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[ISFP] SFPs and physical empathy (other types welcome)

ThatsWhatHeSaid

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I'm the farthest things from an S, but I get this in an extreme way. When I'm relaxed and people are stressed, I physically feel the stress they feel, usually in the form of tension/tightness or sadness. I've always thought it was my own thing, but lately I've realized it's exactly what the other people are feeling.

For example, 3 nights ago a friend of mine came over and we were hanging out in my room. I told her that I felt her tension in my back, shoulders, and a bit in the chest, then put my hands on her to comfort her. I think it's a little like what the Reiki weirdos do, but I haven't read enough about Reiki (nor do I care to).
 

Udog

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I don't feel a lot of empathy for people in pain. I just see it as a problem to be solved.
People whining about how hot it is and things like that drive me crazy.
Like cats people should suffer gracefully.

Being hot or something... yeah, I don't think that's what I'm talking about. Haha... my INFJ mom does that constantly. It's too hot or too cold all the time.

Wow. Good stuff. What's everyone's thought on this:

For the two examples, keep in mind I'm talking about Fi doms, so these interactions usually involve close-knit, smaller groups.

My ISFP mom wears her emotions on her sleeves. If she's stressed, she's telling people about it. If she's happy, she's showing it. Her emotions are always visible. However, I've seen her do incredible physical feats of stamina (not sleep for 2 days and appear ok), go to work sick, be in constant suffering from her lupis, and she will barely show a trace of it. Her physical constitution amazes me, and her physical status is a closely guarded secret she only reveals in times of desperation.

Me? I'm the opposite. I completely lack her physical stamina. If I'm tired, I'm letting you know. If I'm sick, I'm apt to complain about it (at least alittle). However, emotionally I become the road warrior. I took on a year of nothing but anger, pain, suffering, death, and betrayal by those closest in my life. Inside I'm going crazy, but only one person even got a peak at it. Everyone else complimented me on how calm I remained.

So what I'm now wondering is this:

Is it our empathy that makes us so strong in those regards? Does ISFP physical empathy turn them into physical brickhouses, while INFP emotional empathy make help them become the emotional warriors.

Is it our empathy that makes it so hard to express that area of our Fi?
 
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Dwigie

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Yes, I experience this.

It's the main reason why I can't watch violent movies. I also experience it in the positive form too. If someone is having a feel-good sensation, I empathize and feel it too.

Same boat.(Saw movies are off limits to me.)
 

Jeffster

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tl;dr

Nah, kidding. :D

I tend to cry when watching crying, smile when seeing a smile, yes, I do this pretty regularly. And feel knots in my stomach (or other areas) when people talk about medical procedures. Sometimes I wish I could shut it off once in awhile.
 

King sns

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hmm.. sometimes I guess you could say I mildly experience this feeling.. but mostly, no, i'm not overly empathetic.
 

King sns

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maybe not an sfp thing but an isf feeling?
 

wolfy

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My ISFP mom wears her emotions on her sleeves. If she's stressed, she's telling people about it. If she's happy, she's showing it. Her emotions are always visible. However, I've seen her do incredible physical feats of stamina (not sleep for 2 days and appear ok), go to work sick, be in constant suffering from her lupis, and she will barely show a trace of it. Her physical constitution amazes me, and her physical status is a closely guarded secret she only reveals in times of desperation.

Me? I'm the opposite. I completely lack her physical stamina. If I'm tired, I'm letting you know. If I'm sick, I'm apt to complain about it (at least alittle). However, emotionally I become the road warrior. I took on a year of nothing but anger, pain, suffering, death, and betrayal by those closest in my life. Inside I'm going crazy, but only one person even got a peak at it. Everyone else complimented me on how calm I remained.

So what I'm now wondering is this:

Is it our empathy that makes us so strong in those regards? Does ISFP physical empathy turn them into physical brickhouses, while INFP emotional empathy make help them become the emotional warriors.

