Infj? Isfj?

Hi, I'm fairly new to the MBTI; I took the test about 2 years ago and wasn't as interested in it. But long story short: I'm currently going through some life transitions and would like more "answers" about myself and whatnot. So I recently took the test again, and the results are usually INFJ or ISFJ. If anyone can help type me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

1) What aspect of your personality made you unsure of your type?
-Hmm, Ni..mostly because I've always considered myself more "realistic."

2) What do you yearn for in life? Why?
-Haha, as cliche as it may sound, I guess peace and meaningful relationships/friendships with others, and to who have a better sense of who I am because.. I like harmony, and I like personal growth and self knowledge.

3) Think about a time where you felt like you were at your finest. Tell us what made you feel that way.
-When I attended a university that was seven hours away from home (haha), and I could just do my own thing. Also, the campus was in the middle of a forest, and I just felt like I "fitted in."

4) What makes you feel inferior?
-When my emotions get the best of me, rather than using logic. Also, math and science, haha.

5) What tends to weigh on your decisions? (Do you think about people, pro-cons, how you feel about it, etc.)
-Whether or not I'll offend/insult/hurt someone with what I will say or do. I usually think about what I'll say ahead of time. And I think about whether or not my decision will be beneficial in the end.

6) When working on a project what is normally your emphasis? Do you like to have control of the outcome?
-If the results are what I had hoped for/envisioned. Yes, I like having credit for my contributions.

7) Describe us a time where you had a lot of fun. How is your memory of it?
-One time, my friends and I hiked at night to find this cave to just explore. It was literally pitch-black in the forest, and everyone was freaking out, haha. But usually it’s just being out with friends, and most of the fun occurs while we’re on the road.

8) When you want to learn something new, what feels more natural for you? (Are you more prone to be hands on, to theorize, to memorize, etc)
- Kinesthetic or visual learning.

9) How organized do you to think of yourself as?
-I can be a neat-freak sometimes. :p

10) How do you judge new ideas? You try to understand the principles behind it to see if they make sense or do you look for information that supports it?
-I try to be objective as possible with facts, but I also reason with my experience(s). But I also try to understand the principles too..so I try to see from different perspectives.



11) You find harmony by making sure everyone is doing fine and belonging to a given group or by making sure that you follow what you believe and being yourself?
-If everyone is doing fine, then it makes me have one less thing to worry about. Yet I try to express myself in some way, instead of being a total pushover. I think about how others might perceive me, but at the same time, I can be myself and follow what I believe if I don’t think others are reasonable in stopping me from doing so, if that makes sense.

12) Are you the kind that thinks before speaking or do you speak before thinking? Do you prefer one-on-one communication or group discussions?
-I think before I speak, especially if it’s public speaking. I usually rehearse what I’ll say, too. I prefer one-on-one communication because group discussion can get too intense and overwhelming for me, but it’s stimulating at the same time.

13) Do you jump into action right away or do you like to know where are you jumping before leaping? Does action speaks more than words?
-Probably the latter. And actions can speak louder than words, but it depends on the situation..Hurtful or inspirational words can have the same impact.

14) It's Saturday. You're at home, and your favorite show is about to start. Your friends call you for a night out. What will you do?
-Well, I don’t really have a favorite show, so I’d probably go for a night out.

15) How do you act when you're stressed out?
-I tend to be moody, heh. Also, I don’t like to be bothered or be around people when I’m stressed out.

16) What makes you dislike the personalities of some people?
-People that aren’t genuine, obnoxiousness, nonconstructive criticism, ignorance, rudeness

17) Is there anything you really like talking about with other people?
-philosophy, life/experiences, music, beliefs, psychology, religion, films, culture, art etc.

18) What kind of things do you pay the least attention to in your life?
-the lives of celebrities, probably

19) How do your friends perceive you? What is wrong about their perception? ? What would your friends never say about your personality?
-They often tell me that I’m understanding/empathetic, persevering, indecisive, self-doubting, picky, cynical, and a “free-spirit”, and they probably think I’m sensitive. I can be picky for certain things, but I think it’s more of high expectations (of others and myself), and I am a pretty cynical person, but I’m more optimistic than pessimistic. They’d never say that I’m easy to understand , careless, or one who never worries and stresses out.

20) You got a whole day to do whatever you like. What kind of activities do you feel like doing?
-Depends on my mood. Maybe sleep in, go for a walk/hike, read, watch movies or tv shows, go out with friends

Well, you were doubtful if you used Ni at all, you can stop second guessing yourself.

One thing we can take for granted is that you do display extroverted feeling. You want to belong, to take care and make others feel accepted and welcome. You dislike offending people and often think about what you could based on how it will affect others. For me, that's a clear sign of Fe.

But when I went to check if you used Si, I just saw a lot of Ni all over the place. For instance, question 6 and 10 just shown me classic traits associated to Ni, such as visions and perspective shifting. Similarly, you also displayed a lot Se traits in the form of enjoyment of living in the present. For instance, I bet you enjoyed the forest as in terms of how those trees made you feel good by then. The pitch dark hike too, where you just had that adventure with friends, and it felt like nothing could exist outside that forest by the time. That's Se manifesting itself in a good way.

