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Confused INXP in transition?

Red Herring

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Hi!

This has probably been done to death, but please bear with me.

The first time I did the test the result was INTP. It didn´t feel completely right, so I almost immediately redid it, this time differentiating more between how I saw myself and how I wanted to be and ended up INFP. This sounded closer to home, even though I didn´t see myself as a picture book version. There has been one more occasion later on where I came out INTP, but I went with INFP, telling myself that, well, I was an INFP with a nice T/F-Balance (54% F the last time I checked).

Now, I recently started therapy (self esteem issues, an inability to stand up for myself and low energy levels) and redid the same test as the last time (the long version on similarminds) and - behold: INTP. I have to admit I might have pushed it a bit, but I tried to really be honest, especially about the part about social considerations. I never fully grasped the concept of FI, but looking at the description of the INTPs cognitive processes on the link that VagrantFarce recommended it struck me like lightning: that´s me..oh my god... it explains everything: an INTP with very strong Fe who had to learn to use a combination of Ne and Fe to please others, be a nice little girl, etc., since that was expected of me (long story coming down to having to be nice and perfect in order to earn other people´s acceptance and love). I always felt ashamed for giving so much importance to intellect (both in myself and others) since life was supposedly all about being nice and pleasing others. I just didn´t see my Ti for what it is, since I have always felt closer to the humanities than to natural science (basically: if I am not a science and computer nerd - even though I am interested in science and could be described as a bit of a geek in my areas of interest - I can not be an NT).

Okay, so that goes to show how little I know about types and cognitive functions. But besides that: Am I completely delusional or could it be that therapy is slowly unlocking the sleeping INTP inside (who is still pretty feely, anyway)? How can I tell when my whole self image is shifting at the moment? And should I have lived most of the past 30 years with an INFP mask - how do I tell the real me from a mask that has been a part of me for so long? This is a whole new world opening up at the moment, which is a dizzying experience!

Has anybody had similar experiences? Any insights on how to tell the real from the illusion?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the overlength, no extra entry fee will be charged:popc1:
 

MacGuffin

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Usually people confused like this are INFP. What is your enneagram?
 

Red Herring

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The Enneagram is currently 5, followed by 2. It was 2 on a previous test.
 

MacGuffin

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The Enneagram is currently 5, followed by 2. It was 2 on a previous test.

lol

2, 3, & 4 are usually Feelers, and 5s are Thinkers.

Which function are you most familiar with?

Introverted Thinking: Analyzing; categorizing; evaluating according to principles and whether something fits the framework or model; figuring out the principles on which something works; checking for inconsistencies; clarifying definitions to get more precision. Analyzing your options using principles like comfort or “Red is a power color.”

Introverted Feeling: Valuing; considering importance and worth; reviewing for incongruity; evaluating something based on the truths on which it is based; clarifying values to achieve accord; deciding if something is of significance and worth standing up for. Evaluating whether you like an outfit or not: “This outfit suits me and feels right.”
 

KDude

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I imagine it's a lot more straightforward for INTP to "adopt" Fe than it is for INFP - it's the "logical" thing to do in a way.. just a minor distraction for an INTP. Afterwards they can go about their way. It is probably not a minor distraction for INFP. At least in my personal experience, Fi wins out and will risk estrangement or tension (not that things clash with Fi, but they can).
 

Red Herring

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I´d go with the first.

Analyzing things to death sounds very familiar and I can be extremely pedantic when it comes to giving a precise nuanced answer to questions I am supposed to answer with a simple yes or no. I love discovering new explanatory models too.

The second description still sounds very vague to me. I have a really hard time getting to the core of what Fi is supposed to be all about. Is this the gut feeling that something is the right or wrong thing to do? Then yes, I know this (but I would call it intuition). Is it being in touch with my emotions and having a pretty good access to my subconsicous? Then yes. But I would never say that an outfit "suits me and feels right" I would rather say: It fits and is comfortable to wear and it makes me look respectable/sexy/whatever the occasion calls for.
 

MacGuffin

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I´d go with the first.

Analyzing things to death sounds very familiar and I can be extremely pedantic when it comes to giving a precise nuanced answer to questions I am supposed to answer with a simple yes or no. I love discovering new explanatory models too.

The second description still sounds very vague to me. I have a really hard time getting to the core of what Fi is supposed to be all about. Is this the gut feeling that something is the right or wrong thing to do? Then yes, I know this (but I would call it intuition). Is it being in touch with my emotions and having a pretty good access to my subconsicous? Then yes. But I would never say that an outfit "suits me and feels right" I would rather say: It fits and is comfortable to wear and it makes me look respectable/sexy/whatever the occasion calls for.

