Help me make sense of this rambling; MBTI typing

[socratically]

Hello, I need help figuring out my type. I’ve been looking into Myers Briggs and cognitive functions for a while now. However, I’m afraid I’ve started subscribing to stereotypes and trying to fit myself into a certain box; I’ve lost my ability to be objective. I’ve heard that writing style can be fairly indicative of type — so I suppose I’ll spend some time writing about my characteristics.

1) I go through phases of being social and being reclusive. Earlier this year, I spent about a month being intensely social — talking to almost anyone, forging new relationships left and right. At a point, I suddenly started feeling overwhelmed. I couldn’t manage so many superficial relationships.

2) I’m very cognizant of the social web that exists around me. Maybe it’s all in my head. I know that certain social groups exist; I know that being associated with certain people can affect my social status. I don’t like the way I view things, but, in this situation, it’s probably best to be frank. I don’t strike up friendships purely for the purpose of elevating my social status.

3) At the same time, I see very clear boundaries between myself and some individuals or groups. I feel like I can’t breach those boundaries because we’re fundamentally different or because whoever it is — they don’t like me.

4) I love striking up conversations with people; small talk is fine as long as it isn’t prolonged. As an adolescent, I don’t connect very well with many people my age. With adults, though, it’s a different story. That’s not to say I don’t have friends; I have a few very dear friends. I find myself worrying about whether they like or appreciate me as much as I do them.

5) In the future, I want to enter into academia. I know that there’s a relentless thirst for publications and money and resources — but researching and teaching will be intellectually and emotionally fulfilling for me. Should also pay decently, with time. I’ve been working on some biochemical research for about a year now and I really enjoy the work I’m doing. I love taking my ideas and turning them into reality — designing and running experiments and getting results.

6) I’m not a selfless person and that doesn’t bother me as much as it should. I’ve always considered myself empathetic but I don’t know how true that is. A close family member recently had a medical incident and is now in recovery — throughout the whole process, I tried to show that I cared. But ultimately I was focused primarily on myself and my priorities.

7) I’d rather be a leader than a follower. I want people to like and respect me. I’m content with the few close friendships I have but I want more people with whom I connect with at a deeper level.

8) Writing emails is such a process with me. I’ll write and re-write until I’m sure I’ve conveyed my message in the clearest way.

9) I love public speaking. Oral presentations are infinitely exciting.

10) I make a hell of a lot of lists. I have a lot of ideas and I feel overwhelmed if I don’t record them. I was driving a few days ago and thought of a few ideas regarding things I’m involved in and working on — so I turned on a voice recorder at a red light and vocalized my ideas. I like writing my ideas down, though; verbalizing ideas doesn’t help me develop them. I need to figure things out in my head first.

I’m worrying that my language was too pompous and that I didn’t include enough concrete examples. I think my writing has become more authentic by this point, probably because the first section was more planned and the latter section was more like — oh! I should include that!

Thank you so much in advance — I’m looking forward to your insight. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions.

 

[Amber97]

heya! i'm gonna say either INFP or ISFJ. Which types/cognitive functions do you relate to most?

 

[socratically]

Hey! Thanks for your reply!

I’d have to say Ti and Fe. I’m very analytical and introspective. As for Fe, I’m not necessarily the most outgoing person; I am, however, very conscious of how people perceive the way I look / talk / write / etc.

I’m familiar with the cognitive functions as isolated entities; I’m not fantastic at applying them to real life situations (which is, arguably, where they matter most).

I’m terrible at debating and arguing. I’ll argue from a certain stance but I can’t help but try to understand the other side — and more often than not, I start compromising. Works well for diplomatic affairs. I don’t naturally have very strong opinions. I mean, I have a sense of what’s right and wrong but it’s more subconscious. That all makes me think I tend away from Fi.

I have a few dear friends who are INFPs. They strike me as very individualistic and unafraid to express themselves. I think of myself as fiercely individualistic but I’m not sure how accurate that is.

In relationships, I have a tendency to go for what I want — but I don’t play the game very well. I come off as too interested. When I want people to like me, romantically or otherwise, I tend to overshare — be as honest as I possibly can be, too — and later regret it. I have a hard time asking people for things.

Just realized you also asked about types. I relate to INFJ to a certain extent... I don't think I lead with Ni but I'm not great at spotting it. For that reason, I really resonate with a Fe-dom like ENFJ -- what with Ni lower in the stack.

 

[PerpetuallyScreaming]

