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INFJ or INTJ or something else?

Grace

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426
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INTJ
I most closely associate myself with an INFJ but I am not 100% certain that this fits me well. So, I was wondering what other people thought. My Te is almost as high as my Fe so maybe I am more INTJ? Not sure. If there is another type I resemble, feel free to express that as well.

Family: I am the youngest in my family. My mom is an ESTJ, my dad is an ENFJ, and my sister is an ENTJ. I am considered the smart, empathetic and moody one of the bunch.

Friends: Being loyal is really important to me so I do my best to keep secrets, not talk behind friends backs, etc. I have about 8 girlfriends who I am close with from highschool or before. I am not bad at making friends, just keeping them after they cease to be convienient. So, at any given time I might have a few friends in certain classes and whatnot but it is unlikely that I will keep that friendship once the class is over. I only hold onto friends who I have an extensive history with. With the friends I do have I often feel like the odd one. They are all SF's and it seems like a lot of times they are interested in things that I am not (boys, clothes, celeberties, etc.).

School: I have always gotten really good grades in school with a medium amount of effort (I complete all of my homework but I don't study for tests much, etc.). I am double majoring in Psychology and Statistics right now. The school setting is where I am most outgoing. If I am put into a group I almost always automatically take charge (mainly out of fear that if someone else does, the job will not get done right).

Boyfriend: He is an ENTP and I know that ENTP's and INFJ's are supposed to go well together to maybe that is one point in the INFJ direction? I like to spend a lot of time with him and I feel really dedicated toward our relationship.

Me: I like to watch movies, television, read books, play chess, ride bikes (not extreme bike riding or anything). I am fairly boring. I need to have things planned or I feel anxious (very little Se). I'm not that neat. I'm fairly critical of things. My friends lovingly tell me I'm a bitch sometimes because of my blunt honesty. I'm really good at seeing different points of view, and while I'm tooting my own horn, I also have pretty high self-esteem. I think people sometimes see me as being snobby or aloof but then I also get that I come off as really sweet and shy? Guess it depends what mood I'm in/how comfortable I am. I dress in what's comfortable. Jeans and t-shirts, minimal makeup, long wavy hair that I don't do much with.

Ideas?
 

cascadeco

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If I am put into a group I almost always automatically take charge (mainly out of fear that if someone else does, the job will not get done right).

Hmm...don't know that I can judge based on your description.

However, this did catch my eye because it seemed a bit more 'E' - the automatically taking charge thing.

For myself, I *loathed* group anything in school, and if I was in a group I tended to hide out in the back, definitely not wanting to be the one in charge, and in the spotlight. I only - begrudgingly - took charge if no one else stepped up to the plate. But even then...there seemed to always be someone else who would automatically take charge. And then I'd always do my part, or volunteer to do way more than others, because similar to you I wanted it done well, and I didn't trust that others would do their part, or do as good a job as I knew I could. ;)
 

BlackCat

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You're an INFJ. There is no way you're an INTJ.

INFJ
 

Grace

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INTJ
However, this did catch my eye because it seemed a bit more 'E' - the automatically taking charge thing.

Most definitely not an E. Group work is really the only situation where I take charge/am outgoing. At home I am quiet and I hate hate hate parties/being around a lot of people who I don't know well.
 

cascadeco

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Most definitely not an E. Group work is really the only situation where I take charge/am outgoing. At home I am quiet and I hate hate hate parties/being around a lot of people who I don't know well.

Ok, just thought I'd inquire! (I am probably on the extreme end of introversion anyway, so that might be a difference)
 

Athenian200

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Well, Keirsey says that NTs and NFs are TOTALLY different from each other, so you shouldn't even be experiencing this confusion according to him. If you relate to one of these descriptions far more than the other, then perhaps it works...

-Rationals tend to be pragmatic, skeptical, self-contained, and focused on problem-solving and systems analysis.

-Rationals pride themselves on being ingenious, independent, and strong willed.

-Rationals make reasonable mates, individualizing parents, and strategic leaders.

-Rationals are even-tempered, they trust logic, yearn for achievement, seek knowledge, prize technology, and dream of understanding how the world works.

