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ISFJ/INFJ

ECND

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
3
Hello everyone!

I'm currently a college student, and I remember taking this test in high school. I came out as ISFJ, although the J was about equal to the P. My S was much higher, but I'm not sure about it. I'm 100% sure I'm introverted and prefer feeling over thinking. Can you guys help me figure out my type?

I'm pretty sure I'm J. I always procrastinate, but I would prefer doing things well in advance. However, I find that I don't put in as much effort if I start early because I think I have a lot of time. I'm also very inefficient in doing my work if I start early, but very efficient if I'm pressed for time. I keep my belongings well-organized. I also feel less burdened whenever I have my work done because it's not on my mind.

For the S/N preference, I've read through some of the topics, and I'm still a bit unclear if I personally use S or N. I tried taking a test, but I know which questions will make me an S or N. I'm not sure which one I am. I've been told by friends that I'm completely oblivious to my surroundings. Twice in the same day, I walked by my roommate, he brushed my shoulder, said hi, and I asked him when that happened because he thought I was ignoring him. Another time, my classmate was walking right behind me trying to get my attention. He kept saying my name (it was noisy, right after classes ended) and had to stand in front of me to get my attention. I told him I was just thinking about the lecture. I ask a lot of questions; when I go to a professor's office hours, it seems like they don't understand my questions a lot of time and I have to clarify them multiple times. When they answer it's common for me to misunderstand them or for them to misunderstand my question. I ask for my friends' views on various subjects a lot since I value their opinion.

A few more things about me: I'm majoring in Electrical Engineering, although I don't really like it. I signed up for it because I'm good at math, but I find it boring so far. In high school, they placed me in the honors class with the students 1 grade above, but I'm really bad at physics. When I ask for help, I pinpoint what the problem is. For example, I ask the professor to explain why when I use the right hand rule, I sometimes get the opposite direction. To this day, I still haven't figured it out. I always have trouble understanding concepts that other people usually breeze through, and the professors don't seem to know how to help me because they've never encountered a student quite like me. With other people, I'm pretty quiet. I only open up to people with whom I'm comfortable with. Even still, I don't share everything unless I can sense he/she won't think any less of me for my choices. To other people who don't know me, I'm often mistaken for being gay (my posture contributes to this but that's a different story), well-mannered, innocent, and hard-working.

Sorry for the long post. I appreciate any comments.:)
 

Snow Turtle

New member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
1,335
Welcome to the forums. :)
Come join us on Ventrilo sometime. We'll rough you right up.
 

entropie

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
16,767
MBTI Type
entp
Enneagram
783
Hi and welcome,

well first of all the P doesnt only stand for procrastination. In the most basic way you can compare it to a person being influenced in his rational judgement by new information. What eventually leads to the behaviour of the P seeming like he has never a real opinion on his own or is flexible and tolerant to new PoVs on the world.

Whats also intresting is the dynamic that is created. If you for example got a dominant Si type, backed up with Fe and he is supposed to be a J, it can create the image that the guy is living in his own world. Cause he perceives and evaluates things by his internal standards and is strongly opinionated about them due to being a J type. On the other hand he knows all the basic rules to etiquette, due to his Fe and therefore he can come of as somewhat crazy, cause he can look like he has got a split-self.

This issue basically resolves with age or when you choose to start to live an active life. Meaning if you want to make a career or have a family or to live your dreams. When being younger sometimes one can forget that he isnt on the world to please others expectations, forgetting about the pursuit of his own happiness.

Your Fe-Ti combo strikes me like someone I know :). I never really figured the right-hand rule out myself. But I made the mistake instead of studieing electrical engineering, where I was intrested in since childhood, I choosed mechanical engineering, cause I sucked at physics too and wanted to change that. Well bad move :D

I think you have to watch, when doing the right-hand-rule that your thumb points in the direction of the flowing current and that your hand is parallel to your body. Then the other two fingers will be in the right place. I think thats how I tried to remember it :D.

Given your N/S difference, I can just give you too the basic definitions you already seem to know. From my experience, everyone sees your type different, cause everyone has got a different idea about type. What is absolutely logical judging from the type system describing different perceptions of people of the world. Therefore you will never find the ultimate answer that solves all your problems with a given question.

