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[MBTI General] NFPs and Debating, or, Get Your NT on.

Charmed Justice

Nickle Iron Silicone
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
2,805
MBTI Type
INFJ
I love a good debate complete with facts and logic and all that. Are there any other NFPs on here that love intellectual sparing, or do heated debates have a tendency to make you feel disharmonious?
 

JocktheMotie

Habitual Fi LineStepper
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
8,491
In general, they love talking about any of their interests, however they tend to hate the disharmonious part, and can get upset.
 

Laurie

Was E.laur
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
6,072
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Mmm I love a good debate. I love discussing and hashing out ideas.

I will only discuss with people who can see another person's point, though. Some people think they are discussing or debating something when they are just stating their point over and over again. People also get caught up in seeing their worth as "winning" an argument. There is no point in discussing in that situation, either.
 

Lethe

Obsession.
Joined
Aug 26, 2007
Messages
801
MBTI Type
iNtJ
Enneagram
152
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
For my ENFP companions, it's a definite yes and we debate just about every topic all the time. For the INFPs, they're more interested in a friendly discussion. I'm not certain how that applies to the rest of the NFP group.
 

Laurie

Was E.laur
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
6,072
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
For my ENFP companions, it's a definite yes and we debate just about every topic all the time.

:wubbie: INTJs - I love when my INTJ friends like to talk to me about their work issues (coding, intelligent AI, for example) and hash them out with me. It's not debating but still.. melding of minds. Mm.
 

souffle

New member
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
124
MBTI Type
INFP
I love debating. I've never quite gotten how they say NF types hate debates. I may hate actual emotional confrontation where there's the threat of criticism to me as a person, but purely theoretical and logical debates are fine.
 

Lethe

Obsession.
Joined
Aug 26, 2007
Messages
801
MBTI Type
iNtJ
Enneagram
152
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
:wubbie: INTJs - I love when my INTJ friends like to talk to me about their work issues (coding, intelligent AI, for example) and hash them out with me. It's not debating but still.. melding of minds. Mm.

Through debating the ENFPs, I actually ended up changing my entire stance on several personal topics, despite appearing stubbornly adherent to a single position (as I like to perform a complete check for all theoretical holes prior to adopting a different view).

I was surprised to discover my ENFP comrades felt the same way when I thanked them for helping me shed those old, ineffective ideas. Call it an unexpected learning experience. :D Our differences frequently paves the road to newer insights. :)
 

thisGuy

New member
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
1,187
MBTI Type
entp
you can get on my NT if you want...$100/hr...with typology discount, its $73.96/hr
 

Little Linguist

Striving for balance
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
6,880
MBTI Type
xNFP
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Indeed. My Te goes into full-blown killer mode when I debate seriously though (as opposed to light-hearted bantering, which I don't take seriously). So most people stared wide-eyed in utter astonishment when I start debating (Like: where the hell did that come from?!?!?! :shock:). Most of the time in high school I was pretty quiet and serious. Then, when we had a parliamentary debate, out came the Panzer division that did a Blitzkrieg on everyone. Afterwards, my shocked classmates said, "Oh my god, I never realized you had a mouth to speak." HA! Imagine what they would say now. :huh:
 

Moiety

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
5,996
MBTI Type
ISFJ
I love debating. It's fun to see all the possibilities and how they fit.
 

Amargith

Hotel California
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
14,717
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4dw
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Love it, as long as it's done in a way that you exchange pov's to enrich each others ideas. The moment it turns into a bullying competition or a 'my balls are bigger than yours'-screaming contest with score boards, I'm out.
 

Moiety

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
5,996
MBTI Type
ISFJ
Love it, as long as it's done in a way that you exchange pov's to enrich each others ideas. The moment it turns into a bullying competition or a 'my balls are bigger than yours'-screaming contest with score boards, I'm out.

So in theory, you cannot debate if you have opposing points of views?

I see debating as the filtering of both parties' ideas.
 

sculpting

New member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
4,148
I love debating. But I use Te mostly to toss ideas back and forth and it is most fun with my entps.

(However my entp did just point out "Just because it takes you 20 sentances to say what I can say in one, doesnt mean you understand it any better")
 

sculpting

New member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
4,148
Indeed. My Te goes into full-blown killer mode when I debate seriously though (as opposed to light-hearted bantering, which I don't take seriously). So most people stared wide-eyed in utter astonishment when I start debating (Like: where the hell did that come from?!?!?! :shock:). Most of the time in high school I was pretty quiet and serious. Then, when we had a parliamentary debate, out came the Panzer division that did a Blitzkrieg on everyone. Afterwards, my shocked classmates said, "Oh my god, I never realized you had a mouth to speak." HA! Imagine what they would say now. :huh:

I never said anything in school. Then I had to take a speech class and give a talk where others "heckled" you. I turned into a tiger and reamed them. My speech teacher made me join the debate team after that.
 

