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[Type 4] 4s: is this what you're really like?

thoughtlost

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAYS9d6V0UU

[MENTION=6561]OrangeAppled[/MENTION] and [MENTION=5871]Southern Kross[/MENTION]

...I am just wondering because it would be great if I could finally understand what being a 4 is about. It doesn't look as "dramatic" as I thought (if he is a 4)... kind of reminds me of me a tad =P
 

OrangeAppled

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Some of what he describes is relatable, but I think his mom had a point about these being common human feelings. 4s don't experience clinical depression necessarily; it's more of a demeanor and mentality than true depression.

The guy's demeanor here is unrelatable to me. His manner of expressing doesn't feel familiar, but then this is obviously a rehearsed or "acted" monologue by him, not a spontaneous, vulnerable soliloquy.

I do feel times of pure, unadultered joy. I don't immediately have a negative voice in my head that counters these experiences and feelings. However, a fantasy or expectation may grow out of it, and then when it goes unfullfilled, the original positive value is tarnished. It now is just a dashed hope, a false alarm, a promise that led to disappointment, instead of being able to exist as something good in itself. But in the moment, I can truly feel a good emotion, and it can be very strong (whether I display it or not); I would say that I swing from elation to despair rather quickly.

Some of this may be an auxiliary Ne issue - things are good when brimming with potential, when possibility seems on the verge of expression. The actual results always pale in comparison.

Once I fulfill something, even satisfactorily, I may then hone in on something else that seems lacking. I feel an inability to find balance. If one area of life is going well, then another seems to be a mess or just empty.

Or I may have thought something was good and truly felt it at the time, then later I may think I was delusional (ie someone seems to like me, but later I seem it was politeness at best). This can make me distrust good feelings, so once their initial high wears off, they seem less "real". The sadness seems to reveal something deeper about reality, and so it becomes the basis for interpretation, the overarching pattern. Something is more reliably real when sad. I think a stereotypical average 4 attitude is that happiness is kind of shallow and fake, and this may be why. I think this is probably poor Si in an NFP also. It is the idea that sureness and constancy is sad, suffocating, etc, and that fleeting, fickle exuberance that suggests something (but may never deliver it) is where positivity lies.

In order to keep that forward momentum to stave off the sinking feeling about reality, you have to have frequent change to provide context for new potential. But to realize potential, you often have to put in steady effort. That's where I may fail, because the steadiness I associate with the sureness of disappointment, and I lose motivation, and then the fantasy never manifests. Then all the intitial positive feeling is tainted....it's all part of one larger experience of disappointment.

To refer to the video....the guy thinks someone likes him, but then later decides it must be that they pity him. My interpretation of things can swing like a pendulum because the initial experience does not go anywhere, or it may seem to go downhill. That will make me think my initial estimation was a delusion, and that the larger pattern shows this.It probably takes an excessive amount of repeat positive results for something not to get soured for me. I don't tend to discount negative experience so readily, however.
 

thoughtlost

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ah, I see.

Yeah the best way I can relate to what you say you feel as a 4 (being a 6 myself) is not getting my hopes up or naturally devaluing whatever it is that could potentially make me happy is a safer option (but really it just prevents me from actually living a life)... it ensures that I don't feel like I am missing out on great things because there is nothing that I'd want. Anyway... it really is two totally different experiences so that is really cool.
 

Southern Kross

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Sorry for the late reply...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAYS9d6V0UU [MENTION=6561]OrangeAppled[/MENTION] and [MENTION=5871]Southern Kross[/MENTION]

...I am just wondering because it would be great if I could finally understand what being a 4 is about. It doesn't look as "dramatic" as I thought (if he is a 4)... kind of reminds me of me a tad =P
I agree with much of what [MENTION=6561]OrangeAppled[/MENTION] said. Some additional thoughts:

I think what's quite significant about that is the way he talks about depression. He's obviously a 4w3, so will be a lot more expressive than myself (and as OA said, it is performative) but I identify with the emotional clarity. He isn't engaging in or communicating those negative emotions directly but manages to articulate them with deep, intellectual awareness and dark humour (something I also very much relate to). This is different from the moping and whining drama queen image of 4s you usually get.

