I've always been a little "lost" when it comes to my own personality, because I feel like I'm the only person who would truly know. Then I figure that people who talk to me might also know. I think most of the time I get terrible opinions from people.
well. the internet
does harbor the same people who created pedobear and 4 chan.
you are, though - the only one who knows best. especially for an introvert who probably shows less of yourself to others. i'm guessing what's going on is that you have both strong Ni and Ti and that's making it hard for you to differentiate.
I'm really a non-entity when it comes to typing, but I'm curious about something, which is why I'm throwing it into the mix:
Isn't the driving motivation and perspective of an NF and an SP supposed to be fundamentally different? So while I see the two resembling each other superficially, wouldn't their inner cores be extremely different? It is hard to perceive that, though, so I can see someone confusing an INFJ for an ISTP, especially if they don't know each other very well.
i think it really depends on the person in question... your average INFP 4w5 and ESTP 7w8 are going to be very different, with the drive for the INFP really being reflection and depth, and the drive for the ESTP being experiencing and enjoying life. but if you take an INFJ 6w7 and an ISTP 4w3, they could end up looking very similar.
maybe it's important to separate drive from the MBTI... i don't know what keirsey says, but i'm not much a fan of the idea of our cognitive patterns producing a certain drive. as far as i understand it, the letters are meant to describe your thinking patterns, and that's about it. more INFJs are likely to be interested in humanism and paradoxes and more ISTPs are more likely to be interested in applied science and physical pursuits, but whether that's because of interest or facility, or both, or something else entirely - i don't think that can be determined. i'm just afraid to use keirsey temperament correlations because you could end up accidentally boxing someone in because of behavior or interests, but it's not their actual thinking process. myself, sometimes i come off pretty NT, and i would usually identify myself as more "knowledge seeking" than "identity seeking". but knowledge paves the road to identity...
but i think throwing motivation in there is a great idea - actually less as help in identifying and more as help in seeing what could be confounding. for example, if you have your enneagram figured out i think that could help you see why your type might not be so clear. myself, i was not as clear an E as many e7s. i have seen many ENFP 4s also echo that, because we are not so extraverted on the surface - though when we dig deep down we find that we are more extraverted than not. since bill is a 5w4, we know he's going to be particularly analytical and drawn to depth. for an ISTP that would probably mean looking a little more like an INTP, and for an INFJ it would probably mean looking a little more like an INTJ. LL aren't you a 1? i could definitely see that making an ENFP typing more difficult.
i also think how you were raised can have a significant impact. i was raised by an ESFJ and an INTP in a medical environment - no surprise then that i am relatively more quiet, less P, and more T than your average ENFP.
esidebill said:
Well I've just had certain occurrences where I don't feel like an ISTP. Mostly being detached from everything. I'm a very approachable person and was always having random heart to hearts with people when I worked at a grocery store. There were times where I would just randomly ask people about their scars. I could tell peoples feelings and if they weren't feeling great that day. I could make friends with just about anyone. If I cleaned something I might get a little obsessive over it.
bill - i dunno if you've gotten into function theory, but this guy beebe proposed "roles", based on jung's archetypes, for the
functions as used by each type, and that helped me figure out whether i was an INFP or ENFP.
it's a bit like:
1 - the "hero" - the main character of the story. is the protagonist and the one who "saves the day". always "on".
2 - the "supporting parent" - the guide. encourages and redirects self and others. always "on", but lower priority.
3 - the "eternal child" - also known as "relief", steps in when the first two aren't cutting it. has an "on-or-off" quality. can be narcissistic.
4 - the "anima/animus" - one's idea of the opposite of themselves, a source of creativity and/or pertrification.
so for an INFJ this would look something like:
cognitiveprocesses said:
INFJ - Foreseer Developer
Theme is foresight. Use their insights to deal with complexity in issues and people, often with a strong sense of “knowing†before others know themselves. Talents lie in developing and guiding people. Trust their inspirations and visions, using them to help others. Thrive on helping others resolve deep personal and ethical dilemmas. Private and complex, they bring a quiet enthusiasm and industry to projects that are part of their vision.
1 - Ni - internal intuition leads and is the primary problem-solver. addresses paradigms, probability and outcomes.
2 - Fe - extraverted feeling encourages and redirects actions of self and others. addresses dynamics between people.
3 - Ti - introverted thinking supports thought processes when Ni and Fe alone cannot solve the problem at hand. you can engage logic (not just rationality - good reason - but strict, impersonal logic) when you want, but it doesn't naturally run all the time. can make you feel superior.
4 - Se - extraverted sensing - can propel you into interacting with and/or producing in the real world.
or for an ISTP, perhaps something like:
cp said:
ISTP - Analyzer Operator
Theme is action-driven problem solving. Talents lie in operating all kinds of tools and instruments and using frameworks for solving problems. Keen observers of the environment, they are a storehouse of data and facts relevant to analyzing and solving problems. Thrive on challenging situations and having the freedom to craft clever solutions and do whatever it takes to fix things and make them work. Take pride in their skill and virtuosity, which they seem to effortlessly acquire.
1 - Ti - introverted thinking - impersonal, neutral logic and system integrity - leads and is the primary problem-solver.
2 - Se - extraverted sensing - acting upon and interacting with the tangible world supports Ti and redirects how and where Ti is applied.
3 - Ni - internal intuition, which can be turned on and off, is engaged when logic + action aren't enough to address problems. can make you feel superior.
4 - Fe - extraverted feeling - can propel you into warm interactions and dealing with people.
perhaps that can be a little helpful for you also