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[INFJ] Any INFJs with a logical/analytical side?

CuriousFeeling

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I kind of sit on the fence when it comes to the Thinking/Feeling part, but I'd say my default setting is INFJ. One of my INFP friends, who's a guy, said that I was more of an INTJ. I tend to urge him to be a bit more headstrong and if someone says crap to him that he should just deal with it in a way where he recognizes that their opinion does not reflect his self-worth.

My previous relationship, my bf at the time said that I didn't express enough emotion for him to tell if I really cared about him. Deep down I did, but I suppose I was a little uneasy around him too.

I have a tendency to get a bit logical and value empirical evidence for things. I think being in the science field, I value evidence, and I like knowing the purpose behind things. Yet, at the same time, I can be quite sensitive around people that matter, particularly friends, family, and romantic interests. I tend to reveal my deepest emotions to a select few. I don't like to get too worked up in front of people. Yet, I'm deeply empathetic with people.

A lot of my peers in school ask me for help on hw and other projects because I'm competent and confident about what I know, and what I don't know too. I can be a bit strong-willed too.

Perhaps having strong Te/Ti along with Fe has something to do with it. Or perhaps Te has gotten stronger as a learned defense mechanism.

Maybe I'm some weird INFJ/INTJ hybrid. Call it INWTFJ, I guess.

If you guys want to try to break the tie with some questions, have at it, I don't mind. Do any other INFJs experience this?
 

1.000.000

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I kind of sit on the fence when it comes to the Thinking/Feeling part, but I'd say my default setting is INFJ. One of my INFP friends, who's a guy, said that I was more of an INTJ.


I can totally relate. Having grown up with an IxTJ dad and over-reactive ESFJ mom, I tend to show a lot more Te than Fe. My dad has always been very calm, collected, and smart when it comes to decision making whereas my mom will freak if things don't go the way she wants things. I tend to think things through the way I imagine my dad would because of that. Because of all that I tend to give off heavy INTJ vibes. Having a close INTP friend contributes to that a lot too. Maybe you've got people dragging out a more T-esqe side in you as well.

I tend to urge him to be a bit more headstrong and if someone says crap to him that he should just deal with it in a way where he recognizes that their opinion does not reflect his self-worth.

Haha, I did the same thing for awhile. Self confidence =/= being more of a T. This is always my go to advice whenever someone's not feeling good about themselves either.

My previous relationship, my bf at the time said that I didn't express enough emotion for him to tell if I really cared about him. Deep down I did, but I suppose I was a little uneasy around him too.

I had an ESFP girlfriend for a year who complained about the same thing. She said I was cold and unfeeling. Looking back I can see why. I had a lot of trouble opening up to her because of some things she did that annoyed the Hell out of me. I was a little more than uneasy around her (Se-Ni conflict?). My current girlfriend is an ENFJ. When she read the INFJ description she said it described me personally. INFJs have layers, and the closer people get to my center, the less and less T I (we?) appear.

Do you think that your boyfriend at the time was going through the same thing my ex was? And do you think that people see you more as an INTJ because you're hesitant to let them in close out of some fear or another?

I have a tendency to get a bit logical and value empirical evidence for things. I think being in the science field, I value evidence, and I like knowing the purpose behind things. Yet, at the same time, I can be quite sensitive around people that matter, particularly friends, family, and romantic interests. I tend to reveal my deepest emotions to a select few. I don't like to get too worked up in front of people. Yet, I'm deeply empathetic with people.

I guess I should've read the post as a whole before asking about the layers stuff.

As an engineering undergrad, I do the same thing you do. It's hard for me to not mentally separate the variables of a problem, analyze the causes and effects, and solve the problem based around such. I think it's more of a Ti need for clarity combined with Ni curiosity. The Ti-NI combo is more of a spider web where every cause and effect can be seen as a whole than Te which comes across as more linear. It sounds like you've got a very strong Ti, and being in the science field is dragging that out of you.

A lot of my peers in school ask me for help on hw and other projects because I'm competent and confident about what I know, and what I don't know too. I can be a bit strong-willed too.

