[NF] NFs: are you boring?

[Ivy]

I think I'm pretty guarded which turns out to be boring at times. I've made the occasional off-color (for me) joke and surprised a lot of people who thought I had no edge at all.

 

[proteanmix]

It depends on what the people in question define as boring. When I'm with my NF friends, we tend to talk about relationships, people, feelings, society, culture, politics stuff like that. I don't think that's boring at all and I'm most definitely not afraid to rock the boat (in a good-natured way) if it contributes to discussion.

Now when I'm ready to go out and have fun, I don't look for my INF friends, I go and find my ENFs and ESFs. This is when I'd split between INF and ENF. I've had lots of good times with my ENF friends when the INFs were ready to call it a night. I find this boring. Hanging out for long periods of time exhausting to them, just like sitting inside is exhausting for me, so I just chalk it up to introversion/extroversion differences.

And make your own damn excitement, I don't expect people to entertain me. When I'm bored, I make something happen that makes me un-bored. If you're bored then you're boring.

 

[FemMecha]

But I wonder, do you view yourself as boring? Non-NFs, do you find NFs boring?

I find myself entertaining and keep myself busy with stimulating conversations and projects.

Do others find me boring? meh

As a general rule, I have found that the people who talk the most about 'this is boring, or this person is boring, etc. are the ones that are actually boring to me, and I'm not easily bored by people or situations.

 

[MacGuffin]

I wondered if the introverted NFs would define the question as to whether they found themselves boring as opposed to other people.

Nice dodges!

 

[cafe]

IRL, people find me more weird than boring. Except my ESXP friend. She finds me boring, but I think it's because I don't like WWF .

 

[FemMecha]

I wondered if the introverted NFs would define the question as to whether they found themselves boring as opposed to other people.

Nice dodges!

I suspect I could be considered boring to people who value hollering and punching, revving their engines, screaming and flashing people, dancing on tables, belching and farting out tunes, etcetera, etcetera. What of it?

The term 'boring' is typically used in the context of whining from what I understand of it. My typical response to 'boring' talk is to start slapping folks.

 

[proteanmix]

I suspect I could be considered boring to people who value hollering and punching, revving their engines, screaming and flashing people, dancing on tables, belching and farting out tunes, etcetera, etcetera. What of it?

The term 'boring' is typically used in the context of whining from what I understand of it.

If that's the case, then I'm boring also.

And saying someone is boring is not always the result of whining. I've met some legitimately boring people. Very dry personalities. Usually I'm willing and able to cajole them into opening up a little, but these are lost causes. Being in contact with people like that drains me of my energy.

 

[FemMecha]

If that's the case, then I'm boring also.

And saying someone is boring is not always the result of whining. I've met some legitimately boring people. Very dry personalities. Usually I'm willing and able to cajole them into opening up a little, but these are lost causes. Being in contact with people like that drains me of my energy.

I'm sure it's not always the case, but often is. Take for example the character of Toby from The Office...

Really dull people are hilarious and often cute. You just have to be like silly puddy, able to adapt to different types of people and maximize your potential with them. Dull people give you something to play off of. What if everyone was entertaining - a bit too much?

 

[proteanmix]

I'm sure it's not always the case, but often is. Take for example the character of Toby from The Office...

Really dull people are hilarious and often cute. You just have to be like silly puddy, able to adapt to different types of people and maximize your potential with them. Dull people give you something to play off of. What if everyone was entertaining - a bit too much?

Dull people on sitcoms are cute, interacting with a person like that daily is a drain. I'm usually willing to deal with dull personalities but there are a few people running around in the world with little to no personality, even if you look really hard with a electromagnetic microscope. I'd say those people are boring.

 

[LadyInWaiting]

I'm not drained by interacting with "boring" people. Actually, it's the "life of the party" types who drain me and I often find them boring. But I am perfectly aware that a lot of that has to do with the values and preferences heavily influenced by type. I wonder if other people throwing around the term "that's boring" realize that your perception of boring is heavily influenced by temperament and type.

For example, I typically find TPs to be incredibly boring, especially ENTPs. They're forgettable to me. I recently figured out that this is because a lot of the things they say (sarcastic rejoinders, witty commentary, words said only to rile other people up) have very little value to me. It bores me because I don't value it, and a lot of why I don't value it has to do with my own personality preferences, strengths and weaknesses.

On the other hand, I am 100% sure that some people must find me to be boring. I usually sit and say little, just kind of smile and observe and enjoy the atmosphere (or walk out if I don't like the atmosphere). I am an interesting conversationalist, but I don't initiate many conversations. I rarely have anything negative to say about people. I happen to find positive observations about people to be very interesting, and bad people bore me.

