# Quiz? To Help Discover XNFP vs XNFJ



## imaginaryrobot (Jun 11, 2013)

Hello. roud:

I'm working on something right now to help differentiate between XNFP types and XNFJ types. It's not that anything here is all that new (you've probably read a lot of this stuff before), but I wanted to maybe bring this information all to one place to make self-discovery easier and maybe less contradictory

It's sort of set up in a quiz-like manner, though I'm quite hesitant to really call it a 'quiz', just because I am clueless about its validity. I tried to use Fi/Fe and Ni/Ne for most of the statements, though this shouldn't be taken as a cognitive function quiz. I also completely ignored T and S functions; I tried to stick with more of the defining traits of the types. I'd be interested to see if the statements in general fit the type they're meant to be describing. If enough people get the intended result, maybe we could have something here... 



So here's what I have so far... Try to pick the statement that most accurately describes you from each pair.

*(If you really can't choose between 2 statements, skip the pair)*

1.
a) I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others. 
b) I find it difficult to explain my complex insights to others. 

2.
b) I find that empathy (feeling what others feel) comes very naturally to me. 
a) I find that creativity (coming up with new ideas) comes very naturally to me. 

3.
b) When others are feeling sad, I feel responsible for inspiring them or making them feel better.
a) When others are feeling sad, I often start to feel sad too so they don't feel so alone. 

4.
b) I find it energizing to think about one problem in detail until I come to an understanding about it.
a) I find it energizing to bounce between ideas until I come up with something new and exciting. 

5.
b) Often, talking about personal issues to others helps me to realize what I'm truly feeling.
a) Often, talking about personal issues to others confuses me and leaves me with self-doubt. 

6.
b) When I am out in public, I tend to act formal and serious.
a) When I am out in public, I tend to act casual and fanciful.

7.
b) Uncertainty and lack of control are two of my biggest stressors in life. 
a) Conflict and having my options limited are two of my biggest stressors in life. 

8.
a) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to come to it every so often when I'm feeling ready for it. 
b) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to work on it all in one burst of energy until it's done. 

9.
a) I find it more important to point out peoples' differences and what makes us all unique.
b) I find it more important to point out peoples' similarities and what brings us all together.

10.
a) I would rather be given an open-ended question to explore to see where my ideas could take me.
b) I would rather be given a question that is looking for a definite (or at least probable) conclusion. 

11.
b) I feel relief after making a decision, knowing that it's done and doesn't need to be revisited. 
a) I feel somewhat trapped after making a decision, wondering if the other options might be better. 

12.
b) I think categorizing things allows for clearer understanding, organization, and general rules to live by. 
a) I think categorizing things can greatly limit our understanding of something because there are going to be many things that don't fit, and they are just as important. 

13.
b) I persuade people by distancing myself from what I believe, and instead wonder how I can present the issue in a way people would best respond to. 
a) I persuade people by using conviction and utmost honesty, to create a clear presentation about why the belief is the path to take. 

14.
b) My internal state of being tends to be fairly stable and neutral when alone, almost zen-like.
a) My internal state of being tends to be rather lively and capricious, with strong emotions. 

15.
b) When around others, my external state can be very capricious and unpredictable. 
a) When around others, my external state tends to be stable; people generally have a good idea about who I am. 

16.
a) I more often than not have a clear understanding of where my ideas come from – this leads to this leads to this, etc.
b) I quite often do not understand where my ideas are coming from or how I've come to a conclusion – sometimes they just appear. 

17.
a) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to consider the act/situation from a morality standpoint. 
b) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to try to understand the person's thought process or experiences that led to such a thing. 

You can count out the number of a) choices and b) choices you made and look below to see what your result is. It's probably obvious, but just thought I'd clarify! 



* *





a = XNFP
b = XNFJ





And even though this is set up like a quiz, I'm also interested in a discussion to see what other people think about the XNFP and XNFJ differences. Do these seem accurate? Are there any major differences that you think I ignored and should be included in this quiz? Are there any statements here that you find irrelevant?


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## lawof23 (Jul 25, 2014)

My parents told me never to talk to imaginary robots - not after the last time - but maybe I can make an exception in this case ...

