i'm guessing psychopath...seems extremely non fi to wear masks....you guys are either way over analyzing yourself and the intricacies of your personality or there's something completely unrelated to being an infp going on there...at least imo.
I wouldn't disagree on "mask" as a means of protection, social unsurety, or whatnot. I think INTPs are much the same.. who will perk up the more they know people are open to their thoughts. What I was trying illustrate above is more along the lines of conscious/creative masking and metamorphosis.. vs Fi's inclination for authenticity. Fi is more likely to not say anything at all rather than participate too far out of what it's comfortable with. If not be a critic of sorts.
I mainly view these masks as facades that are really me, they just have utilities for different situations. If I fear I'm being unauthentic, I'll fix it to fit me. Basically it's like having knobs for everything and toning certain knobs up or down depending on what we want to present outside at the time.
Hmmm, maybe that's just one of the differences between INFP and ENFP. Mask isn't quite the right word and many of the INFP who replied have said that in their own words. Whether you like or not INFP do not easily reveal their inner being. Surely you only reveal parts of your self to certain people and not others.I'm guessing psychopath...seems extremely non fi to wear masks....you guys are either way over analyzing yourself and the intricacies of your personality or there's something completely unrelated to being an infp going on there...at least imo.
I'd say the trouble with some INFP social masking is when they wear so many social masks that it doesn't seem like they have a sense of self. No solid core, just blowing wherever the wind takes them. .
I personally would have a hard time figuring out what my "true self" is exactly, not to mention sharing it with other people, regardless of how close our bond is. I can only define it as a feeling of myself. As in, I know and feel that I exist . However, trying to apply any kind of characteristics to it would be near impossible. But I know that I am driven by some things, like the need to be independent for one, and to experience the various sensations that life has to offer, be they physical or emotional. On the other hand, if you knew me in real life, you would likely not see those aspects of myself, as I am severely held back by my fears.
I found this excerpt fitting:
Well, being an introverted perceiver naturally leads to hiding one's personal playground from others instinctively. Then there's Fi, a very hidden function, even from the dominant user themselves. Then there's no Se to help bring it all out.
Ne and Se are both extroverted perception.. Se doesn't have domain on externalizing, or sensing in the typical [non-mbti] sense. Jung himself states this (same goes for other writers after him.. Thomson goes into this too). If anything, Ni is the function that is the most disconnected (not that that's necessarily bad.. there are a lot of positive things about it too). The same goes for having more troubles with self-identity as well. Don't take my word for it either. Go to an MBTI counselor and talk about Fi like this.. they will correct it.
Yes Ne and Se are both extroverted, yes Sensing does not mean sensing (like Feeling does not mean feeling). Ni is probably the most introverted and disconnected function.
I did not contradict any of that. IJs are better at externally expressing themselves, generally, than IPs. Se is better at expressing introverted J functions clearly than Ne. Fi is quite hidden and does not express itself clearly. None of that conflicts with what you have said, all of it agrees with what Jung said.
It's so abstract and function-based, that is the problem with it. Needs evidence one way or the other (e.g. this thread).
Gift Differing said:The contrast between the real and the ideal weighs more heavily upon the ISFPs, who are more sharply aware of the actual state of affairs, than upon INFPs, whose iNtuititon suggests hopeful avenues of improvement.
Van Der Hoop on Fi-doms said:Where intuition is developed, it is of great assistance in finding expression for introverted feeling, both in practical life and in art.
Personally, I've noticed they struggle more at verbal communication. The problem with Ne is when the person you're speaking to does not see it as valid, namely, when they discredit its metaphorical style or dismiss its connections as too far-fetched.
I think the identity issues with Fi is more of a reconciling an abstract feeling with reality.... I like what the Outsider said (if I grasped it correctly): he has a feeling about who he is (or maybe would like to be), but he doesn't know what his true self is. This expresses a sort of disconnect of the internal ideal self from the self in reality, something I suspect is common to the Fi-dom.
Gift Differing
The contrast between the real and the ideal weighs more heavily upon the ISFPs, who are more sharply aware of the actual state of affairs, than upon INFPs, whose iNtuititon suggests hopeful avenues of improvement.
