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Some kind soul, please teach me how to develop Fi.

R

Riva

Guest
To put it in different words -
the thinking pattern of a Fi user. or
Ti users go after the facts, what do Fi users go after?


Off Topic.
I envy the people reading skills some SOCIAL, MATURE ISTJs (who associates people) have.
 

Ace_

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Jun 2, 2009
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233
MBTI Type
TNT
It is often hard to assign words to the values used to make introverted Feeling judgments since they are often associated with images, feeling tones, and gut reactions more than words. As a cognitive process, it often serves as a filter for information that matches what is valued, wanted, or worth believing in. There can be a continual weighing of the situational worth or importance of everything and a patient balancing of the core issues of peace and conflict in life’s situations. We engage in the process of introverted Feeling when a value is compromised and we think, “Sometimes, some things just have to be said.” On the other hand, most of the time this process works “in private” and is expressed through actions. It helps us know when people are being fake or insincere or if they are basically good. It is like having an internal sense of the “essence” of a person or a project and reading fine distinctions among feeling tones.
 

Snuggletron

Reptilian
Joined
Sep 25, 2009
Messages
2,224
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
10
- Become more in tune with your inner ethics. What do you identify as right or wrong aside from what is purely observable? What is your moral philosophy?
- Become more in tune with what is genuine. When you talk to people, pay attention to your gut when you feel they are not being 'real', or when they are being questionable. How does another person's words and actions correlate with your own (or how you would voice/act on your own)? Can you tell when someone is being authentic? Take subtle cues and combine them with an inner value/moral compass.

'good' Fi leads to stable and admirable character, trustworthiness, accountability, and inner (and subsequently outer) perception.
'bad' Fi leads to flakiness of character, poor direction of motives and sensing authenticity in others, and inconsistency in moral decisions.

the last part might purely be my own opinion or nonsense entirely, based on what I've drawn from what I've come to know Fi to be.
 
R

Riva

Guest
^ That was bloody awesome Snug. i have questions. I'll post them tomorrow. I have to go catch some sleep.
 

Sunny Ghost

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ace and snuggletron are spot on, in my opinion. (Fi user here. :D)

if we're talking about developing Fi in relating with others... pay attention to facial cues or body language when engaging with others. these cues are an insight to the persons current thoughts or emotions. is the person comfortable, genuinely happy or engaged in the moment, anxious, timid, insecure, aggressive, are they putting up a front, etc? as an Fi user, you not only read these cues, but will often empathize with these emotions yourself. once your able to empathize with the other persons current thought process or emotions, you may be able to figure out ways to adjust the situation at hand or just reach out to the person.
 

Snuggletron

Reptilian
Joined
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Messages
2,224
MBTI Type
INFP
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10
ace and snuggletron are spot on, in my opinion. (Fi user here. :D)

if we're talking about developing Fi in relating with others... pay attention to facial cues or body language when engaging with others. these cues are an insight to the persons current thoughts or emotions. is the person comfortable, genuinely happy or engaged in the moment, anxious, timid, insecure, aggressive, are they putting up a front, etc? as an Fi user, you not only read these cues, but will often empathize with these emotions yourself. once your able to empathize with the other persons current thought process or emotions, you may be able to figure out ways to adjust the situation at hand or just reach out to the person.

Definitely. Also, seeing you're an Se user, I'd be inclined to (and from reading your post) believe you focus a lot on how the person is acting and speaking. I mentioned this in my post but sometimes the cues aren't physically present. I'm already going over what could be going on, and comparing it to what's usual. If I don't know the person I'm less likely to judge them in such a way, but I'll compare how they come off to what I innately know as right/wrong/on/off.

For example, I have this INFJ friend I have known my entire life. In recent months he's been posting a lot of things on FB that I would deem out of his character. I don't see how he acts because I don't hang out with him. In fact, when I last saw him I was taking an American Politics class with him and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Lately, I notice he is going through some transformation stage marked by calling attention to his goals, self-righteousness, and way he treats and responds to others. Some of the posts are kind of uppity and dismissive, but they're unnecessary. I immediately thought of this program one of his older roommates let him in on, like one of those books that delves into the psychology of how to 'push buttons' in yourself to gain attraction from women and gain influence and etc.. Sure enough, a few days ago he posted something like a sort of status poll asking his female friends what was more attractive, dominant males or submissive ones. However, this was only posted to confirm his idea of what is attractive and what should be displayed (he dismissed all of the other opinions basically). It all seems very cheesy to me, and forced. I don't ever mention this though, I just notice it and keep it in mind.
 

gromit

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Probably Fi users would go after values, finding your own set of values, morals, etc. Look at what is important to you, the kinds of people you admire, things like that. Which kinds of inner principles, such as kindness or sincerity, guide your actions?
 

Southern Kross

Away with the fairies
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Dec 22, 2008
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Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I think its about constantly questioning and reflecting on the world around you. Instead of making assumptions or simply accepting things as they appear, you closely evaluate people's behaviour, mentally challenge the social mores, question your own principles; decide for yourself what are things really about and how you really feel about them.
 

WoodsWoman

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Dec 24, 2007
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INFP
Fi - for me it's all about internal integrity. Much of the time my own internal lineup is a bit out of sync with the societal norms around me.
 

KDude

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Jan 26, 2010
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Some of the stuff mentioned here I can identify with. You guys make me question whether I'm Fi (again). I just break my own limits at times. So much is conditional, and I'm not sure whether to chalk that up to T or Percieving. I don't think I have core values, other than basic humanitarian concerns.
 