I came to the conclusion that if you immerse yourself deep in the mbti world, you start to look for identification signs within your supposed type with yourself and then you subconciously try to watch for them in yourself or to even act on them. Its a bit like with starsigns, mbti has got a huge sublime impact on your soul.

Therefore I recommend you to choose what ever you want. N or S you can choose. If you start, as I said, to immerse in the topic and you have choosen to be N from the start, you will figure that you will naturally develop this side of you more strongly. If you tho feel in the process that your thinking of you being a N is very taxing and you have the feeling that you always have to put up a show for others to not being revoked in your N-status, you are prolly acting out from a weak function and are rather S.

The basic thing about mbti is like with all things in life, its about experiencing. You can always ask a friend, if your favourite football team won the world series and be happy about it if they did. But this is not comparable, if you actually was there and experienced the game.

GL with your quest
 

ladyinspring

New member
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
76
MBTI Type
INFP
Hi ECND.

One of the key differences between ISFJs and INFJs is the way they prefer to communicate and work with others, their interaction style. If you're not familiar with interaction styles, here is a link. ISFJs are indirect, informing communicators, while INFJs are direct.

In my opinion, the primary difference between them is temperament: SJ vs. NF. I'm not sure if you're aware of temperament theory. There's a free temperament test at that link and it's pretty good. Take that test and tell us how it comes out.

You can also try comparing these descriptions of ISFJ and INFJ.

Something else that might help. Eve Delunas has a book called "Survival Games Personalities Play" based on the four temperaments (SJ, NF, NT, SP) and what they tend to do when they're under stress and not getting their core needs fulfilled. The core needs for SJs are to "be accountable, unselfish, and to belong". When these needs are being threatened or unfulfilled, SJs react by playing the complain game. The variants of the complain game are: nag, play "poor me", depressed, doormat, invalid, and worried.

On the other hand, NFs play the masquerade game when their core needs are unfulfilled and they are under stress. Those needs are to be "authentic, benevolent, and empathic". Rather than complain, NFs try to hide themselves from view and deflect attention from whatever is making them feel ashamed about themselves. The variants of this game are: mind reader (thinking you know what the other person is thinking, usually something bad), martyr, grasshopper (moving from topic to topic to avoid talking about something), statue (cutting off physical functioning, such as a child who is so shy they won't speak), forgetful, and twitch (sudden emotional or physical outburts).

The NF masquerade game is intended to deceive, as opposed to the SJ complain game, which is intended to allow them to "check out" of the responsibility for caring because their caring isn't working for whatever reason. For an SJ under stress, "it's not my fault: I'm sick" or "you're not doing what you're supposed to" or "poor me, nobody is helping" or "I'll let you walk all over me, even abuse me" or "I'm so depressed I can't do anything" or "I'm so worried about everything". Of course, any type may complain or become depressed sometimes, but for SJs the complain game is the default when they're feeling stressed or like they don't belong or have been irresponsible.

I don't really identify with the complain game. In fact, I often make quite a show of not complaining even under the worst circumstances, even when I really should speak up about how I feel. That's an example of the NF playing the martyr. While an SJ doormat lets people walk over them but remains fully aware of it (even being resentful about it), the NF martyr completely subjugates their needs to show how good and pure and self-sacrificing they are.

Of course, you may not be either SJ or NF, and in that case none of this will really apply to you. But maybe some of this can help.
 

ECND

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
3
Hello entropie and ladyinspring,

Yes, I think I'll need to look into this more and really think about my preferences whenever I'm making decisions in real life situations. I'll explore these forums more and see if I'm acting on a weak N or not. With the right hand rule, what bothers me most is the direction of the B field. My fingers wrap around the wire in the opposite direction. :doh:

Ladyinspring, I also took the test and my temperament came out as Theorist first, then Stabilizer. Strange, but I've changed so much since my youth where I was always hurt by the slightest insult. Now, it's hard to offend me and I don't base all my actions on feelings alone; I take the rational side into account as well. I'm not much of a doormat, but I always offer for help. In times of stress I just talk to others about what's causing it and work through it. I can definitely see myself being a grasshopper in uncomfortable situations and being really worried about everything when stressed out.
 
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