INTPs go more for "this is correct/incorrect" = Ti.
INFPs go more for "this is right/wrong" = Fi.

Knowing how you feel at any moment, and what emotion is connected to it is more the realm of the INFP. INTPs like to overthink everything are often disconnected from their emotions.

At this point you sound more INTP to me. Perhaps you were socialized into F behavior because you are female.

Welcome to the club! I'm INTP with a weirdly overdeveloped Fe. Also I'm Type 9 so people think I might be INFP, but I never connected to the INFP profile at all.
 

Red Herring

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Yes, I have been socialized to be an INFP, I think, for reasons that would take a bit long to explain (not just being female but a few other factors on top of that, it´s more about family history). My ex and current best friend is an INTP with a strong F (and much more hardheaded on the "this is right/wrong" than me ... which comes out in his passion for politics) and it is creepy how much we think in synch (except for his P which is even stronger than mine).
Thanks a lot for your help! I´ll go to bed now, since it´s past midnight in my part of the world, but every useful input is still very much welcomed.

I´ll probably go with InXP until I have this sorted out completely.
 

KDude

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It is not always gut feeling. People "build" and adjust their Fi with information or experience too. They could even be strongly religious and channel their feelings in a seemingly "traditional" manner (often though, they'll have an individual spin on that religion). In that sense, they can often explain their convictions if something disturbs them.

Secondly, it could be values based on matters that are completely unrelated to typical morals. It could be a musician who developed the "values" of "Do it yourself" and "record companies suck" and operate in a way where they only produce their own records and make scathing remarks on "sell outs" who don't. What might seperate them from a Ti musician with the same criticism is that the Fi dude is simply more emotional in his arguments.. his criticism may be more impassioned or isn't as well thought out, or is slightly unconscious on all the reasons why they believe that way.. Or he might intentionally dismiss the idea of investigating "why". He might have a few personal reasons, and that's good enough for him. It probably comes out as a "gut feeling" disgust in a sense.
 

William K

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Fi is a rational decision-making process just like Ti is. I weigh the pros and cons before making a decision and I can certainly explain them. It's just that my pros and cons are not necessarily the most 'logical' ones.

You do sound more T than F, though. Have you taken a cognitive function test? That might help more.
 

Red Herring

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It doesn´t get any better. I followed Williams K´s wise recommendation and did the keys2cognition test for cognitive functions... and came out ENTP (but I consider myself a definitive introvert!). The reason was that Ne came out even before Ti with the preference list as follows:
Ne 43,9
Ti 40,9
Fi 30,6
Fe 29,6
Te 26,5
Ni 24,5
Se 23,6
Si 20,6

So what does that tell me?
 

Red Herring

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And another one: Worldpersonality says:
result_img1.php



:blink:
... this looks a bit extreme to me, but there seems to be a trend.
 

InsatiableCuriosity

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There is nothing wrong with being an INXP!!! You do have a balanced T/F dichotomy.

Type is not a black and white issue. There are shades of grey or degrees of preference. In this instance you show a slight preference for T over F. I show a similar slight preference for I over E but can manifest as either dependent on the circumstances and what naturally comes into play at the time. I am very comfortable with this and so should you be too ;) This is who you essentially are! Lucky you :D
 

William K

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It doesn´t get any better. I followed Williams K´s wise recommendation and did the keys2cognition test for cognitive functions... and came out ENTP (but I consider myself a definitive introvert!). The reason was that Ne came out even before Ti with the preference list as follows:
Ne 43,9
Ti 40,9
Fi 30,6
Fe 29,6
Te 26,5
Ni 24,5
Se 23,6
Si 20,6

So what does that tell me?

I wouldn't worry too much about the order of the first 2. You're the best judge of whether you're an introvert or extravert, and you seem to be very sure that you're an I, so I'd say go with INTP
 

OrangeAppled

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If you've familiarized yourself with the functions, then I'd go with what you relate to the most. If Ti hits home more than Fi, then you're probably Ti. No one here will be able to type you better than yourself. If you're still stumped, just keep reading....I recommend reading Jung's Psychological Types for the original function descriptions.

Usually people confused like this are INFP.

Propaganda :rolli:
 

Craft

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Or...check your weaknesses:

Which are you more sensitive to?

