Southern Kross
Away with the fairies
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2008
- Messages
- 2,910
- MBTI Type
- INFP
- Enneagram
- 4w5
- Instinctual Variant
- so/sp
I tend to identify with the INFPs on this forum. I spent some time on Personality Cafe and got pretty sick of the 'INFPs' there. I don't know whether many of them were mistyped (I imagine many are) or if they were all just so very, very young, but I found so much of the discussion to be vomit inducing. There was too much nicey-nicey, virtual hugs, or griping about and wallowing in problems. Each thread was either a saccharine love-fest or like a bunch of emo teenagers talking about how deep and sad their lives are. I just didn't find enough critical discussion; people sharing real opinions and debating over it. It also seemed like they were all self-consciously attempting to live up to, and perpetuate, INFP stereotypes, which turned them into a bunch of mindless sheep - and inauthenticity is a mortal sin to a INFP. The INFPs here are real individuals, that have real points of view; that is much more appealling to me. Total agreement and commonality can be a seriously dull affair. I also think a person having properly engaged Ne makes a difference. I suppose that's why I didn't like PC: people lacked Ne-style novelty, inspiration, insight, absurdity, irony, cheekiness etc - it was all just so earnest and repetitive. Besides, TC INFPs actually get grumpy, stubborn, and flippant, which makes me feel more at home.
Overall what I identify with is people that really like to consider, discuss and question things. People that make insightful points/arguments that really cut to the heart of things. People that appreciate and recognise complexity and see the world in shades of grey. People that know when to play the devil's advocate (perhaps even to their own argument) or re-centre/re-focus/re-position a discussion and bring it back what really matters. People that use humour to reveal truth. People who are attuned to possible negative effects on people and the dangers of going down the path of certain arguments. It's not so much what they talk about, but how they talk about it that appeals to me. I just really love it when I read a post and it just lights up my brain in the right way; it makes me feel connected to that person. I suppose any type can fulfil all this, but the NFPs do it in the way that satisfies me the most consistently.
Overall what I identify with is people that really like to consider, discuss and question things. People that make insightful points/arguments that really cut to the heart of things. People that appreciate and recognise complexity and see the world in shades of grey. People that know when to play the devil's advocate (perhaps even to their own argument) or re-centre/re-focus/re-position a discussion and bring it back what really matters. People that use humour to reveal truth. People who are attuned to possible negative effects on people and the dangers of going down the path of certain arguments. It's not so much what they talk about, but how they talk about it that appeals to me. I just really love it when I read a post and it just lights up my brain in the right way; it makes me feel connected to that person. I suppose any type can fulfil all this, but the NFPs do it in the way that satisfies me the most consistently.
These are interesting and difficult questions. I don't usually question people's type here, but if I met a INFP IRL that I didn't click with, I might do so. I tend to steer clear of the INFPs (and ENFPs) I don't identify with because they can irritate me more, and I can wind up in arguments with them (which I should avoid). If they fit the type, I just let go of the differences. They are, what they are, and I am, what I am - no big deal. It doesn't really undermine my understanding of the type.If not, how do you tend to react to people who share your type but you don't identify with? Do you tend to question the validity of their self-typing or your own? If you do think you're both correctly typed, how do you reconcile the differences? Do you miss the feeling of being able to identify with others of your type or does it not bug you that much?