# How Do You Know, or Why Do You Feel, You're XXXX?



## Sophia12 (Apr 18, 2012)

I'm still in my teens but I've been able to relate the INFJ description with a lot of my childhood experience. I was an extremely independent child and could create my own fantasies and play by the drop of a pin. I didn't need toys either; I remember imagining my hand were a dinosaur and I could picture out an entire movie just by doing this. 

Now i understand of course all children were imaginative and playful, but I just thought this closely related to the INFJ description whereby it states we constantly feel like we're on another planet 

Nowadays obviously (and hopefully) I have more of a sense of awareness about the outer world. This transition stage i found horrendously difficult however. Again, I related to the description that we have a hard time fitting in and I often felt like the black sheep up until the age of 15. This was mainly due to the fact that i couldn't relate to people; i couldn't understand why they had so much interest in unimportant issues such as shoes and clothing and boyfriends. Yes, exactly as the description goes, i 'felt like an old soul'. And this was at the age of 13!! 

I could go on for quite a while about this  but I guess these were the main reasons why I can establish myself as an INFJ


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## Le9acyMuse (Mar 12, 2010)

hornet said:


> ENFP? Eh well if I have totally misunderstood the Ne/Si axis vs the Se/Ni axis I guess it is possible.
> INFJ? Hehe... nah I don't think so... Then I would actually be Ni dom and use Fe/Ti...
> That would be the day... XD
> 
> ...


 Yeah, I listed ENFP first because I felt it was more likely. I actually didn't think INFJ, but threw it in because I felt dominant Intuition from your flow of thoughts. I use "could" and "would" because it is the basis of how all the temperaments work.

Intuition and Sensation develop thoughts, and so think of what _could _be done (Ni/Si), or of what _the user could do_ (Ne/Se) with what _they see_. Feeling and Thinking judge (thereby ordering) systems, and so decide based on what _would _be done (Te/Fe) based on functional order, or of what _the user would do_ (Ti/Fi) with what _they observe_. I used a logic to draw these connections. I'd have to go more indepth to explain my choice of italices and certain words.

I agree a reliance or underreliance can be paid to a function and cause developmental issues. I'm under the impression that cognitive functions work in order as one would, say, solve a problem, consider a thought or make a decision. If a function is "under or over-developed" then an efficient thought process would be affected by inefficient/imbalanced use of that function within the cognitive order. So, tell me how a thought of yours would go through your cognitive function order and be affected by your over-developed Ni.



> As for Ne dom...
> Well heh I dunno seems very hard to accept the use of Ne in my world, I don't rapidly jump from
> idea to idea enough that it seems likely. I don't believe I shapeshift the object, I find abstract art pointless.
> I like landscapes for the look and don't read anything symbolically into it.


 There are behaviors for each type that are either consistent or exaggerated. Not all Ne-doms fit its stereotype. It depends on the person. Art is subjective for the most part. I don't confine any type to liking any specific kind of art because I don't feel it'd bear consistent results. I felt Intuition dominance from your flow of words because of how little it seemed you were concerned about how people are doing things around you, or how you would best interact with them. You seemed more occupied by your non-structured, but imaginative thoughts (N>S). And your word flow doesn't strike me as having the circumspective hints of Ni dominance, thus I chose Ne.



> If anything I think you are reading way too much into my morning ramblings.
> I've never heard of your cognitive function approach...
> Where did you pick it up?
> Is it somehow a reinterpretation of Jung?


 In my opinion, we express our inner-workings through our words, no matter the word choices or contexts. It's cognitive, after all. One can't quite hide it. I picked this up from a lot of independent study, so you are definitely free and expected to take this with a grain of salt. I'm only here to discuss and see where it goes. I used Myers Briggs Typology Indicator, Jungian Cognitive Functions and Pod'Lair.


