Typing a friend...

[arcticangel02]

Her: How are you doing?
Me: Yeah, fine, normal.
Her: Is anything normal? And what does 'fine' mean anyway?

What type might respond like that? And also give off a slightly disapproving air that you're using altogether too many cheerful smileys in your communication?

She's also a very strong advocate for many 'global' causes, if you will.

My guess is that she's an INxx of some description.

 

[prplchknz]

haha, I would say something like that. So if I'm correct about my type, INFP? I'm sure people from other types would have a similar response.

 

[Colors]

Could be any type, really, under some circumstance or another. Coudl you be more descriptive?

 

[Totenkindly]

Nothing conclusive. It challenges the meanings of the words themselves (stepping outside the box easily), but otherwise it could still be many types.

It's like trying to say someone is lying because their eyes flick to the right (or whichever side) when they speak. As an isolated trait, it means little; it has to be part of a larger pattern or schema.

The dislike of smile and interest in global causes helps a little bit.

What's her favorite "clothing" style?

 

[Varelse]

Rough guess based on minimal information: INxP

 

[DaRick]

Her: How are you doing?
Me: Yeah, fine, normal.
Her: Is anything normal? And what does 'fine' mean anyway?

What type might respond like that? And also give off a slightly disapproving air that you're using altogether too many cheerful smileys in your communication?

She's also a very strong advocate for many 'global' causes, if you will.

My guess is that she's an INxx of some description.

This sounds almost INTx-ish: being argumentative for the sake of being argumentative.

 

[arcticangel02]

Okay, more information.:

She refuses to be 'girly' - she won't ever wear make-up and only wears dresses when she has no choice but to dress up. Her normal wear is casual and practical... cargoes, plain tops, etc.

She used to be very shy and uncomfortable with giving/recieving hugs, but she did open up towards the end of highschool (because the rest of us were apt to hug her whether she wanted to or not), and she's since moved away for college, where it took her a while to get settled. But when she came back for a visit about 12 months later she had opened up and was quite comfortable discussing some things that made the rest of us go !!. But I suspect that's just the change of scene forcing her to adapt.

Again, she's very very involved with a lot of causes... this seems to be her main outlet for feeling like she's actually doing something worthwhile.

Otherwise she seems to spend a lot of time thinking, and often her blog is filled with how she really can't stand the pretenses of other people, and that she herself is really very uninteresting.

When she's not talking about trying to fit in, she's often talking about politics and how they're not nearly doing a good enough job, especially to do with the environment and the like.

I'm actually tempted to post some excerpts from her blog, but I dunno... :/

 

[prplchknz]

Okay, more information.:

She refuses to be 'girly' - she won't ever wear make-up and only wears dresses when she has no choice but to dress up. Her normal wear is casual and practical... cargoes, plain tops, etc.

She used to be very shy and uncomfortable with giving/recieving hugs, but she did open up towards the end of highschool (because the rest of us were apt to hug her whether she wanted to or not), and she's since moved away for college, where it took her a while to get settled. But when she came back for a visit about 12 months later she had opened up and was quite comfortable discussing some things that made the rest of us go !!. But I suspect that's just the change of scene forcing her to adapt.

Again, she's very very involved with a lot of causes... this seems to be her main outlet for feeling like she's actually doing something worthwhile.

Otherwise she seems to spend a lot of time thinking, and often her blog is filled with how she really can't stand the pretenses of other people, and that she herself is really very uninteresting.

When she's not talking about trying to fit in, she's often talking about politics and how they're not nearly doing a good enough job, especially to do with the environment and the like.

I'm actually tempted to post some excerpts from her blog, but I dunno... :/

Honestly I'm going to go with INFP?? still, because bits and pieces of that sound like me.

*It's not that I refuse to be 'girly' I'm just not. I hate the feel of make up. I rather wear jeans, because if I wore short or dress I'd have to shave my legs.

*I use to feel creepy giving/receiving hugs, and still do if I don't know the person.


*Not involved in any causes, so she's already a better person then I am.

* I spend a lot of time thinkng.I can't stand people, and I am boring.

*I don't talk about fitting in anymore, I don't think I really ever had, but talk about it less then I use to. I somehow manage to talk politics and how the government sucks.
THough for me it's more about human rights then the enviroment

If it's alright with her, I'd say post bits and pieces of her blog.

and this is why i think she's an INFP, only if I'm one and her motives are the same or similar. But you should probably ask, why she does those things.

 

[arcticangel02]

Alright, I'll put these bits and pieces up for a day or so, then take them down again:

(Gone!)

 

[Totenkindly]

It's so hard to pinpoint type from a thread... usually if I meet the person, it all clicks quickly.

My best guess right now is INFx. Probably more indicative of INFP overall, but the ease at stepping through multiple viewpoints and the intricate style of writing tends to show up more in INFJ.

It's also possible to be an INFP with a more highly developed Ni than typical (if she was in long-term situations where she spent a lot of time alone and was forced to aim inwards rather than outwards).

 

[cascadeco]

Reading your friends' blogs, I could have easily written some of that stuff several years ago. Honestly, you should see some of the stuff I wrote while in that phase. Extremely cynical. I think it was my Ti phase in life. And sometimes I'll have similar thoughts even these days if I'm in a bad mood or if I am disppointed with the people or the world around me, and I can't make sense of how I can fit into it.