Hello, I need help figuring out my type. I’ve been looking into Myers Briggs and cognitive functions for a while now. However, I’m afraid I’ve started subscribing to stereotypes and trying to fit myself into a certain box; I’ve lost my ability to be objective. I’ve heard that writing style can be fairly indicative of type — so I suppose I’ll spend some time writing about my characteristics. 1) I go through phases of being social and being reclusive. Earlier this year, I spent about a month being intensely social — talking to almost anyone, forging new relationships left and right. At a point, I suddenly started feeling overwhelmed. I couldn’t manage so many superficial relationships. 2) I’m very cognizant of the social web that exists around me. Maybe it’s all in my head. I know that certain social groups exist; I know that being associated with certain people can affect my social status. I don’t like the way I view things, but, in this situation, it’s probably best to be frank. I don’t strike up friendships purely for the purpose of elevating my social status. 3) At the same time, I see very clear boundaries between myself and some individuals or groups. I feel like I can’t breach those boundaries because we’re fundamentally different or because whoever it is — they don’t like me. 4) I love striking up conversations with people; small talk is fine as long as it isn’t prolonged. As an adolescent, I don’t connect very well with many people my age. With adults, though, it’s a different story. That’s not to say I don’t have friends; I have a few very dear friends. I find myself worrying about whether they like or appreciate me as much as I do them. 5) In the future, I want to enter into academia. I know that there’s a relentless thirst for publications and money and resources — but researching and teaching will be intellectually and emotionally fulfilling for me. Should also pay decently, with time. I’ve been working on some biochemical research for about a year now and I really enjoy the work I’m doing. I love taking my ideas and turning them into reality — designing and running experiments and getting results. 6) I’m not a selfless person and that doesn’t bother me as much as it should. I’ve always considered myself empathetic but I don’t know how true that is. A close family member recently had a medical incident and is now in recovery — throughout the whole process, I tried to show that I cared. But ultimately I was focused primarily on myself and my priorities. 7) I’d rather be a leader than a follower. I want people to like and respect me. I’m content with the few close friendships I have but I want more people with whom I connect with at a deeper level. 8) Writing emails is such a process with me. I’ll write and re-write until I’m sure I’ve conveyed my message in the clearest way. 9) I love public speaking. Oral presentations are infinitely exciting. 10) I make a hell of a lot of lists. I have a lot of ideas and I feel overwhelmed if I don’t record them. I was driving a few days ago and thought of a few ideas regarding things I’m involved in and working on — so I turned on a voice recorder at a red light and vocalized my ideas. I like writing my ideas down, though; verbalizing ideas doesn’t help me develop them. I need to figure things out in my head first. I’m worrying that my language was too pompous and that I didn’t include enough concrete examples. I think my writing has become more authentic by this point, probably because the first section was more planned and the latter section was more like — oh! I should include that! Thank you so much in advance — I’m looking forward to your insight. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions.

I'm not going to claim to be good at typing, as I still have a lot to learn and I've embarrassed myself before, but seeing as you haven't gotten much attention, I'm going to try to help.

1. Is there an underlying purpose for doing so? What was the motivation? Did you feel obligated, or was it just something you felt like doing until suddenly you didn't? Behaviour alone doesn't really mean anything, but rather your rationale for acting so in the first place (in my opinion, Myers Briggs is mainly about how and why you think the way you do.) I will mention that whether you're an Introvert or extrovert depends on whether you regain energy alone or with other people. I'm leaning towards Introvert.
2. First half sounds like Fe, second half sounds like Fi. A bit hard to say. I think any intelligent or observant person can notice social groups. I was thinking Fe, but when you talk about not wanting friends for social status, that sounds very individualistic and self value driven. LIke Fi.
3. Not sure. Still sounds individualistic.
4. I don't know; but I sure relate!
5. Sounds very goal-orientated. "I'm going to get this done and no one can stop me" sort of language. I would say that this conjures up images of Te.
6. Sounds very Fi. Especially "ultimately I was focused on myself and my own priorities".
7. Again very relationship-focused, there seems to be a paradox between your natural focus on the self and natural desire to please others and give them focus instead. Fe?
8. I've seen conflicting information, but from what I understand this is typically an SJ or NJ thing. I could be wrong, there are always exceptions.
9. Interesting... you definitely seem very confident in certain areas despite your lack of trust in your own self-judgments. For me personally, I would never so simply and easily throw around praise for public-speaking. It scares me. So... extroverted feeling? You seem very very comfortable with the presence and input of others, as long as it's not about your identity itself. That's my observation, anyway.
10. Superficially this would be a typical J thing. That's all I can really gather from this.

I think your reply actually gave me a bit more information. Here's what I think: Anyone who leads with Fi would be very reluctant to say something like "I have a sense of what's right and wrong, but it's more subconscious." Personally, in trying to find absolutely certainty in my type, I've almost always honed in only on types with Fi in at least the top three functions. And I can tell you that saying that, or that I'm not very opinionated, would feel like a complete and utter betrayal of the self.

You seem like a "go out and do something if I want to" person, someone who will get things done so long as it strikes you as something worthwhile to do. At the same time, you desire approval to do the thing first. If you can get that approval, you're far more likely to get the thing done and do well at it. Not that you can't on your own with no support, yet it's a major motivator to you.

This could mean a multitude of things. If someone was bullied or abused as a child, it would most assuredly affect them in ways that made them always focus on getting approval and love and attention to make up for what they didn't have. That's just one example. However, assuming that that isn't the case, this seems like Fe to me.

"I tend to overshare," "I come off as too interested," "I have a hard time asking people for things,"... these all sound very Fe. People always tell me I look cold, or walk away because I look busy, frustrated or *un*interested. Fe is often described as looking very warm, emotional, open, easy to read, etc. I am none of these things.

That's not to say that Fe users feel happy all the time, not at all. They're human beings with all the same emotions as everyone else, only personalized to their experience because they are individuals. However, their body language and facial expressions often radiate these things if you look for it.

I don't see Ne at all. Like, at all. And I know I mentioned Te earlier, but I've been revising my ideas as I write this and have been thinking that what I saw as Te may have been Se instead. I think that would make a great deal of sense, especially since you mentioned Ti and that seems to fit you very well.

So I'm going to go out on a limb and follow a hunch. I think you should look into being an ISTP. If that doesn't resonate with you at all, try ISFJ then INFJ. In that order. I'm not going to rule out anything completely, but I think it's highly unlikely that you're an INTJ, INTP, ISFP, INFP. Any of those. Actually, I think that INFP is still possible, there just happen to be some things that you have said that make me think that it's not something that needs to be currently considered, unless you are certain that it's something you relate to.

Let me know if this helps, please feel free to send me a private message if you would like to talk it over more. I'm more comfortable with that.