[fishier3000]

Alright! It's high time for us to have this thread. Even the ESFJ's are ahead of us!

I guess I'll start... I hope they are accurate enough...

You know you're an ISFJ when...

-you say something humorous to a person, then worries how that statement might have the hurt the other person, causing you to apologize to the bewilderment of the other.

-you work on a project and finish it, but it's not perfect enough!

-you get flustered when a person commands you to "Speak Up"

-even constructive criticism hurts

-you get attached to a person after around two weeks of getting to know each other, and when he/she has to leave, you cry heavily.

[kawwwayan]

honestly, the exam results make me i feel i am a doormat. i tried to "short circuit" the results yet my profile still shows isfj. fellow isfj, help me acknowledge my real self.

[Ahoy]

Are you asking for technical help?

[HandiAce]

If you seem to be able to recall, from five years ago, exactly what a person told you and how they said it that is completely irrelevant to what's going on in the present moment, you might be an ISFJ.

[glycerol]

when you plan what you are going to do the next day before you go to bed

[teddy564339]

-you say something humorous to a person, then worries how that statement might have the hurt the other person, causing you to apologize to the bewilderment of the other.

-you get attached to a person after around two weeks of getting to know each other, and when he/she has to leave, you cry heavily.

Man, I tell ya, those two totally hit the nail on the head for me. Dead on. Total ISFJness

I'll just add on one:

-If someone (especially someone you respect or admire) gives you a compliment, you play it over again and again in your head a million times. If you do something stupid or embarrass yourself, you play it over again and again in your head a million times.

[firedancer42]

-If someone (especially someone you respect or admire) gives you a compliment, you play it over again and again in your head a million times. If you do something stupid or embarrass yourself, you play it over again and again in your head a million times.

I would say I'm definitely an ISTJ, but do have a strong F in most situations, and this point right here sounds exactly like me. Just curious, do you also think many compliments are patronizing? People are just being nice?

I have several friends and family members who are borderline ISTJ/ISFJ and I'm just trying to figure out some key things that really make the difference between the two. It's hard for me to tell being so close to both types.

[teddy564339]

I would say I'm definitely an ISTJ, but do have a strong F in most situations, and this point right here sounds exactly like me. Just curious, do you also think many compliments are patronizing? People are just being nice?

For me, it all depends on the person, the situation, and the compliment. In some cases, I do find compliments to be patronizing. These usually are very generic compliments that people give, especially if they're given often. In that case, I don't view them as genuine, so the person doesn't really mean them, and they might even have ulterior motives.

Not always, of course...some people just feel good giving a lot of compliments. And if I know that's the way a person is, if they legitimately want to make people feel better, and they're always looking to improve someone's mood or make them feel better...then I won't mind the compliment, and I can respect and appreciate the person for giving it.

However, that will still not have nearly the same effect on me as someone who gives a specific compliment that I know they're intending directly for me, especially if it's about something that I've done.

I have several friends and family members who are borderline ISTJ/ISFJ and I'm just trying to figure out some key things that really make the difference between the two. It's hard for me to tell being so close to both types.

Yeah, it can be tough to distinguish sometimes. I think in general ISFJ's are more sensitive than ISTJ's, and I picture ISFJ's maybe wanting more attention/affection that ISTJ's.

I know what I said earlier about compliments kind of contradicts this but...I do think that an ISFJ would be more likely to just accept a compliment than analyze it. I know that sounds stupid because I just did a whole ton of analysis...but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that you brought it up. I think had you not asked the question, I wouldn't have been nearly as likely to sit down and think about the motives of the complimenting person. In fact, by you asking the question, maybe you showed a little bit more of the T side of you, and you brought out the T side in me.

I don't know, I'm just kind of making this up as I go along. :p But...I'm willing to bet that ISTJ's have a tendency to do a lot of analysis of the rationality behind things (like the reasons of the complimenting person), and an ISFJ would do a lot more analysis on how the compliments made them feel (kind of like I did...I clearly explained how each kind of compliment would make me feel personally). That's kind of where my quote came from anyway...I thought about how I over analyze my own feelings about things.


I think I stopped making sense a while ago, and like I said, I'm just kind of typing what's coming to my head here. So meh, take this for what it's worth. :p

[firedancer42]

I do think that an ISFJ would be more likely to just accept a compliment than analyze it. I know that sounds stupid because I just did a whole ton of analysis...but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that you brought it up. I think had you not asked the question, I wouldn't have been nearly as likely to sit down and think about the motives of the complimenting person. In fact, by you asking the question, maybe you showed a little bit more of the T side of you, and you brought out the T side in me.

I'd say you're on to something there. I feel like my self and world-analysis is automatic. Overthinking the details as opposed to the emotions, though I certainly overanalyze those at times as well. Plus, the two seem to be intertwined in any sort of personal interaction, because the details are IN the emotions and you can't exactly take one without the other in those cases. Thanks for your input!

[fishier3000]

I have several friends and family members who are borderline ISTJ/ISFJ and I'm just trying to figure out some key things that really make the difference between the two. It's hard for me to tell being so close to both types.

I think it is maybe because both types are Si dominants which sort of shields the auxiliary function making differentiating between both types more difficult at first look.

I actually got the result of ISTJ the very first time I took MBTI (in ninth grade).