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Can an INFP change their main function?

liYA

New member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
146
I'm an INFP and i find it very upsetting to live my life this way

I retook the jung test answering the question with the idea of who I would like to be
and it came up with INFJ

Do you think its possible to pick and choose what you want?

I dont like Introverted Feeling as my dominant function

Yes my values are important but it seems like thats all I know about myself
my values my values blah blah everything I do or everything other people do I judge by my values

the end I dont know anything else about myself

I have creative interests but I cant express myself
I care about people but I cant seem to express my feelings or show them how much I care
Im unaware of what people are up to manipulation etc.

Its just awful

Is there something in my function I need to develop better?
If I change my main function to Extraverted Intuition how would my thinking work?
Is this even possible?

Advice please if you can
Thank you :/
 

Mondo

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Mar 1, 2008
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EsTP
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6w7
I'd advise you to not look at the values so simplistically.
Love who you are, :)

Ne- like any other Extraverted function- can only be developed by interacting with the outside world.
 

Moiety

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You probably won't be able to change into an ENFP, but you consciously make the effort to use more Fi than Ne. Try to be open, don't use your values at all, and use lots of bullshit. Say what you don't mean and mean what you don't say. Talk non-sense.
 

Thalassa

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Well you won't be able to change your type, but you can develop your Ne to make you more balanced.

I actually think Moiety has a great point. As an ENFP I cannot constantly be making value judgements, because I find such things tiring and even absurd. Of course I do have a developed Fi (more and more so as I've gotten older) so I do have stong value judgements about particular things...but on a daily basis I'm often just exploring, taking in information, and observing or experiencing without judgement. Again, when I was a younger person I observed and experienced with a lot LESS judgement, because Fi is actually not my main function. I've developed more judge-yness in my personality as I've grown older. I'm open now, but I was INSANELY open in my late teens and very early twenties.

Live in the world of ideas. Embrace the ridiculous. Practice bullshitting. Make arguments you don't believe in. Play games with other people. Expand the possibilities.
 

Savage Idealist

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sp/so
I would also advise that you explore other functions as see how they work, perhaps developing them over time. For example My highest function order is Fi,Ne=Ti,Ni: all of these functions I use consistently, hell there's even somedays when I'll use nothing but one of my non-Fi functions. Practice using Ne or Ni or any of them and discover what results you can learn from using them.
 

Rebe

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Live in the world of ideas. Embrace the ridiculous. Practice bullshitting. Make arguments you don't believe in. Play games with other people. Expand the possibilities.

Yes. :yes:

"Is there something in my function I need to develop better?
If I change my main function to Extraverted Intuition how would my thinking work?
Is this even possible?"

INFP is who you are but INFP is not all that you are. Developing other functions is a must for any type. Some functions comes naturally and others need more considerate practice. Instead of simplifying everything to functions, concretely lay out what you think your weak points are and what you want to change and why.

It sounds like you want to escape entirely who you are but you are just wasting time running away. Stay put, stay still, accept and learn. A person is meant to change. (I know. I have been through this, am going through it.)

If you want to learn to express your feelings to others better, observe how others do it, practice, learn from those who do it naturally. I learned Fe from being in customer service and observing my boss do it in abundance. I also learned it from my Fe friends. Now I am quite good at Fe although when I was younger, I had negative Fe. I was so so terribly socially awkward.

Just because I am Fi dom doesn't mean I will always be terrible at Fe. I am not naturally awesome at it, nor am I charismatic but I do my best. And with that, I am able to form connections pretty quickly with random strangers. It just means that I need more time, more instructions, more observations, make more mistakes. As I have gotten older, my Fi is more mellow and my Ne speaks louder.
 

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Consulting Detective
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Aug 10, 2010
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JiNe
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5W4
You don't need to change your type. You just need to eliminate your inhibitions. Your main problem seems to be more of anxiety.

I know. I have the same problem, but I've been working on it and it's getting better.
 

William K

Uniqueorn
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Aug 13, 2009
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986
MBTI Type
INFP
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4w5
First, a short story :D

There was once a boy who was bigger and stronger than the rest of his classmates. It wasn't because he ate more or he went to the gym and pumped iron. It was just in his genes to be muscular. Because of his size, he got into trouble whenever he had disagreements with his classmates because he would lose his temper and end up hurting them badly.

Now, is the solution of his problem to go on a diet and hope to lose all his muscles? Or wish that he wasn't born with such useless strength? Or is it to learn to control his temper and learn how to use his natural strength for more beneficial purposes?

Ok, more practical advice. Learn to set boundaries. If you use Fi for every single decision in your life, you're gonna burn out. Figure out what is truly important to you and what is not. That is one of Fi's strengths. If something isn't worth the trouble, put it out of your mind or hide it away in some dark corner. You don't have to have a passionate stand on every single thing.