Is it our empathy that makes it so hard to express that area of our Fi?

I don't wear my emotions on my sleeve. That might be a gender/cultural thing though. I might get told off for this but I think its pretty unmanly to wallow in emotions. Even when completely drunk.

I don't really feel emotions in a cerebral way anyway. I feel them physically. I only know I'm angry when I feel adrenaline being dumped into my veins. I know I'm sad because I feel tears well up.
But these are blocked for the most part.

I hate having to explicitly explain my emotions/feelings.
I'd prefer to express them through something.

Does ISFP physical empathy turn them into physical brickhouses?
I think it has more to do with the need to express myself physically.

I don't know if I really added anything here. But there it is.
 
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"?"

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I'm the farthest things from an S, but I get this in an extreme way. When I'm relaxed and people are stressed, I physically feel the stress they feel, usually in the form of tension/tightness or sadness. I've always thought it was my own thing, but lately I've realized it's exactly what the other people are feeling.
Then you are not as far from S as you would like to think. What is being described in this thread, to my understanding, is Se at it's finest, noticing the non-verbal cues, being able to pick up on the nuances at an instance, etc. ESP(fitting isn't it) types pick up on non-verbal cues better than anyone and ESTPs have been noted for their ability to change their behavior or appear to take in little when they have taken in a lot from these cues.
 

alcea rosea

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So, I was complementing Sarah on her fox picture, because I love foxes, and it reminded me of something about myself that I've always wondered about.

I'd like to call it physical empathy (makes sense to me). When I read about/see footage of something painful, I feel bad for the animal or person experiencing it, yes, but overwhelmingly I feel an uncomfortable physical sensation relating to what's happening to them.

This doesn't happen exactly every time I see something like that, but often.

For instance, I once read about a fox having to gnaw his own leg off to get out of getting caught in a bear trap, and my leg actually felt physically disturbed... it felt like IT was being gnawed, without the level of pain I'm sure the fox had to feel. Even if I think about this, and yes, while I write this, my leg feels physically uncomfortable for the poor fox.

Physical empathy.

This might extend beyond empathy to other emotions.

When I'm very depressed, my hands and feet hurt with sharp nerve pains.

Anyone, I was just wondering if other SFPs (or any other type, for that matter, or any other people :D ) shared what I experience as a very physical emotional response.

Malia
ISFP


I do understand what you are saying but my experience is a little bit different. My physical empathy is always in my stomack (feeling of being sick of what I heard). Or it's not actually sickness but it feels like a great heavy thing is put onto my stomack. It's definitely a physical reaction of empathy but not situated in the "correct limb" as you described (leg). But I guess it's somewhat similar experience?
 

maliafee

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That's interesting. It sounds like you are reacting to the stress of it, while I'm reacting to the physical act of gnawing... Just my thought.
 

alcea rosea

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That's interesting. It sounds like you are reacting to the stress of it, while I'm reacting to the physical act of gnawing... Just my thought.

Yes, it's possible. A very interesting thougt. :)
Anyway, it's a feeling that I definitely want to avoid. That is why I try to avoid everything that causes it.

I've known one ENFP who described excactly the same thing you are describing.
 

LeonardoLestat

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Well, there may be issues that go beyond MBTI type that diminish the emotional empathy and possibly exaggerate the physical in compensation.

Powerful emotions affect the body

Like butterflies in your stomach, crying, laughing....
 

riel

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Anyone, I was just wondering if other SFPs (or any other type, for that matter, or any other people :D ) shared what I experience as a very physical emotional response.



Oh, yes. I was watching a movie and the opening scene was a man trying to remove an iron nail by using his fingernail..it was bloody and I really felt that it was my own nail scratching that iron nail off. :shock:

When I was younger, whenever I see wrestling matches, I would cringe and leave the room. I just can't stand seeing such things because I feel like I'm the one being tossed around! Fortunately, it's less frequent right now..I'm able to watch wrestling matches. :coffee:
 

phoenity

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I can experience this feeling, but certain circumstances have to be met. It's not something that comes easy or natural to me like it would an ISFP.

