but being a 9 and Fi user gives them more of a 'live and let live' attitude when it comes to humane issues. The INFP 9 may help out or silently support a cause, but the ISFJ 1 is the type I imagine to revolve a large chunk of their life around something they passionately feel is correct as well as be a bit peeved when others have contrary ideologies. There are a handful of small differences like such, I don't think the two types would blur together easily.
It seems to me that the 1 and Fe of the ISFJ may look quite similar to the 9 and Fi of the INFP.
Interesting because I think my brother is an ISFJ (he could be ISTJ but Ive been leaning more and more ISFJ whose 1ness makes him look ISTJ) 1w9 and I identify as an INFP 9w1
So lets compare.
My brother and I- we get along fairly well but some of the biggest issues in our relationship have been the fact that he thinks every day things need to be done a particular way. One of the most consistent arguments/problems we have goes something like this
Him: Who folded the chip bag wrong. Was it YOU?! How many times do I have to tell you that you fold it like THIS! Why cant you just do it right!
Me: Whats the big deal... its just a chip bag. Calm down.
Him: Why do you have to be so stubborn! All I am trying to do is help you so that you do it right!
Me: Well I dont want your help and I happen to like the way I folded the bag so... sorry. *walks out*
*Me and him are now annoyed at each other for an hour*
So really its generally
Fe- this is the right way to do this. Im trying to help you understand the universal right way to do this. For your own good and the good of the social system. I am trying to help you understand this because I care about you and I care about the system and I uniting you two makes things feel good and right. Why cant you appreciate this?
Fi- whichever way I feel like doing it is the right way to do this. People should be able to do things their own way. I dont want you dictate my decisions for me. The socially right way to do this doesnt matter to me, in fact, having to consider it stresses me out. I let people do what they want to do, why cant they do the same for me. I do not want your help when it comes to this and it is hard for me to remember that that is genuinely your intention- that it isnt to judge me- and once I do remember I appreciate it... but I still dont want your help.
If you arent folding the chip bag the way he thinks it should be folded, dont answer him immediately when hes speaking, dont do whatever society deems RIGHT- dont do this that or the other thing rightits wrong. And hes angry (though better lately-more laid back with the 9 wing coming into play). He used to be very particular about everything, and very very able and willing to let you know about it. Like he almost couldnt even help himself he HAD to say something.
And I get it. Im the same way. When something I feel is wrong is happening- I HAVE to say something. But is difference things I care about. Heres a good example. My mom asked me and my brother one day why we hadnt picked up the couple of dollars she had left on the table. Both of our answers were- because it wasnt mine. My mom commented about how ethical we both were and so my brother and I continued talking about it a little bit. My continued answer was something like “well yeah, stealing is wrong.†And my brothers answer was- “well of course I wouldnt steal, stealing is against the law†(or something of the like)
We both can appear similar but- where my brother follows a strict code of external ethics and rules- mine is more internal. Mine is more- if you fold the chip bag incorrectly, whatever its just chips. As long as the chips are fine, who cares how its folded. And even if they go bad because of how the bag was folded... whatever. No one is hurt. Not a big deal. But if you fold the chip bag wrong intentionally because you are trying to do some passive aggressive counter move- thats crap. Thats wrong. Your intention was to hurt someone and that is something Im not ok with. I care more about values and less about things, my brother uses things to determine his values. Neither is wrong.
And it isnt as if my brother doesnt have emotions. Or things he cares about. Things that are important to him. He is one of the most loyal people I have ever met. He values people. I value people but more... abstractly. I care about people and doing the right thing- but sometimes its harder for me to put that care into action than it is for my brother. While I might think the world of you... I probably wont think to give you a hug... while my brother... gives the best and more welcominng and sincere hugs of anyone I have ever met.
He also can be incredibly brave when it comes to the people he cares about. If someone is going something and its hurting someone he cares about- then hes done. Hes pissed off intensely on your behalf and will have to try really hard, if he bothers, not to just go off on that person. While with me- Ill probably weigh everyones side. Ill try to peacemake initially and only after something REALLY sprouts its head as wrong will I say something. For me, my brain goes- try to understand everyones point of view first- THEN ONCE I THINK I UNDERSTAND everyones point of view- do what I think is right. For my brother its the opposite- he does what he thinks is right- stands up a little too intensely for my 9 self sometimes- and THEN goes through and tries to make sure he understands what he needs to do to make everyone feel ok/what he thinks is right considering everyones perspective.
Neither is worse than the other. While sometimes I let things go on too long and feel like a coward for doing so- and beat myself up over that... sometimes my brother makes things problems that he wishes that he hadnt- and he regrets losing his temper/regrets the intensity of his tone.
So really. We are very different yet very similar at the same time. We both want to do what we think is the best thing to do- but we get there differently.
Fe- this is the right way to do this. Im trying to help you understand the universal right way to do this. For your own good and the good of the social system. I am trying to help you understand this because I care about you and I care about the system and I uniting you two makes things feel good and right. Why cant you appreciate this?