Thanks for sharing your efforts. If it helps, I think I "had the pattern" at the point of noticing you swapping a's and b's around in order (which I understand, and I'm not criticising). What seems to me to happen is that Ni goes "hang on a minute ... oh right, that's why then" and before it can even issue me with a "spoiler alert" I've sussed it. 

So as someone who identifies strongly already with INFJ there was an inexorable sense of finding "rightness" in one answer over another, and that may not help you gauge how "useful" this is for people who are less sure. I thought overall most of the questions were clear and helpful, but wondered if the following few observations might not be worth a moment of your consideration for future iterations ...

Question 1 (don't worry, I'm not going to mention all of them! Just happens to start with q1) is interesting, because "b" potentially fits for an INFJ sure. However, what Fe really seems to me to do is keep the internal world of Feeling rather fuzzy and indistinct, compared to bright shiny clarity of how _other_ people are feeling. Unless I'm actively having an exceptionally strong emotional experience in the heat of that particular moment, whenever anyone asks me how I'm "feeling" the answer pretty much has to be "er, okay I guess; how're you?". Fundamentally, if I had to pick between those 2 answers and only those 2 answers, I think it would be (a), and it would be my guess that Fe types generally would find option (a) difficult.

If we lump together "thinking" with "whatever-verb-you-use-when-talking-about-Nx", though, when someone asks me what I'm _thinking_ about, although in practice my go-to response is to say "oh, nothing much" unlike the "feeling" question I'm not actually telling them the truth very directly. It's not so much that I have a problem with "explaining my complex insights", it's that (I assume) that most people aren't really that interested - coupled with a potential difficulty that taking those insights and putting them into one of those human languages seems to take me a long time, especially out loud and without practice. So answering their question honestly and sincerely would take "too long" - the most accurate answer, shared of course with the select group of my friends who seem to put up with it best, is normally "about 20 or 30 things; it's about 50-50 work-related problems/cases/hearings/etc compared with personal or philosophical issues, plus I'm trying to write this dubstep concept album about Jung's theory of cognitive function as developed by later pioneers like John Beebe ..." look I'm going to give up here.

My point is to raise a possible question about whether (a) is a 'better' INFJ answer, because the true-er answer to (b) is I _can_ explain them, it's just "ain't nobody got time for that", as Sweet Brown would put it.

Question 7 - only a tiny query here. From my, as you will have already realised, very limited knowledge and understanding of the whole MBTI system, I only wonder whether including "conflict" with option (a) is very strongly differentiating. I certainly don't "mind" having limited options: both my Xi functions "zero in" on one particular option anyway (and see q11 in a minute, which I think is a very good JvsP question indeed), so even if there were a lot of options I usually only seem to be able to take one or two at all seriously. _But_, I do really dislike "conflict" - I experience it pretty negatively most of the time. It generally feels (no pun intended) like some kind of "problem" which my Fe feels insistent about trying to "solve", if that metaphor will work for you at all.

All I'm getting at is that I wonder whether disliking conflict is at all "shared" between INFJ and INFP at any rate, albeit for - so far as I understand - different reasons. With that in mind, perhaps along with "having my options limited" you could include something else which is more distinctive between XNFX.

Only 2 more, thanks for bearing with me!



Question 14 I wasn't completely sure about either, but let me explain why and then you'll best be able to judge whether it's worth taking my skewed opinion into account. See, my opinion _is_ skewed on this question, because I'm a Zen Buddhist. I therefore have a use and experience of the word "zen" which is (a) completely different and, in many ways in fact entirely opposite, to what most people in the West mean by it, and (b) which specifically relates to me on a personal and spiritual level.

Because I bet there are hardly any Zen Buddhists (as a statistical proportion) who would be likely to read your questions, no doubt you may not feel any great need to take a look at this one. However, if you were at all amenable to avoiding any entanglement with specific religious terminology, I would entirely felt met more-than-halfway if you were to change 14(b) by removing the last 3 words because that way there would be room for zero confusion.