Once again, I can relate completely. Being self aware I tend to know more about what I don't than what I do. I also make it a point to not talk about something unless I know what I'm saying. It's not that I'm smarter than most people as much as it is me not talking whenever I don't know something. When people only hear you say stuff you're 100% sure of, it's not hard to figure out why this gives off the impression of being smart. As far as being stubborn goes, INxJs are known for being stubborn. Being Ni dom went tend to think one idea is the best even when we can't explain why.

Perhaps having strong Te/Ti along with Fe has something to do with it. Or perhaps Te has gotten stronger as a learned defense mechanism.

Like I said, you sound like you've got an incredibly strong Ti paired with Ni instead of Te. It sounds like you've got a strong Fe too, even if you don't show it much.

Maybe I'm some weird INFJ/INTJ hybrid. Call it INWTFJ, I guess.
If you guys want to try to break the tie with some questions, have at it, I don't mind. Do any other INFJs experience this?

Sorry if that was a long read. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it. This is something I've been wresting with a lot in my life as well.
 

Billy

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Im an INFJ and I have a pretty strong T I think, I look at some things through an emotional lens and some through a thinking lens, I am only really super F when it comes to relationships with people outside of that I tend to be pretty logical.
 

mwv6r

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I'm 100% INFJ through and through, but I really think I come across as INTJ to many outside of my inner circle. Beyond a certain degree, I just don't reveal my emotional side to many people.

I enjoy being an INFJ because I think that our Ni and Ti give us a lot of intellectual depth. ;)
 
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Phantonym

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:thinking: This puzzles me. Now, this might sound stupid, but how can you not have a logical and analytical side? If you want to call yourself mature, that is.

Sooner or later you must realize that if you want things to go a certain way, you have to apply methods that work. Cause and effect. Sure, for some it might take a long time to realize, but the side is still present even if it's not used that often.

I don't know, this seems strange to me. I'm rather reluctant to polarize emotional and logical/analytical sides to some extreme extent, I use both simultaneously with things and decisions that really matter. Or I'm completely missing something here...
 

CuriousFeeling

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:thinking: This puzzles me. Now, this might sound stupid, but how can you not have a logical and analytical side? If you want to call yourself mature, that is.

Sooner or later you must realize that if you want things to go a certain way, you have to apply methods that work. Cause and effect. Sure, for some it might take a long time to realize, but the side is still present even if it's not used that often.

I don't know, this seems strange to me. I'm rather reluctant to polarize emotional and logical/analytical sides to some extreme extent, I use both simultaneously with things and decisions that really matter. Or I'm completely missing something here...

It's not stupid in the least bit, and you make valid points. It's practically essential to use both the heart and mind. Human beings generally want to make sense of what we know of the world, likewise use deductive reasoning to make important decisions in our life.

Part of the reason why I made the OP was to determine whether or not I was truly a thinker in feeler's clothing, or a feeler in thinker's clothing. Also, I wondered if the cognitive processes assessment I took was valid in stating I had tertiary Te. Rather, I think that my tertiary function really is Ti. My mode of thinking is more systematic than linear. I do use logic often (quintessential "if" "then" statements), but I tend to analyze how the parts fit into the whole picture, evaluating cause and effect.

The other reason was to find solidarity with fellow INFJs that may come across as INTJs to people that don't know them too well. Looks like I'm not the only one!

I think it's valid to conclude that I'm a feeler in thinker's clothing.
 

cascadeco

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I had to laugh when I saw the title of the thread...sorry, just made me laugh!!

Yeah, I can relate. I will say though that I'm not a strong 'F' - in the stereotypical, mbti dichotomy/test-taking sort of way. T/F was always very close for me, and in my early 20's I always tested 'T'. Whether or not I'm "really a T" who morphed into an F and found my F side (lol) in my late 20's, such that I don't relate to a purely T approach, or I've always been an F..it really doesn't matter to me at this point. :) Plus, I think ones very definition/perception of what it means to be INFJ, vs. INTJ, will vary from one to another, thus it becomes more meaningful to others who categorize me as one or the other, in terms of how they view me and therefore approach me.

Re. showing feelings.... in periods of interpersonal conflict, I have been told by a couple of T's that I seem cold and robotic, and in general in conflict situations I really become closed off and impersonal...situations when pretty much any other personality becomes more angry/empassioned/more emotionally expressive. It's sort of weird.

I'm also in general a pretty calm, even-keeled person. That's been used to describe me by more than one person, both in my personal life as well as an obvious element to my personality in the workplace.

