[ISFP] ISFP descriptions! Yay!

[Sunny Ghost]

Main Characteristics
ISFPs are found in about 6 percent of the general population. The best name for this type is free spirit, for they have an intense need for freedom. The simple rural life, life in the wilderness, the tribal/communal life - all these may call them. Their need for social interaction, however, is not as great as that of the type they most resemble, the ESFP. So an ISFP may forgo all social ties of any duration to preserve the freedom to wander. The lyric, "I was born under a wandering star...", might capture the spirit of the ISFP in this respect. The flower children of the 1960's may have been largely ISFPs, though the ESFPs also seem attracted to communing with others.



ISFPs also resemble INFPs in needing to achieve intensity of feeling. The focus, however, with the ISFPs seems to be more on the sensuous side than the meaningful side. The ISFP is orgastic, in the sense, demanding of life that it provide the excitement and pleasure of drinking deeply at the Dionysian well. Not revelry (that is the forte of the ESFP) but experience is what attracts the ISFP to these kinds of activities. Music, like wine, is incorporated and internalized, and the introverted nature of the ISFP requires this internalization. There is a reason why the flower became the symbol for what the flower children wanted: Flowers are warm, alive, sweet, colorful, rhythmic, natural, absolute, needing no statement, no interpretation - a pure being in self.

ISFPs are not articulate. They communicate through action. They do not verbalize their meanings, but, for example, offer a lovely flower and a smile. Their actions speak of the pastoral and the bucolic.

Career
They do not seek philosophy or science or literature. These are too distant from life for the ISFPs. They seek, rather, the pounding surf, the river, the forest, the ship, the truck, the racing car, the horse, the potter's wheel, the hoist, the bulldozer - some kind of action where they can keep their fingers on the pulse of life.

Home
It is not that people are unimportant to the ISFP - indeed they are - but people are more the framework for the activities of the ISFP, providing a shadowy background. Perhaps this type is the least understood of all the types - and yet often the most envied. They are so fiercely independent and insistent that they live in and for the moment, in action, fully savoring the urges they feel and discharge, that others often find them difficult to comprehend or understand. Gaugin, perhaps, provides a prototype of the ISFP as he walked away from his affluent position in society, off to Tahiti to an unknown future, and without a backward glance!

Mid-life
At mid-life ISFPs may be subject to strong temptation to follow Gaugin's lead, to abandon their current style of life, and sacrifice home, children, and mate for the lure of the unknown bucolic life. The cost of following this impulse must, of course, be reckoned. If the ISFP has not found in work a source of pleasure which continues past mid-life, he or she may want to opt for an early retirement and enter into a new career where their need to be close to nature can be satisfied.

Mates
Pursuit of two themes - closeness to nature and artistic activity - places the ISFP quite a distance from the utilitarian outlook. Yet it is precisely that outlook that seems to attract the bucolic spirit. The opposite on the N side is the ENTJ "fieldmarshal," the most militant of all types in his desire to run things. ISFP is most likely to become a pacifist or environmentalist, and yet also is likely to seek out the person who is temperamentally suited to tactical leadership, military or otherwise. ISFP is likewise attracted to the ESTJ "administrator," the person temperamentally suited to be "in charge" of establishments. Note that the person most likely to deprecate the establishment is attracted to the head of an establishment. It is rather doubtful, should an ISFP actually marry an ENTJ or ESTJ, that there is any intent or desire to change the spouse into a pastoral. Of all types, ISFP is most likely to "let be" whoever or whatever. It seems more likely that the latter provides a kind of anchorage to enterprise and to civilization.

I'm curious how much other ISFP's can relate to these descriptions. Notably in careers, mates, mid-life, etc.

 

[Quinlan]

Sounds ridiculously like I see myself. Career makes sense, even though I ended up going in the opposite direction (to my regret).

 

[wolfy]

Yeah, I relate to some of that one. I need to go out so I'll talk about it later. I do tend to keep my life orgastic like it says.

Orgastic.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

Sounds ridiculously like I see myself. Career makes sense, even though I ended up going in the opposite direction (to my regret).

Do you see yourself dropping everything because of the lack of satisfaction, and taking off for the bucolic life?

I think I could see myself doing that. Though, I don't know that I'd just drop my family.

Yeah, I relate to some of that one. I need to go out so I'll talk about it later. I do tend to keep my life orgastic like it says.

Orgastic.

lol.

i'm really not sure how to put "orgastic" in relation to my lifestyle.



Wolfy, I remember you said your wife was also an ISFP, so I suppose you don't necessarily relate to the "mates" part of this. However, is it possible for you to see yourself attracted to the "militant" type to keep you tethered to society?

 

[wolfy]

Wolfy, I remember you said your wife was also an ISFP, so I suppose you don't necessarily relate to the "mates" part of this. However, is it possible for you to see yourself attracted to the "militant" type to keep you tethered to society?

