# ISFP vs. INFP



## Aenye (Jul 13, 2013)

What are the differences between the two? 

Yes, I have read descriptions and they use different functions, but it's somehow vague...elusive
How those differences exactly manifest irl?


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## reckful (Jun 19, 2012)

In the spoiler are roundups of some online INFP and ISFP profiles, in case that helps.

If you're interested in any S/N input from me: If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this long post and open the spoiler, it's an "introduction to N and S" that I put together a while back that includes quotes from Myers, Keirsey and others.


* *




_INFP Profiles_
MBTI Manual (2nd Ed.)
MBTI Manual (3rd Ed.)
Keirsey (Please Understand Me)
Kroeger & Thuesen (Type Talk)
Hirsh & Kummerow (Lifetypes [abridged])
Berens & Nardi
personalitypage: Portrait
personalitypage: Personal Growth
personalitypage: Relationships
personalitypage: Careers

_ISFP Profiles_
MBTI Manual (2nd Ed.)
MBTI Manual (3rd Ed.)
Keirsey (Please Understand Me)
Kroeger & Thuesen (Type Talk)
Hirsh & Kummerow (Lifetypes [abridged])
Berens & Nardi
personalitypage: Portrait
personalitypage: Personal Growth
personalitypage: Relationships
personalitypage: Careers


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## phoenixpinion (Dec 27, 2012)

One likes apples, the other grapefruit.


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## ferroequinologist (Jul 27, 2012)

My perspective is that with the ISFP, you have Se-Ni, vs Ne-Si in the INFP. This would make the ISFP more present-oriented, and less verbally fluid. Also, the ISFP tends to have stronger aesthetic tastes--not always what others would consider "fashionable", but definitely stronger tastes, and also more consistent, IMO, but that may be just me. ISFPs struggle with verbal communication, even written, while INFP are better at communicating verbally, especially written word. Also they are less grounded in reality or the present, which makes their writing a bit more fanciful. Ne is very open-ended compared to Se. It rabbit trails various ideas and possibilities, while Se tends to stick with what is seen and experienced, and can go into gobs of detail about that.

Si and Se are also worth comparing. ISFPs seem to have bad memories for things they've experienced--unless something triggers it. Si, even in the tertiary, it seems, keeps track of things, remembering their place or role. 

This is written, of course, from an ISFP's perspective...


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## KraChZiMan (Mar 23, 2013)

ISFPs look like their life is a constant tragedy, but they take some pauses to acquire their daily dose of happiness before returning to their rainy parade.

ISFPs are actually really competetive, and all ISFPs at some point in their lives obtain a powerful urge to take revenge for someone who has dishonoured them, or their close ones. ISFPs really love money and wealth for some reason, but not the money itself, but they love to "go and get stuff" or "buy that fancy bottle that they have always admired at the store". ISFPs openly laugh and mock people have poor aesthetic tastes (food, interior or fashion). ISFPs never half-ass when it comes to choosing a piece of clothing, cooking a meal or arranging furniture in their room. ISFP artists have superior sense of composition and how to align colours perfectly on a painting, which is pretty much lacking in INFPs.

ISFPs are not lighthearted people, they are extremely serious in face of a conflict. ISFPs can't stand a debate, though. Trying to debate an ISFP is an insult for them, as they return to home from that debate and write you down on their list of people they hate.

INFPs look like they are in love, or above the clouds all the time, but for fuelling this, they need to take pauses to acquire their daily dose of sorrow and depression before returning to their ignorantly blissful lifestyle.

INFPs are not competetive at all, when they act like it, it's about proving something to themselves, not to the others. INFP is usually baffled when directly confronted. The reason for this is, when the good intention of an INFP is confronted by someone who wishes to see an INFP burn in hell, they get confused. It can happen the other way around, the INFP can appear extremely judgemental and insulting to someone who can never guess why INFP thinks so much less of them all of the sudden. INFPs do not have particularly good sense of fashion and design, the only thing they can do is to be eccentric and dress themselves in funny or weird fashion. INFP artists get all sorts of cool ideas on how to make their art stand out from the others, how to pick a concept that relates to them in a most genuine way etc. 

