Is it possible to be an INFP with NE-dom?

[ItsMartinaDotCom97]

Many online tests i did told me I'm more likely an INFP but my NE score was always bigger than the FI. How can you explain it? Is it an unhealthy thing? I'm 4w3 as enneatype, suffer from OCD and histrionic personality disorder. I'm stuck between the types INFP and INTP: i'm always analyzing my feelings and beliefs trying to makes sense of my world according to my ideals. I'm also stuck between searching for the objective or subjective truth. I'm only happy when I find the first one, but I'm too self-concerned to be a thinker. All i want is to distinguish myself and understand my life purpose. I pride myself on uniqueness and long for the ideal (body, partner, art...). I also tend to sugarcoat the truth if it helps me to appear more likeable to others. That's a really brief summary of my behaviour. what do you think is my type?

 

[GavinElster]

The idea that the MBTI test results really measure your cognitive functions is a highly speculative idea. the functions were around long before the MBTI, and were coined by Jung, who had many assumptions which differed from those of Isabel Myers.

Nowadays, there are various theoretical takes on the functions, so I'd say it's a working project to find an interpretation that you find insightfully captures you (I like the flavor of socionics, but I interpret it as seems to make most sense). I'd certainly say there are very reasonable ones by which you can consistently and rightly score INFP on the test and be Ne-dom.

 

[Pionart]

INFP is Ne auxiliary basically by definition, so what you suggest in a contradiction of terms.

By the way, tests are not always accurate, and there is a wide range of variation within a type.

 

[GavinElster]

Just to clarify, OP: it is possible (and some posters, theorists, etc do this) to *define* an INFP as the FiNeSiTe type pattern. However, a priori, the MBTI is a statistically based psychometric instrument like many implementations of the Big 5, and it's a *claim* ultimately that an INFP test result, even if consistent and done with good self-awareness, predicts any particular operationalization of the FiNeSiTe concept -- one that seems to me to have very shaky support.

Not only do not all theorists agree the function-attitudes fall in that pattern, even if one does agree with it, it's not immediate to agree that the MBTI instrument (even the official one) predicts any such thing. This idea has been criticized a lot and is far from set in stone.

 

[Pionart]

Just to clarify, OP: it is possible (and some posters, theorists, etc do this) to *define* an INFP as the FiNeSiTe type pattern. However, a priori, the MBTI is a statistically based psychometric instrument like many implementations of the Big 5, and it's a *claim* ultimately that an INFP test result, even if consistent and done with good self-awareness, predicts any particular operationalization of the FiNeSiTe concept -- one that seems to me to have very shaky support.

Not only do not all theorists agree the function-attitudes fall in that pattern, even if one does agree with it, it's not immediate to agree that the MBTI instrument (even the official one) predicts any such thing. This idea has been criticized a lot and is far from set in stone.

The way the brain works is according to functions. The dichotomy based tests aren't really measuring a real thing, like INFP is not a "type" unless you define it as FiNe etc. Using any test to determine your type is a highly inaccurate way to do it. Typing has to be done with real data, not inferred by what you think your preferences are. Test results indicate the present state of your persona, rather than how your mind actually works, unless you happen to have a good idea of yourself, the test is particular good etc.

So basing your type on the "MBTI instrument" is rather foolish. And what does INFP really mean if not "Fi-Ne" etc.?

I'm also stuck between searching for the objective or subjective truth. I'm only happy when I find the first one, but I'm too self-concerned to be a thinker.

Objective/subjective does not mean Thinker/Feeler, it means Extroversion/Introversion. (that was the original definition from Jung, and it still holds good)

 

[GavinElster]

Typing has to be done with real data, not inferred by what you think your preferences are. Test results indicate the present state of your persona, rather than how your mind actually works, unless you happen to have a good idea of yourself, the test is particular good etc.

Well first of all, I'm not advocating necessarily finding your type based on the test, so much as saying that, even under ideal circumstances, with ideal self-awareness, if someone answered the MBTI test, I doubt the test content is all that directly predictive of any given one of the many theories of cognitive functions floating around. I think it's roughly correlated with the Big 5.

As to whether the ideas in the dichotomies/Big 5 are of interest, I personally think there are people with bad self-awareness, but that's more a warning against trusting a given person's ability to describe themselves ideally using the test questions than that the test's formulation of typology is fundamentally flawed. There is pretty good convergence between peer and self-reports in psychometric instruments operationalizing the Big 5 and such, and they're tested internationally for recovering the same structure of personality repeatedly using multiple report types, and they're also studied independently using neuroscientific correlates of the psychological dimensions.

 

[hurl3y4456]

For an INFP, Ne and Fi are coupled functions such that Ne acts as a catalyst to formulate the subjective internal framework of Fi.....Since Fi is a dominant introverted function, each value is integrated piece by piece to form a well developed foundation. Now, if NE is dominant (ENFP), then Fi will act as a catalysis for Ne to seek ideas relating to internal values. Since Ne is a dominant extroverted function, there will be an explosion of ideas, which implies that the probability of a particular idea imploding to form an internal framework is lower....There are cases where Ne and Fi converge towards 0.5, which would make it difficult to differentiate dominant/auxiliary functions, but theoretically, you will favor one over the other.....The exact percentage of usage is impossible to determine, hence, it will be based on your subjective understanding.

 

[Pionart]

There are cases where Ne and Fi converge towards 0.5

Yes, that can be the case. The way to distinguish it is not just "which is more?", but "which comes first?".

ENFP will start off a process with Ne (usually) and then move to Fi. INFP will start with Fi, then move to Ne.

 

[LucieCat]

I've had the same thing come up on tests before. For me, the order usually comes up as Ne>Fi>Si>Te. Obviously, this isn't a legit cognitive function stack as the dominant and inferior as well as the auxiliary and tertiary have to be opposites.

So, what essentially we have here is a top half that's ENFP and a bottom half that's INFP. I'm not sure how quizzes pick one or the other. But perhaps the scores for Ne and Fi are closer than those for Si and Te. Therefore, the test might think it is more likely you are an INFP since there is a clearer distinction in what you prefer as far as Si and are go. It's confusing.

 

[GavinElster]

One major problem as well with typical functions tests is the way they define the function-attitudes, it's highly unclear why you'd have a preference for one over another. E.g. it seems perfectly reasonable to score high enough on Te and Ti in the typical dario nardi keys2cognition test.

One really has to pointedly build a theory of what it looks like to view one as 'fundamental' in the psyche.