Good luck.

[Grizzly]

Howdy. If anyone's up for typing, lend me your knowledge of MBTI.

I initially tested as INFJ about a year ago, but lately I've tested as INTJ, ENTJ, INTP, INFP, ISTP, ISTJ and of course INFJ. I've spent the past month investigating the attributes of each type and consulted the eight cognitive functions (Ni, Fi, Te, etc.), but I've unsuccessfully pinpointed my type. Here's what I've got:

• I/E: I value solitary time, detest small talk, am ridiculously avoidant and shy, and prefer the company of one or two friends over attending a party. With that being said, I also love performing in front of crowds and have a fair share of pride, which I shamefully hide under a veil of apparent modesty.
• N/S: I'm not exceedingly observant of the details of the physical world as I'm often unintentionally lost in my own head; consequently, I'm fairly self-conscious, introspective and aware of my thoughts and emotions; I do enjoy abstract theories and theoretical physics (to an extent), some science fiction, fantasy, and even the weird, dark, offbeat shit; I try to be tolerant when I consciously can, and I definitely will not conform if I do not agree; I am goal-oriented and typically look to the future; I'm somewhat of a ambitious visionary; I constantly get caught up in the past and battle with chronic regret (over the small and the big); I can be pretty absent-minded - I'm a danger on the road, as I commonly zone out while driving; I randomly get those "a-ha!" moments and epiphanies; and I've honestly encountered the supernatural on multiple levels of consciousness and experienced deja-vu/had vague premonitions. Contrasting with those seemingly iNtuitive traits, I'm commonly uncreative, lacking insight and unable to think outside the box; I'll typically adhere to the rules and follow procedures step-by-step, failing to utilize my iNtuition and attempt new courses of action; I rarely experiment or try new things on my own unless provoked to do so by an external force; and while I'm far from materialistic or greedy, I'm moderately lustful and gluttonous, and highly prideful and envious - actually, I'm a minimalist, which stifles any desire for material wealth, but I do aim, regrettably, for respect and prestige, attributing to getting too caught up in reality.
• F/T: Here's where it gets tricky. Concerning decision-making, I honestly believe I only come to conclusions when both my heart AND mind consult each other and weigh it all out; basically, I need some make-believe scenarios to determine whether or not I decide with one or the other, since just asking in generalities will not yield conclusive answers from me. Another oddity: I almost always display the appropriate amount of congeniality, politeness, and sympathy towards others, to the extent that I seemingly possess the Fe function. On the contrary, I detest doing so and, more often than not, I could sincerely care less about the trivial woes of those around me, including everyone in my life - I honestly do not care for my family or closest friends, as I find their relationships useless and draining (with the exception of one or two people). I believe I sustain this charade only to ensure the peace and harmony in life and to not deter away from future success, I'm afraid to admit. But, contradicting that, I do have a deep-seated sense of justice, and I abhor the spread of victimization on the innocent; if I have a heart, it is for those in the God-forsaken parts of the world or those who are subject to chronic pain and suffering due to illness or abuse. My only conviction lies with the vision of one day ending the suffering endured by the truly innocent, and I actually aspire to become a certified doctor of sorts that practices medicine abroad in third world countries - a highly Fi thing to commit to, correct? But again, I'm unsure as to what my dominant function or Jungian type is, for I also typically hold a rational view of the world, am always categorizing and always trying to make logical sense of it all.
• P/J: In a nut shell, I'm consciously J and unconsciously P. By default, I'm scatter-brained, somewhat lazy, late to appointments, and a time-waster, and I hate that about myself. I love to make schedules, plan ahead, keep all aspects of my life organized, pay a great amount of detail to perfection, and I prefer maintaining a routine I've established. It's kind of ridiculous. Actually, I should be organizing scholarship information right now as I have scheduled for myself to do, but instead I am focusing on finding out who I am via MBTI, despite the built-up stress of summer before college! I'm a mess.
• Random: I'm frequented by unexplainable, emotional, colorful vibes that correlate with different locations and atmospheres, and they can even be accessed by fleeting memories or listening to music, if that makes any sense at all. And another: I'm sometimes very controlling, in polite sort-of way, when I find people doing something completely wrong or in a way I deem inferior. I'm a downright ass sometimes (in a polite sort-of way?).

In essence, I'm all over the map. If you insightful folk can help clear things up a bit for me, I'll owe you big. I mean real BIG.

[Samuel De Mazarin]

First off, welcome, Grizzly! And I hope you're ready to learn, which it seems you are... a bit of an autodidact's vibe is coming across from your thread of the web, though, then again, most of the people on MBTIc are autodidacts.

OKAY... as for typing... I am relatively new to the forum, so some monster brain like Bluewing (ah yes, Bluewing... I long for debate!) may come and squish my analysis (and brain) into putty, but here's what I think...