Having said that, "stable and neutral" might also give the wrong impression. So whereas I would _definitely_ not say that my internal experience was at all like (a), as to exactly what it _is_, well that's a little tricky. My "internal experience" alone is mixed: on the one hand my internal experience of Feeling and Sensing are extremely vague and unclear, with the latter (Si) frankly being somewhere between a mystery and a horror movie for me. But on the other my Ni and Ti seem to take up most of the (conscious) space. The internal experience itself, then, isn't necessarily especially "stable" (not the word you used, I know) - if anything it seems to be a continual "river" of thoughts and impressions drawing a narrative out of my disparate sensory and intellectual experience.

But it's not (a), sure, so perhaps that's all fine after all.

Very finally, and thanks for your time if you've made it this far, with question 15 I'm not sure I felt entirely happy with "capricious" and "unpredictable" in (b). However, I have to completely and totally reject the part of (a) which was "people generally have a good idea about who I am" because that is so utterly _not_ my experience of life. I find most people have no idea about who I am or how I work, and that actually when I try and explain I usually worry that I sound like I am some kind of alien monster. I rely on my Fe, and not taking myself too seriously, to help reassure me that no-one ever _does_ think that especially.

If I had completely free rein, maybe I would have (b) as something like "When around others it's almost like I can "decide" how to appear to other people, so if anything I can 'blend in' differently in different situations". I can't promise you that helps differentiate XNFX, but you've come this far so maybe just take it into consideration along with whatever anyone else comes up with.

Thanks for your time, hope to have offered any assistance.


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## Sangoire (Oct 9, 2013)

Hi @imaginaryrobot... wow you have gone to some effort here : )

I would love to answer your quiz unfortunately I fear I would corrupt you data because most of my answers will be both or neither : (

The exceptions are:
7, 8 , 10 = a
13, 17 = b


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## pupdogXD (Sep 24, 2014)

Holy hell. These things drive me crazy. I know, percentage/spectrum-wise on tests, that I often border between J and P (My other letters, I, N, and F are 50%>, no debates there).

In this quiz, I ended up with 8A and 9B. That should pin me as INFJ, but in life, I tend to cognate more naturally along the functions of INFP. The problem is that I rarely wanted to pick both answers, but I strongly supported the ones I did pick. So I truly fell between the two, depending on the situation. What exactly am I supposed to do with that, in regards to this test?

The reality is, I'm solidly an INFP though. The functions are all changed between the two types, and I'm extraordinarily heavy-handed in the Fi and Ne, as compared to Fe and Ni.


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## The Exception (Oct 26, 2010)

*1) a
2) a
3) b
4) a 
5. b
6. b
7. a
8. a
9. a
10. a
11. a
12. b
13. b
14. a
15. a
16. a
17. b

11 a; 6 b
I'm actually neither NFP or NFJ. I just like taking tests.*


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## Stendhal (May 31, 2014)

What if you can't decided between the pairs?


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## BlackFandango (Apr 4, 2014)

1. A
2. B (or not)
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. B
10. B
11. B
12. A
13. A
14. B
15. B
16. B
17. B

13 Bs, 4 As.


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## Rhaegar (Aug 3, 2014)

10 Bs and 7 As. Thanks for making this, I thought that it was interesting.


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## imaginaryrobot (Jun 11, 2013)

Thanks for your detailed response! I thought you had a lot of great input with this. And sorry I didn't really get to it until now, but I didn't quite have the time before and wanted to respond when I could really think about what you were saying.




lawof23 said:


> Thanks for sharing your efforts. If it helps, I think I "had the pattern" at the point of noticing you swapping a's and b's around in order (which I understand, and I'm not criticising). What seems to me to happen is that Ni goes "hang on a minute ... oh right, that's why then" and before it can even issue me with a "spoiler alert" I've sussed it.


 
Yeah, I was trying to come up with a system that wouldn't be too complicated for people to score for themselves, but that kind of ended up making the pattern pretty obvious. I realized that going into it, but.. eh. I kind of figured that people who were looking into the XNFJ/XNFP stuff could likely discern the statements anyway, even without the obvious a/b pattern. If I were to make this into a real quiz, I'd probably change it. 




lawof23 said:


> Question 1 (don't worry, I'm not going to mention all of them! Just happens to start with q1) is interesting, because "b" potentially fits for an INFJ sure. However, what Fe really seems to me to do is keep the internal world of Feeling rather fuzzy and indistinct, compared to bright shiny clarity of how _other_ people are feeling. Unless I'm actively having an exceptionally strong emotional experience in the heat of that particular moment, whenever anyone asks me how I'm "feeling" the answer pretty much has to be "er, okay I guess; how're you?". Fundamentally, if I had to pick between those 2 answers and only those 2 answers, I think it would be (a), and it would be my guess that Fe types generally would find option (a) difficult.


