[summer solstice]

As established in many threads before this one, there's quite a 'diversity of personalities' amongst INFP's and other types. I can easily name a few reasons for that: age, maturity, experience, upbringing, personal values, mistyping...

But what about differences in strength of preferences? Yunno, some tests will tell you how much % you score for E/I, N/S, T/F, J/P. As to the accuracy of that, surely some doubt can be cast, but still, I wonder if it signifies anything meaningful, for example, in being able to relate to one INFP more than another.

A few years ago, I got typed INTP, last December INFP, and today... Miraculously... INFP. Assuming that these tests results are somewhat representative of my preferences, my scores indicate that I definitely prefer Extroverted iNtuitive perceiving and Introverted judging, and that judging is dominant over perceiving in my case. But my preference for a 'Feely' style of judging doesn't seem to be that strong.

Alas I do not have my INTP scores, but I have my December and today's scores available, taken at A) Humanmetrics.com and B) Mypersonality.info.

A)
December: 78, 62, 12, 11
February: 44, 100, 25, 44



B)
December: 84, 100, 58, 84
February: 95, 84, 63, 79

So... pretty speculative, but I guess I'm a Lo-Fi Hi-Ne type of INFP. Meaning, relatively low Fi scores, relatively high Ne scores. Well, actually, the speculation part is in the possible interpretations of this pattern in my scores.

For starters, the Lo-Fi part. Could it be that I sway in my style of evaluation (judging), preferring mostly F, sometimes T? That I make decisions mostly in a way that feels right, in sync with my personal values, and sometimes in a way that sounds right, in sync with what I think is the logical thing to do? And therefore have a difficult time relating to Hi-Fi INFP's (not that I'm sure I know any), because they might be more confident in their personal judging than I am? Does that make my style of evaluation seem... fickle?

And the Hi-Ne part. Perhaps I'm so fascinated with the big picture, that I have no 'patience' for details? Or perhaps I am blind to the concrete, the things immediately around me? Do I not appreciate hidden meanings and symbols? Is this why I don't understand art, why I don't feel much when looking at the INFP porn thread? Am I, so to speak, immaturely one-sided in perceiving the world?

Gah... I could go on, spouting more speculations, I've not even touched upon the Lo-Fi Hi-Ne relationship, but I want to post this topic and find out what you guys think. Which is Ne/Se-driven? lol, sigh.

So what do you guys think? I'll accept anything - including "You're looking for something that isn't there" type of responses. I'll also take "You're not an INFP!" (not gladly, but I will). But please elaborate :D

[Adriana]

I've been thinking about it too, but if your theories are true, it's got a lot to do with that we define as 'Fi', 'Ne' and 'Ti'. Most descriptions are so vague -- yes, even the good ones, and even the ones by Jung himself -- that it's hard to tell which you use, let alone which you use most. Don't get me wrong, I'm a smart girl and I'm good at tackling complex theoretical concepts, but by 'vague' I mean that there aren't any clear boundaries to the different functions. With a bit of imagination and insight, you can easily interchange the meanings different functions, especially if they're the same type of function (like introverted judging or extraverted perceiving).

I mean, look at this:

Ti is judging the validity of perceptions logically. Ti as a mental process is a collection of threads of thought taking concepts or percepts apart or pulling them together based on rules and criteria.

Fi is judging perceptions emotionally, based on weight of evidence. Fi as a mental process is the flow of judgements on perceptions personal ideals or feeling of right and wrong. Fi strives for integrity and consistency in it's ideals. Fi is higher cognitive refinement personal emotion. Fi enables one to vividly re-experience past feelings.

They're problematic descriptions, because they're so freely interpretable and alike. A lot depends on what you define as, say, 'logically', or 'emotionally'. I bet both Ti and Fi users would say they just 'know' if something is right or wrong, and it's hard to tell how they know it. I mean, I personally have no idea of when I use logic and when I use emotion.

[Sily]

I'll bet @LiquidLight could help out. I don't venture out of the INFP habitat often, but when I do, he makes cognitive functions understandable.

[MuChApArAdOx]

I'll bet @LiquidLight could help out. I don't venture out of the INFP habitat often, but when I do, he makes cognitive functions understandable.

