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ISFP or INFP or probably something else?

ross_in_green

New member
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
5
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4
Hey everybody!
My name is Ross and I'm from Bulgaria. I'm probably a borderline personality - ISFP/INFP. When I do the Type Indicator online, most of the time I get the INFP, but reading about the type, it's not really me. And usually my N is pretty low (as opposed to the F and P). My I is about average and it makes sense to me. So here's pretty much the way I look at myself:

I'm pretty much an introverted person. I enjoy communication, I enjoy spending time with others, but I do need a lot of time on myself, I don't like people encroaching upon my own personal space. I'd love to speak with somebody about a variety of topics (arts, philosophy, traveling, psychology, gossip), but I've never ever really shared my most intimate thoughts and no matter how close a person is to me, I kind of can't feel that I'm able to tell him/her all that's on my mind. I feel kind of threatened when somebody shows too much interest or tries to get into my life and really stifles around. I have a huge problem talking in front of an audience or many people (and I'd have to say that I didn't have that problen at a very early age - I was the typical artistic kid - I was always doing a performance, hosting concerts, singing, writing down ideas and sketches and I always had ideas about shows, plays, films, books that I wanted to realize, so I spent a lot of time reading (mostly books I had difficulties getting in the library, because I was too young to be allowed to read them), playing pretend-games and being myself. I felt totally alive back then, doing that and not being ashamed to do that. And I still feel that way. I believe I have the talent for writing and I'm pretty much doing my studies in theatre directing, so I'm pretty much obsessed with vision - the way something is happening, the way I could come to the core of a story, of a character, make it seem beyond real and beautiful, interesting. Now writing this, I'm again at loss for words. Then again, friends/professors etc. say that I have a pretty visual approach to things, that I'm able to express my vision of the world, especially through writing. Anyway, I'm a lazy type of a guy and I never really could believe that I could have that special talent, because I kind of had this painful teen years experience (who doesn't?) and I wanted to be part of a community, to have friends and to have a typical teenager's life. So I was talking about the kid I was, but that was until my 14th year. And then suddenly one day - and I was as shocked as I could - I couldn't let myself to talk in front of people, to be myself around people etc. etc. I had no friends in school, so I spent a lot of time watching movies, reading, doing my own stuff on my own. Maybe as a result from these days I'm pretty much comfortable on my own - I could spend a lot of time doing my own stuff, thinking about people and stories etc., but I need people as well. I need communication, I need change, I need people, whom I could talk to. Many of the people I feel comfortable around are considerably older than I am - folks in their 30's, 40's and even 50's. Nearly all of my close relationships include the 'same interest' thing - movies, theater, literature, philosophy, performance in general, music, paintings etc.
When I'm with somebody I feel pretty comfortable with, I become a compassionate talker. I love to talk, to converse. Sometimes I'm not really patient, but I enjoy talking. I've never really been pretty good at constructing my thoughts while talking. I can't remember words, I can't really say what I'd like to say, so I've always preferred to write down what I'd like to say. (I've always had it much easier to communicate through messengers.)

Other things about me: I'm a visual person. Love theatre, movies, love books, love writing, love daydreaming and it's pretty much one of the things I love doing all the time. Anyway, something a bit contrary to my personality is that need to be the centre of attention. I've always haft the instinct to perform, to be on a stage as well, so while I really feel afraid in front of people, among closer friends - and not among all of them - and sometimes even around people I don't know that well I feel the need to perform, to make witty remarks, to express, so many people who don't know me, think of me as flamboyant, fun, but arrogant and a bit odd, out of touch etc.

I'm terrible at small talk. I'm terrible at compromising. I've always felt much better doing my own stuff on my own than being with people I don't share any interests with. Of course, sometimes I need people and I've communicated with people I can't call friends of people with the same ideas about life, but I've done it mostly to be with someone. And it didn't work out.

Really absent-minded. Really clumsy with my hands.

I'm obsessed with colors, with the big picture, with communicating ideas through symbols, decoration, I love decorating rooms, apartments (just for fun), I love photography, I love architecture, I love coffee shops (don't know why I wrote that, but it's a huge part of me).

I love fantasies, mythology, history, anything exotic and really symbolic, visual, emotional. I love adventures.

What really makes me think of myself as a no-INFP is the fact that while I'm really compassionate toward people's tragedies and felt pain and disgust and cried when somebody went through a tragedy, a complete stranger most of the time or spent time thinking about people I've known and how they probably feel in their personal lives, I've never really cared much about topics such as 'the war', 'the hunger' etc. I came to realize that I need the human face, the concrete human story to make me feel. I love philosophy as well, but I care about the truth in a particular story (Kierkegaard and Dostoyevski have always been more interesting to me because of making philosophy part of a story line, a character arc etc.).

Probably I'm not the most selfless person ever. I'd do a lot of things for the people I care about and I love my sister and my mom more than I could ever love myself, but at the same time I feel that most of the time I feel the need to put myself first when it comes to others.

I love sensual sensations -- I love feeling alive. I love doing stuff that makes me rely on my senses, I love food, I love flying, I love high speed, I love beauty in all its forms, I love abstract paintings, I love loud music, I love extreme heat or extreme cold, I love all kind of stuff like that. Aesthetics always have been something I cared about deeply. I love dancing, doing sports. I adore the nature and I feel I need contact with it. I love water and all kind of rivers, the sea and I don't mean just swimming or stuff. I need the contact. It makes me feel alive.

I adore watching thrillers, films such as Rosemary's Baby or even series such as Twin Peaks, The X Files - series that rely on making me think of a solution or just frighten me.

I love dancing, I love moving around, I love biking etc. It helps me feel less intense. And I'm usually pretty intense. Sometimes I have the feeling I'm using writing or theatre or anything I do to let my emotions fly and do it in a beautiful way. And that if I don't do arts, these emotions would be pretty much self-destructive.


Well, I don't know what to share... :) This is pretty much everything I could come up with right now. So am I an isfp or an infp? Or probably something else?

Btw, ask questions if you feel it could help you decide my type.

Thanks! :)
 

Chloe

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,196
hey... from Croatia... finally someone from this part of Europe :D

i read it all but i cant really tell for sure.. maybe someone who knows better will tell you..
you could be more S than N, but some things you note that are S, like not empathizing until you see "the face" of the person, real example... or liking to move, sports... i have too.. and i am definately N...

i dont know how old are you... but until 2-3 years ago (until i was 19+) i also didnt have much empathy and concern about global stuff like war...

and when i thought about what i really really enjoy.. i acutally enjoy more sports, dancing, any extreme sports, having fun, laughing.. than i do some theoretical stuff or thinking.... i just do... and i am N..so.. but i also enjoy very deep conversation, when i really share with somebody deep feelings and impressions.. when it all makes sense.

all in all you do sound way more ISFP though.. but i recognize myself in many things you wrote that sound S.
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
9,485
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
you seem more isfp to me, but could be borderline. it's never about specific things like "do I like sports" "do I like philosophy" since there's tons of S/Ns who like ...non-stereotypical? activities. it's more about the overall picture, whether you prefer to engage with "real life" or spend time thinking about more abstract topics.

if you pay attention to the infps and isfps here post, you'll probably get a good idea which group you have more in common with.
 

wolfy

awsm
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
12,251
if you pay attention to the infps and isfps here post, you'll probably get a good idea which group you have more in common with.

That is a really good idea. You seemed isfp to me too, something about the style made me think infp but overall maybe isfp.

Check out other types posting styles.
 
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