• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

[Fe] Fe and People Information

G

Glycerine

Guest
So I'm not very detail-oriented like SJs tend to be but I have a freaky strong memory for information pertaining to people. It's like each person has his or her own box in the back of my head. I am always looking for consistencies in their behavior relative to what information I have on them and then from there, I piece together a general picture of them. That said, my first impression of a person usually turns out accurate but at the same time, I try to rework any contradictory pieces of information and change my impression of them if need be. I am probably reading way too much into this but is this more of an individual thing, is this FeNi at work, NiFe, or something else? This is more out of curiosity than anything.
 

neptunesnet

man-made
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
1,228
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
5&4
Instinctual Variant
sx
So I'm not very detail-oriented like SJs tend to be but I have a freaky strong memory for information pertaining to people. It's like each person has his or her own box in the back of my head. I am always looking for consistencies in their behavior relative to what information I have on them and then from there, I piece together a general picture of them. That said, my first impression of a person usually turns out accurate but at the same time, I try to rework any contradictory pieces of information and change my impression of them if need be. I am probably reading way too much into this but is this more of an individual thing, is this FeNi at work, NiFe, or something else? This is more out of curiosity than anything.

I don't know too much about FeNi or NiFe, but I do know that I can relate to ^. I remember EVERYthing a person tells me about themselves. Someone will casually mention something and years later we'll be talking about it and I'll say that something and they'll give me the :shock: face coupled with a "How did you know that?" :laugh:
 

Ingrid in grids

Active member
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
1,748
I can also totally relate. Often I'll play down how much I actually remember/know about them because I want to avoid them feeling uncomfortable :blush:
 

WieldingTheSword

New member
Joined
Dec 28, 2008
Messages
79
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
2
I'm the same. A few days ago, I was with an INTP friend, and he pointed out something I never realized about myself: When I am talking to him, even though I am FULLY attentive or talking, I will very quickly and impulsively look away or turn towards people who catch my attention via sight or sound. I only look for a moment, but he was amazed at my awareness of their presence. I am also able to subconsciously observe them without it detracting from my conversation at all.

I think this is a perfect example of dominant Fe and secondary Ni at work.

But you are talking about actually remembering things about people you know. I guess my thoughts are: If Fe's operate anything like that above example with people they AREN'T conversing with, imagine what they are like with those they ARE. I know for me, words stick in my head sometimes almost verbatim. I can recall the exact phrases others have used in my presence for years because they are so impacting on me. I also remember general information or strong emotional moments that individual had.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
I'm the same. A few days ago, I was with an INTP friend, and he pointed out something I never realized about myself: When I am talking to him, even though I am FULLY attentive or talking, I will very quickly and impulsively look away or turn towards people who catch my attention via sight or sound. I only look for a moment, but he was amazed at my awareness of their presence. I am also able to subconsciously observe them without it detracting from my conversation at all.

I think this is a perfect example of dominant Fe and secondary Ni at work.

But you are talking about actually remembering things about people you know. I guess my thoughts are: If Fe's operate anything like that above example with people they AREN'T conversing with, imagine what they are like with those they ARE. I know for me, words stick in my head sometimes almost verbatim. I can recall the exact phrases others have used in my presence for years because they are so impacting on me. I also remember general information or strong emotional moments that individual had.
I can relate to all of this. Another example of what you are talking about is that I will note the leacher's behavior, tone, and emotional state while I am actually absorbing the lecture information.
 

Usehername

On a mission
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,794
I can also totally relate. Often I'll play down how much I actually remember/know about them because I want to avoid them feeling uncomfortable :blush:

I can usually repeat back what someone told me about themselves, years later, using almost the same words even. I'm good with birthdays, license plates, any sort of fact that grounds an individual's place/roots/social group/anything they might identify with. I know their sibling's names, I know almost everything they ever told me about themselves.

They just sticky to my braino.

