ISFJ 2w1 so/sx. I'm often confused when people claim that INFJs are the most extroverted introvert.
They have Fe
My INTP is far more social than I am, especially with people he already knows. He's the one who chats with the neighbors, makes smalltalk at parties, and seems to find genuine humor in hearing Great Aunt Mabel tell the same silly cat story for the 50th time. I wonder sometimes if he is SO first.As an INTJ, I am one of the most social ones of my kind as far as I know, despite being so last in Enneagram. I especially like to organize people for something, be it a cause or an event, but this might also because of me liking being at the helm of things. Also, I can say that I have few very, very close friends and I love spending time with them; for they stimulate me intellectually and I like them and being with them in a way that I am unable to rationalize. I guess I love them, heh.
Also, if I am in the mood for partying and stimulated enough, I have a lot of fun.
What Introverted Sensing Does
focus: internal/bodily sensation of concrete facts and details
categorizes and stores data based on personal relevance
cultivated through reconciling new sense impressions with past ones
maintains a gradual and accumulative approach to life, carefully filtering and adapting data to construct a personalized repository of knowledge
values a careful, methodical, consistent approach to everything (often inadvertently becomes an expert through personal commitment to incremental learning)
driven to seek out familiarity, stability, consistency, security, rituals
makes decisions based on personal priorities, passions, commitments
defines true knowledge in terms of understanding how past events have influenced the meaning of the present
knows that respecting prior knowledge: 1) provides a valuable sense of continuity and perseverance for individuals and society, 2) makes progress and solves problems by learning well from historical mistakes and successes, 3) firmly anchors the self by imbuing personal goals, activities, and interests with purpose and meaning, 4) reduces conflict through utilizing well-established methods that provide corrective or reliable support to others/society
defines social relationships in terms of faithfully acting in accordance with one’s roles or societal station
interprets social relationships through tangible displays that affirm a willingness to fulfill duties and honor promises
inspires people with depth of expertise and supportive action (unsung heroes), especially by maintaining a grounded and realistic outlook in crisis situations
Weaknesses of Si Dominants
(weaknesses usually stem from Si-Ne imbalances)
have trouble enjoying the moment due to fear of the future
only attend to information that is useful to themselves (myopic)
uncomfortable with change, uncertainty, ambiguity, behavior perceived as inconsistent or hypocritical
tend to lose sight of objective reasons for actions/decisions and excessively focus on their own personal priorities (overly subjective)
difficulty understanding that making good choices involves careful consideration of future possibilities and finding better methods (i.e. progress does not come simply from adhering to established rules, methods, or procedures)
can appear inflexible, dull, dogmatic, rigid to others
prefer to handle details themselves rather than delegate (distrustful)
stick to their own plans, sometimes irrationally, even when the results come out negatively; tend to persist in what they should give up and give up on what they should persist in (stubborn)
get easily offended if people do not honor the same principles/values as they do (nitpicky)
can forcefully take over others’ responsibilities (overbearing)
can overburden themselves with helping others and neglect their own health or feel guilty for having their own needs (too sacrificing)
easily embarrassed if they “do the wrong thingâ€; too concerned with appearing “proper†(image conscious)
high pressure to maintain inner stability can lead to irrational fear of change/risk as well as paralysis when faced with major decisions or important turning points in life
difficulty integrating knowledge that is seen as “unnecessary†or “unrealistic“
What Introverted Intuition Does
focus: observing context and interpreting meaning
explores meaningful patterns from different perspectives
cultivated through making visualizations based on vaguely familiar patterns
maintains a flexible and interpretive approach to life, carefully filtering words, concepts, signs, symbols, metaphors, abstractions in order to construct a personalized vision of the world
values knowledge/objects that have personal symbolic significance or predictive power (tend to have interests that strike others as unpredictable)
driven to seek out meaning, truth, insight, knowledge
makes decisions based on extrapolating future implications
defines true knowledge in terms of understanding how meanings, perspectives, or standpoints can be manipulated or changed (mental constructs are real but arbitrarily defined, therefore a change in definition can produce a change in perspective)
knows that exploring perception itself: 1) strengthens the power of imagination and reveals the boundaries/limitations of what is known, 2) makes progress in the external world by pinpointing and questioning the (faulty) underlying assumptions that underpin belief systems, 3) anchors the self by imbuing personally significant concepts, ideals, values, or theories with a reality of their own, 4) reduces conflict by honoring truth and long term vision
defines social relationships in terms of realizing “ideals†(how people live up to their latent potential)
interprets social relationships through meaningful actions that affirm the quality/strength of the relationship
inspires others by being the focal point of people’s sense of mystery regarding the unknown or unexplored aspects of human existence
Weaknesses of Ni Dominants
(weaknesses usually stem from Ni-Se imbalances)
have difficulty living in the present due to being future-oriented
make incorrect assumptions due to ignoring concrete facts
uncomfortable with feeling ordinary, superficial, or mediocre
avoid external influence, dismiss advice, tend to overlook important details that conflict with their perspective (tunnel vision)
tend to overlook practical/material needs because of excessive attention paid to inner reflection (lost in their heads)
often feel isolated or detached from the physical world
difficulty understanding that making good choices involves appreciating present circumstances and being proactive in response to changes (instead of overthinking everything and only acting when it is too late, or waiting until the facts of the situation overwhelm one’s preconceived expectations)
difficulty seeing themselves objectively; view dogmatism in others as a weakness but cannot see it in themselves (lack of self-awareness because Ni operates subconsciously)
inaccessible/obsessive when engaged with passionate interests; do not involve others in activities or quests for knowledge
can appear neurotic, arrogant, aloof, or uptight to others
tend to use ironic/sarcastic sense of humor as defense mechanism
tend to lose interest in a subject once it becomes mainstream
shift perspectives as a way to rationalize/justify problematic behavior
tend to be drawn to people with weak J attitude as a way to feel superior through advising/counseling others
difficulty maintaining healthy relationships because of unrealistic ideals/expectations
high pressure to deepen knowledge means they often feel dissatisfied and drown themselves in information with no way to filter it objectively; can have difficulty properly judging which perspective is better/worse
difficulty engaging with subjects that are not personally meaningful