And yeah, it's more important to me if I am boring myself than if some random NT finds me boring. I don't exist to entertain them. But that's a lot of my Fi speaking.

 

[sdalek]

In discussing non-INTPs over at that other board, one poster commented that he found NFs kind of dull.

I can see why this statement is made, some NFs will never do anything that rocks the boat or take a controversial position to avoid offending others.

I don't agree with this, I find other aspects of NFs very interesting.

But I wonder, do you view yourself as boring? Non-NFs, do you find NFs boring?

Why do I get the feeling that this is a sideways ad hominem attack? Of what legitimate value is attacking a Type in the supposed serious discussion of MBTI? Wouldn't it be of more appropriate to say that ANY type can be boring depending upon their individual personality? Isn't it equally valid to say that what one person may find boring, might be exciting to another, and vice-versa. Maybe that's the way they are; There is nothing wrong with that. It's not a valid reason to attack and invalidate that person as a human being.

Why is the fact that NFs may never do anything that rocks the boat or may never take a controversial position to avoid offending others boring? Maybe, from their perspective, it just is simply a case of they don't have time for that kind of excitement as they have things to do that are more important and by extension more exciting to them. Perhaps it needs to be considered that while their actions may be perceived by non-NFs as boring, NF themselves are not boring. Then again, maybe the shoe needs to be put on the other foot; Maybe NFs find non-NFs boring?

 

[MacGuffin]

Why do I get the feeling that this is a sideways ad hominem attack? Of what legitimate value is attacking a Type in the supposed serious discussion of MBTI? Wouldn't it be of more appropriate to say that ANY type can be boring depending upon their individual personality? Isn't it equally valid to say that what one person may find boring, might be exciting to another, and vice-versa. Maybe that's the way they are; There is nothing wrong with that. It's not a valid reason to attack and invalidate that person as a human being.

Excellent F response!

Why is the fact that NFs may never do anything that rocks the boat or may never take a controversial position to avoid offending others boring? Maybe, from their perspective, it just is simply a case of they don't have time for that kind of excitement as they have things to do that are more important and by extension more exciting to them. Perhaps it needs to be considered that while their actions may be perceived by non-NFs as boring, NF themselves are not boring. Then again, maybe the shoe needs to be put on the other foot; Maybe NFs find non-NFs boring?

So how does the NF communicate about things that are exciting to them? Do they withhold them, or are others unable to appreciate them?

 

[sdalek]

So how does the NF communicate about things that are exciting to them? Do they withhold them, or are others unable to appreciate them?

I don't know; They fart alot in interpretive dance?? (shame on me)

The same way one communicates with others that share a common interest. I have observed that the most introvert of people can become very E when in a situation where they can discuss what they find exciting and interesting. The problem becomes who will be present to appreciate their enthusiasm when the situation arises. Perhaps their excitement is too subtle to be easily recognized by non-NFs.

 

[MacGuffin]

The same way one communicates with others that share a common interest. I have observed that the most introvert of people can become very E when in a situation where they can discuss what they find exciting and interesting. The problem becomes who will be present to appreciate their enthusiasm when the situation arises. Perhaps their excitement is too subtle to be easily recognized by non-NFs.

Passion about something is pretty exciting, even if the subject is too esoteric for the audience. I'd think passion would go a long way in such circumstances, but I could be wrong.

 

[sdalek]

Passion about something is pretty exciting, even if the subject is too esoteric for the audience. I'd think passion would go a long way in such circumstances, but I could be wrong.

Think "Addams Family"

 

[MacGuffin]

Think "Addams Family"

The show or the movie or the New Yorker cartoon?

 

[sdalek]

The show or the movie or the New Yorker cartoon?

The show; It had more passion in it. The cartoons from New Yorker are much darker; still funny though.

 

[darlets]

IRL, people find me more weird than boring. Except my ESXP friend. She finds me boring, but I think it's because I don't like WWF .

I'm always amazed at the spectrum of people that like WWF.

 

[sdalek]

I'm always amazed at the spectrum of people that like WWF.

What??? You don't like the rumbling of the ring, the grunting of grown men grappling each other, the smell of testosterone wafting through your telly?

 

[darlets]

What??? You don't like the rumbling of the ring, the grunting of grown men grappling each other, the smell of testosterone wafting through your telly?

I have older brothers, I had enough real life wrestling and fighting growning up.