Just for Curiosity’s Sake...

[Hermit of the Forest]

You all know me (kind of). Based solely on your perceptions thus far what do you think my type is?

 

[Population: 1]

I don’t think you’re self-deluded but I can see the possibility of a very laid back INFP. Sometimes a mellow temperament can be misunderstood. I think you feel quite a bit (and it can be an INFP trait) but keep your deepest emotions hidden because they’re intimately private to you. They can reveal too much and leave you feeling vulnerable. I know because save when I’m aggravated most of my strong emotions are never broadcast. That’s too personal for my tastes.

Anyway, that’s my take.

 

[badatlife]

I voted for ISFJ and ISFP, but I wonder if ISFP fits more. It sounds a lot like you!

According to Myers-Briggs, ISFPs are peaceful, easygoing people who adopt a "live and let live" approach to life. They enjoy taking things at their own pace and tend to live in the moment. Although quiet, they are pleasant, considerate, caring, and devoted to the people in their lives. Though not inclined to debate or necessarily even air their views, their values are important to them.
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.

It sounds a little like me too though. lol

 

[Luminous]

"Self-deluded INFP"? Aren't all INFPs self-deluded? I'm joking, of course. Or am I deluding myself into thinking that?

I agree with what Pop said. But I think you could be INTP also... the others are possible... though I think dichotomy wise you seem more N. Function wise, I see more Ne than Ni...So that would give you INTP, INFP, or ISFJ. But I feel more confident wielding enneagram than mbti.

 

[Coriolis]

In theory you could be INTP. You say things that are not inconsistent with some of the INTPs I know. But you have never "felt" like an INTP to me, and I know quite a few. You have always come across as a very thoughtful (both meanings) INFP, or less likely, ISFP. You remind me a bit of an INFP former student.

 

[Earl Grey]

Re; your response to my rep: It's just... Kind of vibes. I don't know how you work or make decisions, and in our conversations, you are mostly responsive and follow the flow. It is simply that INTP 9 and INFP 9 are very starkly different, and I think you do fit INTP 9 more as a whole.

 

[Luminous]

Re; your response to my rep: It's just... Kind of vibes. I don't know how you work or make decisions, and in our conversations, you are mostly responsive and follow the flow. It is simply that INTP 9 and INFP 9 are very starkly different, and I think you do fit INTP 9 more as a whole.

I'd love for you to elaborate on how INTP and INFP 9s are different! Please!

 

[Earl Grey]

I'd love for you to elaborate on how INTP and INFP 9s are different! Please!

[gently disintegrates]

It's really subtle, I don't really... Know how to articulate it. It's only vibes.

 

[Hermit of the Forest]

...very starkly different

...really subtle

Lol. Probably accurate.

 

[Hermit of the Forest]

In theory you could be INTP. You say things that are not inconsistent with some of the INTPs I know. But you have never "felt" like an INTP to me, and I know quite a few. You have always come across as a very thoughtful (both meanings) INFP, or less likely, ISFP. You remind me a bit of an INFP former student.

How did you know your student was an INFP?

 

[Coriolis]

How did you know your student was an INFP?

He told me, and had done extensive study on the matter. In fact, was the one who introduced me to the topic.

 

[Earl Grey]

Lol. Probably accurate.

I brainfarted hard. I am comparing several people in my head and at first I thought it was stark, till I actually had to put them into words, and went "shit".

 

[Luminous]

I brainfarted hard. I am comparing several people in my head and at first I thought it was stark, till I actually had to put them into words, and went "shit".

Or the differences could be difficult to put into words

I would think Ti and Fi 9s could have a huge variety, depending on what they value, and their instinctual variants.

Why do you think you're not an INFP, Hermit? Ti vs Te?

 

[Red Memories]

INFP!
INFP!
INFP!

*exits*

 

[Hermit of the Forest]

Why do you think you're not an INFP, Hermit? Ti vs Te?

I really don’t relate to the INFP descriptions, particularly when it comes to introverted feeling. No offense, but it seems too inwardly focused and prone to navel gazing. My emotions revolve more around other people and relationships (though not in a necessarily selfless way). People and relationships fascinate me. Emotion is very interesting too. Some emotions can seem silly or bad, some even dangerous (I don’t like those), but they are very human. I want to understand humanity. I want to be human. I’m so tired of cold, from others... from myself. I just want to be warm, so I’ve very purposefully made myself a warm and fuzzy persona.

So yeah, I relate to Fe much more than Fi. I also very much admire the SJ role of guardian or caretaker. It’s not something I’m good at, but I hope to be better with practice.