8s are known for their aggressive tendencies and some would portray them as very angry people. But it isn't anger in the traditional sense - ie. the loss of self-control and indulging in unfettered fury. Of course 8s will occasionally be like this (all types will), more so if they're unhealthy, but it isn't typically indicative of their type. I read one description of 8s as having "lucid anger" which I think is apt. They have clarity in anger; they communicate through the anger, not from a place of anger. I think that "lucidity" applies to 4s and their qualities too: alienation, self-examination, emotional awareness, the pursuit of intense feeling etc. We often talk through the feeling not from the feeling. That's why the guy uses humour, particularly irony and sarcasm, skirting around the issue and communicating it indirectly. He's making fun of it, but in reality, he's only really half-joking (I do the same thing). I think 4s often feel awkward about openly indulging in emotional extravagance - 4w3s like to shape and channel it into more useful expressions, and 4w5 like to withhold it altogether or quietly release it in highly controlled conditions. For so called 'dramatic' people, we are often remarkably matter-of-fact about feeling.
 

hjgbujhghg

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The kid is just depressed, why should all depressed people be 4s? Maybe he's not even depressed, he's just an adolescent who hasn't found his place yet... To me it seems like he doesn't really know what depression is and feels like, that just sounds like a lot of nonsense put into an extremely small box full ineffective stereotypes.... No!
 

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Yeah, I haven't answered to the O.P., because I feel like it's makes an assumption that being clinically depressed is a 4 trait. I don't exactly relate to this person as far as his form of expression, from this video I am not sure I know enough to type him.
 

OrangeAppled

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ah, I see.

Yeah the best way I can relate to what you say you feel as a 4 (being a 6 myself) is not getting my hopes up or naturally devaluing whatever it is that could potentially make me happy is a safer option (but really it just prevents me from actually living a life)... it ensures that I don't feel like I am missing out on great things because there is nothing that I'd want. Anyway... it really is two totally different experiences so that is really cool.

It's almost opposite, if you think about it. A 4 hopes perpetually in a masochistic way, and then is dejected when reality fails to deliver, despite expecting it to fail. This hope is fantasy and longing which may get stronger the less it is fulfilled. 4s scorn safe options and set their sights on the difficult, impossible or unlikely (the "great" things) as the only means of fulfillment, so that they are in that perpetual state of disappointment and unfulfillment.

I agree with SK's point, except that I am not convinced the guy in the video is a 4, given that he is acting.
 

Kas

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It is unlikely that he is depressed, he is frustrated and angry and behaves like he drunk a bucket (or two) of coffee. It's hard for me to concentrate on what he is saying. It's clear that the way he speaks is something I can't relate to. He is very dramatic and expressive. Even when I dramatize I do it inside. Seriously after seeing this video I'm not even sure if the guy is 4 . The only thing I can relate to is focusing on analyzing emotions and that's it.
 

thoughtlost

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I have another question about 4s. I saw this article, The Resilience of 4s | Nine Paths

and it made me reflect on my own experience knowing 4s. Not all 4s go through such intense experiences like the Holocaust. In fact, the 4s I know (...trying to preserve the 4 ego here lol) live quite normal lives due to circumstance (born into a caring family that let's their child follow their passions and don't really have to experience intense emotions that come from horrible life situations). Still, they need to see their lives in a special, unique and "intense" way to "feel" deeply and create inner turmoil in themselves.

I have a feeling this article is just serving to boost up the ego of a 4 even more (unless the 4 is not wrapped up in how "OH SO SPECIAL" they are) because a 4 uses their emotions mostly to escape seeing themselves as everyone else and to see themselves as "better/different/special" than others to feel like they is something worthy in them.

As a non-4, I feel like the article describes how a 9 would experience the Holocaust. Like... life can get SO BAD that they have to escape (heck, I am like this and I 1000000% fell in love with Victor Frankl as a high schooler).

I am sure a 4 (or any type) can experience the Holocaust this way, but my understanding of the average 4 is that their goal in life is to fall in love with themselves because no one else will. Is that correct?

I get that having an ego isn't unique to 4 ...but the whole "I am better than anyone else" is how I know someone MIGHT be a 4 ...not that fact that they simply can find meaning by inhumane conditions. Does that make sense? Or am I making out the average 4 to be more egotistical than they actually are?
 

cascadeco

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I get that having an ego isn't unique to 4 ...but the whole "I am better than anyone else" is how I know someone MIGHT be a 4 ...not that fact that they simply can find meaning by inhumane conditions. Does that make sense? Or am I making out the average 4 to be more egotistical than they actually are?

