INFPs, Do You Feel Workaday Norms Interfere with Flow?

[SquirrelTao]

I have always felt frustrated by the requirement to do things the way that most people consider to be practical, efficient and comprehensible. The way that I like to operate might be described as organic, as opposed to mechanical. If I am free to operate the way I like, I can actually be productive and creative, because I can get into a state of flow.

I'm wondering if other INFPs, or other NFs for that matter, feel the same way.

An analogy for what I mean might be a forest ecosystem as opposed to a tree farm. The first is rich but slow to develop, as well as unpredictable and wild compared to a tree farm. The second satisfies requirements for efficiency and profit but is poor in biodiversity. I feel that the world wants my behavior to resemble the tree farm more than the forest ecosystem.

We INFPs have a reputation for being dreamers more than doers, but I wonder if we would be able to do more if we were more free to work the way that best harnesses our energies.

Thoughts? Anybody relate?

[heart]

word

[prplchknz]

yup, I find when I tend to feel suffocated if you try to schedule me too tightly. I'm fine with making my own schedule or someone can be like this project is due this date. But once I have the due date don't start hounding me or telling me I don't have alot done. It will get done. so shut up cuz every time you criticisize me or tell me I'm lazy I lose motivation. let me do my thing.

[DigitalMethod]

Originally Posted by SquirrelTao

I have always felt frustrated by the requirement to do things the way that most people consider to be practical, efficient and comprehensible.

And you married an INTJ?

[xNTP]

Depends on what day of the month it is!

BA DUM CHHH

[Clover]

I can get anything done if I am getting paid (or people are counting on me) and there's a schedule. Give me freedom and I'll just screw around until the last minute.

[scantilyclad]

yeah i hate not having the freedom to do things the way i want to.

I've been training for a new job recently, and they expect you to do things a certain way, and i've found about 100 things that i would do totally different or not do at all.

[nolla]

Originally Posted by SquirrelTao

An analogy for what I mean might be a forest ecosystem as opposed to a tree farm. The first is rich but slow to develop, as well as unpredictable and wild compared to a tree farm. The second satisfies requirements for efficiency and profit but is poor in biodiversity. I feel that the world wants my behavior to resemble the tree farm more than the forest ecosystem.

Nicely put...

Yeah, I relate. But it makes a difference if the job is something that really needs my personal skills. If it is some no-brains-or-commitment-needed job, then it doesn't really matter.

[SquirrelTao]

Originally Posted by DigitalMethod

And you married an INTJ?

Well, I was overgeneralizing a tad

My husband and I don't have a lot of conflict over this, because he gives me my space to do my thing the way I want to do it, if I'm say, writing, or something like that. When we work together on the house or the yard, I do it his way, and I'm amazed how much we accomplish in a short time. Even though I always have the wish to do things when I'm in the mood and not to keep working so long and so hard. I don't want him to end up doing most of the work and viewing me as lazy.

Where we come into conflict is in situations where he asks me for help with something and then looks over my shoulder with impatience. I have to tell him to go away and let me do it because I don't mind doing it my way. He says it drives him crazy. I reply that he's not the one doing it, and it's not driving me crazy. I tell him to go away if watching it is annoying him. Otherwise, he sometimes insists he doesn't want me to do this or that to help out - either because he thinks how I'm doing it is stupid or is not worth the effort, or because he doesn't have the patience to wait, or something.

One thing he seems to lack patience for is an open-ended trial and error process without any way of knowing how long it may take. Another thing he seems to lack patience for is fuzzy "playing" without a clear plan. He also hates it if I change my mind or if I go in one direction, then backtrack and go off in another.

[SquirrelTao]

Originally Posted by nolla

But it makes a difference if the job is something that really needs my personal skills. If it is some no-brains-or-commitment-needed job, then it doesn't really matter.

I agree. I do it other peoples' way if their way is the most efficient way to do something routine or mundane.

When I was younger, though, I had the dream of all work being fun in some way. I imagined, for example, that a factory could be set up so that people could play a video game by using machine controls as a sort of joystick, thus doing their job but having fun at the same time.