Rationals are the problem solving temperament, particularly if the problem has to do with the many complex systems that make up the world around us. Rationals might tackle problems in organic systems such as plants and animals, or in mechanical systems such as railroads and computers, or in social systems such as families and companies and governments. But whatever systems fire their curiosity, Rationals will analyze them to understand how they work, so they can figure out how to make them work better.
In working with problems, Rationals try to find solutions that have application in the real world, but they are even more interested in the abstract concepts involved, the fundamental principles or natural laws that underlie the particular case. And they are completely pragmatic about their ways and means of achieving their ends. Rationals don't care about being politically correct. They are interested in the most efficient solutions possible, and will listen to anyone who has something useful to teach them, while disregarding any authority or customary procedure that wastes time and resources.

Rationals have an insatiable hunger to accomplish their goals and will work tirelessly on any project they have set their mind to. They are rigorously logical and fiercely independent in their thinking -- are indeed skeptical of all ideas, even their own -- and they believe they can overcome any obstacle with their will power. Often they are seen as cold and distant, but this is really the absorbed concentration they give to whatever problem they're working on. Whether designing a skyscraper or an experiment, developing a theory or a prototype technology, building an aircraft, a corporation, or a strategic alliance, Rationals value intelligence, in themselves and others, and they pride themselves on the ingenuity they bring to their problem solving.

Rationals are very scarce, comprising as little as 5 to 10 percent of the population. But because of their drive to unlock the secrets of nature, and to develop new technologies, they have done much to shape our world.

-Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom.

-Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic.

-Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials.

-Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders.

Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self -- always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.
Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.

Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a "soulmate," someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds.

Idealists are relatively rare, making up no more than 15 to 20 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers.

But I prefer to go by functions. Is your Ti or Fi stronger? If you have more Fi, I'd say INTJ. If you have more Ti, I'd say INFJ.
 

cascadeco

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Well, Keirsey says that NTs and NFs are TOTALLY different from each other, so you shouldn't even be experiencing this confusion according to him. If you relate to one of these descriptions far more than the other, then perhaps it works...

I agree the overall temperaments are pretty distinct, and it is easier to classify others using this. But as with most self-typing issues, the problem is one of an inability for the self-typer to be truly objective. They might gloss over certain aspects of themselves because they are self-critical, even if in fact they DO have said trait, or they might gloss over something because they don't see themselves as being extremely that way, or they might think they're a certain way when they really aren't in comparison to those who *really* have that trait or preference. And I know in the past when I was questioning my type, I was that much more unable to choose between one type or another, or even one temperament over another...I fell victim to finding pieces of each that I related to, and pieces of each that I did not relate to. I think a lot of people run into this problem...because the majority of people are not stereotypes of their type, and maybe not of their temperament either. And in the end I think most want the system to mean a lot more than it does, and provide more guidance/truth than it does in reality.

Edit: I think it can also be harder for an INFJ, in general, to relate solidly to the temperament description - the tertiary Ti runs strong, and can give INFJ's more of an NT-ish 'feel' than the other NF's can have.
 

Grace

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On Myers Briggs I always get INFJ but when I take the cognitive functions tests I have gotten INFP, INFJ and INTJ.

* I am certain I am not a P though.
 

cascadeco

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On Myers Briggs I always get INFJ but when I take the cognitive functions tests I have gotten INFP, INFJ and INTJ.

Just an fyi, I almost always got INFP on the cognitive functions test, and I am definitely not an INFP. When I have met real-life INFP's, with real-life Fi, I am in no way, shape, or form like them. And that's nothing against them at all - I'm just definitely not Fi-dom. So I think you have to be wary when relying on cognitive function tests.

The cognitive function test always gave me very high Fi, and I can somewhat relate to the Fi descriptions. However, I think there is a difference between relating and testing as such, and actually *embodying* the function in action, in the way that is actually meant by the words 'cognitive function'. ha. If that makes any sense.

With Myers-Briggs, in my early 20's I tested as INTJ (I think it was due to my college coursework - heavy in the math/sciences, thus I viewed myself as highly rational, logical, intellectual, and what have you), and mid to late 20's as INFJ.