 
I think you're right about this one. If I could go back and rewrite it, I think I'd clarify it a bit. “I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others.” maybe should've been “I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others, despite understanding them well in my head”. And same kind of thing for b. Do you think that would make a difference for this? Because that's what I had originally been going for, but I didn't translate that well into the question.




lawof23 said:


> Question 7 - only a tiny query here. From my, as you will have already realised, very limited knowledge and understanding of the whole MBTI system, I only wonder whether including "conflict" with option (a) is very strongly differentiating. I certainly don't "mind" having limited options: both my Xi functions "zero in" on one particular option anyway (and see q11 in a minute, which I think is a very good JvsP question indeed), so even if there were a lot of options I usually only seem to be able to take one or two at all seriously. _But_, I do really dislike "conflict" - I experience it pretty negatively most of the time. It generally feels (no pun intended) like some kind of "problem" which my Fe feels insistent about trying to "solve", if that metaphor will work for you at all.
> 
> All I'm getting at is that I wonder whether disliking conflict is at all "shared" between INFJ and INFP at any rate, albeit for - so far as I understand - different reasons. With that in mind, perhaps along with "having my options limited" you could include something else which is more distinctive between XNFX.


 
Yeah, I really do dislike conflict as well as an INFJ. This is one of those things that I pulled from a website and that's what they had listed. I really didn't want to change that just because _I_ related to the conflict one (as I could maybe not be representative of INFJs as a whole). But I could definitely see many other INFJs relating to it as well. I wonder what would be a better stressor to put there? Perhaps “being rushed?” Do you think that's something INFJs would have difficulty with too, though?



lawof23 said:


> Question 14 I wasn't completely sure about either, but let me explain why and then you'll best be able to judge whether it's worth taking my skewed opinion into account. See, my opinion _is_ skewed on this question, because I'm a Zen Buddhist. I therefore have a use and experience of the word "zen" which is (a) completely different and, in many ways in fact entirely opposite, to what most people in the West mean by it, and (b) which specifically relates to me on a personal and spiritual level.
> 
> Because I bet there are hardly any Zen Buddhists (as a statistical proportion) who would be likely to read your questions, no doubt you may not feel any great need to take a look at this one. However, if you were at all amenable to avoiding any entanglement with specific religious terminology, I would entirely felt met more-than-halfway if you were to change 14(b) by removing the last 3 words because that way there would be room for zero confusion.
> 
> ...


 
What word would you suggest maybe changing “zen” to? Also, thanks for your description of what your internal world is like. I dunno if I would've explained it quite like that, though I would perhaps say that a continual river actually is consistent with stability. I generally have a pattern of understanding going on in there, and I'd say it's fairly predictable. But that's kind of the problem with questionnaires, huh? Too many interpretations of statements. I agree, though, (a) certainly isn't right for me.




lawof23 said:


> Very finally, and thanks for your time if you've made it this far, with question 15 I'm not sure I felt entirely happy with "capricious" and "unpredictable" in (b). However, I have to completely and totally reject the part of (a) which was "people generally have a good idea about who I am" because that is so utterly _not_ my experience of life. I find most people have no idea about who I am or how I work, and that actually when I try and explain I usually worry that I sound like I am some kind of alien monster. I rely on my Fe, and not taking myself too seriously, to help reassure me that no-one ever _does_ think that especially.
> 
> If I had completely free rein, maybe I would have (b) as something like "When around others it's almost like I can "decide" how to appear to other people, so if anything I can 'blend in' differently in different situations". I can't promise you that helps differentiate XNFX, but you've come this far so maybe just take it into consideration along with whatever anyone else comes up with.
> 
> Thanks for your time, hope to have offered any assistance.