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## Sollertis (Aug 2, 2012)

I took the test, and I got INTJ, I read the descriptions of the types and had a hunch it was correct. I then went and took all the tests I could find to confirm the diagnosis. A few tests thought I was an INTP, but the vast majority, including the functions analysis test, have classified me as an INTJ. I'm inclined to believe the numbers.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

OMG I don't even know where to begin.



Le9acyMuse said:


> Yeah, I listed ENFP first because I felt it was more likely. I actually didn't think INFJ, but threw it in because I felt dominant Intuition from your flow of thoughts. I use "could" and "would" because it is the basis of how all the temperaments work.


Temperaments are like stereotypes on speed baby...
You can't trust them.
You felt dominant intuition? Like how did that bleed trough?
On a psychic level? XD




> Intuition and Sensation develop thoughts, and so think of what _could _be done (Ni/Si), or of what _the user could do_ (Ne/Se) with what _they see_. Feeling and Thinking judge (thereby ordering) systems, and so decide based on what _would _be done (Te/Fe) based on functional order, or of what _the user would do_ (Ti/Fi) with what _they observe_. I used a logic to draw these connections. I'd have to go more indepth to explain my choice of italices and certain words.


I would have been more happy if you show examples of my writing pointing out where I supposedly manifest my dom Ne.
I guess your take on the functions is okay I just don't see how they apply to me...



> I agree a reliance or underreliance can be paid to a function and cause developmental issues. I'm under the impression that cognitive functions work in order as one would, say, solve a problem, consider a thought or make a decision. If a function is "under or over-developed" then an efficient thought process would be affected by inefficient/imbalanced use of that function within the cognitive order. So, tell me how a thought of yours would go through your cognitive function order and be affected by your over-developed Ni.


To me I sometimes don't pay enough attention to the external world basically. I also think you are making this way too mechanical.
Almost like the perspectives where pipelines, I disagree with that.



> There are behaviors for each type that are either consistent or exaggerated. Not all Ne-doms fit its stereotype. It depends on the person. Art is subjective for the most part. I don't confine any type to liking any specific kind of art because I don't feel it'd bear consistent results. I felt Intuition dominance from your flow of words because of how little it seemed you were concerned about how people are doing things around you, or how you would best interact with them. You seemed more occupied by your non-structured, but imaginative thoughts (N>S). And your word flow doesn't strike me as having the circumspective hints of Ni dominance, thus I chose Ne.


Well I'm not an Si-dom I don't care to retell every nitty gritty detail I observed in Se mode.
I could do it though if it pleases you... XD



> Like I woke up and the bed was warm, I saw out and it was already light out, I turned myself, It kinda ached in my left side.I snoozed for a while and then got up. I saw that my room was a mess as always, felt a slight pang of guilt, but quickly threw it off.I went downstairs after putting on some clothes, my mum was busy wacthing television, typical of her, I didn't feel hungry so
> I went down to my computer.


I'm like WTF!!!! Do I need to do this inane recall game anymore? Already I'm bored...
I think you have some flaw in your reasoning that every function will come trough in writing.
It is just not so, like I operate from Fi and Ni on the forum, you think Se is going to be able to communicate over the net?
I could post photos I guess, and sometimes I do. But I'm not on here to have fun, but to learn. And I learn best with Ni.



> In my opinion, we express our inner-workings through our words, no matter the word choices or contexts. It's cognitive, after all. One can't quite hide it. I picked this up from a lot of independent study, so you are definitely free and expected to take this with a grain of salt. I'm only here to discuss and see where it goes. I used Myers Briggs Typology Indicator, Jungian Cognitive Functions and Pod'Lair.


Yeah I think your reasoning here is way off.
Like how are my words supposed to give away anything? In my second language no less...
And Pod'Lair? 
Welcome to lalaland!
Lets take a little journey to a retarded place, where every type is represented by weird looking
uncool fucked up color faces. I felt sick just looking at them.
I have understood that some INFJs love that stuff... XD
Especially the ones in Ni/Ti loops wanting to dig down and nitpick details for all eternity.

Anyway good luck with that...

