[MENTION=25763]Dreamer[/MENTION] Hmm I wonder if this is Fi related or simple a matter of self-awareness. Btw you often make me sick. Nothing worse than hearing from an ENFP who is healthier than you. Same triad too. Shoo!
I didn't want to diverge teh course of the discussion, but like I pointed out in another thread I think we don't use our primary functions as well as we think by default. Not ENFPs nor any other type. Some might be more valued in certain contexts (like Te has been in corporate reality and education for 1000 years) and it might lead you to engage more often in your function in socially valued ways, but that's it. It's just a matter of it aligning with social expectations in this or that context. Like Fe caretakers n such. If your function is less understood or immediatelly valued....there's less chance you will benefit from your own strength.
I disagree that Fi is so me that can't be described...anymore than Ne is so me that it can't be described. We might paradoxically, as doms and auxs, be so in them that we have a hard time describing, but the whole point of even conceptualizing them as functions is BECAUSE they can be described/observed.
And I was discussing with another member Lotus how asking "is this me?" used to be a question I was much more about when I was younger. So not even entertaining certain avenues, because I know beforehand that is not me. But that means I keep checking within before I do things. That...I can kind of see as Fi...that is, being keenly aware and IMMEDIATELY congruent with a value system you fashion for yourself. But that means engagement and making decisions on certain things pretty strongly. That requires authenticity....I don't see it as being something FPs particularly engage in though. Just because I'm a Ne dom doesn't mean I'm an ace at using it to my benefit or in constructive ways. Constructive ways...that's the term I'm looking for. How can function A or B be used in constructive ways. Self-benefitial ways. I can use Ne for shitty pointless discussions all day...or simply to escape having tp hone in one one or two potentials instead of having it all in the air. I can use it to escape Si and implimentation/execution/actualization of possibilities...which I think most Nes do (I'm not talking about the Ne-doms that actually are engaged with their ideas and are making things happen with it)
If you ask me the benefits of Ti I can immediatelly answer that it can be used to check logical consistency of systems. Te to break things down into actionable steps and to execute and organize. See there are spheres where the this sort of function classicaly excels and where we see it's immediate benefit to the individual and the whole. That's kinda the angel I was coming from when starting this discussion. It's from that prespective that I ask what does it do and what it is good for.....Fi ideally is something that can be used to check for internal congruency but if that implied more self-awareness, we wouldn't have unhealthy/immature FPs. So either we are saying this unhealthy FPs aren't engaging their Fi....or that Fi is not about this internal congruency - otherwise they'd all lead highly harmonious lives. They would be as adept at doing that, as Te doms tend to be at organizing their lives and leading n shit.
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I guess this all started with me wondering "what makes me valuable as an ENFP"? Cause I wanna be more of that, focus on what I'm good at, and not lose so much time in trying to mimic other types. Doing what I'm good at. But am I good at anyway?
And
if MBTI can't help me do that, and gain a better understanding of myself for my own benefit...then why the hell am I wasting time on it?!
Alrighty, finally snagged some time to answer this post in a way I think may help. Having a function in your stack doesn't instantly grant you that function's particular ability, as you point out and recognize already. I think of this whenever I see an Ni dominant or, eh, any type professing to have this natural strength and ability of their dominant function over other people that have that same function lower in their stack. I agree that life circumstances and certain situations may call on certain aspects of yourself to develop more quickly out of necessity, even if they don't happen to be your ideal modes of expression and being. I also believe maturity has much to do with our development of these functions and how we grow as a person, and that maturity (in my perspective) is gained through constantly throwing oneself into new situations and testing oneself. Then, taking time to reflect, taking time to learn and to understand yourself based off those experiences. If we find ourselves to be stagnant for too long, life ceases to amaze and has little utility. So what if I can appease my bodily senses by seeking out pleasurable things, if I'm not reaching new heights on a spiritual level with myself, realizing my potential, what am I even doing here? Why live?
These sorts of questions, these aims, is the setup, the opening scene if you will, to where Fi develops. I have the sense, from my own development, that Fi begins as this pesky little brat of a child. You start off understanding the world through the very basic concept of what I like, what I don't. What hurts me, what pleases me. Then, you start to build from that by seeing what hurts others, what pleases others. Meeting other people, sharing stories and experiences, you start to make connections in your mind of how your emotional reactions and understandings to things are nothing unique, but rather, something universal and shared as part of this overall human experience. How you get there, what it means to YOU, is highly individual and no one can take that away from you. But where you, as an individual sit amidst these other souls that also feel, that also must find their place and grow, you start to understand life as greater than yourself. You also grow to understand and to have this respect for your fellow man. You see their emotions as your own on a connected level, and there is again, this sort of mutual respect, for their space and individuality as they should offer you your space to grow and breathe.
So, this is where FPs may differ in my view. Have they grown their Fi, have they matured it to a level where they no longer see the world as consisting only of themselves, but of a world of like-minded individuality and respect for their fellow person. Where an ideal life is one lived with a collection of people working hard and seeking for their own self fulfillment. The above development of Fi may seem to have little point to your concerns, but in direct response to your last comment as I bolded, turn to Fi for self reflection, but in so doing, I believe there will come a shift, when you start to look outward, using your Fi, to then understand others. What, as an ENFP are you "good at"? Navigating people and navigating the emotional landscape that all of humanity shares. What that means is, focus on your own, actual strengths, as a person, not as an ENFP or personality type, but understand your type DOES afford you some strengths if that makes sense. The end game isn't how to be a better ENFP, the end game should be, how to tap into your strengths as a person, and oh btw, you're an ENFP :new wink:
To use myself as an example, I got into architecture because I'm a highly creative person that loves design, psychology, and looking ahead, towards the future. I dreamt up futuristic cities and environments all the time as a child. Being an ENFP, means that I present my ideas in a way that gathers people around me, inspires others with my stories and visions, the enthusiasm I have for my own designs, in turn inspires others in their own work. I am able to aptly navigate the office environment of differing perspective and personality types. I am able to flow with ease with nearly any type of person and work with some of the most difficult people. My type is not me, it is not something I pander to, but it is something that does offer me some benefit, as I work in unison with my strengths, as a person.
it uses feelings as a method to understand the world through data. Where as a more shallow Fe based function takes data and creates a solid judgement to run with and have to further refine on the fly Fi is generally just building understandings and depth of people and things without as much push into the world.