Yes, the way you described it is much more accurate for my own experience as well, and probably for the other Fe users out there. Just to extend your thought a little bit, I would even maybe say that others might see me as predictable, just because I alter myself for each individual. So like, one person is going to see me a certain way, and that's going to seem pretty stable to them. But if they saw me around someone else, they might think “who is that?” 


Perhaps instead, (a) could be “I generally present myself the same way to everybody so people get a good idea of who I am” and (b) “I often alter myself to blend in different situations to best relate to different people” ...Or something along those lines.


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## imaginaryrobot (Jun 11, 2013)

pupdogXD said:


> The problem is that I rarely wanted to pick both answers, but I strongly supported the ones I did pick. So I truly fell between the two, depending on the situation. What exactly am I supposed to do with that, in regards to this test?


Sorry, let me see if I understand what you're saying first before I say anything more. You were easily able to pick one of the statements for each question (and were quite sure of it)? Yet, sometimes it was the INFJ response, and sometimes it was the INFP response?


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## imaginaryrobot (Jun 11, 2013)

Fractals and Pterodactyls said:


> *1) a
> 2) a
> 3) b
> 4) a
> ...


Getting a response from you was fun, though! Your choices are actually pretty consistent with what I'd guess an INTP's would be (particularly the ones that focus on Ne). And you also seemed to stay away from Fi responses as well.


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## imaginaryrobot (Jun 11, 2013)

Stendhal said:


> What if you can't decided between the pairs?


You can skip any pairs you can't decide between. Though, if you're having that problem with almost all of them, this probably isn't a good quiz for you. I've definitely been there (not able to choose between statements). I know some quizzes _force _you to choose one to be able to give you a score, but I have sometimes found those to be some of the least reliable. Answer the questions that you feel mostly sure about; skip the rest.


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## Im FiNe (Oct 17, 2013)

* *





1.
*a) I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others.* 
b) I find it difficult to explain my complex insights to others. 

2.
*b) I find that empathy (feeling what others feel) comes very naturally to me.* 
a) I find that creativity (coming up with new ideas) comes very naturally to me.
_I suppose that I can be creative, but I don't typically think of myself as creative. Also, I think that xNFP & xNFJ both empathize but that the form of empathy (the experience) differs between Fe & Fi._

3.
b) When others are feeling sad, I feel responsible for inspiring them or making them feel better.
*a) When others are feeling sad, I *often *sometimes* *start to feel sad, too* so they don't feel so alone.
_This is empathy. It doesn't just happen--it must be engaged._

4.
*b) I find it energizing to think about one problem in detail until I come to an understanding about it.*
*a) I find it energizing to bounce between ideas until I come up with something new and exciting.*
_It's both. Usually I will follow something as far as I can go with it, but often if the process is lengthy, I might break from it for some time, moving to something else for awhile._ 

5.
b) Often, talking about personal issues to others helps me to realize what I'm truly feeling.
*a) Often, talking about personal issues to others confuses me and leaves me with self-doubt.* 

6.
*b) When I am out in public, I tend to act formal and serious.*
*a) When I am out in public, I tend to act casual and fanciful.
*_It depends upon the context. Perhaps a blend of casually serious, but not formally fanciful._

7.
b) Uncertainty and lack of control are two of my biggest stressors in life. 
a) Conflict and having my options limited are two of my biggest stressors in life.
_Too difficult to choose. Uncertainty is a big bugaboo for me, but so is conflict. I don't mind having options limited in certain situations so long as an option is palatable. Sometimes limiting options is helpful in making a decision. When none of the options is agreeable, however, then there be problems!_ 

8.
*a) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to come to it every so often when I'm feeling ready for it.* 
b) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to work on it all in one burst of energy until it's done.
_If the task is simple and won't take long, then I would rather get it out of the way. Otherwise chipping away at it over time is more likely._ 

9.
*a) I find it more important to point out peoples' differences and what makes us all unique.*
b) I find it more important to point out peoples' similarities and what brings us all together.

10.
a) I would rather be given an open-ended question to explore to see where my ideas could take me.
b) I would rather be given a question that is looking for a definite (or at least probable) conclusion. 
_???_

11.
*b) I feel relief after making a decision, knowing that it's done and doesn't need to be revisited.* 
a) I feel somewhat trapped after making a decision, wondering if the other options might be better. 