As for Ti vs Te, I can see both in me but Ti is far more natural to wield were as Te takes much more energy to activate. Analyzing my environment is far easier than controlling it. Though I will try if I feel it necessary, especially if I’m under stress.

 

[badatlife]

I really don’t relate to the INFP descriptions, particularly when it comes to introverted feeling. No offense, but it seems too inwardly focused and prone to navel gazing. My emotions revolve more around other people and relationships (though not in a necessarily selfless way). People and relationships fascinate me. Emotion is very interesting too. Some emotions can seem silly or bad, some even dangerous (I don’t like those), but they are very human. I want to understand humanity. I want to be human. I’m so tired of cold, from others... from myself. I just want to be warm, so I’ve very purposefully made myself a warm and fuzzy persona.

So yeah, I relate to Fe much more than Fi. I also very much admire the SJ role of guardian or caretaker. It’s not something I’m good at, but I hope to be better with practice.

As for Ti vs Te, I can see both in me but Ti is far more natural to wield were as Te takes much more energy to activate. Analyzing my environment is far easier than controlling it. Though I will try if I feel it necessary, especially if I’m under stress.

Hmm, I dont know if you've made up your mind now so disregard this if it's done. But I do think you have some bias here. Because on one hand, you are referencing functions, but on the other hand, you're referencing descriptions. And description wise ISFJ and INTP are quite far apart. You seem to have a notion that Fi is self centered or selfish. I think this is not true at all! IxFPs are feelers first and foremost. If anything they would be more selfless and focused on relationships than INTP. I think these descriptions are somewhat good

Portrait of an INFP
Portrait of an ISFP
Portrait of an ISFJ
Portrait of an INTP

I don't know if my interpretation is right or not, but from what I have read, I like to think of Fi as having deeply felt internal values, but being very laid back and not applying them to other people. That's why IxFPs are so flexible, adaptable and likeable. Whereas Fe is more proactive in their values. Which is why xxFJs can get called annoying, pushy, or judgmental from time to time. I have also seen some people give Fi a really harsh description, and I don't think that's right. IxFPs can be caring and interpersonal too. But INFPs do seem more dreamy and head in the clouds, and more serious/introspective, whereas ISFPs seem even more laidback and tolerant. Speaking from my real life friend only, who took the test and got ISFP, she's social and fun to be around. My first impression of her would definitely not be "inwardly focused" or "navel gazing"

It's the same reason why I did not relate to INFP, personally. The combination of I,N,F,P makes it seem like the most intuitive, the ultimate romantic, dreamer, lyricist, poet, etc. None of that fit me. They are described as being idealists, deep humanists, extremely vivid imaginations, excellent writers, etc. If you find yourself not relating to these parts you might want to look into ISFP too. I think everyone is just assuming N because you type as INTP. But it’s worth considering.

Although that above quote does sound somewhat detached.

 

[Earl Grey]

I really don’t relate to the INFP descriptions, particularly when it comes to introverted feeling. No offense, but it seems too inwardly focused and prone to navel gazing. My emotions revolve more around other people and relationships (though not in a necessarily selfless way). People and relationships fascinate me. Emotion is very interesting too. Some emotions can seem silly or bad, some even dangerous (I don’t like those), but they are very human. I want to understand humanity. I want to be human. I’m so tired of cold, from others... from myself. I just want to be warm, so I’ve very purposefully made myself a warm and fuzzy persona.

As far as I know, focusing on people and relationships are still an F-thing.

I brained a small description. Between my INTP 9 and INFP 9 friends, especially if they have no sp, INTP 9 are more of a warm, but still distant observer. They help and involve when asked. INFP 9 are more of this... They aren't more 'active' necessarily, but they are more sensitive to people, so I find that they more intentionally make themselves involved, sometimes at the risk of losing their own agenda. It's as if they (and the closer they are to you the more this is true) see your words as commands and extend themselves into fulfilling it to keep up the good feelings and harmony. INTPs can do that, but they still have their BS radar intact, they just don't say anything. I don't see the former happening in INTPs (or you). "My emotions revolve more around other people and relationships (though not in a necessarily selfless way)." does still sound Fi in general, however. I find INTP, even if 9s, overly quantifying, 'objectifying' people in the sense that they try to theorize or compute what people are like, and naturally forgetting the emotional components of the puzzle. I don't know if you do that. If either are being too agreeable, if you press them hard enough, they do end up coming up with Fi reasons or Ti reasons however. Fi in being overly moral and afraid of hurting others, Ti in overcompensating with their logic or trying to 'logically' explain things, overly rationalizing things. Fi seems to find that too detached and less involved, Fi 'puts their heart into it'- I don't know if you do this, however.