Haven't read the article (about to step away), but this caught my eye, as I don't understand it, nor do I really think any actual 4 ever truly feels this way about themselves (though I can't say whether others judge me as thinking I come across this way, as I wouldn't know). imo an actual 4 doesn't actually 'feel better than everyone else' -- they feel deficient and lacking. Any 'I'm better than...' mental story would only come about to try to self-boost the 4 out of their actual feelings -- which doesn't/wouldn't work for long anyway, as the 4 knows better.
 

OrangeAppled

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Addressing both the article and your post [MENTION=18445]thoughtlost[/MENTION] ...

I don’t know if people don’t truly value what 4s bring to the table.

This is a story I have told myself my whole life….but I don’t think it’s true.
It may not be given as much monetary value, but it is valued.

This is IF you bring it to the table.

A big problem is 4s NOT bringing it to the table (often 5 wing) or sabotaging it with capriciousness (often 3 wing). Then the 4 tells her/himself that people didn’t value them, when really, people got nothing or they got a bad/confusing attitude.

I notice that 4s can actually be good at creating envy in others (I notice this trend in types, to stimulate their own passion in others). They can appear stylish, creative, intelligent, insightful, etc. But they may also seem aloof and/or difficult. But people reject them because the 4 seems to reject them first (appearance of elitism) and/or they bring bad moods & behavior (appearing to ask for special treatment - elitism again).

It is often 6s or 1s who project a "I'm better than others" attitude onto me, for whatever reason. I don't ever feel that, especially not consciously, where I usually feel way worse than other people. In fact, their attitude often perpetuates the appearance of elitism because it stems from feeling misunderstood (holding back/setting oneself apart to avoid being judged for being defective, which then perpetuates misunderstanding & negative judgement). If a 4 consciously feels elite, it is in perspective or in a niche area they feel can help make up for otherwise being defective. They understand and you don't, which you just proved by judging them. Otherwise, they will often feel inferior in an innate way - like no matter how smart or talented or whatever they are, it's not enough to make up for some gaping internal void.

Falling in love with oneself is more of a 7, 3 or even 2 thing. 7s are the narcissistic type, 3s are the vain type, and 2s have excessive pride in themselves.

Average to unhealthy 4s usually struggle with self-loathing and a negative self view, no matter how they may appear. There is no conscious desire to be different; rather, there is longing to be like others, with an innate significance they feel they lack. There is never fear of being like others...only being meaningless AND defective. They do disintegrate to 2, where the elitism happens (pride meets the feeling of being unusual). The conscious goal is to meet some inner ideal that feels meaningful, but it's often a counter to feeling an innate insignificance or defectiveness. Calling the feeling of defectiveness "unique" is a way of coping. It's a way of bridging yourself with an impossible ideal. There isn't ever any goal of loving oneself - that might actually be healthy for 4s, especially when it's principled.

The self-sabotage is masochistic and often not conscious, as is the labelling of defectiveness as part of one's uniqueness (because the attachment to it doesn't let you grow past it). The result is often opposite what you suggest and closer to what I describe - people actually may value 4s or would value them, but they won't let themselves experience it.

I do REALLY resonate with the word “resilient”. I DO think many 4s are not scared of intense and negative emotions because we don’t see the world in terms of weak vs strong. I see the world in terms of what is beautiful vs what is not, what is meaningful vs what is not, what is interesting vs boring, etc. I don’t worry about crumbling under the weight of difficult emotions so much as being empty, and I guess if you are creative, you usually remember that you can create something to fill the empty.

Most that article seems as applicable to 9s as 4s, honestly. Being sensitive and having a rich inner world one retreats to is not exclusive to 4s.
 

thoughtlost

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Haven't read the article (about to step away), but this caught my eye, as I don't understand it, nor do I really think any actual 4 ever truly feels this way about themselves (though I can't say whether others judge me as thinking I come across this way, as I wouldn't know). imo an actual 4 doesn't actually 'feel better than everyone else' -- they feel deficient and lacking. Any 'I'm better than...' mental story would only come about to try to self-boost the 4 out of their actual feelings -- which doesn't/wouldn't work for long anyway, as the 4 knows better.

Well, I do think that 4s think of themselves as "lacking" but I've also heard the same 4 (one who finds herself "lacking") say that they feel that whatever it is they are "lacking" isn't important (she feels ashamed that that she doesn't fit into mainstream culture and doesn't feel comfortable with her "social role") and they are better at the things in life that are relevant (such as being caring, fun-loving, and critical and can use her brain to come up with thoughts of her own, unlike everyone else).