12.
*b) I think categorizing things allows for clearer understanding, organization,* and general rules to live by. 
a) I think categorizing things can greatly limit our understanding of something because *there are going to be many things that don't fit, and they are just as important.*
_I like classification. I have had a long-held fascination of and attraction to biological taxonomy. I find that classification can be helpful. I also realize that classification does present limitations and pitfalls. I don't see classification intersecting or energizing "general rules to live by"._ 

13.
b) I persuade people by distancing myself from what I believe, and instead wonder how I can present the issue in a way people would best respond to. 
*a) I persuade people by using conviction and utmost honesty, to create a clear presentation about why the belief is the path to take.*

14.
b) My internal state of being tends to be fairly stable and neutral when alone, almost zen-like.
*a) My internal state of being tends to be rather lively and capricious, with strong emotions.* 

15.
b) When around others, my external state can be very capricious and unpredictable. 
*a) When around others, my external state tends to be stable; people generally have a good idea about who I am.* 

16.
*a) I more often than not have a clear understanding of where my ideas come from – this leads to this leads to this, etc.*
b) I quite often do not understand where my ideas are coming from or how I've come to a conclusion – sometimes they just appear. 

17.
*a) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to consider the act/situation from a morality standpoint.* 
b) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to try to understand the person's thought process or experiences that led to such a thing.
_The pivotal word is _initial_. After the initial reaction I consider context/situation, experiences, understanding, _etc.



Tallying up the results...
Definite a: 10
Definite b: 2
Both: 2
Conglomerate: 1
Neither: 2
*OR a : non-a = 10:7*

I have often tested INFJ on on-line assessments.


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## Stendhal (May 31, 2014)

imaginaryrobot said:


> You can skip any pairs you can't decide between. Though, if you're having that problem with almost all of them, this probably isn't a good quiz for you. I've definitely been there (not able to choose between statements). I know some quizzes _force _you to choose one to be able to give you a score, but I have sometimes found those to be some of the least reliable. Answer the questions that you feel mostly sure about; skip the rest.


I guess indecision could itself suggest P over J.


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## Ummon (Jun 16, 2014)

I'm an INFJ.

1.
a) I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others.
(It's easier for me to explain the insights because I understand the logic of them and how they came about. I am at times more in touch with others' feelings than my own.)

2.
a) I find that creativity (coming up with new ideas) comes very naturally to me.
(Ni is a creative function and the primary for INFJs, more immediately accessible than Fe.)

3.
b) When others are feeling sad, I feel responsible for inspiring them or making them feel better.
(I think both answers could apply to both types. A would sound like Fe if the reasoning was that you are instinctively mirroring someone's feelings.)

4.
b) I find it energizing to think about one problem in detail until I come to an understanding about it.

5.
(Idk about this one. I think you are making an interesting distinction, but I find that some NFPs really like advice and some NFJs need to work through their problems on their own.)

6.
b) When I am out in public, I tend to act formal and serious.

7.
b) Uncertainty and lack of control are two of my biggest stressors in life.

8.
b) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to work on it all in one burst of energy until it's done. 
(So accurate )

9.
b) I find it more important to point out peoples' similarities and what brings us all together.

10.
b) I would rather be given a question that is looking for a definite (or at least probable) conclusion. 

11.
b) I feel relief after making a decision, knowing that it's done and doesn't need to be revisited. 

12.
a) I think categorizing things can greatly limit our understanding of something because there are going to be many things that don't fit, and they are just as important. 
(I'm reluctant to choose this one because categorizing things is kind of great, but the world isn't all black and white.)

13.
a) I persuade people by using conviction and utmost honesty, to create a clear presentation about why the belief is the path to take. 
(Don't distance myself, but I do try to speak in a friendly and persuasive way. Always honest.)

14.
a) My internal state of being tends to be rather lively and capricious, with strong emotions. 

15.
a) When around others, my external state tends to be stable; people generally have a good idea about who I am. 
(Haha I don't think the NFJ answers for 14 and 15 apply to me XD)

16.
a) I more often than not have a clear understanding of where my ideas come from – this leads to this leads to this, etc.

