Ok, as promised I'm gonna go through kohai-chan's function descriptions and talk about how I relate or differ (since I'm too much of a loser to write my own super-cool thing off the top of my head). That way you can see the different "flavorings" of an ISFJ 9 (SEI-Si) and an ISFJ 2 (SEI-Fe).
I'm Queen of Nostalgia. I hold on to everything that reminds me of old times, good and bad. I'm always thinking about my past, and if I'm not careful, I can get stuck there in obsessive reflection. All that thinking makes me very self-aware.
I feel like Si is kind of like this constant, living nostalgia. It doesn't always feel that way all the time because it's kind of like my "natural mode," but it's very much present.
I have a green box. A very dear friend once gave me a bunch of little trinkets in this box as a present. She lives on the other side of the country now for school. Sometimes she sends me postcards. I put these postcards in my little green box.
This friend of mine I suspect is also an ISFJ (at the very least, ISxJ). I love getting these postcards from her. They mean so much to me, and I save every one. I used to sleep with one of them that was especially important to me under my pillow, but I got scared that I might crumple or ruin it somehow so I stopped doing that.
Anyway, if you point at literally anything in my room and say "where/when/how/why did you get that," I can answer that. My sister won me that Hello Kitty at the state fair in October a couple years ago, we went on a Thursday because Thursdays are free admission, I went with my mom, my sister, and my INTJ friend, etc. etc. I bought those three eeveelution plushies at a convention three years ago, at first I only bought one of them but ended up withdrawing money to go back and buy the others. That day I went with my ISTJ friend and his mom, and I remember work tried to call both of us in while we were there and we sat in the car laughing because we hated McDonalds anyway. And so on. With everything. Every CD, every shirt, every trinket, everything hanging on my wall. I remember everything's stories.
It's not so much that I'm always actively thinking about the past, but that I'm always living with this kind of nostalgia. "The last time I was here, that thing was lying over there, and now it's moved over here." I always notice what's changed. Sometimes even years after some change has occurred, it still feels "new" to me. Oh, the doctor's office added this glass divider 7 years ago? Still seems like yesterday to me, since I've been visiting this doctor since I was x years old. That kind of thing. Everyone's like "wtf? That's not new" and I'm like sorry but it used to not be that way so it still seems new to me hah.
I love to make up my own traditions, and adhere to the ones that bring me joy. If my family does something every Thanksgiving, then I always want to do it that way, even if a more intriguing opportunity arises.
God yes. A few years ago, I worked at McDonalds, and they made me work on Christmas (we were not allowed to request holdiays off, and you got fired for not showing up). I was super sulky the whole time. I'm not a Christian, I don't care about the religous or gift-giving/receiving part of the holiday. I was sulky and upset because
every single Christmas since my birth I always go to my grandparents' house for dinner. And I wasn't able to do that this year. It bummed me the fuck out beyond belief. This was something I
always do, so it was really important to me. I'm still bitter as hell years later.
I love starting new "traditions." I used to have Musical Tuesdays one semester with my two ISTJ friends, because we all had no classes at the same time in the afternoon on Tuesday. They'd come over and we'd eat lunch and watch a musical at my house. It was our weekly tradition. Those were the days, I miss them dearly.
When something happens in my life, I remember the exact details. I can tell you the very day I had my first kiss, my first day in detention, my first period, the day in 7th grade I got in a fight with [classmate], the days I was admitted and discharged from the hospital, the day I saw a fight happen at my church, they start and end dates of all my romantic relationships. If I can't tell you the exact day, then I at least know the month and year. Every era in my life has its own distinct flavor and feel in my mind, almost like an emotional "scent."
I remember details more than I do dates; there are some things I can't remember month/year for unless I have it recorded somewhere. But I can describe to you how I felt the morning I woke up in August 2008, the excruciating pain I was in, what I had to do to get someone's attention, what it was like getting driven to the hospital, being admitted, the tubes, the room I was in with the newborn baby, watching Fresh Prince every night, not being allowed to eat for 8 days and how horrible that was, in
lots of detail if I had the time and someone was curious enough to listen.
