INTJ and INFJ

part two: A year ago, she was an ESFP and now she said she got ISFJ, what surprised me, especially the “I” because if anyone is extroverted it’s my sister. The thing is, when she got ESFP, I sat beside her when she did the test while the other time I didn’t. Do you think there’s any logical explanation for this change, besides she wasn’t quite honest when she did it on her own? That’s possible, but unlikely. I’m a little confused, please help :)—————————————————————————————-

Hello there, so good to hear from you and to see that you created an mbti blog in the end. On your friend: 

I can think of two main reasons, not mutually exclusive: 

We have previous posts on cognitive functions in case that helps you. If you are interested, send us a message and I can try to recommend you some sources.

– INTJ

Thank you for this question. A healthy and balanced Fi would manifest in INTJs as: 

- A strong and unwavering set of morals. In a healthy INTJ and due to the constant questioning approach of the type, these morals would probably be the final conclusions of a well-thought mental process in which different perspectives and angles have been taken into consideration. 

- A strong connection with the inner self. INTJs are individuals with a rich and deep inner world, however unhealthy individuals will perceive this depth as a constant source of deep melancholy, uneasiness and even sorrow. A healthy INTJ will use their balanced Fi to stay in sync with their personal truth. 

- A good acknowledgement and acceptance of their emotions. As much as the “evil, cold, has no clue about emotions” INTJ stereotype has gone way too far, I think it is accurate to state that it is rather common for INTJs to feel bewildered, uncomfortable and frustrated towards their feelings, even more so when they appear as “illogical” from a purely rational perspective. 

ISTP

ISFP

Hello, patient human. It’s been a few days, we’re sorry. 

Fi and Fe work rather differently, but sticking to your question as much as possible I can compare dominant Fi vs. dominant Ti on the one hand and inferior Te vs. inferior Fe on the other. 

Dominant functions (ISxPs)

Like ISFPs, ISTPs’ dominant function is introverted, which means they focus their attention primarily inwardly. Ti, like Fi, is a judging function and hence its aim is ‘deciding’ rather than ‘gathering information’. 

Dominant Fi

As a dominant function, Fi manifests as the need to act according to one’s own values, based on how they feel about the information at hand. Dominant Fi users usually have a strong moral compass, their thought process is directed inwardly and their feelings about current situations affect their decisions enormously. The perfect example of an ISFP in fiction is Harry Potter. 

Dominant Ti 

Dominant Ti is expressed as the need to figure out the logic of the perceived information and beyond. It identifies logical patterns and analyses them. High Ti users enjoy figuring out how exactly everything works and how it can be related to everything else.  The first example of an ISTP that comes to my mind is Aragorn (LOTR).

Inferior functions (ISxPs)

Inferior Te

Inferior Te usually manifests as a struggle to set plans into motion. As much as they may not feel like they are apathetic, inferior Te users can find it difficult to ‘come down to earth’ and actually engage with actions. IxFPs often have many goals that they want to accomplish, but can see themselves struggling to complete (or even start) them. 

Inferior Fe

As an INFJ, I find inferior Fe funny. High Fi/Fe users may have a hard time with  IxTPs and their lack of… delicacy. It is often useful to remember that they probably didn’t mean any harm. Immature types with an inferior Fe may find themselves being reluctant to express emotional issues since they think cannot make logical sense. 

I hope this helps, if you were looking for more tangible differences between the ISFP and the ISTP types, don’t hesitate to ask.

Look who’s there, the other admin of this blog, you lame. For the people who were interested, that is INFJ’s blog.I’ll be doing a Ti - Te comparison but then I’ll focus on Ti as INFJ’s tertiary function, analysing what a strong tertiary Ti looks like. 

Te vs. Ti

The main and most evidence difference between these two cognitive functions is that extroverted thinking (Te) is focused on the external world, while introverted thinking (Ti) happens mostly inside the individual’s mind.

