[DJArendee]

Are you guys closet goofballs? There's girl at work who I suspect might be an ISFJ. She seems really shy but we started joking with one another right off the bat and she has a rather off the wall sense of humor that makes me laugh. Someone once commented, "she's really quiet" then her close friend was like, "Are you kidding? She's the loudest person ever" (no it wasn't sarcasm.) What do you think?

[Slogo]

Sometimes I theorize that I can be this way if I feel comfortably enough around the people. So, maybe it is a closet thing, but a lot of the time I am pretty serious if I am not comfortable with my impression of people's impression of me and/or the context is appropriate (at a bar would be the loosest and most easy place to do this with people who I am comfortable with in contrast to after church after hearing a loaded sermon). If that makes sense.

This co-worker is probably comfortable around a smaller group of co-workers which includes you if she's an ISFJ, she's probably more comfortable around you and will be goofy. :)

Also, there's cool thread too that talks about the differing facades(wrong word maybe) of ISFJs. Our personality is prone to show different parts of ourselves to different people a lot of the time.

I like to say random things or play along if people are just saying non-sense for non-sense sake. There's certain people at my old job that I really enjoyed doing this with. Sometimes I wish I was like this as well, and I've heard of mimicry working temporarily. It's not actually mimicry if it's comfortable though.

[NineTypesOfLight]

I'd say the girl at your work is probably an ISFJ. Or at least you shouldn't take her humorous side as an indication that she might not be one, because we can be silly sometimes.

I love the feeling of laughing with other people, and I love seeing a genuine smile, especially if I'm the one who caused it. People who are closest to me call me crazy and careless. It's all a matter of how comfortable we feel around others.

[teddy564339]

I don't know if you've checked out this thread yet (it may have even been the inspiration for creating the one you just did), but the first two pages kind of talk about about goofiness can come out in ISFJs.


Why...so...SERIOUS?

[Liminality]

I definately am! I don't think I'm even a closet goofball, more like I don't care who knows it, I just have to be comfortable enough for it to come out.

[bob_toeback]

Yeah its got to do with be comfortable around people. I mean, family members I am extremely loud and I joke a lot, like, constantly. But other people Im a bit more conserved around, I think I can be outspoken around people Ive just met . We did get a bunch of new people in at work and Im pretty good around them, but it might depend on the vibe for first impressions

[Mendi the ISFJ]

it takes a sense of comfort to bring out the totally awesome humor of the ISFJ

[flight97]

Yeah, I'm definitely a goofball if I'm around certain people. I get a bit quiet and serious around some people, but if I'm around close friends, I definitely laugh a lot more and I'm more light-hearted. Don't write her off as a non-ISFJ just because she jokes around :)

[Eluquise]

I'm pretty shy around everyone unless I know them well. Then I become really goofy and loud. Strangely enough, whenever I realize I'm being loud it just makes me feel really self conscious and I immediately stop. I always feel like a dork about my humor so I try to stay in my quiet mode.

[friction]

'goofball', 'silly'. Something about these words makes me uneasy.

I think it's because the actual definition of these words aren't positive or complimentary... they both denote a kind of childishness and immaturity.

When I think about it, when I act silly I'm usually doing something embarrassing to myself and making others laugh at my silliness. I make them laugh at me. I can't help but wonder why I would voluntarily put myself down. It feels like there is something not-so-nice motivating the use of this kind of humour. A feeling of inadequacy somewhere?