INFJ/ISFP????

[cascadeco]

I had imaginary friends, hordes of them. Some of them lived in a tree in front of my house. I brought them to school with me and got them to fill out the boring math worksheets. I wanted them to do the work while I stared out the window. Unfortunately, it didn't work because they were as bored with the math worksheets as I was. The imaginary friends left me when the tree was cut down.
I was reminded of the imaginary friends when I read "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee. When Jem and Scout found the pennies and gum in the knothole in the tree, I thought of those imaginary friends who amused me when I was lonely and didn't have very many real friends.

You've just provided a great illustration as to why I don't think you can take an isolated stereotypical behavior -- imaginary friends -- and attribute it to N's vs. S's, or use one behavioral thing as a basis of your entire self-typing process (I'm not saying anyone DOES that or is recommending that in this thread, though!). You, as an ISFP, had imaginary friends as a child. I, as an INFJ, did not.

It might be more true that N's or NF's as a*grouping* are more likely to have imaginary friends than S's or SP's (I wouldn't know as to the actuality of that...but that's what 'They' say), but that trend does not help the *individual* decide N/S, based on one trait/behavior.

But looking at many, many traits, and seeing what your overall trend as a person is...can then point towards N vs. S. It's more of a holistic approach, though. Backing up and looking at yourself through a big lens and noticing patterns and overall tendencies in who you are and how you process things.

 

[Quinlan]

I actually reckon lonely extrovert children would be the most likely to have imaginary friends.

 

[Kyrielle]

Aww! Sometimes I'd sit out on the grass during recess and use clover and blades of grass to create a little village.

I so totally did that. Only it was villages made from chives, rocks, or mud. Directing a rock quarry team to find quartz and other "precious gems". And then delivering those gems to the "mayor" of the town, some kid who liked to run things and be the boss, for distribution amongst the imaginary peasants.

It was WAY better than any Civ computer game.

I also liked to make potions as a kid with my brother, though, more often than not, they were foul-smelling concoctions that would give you horrible stomach problems if swallowed. I wanted to give it to the kid I hated down the street.

 

[the state i am in]

I can't speak for all ISFP's, but I NEVER had imaginary friends as a kid, and my INFJ mom did.

When my older brothers went to school and I was home alone, my mom would give me ideas of what to do, like, "Why don't you go play make believe?" and honestly, I couldn't do it. I know she thought she was giving me the best advice, and I knew sort of what she meant, but my head just didn't go there. I liked play acting with family/friends or setting up toys as though I was eventually going to play make believe, but I didn't actually ever play make believe.

My INFJ mom thought she was going to truly grow up to be a princess.

I never had any illusions that I was anything other than a little kid/person and liked inside games like drawing or blocks or legos, or playing outside, sometimes games like hide 'n' seek, sometimes just making little houses out of plants, or wreaths out of palm fronds. Lots of tree climbing. Just one ISFP's perspective.

infj mom and isfp dad? i'd love to hear how the relationship worked, in real life i seem to hit it off with isfps, tho i'm still working to figure out the distinctions between infps and isfps. the developmental questions leave a bit of a muddle. i'm guessing isfps are quite a bit more assertive and confident, on the whole.

 

[maliafee]

infj mom and isfp dad? i'd love to hear how the relationship worked, in real life i seem to hit it off with isfps, tho i'm still working to figure out the distinctions between infps and isfps. the developmental questions leave a bit of a muddle. i'm guessing isfps are quite a bit more assertive and confident, on the whole.

Their relationship definitely evolved over time, had its ups and downs, and almost split in two in the middle, but now they're really quite happy (on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not happy, 10 being very happy, I'd give them an 8.5-9, which is remarkable if you ask me).

Any specifics you want to know? I'll be happy to answer any question you might have.