Now if I was any Ne type that would be INFP, but then you better prove our case better, by pointing out exactly
why I use Ne and not just because you got that special tingling feeling...


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

Pod'lair...
Sounds like some brainwashing stuff.
Only compliance will be permitted, no disagreement allowed, only we know the truth. XD



> *** This is an artistic and intellectual jam session among people who wish to independently embark on their own journey of self-development. All participation is voluntary. We do not have psychological field experience. These theories come from the mind of Thomas Chenault and are being practiced in an experimental format with this site as a focus. We do not practice psychology/psychiatry/medicine etc. We do not give counseling or diagnose mental illness. These personal development resources do not constitute medical advice or treatment.
> 
> *** The atmosphere of harmony and studiousness is vital to maintain. We reserve the right to remove any members that become disruptive to the learning experience of others.
> 
> ...


WTF!!!
OMG!!!
I don't even...
Yeah right! XD
Move along nothing to see here!


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## Le9acyMuse (Mar 12, 2010)

@hornet Before I start, just know that my first post said that I would challenge people. Entering my domain here means you're willing to play my game. Which, really, it is just a game. Nothing overly serious, but it could provide potential insights.



> OMG I don't even know where to begin.
> 
> 
> Temperaments are like stereotypes on speed baby...
> ...


Aren't the Temperaments a big part of cognitive theory? T, F, S and N are the so-called Temperaments. Or so I thought. You gave me your flow of thoughts through your words. There was no psychic retrieval here. Just a form of logic.




> I would have been more happy if you show examples of my writing pointing out where I supposedly manifest my dom Ne.
> I guess your take on the functions is okay I just don't see how they apply to me...


 I'll only do it to show my work. Like I had mentioned, you didn't focus on people or interactions with them primarily in your words. If you were to speak with, or read the words of, one who is Feeling dominant, there would be a hint of the person's awareness of people around that person. Their thoughts aren't as fanciful or compiled. More watchful of others. Honestly, I can't really pull anything out of what you'd typed to show as an example because I feel I'd end up showing everything you typed. Every sentence was more of a thought than an observation, and with little attention to the dynamics between people. It steered me away from F-dom altogether.

I don't feel Sensation because there was no focal structure to what you typed. It was like you were using thoughts as they occurred to your wandering mind rather than giving me a sort of response documenting things in experiential detail. And Thinking would've focused more on functionable ideas (efficiency and such) and kept on more specific points. Again, your response was quite imaginative; flowing with light, non-intensive "ramblings," as you put it. Ni-dom is much more prone to being precisive. Thus, I couldn't pick up on primary Fi, Fe, Ni, Ti or Te.



> To me I sometimes don't pay enough attention to the external world basically. I also think you are making this way too mechanical.
> Almost like the perspectives where pipelines, I disagree with that.


 So, overworked Ni makes you disconnected or less attentive to the external world. Would you tell me how you feel your functions work within you? How they show up in your behavior. What they do to you.



> Well I'm not an Si-dom I don't care to retell every nitty gritty detail I observed in Se mode.
> I could do it though if it pleases you... XD
> 
> 
> ...


I'm not here to ruffle feathers, dude. Just making discussion. Remember, I said in my first post that I would do this. I don't understand participating and becoming hostile.



> Yeah I think your reasoning here is way off.
> Like how are my words supposed to give away anything? In my second language no less...
> And Pod'Lair?
> Welcome to lalaland!
> ...


 Pod'Lair is eccentric-looking and somewhat suspect in presentation, but they've got interesting ideas. I didn't only rely on their theory to develop my thoughts. I'm not here to prove anything, man. If you feel bothered I can back off, but what I've done is the point of my thread. "Special tingling feeling..." When did I- lol Perhaps you had a tingly feeling? But, truly, thanks for your time, bro.

To your quotation of the site, I don't advocate their approach at teaching or identify with their goals. They have good ideas, in my opinion. Still, I wouldn't bash them. Doesn't help anyone.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

> what I've done is the point of my thread.


