Everyone wants me to be THEIR function!! I feel so...wanted and loved ;D (Personality type: magnetic! Or vain XD)
Thanks so much KDude, ShortnSweet and Eric B! Haha, I definitely play counselor to the point that people can become irritated if they didn't ask for the advice! But then, my antics also bring about more than the occasional facepalm...so can I answer 'all of the above'?? XD
That's exactly why the T/F dichotomy is particularly confusing to me: to me, the logical decision is always the one that makes the most PEOPLE happy in the end...and conversely, doing what's right and most helpful for others is the most logical choice in a group dynamic. So I find it difficult to separate a preference for one from the other!
Also, they often claim intraverted thinking will make one go by rules or conventions before feelings. But what if the prevailing norms don't seem logical to the ENTP - do many ENTPs also eschew convention?
So, the cognitive functions are where the gravy really lies in the roast, right? I suppose cognitive function theory could be envisioned in the context of 'steps' one makes in interacting with themself and their world: an ENTP for example will first make intuitions and ideas based on active interaction with their surroundings; second, process these through an internal 'logic filter' to make their decisions (does this sound logical?); and third, consult their tertiary as a 'backup' to consider how their actions will impact everyone's feelings around them.
An ENFP, meanwhile, would go through the same first step, but then process these through an internal 'feeling filter' to make their decisions (does this feel right?); and consult their tertiary to consider whether their actions are logical in the impact they will have outwardly.
Does this sound about right? (Why IS the secondary always internal, and the tertiary always external in extroverts in this model anyway? I mean, isn't it theoretically possible for someone's next thought after extraverted intuiting to be extraverted feeling or thinking? Or is the central concept based on the idea that an extrovert's next actions MUST follow some internal evaluations?? And couldn't it also be theoretically possible for a person to switch between the two based on mood or situation???
I am almost universally accused of the things that ENFPs seem to be known for, behaviors that would seem unusual for an ENTP: absolutely gushing sentiment, annoying people with over-the-top enthusiasm and sticking my nose in 'counseling' them (whether they ask for it or not!); crying over any sweet movie, and missing sleep over it for MONTHS if I so much as think a friend doesn't like me or that I hurt somebody. I don't relate to people who seem even remotely 'coldhearted', don't let go of emotional hurt or attachment easily, and I share my innermost feelings very readily. Does this suggest Fi, or Fe?
...Now on the other side of the psychological coin, I ALSO approach everything from the analytical standpoint, and all of my 'big' choices in life (i.e. the ones that aren't just for fun) are based on an internal framework, a long-term plan. To me logic is the greatest instrument for determining actions that will ultimately help people in the long run, and sometimes I can be detached and even seem a little cold giving fact-based advice when somebody's in emotional pain (although this is partly because their pain can hurt me so much that keeping detached makes me more helpful!). I work in medical science, which demands a great deal of putting emotion aside
(but then again, unlike many people who seem to only get into the field out of fascination, my main reason for getting into it WAS to help people like disabled friends I'd once had as well). Does this seem more suggestive of Ti, or Te?
I guess when people seem on the fence between these two, the problem is a strong tertiary which can resemble the secondary! So I guess in order to resolve whether I'm an ENTP for whom everything IS inwardly thinking-based but who juggles that with very high extraverted feeling - or an ENFP for whom everything is inwardly feeling-based but who balances those tendencies with very high extraverted thinking, what really has to be determined is which is truly first or internally-based, and which follows secondly as 'backup' relating to the external world!