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Questioning my type... am I INTJ, INFJ, or ISFP?

theanchorite

New member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Messages
3
Hello everyone! I've been lurking on personality sites for a year or so and always thought I was an INTJ, but have been lately wondering if I've got it right, as I also identify with aspects of the INFJ and ISFP profiles. I'm pretty certain that I use Ni/Se, but I'm not as sure about the thinking and feeling functions.

1) What aspect of your personality made you unsure of your type?
^See above... I *think* I'm probably an INTJ but there are things that make me wonder otherwise sometimes. I don't really have typical INTJ interests, sometimes I wonder if I could be using Fe/Ti... there have even been moments when I wonder if I'm an ISTJ (though that might just be my Virgo coming out ;P ). I'm just confused, haha.

2) What do you yearn for in life? Why?
I want to find a way to be happy and fulfilled. (What else?) I want to learn as much as I can and put it together into a coherent interpretation of the world and then make art rooted in that. I want to go everywhere and see other parts of the world and collect as many experiences as I can. I want to find a way to avoid following the "typical" American life trajectory at all costs... I'm a year away from graduating college and the idea of settling down afterwards, getting a normal job and a house and a car and being tethered to one place, is complete anathema to me.

3) Think about a time where you felt like you were at your finest. Tell us what made you feel that way.
I can't really think of any examples of times like this off the top of my head. Usually I feel like I can do better at whatever I'm doing. But I guess maybe an example would be times when I'm feeling really inspired about something and have made some kind of significant progress towards that thing, or times when I feel like I really understand something on multiple levels and can apply that understanding to accomplish something. Or in general just times I feel smart, haha. :p

4) What makes you feel inferior?
People who are legitimately smarter than me, or at least those who are more clever and witty. (Though I like being around them nonetheless.) People who are social butterflies or very charismatic - this is a big one. People who have done/are doing amazing things with their lives (especially if these people are younger than me).

5) What tends to weigh on your decisions? (Do you think about people, pro-cons, how you feel about it, etc.)
Depends on the decision. I really can't differentiate between head/heart when making decisions, they are so tied up in each other, and I try to balance them well (the times I don't are usually the times when I make bad decisions). Also, if I get a gut feeling about doing/not doing something, I usually go with it.

6) When working on a project what is normally your emphasis?
For my creative projects my focus is theme, theme, theme. It actually gets in the way of other things sometimes. When I write, I tend to be so wrapped up in "how do I structure this plot so that it mirrors this one Greek myth" or "how do I write a story that centers on the conflict between these two philosophical ideas" that I forget about characterization. I tend to also focus on finishing projects because unfinished things bug me.

7) Describe us a time where you had a lot of fun. How is your memory of it?
First thing to mind is the times I've had at college, on my own and with friends (!) for the first time, doing things that are mildly rebellious or that my (conservative, cautious) parents would probably disapprove of... breaking loose a little, just enjoying life, sort of thrill-seeking a little bit.

8) When you want to learn something new, what feels more natural for you? (Are you more prone to be hands on, to theorize, to memorize, etc)
All of it? I don't know, depends what I'm trying to learn. Usually when I begin learning something I'm interested in, I'll want to jump in and start doing it right away - like I get halfway through my Latin textbook and then want to jump straight into translating the Aeneid, or I learn some simple songs on the piano and then get impatient and want to try playing the hard ones. I don't like memorizing, but I'm good at it and will do it if I have to (such as when learning a dead language). I like theory, but I usually need to actively engage with things myself before I can wrap my mind around them and understand them. I also tend to want to absorb every tiny little bit of information about something to understand it completely before moving on to learning the next thing, which slows down my learning at times but I don't like feeling like there are "holes" in my understanding.

9) How organized do you to think of yourself as?
Extremely organized, but not always neat.

10) How do you judge new ideas? Do you try to understand the principles behind it to see if they make sense or do you look for information that supports it?
I usually just take the idea as it is at first and think "ooo, that's cool" (or stupid, as the case may be) and see how it fits into my current understanding of the world. At that point I might start looking for evidence that supports it, but it doesn't always occur to me to do that.

11) You find harmony by making sure everyone is doing fine and belonging to a given group or by making sure that you follow what you believe and being yourself?
I'm a little bit fascinated by groups and social interactions, but only as an outsider looking in - I don't really get involved all that much. The second option sounds more like me.

12) Are you the kind that thinks before speaking or do you speak before thinking? Do you prefer one-on-one communication or group discussions?
Think before speaking. Actually, I usually think instead of speaking. I prefer group discussions because it's much easier to disappear in the background and listen to everyone else talk to each other... one-on-one conversations are very stressful.

13) Do you jump into action right away, or do you like to know where you are jumping before leaping? Do actions speak more than words?
I'm a planner. I make schedules, lists, charts for what I want to accomplish and when. I tend not to follow these very well, though.

14) It's Saturday. You're at home, and your favorite show is about to start. Your friends call you for a night out. What will you do?
Really depends on my mood and the circumstances. I could go either way with that one.

15) How do you act when you're stressed out?
Fall apart, stop making progress. Freak out. Cry. Alternately, stare at a wall for hours nursing self-defeating thoughts. I also seek out distracting stimulation and become rather hedonistic.

16) What makes you dislike the personalities of some people?
I don't like fake people. People who are overly traditional or dogmatic tend to bug me. People who are too nicey-nice tend to be boring. I can usually find redeeming qualities in most people, though.

17) Is there anything you really like talking about with other people?
Talking with most people just makes me nervous but if we got onto the subjects of creativity and making art, alternative lifestyles, philosophical questions, or common academic interests I'd probably enjoy the conversation a lot.

18) What kind of things do you pay the least attention to in your life?
I have a big blind spot when it comes to social interaction and other people. Though I do have a group of friends I spend time with sometimes, I also forget for periods of time that other people are real.

19) How do your friends perceive you? What is wrong about their perception? What would your friends never say about your personality?
I don't know the answer to this one. They used to perceive me as conservative and compliant because I was super quiet and polite, but not so much anymore. If I had to guess, I'd say they might see me as strange and guarded and overly solitary. No one is likely to call me an attention seeker or particularly charming or friendly.

20) You got a whole day to do whatever you like. What kind of activities do you feel like doing?
I'd want to go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather and maybe take a walk, make some kind of art (drawing mandalas, making jewelry), write part of my novel or some poems, cook some awesome food for a few close friends, read a book and absorb some new ideas, and/or play with a bunch of kittens... :)

Any thoughts as to what my type is? Thanks for reading!
 

theanchorite

New member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Messages
3
Aha... You are an ISFP...

Hehe, maybe. All the ISFP functions seem accurate in their orientation (possibly), though I'm not sure if the order is right. The main thing that makes me doubt if I'm an ISFP is that I've read they are generally not intellectually or philosophically inclined, and I am both... I'm actually considering a career in academia. Still can't rule out the possibility though.

Anyone else have any thoughts? I'd appreciate it! :)
 
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