(I'm just adding my comments here and there because a while ago I was totally confused about my type. But I haven't read enough of your posts to really be able to make the call. Good luck though!)
 

Grace

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Just an fyi, I almost always got INFP on the cognitive functions test, and I am definitely not an INFP. When I have met real-life INFP's, with real-life Fi, I am in no way, shape, or form like them. And that's nothing against them at all - I'm just definitely not Fi-dom. So I think you have to be wary when relying on cognitive function tests.

The cognitive function test always gave me very high Fi, and I can somewhat relate to the Fi descriptions. However, I think there is a difference between relating and testing as such, and actually *embodying* the function in action, in the way that is actually meant by the words 'cognitive function'. ha. If that makes any sense.

With Myers-Briggs, in my early 20's I tested as INTJ (I think it was due to my college coursework - heavy in the math/sciences, thus I viewed myself as highly rational, logical, intellectual, and what have you), and mid to late 20's as INFJ.

(I'm just adding my comments here and there because a while ago I was totally confused about my type. But I haven't read enough of your posts to really be able to make the call. Good luck though!)


Yeah, FP's in general seem way different from me. They all seem soooo nice. I do not see myself that way.

I appreciate all the feedback!
 

Grace

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Hey, and I just noticed you are a 1w9. That's what I am too!
 

cascadeco

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Hey, and I just noticed you are a 1w9. That's what I am too!

:) It seems to make the most sense for me, although recently someone brought to my attention that 5w4 is another possibility - I haven't researched it enough though to know whether that would truly make sense or not. I DO know, however, that I am not a 4 (many INF's are 4's).
 

Grace

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Yeah, 5w4 is my second closest. I have gotten both on tests but I think I am more 1 than 5.
 

Athenian200

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1 and 5?

Fi > Fe/Ti?

Okay, this is an INTJ. A polite INTJ. Unless she feels more like an NF than an NT.
 

Grace

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1 and 5?

Fi > Fe/Ti?

Okay, this is an INTJ. A polite INTJ. Unless she feels more like an NF than an NT.

Polite? How do you get that? (I'm not disagreeing with you - I say please and thank you like it's my job, just curious).
 

BlackCat

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You aren't an INTJ.

Read these profiles, compare and contrast and see which fits you more-

Types on a team

INFJ - On A Team
INTJ - On A Team

INFJs see potential in people. INTJs see potential in impersonal things.

The actual profiles

INFJ
INTJ

Te vs Fe

Extraverted Thinking: Segmenting; organizing for efficiency; systematizing; applying logic; structuring; checking for consequences; monitoring for standards or specifications being met; setting boundaries, guidelines, and parameters; deciding if something is working or not. Sorting out different colors and styles; thinking about the consequences, as in “Since I have to stand all day…”

Extraverted Feeling: Connecting; considering others and the group—organizing to meet their needs and honor their values and feelings; maintaining societal, organizational, or group values; adjusting to and accommodating others; deciding if something is appropriate or acceptable to others. Considering what would be appropriate for the situation: “One should or shouldn’t wear…” or “People will think…”

Read the OP to this thread. There is a section on T types and emotions- http://www.typologycentral.com/foru...rin-s-super-amazing-function-definitions.html
 

Grace

New member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
426
MBTI Type
INTJ
You aren't an INTJ.

Read these profiles, compare and contrast and see which fits you more-

Types on a team

INFJ - On A Team
INTJ - On A Team

INFJs see potential in people. INTJs see potential in impersonal things.

The actual profiles

INFJ
INTJ

Te vs Fe





Read the OP to this thread. There is a section on T types and emotions- http://www.typologycentral.com/foru...rin-s-super-amazing-function-definitions.html

Yeah, I definitely identify more with the INFJ profiles and whatnot but they don't seem too different from INTJ. How can you tell so certainly that I am not INTJ (just curious)?
 

BlackCat

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Yeah, I definitely identify more with the INFJ profiles and whatnot but they don't seem too different from INTJ. How can you tell so certainly that I am not INTJ (just curious)?

It's just a feeling honestly. My best friend is an INFJ, and I've gotten close to a few INTJs. I just know.
 
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