[slowriot]

For those who cant figure if they are infp or intp..

From Type Insight

I notice a couple of terms seem to come up frequently that get interpreted in a myriad of ways depending on a person’s preferences. The two terms are “analyze” and “categorize.”

What I notice is that many times INFPs will claim that they are “analyzing” and “categorizing.” What they really SEEM to be doing instead is sorting out and examining their feelings about something, and weighing whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. And when they categorize, it is often just these categories they are considering — whether they like it or dislike it, whether it feels nice or awful. Whether to move toward or away from; whether it is pleasurable or unpleasurable.



When a person is trying to weigh between INFP and INTP and they suppose they are “analyzing” and “categorizing,” it’s important to pay attention to whether the analyzing is employing impersonal frameworks to analyze from. An INTP is more likely to analyze an experience through neutral notions, such as whether a light is red or green, or a test result is malignant or benign. Whether a person is drunk or sober. Whether a glass is empty or full. These are all value-neutral frameworks. And when categorizing is done, it again reflects neutral categories: rainy weather or sunny; on time or late; up or down; liquid or solid. There are NO value judgments being made.

I remember some time ago I was delivering a class with somebody over the phone to explore cognitive processes. I asked them to organize several objects in some way and then let me know what ways they were organized. After a moment of silence, the client said, “I can organize them according to which ones I like best!” This did not reflect objective organizing — he was betrayed by his favorite function (introverted Feeling), and drawn to do what he does best in place of the objectively organizing exercise I was asking of him.

So the thing to notice when you believe you like to do “analyzing” and “categorizing” is to notice whether these activities are impersonal or personal; whether they include values judgments or whether they are values neutral. That will provide the best indication as to whether the activity is rightly defined as Ti or Fi. To really drive the point home, make an effort to consciously perform each form of “analyzing” and “categorizing” in order to see how easily you can do it. That ought to burble up a sense of how unconscious one of the processes is for you.

[cryptonia]

*reconsiders his type again*

nah... some of that sounds sketchy to me. Organizing a briefcase by "what I like best" seems like it would be an Fe trait, rather than an Fi one, wouldn't it? Te would organize by some objective standard (efficiency), while Fe would be a value-based organization... and Fe is a conscious function for INTPs, while Te is unconscious... so while we're most likely to organize things by efficiency (our Te is stronger than Fe), when we actually think about how to organize, it's not usually the Te that comes into play.

An INFP would do the opposite... while they're likely to subconsciously organize things by Fe, when they're given something that they have to organize (not that they're told to or anything, but something that they've decided must be organized), I would think it would be (very unwillingly) done by Te.

Te and Fe work on "stuff" and the world around them. Ti and Fi work on concepts an ideas. I think that they're two completely separate things. When given a decision and told "choose between these two options," then I think an INFP is likely to weigh the benefits and harm, and all the ways in which it will make people feel better or worse, while an INTP is likely to choose which one is closer to the truth, or which path is the one of least resistance for them.

I think the confusion arises when someone thinks that the truth is always beneficial (after all, is is true that people breathe air, and trying to breathe water hurts, right?), or that the truth always benefits someone the most (I know it'll hurt them now... but it'll hurt a lot more if they find out about [this] later) more than anything else... and I don't think this article reflects that, at all. Instead it makes it sound like a real INTP never does anything that isn't objective... which is different than saying that objective is their "default setting."

That said, I do definitely find it very tough to answer when someone asks "what is [experience] like?" or "how was [event]?" Outside of "it was pretty fun," (which isn't even so much true, as much as it is "an answer" that satisfies whoever asks just enough so that they think I'm boring, and not rude) I don't really have much to say about them.

[slowriot]

I find to be a good article at defining where there is a difference between what analyzing is from each perspective of the introverted rational functions Fi and Ti.

As I understand Fe and Te the functions incline one more to prioritizing/organizing rather than categorizing/analyzing on either how you feel from a personal perspective or from a impersonal perspective.