Te:Contingency planning, scheduling, and quantifying utilize the process of extraverted Thinking. Extraverted Thinking helps us organize our environment and ideas through charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, outlines, and so on. At its most sophisticated, this process is about organizing and monitoring people and things to work efficiently and productively. Empirical thinking is at the core of extraverted Thinking when we challenge someone’s ideas based on the logic of the facts in front of us or lay out reasonable explanations for decisions or conclusions made, often trying to establish order in someone else’s thought process. In written or verbal communication, extraverted Thinking helps us easily follow someone else’s logic, sequence, or organization. It also helps us notice when something is missing, like when someone says he or she is going to talk about four topics and talks about only three. In general, it allows us to compartmentalize many aspects of our lives so we can do what is necessary to accomplish our objectives.

or

Fe:The process of extraverted Feeling often involves a desire to connect with (or disconnect from) others and is often evidenced by expressions of warmth (or displeasure) and self-disclosure. The “social graces,” such as being polite, being nice, being friendly, being considerate, and being appropriate, often revolve around the process of extraverted Feeling. Keeping in touch, laughing at jokes when others laugh, and trying to get people to act kindly to each other also involve extraverted Feeling. Using this process, we respond according to expressed or even unexpressed wants and needs of others. We may ask people what they want or need or self-disclose to prompt them to talk more about themselves. This often sparks conversation and lets us know more about them so we can better adjust our behavior to them. Often with this process, we feel pulled to be responsible and take care of others’ feelings, sometimes to the point of not separating our feelings from theirs. We may recognize and adhere to shared values, feelings, and social norms to get along.


?
 

Red Herring

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Hmm, that´s a difficult question.

Te is what I use when I am under pressure (some friends call that my uber-Prussian alter ego that goes: "okay, what are your plans? Let´s get some damn structure in this. Let´s get going. You, yes, you, I am talking to you, let coordinate this mess here!" I´m told that that´s my Mr Hyde identity, he only comes out to play when I can physically sense my stress level getting through the roof. I admire people who are good at it, but I become a caricature of it every once in a blue moon.

Fe is something I had a big incentive to develope early on, since being aware of other people´s needs and putting their whishes before mine was how I could get some attention around the house (I was told as a kid: "don´t you start thinking you´re smarter than others. A persons value is not determinded by how smart they are or what they own or how they look but by how they treat their fellow human beings"). This lead to a slight obsession with ethics. Etiquette is something I have to do consiously, I´d say it is an acquired skill that usually works out okay, even though I still mess up social conventions once in a while.

I have had a rather low self esteem most of my life (weirdo, doesn´t fit in, never good enough for my own or perceived external expectations) and tried to gain love and acceptance by trying to always be nice, give in to other people´s whishes, appease to avoid conflict (to get the outer worlds acceptance) and be a little Miss Perfect to someday accept myself (not smart enough, not nice enough, not disciplined enough, not pretty enough, not successful enough).
Needless to say the epic failures that obviously went along with the attempt to do everything right and nothig wrong lead to a lot of frustration. So I am currently working on letting go off the exaggerated value system and the focus on others.

I have always secretely messured my self value by my intellectual capacities and weaknesses (feeling guilty of course, because that is intellectual snobism and unethical, see above) and have a processor that keeps running until smoke comes out of my ears, but that doesn´t mean the output has to be any good. In fact, i am now told to think slower in order to be able to talk slower so that a) people understand me better and b) I have time to detect old thinking patterns and substitute them with something more useful. Whish me luck!:D
 

Craft

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I think you are INFP but I want to simplify things...

What's the worst thing that someone could say to you?

"You are very dumb!"??
 

Red Herring

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I think you are INFP but I want to simplify things...

What's the worst thing that someone could say to you?

"You are very dumb!"??

The worst I can say to myself is "I am dumb", there are wrong answers to exam questions I haven´t forgiven myself till today. The most hurtful thing somebody else could say though is "You are insonsiderate/arrogant". Good point!

I watched some videos of female INFPs and INTPs on youtube - the difference is striking. I can not clearly identify with either. Some (not all) of the INTP ladies seem so secure and the INFPs are way too elfish, girly and emo. I had to look into the mirror to notice that I too do that semi-detached inexpressive look the INTPs have and I am often asked, if I´m bored or if somebody offended me because of it. When I get nervous or insecure, I adopt some of the INFPs mannerisms.

Still not really sure, but I see your point.

Edit: The above list of defects ("not smart enough, not nice enough, not disciplined enough, not pretty enough, not successful enough") happens to be more or less in the right order.
 
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