INFPs and ISFPs are like the very similar apples from different trees, meanwhile the INFP and INTP are like the different apples from the same tree.

Also adding that when I encounter ISFPs, they treat me and look at me in the same way that INFPs treat or look at ENFPs.


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## Snow (Oct 19, 2010)

KraChZiMan said:


> INFPs and ISFPs are like the very similar apples from different trees, meanwhile the INFP and INTP are like the different apples from the same tree.


Wut?

INFP: Fi > Ne > Si > Te
ISFP: Fi > Se > Ni > Te
INTP: Ti > Ne > Si > Fe

INTPs and INFPs gather data from their environment and life similarly. After that, all else is different.

INFPs and ISFPs gather data differently, however process it similarly. Based on the information they have and how they have experienced this information, the IxFPs will not only decide how they should act, but will often decide how _others should act_ (or how they feel someone else is feeling).

Examples:

An INTP, INFP, and ISFP are having dinner. The waitress walks up and spills her drinks all over all three people.

*ISFP*: Immediately grabs something to clean it up with. "This is cold!" and "I don't want to ruin my new jeans" goes through their mind.
*INxP*: Shocked, amused, or annoyed, their first reaction is to move out of the way, not clean it up. Takes a second or two for them to move, helped along by the ISFP's instant action in cleaning.

(Example of Se vs. Ne kicking in.)

Suddenly the waitress bursts into tears, apologizing and exclaiming what a bad day she's had, but instead of getting more napkins, she stands and cries and apologizes.

*ISFP*: Immediately asks, "can you get some more napkins, please?" The ISFP is irritated and thinks, "what the hell, even if she's upset she can at least get napkins while talking." Upon return however, the ISFP is adament in saying "it's okay, I was there once too, it's no big deal." (This represents the Se and Te combination of being "in the moment" but needing results, followed by Fi (non stressed) relation to the waitress.)

*INFP*: Sees the INFP ask for napkins (Ne Te not processing nearly as fast as the Se Te), and mentally agrees of the need, but also begins to question the "meanness" of the ISFP's initial reaction. Upon hearing the ISFP reassure the waitress, the INFP jumps in and agrees, "ya I do that kind of thing all the time, it's no big deal!" (This represents the slower Ne Te/Fi reaction.)

*INTP*: Hears the other two reacting, and just smiles at the waitress (inferior Fe kicking in). Immediately begins wondering what the waitresses' manager thinks, or if he'll even find out, then realizes with the noise and crying the manager almost certainly will. Will the waitress quit her job now? Does she have a family relying on her? Probably won't quit if she has dependents. She'll be fine." (This represents Ne looking at possibilities, and then Ti cutting them out. It is all influenced by inferior Fe which cares more about everyone's reactions over relating his/her own perspective to the waitress.)

Finally everything is kosher, and the waitress brings the check. She apologies even more profusely, to the point of discomfort.

*ISFP*: Gets payment out quickly--trying to avoid the discomfort--all the while reassuring the waitress _from her own perspective_ that "I've been there done that, don't worry." Thoughts in the ISFP's mind include everything from "poor girl, I really have done that before and I know what it's like," to "I wish she'd just go take our payments," and "I'm going to have to wash my jeans immediately when I get home." (Very Fi Se.)

*INFP*: Thinking more about the waitress and what she's saying, if the INFP has actually been a waiter/ress before, strong empathy occurs (especially if the INFP has spilled drinks like this). Only once one of the others nudge him/her will the INFP realize they need to get the money out to pay. Thoughts include "I feel so bad for her," and "I wish this never happened," or even more bizarre "if only I could somehow turn back time..." (Very Fi Ne.)

*INTP*: Having moved on past this all, the INTP is in his/her own world thinking about unrelated things. As soon as the waitress comes by, he/she begins wondering about the others' tips, however, and starts objectively analyzing _other factors_ in order to decide their own tip. (Ti) "Did she give quick service outside of the accident? Was she effective in waitressing otherwise?" and (Ne what-ifs coupled with inferior Fe) "if the others only give 15%, what should I give to make up for the missing 10%?"

