ISFP vs INTJ? Or something else?

[alissaa23]

I've struggled with my type a lot, which is frustrating when I'm been trying to figure it out for years. Types I have considered: INFJ, INTP, INTJ, INFP, ISFP.

Basically, I thought I was INFJ, but realized I really don't use Fe at all, so that can't possibly be it. Same with INTP. The problem is that I'm pretty positive I use Ni, Se, Fi, and Te, although I'm unsure of the order and am 99.99% sure I am introverted. That would leave INTJ and ISFP. Neither of those feel quite right. They feel right in a lot of ways, but just something is off. I'm not sure if it's just the stereotypes of both types affecting me. I feel too emotional and non-blunt to be an INTJ and too non-emotional/logical and not present in my environment to be an ISFP (although I am positive I use Se, not Si).
I'm not quite sure how anyone is supposed to help me in this if I'm sure of my functions yet can't decide on a type still. I guess I can explain how I feel about ISFP and INTJ, the 2 types I'm thinking most about currently.

My biggest concern with ISFP is not feeling present in my surroundings as much as most others. I notice when things change in my surroundings, but sometimes I will suddenly have to ask someone if that vending machine has always been in my dorm building lounge (it has). I really enjoy creating things. I'm a huge drawer. I also have noticed that a lot of my stress-relieving activities are Se-using, such as coloring in a coloring book or going on a walk. I'm also a very visual learner.
I also worry about having Fi as my dominant function. I don't share a lot of my feelings and I have a rather unhealthy way of not wanting to share them or ask for help or anything of that sort. However, when I was young, I cried a lot and always ALWAYS expressed when I didn't like something. I was then dubbed the "crier" or the "crybaby" by my family. My oldest sister particularly attacked me for that and we had a bad relationship for a number of years. For that reason, I could see myself still being a Fi dom but being a little different than normal Fi-doms because of those issues.

A lot of stereotypes of the INTJ turn me off from the type, even though I try not to pay attention to them. In some ways, I relate to them. I have the stereotypical resting bitch face (which I personally believe is due to a lack of Fe, not due to being an INTJ or NT type). I am very logical and have traditional INTJ interests such as the sciences and math. I'm also all about efficiency. I frequently get frustrated with people for being inefficient. Everything I do in my life is done to be efficient. I honestly should've been an engineering major instead of an environmental science major.
However, I'm less assertive. I DO tell white lies in order to prevent conflict sometimes. I'm not harsh or blunt outwardly (although in my head I can be). I recognize that not all INTJs are the robots with no emotion who only do things logically even if it means hurting others or breaking social norms, but there is a very very subtle truth about that, and I don't feel that I totally connect with that.

My main struggle is recognize whether I am more dominantly a thinker or a feeler. I'm very intellectually driven, love researching, analyzing, etc. to the point that I could see myself having that be one of my dominant characteristics. However, I can also see my intense, yet hidden, emotional world being a dominant characteristic for me.

tl;dr I have no idea what type I am.

 

[alissaa23]

And now that I've posted this, I realize it is VERY long. I apologize! I want everyone to understand what I'm feeling, which I struggle to express in words, so sometimes I have to use more words than normal to express it.

 

[Chrysanthe]

Some INTJs, or strong Te users in general, can give up their desire to tell the truth in order to bring out a better outcome for themselves. That reasoning can also be used when it comes to fitting into any given emotional setting. It's a sacrifice many aren't willing to take in order to preserve individualism and honesty, but there are those who see it as a means of getting ahead of the game of life. It's a battle between Te and Fi.

You say you have an "intense, yet hidden, emotional world" which is exactly how Fi can represent itself in INTJs. INTJs I believe have a very sensitive and emotional interior, but since Fi is only their Tertiary function (and thus their most childlike and undeveloped preferred function) they try to hide it so as to preserve it from being hurt by the outside world. They can be very paranoid about how others think of them and so put on their Te mask to keep them invulnerable from ridicule.

I don't know lol. need more information.

And to be honest, I think ISFPs are more blunt, assertive, and critical than INTJs... or at least equivalent to. They are rebels at heart. You could be either though.