Southern Kross

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Some of the stuff mentioned here I can identify with. You guys make me question whether I'm Fi (again). I just break my own limits at times. So much is conditional, and I'm not sure whether to chalk that up to T or Percieving. I don't think I have core values, other than basic humanitarian concerns.
Au contraire, conditionality is the heart of Fi. Thinkers are more concerned with hard and fast rules and the same goes for personal values. Making decisions on what feels right in the situation this is very much a Fi process. What you may be thinking of is the Ne factor: when Ne is in the picture you get more of a need to find Fi style 'rules', because of the desire to discover patterns and trends and apply them in their thinking.

I think ISFPs' Fi manifests in a more 'live and let live' approach - and it seems a lot less offends them in general. More things bother INFPs and we are more reactionary in our Fi - we have a stronger desire to improve or alter things we see as wrong.
 

the state i am in

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Feb 12, 2009
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2,475
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infj
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sx/sp
i'm interested in how Fi types process information and form new judgments. do they happen in the moment? is it a sequential reasoning process leading you to a conclusion? when do you know? what are the conditions of knowing? does it stay with you? do you always remember those moments of knowing? are those judgments tagged so that you can get back to them in vivid detail? how do you stir them and retrieve them?
 

William K

Uniqueorn
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Aug 13, 2009
Messages
986
MBTI Type
INFP
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4w5
i'm interested in how Fi types process information and form new judgments. do they happen in the moment? is it a sequential reasoning process leading you to a conclusion? when do you know? what are the conditions of knowing? does it stay with you? do you always remember those moments of knowing? are those judgments tagged so that you can get back to them in vivid detail? how do you stir them and retrieve them?

For me it's kind of a two-stage process. When I'm given a new piece of fact or knowledge, the first thing is to assess it's importance. Do you I need to know this? Is this useful to me?
The second stage would be the judgement part where it will fall in a scale ranging from 100% support to 100% against. I usually have a strong initial gut-feel about the issue. If necessary, I will get as much info as I can to learn more. You start with a strong but rough idea and then slowly polish it with supporting arguments.

Where are they stored? Usually in some sort of ROM I guess so it doesn't get overwritten :D But then I'm INFP so Si is supposedly my main storage/retrieval method.

Usually they won't be set in stone and I do flip-flop regularly on stuff. Although there are things that will truly disgust me and things that I would love beyond all logical explanation.
 

Adasta

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4w5
Fi probably goes something like this:

1. What is this thought/theory/concept?
2. Do I consider this "good" or "bad"?
3. How does the rest of the world feel about this?
4. To what extent is there an inbalance in how I feel and how the world feels?
 

gromit

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Some of the stuff mentioned here I can identify with. You guys make me question whether I'm Fi (again). I just break my own limits at times. So much is conditional, and I'm not sure whether to chalk that up to T or Percieving. I don't think I have core values, other than basic humanitarian concerns.

I don't think I have ever gone through and specifically listed out all of my 'core values', it's more underlying, unspoken almost. And a lot of it is looking at each situation as it comes up and reacting to it almost on a case-by-case basis.

Still, probably trying to understand those values is a good way to develop ones Fi.
 
R

Riva

Guest
Went through all the posts. It seems it is more about understanding your own values rather than observing and analyzing. I am a Ti user. I observe and analyze. But my analysis are based on facts. If I have all the facts I could some to the correct conclusion. But it I miss a fact or two my theories become bogus.

Interesting. I must be having weak Fi, since I just realized that I am not so much in touch with my own values. But I could imagine a scenario in which if one has and knows his/her own values one could see and understand people around them.

Fascinating.
 
R

Riva

Guest
^ Understanding one's own values could be a bit hard for a strong Fe user. (Or to someone who depends heavily on Fe.) Fe reciprocates feelings around them. Including understanding values of people around them?
 

Sunny Ghost

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^ Understanding one's own values could be a bit hard for a strong Fe user. (Or to someone who depends heavily on Fe.) Fe reciprocates feelings around them. Including understanding values of people around them?

and this is where me (Fi/Se) and my sister (Fe/Si) will often clash. she often has a difficult time understanding my values and ideals.

Some of the stuff mentioned here I can identify with. You guys make me question whether I'm Fi (again). I just break my own limits at times. So much is conditional, and I'm not sure whether to chalk that up to T or Percieving. I don't think I have core values, other than basic humanitarian concerns.

well, being a P vs. a J, the core values are also often malleable. it's more so a constant process of evaluating vs. a fixed core. some ideas may become fixed for a period, but once new information is shifted through the value system, the idea may shift along with it as well.
 

Adasta

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INFP
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Interesting. I must be having weak Fi, since I just realized that I am not so much in touch with my own values. But I could imagine a scenario in which if one has and knows his/her own values one could see and understand people around them.

Understanding these people is one thing, while accepting them is another. I'm not sure if well-developed Fi means you would accept everyone "for who they are" but I shall admit that this situation seldom occurs. I feel I am quite adept at being able to ascertain others' values (because I understand my own and can therefore identify values in a general way); however, it does not mean I always accept a person whose opinions/values differ from my point of view. At worst, I will think:

This person values things that are totally opposite to what I care about. Nothing productive will come of a relationship with such a person. They're entitled to their own opinions, but i just feel uncomfortable being around someone who believes such things. The best way for me to maintain my solitude and integrity is not to associate with this person any further than a basic pleasantry from time-to-time.

I'd enjoy it if someone who is more well0versed with Function Theory could elaborate/clarify this issue...
 
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