Tag: F & T

Hi. I hope you’ve been doing alright (no migraines) and that you and your family are enjoying the holidays. I liked your answer to the ENTP post awhile back explaining Fi, though I’m not sure I understand completely. You mentioned your Fe sister couldn’t relate and I’m curious if she explained Fe, and if so, could you share?

Doing well, can’t complain.  Hope you and yours are well, also!

I’m not entirely sure what exactly you’re asking re: the crisis post, so I’ll try to cover some bases and hope for the best.

For me, Fi is a judgement function, so the major conflict of my life has been needing to evaluate how I feel about things, but not having (and actively rejecting, to some extent) the organizational skills that would make this possible.  infj-zen does not relate because Fe is an interactive function – she uses feelings to make and understand social exchanges instead of to evaluate her belief structure and make life-altering decisions.  

My understanding of Fe is from having it as a fifth function – I can pick strong Fe off Fe users when they are projecting their feelings, by which, I mean that sometimes it feels like I can chew on the air, the emotion is so thick (kind of like walking through the perfume aisle).

As far as Fe crisis?  I’m not entirely sure what the equivalent is.  Early days trouble (I’m told it clears up young!) is not being aware of when feelings belong to you or someone else, although that is worse for ENFJs than INFJs, who tend to avert this by being more introverted.  Maybe the whole not being able to say no to things?  And embracing Ti logic helps you through this?

I keep wondering about possible Ni crises and HSP – since a lot of INTJs and INFJs appear to meet the criteria for HSP and have fourth function Se, I’d assume that figuring out how to deal with overwhelming sensory information is a way to make Ni function better.

Whenever you’ve been asked why someone is a Ti-user and not a Fi-user, you tend to use their clear linear thinking as evidence. Can you have a strong dose of clear linear thinking and still be a dom/aux Fi user? Because, I have found quite a few ENFPs and INFPs who use linear thinking and yet still clearly have higher order Fi. I think linear thinking doesn’t necessarily equal Ti.

That is a good point – I kind of regretted saying that immediately after posting.  I was thinking of it as an INFP vs. ENTP thing, not so much ENFP vs. ENTP, but I should probably take back the linear thinking for all the Ne-types, since I’m not sure that’s actually an accurate way to describe it.  My brain works on a series of Ne connections that are all tied up in Fi and Si – basically it’s all in-jokes, all the time, but very few people have all or any of the information to understand them.  I noticed once with an ENTP friend, that she’d sometimes tell the same stories more than once, and I’d end up replying with my same stories because of the connection hers would spark.  We’d kind of have the exact same conversation over again by following the same paths.

I think INFPs can be clear speakers, but our processing time is slower and we have less energy in the first place.  I can’t see keeping up the kind of fast pace speech that the ENxPs are capable of without at some point making little to no sense.

ENFPs vs. ENTPs, when they’re close, I’m mostly just going off whatever hunch I have.  I think it’s generally going okay, but there’s probably some specific people that aren’t right.

always had Biden as enFj. how do you tell the difference between a T and F when the T-F isn’t always obvious (it wasn’t to me)?

Hey, now we have an ENFJ politician to compare!

ENFJs defuse drama – they don’t get especially angry or encourage it in others.  Compare to Biden who was hired to be the combative person (I’m pretty sure ”attack-dog” was used), or Margaret Thatcher (nuff said), or Julia Gillard and her famous 10 minute rant. 

Fashion choices – ENTJs tend to dress like they’re wearing the uniform of their station – suit!  Pant-suit for women.  If you look at Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic’s style choices vs. Julia Gillard’s, Kolinda’s got a lot more variation.  Interesting suit styles, patterns and textures, changes up her hairstyle, takes photos in bikinis.

There’s also a divide between ENTJ women and men in politics (not sure about the ENFJs, since I haven’t found a male ENFJ politician yet), where the women have clearly had to fight to get where they are and have a pretty serious persona in order to be taken seriously.  ENTJ women tend to be fairly okay with their Fi – I find T-type women in general are pretty socially conditioned to acknowledge their feelings.

In contrast, I think ENTJ men in politics tend to have to put in a little more effort to humanize themselves in order to get the requisite votes.  Sometimes they take on a persona of folksy charm which means that they are constantly being underestimated – a position they seem to enjoy.  I’m thinking Jean Chrétien and his “I’m just a boy from Shawinigan", but I think Biden falls under this as well.  Some of them gain a lot of compassion for stoicism in the face of tragedy (Biden, Mandela). 

And then Kolinda, who as a president must be a little like being governed by your kindergarten teacher who thinks you could be making some better choices. Hilariously, one of the times she lit up in an interview was
when she was talking about the need to educate the public.  

Two asks about Sam Smith this time.

Anonymous said to mbti-sorted:

Lmaoo there is no way Sam smith is an INTP . He is a feeler !

and:

Anonymous said to mbti-sorted:

Im curious as to know why you think that Sam Smith is an intp. Can you explain? To me he seems to be a feeler type.

Okay, so here’s the thing about people.  We really like playing around with our fourth function.  It’s a challenge and it feels worthwhile and satisfying to devote our time and energy to it.  All introverts have an extraverted 4th function – we need to actually physically do something to express it.

For example, INTJs – Ni doms – might practice meditation, as that makes them aware of the world around them in a way that quiets their thoughts and works their Se.

INFPs, who are Fi doms, often like math and logic puzzles which activates Te (or we might, say, organize people by personality type using colour coded charts).

I assume you are both thinking Sam’s an F-type because of the content of his music.  I admit it might be unexpected to think of Ti dominant INTPs writing soulful pop albums about unrequited love, but trying to work out feelings by writing them down and then emoting them at an audience is actually a really useful way of working on 4th function Fe.

…Also, he looks and acts like an INTP.

Anonymous said to mbti-sorted:

What would you say the main differences are between an INFP and INTP, in your own words? How they act, present themselves, etc.

I am probably the worst person to ask about this – I know very few INTPs or INFPs in real life (terribly skewed perspective on this situation!).   I know you asked me for my own words, but instead I am passing the ball to enfjpuppettheatre, who has more experience in these serious matters.  Yrs, mbti-sorted.

The Initial Attack

INFP: Hiii. Let’s talk about mutual interests and things, so you will feel comfortable. Not that I’m lulling you into a false sense of security. Wait, what. I mean eheheh. I would never?
INTP: I am going to share all this awkward personal information that you didn’t want to hear from someone you just met. Shall we?

The Rolling Stone

INFP: Look at my laissez-faire chique. This bed head? ALL NATURAL, B.
INTP: So you’re telling me that some people don’t pair suit jackets with black t-shirts featuring their favourite sci-fi show? This is my evening look! Is that the right fashion term? My closet is ten of the same.

The Denouement

INFP: So I kind of got put in charge of this thing that I didn’t want to be put in charge of doing, because of my innate ability to charm my way into responsibility. But then, like, I got un-in-charged without anyone telling me?? It’s okay though, I’d really like less power and more time to do my own stuff. K THX BYE.
INTP: So I kind of got put in charge of this thing because of innate ability to be fiscally responsible and a stealth leader? I should have moar power!!! My stuff will be everyone’s stuff!!!!!! Okay. Thank you. Bye.