[ENFP] ENFP empaths? How is this possible

[The Great One]

A lot of ENFP's on various forums are claiming to be empaths. If you don't know what an empath is, check this out...

What IS an "Empath?": empaths

So why is it that so many ENFP's claim that they are empaths and feel other's emotions so strongly? That seems so much more Fe than Fi

 

[EcK]

A lot of ENFP's on various forums are claiming to be empaths. If you don't know what an empath is, check this out...

http://empaths.livejournal.com/43504.html

So why is it that so many ENFP's claim that they are empaths and feel other's emotions so strongly? That seems so much more Fe than Fi

Look. at the end of the day both Fe and Fi just makes you feel your own emotions. There is no magical link between you and the person. Fe focuses on the other and social groups while Fi focuses on the self. Its a matter of vectors / direction but both can do the same thing its just that Fe goes/look out and then in and Fi goes in and then out

 

[Qlip]

Ne might be more heavily involved in empathy claims. I am highly sensitive to people's facial and behaviour changes, anything out of norm sends an alarm. I'm not so great on interpreting, so I do not claim empathic powers.

 

[Starry]

A lot of ENFP's on various forums are claiming to be empaths. If you don't know what an empath is, check this out...

http://empaths.livejournal.com/43504.html

So why is it that so many ENFP's claim that they are empaths and feel other's emotions so strongly? That seems so much more Fe than Fi

I don't really understand...are you saying this shouldn't be possible because ENFPs are 'Fi users' instead of Fe? If so...I totally agree with what [MENTION=5643]EcK[/MENTION] said...it is merely a 'directional thing'. I think most NFs experience this to a certain extent...(although I will say that it often appears ENFJs & INFPs can remain more 'self-contained'/possess better boundaries than ENFPs & INFJs imo. <--- I don't know if that is true or not but that is what it has looked like in my experience. I might not be the person to respond to this kind of thing though...because I consider myself an empath and I don't like it. I don't want it. It eats you alive from the inside out - I'm not fucking kidding here. Anyway...I'm almost wondering if N doms/F aux people report this 'more' on the basis of not being able to control it as well. idk.)

 

[The Great One]

So how would Fi vs. Fe empathy work?

 

[EcK]

So how would Fi vs. Fe empathy work?

Like I ve just described *face palm*
For the rest check out psychology and neurology research.

 

[INTP]

its not about Fe, its about mirroring others. ENFPs have highest activity of all types in the brain areas responsible for that

 

[The Great One]

Like I ve just described *face palm*
For the rest check out psychology and neurology research.

That was a mini description. I want an IN DEPTH description.

 

[EcK]

That was a mini description. I want an IN DEPTH description.

And I should give it for free ? im sort about to go out probably so yeah.
in short its about the focus of information gathering. Its still all about us but if the mental image of emotion processing is actually focused on your emotions rather than what you see as being others emotions even though its not then u ll first filter emotional content through what you see as your emotional world having consequences directly on you etc rather than what u see as others' emotions and experiences. I really dont have much time *runs*

 

[Lady_X]

Maybe it's fi maybe it's fe or maybe it's ne or even sx but I feel it too. It's not all the time or with everyone but it's like sitting in there with them. I'm sure something about the person or emotional state has to resonate in order for it to happen... Actually just after typing that I realize that's not always the case at all because I've had the experience of watching some psychological thriller type movie and feeling physically I'll being put into the mind of the fucked up sociopath.

I actually just can't watch that shit because it effects me too much. I also can't deal with intense drug movies where they're all strung out...I feel that too. It's horrible.

 

[Lanton88]

Maybe it's fi maybe it's fe or maybe it's ne or even sx but I feel it too. It's not all the time or with everyone but it's like sitting in there with them. I'm sure something about the person or emotional state has to resonate in order for it to happen... Actually just after typing that I realize that's not always the case at all because I've had the experience of watching some psychological thriller type movie and feeling physically I'll being put into the mind of the fucked up sociopath.

I actually just can't watch that shit because it effects me too much. I also can't deal with intense drug movies where they're all strung out...I feel that too. It's horrible.

so you mean you can feel peoples emotions?

 

[Thalassa]

Look. at the end of the day both Fe and Fi just makes you feel your own emotions. There is no magical link between you and the person. Fe focuses on the other and social groups while Fi focuses on the self. Its a matter of vectors / direction but both can do the same thing its just that Fe goes/look out and then in and Fi goes in and then out

Wrong. There is totally a magical link between me and a person who does what I dream about.

 

[Thalassa]

Maybe it's fi maybe it's fe or maybe it's ne or even sx but I feel it too. It's not all the time or with everyone but it's like sitting in there with them. I'm sure something about the person or emotional state has to resonate in order for it to happen... Actually just after typing that I realize that's not always the case at all because I've had the experience of watching some psychological thriller type movie and feeling physically I'll being put into the mind of the fucked up sociopath.

