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[INFJ] You know you're an INFJ when...

lillyofthevalley

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Jun 26, 2009
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157
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INFJ
You know you're an INFJ if one of the questions you ask when negotiating installation of a security system in your house is "Now, does it come with infrared sensors and semi-automatic defense turrets, or does it just make a bunch of noise and call your home office?"

If you're talented at asking the above question as a joke; it's a serious question, but the technician you're asking will never know.


On the flip side..the questions you ask are bypassing the obvious assuming the person you are asking is going to also. For instance, a dentist once told me my son should get braces. My son's teeth were barely crooked and didn't look bad to me so I asked the dentist if it would make any difference to the health of my son's teeth if he didn't get braces. I got this stupid 5 minute diatribe about simple oral care, flossing, etc., the kind of care my son did on a daily basis anyway. The dentist didn't take into account that my son had been coming in there since he was 3 for his biannual cleanings and that he had never had a cavity. Well....DUH! I'm forced to say "I understand that, my question was...", or I have to phrase the question starting out with the whole rigmarole ending with the actual question I wanted to ask.

I get this all the time, and from smart people too?

When people ask me questions like that I can assume they know existing simple facts that most people know before giving them an answer.
Are some people too literal?

One time I was at a stingray encounter at Grand Cayman. It turned out that those things freaked me out and I couldn't get back to boat fast enough. The same thing happened with one of my friends in another group. Later, when all of the friends were together at dinner the two of us were laughing about it when one people (a scuba diver) in the group made this comment, "next time just remember that if everyone else is having fun doing it then you should realize there is nothing to be afraid of". My friend and I looked at each other then said WHAT????
 

MFJAGgernaut-B

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74
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On the flip side..the questions you ask are bypassing the obvious assuming the person you are asking is going to also. For instance, a dentist once told me my son should get braces. My son's teeth were barely crooked and didn't look bad to me so I asked the dentist if it would make any difference to the health of my son's teeth if he didn't get braces. I got this stupid 5 minute diatribe about simple oral care, flossing, etc., the kind of care my son did on a daily basis anyway. The dentist didn't take into account that my son had been coming in there since he was 3 for his biannual cleanings and that he had never had a cavity. Well....DUH! I'm forced to say "I understand that, my question was...", or I have to phrase the question starting out with the whole rigmarole ending with the actual question I wanted to ask.

I get this all the time, and from smart people too?

I have concluded that, based upon my observations of human cultures, as an individual increases in his intellectual academic facilities, he also develops a tendency to grossly underestimate the intelligence quotients of those he perceives as beneath his level of academia. This makes such individuals notoriously prone to assuming the need to explain common details in answer to a question requiring a relatively simple answer, resulting in the asking party assuming the previously-perceived "genius" to be of much lower intelligence overall.

TRANSLATED: The smarter you get in one area, the dumber you get in another, and no one judges accordingly. You got a doctrate? Awesome! BUT YOU'RE STILL A DUMBASS, DOC.


If your outlook on human intelligence is one that assumes everyone is an idiot, including yourself. Your stone face and quiet demeanor just make it easier to hide it.
 

lillyofthevalley

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Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
157
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INFJ
I have concluded that, based upon my observations of human cultures, as an individual increases in his intellectual academic facilities, he also develops a tendency to grossly underestimate the intelligence quotients of those he perceives as beneath his level of academia. This makes such individuals notoriously prone to assuming the need to explain common details in answer to a question requiring a relatively simple answer, resulting in the asking party assuming the previously-perceived "genius" to be of much lower intelligence overall.

TRANSLATED: The smarter you get in one area, the dumber you get in another, and no one judges accordingly. You got a doctrate? Awesome! BUT YOU'RE STILL A DUMBASS, DOC.


If your outlook on human intelligence is one that assumes everyone is an idiot, including yourself. Your stone face and quiet demeanor just make it easier to hide it.

LOL, I think you're right.

I just want to add that many of these folks have big egos. Some of these people I've encountered aren't that educated. It's as if explaining the obvious reinforces their own perception of how intelligent they are.

Or like you say, they assume everyone is stupid.
 

fill

"Everything in its place"
Joined
Jun 28, 2009
Messages
507
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entp
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You're put into a completely new community, and the friend that you pour your emotions out to is no longer within a reasonable distance. You then find yourself with no outlet of emotion except for trying as hard as you can to let them go by yourself.

...Fuck.
 