I have no problem with that.
*BUT*, if you are going to point out how others have a different type than the one they identify with.
You better be willing to back it up, cause they will probably go WTF, like i just did.

I'll leave now any-ways, so you may have your Ti experiment in peace... 
It would probably be better if you didn't give feedback to the participants, 
*if you want to avoid a discussion*, since your thoughts are highly unorthodox and that always gets a reaction.


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## Carmine Ermine (Mar 11, 2012)

I feel like I'm ESTP because I'm extremely objective in terms of seeking out evidence, especially first hand, and then making my own theory of why things happen. I got interested in science because it offered better explanations towards that end.

I'm really good at making up my own explanations about why things happen, so when I encounter fantasy I quickly think of how that fantasy might really happen (usually if it was in a different universe with different physics, or if it was a Matrix-like virtual reality, which is probably much more likely for most fantasies according to my basic version of the Ni function).

In terms of emotions, my current idea is that life is reactive to negative emotions and proactive to positive emotions. Also I probably only take emotions into account because they exist and they're important parts of life, in the same was as any "body part" - I think this denotes Ti Aux and Fe tertiary.

As I slightly mentioned before, I think I have inferior Ni, because I got that lowest on lots of my tests (at the time, it was a surprising result). My main use of Ni is about the probability of something happening, which is mostly helped by Ti. I think Ni would come up with the probability and then Ti would try to figure out why it might be like that. Usually symbols or metaphors are pretty ambiguous to me, but if I had developed Ni I would expect to think something on the lines of: "this symbol/metaphor can only mean one thing".


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## Le9acyMuse (Mar 12, 2010)

Call me a freelance thinker from the unconventional think tank. I like that title any day. I eat discussions for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No way would I avoid one. I'm on a forum.

*Everyone please leave now if you do not prefer me to potentially ask you penetrating questions about your belief in your type. It's nothing personal and I don't bite. 'M Just a guy that appreciates second looks and dialectics, even if unorthodox. Re-check the introduction of my thread.

Thank you all. You're beautiful!
*


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## nonnaci (Sep 25, 2011)

Le9acyMuse said:


> @_nonnaci_ Egad, man! What do you like studying in your free time? It seems you're well-versed in some theory or another. I'm curious.


As of right now, the lionshare of my work+creative energies are channeled through writing my graduate thesis in machine learning. On the side, I read stuff on philosophy, analytical psychology and physics. On a side note, the thread may also be explained through Socionics - the16types.info - Forms of Cognition by Victor Gulenko


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## Jewl (Feb 28, 2012)

I for one am totally cool if you decide to challenge my type. ^_^ Or open my eyes to something. Inquisitiveness is something that is encouraged in my book. 

I had heard of MBTI randomly a long while back and forgot about it. Then during my first year of high school, my fiction writing teacher made us take two of those free online MBTI tests. One claimed to be "Jungian", but I can tell you it wasn't now. One of those tests had nothing but yes or no questions, which annoyed me to no end. I was also sincerely frustrated that I was taking a personality test, because I believed that it was impossible for something to explain me, a complex individual. I still believe that. I had a misunderstanding of what it was trying to measure. I got ENFP, and I think I actually got ESFP once on the yes or no test.

I was surprised at how well I could relate to the descriptions of ENFP. It was eerie. But I wasn't convinced. Type Six for you there, perhaps. XD 

Well, I ended up getting really interested in the whole MBTI/Jung thing, so I started studying a lot more. Then I found this place. Cognitive functions were epic and made me wonder if I was perhaps ESFP, not ENFP. Also a bunch of tests proclaimed that I was INFP, not ENFP. But I came to realize that I definitely lead with Ne. I relate to inferior Si, and I definitely have got a preference towards Feeling of some sort. So ENFP became confirmed.
*
Where I see Ne: *It's pretty clear I lead with some sort of dominant Extroverted perception function. For me, it is all about perceiving. I love soaking things in first and foremost. If I could describe my thoughts, I'd say they are broad and far-reaching, not necessarily deep, and I'm terrible at narrowing things down. I'm utterly fascinated by the external world. If I get detached from of it for too long, I start feeling withered and depressed. Ne is how I wonder. When I see things or hear things or whatever, I constantly wonder what is going on _really_? It's a funny thing to ask, I guess, because I'm already seeing these things and hearing them and stuff, and yet I still focus on _what is possible_? I do think this to be Ne. 