 

[alissaa23]

Thank you for your comments! It's difficult because I'm a pretty timid person typically, so I wouldn't consider myself assertive or critical. However, I know what I want and can be rather critical in my head. I usually don't voice these things in order to prevent arguments or awkwardness (on account of being a 9w1 type). I am still very stubborn and any of my friends would tell you I have a problem with authority and being told what to do.

I wish I knew what kind of information to provide. It's difficult when I'm not very sure of anything for myself

 

[RobinSkye]

Seems INTJ to me. I don't have any evidence of strong Se use, and Fi doesn't seem too high on your list either. Perhaps you could look into what it means to have inferior Se? I certainly resonate with inferior Fe, and that helped me to further affirm my type.

 

[alissaa23]

Seems INTJ to me. I don't have any evidence of strong Se use, and Fi doesn't seem too high on your list either. Perhaps you could look into what it means to have inferior Se? I certainly resonate with inferior Fe, and that helped me to further affirm my type.

Well that just cleared things up for me a bit! I just spent some time researching inferior Se. I had a basic knowledge of Se in general, but not how Se manifests as an inferior function. I would say I definitely relate a lot to inferior Se as described by the articles and posts I've read so far.

 

[RobinSkye]

Well that just cleared things up for me a bit! I just spent some time researching inferior Se. I had a basic knowledge of Se in general, but not how Se manifests as an inferior function. I would say I definitely relate a lot to inferior Se as described by the articles and posts I've read so far.

You may want to compare it with, say, inferior Te. To be sure. I also read up on inferior Te and Si for myself.

 

[IZthe411]

My advice- read up on the function axis Fi-Te and Se-Ni. In the INTJ they are reversed (Ni-Se and Te-Fi). Worry less about the stereotypes. There are INTJs who are into more humane pursuits and ISFPs who like science and math.

Reading your thought process- You sounds more like an ISFP to me.

ISFPs lead with Fi- doesn't mean they share a lot of feelings. In fact, they can share less than INTJs. I dated an ISFP and she kept a LOT bottled in. I could tell on her face that something was up, but she wouldn't give me much. I also found that she wasn't really good with self-expression. Like me with Ni, her connection with her Fi is so natural and automatic, it's hard to put into words and outwardly express something you know so well but rarely have to explain. She also had a bad reputation with the 'resting bitch' face, but behind it I saw a warm, gentle individual who rarely had a serious problem with others. It wasn't until people got to know her that they realized this.

I think your love of coloring and walks is the your Fi-Se experssion. And in what ways are you creative? Creativity is a vague description- all types are creative. How do you spend your free time? What do you enjoy about your hobbies, the subjects you are taking in school? It's not what you like, but most of the times, the reasons you like them that can help figure out who you are. Also, how do you dress? Not that this is an direct correlation, but I notice the female XSFPs I do know seem to dress how they feel, and a lot of self expression comes from that. I mean, Se would be your support function as an ISFP, so you wouldn't be as pulled into the moment and as lost as an ESFP. Se is a compliment function for you. Like for me- my compliment function is also my blindspot: Te. I have awesome ideas in my head that are surefire. But for some reason for most of them, once I figure everything out I cannot motivate myself to execute. I have to actively work to bring them to life. So I don't think not remembering a vending machine is indicative of inferior Se. It just wasn't important to you. Do you get lost in your coloring? What are you reflecting on as you take your walks?

My ISFP is a manager of a process at her work. She is more flexible than I am but can be annoyed at the same things that I would find annoying (inefficiency and incompetence). Before this job she repaired copiers and had a knack for understanding the machinery and the science behind it.
.
I say 'try-on' each types. Own being an ISFP for a while. Read up on the functions. Look at you-tube videos on ISFPs
(Look up Michael Pierce). And periodically check yourself against the cognition patterns. Do the same for INTJ. It's not an overnight process; and honestly the people here can only go by what you choose to share and the words you choose. They can't see you live and in the moment. And they don't know what's really going on in your head.