• 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.

[ISFP] ISFP and memories?

Rail Tracer

Freaking Ratchet
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
3,031
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I am quite sure memories are evident in everyone no matter what type. There is one thing that confuses me, I tend to hold memories quite easily. I can remember something as far back as my pre-kindergarten years where people I have known in those memories have forgotten. I can remember an event as simple as being in the doctors office waiting in line. But from MBTI, this sounds like a Si trait.

Certain things like songs can potentially trigger a memory I have forgotten in the long list of memories that I have.

The problem is, do other ISFPs tend to have this sort of thing occurring? Could it be my Fi holding my memories dearly(in the sense I value my memories?) What about Ni in this case?
 

KDude

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
8,243
I'm not sure how functions play into all of this. I can remember as far back as 4/preschool. There's a lot of things I shut out too, and get reminded of..and only have a vague impression of them.

I heard some theory that memories that make a bigger imprint depended on one's endorphin levels at the time. Or something like that.
 

Rail Tracer

Freaking Ratchet
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
3,031
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Well Si tends to be use in a sense, memory. From what I can remember, Si often comes in the form of memories for INFPs. Something like a word or reaction could potentially trigger certain types of memories/events that have occurred.

Though I could just be overreacting. Most of these memories do tend to be moments where I was having fun or was excited.
 

Walking Tourist

it's tea time!
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
1,452
MBTI Type
esfp
Enneagram
7
Things that trigger memories for me:
the smell of food
the shape of a flower
a snippet of a song
a piece of a poem
decaying bricks on a building
dreams of things and people and cats long gone...
 

Sunny Ghost

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,396
well... they do say that we use ALL the functions... but just have preferences towards certain ones. i have memories from as far back as one and two years old, strangely enough. and i am always quite nostalgic, where a smell, song, voice, face, or certain feeling of a place will take me back to another point in time. i really am unsure how it all plays into mbti as well.
 

KDude

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
8,243
Well Si tends to be use in a sense, memory. From what I can remember, Si often comes in the form of memories for INFPs. Something like a word or reaction could potentially trigger certain types of memories/events that have occurred.

Though I could just be overreacting. Most of these memories do tend to be moments where I was having fun or was excited.

Si isn't just memories per se.. It's more about familiarity and normalcy.. The memory element is in how one values memories (for some reason), not just memory in and of itself.. and how it scans and compares according to those memories. Si likes to secure or check it's environment against a standard, so to speak. And it's just as detailed oriented as Se, but where Se tends to evaluate usefulness, Si evaluates on a safety level or something. Works in tandem with different functions too on how that all comes out, but.. I wouldn't just associate it strictly with memory. We all have them, but Se, for example, doesn't need to remind itself too much - it's like to keep moving forward a bit, eyes the details in it's environment/present situation, and inhabits them better as things come (not that all Se types flow either though. Fi likes to withdraw from Se too.. on feeling/value areas, and then feed back an internal idea into the environment later, and maybe in the moment as well...in a way some can resist Se just like an SJ, but it's a difference between placing new/creative elements or individualtistic emotive responses into the equation - and at times, it could very well draw on patterns it's built up in memory too.. but in a Ni way. Si goes for security or traditional solutions and responses. To simplify it.. It's probably not simple though).

I'm not sure how Si plays out in INFP.. like, do they retreat to safer ground, and just Ne a lot somewhere else? You know, just happy to be away from Se, even alone, coming up with more ideas.. That's how some descriptions would call them.. how they can go into the conceptual/romantic/imaginary, and be creative that way.. Then they come out again and some of us learn from them. :D
 

Quinlan

Intriguing....
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
3,004
MBTI Type
ISFP
Enneagram
9w1
I have terrible memory, I can hardly remember my childhood (even the later years) it's all a vague blur and it usually takes prompting from other people to remember any sort of details.

...and then again every now and then a random memory will pop up in my head.
 

Andy

Supreme High Commander
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
1,211
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w6
The functions have nothing to do with your intrinsic ability to remember things. All they do is indicate how you use those memories, or what type of events/facts would be most memorable to you.
 

Quinlan

Intriguing....
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
3,004
MBTI Type
ISFP
Enneagram
9w1
I think Si might cause you to value the past (and therefore memories) a bit more than other functions though. Si users tend to make an active effort to remember past details.
 

Rail Tracer

Freaking Ratchet
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
3,031
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
This is what I came up with.

Having memories does not necessarily correlate to a function. However, how we use the memories could potentially correlate more to one function over another. Comparing to past experiences to present experiences could potentially be a sign of Si.

Like the others here, my memories tend to be triggered based on something outside (a song, the smell of something, sight, etc) these tend to just be memories that I'll just remember out of the blue.

But there are memories that don't need to by triggered by anything, these are the memories I think is important to hold based on what happen in these memories(something that negatively or positively impacted me.)

As for comparing past experiences to present, my memories are just there. Doesn't really compare anything except for the fact that they are just something I remembered out of the blue.
 

man

New member
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
330
MBTI Type
IntP
Enneagram
=)
i think it just depends on how much gigabytes u have in ur brain
 

Jeffster

veteran attention whore
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
6,743
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx
I am quite sure memories are evident in everyone no matter what type. There is one thing that confuses me, I tend to hold memories quite easily. I can remember something as far back as my pre-kindergarten years where people I have known in those memories have forgotten. I can remember an event as simple as being in the doctors office waiting in line. But from MBTI, this sounds like a Si trait.

Certain things like songs can potentially trigger a memory I have forgotten in the long list of memories that I have.

The problem is, do other ISFPs tend to have this sort of thing occurring? Could it be my Fi holding my memories dearly(in the sense I value my memories?) What about Ni in this case?

I don't understand why this confuses you or why it's a problem. I mean, it's one thing if you can't shake constant flashbacks to some horribly traumatic experience, but otherwise, just enjoy your vivid memories, man.
 

StrappingYoungLad

New member
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Messages
199
MBTI Type
ISFP
Enneagram
9w8
Compared to my ISFJ sister, my childhood memories are distorted and grandiose. Over time, my memories tend transform into "mythical" stories that I keep repeating to myself. :D
 
Top