I don't know if it's Fe so much as Ni focused on individuals.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
I can usually repeat back what someone told me about themselves, years later, using almost the same words even. I'm good with birthdays, license plates, any sort of fact that grounds an individual's place/roots/social group/anything they might identify with. I know their sibling's names, I know almost everything they ever told me about themselves.

They just sticky to my braino.

I don't know if it's Fe so much as Ni focused on individuals.

I could see that. My Ni is kind of on the high side.
 

mwv6r

New member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
208
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
I've read that INFJs tend to have uncanny abilities in the area you're describing. INTJs are the best when it comes to remembering and categorizing facts; INFJs are the best when it comes to remembering and categorizing information about people. It comes so naturally to me that I used to think everyone was like that but since then I've learned it's actually unusual to remember extensive information about peoples' siblings / pets / interests / political views / etc. etc. after just one meeting.... It's like the info gets etched in my brain and I can recall it easily whenever I think about the person. Similarly (I imagine) to other INFJs, I'm a huge people person and really enjoy and care a lot about understanding others and what makes them tick, so that is probably a part of what makes that phenomenon second nature.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
I might have to revoke E-ness then. haha I seem to be an ENFJ with INFJ tendencies.
 

Ingrid in grids

Active member
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
1,748
Hmm... Ni being focused on individuals sounds does like a good explanation. My Ni seems to tower over all my other functions...

I'm not as good with birthdays or number plates, but it's things like you said...

extensive information about peoples' siblings / pets / interests / political views / etc. etc.

that also seem to stay with me, to such an extent that recalling such information is no problem a few months or even a year or two later.

Adding to that list: attitudes/opinions (overt and covert), reactions, plans, demeanor and way of moving, pattern/manner of speech, smell (sometimes!), and how they relate to me (attitude/attention/feelings).

I guess what exactly you remember depends on other functions too. The kind of stuff I seem to remember feels like a mixture collected through Fe, Fi and Se (which should be my inferior function, but I seem to use it slightly more than we're supposed to :))
 

Lily Bart

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
136
MBTI Type
INFP
I never forget a face. I know their life history, their friends, their family, where they went to school, what they like to eat, what they do for fun -- I never forget any of it. But remember their name? Never! Actually, I've found myself getting much better at learning names lately -- maybe that's Thinking starting to kick in, finally!
 

chris1207

New member
Joined
Apr 11, 2008
Messages
467
MBTI Type
XNXX
Enneagram
3w2
I'm like this but only with people I know I'll want to see later. If I met you one time, I may not even remember your name. I remember a face tho and if I see you elsewhere I find it discouraging if I say "hi" and you look at me like I'm a fruitloop. When I do get to know people and they become a fixture in my life I typically put to mind their first and last names, phone numbers, and other info that can be used to stay in contact with those wonderful people :).

Other than that I am very attentive of the way that people either react or don't react to the things I do or say. I find it to be quite arresting at times though and have made it a habit to not "read" the people I have just met. I establish eye-contact for the purposes of proceeding with the dialogue but don't maintain it for long. The exception is perhaps with NFJ's; NFP's and TP's (once I've discovered that they're interested in what I have to say.) I find that this works quite well for me. I'm not sent on the rollercoaster of emotions that can accompany an EXFJ when the convo is too intense.
 

OrangeAppled

Sugar Hiccup
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
7,626
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
A few of the ENFJs I know say stuff like, "I remember everything you tell me", but I don't know how true that is. There's definitely things they don't remember, but they don't like it when it happens. They're like, "close enough - I know you so well". I just laugh it off. Although they really do remember some random stuff, like my favorite candy or whatever, and then they'll surprise me with it later.

I have a great memory for random stuff people say actually, especially if I like someone, but I'm also bad with names. I think Fe people remember stuff about people they aren't even that interested in though. My ESFJ grandma remembers the most mundane details about people's lives, even people who mean little to her. Strangely enough, my ISFJ mom mixes stuff up all the time and remembers it wrong, and it drives me crazy.
 
Top