This is just a general observation tying two types of two different systems together though, please keep in mind this is all vibes + just personal experience.

So yeah, I relate to Fe much more than Fi. I also very much admire the SJ role of guardian or caretaker. It’s not something I’m good at, but I hope to be better with practice.

Can you post excerpts of what you relate to in descriptions of Fe, and what you disagree with in descriptions of Fi? If you relate to it so much, I don't understand how it can be your inferior, but at the same time it does not seem to be your dom/aux, either- at least so far. We'll see.

As for Ti vs Te, I can see both in me but Ti is far more natural to wield were as Te takes much more energy to activate. Analyzing my environment is far easier than controlling it. Though I will try if I feel it necessary, especially if I’m under stress.

Same as above, can you post excerpts of what you relate to in descriptions of Ti, and what you disagree with / don't relate to in descriptions of Te? Analyzing one's environment is a generally Reflecting method of interacting with the environment, correlated with Introversion, and most prominent in I--P. How you speak of Te here sounds like how one would describe their inferior function. We might have to first clarify the distinction between Fi and Fe, because the overlap in terms of focus of emotions or actions alone sometimes seem rather hazy. As an example, just read INFP vs INFJ descrptions, they are hazy as hell, and many of their actions seem interchangeable "Is this person polite because it is the norm (stereotypically Fe), or because they think that it honors people's integrity and autonomy? (stereotypically Fi)" with both being people-oriented to begin with, it can be hard to tell Fi VS Fe apart as standalone functions, especially based off behaviour.

 

[Hermit of the Forest]

You seem to have a notion that Fi is self centered or selfish. I think this is not true at all!

That is not at all what I meant to communicate. The INFP I’ve had the privilege to observe closest had a very rich inner life (or world) of emotion and imagination that just doesn’t exist within me. My imagination and emotion are more outwardly sparked, were as his world existed much more inwardly and independently (not selfish). I’m not saying Fi users aren’t loving to people — they’re very loving. But they also have this cool little inner world that I don’t have so much, so my emotions play elsewhere. Not better or worse just different. And they seem know their feelings very intimately, which comes from long study. Much longer than I would have patience for. Nothing wrong with that.

It's the same reason why I did not relate to INFP, personally. The combination of I,N,F,P makes it seem like the most intuitive, the ultimate romantic, dreamer, lyricist, poet, etc. None of that fit me. They are described as being idealists, deep humanists, extremely vivid imaginations, excellent writers, etc. If you find yourself not relating to these parts you might want to look into ISFP too. I think everyone is just assuming N because you type as INTP. But it’s worth considering.

Although that above quote does sound somewhat detached.

Lol that is how INFPs are depicted. I’ve looked into ISFP and Se-Ni really doesn’t fit.

I think these descriptions are somewhat good

Portrait of an INFP
Portrait of an ISFP
Portrait of an ISFJ
Portrait of an INTP

I’m afraid I didn’t relate much to any of these profiles. Sorry.

 

[badatlife]

That is not at all what I meant to communicate. The INFP I’ve had the privilege to observe closest had a very rich inner life (or world) of emotion and imagination that just doesn’t exist within me. My imagination and emotion are more outwardly sparked, were as his world existed much more inwardly and independently (not selfish). I’m not saying Fi users aren’t loving to people — they’re very loving. But they also have this cool little inner world that I don’t have so much, so my emotions play elsewhere. Not better or worse just different. And they seem know their feelings very intimately, which comes from long study. Much longer than I would have patience for. Nothing wrong with that.




Lol that is how INFPs are depicted. I’ve looked into ISFP and Se-Ni really doesn’t fit.



I’m afraid I didn’t relate much to any of these profiles. Sorry.

Ok, I get where you're coming from now. It does make sense then.

For me, I had finally decided I was a feeling type years ago, after A LOT of contemplation, realized the NF profiles did not fit, then gradually narrowed it down to either ISFJ or ISFP. First time I took the 16 types test I got ISTJ, but I typed as ISTP in the very beginning because I didn't like it (lol). I remember also thinking I was INTP or INTJ but it was really brief. Part of the reason I struggled was because of socialization though, and also the T answers sounded smarter.

I think you could be one of the two. Idk. It is important that you relate to the type though.
Do any of these ring a bell for you? They are official descriptions.

Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind, you tend to enjoy the moment and what’s going on around you. You like to have your own space and work within your own time frame. Loyal and committed to those who are important to you, you dislike disagreements and conflicts and hesitate to push your opinions and values on others.
ADAPTABLE
MODEST
CARING
OBSERVANT
COOPERATIVE
SENSITIVE
GENTLE
SPONTANEOUS
HARMONIOUS
TRUSTING
LOYAL
UNDERSTANDING

You live in the present with a quiet sense of joyfulness and want time to experience each moment. You prize the freedom to follow your own course, have your own space, and set your own time frame, and you give the same freedom and tolerance to others. You are faithful in fulfilling obligations to people and things that are important to them.

You are guided by a strong core of inner values and want your outer life to demonstrate those values. You want your work to be more than just a job; you want to contribute to people’s well-being or happiness. You don’t enjoy routine but will work with energy and dedication when doing something you believe in.

You are attuned to the feelings and needs of others and flexible in responding to these. You often have an affinity for nature and for beauty in all living things—people, plants, and animals. You prize most people who take time to understand your values and goals, and who support you in achieving your goals in your own way.

You are adaptable and flexible unless something that matters strongly to you is endangered. Then you stop adapting. You care deeply about people but may show it more through doing things for others than through words.You tend to be quiet and unassuming, and your warmth, enthusiasm, and playful humor may not be apparent to people who don’t know you well. You prefer to observe and support rather than organize situations. You have little wish to dominate.

You may be underestimated by others and may also underrate yourself. You often take for granted what you do well and make too much of the contrast between your inner standards and your actual behavior and accomplishments.

You are gentle, considerate, and compassionate toward those in need of help, using an open-minded, flexible approach. You contribute by

-Responding to the needs of each person in the organization as they arise
-Acting to ensure others’ well-being
-Infusing a quiet joy into your work
-Bringing people and tasks together by virtue of your cooperative nature
-Paying attention to how people are treated

Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious, you can be counted on to meet your obligations. Friends describe you as thorough, painstaking, and accurate. You are loyal and considerate, noticing and remembering specifics about—and concerned with the feelings of—those you care about. At home and at work, you strive for order and harmony.

CONSCIENTIOUS
PATIENT
DETAILED
PRACTICAL
DEVOTED
PROTECTIVE
LOYAL
RESPONSIBLE
METICULOUS
SERVICE-MINDED
ORGANIZED
TRADITIONAL

You are dependable and considerate, committed to the people and groups with which you are associated, and faithful in carrying out responsibilities. You work with steady energy to complete jobs on time. You will go to great trouble to do something you see as necessary but dislike being required to do anything that doesn’t make sense to you.

You focus on what people need and want, and you establish orderly procedures to bring these about. You take roles and responsibilities seriously and want others to do the same.

You have a realistic and practical respect for facts and have a wealth of stored information. You remember clearly the details of things that have personal meaning, such as tones of voice and facial expressions.

Your opinions are firm because your decisions are based on careful application of your clear values and your wealth of stored data. You respect established procedures and authority, believing that these have persisted because they function well. Therefore, you support change only when new data show it will be of practical benefit to people.

You are unassuming and quiet, often putting the needs of others—especially family members—ahead of your own. You are uncomfortable with confrontation and will go a long way to accommodate others, although your respect for traditions and people’s feelings can lead you to challenge actions you view as hurtful or insensitive. People see your values, your desire for structure and closure, and your kindness. What they may not see is the wealth of rich, accurate internal impressions and memories you carry with you.

You are sympathetic, loyal, considerate, and kind and will go to any amount of trouble to help those who need it. You contribute by
-Taking the practical needs of people into account
-Using strong follow-through skills in carrying out organizational goals
-Being painstaking and responsible with detail and routine
-Expending effort willingly to serve others
-Having things at the right place at the right times

Theoretical and abstract, you are more interested in ideas than in social interaction. Others see you as quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. You like to develop logical explanations for everything that interests you, and you have an unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in your area of interest. You are often skeptical, sometimes critical, and always analytical.

AUTONOMOUS
PRECISE
COGNITIVE
RESERVED
DETACHED
SELF-DETERMINED
INDEPENDENT
SKEPTICAL
LOGICAL
SPECULATIVE
ORIGINAL
THEORETICAL

You are an independent problem solver who excels at providing a detached, concise analysis of an idea or situation. You ask the difficult questions, challenging others and yourself to find new logical approaches. You see possibilities and connections beyond the present and obvious. You love to theorize and discuss abstractions.

