I am not trying to distance myself from ENFPs. No reason to make it personal like that.
Frankly though, I dont think typical INFPs and ENFPs look much alike.
I will agree there is more similarity in the thought process, which I find most evident in writing.
However, I don't agree with popular ideas about using functions in an order. Rather, I think they are all facets of a whole mindset, and the functions play different roles. So INFPs have a Fi ego and are dominant introverted rational types, and ENFPs have a Ne ego and are dominant extroverted percieving types. That makes for quite a difference in mentality and visible personality. They are two very distinct types, not subtypes at all. The tendency to have different enneagram types is telling also, especially as ENFPs are more likely to be 7s like ENTPs, whereas ISFPs and INFPs are both commonly 4s or 9s.
Lastly, I have not typed the girl in the video. My main point is she doesnt strike me as INFP. Between the NFPs, she seems more ENFP, but Im not even sold on that.
First of all, Im sorry for the
form in which i wrote to you. i had had an argument with my partner who is an INFP and i was slightly irritated with INFPs as a whole race
However, re-reading what I wrote, my opinion remains and I would like to comment on what you said now, even though ultimately this is all a question of opinion and I don't want to convince you, nor do I think you want to be convinced. But I sill enjoy discussing points of view so...
Yes, maybe order of functions is not a clear order. I agree with this and for this reason I sustain that we are sub-types of a same type. My reason for saying this comes directly from my experience of having many INFP friends, as well as having had romantic relationships with two INFPs in my lifetime. In fact, as for function order, I think introversion/extroversion is the least important aspect of MBTI, and as you say the development of the functions can depend on the individual (I have seen INFPs use Fi-Si more than Ne-> unhealthy INFP) and me personally, I probably have an underdeveloped Fi or maybe have little trust in it, and I've been working on this. .... all this is further proof that INFPs and ENFPs are made of the same material, so it seems to me that we are actually agreeing rather than disagreeing.
As for the 3rd function, I see it clearly, that my reaction to stress goes through Te and my partner's through Si. This is why it seems to me that 3rd function is the most important difference. But it doesn't mean I'm stuck on function order. I'm just speaking from empirical personal experience.
As for the enneagram, I definitely have both type 7 and 4 in my tritype and they are both very strong, actually some times I wonder which one is stronger. And Im pretty sure my INFP partner, who is a 4, also has 7 in her tritype. You will argue that I'm only talking about my personal example, and MBTI is statistical, but in fact
my whole point is that there is not a clear division of INFPs and ENFPs in ways of thinking and values(!?) for the world (not sure how to express this but I hope you understand). Think of Sigmoidal curves instead of binary units, think of Venn diagrams instead of black and white. This is what I mean.
I see us more as a
gradation, I believe the introversion/extroversion factor just leads to a
gradation in uses of functions and levels of extroversion. Im not saying we are the same, but what pushes my buttons personally is reading on this forum that INFPs don't think they can communicate satisfyingly with ENFPs. I have seen this mostly in the thread of "how you communicate with other types" or whatever it's called. It's just the cliché that ENFPs are more extroverted therefore less attune with their inner self, less interested in exploring the depth of human emotion and more interested in having a party, meeting a hundred different people and ending up having group sex whilst drunk and on drugs. And INFPs are not able to be social or to have a fun day with other people, they will be sitting alone at night with just a candle on (not full lights otherwise the serotonin levels may get to them and make them be happy, god forbid (!) , and they will be writing their feelings and cutting their veins. This is bullshit.
I believe all the
deepness that you think you are able of, I am also, and all the level of communication you would like to have with an ENFP, I believe you would be able to equally well as with an INFP. Maybe the ENFP will not like to linger for such a long time on Fi, because we are drawn to Ne,
but.
but we have the same
capacity to
fully understand and experience the mind of an INFP.