Fi- whichever way I feel like doing it is the right way to do this. People should be able to do things their own way. I dont want you dictate my decisions for me. The socially right way to do this doesnt matter to me, in fact, having to consider it stresses me out. I let people do what they want to do, why cant they do the same for me. I do not want your help when it comes to this and it is hard for me to remember that that is genuinely your intention- that it isnt to judge me- and once I do remember I appreciate it... but I still dont want your help.
And it isnt as if my brother doesnt have emotions. Or things he cares about. Things that are important to him. He is one of the most loyal people I have ever met. He values people. I value people but more... abstractly. I care about people and doing the right thing- but sometimes its harder for me to put that care into action than it is for my brother. While I might think the world of you... I probably wont think to give you a hug... while my brother... gives the best and more welcominng and sincere hugs of anyone I have ever met.
He also can be incredibly brave when it comes to the people he cares about. If someone is going something and its hurting someone he cares about- then hes done. Hes pissed off intensely on your behalf and will have to try really hard, if he bothers, not to just go off on that person. While with me- Ill probably weigh everyones side. Ill try to peacemake initially and only after something REALLY sprouts its head as wrong will I say something. For me, my brain goes- try to understand everyones point of view first- THEN ONCE I THINK I UNDERSTAND everyones point of view- do what I think is right. For my brother its the opposite- he does what he thinks is right- stands up a little too intensely for my 9 self sometimes- and THEN goes through and tries to make sure he understands what he needs to do to make everyone feel ok/what he thinks is right considering everyones perspective.
Well, in general, but also N and S factor into that. S Fe folks, sure, key off a concrete universal system; N Fe folks are more flexible about worldly systems because they're keying into an abstracted sense of right or wrong. It's not necessarily about the actual "law," it can involve universal law that they believe operates above the potentially flawed social law.
The same goes for Fi, the N version tends to broaden the Fi and it appeals to some kind of BROAD individual morality, whereas the S Fi is more focused on what is good for the specific self. This doesn't mean either is necessarily selfish, it's just that one tends to extrapolate out to all individuals versus focusing on personal "rightness" for the individual self. (I don't really know how to articulate it better, I'm not happy with my wording here.)
Right, although again N and S will influence the presentation. it's like layers of abstraction vs concreteness. Extraverted functions are going to be anchored in a bit more tangibility in how they are thought about (they are "objective" in the literal sense), introverted functions are subjective because they spawn from internal factors. One things more in terms of literal expressions of intention, the other is fuzzier and about positioning or viewpoint.
You can see the inherent influences too in how the Fi contributes to a P approach, the Fe contributes to a J approach.
Yeah, the motivations are a bit different and it can also lead into different expressions, even if a lot of the result can sometimes look the same.
The instinctive triad seems geared towards others or at least how power/autonomy is wielded. Eights find it easiest to be decisive, they aim power/control at the external world; Nines seem to use their power/control on only themselves, in order to keep the rest of the world around them stable, they want to remain at rest; Ones seem to be a mix, they have strong opinions / a strong vision about how the world should be but can become frustrated that they don't have control over others, they seem to wrestle between trying to control and not wanting to impose, which can place them and others in turmoil. So you can sometimes end up getting passive-aggression or someone who looks okay on the surface while inside they are extremely conflicted and angry.
I'm a T, not an F, but I do have a pretty heavy Nine as part of my triad. I found a lot in common in ISFJ E1 types -- I could WORK with them easily, grasped them, felt some level of kinship-- even while the more judgmental ones really could irk me. Because I was looking for real synthesis and reconciliation (not just wanting to be at peace, but really wanting everything to be truly mesh)... while intense ISFJ One's could be very judgmental (inside, but it exudes itself) because they would emotionally manipulate those around them to get things how THEY wanted and/or what they were taught was the "right way to do things" while pretending to be polite and wanting to make peace. I guess that's kind of a tangent here, but it does show how there can be alignment of goals and you can work towards the same things, while having different underlying motivations and perceptions. (To be fair and criticize myself, sometimes Nine can be very self-serving, wanting to just make life easier without having larger non-self-directed goals in mind to drive that. One thing I personally had to learn in adulthood was that it was okay to hold a strong opinion and push for change / create instability when it needed to happen, rather than just taking the easy way out.)
Based on two specific people I know, a brother and a sister. It might not be much help, being my observations of only two particular people I know well:
The INFP 9 feels more "floopy", gets on flights of fancy, and imagines things to be as he wants them to be.
The ISFJ 1 (his sister) feels more solid, tries very hard to make her home beautiful, is extremely attentive to being hospitable (it's cultural, but she's more focused and better at it than the rest of her family), and can be very optimistic but doesn't tend to fool herself about things in the face of experience & evidence. Usually.
1 and Fe are actually of INFJ. They look similar to 9 and Fe of ISFJ.It seems to me that the 1 and Fe of the ISFJ may look quite similar to the 9 and Fi of the INFP.