I'm very unsure of my senses. I'm paranoid about them. I don't trust them. I'm actually a bit hesitant because of this, and this aspect of me is something that has frustrated my parents and sister at times (all of whom are Si doms or auxs, which is pretty cool, actually). I place much more trust in the questions I ask about what I sense, and coming to conclusions through that. 

I don't know how much this has to do with anything, but I remember one time I was at this convention-y thingy where a bunch of children got to meet with the author of this book called _Shades of Gray_, a story about the Civil War of the US. The author asked us what we thought the title meant. I raised my hand. I answered that grey was a sad colour, and how the war was shades of grey, not black and white. Well, it turned out the title actually pointed to the South's uniform colour. ^^' Lol. I just pay a lot more attention to what isn't there, I suppose. (I think you can see Si there too). 
*
Where I see Fi: 

*Here is where things get tricky. You see, I definitely judge things by their value. However, I oftentimes find myself relating a lot to descriptions of Fe. Sometimes Fi strikes a chord. At one point I told myself I had to use Fi, because it has to be Ne-Fi-Te-Si for me to be ENFP, and I couldn't relate to anything but Ne as my dominant function. 

I relate to Feeling in general, though. I remember hearing that Jung thought the auxiliary function would probably take on the attitude of the dominant. I don't know. I do not doubt Ne, though, and I do relate to Feeling. Take that for what you will, lol. 
*
Where I relate to tertiary Te

*Tertiary Te bugged the heck out of me. I think this started somewhat in middle school, but I gained this huge fear of making mistakes. Like I've said before, this wasn't surface level or as simple as getting the right answer on a test -- this was very deep, and crippling. My confidence, which was always a bit on the shaky side, became near zero. I'm pretty sure I began realizing at this time that I was missing something. I felt clumsy. I think this was me seeing that I had little Te, and what little I had was not something I had much control over. It effected me in negative ways, not positive ways. I've gotten more comfortable with this now, though. I still struggle with this, but I feel much more balanced. 
*
Where I relate to inferior Si

*Look at how I describe my relationship with Ne. Sensing is simply not there. Also, I do relate to the "static" problem Ne-doms get when inferior Si decides to be mean. I will focus on one problem and make that problem big and unmovable. It makes me feel trapped like nothing else. Like nothing can or will change. This problem becomes insurmountable. I lose that usual broad multiple perspectives that I see. 

*Learning styles, interaction styles, etc. 

*I'm very kinesthetic and auditory. I rely on those two, especially the kinesthetic side of me, a lot. It is simply how I learn. I am able to soak things up a lot better if I just listen and if I am allowed to physically move somehow. Staring at a textbook and doing anything visual just makes me frustrated. I've been playing the piano for many years now, and I still sight read really badly. Sight reading has driven me near tears at times. In order to learn how to read when I was little, I had to learn by this thing where you sang what letters you saw. I began to associate pictures with sound, and that helped me learn. Before, reading just absolutely frustrated me just like sight reading. I do love reading now, though, and I'm a pretty fast reader. 

I'm very bad at going measure by measure and seeing the flow of the music when I sight read. My eyes either gloss over everything entirely, or I have to go note by note. It's painstakingly slow. I'm very good at sounding things out by ear and I memorize things way too quickly. This is odd, but I memorize so quickly it has become a problem. After I sight read and then play it through once or twice, my hands remember what it felt like and I have memorized how it sounded. 

According to the seven intelligences, I've got high musical intelligence and bodily-kinsethetic intelligence. Big surprise there. 