I actually just can't watch that shit because it effects me too much. I also can't deal with intense drug movies where they're all strung out...I feel that too. It's horrible.

That's because you're investing your Fi into what the people are doing, and feeling it for them as if it were yourself. Talking about seeing this stuff on movies ISN'T REAL. Those people are acting, so you aren't really feeling their feelings.

However, you're showing a deep empathy for suffering through your own Fi.

I think true empathy is when you actually know another person needs you, or you can feel they are mad, like a real person...I can tend to only do this with people I'm very close to, but I'm sure people take on other people's feelings a lot, especially when Fe doms.

 

[Tiltyred]

I think it's an NF thing.

 

[Thalassa]

I think it's an NF thing.

I don't. My ESFJ ex used to do it. An ESFJ friend of mine also says she can take on other people's feelings, like people standing behind her.

I know what she means, but I only used to be able to "feel" my ESFJ ex like that if he was behind me, like I swear to god I could feel him projecting his feelings outward. He would also cry over movies. I've done the thing on movies that Lady X is doing, but that's a clear example of Fi. You're internalizing ideas or images or scenarios as if it were you.

I used to go away sometimes while I was chatting with JTG, and I would get this weird feeling of internal urgency, almost like an inner scratchy feeling, and I'd go up stairs and there'd be like 20 lines of "hello? what the hell? where did you go?"

I also dreamed that we'd have a falling out, and the last time he contacted me I dreamed about him the night before.

My ENFJ bff and I used to have this kind of connection in high school.

I can't do it with everybody, though, it's like I have to be really centered on a particular individual, like have an emotional investment in them or something.

I can't just pick up on just anybody's feelings like my ESFJ friend says she can. That actually sounds horrible to me.

 

[Elfboy]

I don't. My ESFJ ex used to do it. An ESFJ friend of mine also says she can take on other people's feelings, like people standing behind her.

I know what she means, but I only used to be able to "feel" my ESFJ ex like that if he was behind me, like I swear to god I could feel him projecting his feelings outward. He would also cry over movies. I've done the thing on movies that Lady X is doing, but that's a clear example of Fi. You're internalizing ideas or images or scenarios as if it were you.

I used to go away sometimes while I was chatting with JTG, and I would get this weird feeling of internal urgency, almost like an inner scratchy feeling, and I'd go up stairs and there'd be like 20 lines of "hello? what the hell? where did you go?"

I also dreamed that we'd have a falling out, and the last time he contacted me I dreamed about him the night before.

My ENFJ bff and I used to have this kind of connection in high school.

I can't do it with everybody, though, it's like I have to be really centered on a particular individual, like have an emotional investment in them or something.

I can't just pick up on just anybody's feelings like my ESFJ friend says she can. That actually sounds horrible to me.

I think it's an Fe thing. I sure as hell can't do it lol

 

[Tiltyred]

I do all of that, including the movies thing. Few people will go to a movie with me because everytime somebody gets hit or hurt, I scream and flinch. Movies can wear me out.

 

[Thalassa]

I think it's an Fe thing. I sure as hell can't do it lol

Well what Lady X is talking about is Fi, because it's completely imaginary - those people are acting, they aren't really suffering, you're putting yourself in their place with your own Fi, and feeling it as if it were happening to you. That's Fi. That's how Fi works. You feel bad for people who are suffering because somehow you are inclined to internalize what other people are experiencing and "feel it."

But that's not like Fe, because Fe doesn't feel things as though it were happening to themselves. However, I do think they may be good at projecting emotion outward, and taking on other people's feelings in the immediate environment.

I'm not sure what function would explain my connection to certain others. Because it's only certain others. I can't take up shop as a psychic, because it seems like I can only do it with one, maybe two people, at the same period in my life. And I really have to spend a lot of time with them or feel close to them. It really does seem "metaphysical" so maybe it's tertiary Ni. It's one of the reasons I thought I was INFJ when I was like 17, and why I scored so high on Ni on Keys to Cognition before I really understood anything about the functions.

 

[Thalassa]

I do all of that, including the movies thing. Few people will go to a movie with me because everytime somebody gets hit or hurt, I scream and flinch. Movies can wear me out.

Well, I, on the other hand, grew out of it. I started seeing it as silly and pointless, because movies aren't real. It's like a form of masochism to do that over something that isn't really happening.

And I only do it with things that seem real or remind me of the real world. I've always been able to watch horror movies - in fact I LOVE horror movies (with the exception of "torture porn") because it's bullshit, it's not going to really happen.

I enjoy movies a lot more now that I can remain detached from them. Having a Thinking function rocks.

 

[Tiltyred]

In my makeup, it's involuntary.