# Most to least likely to be under-confident?



## Pluto Is A Planet (Mar 6, 2015)

I know it varies for each person and it really depends on the case, but from what I've noticed there are stereotypical links to, like, popularity and other stuff similar to that which also depends on case more than personality type. But yeah, just wondering...I reckon ESTP is one of the least likely to be under confident from looking at people of that type.

1. - 16.


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## RaisinKG (Jan 2, 2016)

bleep bloop


The most likely to be under confident imho, would be IxFx types, with the most confident / least likely to be under confident types being ExTx.


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## Rabid Seahorse (Mar 10, 2015)

Descriptions of ISFP's make it sound like they would be the most likely to be under-confident. Their cognitive functions are arranged in a way that makes it hard for them to "show their strengths" Fi-Se-Ni-Te.


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## ferroequinologist (Jul 27, 2012)

Rabid Seahorse said:


> Descriptions of ISFP's make it sound like they would be the most likely to be under-confident. Their cognitive functions are arranged in a way that makes it hard for them to "show their strengths" Fi-Se-Ni-Te.


True. but it also depends on context. There are some areas where I have no doubt as to my strengths/knowledge/abilities, and I can be very competitive, as ISFPs are wont to be. However, in interactions with other people, I can either be in-your-face, or quite deferential. I do tend to be slow to open up in new groups of people (one-on-one is much, much easier for me), and in such situations, my "confidence" can be quite low. But here's the thing. Internally, I think I have a rather accurate assessment of who I am, what I'm capable of, and what my limitations/weaknesses are. But i seldom verbalize these, and I frequently defer in real life. This means I may watch somebody make a fool of themselves, trying to solve a problem that I could have solved in seconds/already did solve in seconds. I am not the sort of person to jump in and say, "Here let me do this." or "I know how to do this. Can I try?" I just don't do that. Granted, there are some people I know who I watch with great amusement and dare I say, a sense of smug knowledge, that eventually they will give up, and ask for help, and then I'll do it and make them look the fool. But I would also never rub it in or do it in such a way as to emphasize their weakness. I may even do it apologetically, feeling sorry for them, while also knowing that they really did themselves in, by not asking at the beginning or earlier. But such is life. 

In the long run, none of this stuff matters to me (what others do or think). All that really matters is what I know I can or cannot do, or what I feel confident in. Do I undersell myself? Maybe externally--no, most likely. Internally? I don't think so. Here's the thing.... I have a friend whose child made a painting that the parent was very happy with, but the child wanted the painting didn't look like what the child wanted. The parent didn't know what to say or do. They think the child is being too hard on himself, but the truth is, if you tell the child, "It looks great! Don't worry!" You've lost their respect because you sound like you are just trying to humor them, make them feel better when they know they could have done better. It would be better to say "It may not look like what you envisioned, but I know you will be keep working and you will get the effect you want if you keep working on it." Such a statement has both recognition (of the shortcomings) and affirmation of the child's abilities. That is my internal balance, and what I would like to see from others as well. If you start telling me "It looks great! It's all ok!" then I doubt your judgment, and I may be compelled to set you straight or show you where you are wrong. To some people, that sounds like I'm lacking confidence in my abilities, but you aren't getting it is all. Don't give me empty praise. Don't be satisfied with mediocrity when I'm not. 

I will confess, that I do go through periods of really being down on myself. But those are temporary, and tend to be the result of large failures on my part--failures that tend to be exaggerated by either insincere praise or overly harsh or critical judgment of either a weak spot of mine, or from someone whose opinion I highly value. Otherwise, criticism doesn't really affect me except to maybe make me internally angry at the person. And I always work through them and come out the other side. 

So yeah, there is something to what you say, but it is much, much more complicated than that. Ironically it's only been in the past year or so that I've been able to put words to it, and such discussions are a large part of that. Before that, I'd just agree--yeah, I'm not very confident, even though inside I felt the paradox of being confident and not very confident...


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## Rabid Seahorse (Mar 10, 2015)

ferroequinologist said:


> True. but it also depends on context. There are some areas where I have no doubt as to my strengths/knowledge/abilities, and I can be very competitive, as ISFPs are wont to be. However, in interactions with other people, I can either be in-your-face, or quite deferential. I do tend to be slow to open up in new groups of people (one-on-one is much, much easier for me), and in such situations, my "confidence" can be quite low. But here's the thing. Internally, I think I have a rather accurate assessment of who I am, what I'm capable of, and what my limitations/weaknesses are. But i seldom verbalize these, and I frequently defer in real life. This means I may watch somebody make a fool of themselves, trying to solve a problem that I could have solved in seconds/already did solve in seconds. I am not the sort of person to jump in and say, "Here let me do this." or "I know how to do this. Can I try?" I just don't do that. Granted, there are some people I know who I watch with great amusement and dare I say, a sense of smug knowledge, that eventually they will give up, and ask for help, and then I'll do it and make them look the fool. But I would also never rub it in or do it in such a way as to emphasize their weakness. I may even do it apologetically, feeling sorry for them, while also knowing that they really did themselves in, by not asking at the beginning or earlier. But such is life.
> 
> In the long run, none of this stuff matters to me (what others do or think). All that really matters is what I know I can or cannot do, or what I feel confident in. Do I undersell myself? Maybe externally--no, most likely. Internally? I don't think so. Here's the thing.... I have a friend whose child made a painting that the parent was very happy with, but the child wanted the painting didn't look like what the child wanted. The parent didn't know what to say or do. They think the child is being too hard on himself, but the truth is, if you tell the child, "It looks great! Don't worry!" You've lost their respect because you sound like you are just trying to humor them, make them feel better when they know they could have done better. It would be better to say "It may not look like what you envisioned, but I know you will be keep working and you will get the effect you want if you keep working on it." Such a statement has both recognition (of the shortcomings) and affirmation of the child's abilities. That is my internal balance, and what I would like to see from others as well. If you start telling me "It looks great! It's all ok!" then I doubt your judgment, and I may be compelled to set you straight or show you where you are wrong. To some people, that sounds like I'm lacking confidence in my abilities, but you aren't getting it is all. Don't give me empty praise. Don't be satisfied with mediocrity when I'm not.
> 
> ...