I find it much easier to think and write things down when I speak. I think in words and feelings, much like how I learn. I have written things by walking and talking out loud, and then transferring all of this to paper. Pacing is the best things ever. I have a hard time transferring my thoughts immediately to paper. Seriously, the hardest part of writing a paper for me is just starting. I think of many, many things which branch off into many, many more things. If I just talk to myself, it's much easier to narrow things down. 

Interaction with people is so much easier when I am talking with them, when I'm right there, face-to-face. I also get a better idea of the person. 

There you have it. Feel free to ask questions. ^_^

EDIT: I forgot. Interesting fact: when I read, I find that styles in which you have to focus on every detail, where one sentence flows into the next sentence in such a way that it is impossible to guess the meaning without the other, I can get pretty annoyed. I like being able to "fill in the blanks". I notice that a couple users here who have Ni as their dom or aux function have that odd interlocking style, and it plays on this thing that I absolutely lack and drives me nuts.


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## nakkinaama (Jun 20, 2012)

i want to have that idea rush intuitives tend to have, but i just feel so... slow and, depressed sometimes? i just cant do that


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## Jewl (Feb 28, 2012)

Convicted said:


> i want to have that idea rush intuitives tend to have, but i just feel so... slow and, depressed sometimes? i just cant do that


Intuitives aren't the only ones that have "idea rushes".  Be proud of the skills you have. ^_^ I doubt the problem is that you don't have a preference towards Intuition. Se is one amazing function, and it's your dominant function. You shouldn't feel slow and depressed because of that.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

This has to be the most perfect word on the face of the Earth to describe the nature and essence of habituated intuition that I looked up in my friend in Jung, the Mac dictionary last night: Phenomenological (Circumstantial would probably be the universal adjectival sensation counterpart to this). This word captures all of the essential qualities of intuition that I needlessly struggle to find words for (down to the nature of most of my personal obsessions and the subjective interplay of intuition with my mind in these).


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## snowbell (Apr 2, 2012)

In y typing thread, @JungyesMBTIno took one look at my "biggest faillure" section and said "textbook inferior Te, Fi dom makes sense". That cleared up the confusion i'd been having over being possibly an INTP. And Se just doesn't resonate with me at all. 

I used to relate to the INFP profiles but now I think I'm maturing enough to start on the cognitive functions themselves and Jung's original theories, and I feel that his (and Van Der Hoop's) descriptions of Fi fit me really well without being superfluous.


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## nakkinaama (Jun 20, 2012)

Julia Bell said:


> Intuitives aren't the only ones that have "idea rushes".  Be proud of the skills you have. ^_^ I doubt the problem is that you don't have a preference towards Intuition. Se is one amazing function, and it's your dominant function. You shouldn't feel slow and depressed because of that.


Argghh, bullshit, I hate Se!!! 
Oh well...


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## Jewl (Feb 28, 2012)

Convicted said:


> Argghh, bullshit, I hate Se!!!
> Oh well...


 What reason do you have to hate Se? Why do you think Intuition is so much better? 

Do you think everybody else who uses Se as their dom or aux function is missing out on something somehow?


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## nakkinaama (Jun 20, 2012)

Julia Bell said:


> What reason do you have to hate Se? Why do you think Intuition is so much better?
> 
> Do you think everybody else who uses Se as their dom or aux function is missing out on something somehow?


no i just feel weird, it has nothing to do with other people. i guess im... dysfunctional, or something, idk.


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## sorry_neither (Mar 21, 2012)

@Le9acyMuse Thanks for starting this thread, it's turning out to be very interesting.



Le9acyMuse said:


> Thanks for your responses. Now I will alter the approach of the thread. Please tell me how you experience your thinking, pondering and/or thoughts without involving cognitive functions. Simply tell me what you know of your style of reflecting, learning and/or interacting.