I second that. And to the OP, i don't know why , i've never gotten an INFP vibe from you. I posted in the INFP forum in a on going conversation not long ago, wow, i could believe how much i felt like i was in fairly land. I was totally out of my element. Although it was endearing, i knew with out a doubt i wasn't an INFP ;) If you're an INFP, you have strong Te , something that INFP don't seem to focus on too much. It will be interesting to hear what liquid has to say :)

[jennandtonic]

I second that. And to the OP, i don't know why , i've never gotten an INFP vibe from you. I posted in the INFP forum in a on going conversation not long ago, wow, i could believe how much i felt like i was in fairly land. I was totally out of my element. Although it was endearing, i knew with out a doubt i wasn't an INFP ;) If you're an INFP, you have strong Te , something that INFP don't seem to focus on too much. It will be interesting to hear what liquid has to say :)

I think there are a lot of those threads but there are also plenty of threads with some of the less dreamy ones. INFPs are not all the same!

[jd_]

Count me in the LoFi-HiNe boat. I have questioned my type many times as the Fi is supposed to be dominant... the thing is, if you score a bit one sided on F/T...then you are INFP. Even if your other percentages are much stronger.
My highest is ALWAYS Ne... (I've scored 99%-100%) Followed by Introversion (usually 80-90%... Followed by Perception usually (70-80%) followed by F, which hovers around 60...
I have also test INTP in the past, but some of the INTP traits don't match up.
The Ne leading, seems like you might be Extroverted... NeFiSiTe stack would be ENFP.
Maybe there are such things as a shy ENFP? I don't think it works that way though, if you score so high in the I category, which I always do.
Anyway, I feel what you are talking about, and generally have liked your few posts I have seen.
Also, what is your enneagram? I'm a 4w5, Individualist with an Investigative/Thinking preference... i.e. the Bohemian.

[jennandtonic]

But what about differences in strength of preferences? Yunno, some tests will tell you how much % you score for E/I, N/S, T/F, J/P. As to the accuracy of that, surely some doubt can be cast, but still, I wonder if it signifies anything meaningful, for example, in being able to relate to one INFP more than another.

Yes, I think this does mean something. There is definitely a sliding scale to each personality type. We're all our own special snowflakes! :)

For starters, the Lo-Fi part. Could it be that I sway in my style of evaluation (judging), preferring mostly F, sometimes T? That I make decisions mostly in a way that feels right, in sync with my personal values, and sometimes in a way that sounds right, in sync with what I think is the logical thing to do? And therefore have a difficult time relating to Hi-Fi INFP's (not that I'm sure I know any), because they might be more confident in their personal judging than I am? Does that make my style of evaluation seem... fickle?

No, it's not fickle. I don't know about anyone else, but I almost always make decisions based on both feeling and thinking. I don't think that makes me not INFP; I still do rely on gut instincts and feelings, but I never solely rely on them for my decision making.

And the Hi-Ne part. Perhaps I'm so fascinated with the big picture, that I have no 'patience' for details? Or perhaps I am blind to the concrete, the things immediately around me? Do I not appreciate hidden meanings and symbols? Is this why I don't understand art, why I don't feel much when looking at the INFP porn thread? Am I, so to speak, immaturely one-sided in perceiving the world?

Well, I like art but I don't understand the INFP porn thread either. And I don't always get meanings behind paintings when I'm just looking at it; sometimes I do but most of the time I appreciate it as a painting on the wall that looks nice. I'd have to know the human element behind the art...the reason, the purpose, etc, so I can develop a meaning for it. If it's just on the wall with no story or context I couldn't care less. However, I'm good at getting into stories and movies and seeing patterns there very quickly (at times, to my friends' great annoyance).

I don't know what that makes me...as for perception, what if your kind of perception is different from another INFPs? People have always told me that I'm very perceptive when it comes to human interaction. I notice subtext in how people relate, but I fail to notice when other people have cut their hair, until like two months later. Haha. Upon studying the cognitive functions I think not noticing details is more of an INFP thing (unless we're really focused in on something we like, or it's something we're stressed about.)

I don't know if I answered any question here though, sorry.

[jd_]

For starters, the Lo-Fi part. Could it be that I sway in my style of evaluation (judging), preferring mostly F, sometimes T? That I make decisions mostly in a way that feels right, in sync with my personal values, and sometimes in a way that sounds right, in sync with what I think is the logical thing to do? And therefore have a difficult time relating to Hi-Fi INFP's (not that I'm sure I know any), because they might be more confident in their personal judging than I am? Does that make my style of evaluation seem... fickle?

I also have a hard time relating to the touchy/feely Fi types...
Two possibilities maybe... one I am male, two I might feel uncomfortable with my own emotions? But emotions isn't really F, it is more of values... and I have been obsessed with certain philosophies and world views in the past (I have a minor in Philosophy for instance) so... that might play a role.

And the Hi-Ne part. Perhaps I'm so fascinated with the big picture, that I have no 'patience' for details? Or perhaps I am blind to the concrete, the things immediately around me? Do I not appreciate hidden meanings and symbols? Is this why I don't understand art, why I don't feel much when looking at the INFP porn thread? Am I, so to speak, immaturely one-sided in perceiving the world?

