[MBTI General] INFJ mistyped as INTP?

[jana]

I have been analyzing the Myers Briggs system for a while. I initially tested as an INTP many times. The profiles never quite fit me in a few ways. The only thing I had in common with INTPs was my love of learning/analyzing pretty much everything. I then realized that I was an F. Possibly, I thought, I was an INFP. I read the descriptions of INFPs and it fit better, in regards for being more romantic, etc...however, it still didn't fit quite well. By chance I was reading an INFJ profile and I noticed their functions were as follows:

Dominant: Introverted Intuition
Auxilliary: Extraverted Feeling
Tertiary: Introverted Thinking
Inferior: Extraverted Sensing

For the INTP, the dominant function is Introverted Thinking.

I know myself well enough to know this is not true of me. I definitely use my Introverted Intuitive function the most. After that comes Fe. This was the hard part for me to understand. I might have been in denial or not fully aware of it. I thought I was a thinking type because I like to learn and I have a tendency to be intellectual. For a while I equated Fe with being irrational and even not as intelligent. However, I realized that I value empathy and compassion over justice, etc. Whenever I get extremely upset, it was always over the state of the world in regards to how people or treated unfairly and how it did not make sense, or how I felt purposeless and without meaning or identity. I definitely know I am not Fi (ruling out INFP) because I cannot relate to that mind set. I also noticed most INFPs I know, I get along with to a certain point, but there is a weird tension between us. We get each other but function differently. I may be able to be intellectual but at the core I cannot grapple with this sense of having no meaning or identity. It shatters my life. I also talked to my truly NT friends and realized the way they process things is different. Although I know they have emotions, they seem cold to me at times because of their very logical nature. I don't quite understand that mentality of predominately thinking logically in order to living happy and healthily. I am not inherently logical and look more to how I feel about things and my place in the world. I am constantly asking "What is my purpose?" and look for ways to derive meaning and value from things as well as understand them in that context. I am open to emotions. NTs shut down when prodded and seek to rationalize or ignore emotions in order to do whatever it is they need to do. I fundamentally cannot do this. I did however come to understand I use my Thinking function as a defense mechanism against feeling when mentally unhealthy.

Ok, I am extremely sick of talking about myself. Sorry that was long but I am actually primarily interested if anyone else has mistyped themselves like this or had a similar experience, thus the lengthy discussion. Why do you think this confusion happens?

I could have written most of this myself. I have tested INTP and INFP, yet neither type fits well at all. Like you, I came to realize that I use my Thinking function as a defense mechanism against feeling. I had a big aha moment when i started reading about Ni-Ti loops, because I have definitely been there.

 

[Empyrean]

I could have written most of this myself. I have tested INTP and INFP, yet neither type fits well at all. Like you, I came to realize that I use my Thinking function as a defense mechanism against feeling. I had a big aha moment when i started reading about Ni-Ti loops, because I have definitely been there.

Yeah, there's something deeply touching about Nyx's words.

I am typically not empathetic more than I am sympathetic, as is common for INFJs.

But having been in a similar place, I can feel the pain and discomfort. It is truly an uncomfortable, dark, and hellish place.