Te => primarily used outward.Ti=> primarily used inward.

This originates a series of consequences:

Tertiary Ti

IxFJ types have Ti as their tertiary function. There are significant variations between those who have a strong Ti and a weaker Ti. The dominant Si (ISFJ) and Ni (INFJ) also plays an important role. Today I will focus on the INFJ type.

Strong tertiary Ti in INFJs

Like all Fe users, INFJs can sometimes be stereotyped as too emotionally driven and rather illogical. Nothing is further from the truth in strong tertiary Ti users under normal conditions. Fe and Ti are assistant functions to Ni in the way the INFJ processes the information and reaches their conclusions. More mature types will find a very beneficial balance between Fe and Ti, both functions supporting each other. An INFJ with a strong Ti will have a deep desire for truth. They will not be satisfied with simple instructions and one of their biggest disappointments will be to hear “you do it because I say so” or “it just works like that”; Ti will want to figure the whole system and when the INFJ achieves it, everything will make sense in their mind, which will produce them a big feeling of satisfaction.

Ah, yes, the fourth function is usually problematic since it’s always the opposite from the dominant function. It takes a significant deal of maturity to try to overcome this.In INxJs the inferior Se tends to develop a sense of mistrust in the physical/sensory world and the INxJ tends to trust their intellect above the sensory information. Let’s target this.

Se is all about the here and the now, so anything ‘mindful’ related should help. I don’t like that term though and I’d rather recommend you reading about Eastern religions, especially Buddhism.

If you want more precise recommendations:

• Try to accept whatever situation you are experiencing as it is. No attachment, no rejection.

• When you are in a tranquil atmosphere be more aware of your body and your breath. I find that Ni helps with it when the practice evolves and the attention of the consciousness focuses on itself.

• Also try to observe your emotions and sensations throughout the day. If you’re nervous and your heartbeat rises, be aware of it. Again, no judgements, no reaction to the reaction. Pure aseptic observation.

As you get better in all these, you will find yourself able to have this attitude of equanimity even when you feel really uncomfortable and during social situations. Your lack of comfort won’t change per se because those situations naturally make you feel drained, but once your perception changes it won’t be a negative experience anymore, it just is. I think there is a deep serenity in gracefully accepting whatever Se is experiencing just as it is. They might be thoughts and emotions, which you just observe passing by as if they were clouds in the sky; they might be external sensory information that would have normally made you roll your eyes or wish you were anywhere else. You acknowledge it and it will soon pass.

Key is, whatever you’re experiencing is just temporal. Those social gatherings are more present in your day-to-day basis right now, so there is no use in rejecting it, nor it would be to try to force you into liking them. Keep it up, I hope this response was not too different from what would be expected.

– INTJ

Hi and thanks for the patience.Seems like the tests have helped you narrow down the options to two types, so let’s look at the diverse characteristics of IxFJs and try to see which one suits you better. INFJ: Ni Fe Ti SeISFJ: Si Fe Ti NeAs pictured above, the main difference lies in the dominant cognitive functions, although the inferiors might help determine your type as well. 

Dominant Ni vs. Si

If I had to summarise the contrast between dominant Ni and Si, I’d state that Ni is focused on the most likely to happen future scenario primarily based on recognised patterns, whereas Si takes past experiences into consideration as a tool to determine what is most likely to work again. 

Other key differences: 

Ni (dom): focused on the connections between thoughts, concepts and events based on recognised patterns. Future-oriented.

Si (dom): focused on powerful memories of what has worked well in the past. Experience (and past)-oriented. Note: this does not mean that ISFJs are not planners. It is the basis of their thought and decision-making process we are referring to. 

Ni (dom): inclined to abstract thought. More theoretical. 

Si (dom): inclined to experience. More practical. 

Inferior Se vs. Ne

Se (inf): Preference of one’s intellect above the sensory information. Distrust of the physical world. 

Ne (inf): Preference of known methods and own traditions over the unknown. Reluctance to try new ways. 