I am also inclined to think about the big picture... I do pick up on hidden meanings and symbolism, but this is usually through metaphor/simile... not necessarily through art. Certain films which are written well however, I can do this.

I still think you are an INFP... I have tried on other types clothes so to say, and I can't really say they felt any better.

[Peter]

As established in many threads before this one, there's quite a 'diversity of personalities' amongst INFP's and other types. I can easily name a few reasons for that: age, maturity, experience, upbringing, personal values, mistyping...

But what about differences in strength of preferences? Yunno, some tests will tell you how much % you score for E/I, N/S, T/F, J/P. As to the accuracy of that, surely some doubt can be cast, but still, I wonder if it signifies anything meaningful, for example, in being able to relate to one INFP more than another.

A few years ago, I got typed INTP, last December INFP, and today... Miraculously... INFP. Assuming that these tests results are somewhat representative of my preferences, my scores indicate that I definitely prefer Extroverted iNtuitive perceiving and Introverted judging, and that judging is dominant over perceiving in my case. But my preference for a 'Feely' style of judging doesn't seem to be that strong.

Alas I do not have my INTP scores, but I have my December and today's scores available, taken at A) Humanmetrics.com and B) Mypersonality.info.

A)
December: 78, 62, 12, 11
February: 44, 100, 25, 44

B)
December: 84, 100, 58, 84
February: 95, 84, 63, 79

So... pretty speculative, but I guess I'm a Lo-Fi Hi-Ne type of INFP. Meaning, relatively low Fi scores, relatively high Ne scores. Well, actually, the speculation part is in the possible interpretations of this pattern in my scores.

For starters, the Lo-Fi part. Could it be that I sway in my style of evaluation (judging), preferring mostly F, sometimes T? That I make decisions mostly in a way that feels right, in sync with my personal values, and sometimes in a way that sounds right, in sync with what I think is the logical thing to do? And therefore have a difficult time relating to Hi-Fi INFP's (not that I'm sure I know any), because they might be more confident in their personal judging than I am? Does that make my style of evaluation seem... fickle?

And the Hi-Ne part. Perhaps I'm so fascinated with the big picture, that I have no 'patience' for details? Or perhaps I am blind to the concrete, the things immediately around me? Do I not appreciate hidden meanings and symbols? Is this why I don't understand art, why I don't feel much when looking at the INFP porn thread? Am I, so to speak, immaturely one-sided in perceiving the world?

Gah... I could go on, spouting more speculations, I've not even touched upon the Lo-Fi Hi-Ne relationship, but I want to post this topic and find out what you guys think. Which is Ne/Se-driven? lol, sigh.

So what do you guys think? I'll accept anything - including "You're looking for something that isn't there" type of responses. I'll also take "You're not an INFP!" (not gladly, but I will). But please elaborate :D

You can reduce speculation by studying the functions more. From what you wrote, you don't have a clear understanding of the functions.

Your post is showing your Fi-Ne loop. You perceive with Fi and you judge with Ne. So you perceive with a judging function and you judge with a perceiving function. That means you perceive and right away consider something right or wrong, then you judge that and see tons of possibilities (speculations as you call them) which feed back as input to your Fi which cause you to, first, have a ton of feelings at once, a different one on each option, and then your Ne goes to work on all those perceptions, creating even more options (more speculation, like you said, you could go on and on, spouting more speculations) which you then perceive again,... so if you let this go on, you'll go nuts. (Hey, that is a typical problem for INFP's.)

The main problem here is that there is no real decision point in this process. It's just a never ending expanding loop of possibilities and associated feelings.

I'm guessing now, but I think healthy INFP's have figured out a way to break this process and either take a decision or just letting it be. In less than ideal circumstances, it may be more difficult to get out this process and it's when an INFP gets frustrated.

I'm an INTJ and the equivalent for me is the Ni-Te loop where I can't find a solution to a problem. Extremely frustrating and the only way to get out is to either find a solution or just letting it be. Even though that really just means not thinking about it, but Ni is still working on it on a subconscious level. (meaning that the problem keeps popping up in my head whether I want it to or not.)

[jd_]

Nice post ^ ... Although I would change that instead of "having a ton of feelings" is...your values automatically line up as how that would work with YOU. Not what is the logical course of action. I don't ever have a ton of emotional feelings towards something, but I definitely know when things might work for me based on who I am... the Ne loop is constantly scanning though. I have probably thought about every possible career option under the moon, and it is still always open for something better.