In romantic relationships, I can have a pretty hard time expressing emotion; I'm just very self-protective I think and also pretty introverted, so a lot of it is engrained habit, I think, as I wasn't raised in a family that ever really talked about 'deep' things or expressed any sort of emotion - everyone kept things in.

Growing up I was always torn between my more artistic side and my love of science and mathematics. Funny you mentioned homework -- I was very protective/stingy with my homework and basically didn't let anyone else copy off of me. Never shared my answers. So people learned not to come to me for help. *shrug* I just didn't want to be used. Yet, one of the words that people in real life always use to describe me (from junior high up til today, almost 20 yrs later) is 'Sweet' -- I really am kind to others and kindness/understanding/diplomacy is very important to me. I guess though I've never had as much issue as some FJ's seem to have, with being too giving/self-sacrificial...I've always had a pretty huge independent and self-protective streak and I don't think I'm as giving of myself as many FJ's can be.

Am I analytical? Good god, yes. :laugh: It can definitely be a thorn in my side at times because it inhibits me from being able to live in the moment and I project too far outwards or overthink things and can't reach resolution. I analyze everything, but most of my analysis tends to revolve around myself (self-growth and trying to understand myself better) and my relationships/interactions with others. And, I guess psychology on a grander scale - larger populations, cultures, the world.....
 
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Phantonym

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I had to laugh when I saw the title of the thread...sorry, just made me laugh!!

Yeah, I can relate. I will say though that I'm not a strong 'F' - in the stereotypical, mbti dichotomy/test-taking sort of way. T/F was always very close for me, and in my early 20's I always tested 'T'. Whether or not I'm "really a T" who morphed into an F and found my F side (lol) in my late 20's, such that I don't relate to a purely T approach, or I've always been an F..it really doesn't matter to me at this point. :) Plus, I think ones very definition/perception of what it means to be INFJ, vs. INTJ, will vary from one to another, thus it becomes more meaningful to others who categorize me as one or the other, in terms of how they view me and therefore approach me.

Re. showing feelings.... in periods of interpersonal conflict, I have been told by a couple of T's that I seem cold and robotic, and in general in conflict situations I really become closed off and impersonal...situations when pretty much any other personality becomes more angry/empassioned/more emotionally expressive. It's sort of weird.

I'm also in general a pretty calm, even-keeled person. That's been used to describe me by more than one person, both in my personal life as well as an obvious element to my personality in the workplace.

In romantic relationships, I can have a pretty hard time expressing emotion; I'm just very self-protective I think and also pretty introverted, so a lot of it is engrained habit, I think, as I wasn't raised in a family that ever really talked about 'deep' things or expressed any sort of emotion - everyone kept things in.

Growing up I was always torn between my more artistic side and my love of science and mathematics. Funny you mentioned homework -- I was very protective/stingy with my homework and basically didn't let anyone else copy off of me. Never shared my answers. So people learned not to come to me for help. *shrug* I just didn't want to be used. Yet, one of the words that people in real life always use to describe me (from junior high up til today, almost 20 yrs later) is 'Sweet' -- I really am kind to others and kindness/understanding/diplomacy is very important to me. I guess though I've never had as much issue as some FJ's seem to have, with being too giving/self-sacrificial...I've always had a pretty huge independent and self-protective streak and I don't think I'm as giving of myself as many FJ's can be.

Am I analytical? Good god, yes. :laugh: It can definitely be a thorn in my side at times because it inhibits me from being able to live in the moment and I project too far outwards or overthink things and can't reach resolution. I analyze everything, but most of my analysis tends to revolve around myself (self-growth and trying to understand myself better) and my relationships/interactions with others. And, I guess psychology on a grander scale - larger populations, cultures, the world.....

Cross out the math and science part and you get mostly everything I could have written on this particular subject. :worthy:
 

cascadeco

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Cross out the math and science part and you get mostly everything I could have written on this particular subject. :worthy:

Well, my dear Sky is BLUE!, we're part of Team Robots-with-a-sweet-side (or Sweeties-with-a-penchant-for-becoming-cold-robots?) I'll just be the geekier science nerd who goes birdwatching, liked differential equations, and reads sci-fi. ha. ;)
 

Rebe

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A lot of my peers in school ask me for help on hw and other projects because I'm competent and confident about what I know, and what I don't know too. I can be a bit strong-willed too.

