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[Ni] INFJ and Ni doms, how do you make decisions?

Fidelia

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I've noticed that I tend to put off decision making, particularly with things that involve major life changes, purchases, travel plans etc. Even packing is something I put off until the very end because I dislike the decision making involved.

However, it's not that I'm completely wafflingly indecisive. It seems to me that at some point (which I cannot predict when it will happen) things suddenly come into focus and I feel quite comfortable taking a course of action.

I wondered if this is an individual thing, a Ni thing, or an INFJ thing. How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?

I notice that my ENFJ mother, ENFJ friend and ENFJ sister are not this way at all, so I'm not sure if it's connected with Ni or not. I know though for me recognizing Ni patterns, it's like my observations all come together at some point to provide an in focus picture of a particular situation, which then leads me to a course of action or opinion. That's what makes me wonder if this kind of procrastination is related to Ni.
 

KDude

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That's interesting.. the way you put it, I could say the same for myself. It seems to me that it's extroversion that kicks me out of it (then again, that must be obvious). A sense of expediency or excitement coming from Se or a sense of responsibility or pity from Fe (admittedly, I reject the latter more often...sometimes it aggravates me).
 

Fidelia

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Yeah, knowing that my delay is affecting someone else negatively, or if there is a sense of urgency about it will help override the instinct towards putting off deciding.
 

sprinkles

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I can make decisions. Where I have trouble is with large plans and wholesale commitments.

It seems like "stick to the plan!" are famous last words with me, because often something changes, or new information comes up, and I find out that the plan sucks.
 
A

A_priori

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I've noticed that I tend to put off decision making, particularly with things that involve major life changes, purchases, travel plans etc. Even packing is something I put off until the very end because I dislike the decision making involved.

However, it's not that I'm completely wafflingly indecisive. It seems to me that at some point (which I cannot predict when it will happen) things suddenly come into focus and I feel quite comfortable taking a course of action.

I wondered if this is an individual thing, a Ni thing, or an INFJ thing. How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?

I notice that my ENFJ mother, ENFJ friend and ENFJ sister are not this way at all, so I'm not sure if it's connected with Ni or not. I know though for me recognizing Ni patterns, it's like my observations all come together at some point to provide an in focus picture of a particular situation, which then leads me to a course of action or opinion. That's what makes me wonder if this kind of procrastination is related to Ni.

I can totally relate to what your saying. Decision making for me is very tough, I would say this is definitely indicative of NI as a primary. Although some decisions are easier made, in general I find decision making down right frustrating.

Sometimes I will be driving somewhere and change directions to go somewhere else and then again!! "sometimes" lol.. If its a big decision involving things like career and lifestyle change, I procrastinate to no end. I just can't seem to justify which direction is best.

Maybe it is partially to do with how we as INFJs cope with change or maybe it's because we see things from so many angles.. Whatever it is I can certainitly relate and share your frustrations!
 

Cellmold

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I've noticed that I tend to put off decision making, particularly with things that involve major life changes, purchases, travel plans etc. Even packing is something I put off until the very end because I dislike the decision making involved.

However, it's not that I'm completely wafflingly indecisive. It seems to me that at some point (which I cannot predict when it will happen) things suddenly come into focus and I feel quite comfortable taking a course of action.

I wondered if this is an individual thing, a Ni thing, or an INFJ thing. How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?

I notice that my ENFJ mother, ENFJ friend and ENFJ sister are not this way at all, so I'm not sure if it's connected with Ni or not. I know though for me recognizing Ni patterns, it's like my observations all come together at some point to provide an in focus picture of a particular situation, which then leads me to a course of action or opinion. That's what makes me wonder if this kind of procrastination is related to Ni.

Im struggling immensely with making decisions at the moment, especially the important ones as you said.

Yet I want them settled and done with. It's odd how much I relate to your post here.
 

Fidelia

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Yeah, I don't think it's laziness, not wanting closure or indecisiveness. It's more that I seem to be unsure of how many facts there are out there to gather or what amount of facts will suddenly tip the scales towards a particular decision. I'm seeing that often when I am not getting something done that should be, I am still gathering some sort of information rather than just putting things off. I feel much better once a decision is actually made and I don't really like being in limbo.
 