Hope this helps, – INTJ

[Original question: anonymous asked:Guuuys what can I do if I feel that I lost touch with my Ni?]——–

Ni is a perceiving function, it’s about how you take information from the external world. Ni in particular operates  like a background processor that works with this information, focusing on depth and analysing it to its core. 

You might be wondering why I’m writing this. Something very important about Ni is that it operates mainly in your subconscious, that’s the reason why Ni doms experience these moments of insights and sudden ideas; Ni’s work happens hiddenly and the INxJ normally is not aware of these thoughts and conclusions until they are decently structured. 

Your Ni is there, very present. Every time you are noticing and unconsciously analysing the external elements, that’s your Ni working;  everything you hear, see, and perceive happens through your Ni. 

In case this explanation is not enough to feel more in touch with its omnipresence in your mind, here are some ways I can think of that might help you recognise it:

All these ideas are not directly connected to Ni, but focused on activating your mind in a way that helps you be more aware of your Ni dom’s working process. I think Ni is probably the most implicit of the 8 cognitive functions, but using your Te and focusing your attention on your inner mental process should help you be more aware of your Ni and make you feel in touch with it again. I hope this helps, thanks for asking!– INTJ

Hello anon! I agree with you, I don’t think it makes much sense. Someone might be undecided between two types, but that scenario makes me think that they haven’t been typed in a conclusive way, I don’t think you can be more than one type at the same time unless you have more than one mind. 

There are some confusions that I can understand (x must coincide in each case):

E vs. I

F vs. T

N vs S

—-

J vs. P

[ I’m praying to the pagan deities that I got this right. I think I did, please excuse me if it’s not the case and message us]– INTJ.

Hi there,Not being “”compatible”” MBTI types is definitely not a reason to think a relationship over. You can use this pseudoscience to help you comprehend how her mind perceives and processes the information and that can lead to a better understanding in general. INFJ uses this metaphor of “speaking other’s language” and that is absolutely something anyone with the willpower to do so can achieve. Now on your specific types. Everyone has intuitive AND observant functions, but yeah, we can call you “intuitive” and her “observant” if we only take into account your dominant + auxiliary functions.

As you can see here, you don’t share any of the first four functions. But no worries, I still think any types can work well together, let’s analyse your strong points, focusing on how she works.

ISFJ’s dominant function is Si, which is a perceiving function and has to do with how she collects information from the outside world. Si works as a memory of previous sensory experiences. This basically (very summarised) means that she takes into account what has worked on the past to analyse the present; the tried-and-true methods are the most reliable to her. 

How to communicate to Si dom: in order to avoid these “miscommunications”, you can try and use examples of similar situations that have worked for you guys in the past. Ask her how she’s feeling about certain things, rather than how she sees them only now. Accustomed habits are probably of great value to her. 

Her auxiliary function is Fe, a judging function that helps her make decisions on the outside world primarily focused on people. She uses external values and takes others’ emotions into consideration before acting.   How to communicate to Fe aux: be expressive, tell her how you feel and what you think about certain things. She will feel like she’s lacking a lot of important information if you’re not communicative to her. Your dominant Fi might refrain you from saying certain things if you think it is not righteous, but it is really important to her to have the information. She has a deep need of connecting to others, so an open and respectful communication is especially important. Was this helpful? It’s the first time that we approach the functions this way. Hope things work for you, good luck!

– INTJ

Hi back! An important difference between introverts and extroverts is that Ixxx have an introverted dominant function and Exxxs’ dominant function is extraverted.Since introverted functions (such as Ni) happen “inside our heads”, they are more difficult to identify and be spotted.The consequence is that in introverts their auxiliary (which is extraverted) is more visible than the dominant. People can’t really see an INTJ using Ni, but they can see them taking action, working, ordering the outside world (using Te).