 

[Colors]

I think ISTJ. Your description really resonated with how I see my ISTJ and ESTJ friends. The being awkward with closeness (could just be a J thing in general)- being attracted to causes. The ESTJ is more attracted to the groups aspect, while the ISTJ can be very passionate about the causes (in her case, the environment). And the refusing to dress girly. My only reservation is that I'm not sure I know many ISTJs that would be that revealing on a blog. Since they are both females, the Te is not always blunt or obvious- it's very tempered by some Fe. With the ESTJ especially, you can tell she's not an F with how she deals with her own emotions: ignoring them/being overwhelmed by them. The ISTJ is more likely to use the sort of sensitive Fe language, but it's more like a tool or a socialized answer than the back and worth-ness of strong Fe.

Of course, any number of your points could be applied to INFx types too. Leaning towards J type though, although her frustration with the world could be a Fi thing.. I'm not really feeling the Fe in the description of her though.

 

[redacted]

sounds like an INFJ. really strong Ni.

 

[INTJMom]

INTPs question everything.

 

[Totenkindly]

INTPs question everything.

We do?

 

[INTJMom]

LOL!

 

[arcticangel02]

I'll refer to this friend I'm trying to type as the INFx, because it seems fairly certain she's either INFP or INFJ.

INTPs question everything.

I'm fairly sure she's not INTP... she's different enough to my friend who I know is that type. Although I do get the impression that their cynicism sort of feeds off each other:

INFx friend was sort of 'encouraged' to open up and be unafraid of being a little cynical by the INTP, who displayed that view quite easily... This was when we all met in high school.

But in the years that have passed, the INTP has almost mellowed to a point where the INFx still wishes to be cynical and sarcastic about the world (and some people around us), and the INTP doesn't really. She shrugs her shoulders and doesn't really get involved.

Does that make sense? I know that just could be indicative of different stages of maturity, but in addition to that, the INTP is in general far too apathetic to be the crusader than the INFx is.

It's also possible to be an INFP with a more highly developed Ni than typical (if she was in long-term situations where she spent a lot of time alone and was forced to aim inwards rather than outwards).

Yes, I suspect she was required to be alone a lot - she moved around a lot as a child... I think she lived in three or four different countries up until the age of 15... and when she started at our school she had only one friend that she had met in the two years she'd been at another school in the city. She spent a lot of time reading and such.


However I feel reluctant to label her an INFP... because of my own type... I have a rather low E, and so I'm not too far off an INFP myself. And if she were one, I would expect to feel like we have a lot of similarities in how we think and act. But I don't, really.

So I'm not sure whether this means I'm really not anywhere as near INFP as I think, or if she is in fact an INFJ.

 

[Athenian200]

From what I can tell? Probably some kind of INTx. Doesn't seem very F to me, really... but then I don't know them.

 

[INTJMom]

... the INFx still wishes to be cynical and sarcastic about the world (and some people around us)...

This sounds more INFJ than INFP.

INFPs have a way of developing a fantasy world around themselves. They talk about all the evil conspiracies in the world, yet they continue living in their little pretend world as if nothing is wrong - while they've scared the daylights out of the rest of us!

INFJs too, know people are evil, and it makes them want to run away and hide. Reality can be overwhelming or depressing.

 

[cascadeco]

From what I can tell? Probably some kind of INTx. Doesn't seem very F to me, really... but then I don't know them.

This just seems kind of ironic/amusing to me...and I don't mean it in a bad way at all!!..you've just never struck me as terribly F in written form either!!

Arcticangel, I don't know. As I already mentioned, I can definitely relate to your friends thoughts that she posted in her blog, as I've had them. But I also don't know whether ALL INxx's to some degree or other would have them at some point in their lives.

This reminds me of my INFJ friend who at one point dated an INTP (one I know, actually). They were both excellent companions, and they have a lot in common in terms of views/thoughts. But in the words of my INFJ friend, they should never have dated, because they both had similar thoughts, and they both 'brought each other down'. The general cynicism of the INTP caused my friend to spin down into cynicism herself, and she joked that if they'd ever gotten married, they would have both stayed down in the hole. In other words, although in general she's not nearly as cynical as he is, she is PRONE to those thoughts, and if she's around people too much who are in general more negative about things, then she'll kind of fall into it too. I myself am rather similar.

Now I don't know if your friend is INFx or not. I mean, a lot of people here on the boards (including myself) question their OWN type at times!! And then you have the thing where 10 people, given the same description of a person, will come to 5 different conclusions on what type the person is!!

But I certainly wouldn't discredit the F thing, simply because she's not in a warm and fuzzy point in her life. As I've mentioned, myself and a few other INFJ's (and one INFP) I know tend to go through phases in terms of mood/outlook on life. Obviously I'd hate to speak for all INFx's though, because I don't know that others experience the same thing. I just know it's not out of the question with INFx. I myself haven't really 'wished' to stay cynical and sarcastic about the world like you say your friend has, but I will admit it took a good couple of years for me to move from a more cynical viewpoint, to a less cynical one. It doesn't happen magically....it's a lot of internal Ni/Ne/Ti/whatever stuff going on.