R

Riva

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ExxJs obviously have higher levels of stress. Probably the reason they are inclined to make-decisions and act on them more urgently than othersm irrespective of it being the perfect decision or the one they feel it to the the correct one.

Ni doms don't entirely really make decisions. It comes to them. But it doesn't come to them if the don't have enough information (Se) or if they believe they believe (unconsciously) that they have enough information.

My understanding it is.
 

the state i am in

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i've noticed i have a really terribly structured decision-process that often shows an absence of design.

my meanings, as a 5 are also less generally grounded and immediately useful, so the process ends up being rather arduous and frustratingly unconstrained.

i think one technique for implementing Ti is really focusing on time scales. how would i feel about this decision in 30 minutes. tomorrow. 30 days from now. recognizing confidence levels based on different time intervals really helps get rid of extraneous variables and helps you imagine the story context so you are not just dealing with abstract meanings. because Ti is what helps us simulate what is likely to happen, to build episodes, to experience a story episodically. it requires a kind of metallic rigidity to push through the details and see what plays out without being drawn into your whims and emotional contexts. it's a really useful way for letting places help organize what needs to happen. sometimes it, the decision, can just become far more self-evident then.
 

CuriousFeeling

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Takes me a while to act upon major decisions too. I'll end up waiting for things to be just right before acting on it, to see if the signs converge with each other. It's like I get a gut feeling that a specific outcome will arise from doing A,B,C, or witnessing what's before me indicates that A, B, or C will happen. But I'm hesitant to pull the trigger until I have certainty that my gut impressions are indeed true.

But when it comes to major decisions that impact others, I tend to procrastinate with it. It's a bad habit of mine. I usually don't speak up about it until the last minute. I don't want to cause a rift with others around me, so I end up mulling it over in my head until I absolutely can't take it anymore and then I speak up. Heck, this even goes for making decisions on where to go do things. I have an idea of what I want, but I'm not going to present my ideas until I know they will be accepted by the group, so I tend to wait until everyone has spoken their ideas and if their idea goes along with mine, then I'll speak up.

It's like I put things off because I end up fearing negative repercussions from my decisions or others around me. That, and being very private about my own inner visions in general. I don't share them unless I know everything's alright. It's weird.... and it drives some people crazy about how I put off these things. I think getting lost inside my head about the vision of the future after making said decision also doesn't help things much either. Takes a bit, but eventually I end up making a decision and press forward.
 
G

Ginkgo

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Extraverts' desire to interact with the world is more frequent. We introverts may think about the world all day, and even make plans in our noggins which decisions are necessary for, but the decisions to carry plans out only come after our ideas of our plans are acceptable. In this sense, introverts are decisive perfectionists in spite of the apparent disarray we might find ourselves in.
 

KDude

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I'm not necessarily a perfectionist. I'm just a critic. I don't do things because they're bullshit. And I do things because they aren't (Every so often, someone close can twist my arm).
 

AphroditeGoneAwry

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I don't procrastinate due to indecisiveness hardly ever.

I procrastinate because I am lazy, and usually the task involves getting something together (like paperwork), or doing something physical I don't want to do, or involves many steps (so that I feel overwhelmed).
 

highlander

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I usually make decisions based on gut feeling. I apply logic but that's secondary. Sometimes I ask for other people's ideas and opinions. On small things, like what to order for breakfast, I like to make the decision quickly and move on. For bigger decisions, I declare the decision in my head quickly but take time to let things settle so that I'm absolutely sure. So, I won't act on that decision and often, I will change my mind. Sometimes, I'm just not sure of what action to take at all. In those cases, I tend to do nothing.

Based on what I've seen on the forum, INFJs make decisions much more slowly than INTJs.
 

Poki

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I've noticed that I tend to put off decision making, particularly with things that involve major life changes, purchases, travel plans etc. Even packing is something I put off until the very end because I dislike the decision making involved.

