects and discover that they truly do belong.