It feels like my mind is always running on multiple tracks at once. Once in a while, I get "stuck" on a thought, and stop paying attention to what's going on around me (conversations, lectures... furniture). If I get interrupted-- that is, before I reach a conclusion of sorts for a track-- I forget what I was even thinking about, ~90% of the time. And then what I do remember, I can't really talk about since a) my thoughts aren't strictly verbal or visual, and b) they leapfrog across several topics I'm pretty familiar with in a nonlinear way (I was describing it to someone once, and "looping" is the best word I could up with). I do a lot of "instant replay." A lot. To the point that I have to consciously tell myself to just _stop _and focus on something else. I imagine alternate actions that I could have taken, and the alternate outcomes, especially if I got a reaction/result that surprised me.

I'm primarily a visual learner, so I love reading, charts, graphs, and diagrams; I also learn best on my own. Left to my own devices, I'll randomly stumble on a new topic and obsess hardcore on it for anywhere from a few days to three years, whenever I feel like I got "enough" out of it. In classes, I rarely take notes, since copying the lecture/slides verbatim is useless for me, and it distracts me from trying to form connections; when I do write down a note, it's usually some detail I _know_ I'm going to forget. This is what proved to me that I am, in fact, a "big picture" thinker: math classes are excruciating for me... everything is laid out one step at a time, little bit by bit. When I stopped going to a stats class last semester, my grades went up; I learned the material by copying down the formulas on a "cheat sheet" _first_, skimmed over the explanation of what it's for, and copied the example-- and I was ready to go. My way: 15, 30 minutes tops. Their way: 2 hours+.

I rarely interact with strangers-- usually I'm too oblivious (preoccupied with multiple thoughts), even when I'm not, it's never worth the effort. I can deal with "chit chat" if it's with acquaintances, though, and the smaller the group, the better. I'm "all business" and stay on task, which people either love or hate. Sometimes both. Dealing with random people is really difficult for me. So many social rules seem both stupid _and_ inconsistent. You don't know how many times I've been openly told I'm "boring" (I'll never understand how having broad interests is less interesting than just watching TV all day, but okay), but if I say something like, "I don't understand bars," I'll get attacked... WTF, people?


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## The Grand Vizer (Aug 25, 2012)

I took an official test when I was eighteen and first came up INTJ, after falling in love with personality theories I proceded to take more tests, unofficial but indepth all the same. After the other ones I kept coming up INTJ or INTP, so good I've got the INT down so what makes the difference? I proceded to spend hours scouring the internet for the primary differences as well as in depth descriptions of each type. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that I AM an INTJ but I get ALOT of INTP tendencies when I'm in a rut. Anyways I only hopped in this thread out of boredom so i'll end it here so I can read all the other replies.


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## mell (Aug 9, 2012)

I am still not 100% sure that my type is indeed ISFP but when I analyzed my functions, it seems to point that direction. Most tests typed me as an INFP mainly because I can come across as an intuitive due to my interest in seeing the big picture and how I hate memorizing details. It is pretty clear that I am an introvert, lead with Fi, and my inferior is Te. What mainly gave away that I am most likely an ISFP is my preference for Se throughout my life. I'll give an overview of how I have used Se. Please feel free to point things out that provide evidence for other functions. Like I said, I am still not completely sure of my type. 

I was pretty introverted and comfortable with it throughout my childhood. But one thing that was definitely not introverted about me was my desire and compulsiveness to show off my athletic abilities. I have always prided myself mainly on my ability to pick up on any physical activity quickly and be good at it. I was also this way with instruments and music. I had the ability to learn instruments pretty quickly and then I would have the desire to show off my skill. Over the years I have learned to be more humble but nonetheless, I still have the desire to show off a little but I consciously control it. 