Therefore she has told me (right to my face, actually. Even a guy she almost dated said she had a large ego) that she truly believes she is better than everyone else and shouldn't have to feel ashamed about it because it's fact. I know it sounds extreme that she has said this and it's hard to believe, but this is exactly why I am posting. On top of that, i see another post that brags about how much better 4s are in life when it really matters...

So... my personal life experience with 4s (and to be fair, I only know 2 4s in real life and then a few from the interwebz) and this article (and many other articles on the webz for that matter) point to have fours have a superiority complex. Whatever it is they think about themselves, it's due to the intent of seeing themselves as above everyone else.

Not saying this method is a legitimately healthy thing to do (and I am not saying that it actually works for her and sticks with it in her own mind lol), but I genuinely believe that 4s don't just simply think they are "lacking" only... they also think they can be superior to people. I've heard Southern Kross say this once, but now that I know a 4 in real life ...I am starting to see how this works.
 

cascadeco

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Well, I do think that 4s think of themselves as "lacking" but I've also heard the same 4 (one who finds herself "lacking") say that they feel that whatever it is they are "lacking" isn't important (she feels ashamed that that she doesn't fit into mainstream culture and doesn't feel comfortable with her "social role") and they are better at the things in life that are relevant (such as being caring, fun-loving, and critical and can use her brain to come up with thoughts of her own, unlike everyone else).

Therefore she has told me (right to my face, actually. Even a guy she almost dated said she had a large ego) that she truly believes she is better than everyone else and shouldn't have to feel ashamed about it because it's fact. I know it sounds extreme that she has said this and it's hard to believe, but this is exactly why I am posting. On top of that, i see another post that brags about how much better 4s are in life when it really matters...

So... my personal life experience with 4s (and to be fair, I only know 2 4s in real life and then a few from the interwebz) and this article (and many other articles on the webz for that matter) point to have fours have a superiority complex. Whatever it is they think about themselves, it's due to the intent of seeing themselves as above everyone else.

Not saying this method is a legitimately healthy thing to do (and I am not saying that it actually works for her and sticks with it in her own mind lol), but I genuinely believe that 4s don't just simply think they are "lacking" only... they also think they can be superior to people. I've heard Southern Kross say this once, but now that I know a 4 in real life ...I am starting to see how this works.

I think I hear what you're saying, and I think it kind of mirrors what I was saying, in that any 'superiority' a 4 feels or asserts is in an attempt to boost themselves, but I don't think it's genuine - ie they are rationalizing things and pushing other people down to make themselves feel better about themselves, about how they actually feel.

I have done that some in my head before, but it's never long-lived, and I know it's not really genuine or 'real' - ie I don't actually feel that way, just trying to make myself feel better.

I think my main point was more that... any 4 who is 'proud' of any 'uniqueness' or 'differentness' is either not a 4, or isn't a super healthy version of one. 'Uniqueness' isn't a badge of 'omg I'm special!!!; for a 4, it is a badge of shame and an actual issue that needs to be battled. ie it's not seen through the lens of positivity and 'Different= special and good', it's seen through a lens of negativity and 'different= bad'.
 

thoughtlost

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[MENTION=6561]OrangeAppled[/MENTION]

I 10000% agree. Especially with this:

If a 4 consciously feels elite, it is in perspective or in a niche area they feel can help make up for otherwise being defective. They understand and you don't, which you just proved by judging them.

I do feel like an unhealthy four needs to "make-up" for things or feel like no one else has the "perspective" they have... not because it's inherently true... but it's just to make up for their feelings of "lack".

As a 9 dealing with a 4, I see how 4s walk around in life being all 'woe is me ...no one can relate to me because I am not mundane/not like everyone else ...yet I am so amazing/smarter than 95% of the population!"

And yeah, 4s can be resilient. My 4 that I know grew to be more resilient over time (and is still growing to be), but I think it's for different reasons than it is for you. She mostly fears social judgment/worries about what people think of her/can feel like she can't do certain things (like speaking in front of large groups) ...but she just needs to learn to not worry too much about how she looks to others, in my opinion. That seems to be a big obstacle for her.