However, it's not that I'm completely wafflingly indecisive. It seems to me that at some point (which I cannot predict when it will happen) things suddenly come into focus and I feel quite comfortable taking a course of action.

I wondered if this is an individual thing, a Ni thing, or an INFJ thing. How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?

I notice that my ENFJ mother, ENFJ friend and ENFJ sister are not this way at all, so I'm not sure if it's connected with Ni or not. I know though for me recognizing Ni patterns, it's like my observations all come together at some point to provide an in focus picture of a particular situation, which then leads me to a course of action or opinion. That's what makes me wonder if this kind of procrastination is related to Ni.

Your STP is showing
 

SilkRoad

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I've noticed that I tend to put off decision making, particularly with things that involve major life changes, purchases, travel plans etc. Even packing is something I put off until the very end because I dislike the decision making involved.

However, it's not that I'm completely wafflingly indecisive. It seems to me that at some point (which I cannot predict when it will happen) things suddenly come into focus and I feel quite comfortable taking a course of action.

I wondered if this is an individual thing, a Ni thing, or an INFJ thing. How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?

I notice that my ENFJ mother, ENFJ friend and ENFJ sister are not this way at all, so I'm not sure if it's connected with Ni or not. I know though for me recognizing Ni patterns, it's like my observations all come together at some point to provide an in focus picture of a particular situation, which then leads me to a course of action or opinion. That's what makes me wonder if this kind of procrastination is related to Ni.

I really, really relate to this. And I do think it's Ni related. Well, I have real problems with procrastination (also with getting things done at work, etc - the more important it is, especially!) and I'm not sure if it's "analysis paralysis" or what. But yes, I agree, it seems like there is a moment when things come into focus. Although it's not a "Eureka!" moment. I can very rarely pinpoint a moment in time. It's like, things tick over in the background for a while (sometimes a long while) and I feel like I'm getting closer but I'm still not sure. And then eventually I realise things have become clear and I know what to do. And I can be quite decisive when that happens. (I wish it happened more often, though, and I also wonder if there's a way to expedite it.)

But I think Ni does work on things in the background. I even find this with things like analyzing a piece of literature or drawing parallels between artistic works. I feel like something is going on subconsciously but I'm not sure what. Then one day I just know and it seems perfectly clear and logical. (And independent confirmation reveals that it usually is!)

Oh, and yeah, I am lazy. I know I am. But sometimes it's hard to know where feeling lazy ends, and feeling overwhelmed begins.
 

cascadeco

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I can relate to the larger decisions or decisions that involve other people, and anything where my trying to figure out my emotions and where I *really* stand on something, or how I feel about something (my core self, trying to figure that out minus outside influence). I mean, some of these things can take weeks or months for me. Or if it's something like career/a much larger topic, I could easily reflect on it for years.

But to be clear, for some of the 'larger' things that maybe don't have a single answer, or even the emotional things that just take a few weeks or months, it's not like I'm actively thinking about it for this whole stretch. I've realized the way I operate is that I just need to let these things sift and percolate through my mind on their own for a while; occasionally I'll actively reflect on it, but mostly it's just shifting around in my mind, very inactively, for that whole span. As time goes on, things slowly take shape (you could say I 'check in' regularly, musing over certain aspects, etc), but I guess there's truth to the fact that things just come together on their own, and I eventually know what I need to do, or how I feel about something. So it's a process for me - and I think I willingly throw things into my brain to just unravel of their own accord. I trust the Time element, even though I realize from the outside it looks like I'm not doing anything. The thing is, though, is that for many of these larger things, I can't force it; and when I try, it doesn't do me any good. I just have to trust in the process. Things become clear in their own time. And in the meantime, when everything's percolating, I just go about my life.

Re. small decisions - where to eat, packing for a trip, whatever... I don't have an issue deciding on those things. I just do them. I might procrastinate a bit, but it's mostly because I think I have a good sense of time management, so I know how long it'll *really* take me to do something, so I don't even fret about doing it ahead of time; it's just not necessary. Like, with packing, I might do it the night before a trip, but that's really because I have no issue figuring out what I need to take, so I can do it in a matter of 10-30 minutes.
 