MrRandom

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Jul 19, 2008
Messages
151
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INFJ
I'll use the example of Simon Baker's character Patrick Jane from The Mentalist. Jane is a clearcut INFJ.
On another side-note: You know you're INFJ when you're watching this show, and you know exactly what Patrick Jane is going to do next. Because it's exactly what you would do.

Hey, thanks for the TV tip! I watched the first episode and I was blown away at how INFJ he was. Finally a main character I can relate to on an INFJ level! I'm gonna go watch some more now... :nerd:
 

Skyward

Badoom~
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Jul 3, 2008
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9w1
When people ask me questions like that I can assume they know existing simple facts that most people know before giving them an answer.
Are some people too literal?

One time I was at a stingray encounter at Grand Cayman. It turned out that those things freaked me out and I couldn't get back to boat fast enough. The same thing happened with one of my friends in another group. Later, when all of the friends were together at dinner the two of us were laughing about it when one people (a scuba diver) in the group made this comment, "next time just remember that if everyone else is having fun doing it then you should realize there is nothing to be afraid of". My friend and I looked at each other then said WHAT????

To the first, I can be similar, well, its more like I dont know exactly how theyre viewing the subject or what they know about it so I tend to overexplain and make myself look really dumb.

To the second: look at all those people having fun hanging themselves by hooks in their backs. Dont forget the ones who have fun by doing drugs, too. And the extreme sports folk. ;)
 

Sarcasticus

Circus Maximus
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Here’s one…

You know you’re an INFJ when you’ve had jobs which demand an unusually high level of expertise with language and writing, among other things, and which many/most people would consider extremely difficult and challenging…but when you look at a busy waiter or waitress, their job looks more difficult than anything you have ever done! The constant rushing too and fro, remembering people’s orders (with or without writing them down), keeping track of your tables…aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!! I have so much admiration for a skilled table server! :yes:

I know an INFJ that's actually pretty good at waitressing. Maybe she just has a higher level of Se.
 

MFJAGgernaut-B

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If you're an INFJ, there's a high probability you're the one guy in the whole department at work with intimate knowledge of what you're working with. Odds are equally high that you sometimes find yourself working with the one guy in the whole department with zero knowledge of it.

If your first impulse immediately upon noticing them interacting with a customer is stepping in and taking over finishing the sales pitch the "right" way.

This may also apply if you're an INTJ, except you'd be more likely to tell the other person to piss off and let you do it.
 

Z Buck McFate

Pepperidge Farm remembers.
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You know you're infj when you have so many to-do lists floating around that you need to make a 'master list' of the sub-lists in order to prioritize them.

And occasionally a mega-master list becomes necessary.
 

SciVo

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I tried that, Z. I mean, I have just enough INFJ tendencies that when I tried to use to-do lists, I ended up having to make master lists (and yes, a meta-master list) for them. However, it was so deathly boring that I quickly gave up on the whole idea of to-do lists. Now I just do whatever, and I'm much happier.

Which reminds me, those old to-do lists are in one of these boxes, and I should really just toss them.
 

Athenian200

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You're not conventional enough to be an ISFJ, but too subtle and socially aware to be an INTJ.
 

Z Buck McFate

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However, it was so deathly boring that I quickly gave up on the whole idea of to-do lists. Now I just do whatever, and I'm much happier.

Which reminds me, those old to-do lists are in one of these boxes, and I should really just toss them.

You know you're infj when you hear someone talk about giving up on to-do lists and/or even throwing piles of them away, and part of you dies a little inside.
 

whatusername

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You know you're infj when you hear someone talk about giving up on to-do lists and/or even throwing piles of them away, and part of you dies a little inside.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Oh, and you know you're an INFJ when you plan to be spontaneous. And you schedule it on your to-do list. Hehe.

Like. 8am- Read for school

9am- Be spontanenous/Do anything
 

SciVo

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That's hilarious! Just to give a point of almost-but-not-quite-INFJ comparison, here's my "pocket engagement book" (since I fear that I'd break a PDA) for the last week:

2009-08-27: Tu Fawning + Inside Voices @ Doug Fir @ 2000 (2100) for $8
2009-08-29: Talkdemonic + Church + Deelay Ceelay @ Mississippi Studios @ 2000 (2100) for $12
2009-08-30: Jared Mees & TGC + Y La Bamba @ Rontoms @ 2000 for Free

I ultimately decided on the middle one. (There were implicit question marks for which one I would choose.) And I had a blast! The first opener actually has their EP available as a free download if you're interested.

I did a lot of other stuff that week. It's just that I only thing I bothered to explicitly plan was my special playtime, not my worktime or freetime.
 