[NephilimAzrael]

*reconsiders his type again*

nah... some of that sounds sketchy to me. Organizing a briefcase by "what I like best" seems like it would be an Fe trait, rather than an Fi one, wouldn't it? Te would organize by some objective standard (efficiency), while Fe would be a value-based organization... and Fe is a conscious function for INTPs, while Te is unconscious... so while we're most likely to organize things by efficiency (our Te is stronger than Fe), when we actually think about how to organize, it's not usually the Te that comes into play. [And the use of analogy would be a prominent feature of Ti expression would it not. Whilst I am pleased to note that the Te function is effective on an INTPs preconscious workings that they can work out the best means of describing something. ]

An INFP would do the opposite... while they're likely to subconsciously organize things by Fe, when they're given something that they have to organize (not that they're told to or anything, but something that they've decided must be organized), I would think it would be (very unwillingly) done by Te. [I notice this trend in the description aswell. The reviewer may be Fe/Te appears to be in effect in their writing. Though it does not take much away from it. The Fe would put forward their feelings in effecting their environment, though an Fi would interpret their environment by means of its relationship to their preferences in the first place]

Te and Fe work on "stuff" and the world around them. Ti and Fi work on concepts an ideas. I think that they're two completely separate things. When given a decision and told "choose between these two options," then I think an INFP is likely to weigh the benefits and harm, and all the ways in which it will make people feel better or worse, while an INTP is likely to choose which one is closer to the truth, or which path is the one of least resistance for them. [I don't agree. Introverted/extroverted functions work with the same things, they merely question them using a differing format to the curiosity. Te and Fe ask How, Ti and Fi ask Why? It is the same foundational subject matter.]

I think the confusion arises when someone thinks that the truth is always beneficial (after all, is is true that people breathe air, and trying to breathe water hurts, right?), or that the truth always benefits someone the most (I know it'll hurt them now... but it'll hurt a lot more if they find out about [this] later) more than anything else... and I don't think this article reflects that, at all. Instead it makes it sound like a real INTP never does anything that isn't objective... which is different than saying that objective is their "default setting." [ Where did you get that information from in the article?]

That said, I do definitely find it very tough to answer when someone asks "what is [experience] like?" or "how was [event]?" Outside of "it was pretty fun," (which isn't even so much true, as much as it is "an answer" that satisfies whoever asks just enough so that they think I'm boring, and not rude) I don't really have much to say about them.

[ How/Why divide again perhaps?]

[snail]

I think I use a mix of F and T, but I place greater value on F. If one were to look at my CD case, one would see that the CDs are organized meticulously, not alphabetically or by the year they came out, but by how the moods relate to each other. Within the mood categories, I arrange albums more like a T, so that there are sub-categories of specific artists, or there are sub-categories within a mood for just female or male vocalists or instrumentals.

If one were to look at how I arrange my dresses in my closet, it becomes apparent that they are not arranged according to the thickness of the fabric or the length of the sleeves (to determine which would be worn in warmer or cooler weather), but by mood, according to how I would have to be feeling in order to select a certain dress. Within the mood-based groupings, I use a T process to arrange them by color schemes and fabric texture.

The books on my shelf are not arranged by the names of the authors, but by the basic feel of the content and how the subject matter relates to the surrounding books, sometimes in subtle or symbolic ways, but tend naturally to group themselves into genres.

My art supplies are arranged according to function. All paint brushes are in one drawer, all felt pens are in another, and all oil pastels are in another, etc. Within those drawers, however, I have them arranged according to preference. The felt pens that I like are in a little bag marked "good," while the ones I consider less fun to play with are in a bag marked "medium" and the ones that I don't mind taking babysitting are in a bag marked "bad."

I almost always use some combination of the F and T organizing processes, but usually the F process comes first, and the T is used merely to refine the order further within the F categories. If there is a good reason to start with the T, as with the art supplies, I can do so, but whenever possible, I prefer to arrange things according to their emotional effect.

[NephilimAzrael]

Snail, a T does not always compile their environment in the same manner that you are attributing to the T. The description you have given would be a question for funcition e/i and J/P influence rather.

[Ikari T]

T use guns, F use roses.

[NephilimAzrael]

T use guns, F use roses.

T's use guns? F's fight wars.

[Ikari T]

T's use guns? F's fight wars.

F fight wars if they have no choice. They don't want to fight wars. Ts fight wars and tend to like it.

[snail]

The willingness to fight in wars might have more to do with the S/N than the T/F. An SP is likely to find the idea exciting, and an SJ is likely to consider it his duty. An NT would be unlikely to fight in a war, as would an NF, unless that NT considered it the most practical means to a desirable outcome or the NF had inappropriate values.