Also, it's not that I experience it as an intense physical sensation, but if I focus on it and "put myself in their shoes" it can really affect my emotions and what I'm feeling about what that being is going through.

However, it doesn't require me to walk out of the room or stop watching for me to stop feeling it, as it seems like I can turn that part of myself off at will.

In Socionics, ISFP and ISTP have the same functions but switched around:

ISFP - Si/Fe/Ni/Te
ISTP - Si/Te/Ni/Fe

Basically, I can and have experienced Fe in the same ways that some of you describe, but not nearly as intensely.

For ISFP, it's easier and natural for you to experience through Fe, but difficult, if not impossible for you to turn it off. For me, I have to be in the right mindset to access it, and I can simply ignore it if it's too overwhelming.

Does that make any sense?
 

Walking Tourist

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Ugh! Just reading this makes me feel squeamish. If I were watching that movie, I'd have to shut my eyes and have someone tell me when it's safe to open them again. Unfortunately, I would still feel squeamish just from hearing the blood-curdling screams.

Oh, yes. I was watching a movie and the opening scene was a man trying to remove an iron nail by using his fingernail..it was bloody and I really felt that it was my own nail scratching that iron nail off. :shock:

 

Walking Tourist

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Yes, you're exactly right. For me, there is no "off switch." And it's always there, impossible to ignore.
*sigh*

I can experience this feeling, but certain circumstances have to be met. It's not something that comes easy or natural to me like it would an ISFP.

Also, it's not that I experience it as an intense physical sensation, but if I focus on it and "put myself in their shoes" it can really affect my emotions and what I'm feeling about what that being is going through.

However, it doesn't require me to walk out of the room or stop watching for me to stop feeling it, as it seems like I can turn that part of myself off at will.

In Socionics, ISFP and ISTP have the same functions but switched around:

ISFP - Si/Fe/Ni/Te
ISTP - Si/Te/Ni/Fe

Basically, I can and have experienced Fe in the same ways that some of you describe, but not nearly as intensely.

For ISFP, it's easier and natural for you to experience through Fe, but difficult, if not impossible for you to turn it off. For me, I have to be in the right mindset to access it, and I can simply ignore it if it's too overwhelming.

Does that make any sense?
 

phoenity

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Yes, you're exactly right. For me, there is no "off switch." And it's always there, impossible to ignore.
*sigh*

I guess an on/off switch was not the right way to explain it, as I can only turn it off at will, but I think you got the idea :)

If I allow myself to be affected by something I can feel it very deeply. However, I have to be in the right mindset. Certain circumstances must be there, and I wish like hell I knew what those circumstances were.

Fe is my way of connecting to people and feeling connected to something greater than myself. When it's not on, I feel completely detached and completely alone, unable to feel and experience with others.

Sometimes I want to be detached. Then there are other times when I don't want to be, and I wish I knew how I could "turn on" my Fe. Sometimes it stays off for days or weeks and I feel nothing at all. I can't connect and be with my friends in the same way I cherish the most. I know I'm still alive, but at the same time I feel like an important part of me is missing. I can pick up on certain cues that they can also tell that a part of me is missing.
 

ColonelGadaafi

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Only when i was younger. I dont experience the sensation, however seeing something physically painfull, i imagine the pain and feel revulsion, kind of like "Damn that has to hurt". However i do experience some empathy during displays of extreme pain.

F.ex, the time i watched the end of godfather III, when the daugther is shot instead of the protagnist, and he simply has a emotional breakdown from the agony, yelling the despair top of his voice. I kind of feelt empathetic, whilst at the same time showing revulsion towards the empathy by laughing my ass off at the sorrowfull scene(Which i found funny).
 
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