The *ISFP *will leave feeling annoyed, but without really a target to pin the annoyance on: "the waitress made a mistake, I've done the same before."

The *INFP *will leave feeling worried, and experiencing very little annoyance: "the waitress may get in trouble now, I feel bad for her."

The *INTP *will leave thinking about the drive back and the potential routes which will yield the fastest and most effective way...


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## Pau7 (Jun 20, 2013)

KraChZiMan said:


> ISFPs look like their life is a constant tragedy, but they take some pauses to acquire their daily dose of happiness before returning to their rainy parade.
> 
> ISFPs are actually really competetive, and all ISFPs at some point in their lives obtain a powerful urge to take revenge for someone who has dishonoured them, or their close ones. ISFPs really love money and wealth for some reason, but not the money itself, but they love to "go and get stuff" or "buy that fancy bottle that they have always admired at the store". ISFPs openly laugh and mock people have poor aesthetic tastes (food, interior or fashion). ISFPs never half-ass when it comes to choosing a piece of clothing, cooking a meal or arranging furniture in their room. ISFP artists have superior sense of composition and how to align colours perfectly on a painting, which is pretty much lacking in INFPs.
> 
> ISFPs are not lighthearted people, they are extremely serious in face of a conflict. ISFPs can't stand a debate, though. Trying to debate an ISFP is an insult for them, as they return to home from that debate and write you down on their list of people they hate.


I _strongly_ disagree with the underlined parts.


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## PaladinX (Feb 20, 2013)

From an MBTI seminar that I attended:

S vs N


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## KraChZiMan (Mar 23, 2013)

Pau7 said:


> I _strongly_ disagree with the underlined parts.


I may have overstated these parts, sorry.

However, it's still true that ISFPs have strong aesthetic sense, and even though ISFPs are pretty silly people, they are actually much more mature on the outside compared to INFPs. Also, the fact that ISFPs apply forcive will when they are losing a debate, whereas INFPs apply "emotional logic". ISFPs follow this emotional logic as well, but they cannot verbalize it, like INFPs. Emotional logic is essentially a sort of subjective and not grounded, based on personal observations and experiences instead of calculating/analysing "cold logic", but it's still contains a sort of logical sense.

Emotional logic is actually a Fi - Te loop, very essential to any type with leading/secondary Fi and tertiary/inferior Te. The difference is that xSFP's are not prone to verbalizing it, but expressing it through some course of action or deed, while xNFPs desperately try to verbalize emotional logic as some sort of legit tool.

As an example, imagine living by yourself in a 2-room apartment, and then, an INTP/ISTP would come to you and advise that you should take a 1-room apartment instead, because it makes more economical sense to live in 1-room apartment when you're alone.

An ISFP would rather invite the INTP/ISTP over to this 2-room apartment to demonstrate that the extra room is reserved as a working space, or telling that they are about to get a boyfriend/girlfriend and then the room will be used, or simply telling that "yeah i should totally move out" while purposely taking forever to move out, while the real reason is much more deeper than that, it's just that the ISFP does not feel like revealing it to "some smartass".

An INFP would rather be like "No you don't get it, yes it's more economical but I really like my place I have so many memories connected to this place, I invited my first friend here, when I give it away I don't have anything left reminding me of these good times, maybe the friend will come to a visit and that friend only knows where to come because this is the place he/she connects with my location etc. etc."


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## ferroequinologist (Jul 27, 2012)

Pau7 said:


> I _strongly_ disagree with the underlined parts.


Actually, I wish people wouldn't try to characterize other personality types. Maybe other (MBTI) types feel the same way, but I get the impression that nobody understands ISFP but ISFP... 

Interesting tangent. For years, I've had friends that others just didn't understand, and would tend to blow off or abuse, or ridicule, but I never had problems understanding them, and we always got along, and could confide in each other. Only now, though, do I realize that they were also ISFP. In my memory, it seems that the only people I've ever known who were such mysteries to everybody else all turned out to be ISFPs. And now I think about it, my closest non-ISFP friends have told me I'm a mystery to them as well... I don't know why. But in any case, I don't suggest trying to characterize ISFP if you aren't one. You are guaranteed to get it wrong.


