Also, another friend INFJ can't tell the difference between a guy who likes her and a guy who likes her vagina. Well, it's not that she can't tell, I think she just kids herself a lot, because she'd rather be in a relationship that she knows (somewhere in her mind) is fake, than not be in one at all.
How do you know that they aren't actually aware that it's fake, but like being "with" someone so much that they don't care if the person actually cares about them or not, and don't want to make themselves look bad by admitting that? Also, emotions aren't technically an aspect of reality, and do not represent one, but are rather an aspect of how people perceive reality, so how can something governed by one be "fake" or "real" by objective standards? Why would that be important to a Thinking type? The only difference between a "fake" and a "real" relationship is the presence or absence of a particular type of mutual feeling.
More clarification -- I'm not sure if I said this already, but in case I didn't. I think NFs will only reject or be unsure of the truth when it's not what they want to be real.
If it doesn't affect them negatively or isn't necessary for the survival of themselves/values, then they're perfectly fine with reality as it is.
Are you sure we really reject it? Perhaps we're just trying to find a way to achieve what's important to us, despite that it seems impossible. Just because most people believe something is possible/impossible doesn't make it so, and the only way to know for certain is to attempt everything you can to attain it. Even if I fail because it really was impossible, at least I don't have any regrets or lingering doubts.
I get the feeling I'm being manipulated.... like... you guys know I don't actually think you're dumb, but you want to hear me say that you're smart.
Actually, they're assuming (consciously or unconsciously) that anyone who doesn't acknowledge reality and is oblivious to truth must be stupid. Then, hearing you say that NF's don't acknowledge reality, they presume that you believe that they're stupid. Because they're projecting that assumption onto you. I doubt it's manipulation.
Also, I thought you were INTP. Did you reevaluate or were you just pretending over on INTPc?
Well, that wouldn't surprise me if they had. INTP's aren't typically tolerant of FJ's over there, and other types can mimic INTP behavior if they study it. The way you phrased that implies (on an emotional level) that it would have bothered you if that were the case. Did you intend to convey that?
I'm not so sure she meant she didn't believe in it. She doesn't have a very broad vocabulary, so my guess is she couldn't think of a better word.
Alas, this represents another triumph of illiteracy and superstition. Most regrettable.
Though, looking at what both my friend and my brother were saying -- it almost appears as though they reject those things so they can shirk responsibility. Perhaps this is just motive?
It depends. Did they have anything to gain by pretending not to understand these things? What responsibilities would it have absolved them of, if they rejected those things?
Well, you have to look also at the perception axis. Fi... makes shit up (everything from compliments to imaginary friends to entire stories. Perception I think just helps out with those things), in addition to the values thing.
Technically, Fi "stores" the values it derives from imagination/compliments, and keeps trying to find and apply them again. It's actually Ne that that makes up the connections, and Fi that judges them in terms of values. It's just that the criteria they're judged on is beyond my comprehension.
[Do] NFs pretend they have a connection to 'otherworld' or are enlightened to things that other's aren't?
It's more that we don't trust that the world around us is actually as it appears to be, and we have an idea of how we would like it to be. So we're more attuned to our idea of reality than reality itself. Personally, I dislike focusing on objective reality because it's too chaotic, and I need order.
Maybe that's more of an N trait altogether. (just trying to avert the probably inbound hypocrisy accusation)
I'll admit that F's tend to think about a more idealized/stylized reality than T's do. T's are interested in reflecting the nature of reality in their abstractions. F's are more focused on creating abstractions (ideals) that reflect how reality
should be, how we should want and work for it to be.