But at the same time remember that you are responsible for your actions. Don't use any function as a crutch or excuse like "Oh, I can't do this because I'm an ABCD with function XY" Your function doesn't make you do things. It's still your choice.

You said that you can't express yourself. Look inside and figure out why. Is it because you are afraid of what the others would think of you? You don't seem to have trouble spilling the beans in this thread. This is sort of related to the point of what is important. You don't have to be 'right' about everything. It's perfectly fine to be imperfect. Everyone is.

No matter what, don't give up trying to be a better person. The road may be long and winded but I believe that you will be well rewarded for the journey.
 

entropie

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You can, I allow it !

And this no joke, you can really. You just gotta believe it hard enough, to eventually find out it isnt the type system that dictates your life, it's you who does
 

Noon

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Jul 23, 2010
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790
You don't need to change your type. You just need to eliminate your inhibitions. Your main problem seems to be more of anxiety.

I know. I have the same problem, but I've been working on it and it's getting better.

Agree with this!
 

skylights

i love
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7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
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so/sx
one - the MBTI is just a fictional categorization system developed by a bunch of psychology nerds. it wasn't made to box anyone in, and it only applies to you however much you believe in it.

two - to me, being upset about type usually seems because it resonates too much with someone. it emphasizes things one sees as failures - but part of the great thing about the jungian system is it gives you a structure for strengthening your personality, too. i get annoyed at the P in my type a lot, but it has advantages, too, and this system has helped me see that. so... my advice is, try to figure out what your best strengths are (in real life), and then use your type to see if maybe you have some strengths you aren't seeing. and let type help you see and address your weaknesses. being an INFP means you're better at introverted Feeling than all 14 groups of us with other types, which is a definite strength.

also, i'm going to be kind of blunt here and risk some negative comments and just go ahead and say that introverted Feeling (Fi) is a really undervalued function. plenty of people - probably some who have worked on MTBI tests, personality descriptions, etc - like to talk shit about Fi because they don't know what they're talking about. but if i'm anywhere near correct about my own typing and understanding the idea of what Fi is, it's a lot more than just values, standing up against animal testing, being an emo, etc. it's also being able to read people, being able to understand where they're coming from and having the patience and the skill to help them get where they want to go (not a strength of extraverted Feeling (Fe), by the way - Fe is good at getting you where it wants you to go), it's being able to understand why someone would sacrifice justice for mercy because you know that some things are just more important than "getting back", and paired with intuition it's being good at knowing when something's not quite right, and how to go about fixing it before it starts hurting people.

I have creative interests but I cant express myself

keep trying genres! i have a friend who is a terrible drawer despite trying and trying but is an excellent musician and a very good knitter as well. personally i can't sing very well but i play the violin instead, and that's a substitute "voice" for me. check out unconventional forms of expression like pottery, dancing, interior decorating, drama, massage. there are lots of arts to find yourself in :yes:

I care about people but I cant seem to express my feelings or show them how much I care

play to your strengths... if you're a Fi dom, you're probably very good at telling what other people like and dislike, and how they're feeling. my favorite form of showing i care is leaving little notes or flowers or sending little presents when people are going through a rough time. it's not as blatant as other ways, but it's totally unexpected and it can feel extra special. what do you already naturally do for others? i think just try to amp that up a little. do it more often, more obviously. i usually find that it's pretty obvious that INFPs like others and are just quiet about it.

Im unaware of what people are up to manipulation etc.

i suck at this too, but honestly, sometimes that's not a bad thing.

one of my favorite things about being an NFP is that we care but we can always see a back door - a way out. Js often see things as locked in... Ps not so much. everything is more fluid. and it's a strength of Ne to see lots of ways around something. so, engage your Ne and start thinking of ways around being the stereotype that you don't like. :yes:

you can be an expressive, outwardly caring, aware INFP. and actually, that really doesn't even sound far removed from the usual INFP. you'll probably just want to work on Ne and Fe some more. it's not like you're trying to go for ESTJ, lol. so yeah.

plus INFJs and ENFPs or whatever type you've considered wanting to be... we have our weaknesses too. check out the NF forum, INFJs often express not feeling like they fit in, and ENFPs have a little problem with getting fed up with things and unleashing hellish verbal attacks, among other things. so play to all your personal strengths, whether they correspond to your type or not, and use what type can tell you to address your weaknesses. you can be either an INFP or an infp, if you know what i mean. you can reach for balance, like an xxxx, and at that point, you do have the power to be like whatever type you want. it's what we should all aim for - though if we were all xxxx, we'd be boring!

marmalade.sunrise said:
Live in the world of ideas. Embrace the ridiculous. Practice bullshitting. Make arguments you don't believe in. Play games with other people. Expand the possibilities.

Ne manifesto! :laugh:
 

INTP

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no one can change their main function, tests are just meant as a direction on choosing your type, you cant rely your type being true from an internet test.
 
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