• 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.

[INTJ] Un-Emotional to the point of ignoring reactive instinct?

Misty_Mountain_Rose

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
1,123
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
4w5
Heres a question that has been rolling around in my head lately.

I have a weird 'problem' in that when I'm startled, I don't freeze, but I will make a HUGE, almost instinctual effort NOT to react to whatever scared me. For instance, I'll SLLLOWWWWWLYYY turn my head to toward the sound of a loud noise.

I don't know if its a need to appear composed or if its maybe suppression of feelings going on. It makes me nervous though, because these 'jump', 'flinch', 'duck' instincts are there for a REASON... its basic survival instinct.

Many, many people have commented on their inability to startle me. What they don't realize is that they DID startle me, I just made no outward appearance of being caught off guard. Inwardly I jump, flinch and duck... but my body just doesn't show any sign of it. My Kung Fu instructor has even commented on it.

Heres the question then:

Can a lifetime of not revealing internal emotion when startled with emotional situations or people translate into supressing basic instincts? Can a person have such a firm grip on their outward appearance of calm, cool and collected that they can override what our bodies are telling us?


:shock:
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,192
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I have a weird 'problem' in that when I'm startled, I don't freeze, but I will make a HUGE, almost instinctual effort NOT to react to whatever scared me. For instance, I'll SLLLOWWWWWLYYY turn my head to toward the sound of a loud noise.

I don't know if its a need to appear composed or if its maybe suppression of feelings going on. It makes me nervous though, because these 'jump', 'flinch', 'duck' instincts are there for a REASON... its basic survival instinct.

Many, many people have commented on their inability to startle me. What they don't realize is that they DID startle me, I just made no outward appearance of being caught off guard. Inwardly I jump, flinch and duck... but my body just doesn't show any sign of it. My Kung Fu instructor has even commented on it.

I can identify with that. I might not even look at all -- I would just drive myself even more deeply into my protective invisible cocoon and pretend nothing happened.

But inside sometimes I was still very shaken.

Sometimes we make changes in our lives, though, that demand we open up more. I can't hide my startle reflex anymore, I find the emotions are much more on the surface than they used to be, along with being more accessible emotionally to others.

Can a lifetime of not revealing internal emotion when startled with emotional situations or people translate into suppressing basic instincts? Can a person have such a firm grip on their outward appearance of calm, cool and collected that they can override what our bodies are telling us?

I think the physical reflex might still exist, but it's all just sensation that the mind has to interpret. I think if the mind has taught itself to ignore incoming sensation, then it can operate as if the sensation doesn't exist at all. It's just a conscious "break" in the sensory transmission, rather than a literal one (such as when someone has a spinal cord injury and might only feel numbness/nothing from certain body areas).
 
Top