Coriolis

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@ the OP: I relate strongly to the idea of things coming together to reveal a course of action. This seems to be the essence of Ni. Like many people, I prefer not to make a decision until I have sufficient information, but for an Ni-dom, that information is as much those internal perceptions and vision as any outside facts. I am bothered most when I must make a decision by some deadline, and my insight process is still taking its time. In this case, I will come up with the best Te-based solution I can muster, and correct it once things come into focus. In fact, I will often formulate a tentative decision in this manner, even when not pressed for time, and adjust it as things become clearer.

I am more likely to demonstrate true procrastination or laziness in the implementation of a decision, as the interesting part of the process is over, and the rest is (sometimes) gruntwork.

How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?
The best way for me to expedite the Ni process is to allow it to run its course without interference. That means minimizing interruptions and distractions, and doing something where my mind can focus deeply on something. It doesn't even need to be related to the issue at hand, since Ni works and often works best as a background process. My sense of certainty comes from cross-checking my decision with Te and hopefully Fi. In other words, the solution that comes into focus via Ni also withstands logical analysis, and is in alignment with my personal values and goals.
 
G

garbage

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I relate, at least a lil' bit :popc1:

My decisions hinge upon whether one action or another is the 'right' thing to do--where 'right' is a nebulous, semi-moral term that hinges upon basic principles.

What do the tea leaves show? Where's this situation headed? From whatever 'data' I have (whether scarce or not), what course of action is emerging as the 'right' one? I can make huge decisions at the drop of a hat once I've figured that out. Sometimes, I make a decision contingent upon a single data point somewhere in the near future--if x happens, do A; if not, do B. Blammo; there's a decision pretty much made in advance. My principles virtually do all of the work for me; I then sit back comfortably, with virtually no anxiety, and watch how things unfold.

Sometimes, I course-correct because an emergent situation brings a new understanding of the choices involved and my current course isn't actually aligning with what's right.

When there are other people involved, principles such as 'not being wishy-washy' and 'not being the bottleneck' are pretty important. I ought to be reliable, be true true to my word, and maintain integrity and congruency.

All of this is done either deliberately/consciously or not; but in either case, that's how decisions tend to get made.

Small decisions aren't worth feeling any anxiety. I'll just pick a damn brand of shampoo and be done with it.
 

21%

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I've noticed that I tend to put off decision making, particularly with things that involve major life changes, purchases, travel plans etc. Even packing is something I put off until the very end because I dislike the decision making involved.

However, it's not that I'm completely wafflingly indecisive. It seems to me that at some point (which I cannot predict when it will happen) things suddenly come into focus and I feel quite comfortable taking a course of action.

I wondered if this is an individual thing, a Ni thing, or an INFJ thing. How can the process be expedited? What factors make you sure about making a decision?
I'm the same way! When I have to do something I will start by doing nothing. It's not like I'm intentionally procrastinating; it's just in the beginning sometimes it is impossible for me to think about the decision. Even when I try there is usually a fog clouding the whole issue. I can't even concentrate on thinking about it. But then suddenly -- I don't know if it's inspired by the upcoming deadline or something else -- the clouds will part and I will see the answer and it will give me a very, very good feeling about what I should do, and that's my decision.

I guess usually I'm just 'waiting' for this feeling. It's partly rational, partly emotional, and perhaps partly mystical as well in that I sometimes can't explain why I choose to do certain things, but I just know I want to do it this way and it's a very powerful feeling.

I notice that my ENFJ mother, ENFJ friend and ENFJ sister are not this way at all, so I'm not sure if it's connected with Ni or not. I know though for me recognizing Ni patterns, it's like my observations all come together at some point to provide an in focus picture of a particular situation, which then leads me to a course of action or opinion. That's what makes me wonder if this kind of procrastination is related to Ni.
You're surrounded by ENFJs! :laugh:
My sister is ENFJ too and she does not really suffer from this. She just charges and gets things done. It makes me feel like I'm the laziest person in the world sometimes.
 
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