And how do you respond to the requests for help?
 

cafe

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My Shakespeare prof suggested I consider law, FWIW and I scored pretty high on the logic portion of my friend's practice GRE. I am not always logical and I don't think logic is the highest ideal, but I still :heart: logic and analysis. It makes my brain happy and my life more pleasant.
 

cascadeco

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My Shakespeare prof suggested I consider law, FWIW and I scored pretty high on the logic portion of my friend's practice GRE. I am not always logical and I don't think logic is the highest ideal, but I still :heart: logic and analysis. It makes my brain happy and my life more pleasant.

ooh, that reminds me... back when I took the GRE, when they still had an Analysis/Logic section to the test, I was in the 95th percentile for that section - higher than both the verbal and the math
 

CuriousFeeling

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And how do you respond to the requests for help?

I never give away the answers for free. I help the person to arrive at the answers by asking them questions to get them to think on their own. I've done this in many tutoring sessions as well, and I find it helps the other person to learn the material at a deeper level.
 

Lightyear

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I never give away the answers for free. I help the person to arrive at the answers by asking them questions to get them to think on their own. I've done this in many tutoring sessions as well, and I find it helps the other person to learn the material at a deeper level.

Read the first and second paragraph of this INFJ description (INFJ) and you will see that some parts of it are almost identical with what you just wrote. You sound pretty INFJ to me.
 

CuriousFeeling

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Read the first and second paragraph of this INFJ description (INFJ) and you will see that some parts of it are almost identical with what you just wrote. You sound pretty INFJ to me.

That description fits me so well, it isn't even funny. I checked out the INTJ description on that site, and while some parts fit, others don't.

No wonder I feel this side of the board is like home. :)
 

Sarcasticus

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I find INFJs in general to be pretty logical. It's mostly women of that type that I know, however. It's part of their charm that they present this rational way of dealing with things but have this deep emotional undercurrent that's hidden away or not always overtly expressed.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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I think it's valid to conclude that I'm a feeler in thinker's clothing.
I can relate to some of what you've said, but I might be the reverse of what you describe here. There is an online social dynamic associated with "T's" that I don't relate with much in that I'm not consistently assertive or verbally rough-house as a habit, but in personal relationships I approach most problems through a distanced, analytical lens and my test scores in logic are high. I tend to be interested in analyzing subjective systems, those that can't always be boiled down to exacting measurements, those systems that involve perception as one element. I'm invested in these subjective, and potentially emotional realms, but am rather abstract about it instead of being experiential about it.

One big difference I've noticed in my approach to applying reason is that I tend towards a holistic approach that attempts to deconstruct the different elements that go into a system, including those that can be measured and defined, and those that are more approximate by nature. Sometimes people who communicate as T's are more compartmentalized in their approach to systems. I've noticed some people discuss purely logical systems while disregarding any elements that don't fit with it, and then describe subjective systems like the arts as being more "to each their own" as being outside the realm of applying logic and reason. Of course this doesn't always apply, but I notice it when it is encountered.

I'm strongly introverted, so I can find both strongly T or F social dynamics alien to me. On the one-type sites I get uneasy when the rules say "be polite we are a sensitive MBTI type", or when there is pressure for people to push buttons and prove they are insensitive. I find potential for miscommunication in both scenarios. I guess in a strange way I don't relate to either category, but figure reason demonstrates itself well enough in discussion. I care about people's feelings, and empathy is an important skill and awareness to me, so I put effort into it as much as applying reason. I think any social system that has strong unspoken rules and boundaries and pressure to conform is a bit alienating to me regardless of the social style.

I don't find empathy and logic to be opposite or mutually exclusive. Both involve understanding information that plays a role in reality, both require the ability to go outside oneself and view a problem from another perspective. Both require the application of reason to be accurate in dealing with the information.
ooh, that reminds me... back when I took the GRE, when they still had an Analysis/Logic section to the test, I was in the 95th percentile for that section - higher than both the verbal and the math
That's a really high score which would place your percentile much higher for the general population, probably well into the 99.something percentile. I think my score on that section was 91 percentile, and my verbal was a bit lower.
 
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