[...] Although, I'd argue that in many ways, Ne gives INFPs a leg up over ISFPs. INFPs are said to be often more articulate with the written word, and there is the advantage that Ne ingenuity brings. You basically have an abstract perception working with an abstract kind of judgment, which allows for an easier "translation". ISFPs have to bridge their abstract judging to a very literal kind of perceiving. Personally, I've noticed they struggle more at verbal communication. The problem with Ne is when the person you're speaking to does not see it as valid, namely, when they discredit its metaphorical style or dismiss its connections as too far-fetched.
I'd agree with that. The future orientation of Ne is mixed blessing, but it does (surprisingly) have some practical utility. ISFPs seem to be much better than we INFPs at enjoying the present... yet they also tend to be even less willing to suffer through current unpleasantness for a future payoff. The INFP tendency to be less aware of the present and escape into abstraction and potential can come in handy at times. ISFPs seem to have fewer avenues of escape, so tend to focus more on enjoying what can be enjoyed in the present... even when pursuing current enjoyment has long term costs.
Hm originally, I was considering all of the INFPs I've run across regardless of gender, but the females have been more consistent with their social masking. I've found some to have that lack of self, but they still hold onto something of their social mask very hard. It's like they know there's a basis stemming from themselves, but can't quite pinpoint it. The men have been interesting in the way that I'd say they are unwavering in their INFPness, but most have social masked to high holy hell. It seems like being all at once and accomplishing not much other than forms of procrastination.That is the situation I find myself in. There was very little social value to be gained by acting INFP, even internally, throughout my life, and much to be gained elsewhere. I drifted away from it, yet haven't changed the core nature, so it is extreme masking. That's the reason, along with anecdotal evidence, I think INFP males are more prone to this, since INFPness is even less valued in males around the world. They have a strange stoic sensitivity, and lack the quirkiness I see in female ones, which I think may be explained by this.
I find myself frustrated on both ends. I can't deal with lot of unpleasantness and can be somewhat impatient when things aren't materializing. I can admire that level of commitment, but I've never been good at it. At the same time, telling me to enjoy the moment doesn't work either. I may want to enjoy it, but I try to find ways to remove discomfort in order to enjoy it.. whether that means leaving, or speaking out, or questioning something. I've never been one to just focus on the moment as a thing in itself. "Ooooh.. I love how the wind just tickles my nose." No.
I wasn't speaking so much of the "look on the bright side of life" approach (ick!), but more in the way of an "if something is tedious, I'll either find a way to make it enjoyable or find something better to do" approach. I think neither ISFPs nor INFPs are great at ignoring their negative emotional state. Can make it a bear when that state is unpleasant and there's no clear fix.
Ah ok..
Just to add.. I get conflicting information from different books. Some descriptions make it sound as if ISFPs can mark their differences quite fine. In others, not so much. In Naomi Quenk's "Was That Really Me?" it seems as if the INFP inclination to change their situation is greater. She went so far to say that many ISFPs suffer stress more than other types (for holding back). I wonder if that's true for ISFPs. She's probably one of the most respected authorities atm, and does statistical research, not just theory.. so I'm not going to brush her aside right away (she's also the editor of the official mbti manual).
INFPs are more likely than ISFPs to leave a highly stressful situation, even though ISFPs try to avoid stressful situations, if at all possible. Perhaps the INFP's auxiliary Intuition helps them imagine alternatives and their generally greater self-confidence allows them to risk new work situations. ISFPs pay a high price for their lower stress tolerance and persistence in stressful work situations: they self-report the highest incidence of hypertension and heart disease of all the types and are also highest in experiencing emotional burnout and depersonalization when they are stressed. INFPs, in contrast, are among the least likely types to experience these stress effects. [p. 109]
Try to avoid stressful situations: #1 Rank ISFP 59.8% (INFP not listedin top 4 highest or lowest)
Confront the problem: Lowest Rank ISFP 35.7% (INFP 3rd from bottom at 41.8%)
Talk to someone else: #4 Rank INFP 63.7% (ISFP not listed in top/bottom 4)
Talk to a professional: #4 Rank INFP 10.3% (ISFP not listed)
Try to think of options: Lowest Rank ISFP 54.5% (INFP not listed in top/bottom 4)
Get upset or angry but don't show it: #1 Rank ISFP 36.1%, #2 Rank INFP 34.9%
Develop Physical Symptoms: Rank #4 ISFP 16.9% (INFP not listed)
Exercise: Ranked second to last ISFP: 16.2% (INFP not listed)
Watch TV: #1 Rank ISFP 40.6% (INFP not listed)