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## ferroequinologist (Jul 27, 2012)

HM. Interesting characterization of the INTP here. I only know my wife, so I'll compare her to you, because I can tell you she would not react like you...



Revenant said:


> Wut?
> 
> An INTP, INFP, and ISFP are having dinner. The waitress walks up and spills her drinks all over all three people.
> 
> *INxP*: Shocked, amused, or annoyed, their first reaction is to move out of the way, not clean it up. Takes a second or two for them to move, helped along by the ISFP's instant action in cleaning.


Yes, my INTP wife would react this way, though, as a mother, she would be quicker to start cleaning than a male INTP would probably be. She's gotten good at this.



> *INTP*: Hears the other two reacting, and just smiles at the waitress (inferior Fe kicking in). Immediately begins wondering what the waitresses' manager thinks, or if he'll even find out, then realizes with the noise and crying the manager almost certainly will. Will the waitress quit her job now? Does she have a family relying on her? Probably won't quit if she has dependents. She'll be fine." (This represents Ne looking at possibilities, and then Ti cutting them out. It is all influenced by inferior Fe which cares more about everyone's reactions over relating his/her own perspective to the waitress.)
> 
> *INTP*: Having moved on past this all, the INTP is in his/her own world thinking about unrelated things. As soon as the waitress comes by, he/she begins wondering about the others' tips, however, and starts objectively analyzing _other factors_ in order to decide their own tip. (Ti) "Did she give quick service outside of the accident? Was she effective in waitressing otherwise?" and (Ne what-ifs coupled with inferior Fe) "if the others only give 15%, what should I give to make up for the missing 10%?"


My INTP wife would have been more critical of the waitress, and have already considered how much to dock from the tip, and already realized that I would have wanted to double the tip to make up for how she was feeling, resigned in disgust, and already calculated how much we should add for the tip, already figured out how to split the bill if were going to, and moved on--all in a second or less. No time pondering anything about the waitress or the bill. She would be thinking about something else that was discussed at the table, or some other tangent that the waitress incident may have recalled to her mind (a book she read, most likely) The tip would be the least important thing she'd be thinking about. She'd already gone over that and made up her mind and moved on to more interesting things, or trying to calm her ISFP husband who is dying of embarrassment at the obvious wet spots on his clothes that he is sure everybody else in the restaurant is looking at. ;-)



> The *INTP *will leave thinking about the drive back and the potential routes which will yield the fastest and most effective way...


I can not in any way imagine my INTP wife even considering such a practical, Te thing. She'd be more like what she did this morning. She's sick, and needs to get our youngest started on her home schooling work, while also getting her stuff together to take to her "real" school later today. And what's she say to me? "I'm sorry. I didn't catch what you said. I was pondering about how grammar is a liberal art." and then she proceeded to explain to me her rabbit trail that got her there, and to explain why and how it is a liberal art, and how it is related to classical education, and the different ways "classical education" can be interpreted, and how it matters and relates to today. Oh, and during all this, the Roman slaves were brought up, and calculations(math), and I forget what else. I love my INTP wife. She's so "practical." (oh, and in the middle of this, I volunteered to do the laundry today because she is so sick). 


So, to go back to your original scenario (and topic), I think you would have been better served, and the scenario would be better described if you let the ISFP and INFP describe the scenario from their own perspectives. As it stands now, however, your portrayal is total poppycock. You surely didn't get the ISFP perspective right, and I'm curious how accurate @KraChZiMan thinks you got the INFP perspective.


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## Snow (Oct 19, 2010)

@ferroequinologist - Ya it's true. I was putting myself into the INTP category, and I see a lot of differences in myself than in many INTPs. I suppose we're all different in our own ways. I also have a strong vein of Te myself.

I was married to an INFP for 6 years, and just got out of a relationship with an ISFP approaching 3 years. I'm no expert on either (and not suggesting I am), but this is how both of them would have reacted, or pretty close. Gender differences do exist, as do elements such as "parenthood." Good points.


