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[ENFP] Do ENFP's have trouble imagining the future?

Emectar

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I don't get excited or nervous, (for the most part) about any events in the future. For all of my ability to imagine things that never happened having happened, i can't imagine myself a year from now at all.

Is this typical of ENFPs or just me?
 

Thalassa

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Hmmm...I always have tons of plans for the future, but I can't psychicly "know" what I'll be doing a year from now, because of how open I am to possibilities.

I can totally imagine, I just don't "know" because of my flexibility and need to adapt and change.

Ni is the function that just KNOWS, I WILL BE HERE, because they'll stay hyper-focused on making it happen, or something. Ni vision.
 

Thalassa

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Good luck!
 

Santosha

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I don't get excited or nervous, (for the most part) about any events in the future. For all of my ability to imagine things that never happened having happened, i can't imagine myself a year from now at all.

Is this typical of ENFPs or just me?

I get excited about events.. but mostly events that are not too far in the future. Like... a party next week. Going to a concert friday night.. stuff like that. I get excited about a vacation to vegas 3 months from now. I do not typically get REALLY excited about far into the future, because like you I am just not sure if this will pan out. Infact, I don't even really try to imagine it like in depth.. because with Ne I think there are a kazillion places i *could be* 1 yr from now.
 

OrangeAppled

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For all of my ability to imagine things that never happened having happened, i can't imagine myself a year from now at all.

Sounds more like a Si mindset....the past is colored in subjective interpretations that can outright distort reality into something that never occurred.

I'm not ENFP, but as an NFP, and I imagine the future easily, and that's mostly what I do when I think about real life. I honestly avoid thinking about the past & hate to rehash stuff in my head (the healthier I am emotionally, the less I "relive" anything), the near future is so near that I prefer to wait & see (I don't like to plan my weekend in detail, for instance), and so the distant future holds the most appeal for dwelling on, as it holds the most promise for real change.

I tend to imagine various scenarios, how something going on now could play out, and I even construct absurdly ideal situations that I know will never be (just for the fun of it).
 

pmj85

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I spend far more time speculating about future possibilities than I spend in the present moment, so no :)
 

Lady_X

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i have several different visions being rearranged all the time but the knowing feeling isn't there because i understand that it's important to adjust to new circumstances...but future planning...dreams yes constantly....but nothing that feels definite.
 

Elfboy

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no, we have trouble acting on our insights into the future
 

mmhmm

meinmeinmein!
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endless possibilities. and when i narrow something down,
bam: another set of possibilities. it's quite fantastic.
sometimes the day dreamy kind offers a great 'nothing is
impossible' kick to it. but i think what helps in the quality of
imagining is how rooted i am in making it happen. making
it a reality, getting it out of my head and into my hands.
 

Savage Idealist

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I'd say that on average, ENFP's (well at least me anyway) usually are great at actively considering scenarios that could theoretically occur in the future, but the accuracy of those thoughts aren't as accurate or precise as Ni is.
 

Emectar

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Sounds more like a Si mindset....the past is colored in subjective interpretations that can outright distort reality into something that never occurred.

I'm not ENFP, but as an NFP, and I imagine the future easily, and that's mostly what I do when I think about real life. I honestly avoid thinking about the past & hate to rehash stuff in my head (the healthier I am emotionally, the less I "relive" anything), the near future is so near that I prefer to wait & see (I don't like to plan my weekend in detail, for instance), and so the distant future holds the most appeal for dwelling on, as it holds the most promise for real change.

I tend to imagine various scenarios, how something going on now could play out, and I even construct absurdly ideal situations that I know will never be (just for the fun of it).


Actually i totally do all of this haha, especially this part, "I tend to imagine various scenarios, how something going on now could play out, and I even construct absurdly ideal situations that I know will never be (just for the fun of it)." I think i misworded the original post.

What i'm really wondering is that is can you fellow ENFPs imagine what youll want in the future.
Like when it comes to planning your life for yourself, can you imagine what sort of life your future self will want.

I can't do that at all and i'm wondering if thats a type trait or just a problem i've personally got.
 

Emectar

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I'd say that on average, ENFP's (well at least me anyway) usually are great at actively considering scenarios that could theoretically occur in the future, but the accuracy of those thoughts aren't as accurate or precise as Ni is.

That makes a lot of sense to me. I easily imagine future scenarios for myself, but i feel like i truly have no idea how things will actually turn out.
 

OrangeAppled

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Actually i totally do all of this haha, especially this part, "I tend to imagine various scenarios, how something going on now could play out, and I even construct absurdly ideal situations that I know will never be (just for the fun of it)." I think i misworded the original post.

What i'm really wondering is that is can you fellow ENFPs imagine what youll want in the future.
Like when it comes to planning your life for yourself, can you imagine what sort of life your future self will want.

I can't do that at all and i'm wondering if thats a type trait or just a problem i've personally got.

Oh I see....well, I can relate to this actually. Because I can imagine so many possibilities, it's hard for me to choose one and be able to define future goals specifically. Questions like "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" make my head spin, not because I don't think about the future & don't imagine where I could be, but I am open to so many different outcomes that I can't pick just one to focus on. I can see myself in a gazillion different places in 5 years & all of them seem pretty cool. I'd rather wait & see what comes along & then go with the closest options to my fantasies. Unfortunately, this can make me seem directionless in life at times....

This mindset can be a P resistance to being "boxed in" & committing too soon; we want to remain open for as long as possible. Planning life out is not really a P thing...
 

ilovelurking

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That makes a lot of sense to me. I easily imagine future scenarios for myself, but i feel like i truly have no idea how things will actually turn out.

I have a feeling that this is when the P comes in. Besides a reference to accuracy of Ni, the J makes things happen.
 
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