__________________________________________________ _______________________

You.... are.... an... INTP!




Why?

I/E: You are naturally introverted... you feel and see the world from the inside and accordingly seek to be alone or with a small circle of friends. The element of performance doesn't militate against this reading at all. There are many performers who love performing and are natural introverts (John Lennon and Thom Yorke, for example). In performance, you are essentially having a monologue with the audience. You may feed off of their vibes, and that's great, but while you're communicating you're also shielded by the carapace of your performance persona. I would ask a question... you may feel great performing in front of crowds, but how would you feel sitting in a room of, say, ten people, friendly but not known to you, and just talking about things? Extroverts may feel a bit uncomfortable, just because it's a new situation, but they'll generally get over it far more quickly and thrive more quickly than Introverts.

N/S: This reads like an iNtuitive who's simple not come out of his shell. Your general pattern of thinking is abstract and deductive, as opposed to concrete and inductive. Classic N. As for guidelines and following routines, that's more to do with J/P distinctions... but, nonetheless, point well taken... let's address it... all this:

"I'm commonly uncreative, lacking insight and unable to think outside the box; I'll typically adhere to the rules and follow procedures step-by-step, failing to utilize my iNtuition and attempt new courses of action; I rarely experiment or try new things on my own unless provoked to do so by an external force; and while I'm far from materialistic or greedy, I'm moderately lustful and gluttonous, and highly prideful and envious - actually, I'm a minimalist, which stifles any desire for material wealth, but I do aim, regrettably, for respect and prestige, attributing to getting too caught up in reality."

I think that has to do more with your coming out of your shell and letting your N shine through... right now, you're relying on your Si to fly under the radar... also, some of your statements seem self-contradictory... you're figuring things out... you also have to grow into yourself. Also, N's and S's alike aspire for respect and prestige... their manner of going about achieving it may differ. They DO say iNtuitives care less for money, but as a hardcore N myself, I know that I do like the idea of having shitloads of money... I even worked at Wall Street for a while... but having done that, I realized that I wouldn't be happy in the life that I would have to live in order to get that money... this comes with experience.

T/F: I would say you're a thinker. "I believe I sustain this charade only to ensure the peace and harmony in life and to not deter away from future success, I'm afraid to admit. But, contradicting that, I do have a deep-seated sense of justice, and I abhor the spread of victimization on the innocent; if I have a heart, it is for those in the God-forsaken parts of the world or those who are subject to chronic pain and suffering due to illness or abuse." This is classic abstraction of emotion... I mean, you have a sense of sympathy for people whom you've never met, never interacted with, and yet you're rather dispassionate and uninterested in the immediate emotional connections that surround you at home. You are more sympathetic to the "idea of humanity" than everyday humans around you. This doesn't necessarily mean you're heartless, but you'll have to dig more deeply to bring out your Fe, which is a shadow. Also, the fact that you called your congeniality a charade is another dead giveaway for T'ness.

P/J: I think you said it yourself... you're "consciously" J, meaning you 'like' to consciously think ahead, make plans, schedules, inventories of your life, goals for the future... but these are behaviors you realize would be more conducive to a stable and healthy life; these are behaviors with which you're not completely at home, which is why you often find yourself zoning out or just veering off the well-constructed route. Your are a self-diagnosed "unconscious" P, and more importantly, "A P BY DEFAULT". You most naturally tend to take things as they come, to defer important actions... it is your preferential mode of behavior. Thus, you're a P.

__________________________________________________ _______________

Well, that's what I got from it. You're an INTP... remember, the functions are about preferences, where you feel most at home, instead of straining to be something other than you would normally be.... doesn't mean N's are incapable of utilizing their S in extremely empirical fashion or that P's are incapable of sticking to rigid schedules... it just requires more willpower.

You seem like you're right where I was when I was on the verge of college... except introverted, which made the diagnosis a little easier.

Finally, I would suggest you read the descriptions of INTP and INFP to determine which is more like you... more qualitative descriptions and comparisons thereof may help you.

But remember... what you're doing right now is only the beginning... the best way to go about it is to understand which basic mentality you have (NT, NF, SP, or SJ... this is a move made by Keirsey, btw, so it doesn't suit most MBTI'ers... I think it's helpful... see this link: The Four Temperaments), take some inventories.... and finally... go to a professional MBTI tester.

Here're some more links which aren't toooooo long but should help clarify... it's also helpful to have a side-by-side comparison of INFP and INTP... but if you're not convinced by my arguments, keep looking at descriptions of other types by all means. I'm almost a hundred percent certain that other MBTI'ers will come in an disagree with my assessment of you as an INTP... but if it helps, I think I'm right. :

(NF)Empathist & (NT)Analyst

Portrait of an INTP

Portrait of an INFP