...but then she says I am being too simplistic because, for her, 95% of life is about being judged by others and doesn't think I am 'critical'/just like everyone else lol. It's not that she is wrong (of course what people think of you matters ...otherwise how can you get a job if someone doesn't like you). It's just weird how she thinks, I guess it's what I'm saying. Like, I feel like she is being a high schooler who worries that if you don't paint your nails the same color as everyone else you'll be ostracized. ...Like ...why should I care?? haha.

Edit:: [MENTION=1206]cascadeco[/MENTION] Just wanted to say that I 10000% agree with you too. I also don't think she is doing it to wear it as "YAY I AM SPECIAL." It's more like "fuck it, I am different and it's uncomfortable and i am tired of feeling less than"
 

1487610420

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Addressing both the article and your post @<a href="http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/members/18445.html" target="_blank">thoughtlost</a> ...

I don’t know if people don’t truly value what 4s bring to the table.

This is a story I have told myself my whole life….but I don’t think it’s true.
It may not be given as much monetary value, but it is valued.

This is IF you bring it to the table.

A big problem is 4s NOT bringing it to the table (often 5 wing) or sabotaging it with capriciousness (often 3 wing). Then the 4 tells her/himself that people didn’t value them, when really, people got nothing or they got a bad/confusing attitude.

I notice that 4s can actually be good at creating envy in others (I notice this trend in types, to stimulate their own passion in others). They can appear stylish, creative, intelligent, insightful, etc. But they may also seem aloof and/or difficult. But people reject them because the 4 seems to reject them first (appearance of elitism) and/or they bring bad moods & behavior (appearing to ask for special treatment - elitism again).

It is often 6s or 1s who project a "I'm better than others" attitude onto me, for whatever reason. I don't ever feel that, especially not consciously, where I usually feel way worse than other people. In fact, their attitude often perpetuates the appearance of elitism because it stems from feeling misunderstood (holding back/setting oneself apart to avoid being judged for being defective, which then perpetuates misunderstanding & negative judgement). If a 4 consciously feels elite, it is in perspective or in a niche area they feel can help make up for otherwise being defective. They understand and you don't, which you just proved by judging them. Otherwise, they will often feel inferior in an innate way - like no matter how smart or talented or whatever they are, it's not enough to make up for some gaping internal void.

Falling in love with oneself is more of a 7, 3 or even 2 thing. 7s are the narcissistic type, 3s are the vain type, and 2s have excessive pride in themselves.

Average to unhealthy 4s usually struggle with self-loathing and a negative self view, no matter how they may appear. There is no conscious desire to be different; rather, there is longing to be like others, with an innate significance they feel they lack. There is never fear of being like others...only being meaningless AND defective. They do disintegrate to 2, where the elitism happens (pride meets the feeling of being unusual). The conscious goal is to meet some inner ideal that feels meaningful, but it's often a counter to feeling an innate insignificance or defectiveness. Calling the feeling of defectiveness "unique" is a way of coping. It's a way of bridging yourself with an impossible ideal. There isn't ever any goal of loving oneself - that might actually be healthy for 4s, especially when it's principled.

The self-sabotage is masochistic and often not conscious, as is the labelling of defectiveness as part of one's uniqueness (because the attachment to it doesn't let you grow past it). The result is often opposite what you suggest and closer to what I describe - people actually may value 4s or would value them, but they won't let themselves experience it.

I do REALLY resonate with the word “resilient”. I DO think many 4s are not scared of intense and negative emotions because we don’t see the world in terms of weak vs strong. I see the world in terms of what is beautiful vs what is not, what is meaningful vs what is not, what is interesting vs boring, etc. I don’t worry about crumbling under the weight of difficult emotions so much as being empty, and I guess if you are creative, you usually remember that you can create something to fill the empty.

Most that article seems as applicable to 9s as 4s, honestly. Being sensitive and having a rich inner world one retreats to is not exclusive to 4s.

lern 2 luv yosef
 

OrangeAppled

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[MENTION=18445]thoughtlost[/MENTION] I suppose this is a sensitive topic because I feel like the insistence 4s think they are superior is a part of a vicious cycle where no one wins. It perpetuates attitudes towards 4s that actually feed their warped perspective.

I am sure there are individual 4s who really think they are better, but it doesn't define the type (as in, many other types may have an attitude of superiority at times). If an attitude like that has a moment of consciousness and even expression, I agree that it is out of defensiveness and a feeling of inferiority, and it is quickly deflated. I'd expect to see this surface most in 4s who are 4w3 sx/so or so/sx and disintegrating to 2. These will be the most competitive 4s.