Ni is a perceiving function, hence it has to do with the way you collect information. I read that Ni is the only cognitive function that easily taps into the unconscious. In fact, Ni is the only perceiving function that is not under conscious control.

If you don’t feel identified with Ni, that’s a whole other issue, I guess. Although it is a little weird if you tend to get high use of Ni in your results. You can either try other cognitive tests or read more about Ni. I can try to summarise information about Ni if you wish.

Thanks for asking! – INTJ

Hello there!

Well, first of all keep in mind that tumblr mbti posts are very frequently aimed to purely entertain, which is cool, but for that same reason they are often based on exaggerated stereotypes and shouldn’t be interiorized without some filters.

Also, people are not either extreme introverts or complete extroverts, that’s the beautiful thing about human complexity. You can enjoy frequent socialization and still be more of an introvert (if, for example, you very much need alone time to “recharge” your energy).

Anyway, INTP and ENTP share the exact same cognitive functions, it’s just the order that changes:

INTP: Ti-Ne-Si-FeENTP: Ne-Ti-Fe-Si

Here’s a cognitive function test that might help you see wether you are more of a Ti or Ne user:http://www.keys2cognition.com/explore.htm

Although I’d rather recommend reading on dominant Ti / Ne and auxiliary Ne/ Ti to find out yourself.

Here are some hints [note: this is not mine. Source: x]

ENTP (Ne-Ti):

{Dominant Extroverted Intuition:As a dominant function, Ne manifests as a seemingly never-ending plethora of theories, possibilities and inventive ideas that the user is constantly picking up on. The dominant-Ne monologue: “I am swimming in an endless sea of possibilities about what to do/experience/think about next and I want to try them all.”

Auxiliary Introverted Thinking:As an auxiliary function, Ti manifests as the identification of how the logical systems in the user’s external environment could be manipulated to work to their advantage. The auxiliary-Ti monologue: “How can I manipulate the way that this object or situation works so that it instead works the way I’d like it to?”}

INTP (Ti-Ne)

{Dominant Introverted ThinkingAs a dominant function, Ti manifests as the constant identification of logical patterns that exist in ones external environment as well as a keen perception for any deviations from those patterns. The dominant-Ti monologue: “I must figure out exactly how everything logistically works in relation to everything else.”

Auxiliary Extroverted Intuition:Auxiliary Ne manifests as a plethora of possibilities that arise to support or expand upon a thought or decision that the user has come to. The auxiliary-Ne monologue: “I see a million different ways to look at the concept I’ve been analyzing and I want to consider them all.” }

On a final note, I’ll just comment that my INTP flatmate looks like an extrovert when he is with his friends and he needs socialization much more than I do. He is still a big introvert.

Hopefully this was helpful, let me know if you have any further questions and thanks for asking!

– INTJ

Of course, I very much enjoy this kind of questions. I'm glad you found the previous explanation useful.

Keep in mind that the dominant + auxiliary functions account for approximately 90% of your personality, hence the best way to determine your type is in regards to them.Now to the question!

Feeling (judging functions)

Fi vs. Fe

Fi (INTJ) has a series of core values and morals that are important to its user and takes them into consideration during the decision-making process. It has a more of an individualistic perception.

Fe (INTP) is a function that helps its user make decisions based on collective values rather than self values and morals. It is concerned on the well-being of the group, hence it has a collective perception.

Sensing (perceiving functions)

Se vs. Si

Se (INTJ) is connected to the outer world in the present moment, collecting information. It’s the way you perceive it through your five senses.

Si (INTP) is more focused on the past. As an introverted function it’s related to its user’s memories, hence what’s happening inside their mind, rather than real live events.

Note: each function’s placement plays a very important rol. There’s a huge difference between having e.g. extraverted feeling as an auxiliary function (IxFJ) than as an inferior function (IxTP). I just wanted to keep it simple. If you still find it difficult to type yourself, we can talk about INTP’s and INTJ’s functions’ order.

Thanks for asking!

–INTJ