ISFJ or ISFP?

[Verona]

I have been back and forth on my husband's type and was wondering if anyone has some insight. I know these two types do not share any functions so it should be obvious but it isn't for me.

ISFJ traits:
- he is the classic SJ in that he is super reliable, responsible, traditional, hard working, work first, play second. He works a tedious government job that he enjoys.
- he always puts other people first. He can be counted on to help everyone. He will wear himself completely down being a caretaker to others.
- he is great with people and everyone likes him. His job sometimes requires him to be diplomatic and he is great at calming angry people down or dealing with emotional people.
- OCD about cleaning and organizing
- worrywart
- joins community groups and volunteers

ISFP traits:
- he is indecisive. He used to carry a coin around to flip it to make decisions.
- very adventurous. Always up for bungee jumping, zip lining, kayaking, extreme mountain biking etc. He used to be a race care driver.
- terrible at following a budget
- did terrible at traditional schooling. Learns much better hands-on. He is great at fixing everything.
- sensitive but very private about sharing his emotions

Any insight? Maybe it is another type I am not seeing? I am 100% sure he is not an intuitive.

 

[Verona]

Typing it all out was helpful for me and I am actually leaning more towards him being a quieter ESFJ.

 

[cascadeco]

I was going to say he seems pretty SFJ to me. The isfp 'traits' you outline for him could certainly fit an SFJ; maybe a few not so typical, but given mbti is pretty generic in the first place, in the big picture sense SFJ fits well. (fyi, I'm not even considering other types here, just saying of those two and what you wrote, it's SFJ over SFP)

 

[rav3n]

How detail oriented is he?

 

[Verona]

How detail oriented is he?

I always find this a tough question. When it comes to doing a projects he wants every little thing to be perfectly done so he can be quite detail oriented in that way. He notices when things are out of place or if something is different. He doesn't have the greatest memory so he doesn't remember a lot of details about others or things that have happened in the past.

 

[Verona]

I was going to say he seems pretty SFJ to me. The isfp 'traits' you outline for him could certainly fit an SFJ; maybe a few not so typical, but given mbti is pretty generic in the first place, in the big picture sense SFJ fits well. (fyi, I'm not even considering other types here, just saying of those two and what you wrote, it's SFJ over SFP)

Thanks! I read about how inferior Ne is all about being afraid to try new things or adventures that it made me wonder

 

[cascadeco]

Thanks! I read about how inferior Ne is all about being afraid to try new things or adventures that it made me wonder

I think SJ's can be quite adventurous and open, and the stereotype that they're not is probably something that annoys them; a lot of it I think just depends on their comfort and trust level with people they're with or if they know enough about what they're doing, or if they just decide to let loose, or if it's tied to their interests there's nothing keeping them from doing that stuff. But, I take mbti stuff with a grain of salt; I mean I've met some super finicky NFP's who can be extremely set in their ways when it comes to certain things, who seem very rigid in interesting ways that surprise me. I think everyone's particular about certain things and more flexy around other things.

 

[rav3n]

I always find this a tough question. When it comes to doing a projects he wants every little thing to be perfectly done so he can be quite detail oriented in that way. He notices when things are out of place or if something is different. He doesn't have the greatest memory so he doesn't remember a lot of details about others or things that have happened in the past.

Introverted Sensing* - (Si)


Introverted Sensing often involves storing data and information, then comparing and contrasting the current situation with similar ones.


The immediate experience or words are instantly linked with the prior experiences, and we register a similarity or a difference—for example, noticing that some food doesn't taste the same or is saltier than it usually is.

Introverted Sensing (Si)

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

I lean towards ISFJ, but it's hard to know by reading just a little. (My type is listed as ISFP right now, but I'm may not one)

The adventurous traits you list under ISFP could still be Si-oriented depending on how he experiences them. There is a certain way a person can have internal structure applied to those activities. My boyfriend is Si over Se and he is getting into amateur racecar driving, but I notice he is Si because he has a personal, even complex way of associating sensory experiences. He has certain music he listens to depending on the season. He also goes over and over the details of racing and practices using video games. He approaches it the same way he plays guitar and compares the two by knowing and internalizing all of the details inside. I would say if those activities are connected to other association like feelings, sentiment, experience, or other sensory concepts, then it could still be Si-oriented. Any sensory experience can be internalized as Si, even if adventurous. A Se-oriented person will tend to go on an adventure on the fly without other associations. Si rock climbing might value a certain spot, time of year, certain time of day, and possibly attribute certain meanings to it? Like they might go every time they need to clear their head and think. Se rock climbing might try out new spots more spontaneously and have different reasons for going at different times, and the process would be less systematic from start to finish.

Those are just a couple of thoughts on the surface. My mother is definitely an ISFP and her spontaneity was quite unmistakable. We moved the furniture every few months without much systematic planning, but rather for a need to experience "out with the old, in with the new". That was the approach to life that always gave her renewed energy when younger. Se will thrive on change and Si values more consistency, regardless of the content of the focus and activity.

 

[Verona]

I lean towards ISFJ, but it's hard to know by reading just a little. (My type is listed as ISFP right now, but I'm may not one)

The adventurous traits you list under ISFP could still be Si-oriented depending on how he experiences them. There is a certain way a person can have internal structure applied to those activities. My boyfriend is Si over Se and he is getting into amateur racecar driving, but I notice he is Si because he has a personal, even complex way of associating sensory experiences. He has certain music he listens to depending on the season. He also goes over and over the details of racing and practices using video games. He approaches it the same way he plays guitar and compares the two by knowing and internalizing all of the details inside. I would say if those activities are connected to other association like feelings, sentiment, experience, or other sensory concepts, then it could still be Si-oriented. Any sensory experience can be internalized as Si, even if adventurous. A Se-oriented person will tend to go on an adventure on the fly without other associations. Si rock climbing might value a certain spot, time of year, certain time of day, and possibly attribute certain meanings to it? Like they might go every time they need to clear their head and think. Se rock climbing might try out new spots more spontaneously and have different reasons for going at different times, and the process would be less systematic from start to finish.

Those are just a couple of thoughts on the surface. My mother is definitely an ISFP and her spontaneity was quite unmistakable. We moved the furniture every few months without much systematic planning, but rather for a need to experience "out with the old, in with the new". That was the approach to life that always gave her renewed energy when younger. Se will thrive on change and Si values more consistency, regardless of the content of the focus and activity.

Thanks you for the insight. I feel pretty confident with SFJ over SFP now.

 

[Yama]

Based off of this information, I would say ISFJ.