# INFP vs INFJ: Could someone explain their cognitive functions for me?



## BooksandButterflies (Jul 26, 2012)

What I'm asking for is a break down of the differences between the two. I know I'm an introverted idealist but not sure if I'm a P or J! My scores are always very close, sometimes P, sometimes J! Does putting off things mean I'm an a p for sure? Sorry. Still trying to learn cognitive functions!


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## The Nth Doctor (May 18, 2012)

This may help you to understand that. (Your post made me think of writing the answer to that sort of question, I'm not trying to advertise my thread or something. xD)


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## Doctorjuice (May 1, 2012)

Not sure if you've seen it, but I did a video on this:


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## serene.arunia (Sep 13, 2012)

The video above explains it pretty well. Personally I love INTJS we are different yes. I get along with them extremely well. <3


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## BooksandButterflies (Jul 26, 2012)

Doctorjuice said:


> Not sure if you've seen it, but I did a video on this:


 I did see this as a matter of fact. I subscribed as well. Very informative! Thanks!


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## Doctorjuice (May 1, 2012)

PinkPizazz said:


> I did see this as a matter of fact. I subscribed as well. Very informative! Thanks!


Are you still having trouble determining your type?


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## BooksandButterflies (Jul 26, 2012)

Doctorjuice said:


> Are you still having trouble determining your type?


Yes, I am. I always thought I was a p because I put things off, but everyone keeps saying there's more to it then that. Thing is, my scores are so close for the two.


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## emerald sea (Jun 4, 2011)

Ni vs. Ne
Fe vs. Fi

INFJs are Ni-Fe, INFPs are Fi-Ne, as far as dominant-auxiliary functions.

Fe functions like a thermostat with an emotional sensor most tuned in to how personal choices or the external environment affects the feelings of those around them. Fi functions a bit like a conscience with an emotional sensor most tuned in to how ideas, personal choices, or the external environment affects the feelings within (but this doesn't mean they are insensitive to other people's feelings). both sense feelings, then automatically moderate/adjust themselves to ensure good feelings in the arena to which they are most tuned. they are judging functions, which means they evaluate and make choices based on a rationale, but both prioritize - in evaluation of good vs. not-so-good, and in decision-making - an outcome of good feelings in different arenas (either internal or external). we tend to call them values-based evaluation/choice.

Ni functions a bit like a private detective that finds its data in the external world but much of its information-gathering, figuring things out and putting patterns of ideas together to determine the overall story is unseen and occurs under the radar (in the subconscious mind), but the conclusions become public (to the mind, anyway). Ne functions a bit like an diagnostician/troubleshooter or inventor and much of the data/objects it manipulates - to figure things out or connect this to that (even widely variant things or ideas) to recognize what is really going on, or what could go on - is found within the external world. ultimately, Ni looks within for data (since the subconcious mind gathers data from the external world, processes it, and presents it to the conscious mind without revealing its sources, which is why Ni users may not know how they know what they know) - to mental impressions, gut feelings, what its mind generates (it's hard to describe unless you use this function); Ne looks outside for data. both are perceiving functions, which means they collect data from the external world, honing in on certain aspects, and present it to the mind in a certain form as information to be evaluated...and are as such the source of data most trusted by the mind dominant/auxiliary in them. both deal in possibilities or potentials (ideas) far more than in actualities (hard, cold facts)...although the data from which they generate possibilities and connections are hard, cold facts. Ni/Ne (intuition) are zoomed-out functions that see the overall picture of how things connect to one another; Si/Se (sensing) are zoomed-in functions that see the details and specific facts.

this is extremely summarized (and by summarizing a degree of precision and accuracy is lost, i realize). i wish i had time to write a lengthier explanation right now, but i don't, and can only hope this is somewhat helpful.


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## BooksandButterflies (Jul 26, 2012)

emerald sea said:


> Ni vs. Ne
> Fe vs. Fi
> 
> INFJs are Ni-Fe, INFPs are Fi-Ne, as far as dominant-auxiliary functions.
> ...


 It really does help! The Fi\Fe functions are what confused me. I kept saying that I seem to use both!:happy:


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## emerald sea (Jun 4, 2011)

PinkPizazz said:


> It really does help! The Fi\Fe functions are what confused me. I kept saying that I seem to use both!:happy:




i'd venture to guess that the confusion is due to your enneatype. 4s and 6s when healthy, and 9s, are empathetic and may be sensitive to emotions in others, and Fi can often be aware of others' feelings. very compassionate people often can identify with Fe descriptions, even if they don't technically use the function Fe. but there is a difference between empathy being a cognitive response and it being an emotional response. 

i'm struggling for the words to describe it but Fe is kind of like when the doctor hits your knee with the little hammer and your leg automatically kicks out before your brain even registers what is happening, it is automatic reflex rather than being something that can be shut off by choice. it's involuntary and autonomic. 

i'll use an example from many INFJs' personal experience. someone could have treated us extremely abusively and we are so (rightfully) angry about it that we want to completely lose it at them, and use all the knowledge we intuitively know about them to let them have back all the extreme pain they have poured into our life; and then suddenly we sense they are hurting, we feel their emotional pain in an almost physical sense, and suddenly something inside of us makes us feel extremely uncomfortable for hurting them by responding that way. we sense their pain so insistently and strongly we can't necessarily fight it off and we soften under it. what we _choose_ is how we respond to sensing their feeling; automatically (as if programmed to be so) we feel _driven_ to respond to relieve the negative feeling in that person, whether that's what our emotional center wants or not. we may choose not to act in line with that feeling, and still lash out at them, but the feeling is quite often still there. so it's not a choice or an emotional response; it is the way our brain is programmed to operate, so it just happens when the stimulus that is designed to set it off is present, whether the user wants it or not. can you identify with that? 

there is some crossover between MBTI and enneagram in terms of behavior, that easily causes confusion. for instance - from the _outside_ (behavior, not driving motivations), Fe can look like enneatype 2 and Fi can resemble enneatype 1 in some respects.


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## BooksandButterflies (Jul 26, 2012)

there is some crossover between MBTI and enneagram in terms of behavior, that easily causes confusion. for instance - from the _outside (behavior, not driving motivations), Fe can look like enneatype 2 and Fi can resemble enneatype 1 in some respects.
I thought I was a type 2 for years! Thinking I might just be INFJ!_:kitteh:


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