I have this
infamously amazing story that I've told over and over again. My ISTJ says "it just keeps getting better and better." I tell it fucking
amazing in person, but I don't think it would come off as well over writing, because a lot of that "real-time charisma" plays into making it so great. It's an incredibly detailed account of a day in 2007 (I was in 7th grade) when TERRIBLE EVENT after TERRIBLE EVENT kept happening to me, going to the Little White Room at school, the book report,
oh my god I want to tell this story so fucking bad but I just
CAN'T do it justice in writing, it has to be done in person so badly. But yes, these incredibly detailed accounts--they're fuckin' real.
Maybe that's why Si has a reputation for being "the storytelling function." I've got some
damn good stories.
I could make a playlist with all the songs I listened to in every era from 6th grade on. I even named the different eras in my life. I love to listen to all the songs I used to listen to, in order to relive that time, but I'm afraid to do it too much; I don't want to tarnish the connections I have with the past. I never buy the same deodorant, shampoo, or conditioner twice, because I want to preserve them as unique artifacts of my personal history. The worst thing would be to merge new experiences into old ones - how, then, could I hold fast to my memories? Those ties would be forever lost.
As I addressed in my post earlier--I'm the exact same omfg.
Change can be difficult for me. I like being comfortable with what's safe and what's pleasant. My first reaction to change is, "Oh no!" If something is working well, I see little point in switching it up. That doesn't mean I hate progress - I love it! I just think that altering a system that is perfectly fine could likely throw things into chaos, and I just want to be peaceful, safe, and comfortable. Changes from book to movie and movie to book really bother me.
Oh same for sure. My
gut reaction is to try and cling on to what I know and ground myself, and feel safe and comfortable before analyzing what this New Thing is, and whether I feel comfortable enough with it or not. I don't like
sudden change. I like to know what I'm getting into.
And on that note, that's why the transition from high school to college was the most stressful, unhealthy stage of my life. I was incredibly depressed, more so than I've ever been at any other point in my life. Facebook posts, snippets of journal writing, etc. from that period of my life are all incredibly dark, moreso than what I even actually remember. It's kind of frightening. Eventually, I got used to "college life", adapted, and am now much better. ... for now. I've expressed
a lot of insecurities in my private blog on this forum recently about my fears for post-college life because, well, that's another huge fucking change...
And I am 100% for progressive change, or any other kind of change that I'm comfortable with. I just don't like bad surprises. Who does?
And the book is almost always better than the movie. ... Whichever came first is always better. Almost always.
I'm a true romantic. I spend a lot of time in my head, lost, imagining the past and making up things that didn't even happen. I'm always going back to places from my past. I take walks to my old schools and wish I could relive a day or two there. I'm forever a childlike spirit, because deep down, I'm kind of afraid to grow up and leave everything that makes me feel alive. Part of me wants to become a teacher because I love being with kids - they remind me of my childhood, and it keeps me from growing old. I remember how I used to feel when I was in 5th grade, so I want to help people of that age because it's easier for me to empathize.
I wouldn't describe myself as "romantic," but I relate a shit ton to what you're saying here. I like to get in my car and drive past my old houses, reminisce, think about what's happening there now, who's living there, what my old room looks like... drive past my old elementary school, think about my childhood memories, notice how different the playground looks now... that sort of thing. It usually makes me really sad. Nostalgia in general usually makes me sad, because I miss the innocence and naivety of childhood. I don't want to grow up. I wanna be stupid and happy, not smart and sad.
Omg kohai-chan... sometimes I daydream about what it would be like if I somehow got teleported back in time, and was like 7 years old again, but with all of the knowledge that I have now. And what I would do. Do you ever do that?? Like I'd totally kick Sydney W.'s ass if she treated me the way she did if I somehow went back in time but was still "mentally" my present self. I think it's fun.