No, not the way it is put. I like some give and take in style. I don't need a mother either, I need a partner.

I don't know how bubolic I am. More than average I think, I like the idea of small and authentic, close to nature. But, I'm not that into nature, you know.

Like the description said I sometimes feel like running off to Tahiti with a Tahitian.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

I can't say that I'm that into nature either, but it does attract me. And I always enjoy being outside, going for long walks, or going on hikes and camping. But it's not my biggest interest. Though I do often wish to get into it more.

Since a child, I've always been attracted to the farming or self sufficient lifestyle. That's something of a goal of mine. I've tried gardening a few years in a row now. Not always successful. Actually.. this year it was a complete fail. But, it's something I'd like to work on. And gosh darn it, I'm going to have chickens some day.

Yeah, I personally think the ENTJ or ESTJ and ISFP is probably one of the worst relationship scenarios I've ever heard. But who knows. That's just been my case... my best friend is an ESTJ... and lemme tell you... sometimes it's difficult. I dated an ENTJ very briefly. I hate his guts. I have another ENTJ friend as well, and I just don't feel 100% comfortable as myself in his company. It's just like the description I read somewhere else stated: that with opposites, the strengths of the one partner only makes the other feel completely inferior, and vise versa. And that's pretty much how it is with me and my ENTJ friend. So, I have a hard time being my bubbly and goofy self around him.
I've been thinking a lot about my newest relationship lately. ...as those who've seen me around on the forum lately have probably noticed. It's strange... I figured I'd want to be with another perceiving type, ideally. But now that I'm involved in this new relationship, I see how well a judging type really rounds me out. In the description, it talks about how we're attracted to personalities that sort of tether us to society and civilization. I'm not sure that this is exactly how I would word it, but I can't really think of a better way to do so. For me, however, it's less to do with being held in reality, but rather mentally. I suppose it's sort of a lack of trust in my own judgment that makes me want to be tethered to someone who strongly trusts his own judgment. I suppose I worry I may just float too far away. My constant struggle in life has been, am I going in the right direction? Will I be satisfied and happy? Always second guessing, always indecisive. And so it's nice to have someone around that knows where they're going.

 

[wolfy]

In my relationship it has often been me that has wanted to make the big changes. I can be pretty confident that things will work out and my wife keeps me from maybe going to far in that direction. I think if I was single at the moment I'd tend to float from place to place. I don't know about the tethered to society thing, I noticed when I am into something it consumes most of my attention. So she balances that out I think. She is close to SJ in a way and I am more SP, if you know what I mean.

 

[Devil Flamingo]

Okay, so I recently discovered I'm ISFP not INFP, lol. It's... a long story, but basically my Se and Ne are both pretty balanced, but I use Se more often, and with INFP I always felt there was a "missing link" or something. Previous to thinking I was INFP, I thought I was ENFP, but I was just more social at the time, lol.

ANYWAYS. This profile is spot-on. I wanna go outside (it's rainy!) and run around in the grass to celebrate... and I would except I need to go to bed. I think I'll listen to Yuki Kajiura's Fiction and Fiction II CD's instead, heh. 83

 

[wolfy]

I think apart from the mates part it is pretty true. I don't like the way it is written though, it puts me off. Too much.

 

[Devil Flamingo]

I think apart from the mates part it is pretty true. I don't like the way it is written though, it puts me off. Too much.

Yeah, I just conveniently ignored the mates part, lol, though in my case 'twas b/c I haven't been in a relationship and don't care about that stuff rn. I know what you mean about the way it's written, but I don't know what about it is off-putting... but as long as it's fairly accurate 's all good, I guess? :V

 

[Sunny Ghost]

yeah, to me it's a little less about being tethered to society... and more about mental well being. so, society in that sense.

 

[wolfy]

yeah, to me it's a little less about being tethered to society... and more about mental well being. so, society in that sense.

I don't understand what you mean. Being comfortable in the world?

 

[Quinlan]

Do you see yourself dropping everything because of the lack of satisfaction, and taking off for the bucolic life?

I think I could see myself doing that. Though, I don't know that I'd just drop my family.

Yes, but I'd take my wife and daughter with me though, if I did I would feel like I were letting people down though, there has always been a certain expectation of me in my family.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

I don't understand what you mean. Being comfortable in the world?

i'm going to have to think on a proper way to explain what i was feeling the other day, and why when i read this description, it really made a lot of sense.

on my way to work at the moment though. le sigh.



yeah, there's absolutely no way i'd just drop my family, especially if i had children.

 

[wolfy]

I think I'd drag my family along too.

 

[Quinlan]

So where are we going?

 

[Sunny Ghost]

i'm going to washington, alaska or canada. don't know about you kids.