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[Fi] IXFPs, how did you figure out that you have Fi?

wildmoon

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Every now and then I get kind of genuinely freaked out by the, let’s just say, moral deficits of some people that I know irl. Haha. And back when I thought I was an INFP, I thought this was part of Fi. And I see that stereotype a lot in MBTI, the stereotype about how if you care about morality and integrity etc. you must be a Fi user.

I still question occasionally if I’m an INFP. I think that part of the reason I question it is because my understanding of Fi (and probably the rest of the MBTI, by extension) is mixed up with stereotypes. I want to get a better understanding of how Fi works.

So, what is real Fi?
How do you know that you have it?
How do you identify it in others?
What is your internal experience of Fi like?
Do you think the stereotypes about Fi users are mostly accurate or inaccurate?
 

notmyapples

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Concern about the moral deficits of others sounds more likely of Fe, not Fi. Both Fe and Fi are about values except one faces those values externally and the other internally which sounds simple but makes a big difference in what motivates two different types to act. An Fi dominant is far less likely to be going out, trying to tell others what they should believe in comparison to an Fe dominant or perhaps even a strong Te user precisely because Fi is introverted. It cares about other people's ethics if they very directly clash with theirs, sure, but it's biggest concern is how it represents it's own moral compass. An IXFP may even quickly tire if they feel they need to be lecturing others for an extended period of time on their own morality due to weak Je.

You know you have Fi if this is what you are constantly doing; weighing scenarios or situations in your head to test your own morality, wondering what decisions you would make in circumstances where right vs wrong is heavily grayed, what decisions feel the most morally concise to you, examining how you personally view the world through your lens of values. Fi is wholly focused on itself and any empathy it exerts is a result of said Fi user relating the external environment to it's own personal experience.

Fi is arguably the most subjective function and is well aware of it, meaning an Fi user is unlikely to be offended by other's personal morals because they view them as just that- personal. You're more likely to see a weak Fi user get annoyed with others conflicting with their values because they have a bad understanding of Fi's subjectivity and instead are trying to force their personal Fi values onto others through Te. Bouncing off external moral stimuli is tiring to an IXFP. If an Fi dominant has a strong value that they are 100% confident in and willing to argue over then they won't be afraid to do it but if you see this pattern of behavior extend for long periods of time with many different values, perhaps even ones that don't seem that personal to the user, then it's unlikely that person is an Fi dominant. The act of being bothered by other's subjective morality is directly contrary to how Fi perceives morality in the first place.
 

Earl Grey

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"This god fucking idiot doing this god stupid thing it doesn't even make sense why are they doing this stupidass-"

*Fi Ding!s in his head*

"On second thought, it is probably something important to him personally, so I'll leave it be unless he bothers people with it."

Some kind of awareness that everyone in the room has their own agendas and motivations and desires and whatnot.
I think. I think that's Fi at least.
 

Zhaylin

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I, very much have, a "live and let live" attitude- so long as it's not infringing on anyone else. I'm forever trapped as "the Devil's Advocate", because I can see all sides to any given situation. I place myself into the shoes of others and try to view the world as they do.

I'll honestly and wholeheartedly try to advise a person if they come to me for such. Or, if they're close (family or friends) and I see them going down a dangerous path of behavior or thinking, I'll try to nudge and guide them. Ultimately, though, everyone's journey is their own. Just because I hold something as dear and precious (my morals and religion), doesn't mean they do, and I shouldn't judge others for it.
 

wildmoon

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Concern about the moral deficits of others sounds more likely of Fe, not Fi. Both Fe and Fi are about values except one faces those values externally and the other internally which sounds simple but makes a big difference in what motivates two different types to act. An Fi dominant is far less likely to be going out, trying to tell others what they should believe in comparison to an Fe dominant or perhaps even a strong Te user precisely because Fi is introverted. It cares about other people's ethics if they very directly clash with theirs, sure, but it's biggest concern is how it represents it's own moral compass. An IXFP may even quickly tire if they feel they need to be lecturing others for an extended period of time on their own morality due to weak Je.

You know you have Fi if this is what you are constantly doing; weighing scenarios or situations in your head to test your own morality, wondering what decisions you would make in circumstances where right vs wrong is heavily grayed, what decisions feel the most morally concise to you, examining how you personally view the world through your lens of values. Fi is wholly focused on itself and any empathy it exerts is a result of said Fi user relating the external environment to it's own personal experience.

Fi is arguably the most subjective function and is well aware of it, meaning an Fi user is unlikely to be offended by other's personal morals because they view them as just that- personal. You're more likely to see a weak Fi user get annoyed with others conflicting with their values because they have a bad understanding of Fi's subjectivity and instead are trying to force their personal Fi values onto others through Te. Bouncing off external moral stimuli is tiring to an IXFP. If an Fi dominant has a strong value that they are 100% confident in and willing to argue over then they won't be afraid to do it but if you see this pattern of behavior extend for long periods of time with many different values, perhaps even ones that don't seem that personal to the user, then it's unlikely that person is an Fi dominant. The act of being bothered by other's subjective morality is directly contrary to how Fi perceives morality in the first place.

That explains so much, thank you.
Ah, I've seen the weak Fi/strong Te dynamic you're talking about so many times :eek: but strong Fi works so differently, how interesting.
It sounds like Fi might be similar to Ti in how it works, just with a different focus.

Is dominant Fi mostly invisible to others? Because it sounds like it's so internally focused that it would be hard to spot all of that going on.
 

notmyapples

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That explains so much, thank you.
Ah, I've seen the weak Fi/strong Te dynamic you're talking about so many times :eek: but strong Fi works so differently, how interesting.
It sounds like Fi might be similar to Ti in how it works, just with a different focus.

Is dominant Fi mostly invisible to others? Because it sounds like it's so internally focused that it would be hard to spot all of that going on.

With both being Ji functions, it makes sense that Ti and Fi would function very similarly albeit with different focuses like you mentioned. I think all introverted functions are difficult to spot upon first glance and this can be especially true for Ji dominant types, who aren't externalizing their internal process as easily as better Je users would and further Ti dominants have an easier time formulating their conclusions into logical explanation than Fi dominants do so application of Ti tends to appear more tangible than Fi. For this reason, I think it can be hard for many people to pin down an Fi dominant. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter is a good example, people go back and forth between INFP and INTP consistently for her and there hasn't been a very strong consensus in the past. The same thing with Mulan, whose typing is similarly tossed between ISFP and ISTP.
 
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