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## Sporadic Aura (Sep 13, 2009)

Revenant said:


> Wut?
> 
> INFP: Fi > Ne > Si > Te
> ISFP: Fi > Se > Ni > Te
> ...


IMO this is extremely accurate. Anyone trying to decide between ISFP or INFP or INFP and INTP should take a look at this.


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## ficsci (May 4, 2011)

As an INFP with a strong Si, I'd like to disagree with some of the above claims

I'd like to suggest instead to look at the difference between Ne and Se, and Si and Ni.

For example, if you're an INFP, and therefore uses Ne, it's likely that you've had moments where you literally can't stop making all the seemingly-illogical, non-linear, web of abstract ideas from literally spilling out of your ears. Or you're more likely to out for nowhere think of a "what if" scenario, make up an entire world about it, and wake up the next day wondering what on earth were you thinking about?

As opposed to if you are an ISFP, who uses Se, which I might be wrong about because I'm not naturally inclined to it myself, I imagine you'll be more like to *get off the chair* and explore the world for its physical sensations. For example, I think the internet is more of an INFP than an ISFP place, because it opens tons of possibilities for non-directly-physical exploration (but I do use the internet for finding tons of music... hm... that's a tricky one isn't it? Sorry, not so great example). Perhaps not to be confused with Te, which both ISFP and INFP use, where experimentation/interaction is a thought process.

I dunno, my image if an ISFP is someone who likes to savor a beautifully-decorated, not-too sweet but distinctly-flavored, little slice of cake. I'd like to eat that cake too, but I might want a slightly larger one and won't really care if it's destroyed or looks like a stir-fry.


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## LittleOrange (Feb 11, 2012)

I disagree with most of what is said here. And some of it is actually very demeaning. 

The difference that I noticed is that INFPs always tend to look for a deeper meaning in everything. ISFPs do not. They take things as they are. For example, ISFP and INFP go to an art exhibition together. ISFP looks at the picture and thinks: "Wow! This is such a cool picture! The colors are phantastic and vibrant and the shapes are cool too!" INFP thinks "I wonder what this picture represents. You see the artists strokes are are a bit inconsistant he must have been a nervous person. Also, look at his motives....all of the pictures take place in a night bar....he must have been a bohem. He visited bars a lot. " ISFP usually looks at INFP and says "What?! Where do you get all that from?" 

Also, ISFP and INFP go on a trip together. ISFP wants to gather a lot of experiences. Probably wants to see the whole city, go to restaurant, clubs, beaches (if there are any), shops, meet new interesting people, have fun, try something new etc. INFP wants to go to museums, theaters, they buy a book about the city because they want to learn more about it. ISFPs don´t want to read about the city, they want to _experience_ it. 

And yeah, in my experience, I think ISFPs give more importance on what they wear then INFPs. 

Hope this helps.


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## Galaxies (Apr 9, 2013)

LittleOrange said:


> And some of it is actually very demeaning.


I agree.



LittleOrange said:


> Also, ISFP and INFP go on a trip together. ISFP wants to gather a lot of experiences. Probably wants to see the whole city, go to restaurant, clubs, beaches (if there are any), shops, meet new interesting people, have fun, try something new etc. INFP wants to go to museums, theaters, they buy a book about the city because they want to learn more about it. ISFPs don´t want to read about the city, they want to _experience_ it.



Too many people try to separate INFPs and ISFPs through their tastes. This isn't an accurate method. It's about energy. Both INFPs and ISFPs are spontaneous and want to experience everything however:

ISFPs are energised by it.
INFPs lose energy because of it.


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## firedell (Aug 5, 2009)

Comparing myself to INFP's, that I know:

INFP's seem to be more flightly in terms of how they go about things. Their Ne seems to make them come across as less grounded.

ISFP's come across more serious than INFP's, making them seem unfriendly. 

ISFP's can convey a higher intensity. I think this is due to Se.

And that's all my brain can come up with at the moment.