That's a good way to put it, the whole "only on the outside". My ISFP best friend is a lot like that, on the surface he appears pretty docile but he can suddenly take charge and strike things down seemingly without warning like "Damn dude where'd that come from?" and then he'll just go back to his easy-going ways. It's so hard to tell when that guy cares and when he doesn't lol.


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## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

From my experience with the types...

*Most confident often arrogant*
ESTJ
ENTJ
INTJ
ESTP
ESFP

*Moderately confident types*
ISTP
INFJ
ENFJ & ESFJ (off ones I know they seem overly confident or arrogant in some areas and absolutely insecure in other ways probably the type I know with just radically extreme arrogance and insecurity polarizing). 
ISTJ females-I know sounds sexist but from most observation ISTJ females seem very confident and resilient. (ISTJ males seem like they are always trying to prove something tho)
ENTPs 
ENFPs
ISFP


*Under confident*
INFP
INTP
ISTJ males (the ISTJ males seem often by the handfuls extremely insecure)

1.Most under confident generalizing of course based of those I have encountered hands down ISFJs. I believe they are often recluse altogether or from what I have seen very often gravitate towards controlling relationships whether be relatives or s/o etc. I think they are often the bullied. I believe they are often mistyped on here frequent as well. Seriously tho any of the ISFJs I know up close and personal in my life are recluses/shut ins who push people out, or the ISFJs I know who try and be more social are the doormats of every social scenario they seem to truly often struggle with identity and latching on to the identities of others or shaping their identity for others very frequent. Often taking a shit ton of shit talking from everyone around. They often perpetuate the problem by acting overly goofy. I think even at work the chicks I can think of with zero back bone who get walked on are likely ISFJs. And its sad because ISFJs are actually a very bright perceptive group of people.


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## The Exception (Oct 26, 2010)

I think confidence largely depends on the situation. People are more likely to be confident in areas they feel competent in. Chances are one is going to be more competent (and confident) in areas relying on their stronger cognitive functions and less competent (and confident) in areas regarding their weaker cognitive functions.

So an ENTJ, will likely feel confident in areas regarding visionary leadership, organization of people and resources, gaining new perspectives of things. Skills that require Te and Ni. On the other hand they may not feel so confident regarding Fi or Se matters.

An ISFJ could feel very confident in situations where they can rely on their past experience and body sensations (Si) and in situations where they can make others feel accepted and good about themselves (Fe). But less confident in areas requiring heavy logical analysis (Ti) or lots of brainstorming (Ne).


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## Lord Necro (Jun 15, 2014)

Based on MBTI "stereotypes" and not solely on individuals, I reckon the list would go as follows (1 being most confident, 16 being least):

1. ESTP
2. ESTJ
3. ESFJ
4. ESFP
5. ENTJ
6. INTJ
7. ENTP
8. ISFJ
9. ISTJ
10. ISTP
11. INTP
12. ENFJ
13. INFJ
14. ENFP
15. ISFP
16. INFP


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## Kerik_S (Aug 26, 2015)

Some people like to tell me that "Hitler was an INFJ." He was extremely confident.


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## jeffeladin (Aug 10, 2019)

Pretty much all I types, really.

INFP and ISTP , I believe are most prone to suicide.

Types I've personally known to be highly likely to have low self confidence:

- INFP
- INFJ
- INTP
- ISFJ
- some ESFPs (histrionic disorder, act uber-hedonistic to hide their inner low self esteem)


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## Zidane (Sep 9, 2015)

Most confident tend to be the types more likely to be narcissistic, because confidence is linked to how grandly you view yourself (whether or not it's based in reality). ESTP is my vote here. (ofcourse, not all ESTP are like this, I know that...)

Least confident. Empathic types that are likely to take the stings of the narcissist more seriously than other types, thereby cousing doubt in themselves and decreasing their natural levels of confidence. INFP is my vote here.

I have a different mission in life. I put down narcissist spirits and raise empath spirits. I realized I am pretty good at it. Modern psychology has it all wrong how to deal with them. You don't ignore them or try to reason with them. You just reflect everything they do back at themselves and absorb nothing. It's so easy. So the more fire they breathe out, the more fire they get. Because what they want is for you to feel insecure so they can put themselves above you and control you. They do not want you to fight back. They want you to surrender. Be a lion, not a swan. 

So basically, what a narcissist does is he puts up an image of himself which is a couple steps higher than his actual image. And he tries to warp your perception of reality so you too see that image of himself too instead of his true self, which often is actually smaller than you. The moment you wake up and you see reality again, he loses all his power. It's just like a mental trick like in the movie IT. All you need to do to defeat the narcissist is stop being delusional. Look, you're actually bigger than him... His confidence is based on delusions, not on reality. Break those delusions. And I guarantee, sooner or later you're gonna see the scared boy behind the look of a man. This is a human, that's never fully developped into adulthood.


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## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

Not sure under-confident is an actual term and if it is, it depends on the perspective. In terms of self-doubt, I would say IJ types because they have to think over and over again before they make a move. Something hits them from behind and it's panic city.


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