Another thing that really points out Se for me is my aesthetic appreciation for nature. I heard that Se users can have the urge to drive to a mountain top in the middle of the night just to enjoy the view. Similar urges come to me frequently. My hobbies revolve around being in aesthetically beautiful nature areas such as hiking or swimming in lakes. One of my goals in life is to hike the entire Appalachian trail in one trip. I have gone on countless camping and backpacking trips. I am even totally willing to camp or backpack alone and I have done it before. I get along with animals very well. I have had several pets throughout my life that have included various bugs, a snake, frogs, fish, turtles, dogs, and cats. Growing up I always had two things I wanted to be: veterinarian and forest ranger. Though I get along with animals very well, I don't get along with kids well. I have heard that ISFPs are very good with kids but that is definitely not the case for me. 

Now I can appear pretty intuitive as well. I love psychology, philosophy, seeing the big picture rather than specific details, etc. I really don't like details but I suppose I can pick up on them in the moment well. I won't remember much though. I really appreciate metaphors in literature although I probably would not be good at creating them and I am slow on picking them up (somebody has to tell me specifically). These are just stereotypes but I am guessing my tertiary Ni plays a decent role as well. I believe something that is not intuitive of me is how I don't care too much about lyrics in music. I can definitely appreciate them but I focus more on the tones of the different instruments. 

It seems like people think an ISFP's main drive in life is to just have a fun and exciting life but that is not necessarily my drive in life. It's more along the lines of, I am driven to make a positive impact on this world and I might as well have fun while I'm doing it.


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## Herp (Nov 25, 2010)

I think I've tried every single 'letter' of MBTI at least once in my lifetime.

First time I came in contact with it, it was a test. It told me I was an INTP. I've been to INTPForum for a solid year before noticing that I'm not really prone to hypothetical arguments that leads to nowhere except for:

-I totally seen some moles 'burrowing' hole yesterday in the park.
-Where did you get your definition of 'park' from?
-Your definition of 'park' is wrong. Here's mine.
-Your conception about how his 'park definition is wrong' is wrong. Here's my definition of 'park'
(repeat until thread is no longer about moles but about the parks and classifications of such)

I was way more interested in the interaction with new ideas and the people involved. Sure to be an introvert, INFP was the closest guess. Then, I started going to INFP based forums. A lot of feelings which varied from individual to individiual, a lack of agreement between what an INFP is and what isn't and the fact that I'm more prone to act led me to steer away from that option.

Then, INFJ. Judgers are supposed to do stuff and being organized and all schedule-y. A bunch of cognitive function learning and interactions with INFJs proved me that the judger stereotype is not that accurate for all types.

Suddenly, I'm an extrovert. I learn that I like persons and that interacting with them and making sure to keep myself busy is a huge thing on my life. ENFJ, no. ENFP, no. ENTP, no.

Then, therapy kicks in and I notice I'm overly prone to 'analyze, understand and predict based on observations'. This, coupled with the fact that I'm not that comfortable with performing the stuff that people claim as 'nice' and 'considerate' and even 'warm' led me to think that Ti is the dominant and that Fe is the inferior.

Aux and Tertiary are still a mess. So, IxTP is right there. Just give me a couple of weeks to decide between Se-Ni or Ne-Si. I have to tell that I'm wavering towards the second, because of that 'If I don't know how to act I won't act until I know how to act' mindset, which I'm learning to break.

Screw it, I've just decided on INTP right now.


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## Mammon (Jul 12, 2012)

That's right, I'm XXXX.


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## zynthaxx (Aug 12, 2009)

In my late teens, I tested as an NT - first INTJ, then INTP. As I matured and started living life as I _wanted_ to as opposed to how I imagined others expected me to, I realized a lot of my traits weren't compatible with an Ne preference, but rather with an Ni one. Since I obviously am not an INTJ when acting naturally, I read the ISTP description, which pretty much had me down to a T.
I'm obviously an introverted thinker with a "lazy" fallback to complement Ti with Ni, and I obviously feel most at peace with myself when I complement Ti with Se. Voilà: ISTP.


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## Ayia (Feb 27, 2012)

Hm... 

I'm pretty sure I am an INFP as all cognitive functions tests I take end up with Ne, Fi and Si at the top 3, and Te at the bottom. So no matter how much I like to question it, it's the most compatible with the functions I use the most and least.


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