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## mushr00m (May 23, 2011)

KraChZiMan said:


> However, it's still true that ISFPs have strong aesthetic sense, and even though ISFPs are pretty silly people, they are actually much more mature on the outside compared to INFPs. Also, the fact that ISFPs apply forcive will when they are losing a debate, whereas INFPs apply "emotional logic". ISFPs follow this emotional logic as well, but they cannot verbalize it, like INFPs. Emotional logic is essentially a sort of subjective and not grounded, based on personal observations and experiences instead of calculating/analysing "cold logic", but it's still contains a sort of logical sense.


How are ISFP's more mature? What do you consider maturity?
Why is 'emotional logic' tied more to INFP despite the fact they are both Fi dom? I think what is meant by 'emotional logic' is instead, personal analyzation, emotion may not even be involved in the analyzation process, besides if persons of Feeling preferences were in a constant emotional disarray, they wouldn't be able to make a decision in the first place, it is possible to analyze feelings based on low emotional count, it's based on values rather than emotions and you can analyze emotions from an unemotional perspective. Does this really need to be said again though?



> Emotional logic is actually a Fi - Te loop, very essential to any type with leading/secondary Fi and tertiary/inferior Te. The difference is that xSFP's are not prone to verbalizing it, but expressing it through some course of action or deed, while xNFPs desperately try to verbalize emotional logic as some sort of legit tool.


And Ne or Se. It needs data to analyze. Not sure about the last bit, sorry?!



> An INFP would rather be like "No you don't get it, yes it's more economical but I really like my place I have so many memories connected to this place, I invited my first friend here, when I give it away I don't have anything left reminding me of these good times, maybe the friend will come to a visit and that friend only knows where to come because this is the place he/she connects with my location etc. etc."


Sounds like an unhealthy Fi/Si loop.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

Revenant said:


> Wut?
> 
> INFP: Fi > Ne > Si > Te
> ISFP: Fi > Se > Ni > Te
> ...


I behave exactly like the INTP lol.


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## Aenye (Jul 13, 2013)

ferroequinologist said:


> My perspective is that with the ISFP, you have Se-Ni, vs Ne-Si in the INFP. This would make the ISFP more present-oriented, and less verbally fluid. Also, the ISFP tends to have stronger aesthetic tastes--not always what others would consider "fashionable", but definitely stronger tastes, and also more consistent, IMO, but that may be just me. ISFPs struggle with verbal communication, even written, while INFP are better at communicating verbally, especially written word. Also they are less grounded in reality or the present, which makes their writing a bit more fanciful. Ne is very open-ended compared to Se. It rabbit trails various ideas and possibilities, while Se tends to stick with what is seen and experienced, and can go into gobs of detail about that.
> 
> Si and Se are also worth comparing. ISFPs seem to have bad memories for things they've experienced--unless something triggers it. Si, even in the tertiary, it seems, keeps track of things, remembering their place or role.
> 
> This is written, of course, from an ISFP's perspective...



I don't see you struggling with verbal expression! 

You mean: not to have bad memories, unless something triggers it? I way too often dwell on past and find that to detach me from reality as much as N (possible future disasters). There's often something that triggers it. It's a curse that doesn't allow me to concentrate on the immediate. So I'm cornered and can't determine if I am INFP or ISFP. Tests say both.



LittleOrange said:


> The difference that I noticed is that INFPs always tend to look for a deeper meaning in everything. ISFPs do not. They take things as they are. For example, ISFP and INFP go to an art exhibition together. ISFP looks at the picture and thinks: "Wow! This is such a cool picture! The colors are phantastic and vibrant and the shapes are cool too!" INFP thinks "I wonder what this picture represents. You see the artists strokes are are a bit inconsistant he must have been a nervous person. Also, look at his motives....all of the pictures take place in a night bar....he must have been a bohem. He visited bars a lot. " ISFP usually looks at INFP and says "What?! Where do you get all that from?"


I get impression that this a bit far-fetched and that ISFPs can use their Ni and Fi to do the same thing, just somewhat less than INFPs. Descriptions like this give off impression that ISFPs are shallow people preoccupied with the immediate and see only skin-deep.


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