As for the vicious cycle, it often plays out like this...

4 to herself: I feel bad, like there is something terribly wrong with me I cannot define. I have nothing to bring to the table that anyone would value. I feel like I will burden people with my presence and they are sure to reject me. Maybe if I subtly display the few strengths I have, someone who can appreciate those qualities will come and save me.

Other people: Ugh, look at that 4, she thinks she is too good for us and tries so hard to be different. Look at her, just standing there by herself all pouty... I am going to take her down a notch and let her know I don't think she is so special or any better than the rest of us. And since she obviously doesn't like any of us, I am not going to include her in anything.

4 to herself: I was right. There is something awful about me and people keep rejecting me because of it. Even though I have these few strengths, it's not enough or they don't even understand those things. People hate me for no apparent reason, so I should just keep to myself.

4 outwardly: I don't need you anyway because you couldn't possibly understand or appreciate me.

Other people: See! We knew it! Ugh!
 

thoughtlost

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[MENTION=18445]thoughtlost[/MENTION] I suppose this is a sensitive topic because I feel like the insistence 4s think they are superior is a part of a vicious cycle where no one wins. It perpetuates attitudes towards 4s that actually feed their warped perspective.

I am sure there are individual 4s who really think they are better, but it doesn't define the type (as in, many other types may have an attitude of superiority at times). If an attitude like that has a moment of consciousness and even expression, I agree that it is out of defensiveness and a feeling of inferiority, and it is quickly deflated. I'd expect to see this surface most in 4s who are 4w3 sx/so or so/sx and disintegrating to 2. These will be the most competitive 4s.

As for the vicious cycle, it often plays out like this...

4 to herself: I feel bad, like there is something terribly wrong with me I cannot define. I have nothing to bring to the table that anyone would value. I feel like I will burden people with my presence and they are sure to reject me. Maybe if I subtly display the few strengths I have, someone who can appreciate those qualities will come and save me.

Other people: Ugh, look at that 4, she thinks she is too good for us and tries so hard to be different. Look at her, just standing there by herself all pouty... I am going to take her down a notch and let her know I don't think she is so special or any better than the rest of us. And since she obviously doesn't like any of us, I am not going to include her in anything.

4 to herself: I was right. There is something awful about me and people keep rejecting me because of it. Even though I have these few strengths, it's not enough or they don't even understand those things. People hate me for no apparent reason, so I should just keep to myself.

4 outwardly: I don't need you anyway because you couldn't possibly understand or appreciate me.

Other people: See! We knew it! Ugh!

I know this is not supposed to be funny, but it's making me chuckle. It hits close to home. I realize I making her seem worse than she is (she keeps her 'differences' under wraps and isn't competitive at all, so people find her to be likeable and never has been described to cause people to have bad feeling towards her. But then she goes off alone to sulk about how she can't be like everyone else/appreciate what everyone else appreciates it. I think the reason why I am seeing her as conceited is because I give her an outlet to express herself however she feels fit. She is really really really REALLY whiny if people give her the floor to be.

But it's still the same thought process she has, so this helps me understand. Thank you!
 

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MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
[MENTION=18445]thoughtlost[/MENTION] The humor is always intentional :wink:
 

Peter Deadpan

phallus impudicus
Joined
Dec 14, 2016
Messages
8,883
I think feelings of superiority are fleeting and more common in younger or at least less mature 4s. I used to have a really inflated sense of intelligence. Even as a young child. I'm smart.... but I'm not THAT smart, and part of the reason I felt that way was because I wasn't close enough to other people to realize that I wasn't actually some child genius. As I grew older and I saw more examples of intelligence around me, I eventually dropped the thought that I was of superhuman advanced intelligence, and sometimes now I even feel downright stupid compared to others. 4s exist in such a tiny little bubble thanks to their withdrawn nature that it's actually quite easy for them to say "well, here I am away from all those people, I'm so different," and to compensate for the inferiority aspect of it, they cling to whatever it is that they perceive themselves to be skilled with.

There is also an element of lack of awareness within younger 4s I think. I was absolutely shocked when my ex told me that before we started dating he thought I was "hoity-toity," as in "marked by an air of assumed importance." Honestly, it was a slap in the face and I never realized I had come across as superior to others. This, of course, is an embarrassing realization for a 4 but is eventually accepted as a chance for growth, as 4s strive to always be bettering themselves and moving closer to "human," in a relatable sense.
 
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