P

Phantonym

Guest
You know you're infj when you have so many to-do lists floating around that you need to make a 'master list' of the sub-lists in order to prioritize them.

And occasionally a mega-master list becomes necessary.

This is so true!!! I'm a regular list-maniac. It's all about perfecting the list and getting everything on it!

And I actually do this with ideas that I have as well. All these bits and pieces of ideas that float around in my mind, if I write them down there's this bunch of papers or there's a file in my computer with ideas that don't seem to connect at first glance which need to be organized. So, I constantly write things over again on new papers/files. It helps me to organize things and eventually it all makes sense :laugh:

Oh, and you know you're an INFJ when you plan to be spontaneous. And you schedule it on your to-do list. Hehe.

Like. 8am- Read for school

9am- Be spontanenous/Do anything

Haha. Yes! Guilty!
 

MFJAGgernaut-B

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I wholeheartedly agree.

Oh, and you know you're an INFJ when you plan to be spontaneous. And you schedule it on your to-do list. Hehe.

Like. 8am- Read for school

9am- Be spontanenous/Do anything

You know you're INFJ when your plans to be "spontaneous" often involve philosophy and/or education. E.g. you plan to be spontaneous by going to an agricultural museum, and then maybe taking a trip over to a nearby art gallery before meeting your group of friends at a Mexican restaurant across the street from the theater where they had JUST seen District 9.

And the best you can come up with to chime in is the average diameter of an adult stallion's taters. And how it relates to that one Scottish painter's peculiar art style.

Thank God this never happened to me.
 

Skyward

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I havent bothered with that kind of a list, I would turn into a nervous wreck if I missed a single thing or am late. So I just act spontaneous within a loose routine or schedule.

I basically led a volunteer group of servers during a school lunch, it was kind of harrowing and fun being so active without pause. Also my inner control freak was enjoying himself. I do believe my Se is more developed (With both good and bad things from that.
 

whatusername

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You know you're INFJ when your plans to be "spontaneous" often involve philosophy and/or education. E.g. you plan to be spontaneous by going to an agricultural museum, and then maybe taking a trip over to a nearby art gallery before meeting your group of friends at a Mexican restaurant across the street from the theater where they had JUST seen District 9.

And the best you can come up with to chime in is the average diameter of an adult stallion's taters. And how it relates to that one Scottish painter's peculiar art style.

Thank God this never happened to me.

Hahaha.

Yes. And yes. And then some.

My spontaneous moments often involve a museum of some sort, or second hand book shops/LP stores. They involve such places because I plannedm y spontaneity, you see. Hehe.
 

lillyofthevalley

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My spontaneous trips involve knowing when I'm starting and knowing when I'll be home. Every little town has something interesting, even if the local people don't think there is anything there. There are fire towers to look out from, rock exhibits, corn mazes, farmer's markets, ancient churches, places to park by rivers to watch men fish...backed by interesting stories. These are as interesting to me as major art exhibits in metropolitan areas. When it's time to eat l always ask where the best mom and pop restaurant is that all the local people go to, this is where the best food is and the waitress knows all the regulars that come in, if you're lucky you can overhear conversations about the latest news from the farm, etc.

Because this is MY plan, I only do these weekenders with someone I know who's willing to wing it the same way as me. If the person I'm with causes me to stop in stores, stick to the main roads, etc. I get resentful.
 
S

Sniffles

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I havent bothered with that kind of a list, I would turn into a nervous wreck if I missed a single thing or am late. So I just act spontaneous within a loose routine or schedule.

This is my overall way of doing things as well.

My spontaneous trips involve knowing when I'm starting and knowing when I'll be home. Every little town has something interesting, even if the local people don't think there is anything there. There are fire towers to look out from, rock exhibits, corn mazes, farmer's markets, ancient churches, places to park by rivers to watch men fish...backed by interesting stories. These are as interesting to me as major art exhibits in metropolitan areas. When it's time to eat l always ask where the best mom and pop restaurant is that all the local people go to, this is where the best food is and the waitress knows all the regulars that come in, if you're lucky you can overhear conversations about the latest news from the farm, etc.

Because this is MY plan, I only do these weekenders with someone I know who's willing to wing it the same way as me. If the person I'm with causes me to stop in stores, stick to the main roads, etc. I get resentful.


+1 This is very much how I prefer to do things whenever I travel or visit places. Very often I'll have a general idea of what I'd like to see, but any specific plans are usually overcomed by how events play out - which is not to my disliking actually. Like I just said above, I prefer a very loose form of scheduling and organizing.
 
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