In the end, you just seem to be a well-rounded person. You seem to probably be an INFJ, as you've assessed yourself and agreed at least with the IFJ. By using your others functions in a healthy way, you gain more insights and perspectives on life, and thus may not associate heavily with the crude vision of a couple of functions.

If I had to compare you with ISFJs, I wouldn't say that you displayed many traits of Si. Si is concerned with traditions, stability and doing what has been done. An ISFJ is far more concerned with achieving certain things known to be associated with happiness than pursuing happiness per se. For them, happiness is what they can see: A smile, a laughter, being able to do whatever they want to do - That is, happiness is something concrete. For the INFJ, the pursuit for happiness is a more symbolic one: What exactly means to be happy? And then, they pursuit happiness by seeing the emotions behind the laughter, the joy behind the smile, the independence of doing whatever they want to do.

But that doesn't mean that ISFJs are superficial, they just take information in a concrete way, while INFJs take the information in a intepretative way. That's the big difference between N and S, if you could simplify it. Apply this to extroverted and introverted functions, and you'll have the distinctions between these very similar functions.

Finally, i'll link you to this very useful article. It shows the way that the functions manifest themselves according to their position in the function ordering. It's great for knowing oneself and what motivates others.

Understanding the Archetypes involving the eight functions of type (Beebe model)

I hope it helps you.

Leaves: Thank you so much! :)

I shall do my INFJ check. It's just my OP but my best friend and mum are ISFJ.

Originally Posted by exquisitesolace

Hi, I'm fairly new to the MBTI; I took the test about 2 years ago and wasn't as interested in it. But long story short: I'm currently going through some life transitions and would like more "answers" about myself and whatnot. So I recently took the test again, and the results are usually INFJ or ISFJ. If anyone can help type me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

1) What aspect of your personality made you unsure of your type?
-Hmm, Ni..mostly because I've always considered myself more "realistic."<S

2) What do you yearn for in life? Why?
-Haha, as cliche as it may sound, I guess peace and meaningful relationships/friendships with others, and to who have a better sense of who I am because.. I like harmony, and I like personal growth and self knowledge. S and N. Typical of both

3) Think about a time where you felt like you were at your finest. Tell us what made you feel that way.
-When I attended a university that was seven hours away from home (haha), and I could just do my own thing. Also, the campus was in the middle of a forest, and I just felt like I "fitted in."<S and N but is rare and INFJ feels like they fit in.

4) What makes you feel inferior?
-When my emotions get the best of me, rather than using logic. Also, math and science, haha.Dont know

5) What tends to weigh on your decisions? (Do you think about people, pro-cons, how you feel about it, etc.)
-Whether or not I'll offend/insult/hurt someone with what I will say or do. I usually think about what I'll say ahead of time. And I think about whether or not my decision will be beneficial in the end.<S

6) When working on a project what is normally your emphasis? Do you like to have control of the outcome?
-If the results are what I had hoped for/envisioned. Yes, I like having credit for my contributions.<S

7) Describe us a time where you had a lot of fun. How is your memory of it?
-One time, my friends and I hiked at night to find this cave to just explore. It was literally pitch-black in the forest, and everyone was freaking out, haha. But usually it’s just being out with friends, and most of the fun occurs while we’re on the road. Dont know could be both

8) When you want to learn something new, what feels more natural for you? (Are you more prone to be hands on, to theorize, to memorize, etc)
- Kinesthetic or visual learning.< very S

9) How organized do you to think of yourself as?<S
-I can be a neat-freak sometimes. :p

10) How do you judge new ideas? You try to understand the principles behind it to see if they make sense or do you look for information that supports it?
-I try to be objective as possible with facts, but I also reason with my experience(s). But I also try to understand the principles too..so I try to see from different perspectives.< very S I think and INFJ answr would very elaberate since Ni makes decision making such a crazy experience.

11) You find harmony by making sure everyone is doing fine and belonging to a given group or by making sure that you follow what you believe and being yourself?
-If everyone is doing fine, then it makes me have one less thing to worry about. Yet I try to express myself in some way, instead of being a total pushover. I think about how others might perceive me, but at the same time, I can be myself and follow what I believe if I don’t think others are reasonable in stopping me from doing so, if that makes sense. <This would fit both INFJ and ISFJ

12) Are you the kind that thinks before speaking or do you speak before thinking? Do you prefer one-on-one communication or group discussions?
-I think before I speak, especially if it’s public speaking. I usually rehearse what I’ll say, too. I prefer one-on-one communication because group discussion can get too intense and overwhelming for me, but it’s stimulating at the same time. <Dont know

13) Do you jump into action right away or do you like to know where are you jumping before leaping? Does action speaks more than words?
-Probably the latter. And actions can speak louder than words, but it depends on the situation..Hurtful or inspirational words can have the same impact.< S but only because I would have chose to empasise words