Finding or developing underlying principles and logical structures for understanding and explaining the world has great appeal for you. You approach almost everything with skepticism, form your own opinions and standards, and apply these standards rigorously to yourself. You are curious and seek knowledge for its own sake. You highly value intelligence and competence.

You quickly see inconsistencies and illogicality and enjoy taking ideas apart and reworking them. You naturally build complex theoretical systems to explain the realities you see. You find it difficult to work on routine tasks but bring great energy, intensity, and focus to researching or analyzing a complex problem that arouses your curiosity.

You are usually quiet and reserved, although you can be talkative in areas in which you are especially knowledgeable. Unless your work requires action, you are more interested in the challenge of finding solutions than in putting solutions to practical use. You prefer not to organize people or situations.

Tolerant of a wide range of behavior, you will argue and raise issues only when you believe it is reasonable to do so. This flexibility disappears, however, when your ruling principles are challenged. Then you stop being flexible.

You prize precision in communication and dislike redundancy or stating the obvious. You want to express the exact truth but may make it so complex that others have difficulty understanding.

You are rational, curious, theoretical, and abstract, preferring to organize ideas rather than situations or people. You contribute by
-Designing logical and complex systems
-Demonstrating expertise in tackling intricate problems
-Adding short-range and long-range intellectual insight
-Applying logic, analysis, and critical thinking to issues
-Concentrating on core issues

Idealistic and loyal to your values and the people who are important to you, you seek to live your life in alignment with your values. You are curious and quick to see possibilities, and you try to understand people and help them be their best. Unless a value is threatened, you tend to be adaptable, flexible, and accepting.

ADAPTABLE
DEVOTED
COMMITTED
EMPATHETIC
COMPASSIONATE
GENTLE
CREATIVE
LOYAL
CURIOUS
RETICENT
DEEP
VIRTUOUS

You have an inner core of values that guides your interactions and decisions. You want to be involved in work that contributes to both your growth and inner development and those of others—to have a purpose beyond your paycheck. It’s important to you to be clear about and live in congruence with your values.

You make decisions based on your values of self-understanding, individuality, and growth. You enjoy reading, discussing, and reflecting on possibilities for positive change in the future. You are curious about ideas and quick to see connections and meanings.

You are usually fascinated by opportunities to explore the complexities of human personality—your own and others’. You tend to work in bursts of energy and are capable of great concentration and output when fully engaged in a project. You are generally faithful in fulfilling obligations related to people, work, or ideas to which you are committed, but you can have difficulty performing routine work that has little meaning for you.

You find structures and rules confining and prefer to work autonomously. You are adaptable and flexible until something violates your inner values. Then you stop adapting, and the intensity with which you express your value judgments can surprise others.

You tend to be reserved and selective about sharing your most deeply held values and feelings. You value relationships based on depth, authenticity, true connection, and mutual growth. You prize most people who take time to understand your values and goals.

You are an open-minded, idealistic, insightful, and flexible individual who wants your work to contribute to something that matters. You contribute by
-Communicating and persuading with your ideals
-Drawing individuals together around a common purpose
-Working to match people with roles and tasks
-Seeking new ideas and possibilities for the organization
-Quietly pushing the organization to uphold its values

 

[JAVO]

People and relationships fascinate me. Emotion is very interesting too. Some emotions can seem silly or bad, some even dangerous (I don’t like those), but they are very human. I want to understand humanity. I want to be human. I’m so tired of cold, from others... from myself. I just want to be warm, so I’ve very purposefully made myself a warm and fuzzy persona.

I knew there was something about you that I liked and identified with.

My first blog (now gone) here on the nascent forum was titled, "An NT in NF Clothing" where I explored what you describe, and even worked on developing this side of me more. Up to that point, it was like there were two internal personality types at war inside of me, and I think that was one major contributing factor to chronic depression (self-diagnosed). Before I took the MBTI or even a short unofficial version of it, I read through the types which I identified with somewhat. At the time, I was more introverted, and when I read the INFP description, I was sure that was me. But the next one was the INTP description! And that one seemed to fit a little better. ENXP types were not a consideration at the time because of the depression. Somewhat of a tangent, but my mother was INFP. One of the things I loved most about her was her depth, including her depth of feeling. I perceive things like poetry, literature, and intense feeling-oriented music as a vacation from the cold realities of external life and the constructs in my own mind.

I think I've now integrated NF and NT into my personality about as much as I can, yet I still find ways every month or two to do more. The impact of doing that, both in a feeling and thinking sense, is like getting my first pair of glasses at the age of 16. I could not see what I was not seeing, but suddenly...