I could never be a teacher. But I have been a supplemental instructor, and that was the best job I've ever had
I feel very emotional when I see someone struggling with things I used to struggle with. I connect with hurting people by scanning my mind for times I felt that way. I'm extremely lazy and procrastinating, but I know exactly how I could get organized if I had the discipline. Why would I want to be rigid and organized when I could be relaxing in my happy place? (I think happy places can be very Si, by the way.)
I'm less this way than you are, probably because I have a weird relationship with Fe. I'm usually fairly indifferent about people, but I
also usually never see anyone's suffering firsthand, since I'm so closed off and usually just stick to myself and rarely leave home. So there's not much opportunity for it. And I usually don't feel too much pain for others, because I know if I let myself, it's gonna
hurt, so I just kind of... stay disconnected from it I guess? I don't get involved because I know that if I do, it's going to be painful and there won't be any going back.
I definitely differ from you on an organization scale; OCPD, strong 1 wing, what have you. I'm too organized. People get stressed out because of how organized I am. Wash your hands before touching my game controllers. Don't pet the dog and then touch me without washing your hands first. Be careful when you eat and don't get crumbs everywhere! DON'T EAT THAT ON MY BED I SLEEP THERE AND YOU'RE GETTING CRUMBS ON IT!!! Don't get pizza grease all over my computer mouse!!! WAIT HOLD ON I need to get this piece of hair off the monopoly board before you take your turn. Lists, lists, lists. All homework done at least a day in advance. I'm so stressed out all the time, 0/10 not recommended.
I have been keeping a journal every day for over three years, and I read these entries all the time. It's so rewarding to see how much I've grown and changed, to see how different I am now. I go through life at a slow, peaceful and gradual pace; sometimes it takes some sudden external stimuli (like a photo) to make me aware of how much has changed. I'm clumsy and not very observant, unless there's a change in something or someone I care about - then I notice pretty quickly.
I kept a journal all throughout high school; I go back and re-read it sometimes. Past me embarrasses me so much I can't stand it lol. I've tried keeping a regular journal since, but I don't have the time or resolve anymore. My blog I guess is the closes thing we're gonna get, which is good enough.
I definitely like a slow, comfortable pace. When I worked at McDonalds and at Fry's as a customer service rep, I was damn good at my job. Or at least that's what people have told me. I never believed it or saw it until after I quit and was able to look at it from the outside. But those were fast-paced jobs. They stressed me out too much. It was too chaotic and made me want to die. My supplemental instructor job was by far the best; relaxed, slow-paced, and much more personal. I got to talk with people one-on-one or in small groups, and had some regulars come to my help sessions throughout the semester. I got to help them, and they really appreciated me. One of them even bought me a present when she went on vacation.
I liked it because I didn't wanna stab myself at the end of every day like I did with the other jobs. I made a very bad decision once after I had a terrible day working at Fry's and I'm glad it didn't become a habit.
I love telling stories about my past. I can become very animated and excited when I share and recall memories. I want to be alone a lot, though, because the world throws so much stimuli at me, and I need time to process and reflect when things are calm. I'm very sensitive in this way (an HSP). When someone hits me with major information, I freeze up and stare into the distance because it's just so much to chew on.
RE: what I said about Si storytelling above.
And how it's much better in person! YES!! Animation! That's it! That real-time charisma!!
I need like, 72 hours of alone time for every 2 hours spent with a person lol. It's unsustainable.
I'm never not burnt out.
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Response to your Fe paragraph coming in part 2 because this is already too long.
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Another thing I want to point out, while I'm on a roll:
There's a difference between shitty function descriptions and what the functions actually are. Think of these as foods. Bad interpretations of the functions are candy fruit flavors. You know how you taste a grape lollipop, and then you eat an actual grape, wondering how they came from each other? It's kind of like that. The shitty function descriptions were originally derived from the actual functions, but eventually became perverted and twisted into their own thing.
I love this, I do, but have you considered: artificial banana tastes 1000% better than regular banana
this isn't really related I'm just very passionate about it