Amargith

Hotel California
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
14,717
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4dw
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
So in theory, you cannot debate if you have opposing points of views?

I see debating as the filtering of both parties' ideas.

Oh I can, very much so. In fact, I prefer it, because what is there to enrich my own pov if we do agree on everything? I like hearing someone elses pov, sharing my own and finding common ground, and work from there onwards. Which means that you have a base to start a synthesis of both your inputs on. From there on, logical arguments, as well as values can be taken into account to expand your own pov with the other person's reasonings. And they can do the same, and we do not have to agree along the way. Each others interpretations will be enough to actually inspire new thoughts and ideas or see that we did indeed miss a step, and they might actually have a point to see it that way, and then you can in fact incorporate that thoughtpattern. I enjoy working as mutual sounding boards for each others reasonings and views of the world.
 

ergophobe

Allergic to Mornings
Joined
Apr 26, 2009
Messages
1,210
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
:wubbie: INTJs - I love when my INTJ friends like to talk to me about their work issues (coding, intelligent AI, for example) and hash them out with me. It's not debating but still.. melding of minds. Mm.

Through debating the ENFPs, I actually ended up changing my entire stance on several personal topics, despite appearing stubbornly adherent to a single position (as I like to perform a complete check for all theoretical holes prior to adopting a different view).

I was surprised to discover my ENFP comrades felt the same way when I thanked them for helping me shed those old, ineffective ideas. Call it an unexpected learning experience. :D Our differences frequently paves the road to newer insights. :)

Me too! I :heart: my INTJ friends. They are my favorite people to have intellectual discussions with - they are so civil and laid back when discussing a subject even while we both hold strong to our respective positions. I always learn something new and really unexpected after a discussion. Last night, after several hours of animated discussion, one of my favorite INTJ peeps and I ended up saying this to each other -- "it's always so much fun talking with you, you take those intuitive leaps with me but your process of getting there is SO different from mine - it's fascinating."

I always walk away with a new perspective on the topic. Some real 'aha' moments happen with the INTJs...I love it!

I also enjoy debate as a sport. I noticed recently that I have surrounded myself with very opinionated men and women. :cheese: The exceptions are the INFPs and one INFJ (the rest enjoy it esp if they are high Ti) who are generally conflict-avoidant so they don't like going very far with the debate. I'm far more careful around them and don't push them like I would other people. Debate with a well-informed opponent gives me such an adrenalin rush...it's a great exercise.

A special spot is reserved for peeps who can go back and forth between trying to pull my argument to shreds in a "take no prisoners" kind of fashion and expressing their silly side :wubbie:
 

Charmed Justice

Nickle Iron Silicone
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
2,805
MBTI Type
INFJ
A special spot is reserved for peeps who can go back and forth between trying to pull my argument to shreds in a "take no prisoners" kind of fashion and expressing their silly side :wubbie:

So true for me too. I love it when a debate gets really heated, and then someone does something light-hearted and ridiculous to bring everyone back to center.

As long as a debate doesn't involve personal insults(and then I get all sensitive and want to cry:D), I absolutely love the heat and rush of intellectual sparing.
 

jenocyde

half mystic, half skeksis
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
6,387
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w8
In my experience, NFPs love to debate, but just have a different style from my own. No less valid.
 

jenocyde

half mystic, half skeksis
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
6,387
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w8
Different, how?

You knew I was going to ask...:D

Oh goodness... I can't possibly suss out all the specifics... A lot more words, I guess... to seem nicer? I don't know. I can be gabby when I am just conversing, but when debating I use as few words as possible in each sentence to be concise and understood (and often get called cold because of it.)

Also, you guys tend to concede more? Meaning, starting a counterargument with "that's a valid point" and other things that I would consider to be filler and a waste of time.

There is a tendency to chastise or remind me that "not all x's are that way, you know", when I think that point is already clear and need not be stated. This always reads as patronizing to me, even though I know that is not always the intent.

I don't know. I guess you guys just seem to go out of your way to be nice, while I go out of my way to be precise. Either way, the differences lie in the packaging but not the content, in most cases.
 
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