14) It's Saturday. You're at home, and your favorite show is about to start. Your friends call you for a night out. What will you do?
-Well, I don’t really have a favorite show, so I’d probably go for a night out.< s but it was a short answer

15) How do you act when you're stressed out?
-I tend to be moody, heh. Also, I don’t like to be bothered or be around people when I’m stressed out.<both

16) What makes you dislike the personalities of some people?
-People that aren’t genuine, obnoxiousness, nonconstructive criticism, ignorance, rudeness< both

17) Is there anything you really like talking about with other people?
-philosophy, life/experiences, music, beliefs, psychology, religion, films, culture, art etc.<both

18) What kind of things do you pay the least attention to in your life?
-the lives of celebrities, probably<both mabe a bit more N

19) How do your friends perceive you? What is wrong about their perception? ? What would your friends never say about your personality?
-They often tell me that I’m understanding/empathetic, persevering, indecisive, self-doubting, picky, cynical, and a “free-spirit”, and they probably think I’m sensitive. I can be picky for certain things, but I think it’s more of high expectations (of others and myself), and I am a pretty cynical person, but I’m more optimistic than pessimistic. They’d never say that I’m easy to understand , careless, or one who never worries and stresses out. < N

20) You got a whole day to do whatever you like. What kind of activities do you feel like doing?
-Depends on my mood. Maybe sleep in, go for a walk/hike, read, watch movies or tv shows, go out with friends < both

I think doubting Ni is a pretty big. For the INFJ it has a very big impact the overal feel of the way you write the very consise answers feels very ISFJ. How are you with complex theories I dont mean science just in any sence and metaphores? Do you feel like you are constantly analysing everthing?

Originally Posted by Leaves

. For instance, question 6 and 10 just shown me classic traits associated to Ni, such as

Understanding the Archetypes involving the eight functions of type (Beebe model)

I hope it helps you.

Sorry Leaves I have to disagree very strongly on point 10 just my op but that wasn't anything like and Ni answer to me. poeple underenstimate how much depth Si analysis goes into.
Q10
I would say I trust I trust my instincs and look at all possible outcomes, reasurch factual data and stongly envisage how I want it to turn out. I look at the priciples and ethics and if it even seems possible nd weave them all together until I reach a conclusion.

Past exeperince count for very little since I have troble recallng enoguh detail and feelings from the past for it be valid enough for consideration. Im future focused the past is the past....as such I rarely lern from my mistakes

Originally Posted by sea cucumber

Sorry Leaves I have to disagree very strongly on point 10 just my op but that wasn't anything like and Ni answer to me. poeple underenstimate how much depth Si analysis goes into.

Yeah, I may have been a bit biased there. I just took the perspective shifting habit associated to Ni and took it as a representative of the whole answer.

I can't really refute your points, but I wouldn't sort out Intuition as a preference too.

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Edit: And to be honest, i've been typing too many people as INFJ lately. It's either a phenomena going on or a very strong bias of mine. I should avoid typing people for a while, until I get sure of my understanding of the functions again.

You're not alone in this world in dealing with this. I'm currently going through the same rough patch, deciding between an ISFJ or an INFJ. One thing to test if you're an ISFJ or an INFJ: Think how you feel after an accomplishment: Do you take a moment to admire your work, or do you find faults and try to make it perfect? The latter fits an INFJ profile more.

INFJ imho. I sense you talk in abstract and broad terms rather than concrete terms.

Its so hard to tell. I just dont seem to see anything I realy feel like I can agree with o thease things. Iv seen a few an Im now beging to question my own type Im very difrent to ISFJ's and I see a lot of INFJ suspects sounding very ISFJ.
I got my mum and best freind to take the test and I was right though it was clear anyway. I just see a lot of answers that they would give. Yes ISFJ are more concreate and realist but I dont see tham as not arty or seeking self knowlage the answers are a bit vauge but not not abstract. Im going to be up here to be typed myslef soon!

Im pretty much ruled by constant anlysis, finding the meaning of everthing interpreting everthing and ethics, I wouldnt not mention that it rules me. Im realy wondering now hmmm................

Originally Posted by Leaves

Yeah, I may have been a bit biased there. I just took the perspective shifting habit associated to Ni and took it as a representative of the whole answer.

I can't really refute your points, but I wouldn't sort out Intuition as a preference too.

--

Edit: And to be honest, i've been typing too many people as INFJ lately. It's either a phenomena going on or a very strong bias of mine. I should avoid typing people for a while, until I get sure of my understanding of the functions again.

No No carry on with opinions. I don;t know functons to well! Im look at the outlook and wording and comparing to what I know about myse;f and others. Im stepping ou the steritypes as well. Ha ha I was very good friends with an ISTP hippy and My INTP freind is an artist so think out diffrently.
people who know functions are very good at this but from a diffrent perspective to me.

the more opions the better! Every body is INFJ at the moment except they seem S to me

If I saw some deep abstract stuff and atrange answers refering to Ni I would be INFJ on it!!! but I dont