Neil Peart – INTP

In this installment we’ll take a look at Neil Peart of the band RUSH. Neil is an INTP in the Myers-Briggs system.

INTP’s dominant and most efficient cognitive function is introverted thinking, which processes data in terms of accuracy and consistency.

Their secondary process is extraverted intuition, which perceives possibilities and is able to intuitively assess relationships between people, concepts and things in the external world.

Neil strives for perfect accuracy in his drumming, indicative of his introverted thinking process.

“My ambition was not a humble one, to try to play with superhuman perfection in the studio and then reproduce that every night.”

Successful INTPs are often driven by their fundamental passion, which expands outwards at larger scales – rather than pursuing fame or recognition for it’s own sake.

“if you’re [thinking], “I want to be a rock star”—those kind of people just want to know how they can start at the top, and they’re doomed not even to get to the bottom.”

Neil is notoriously uncomfortable with adulation and much of the fuss that comes with being famous. INTPs are not typically very social by nature. Some, however, such as Eben Pagan (AKA David Deangelo) and Neil Strauss who have taken a systematic approach and made it a pursuit to ‘figure out’ the social game have become gurus in the world of social dynamics.

“Living on a lighted stage approaches the unreal. One must put up barriers to keep oneself intact.”

Exploration and experimentation is a key leverage point in development for the INTP type. Neil has studied with numerous drummers with varying styles and approaches throughout the world. He also enjoys exploring the world by bike and motorcycle.

“I changed the whole setup of my drums and temporarily the way I held the sticks, and just dedicated myself to doing everything different.”

More Neil Peart Quotes:

“Playing a three-hour Rush show is like running a marathon while solving equations.”
― Neil Peart

“Geddy once joked, ‘You’re the only guy I know who rehearses to rehearse!”
― Neil Peart

Notable Non-Musician INTPs:

• Bill Gates
• Albert Einstein
• Eben Pagan
• Mark Zuckerberg