17.
b) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to try to understand the person's thought process or experiences that led to such a thing. 

NFJ- 9
NFP- 7
Skipped 5

This was lots of fun! Hope the responses were helpful


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## lawof23 (Jul 25, 2014)

@imaginaryrobot,

"_I thought you had a lot of great input with this_"

I am definitely great, sure, but let me immediately try and call in some input from someone else here who's building a helpful kit of questions for helping people with this kind of dichotomy query by flashing the @Jinsei signal in the sky.

One of the essential difficulties with these kinds of question sets - it seems to me - is that they can't really take account of _why_ people pick certain answers. "Why?" also helps lead you closer into an individual's internal narrative structure a little more, and if you're nosing around someone's inner space (_don't titter missus_) then you're potentially exploring cognitive function. Naturally the problem with the "why?" game is that it is, by design, a 2-player game.

Having listened to the answer from "why?", there needs to be another voice present to help explore it and analyse it. I appreciate we can all make use of "access concentration" (Daniel Dennett, I think), or "the observing self" (Russ "ACT" Harris), or whatever and _be aware of_ our own internal response to that question without needing someone else there - but, and here's the second rub, the second voice needs to have at least an outline understanding of cognitive function to help interpret the answers. As a one-player game, you would therefore already need to know what type you "are", which would tend to undermine the fun and interest of playing another round of "what type am I?" in the first place.

The list-of-questions-with-no-"why?"-input approach is definitely a one-player game, or at least is capable of being one. And that can be helpful in lots of ways. It's easy to do, it's easy to share outcomes; people who are interested in comparing outcomes have transparent data to do that, and people who are interested in analysing outcomes can do that too - though not as much as the "why?" model typing machine.

Having said all that, I understand that the "why?" model actually breaks down more when you try it out on "capital letter MBTI" analysis, in the main. For instance, you can factually distinguish IXXX from EXXX by whether or not someone's dominant function was introverted or extroverted; but you can also distinguish it by whether or not people warm to the idea of having to choose between "getting their energy" from interacting with others or being alone. If you go down the latter route, I personally don't find "why?" comes into it at all straightforwardly. Ask me "why?" I am definitely so very IXXX in this area and I can't really tell you. It just "is" who I "am". I could venture theories about family, or genetics, or environment, or whatever - but the data this gave you wouldn't help differentiate IXXX or EXXX very well at all.

A great example in your existing list is #11. That seems to hit the JvsP nail on the head very sharply, though perhaps the P response might be characterised as being overly negative - ask some XXXPs about that, I guess. An INTP also suggested that this doesn't work as well for XXTX as for XXFX - though of course your plan here seems to be focussing on XNFX, so no matter. But, again, try and ask me _why_ that's the way I feel, and although of course I can rationalise it (Ti can rationalise anything, which is helpful given that Ni is apparently capable of coming up with anything ...) that rationalisation doesn't take you any closer to differentiating JvsP in my experience of it.

The very first line of your o/p was that you are "working on" this as part of some kind of internal/external project, yes? Of course you are: that's an entirely normal thing for an INFJ to be doing, whatever anyone else thinks. To the extent it's going to be any kind of external project, may I ask what the format or scope-for-format will be? Eg: are you setting up a website or new sticky thread for PerC? Opening an online therapy/coaching centre? Getting together a crack team of retired special forces agents ready for just one more mission back under the barbed wire? Probably not that one, but you get what I want to know.

The reason it would be helpful to know is that maybe there would be scope within your project to accommodate more of the "why?" questioning - that'd be if the project were to involve one set of people asking and another set (possibly consisting of only you) then helping them work through and explore their answers, for instance. At least around here, for example, Jinsei often uses his developing set of questions on the INFJ board where there is, verily, a great confusion about INFX: that means that adding "why?" is helpful in the main, because on PerC threads we can all gather round and publicly share analysis of answers.

I only drone on about this kind of subject because, like you, I'm interested in exploring different ways of modelling type analysis with the idea of being able to help other people negotiate what can be a difficult or complicated area to explore. So the preceding bit of this post is basically a kind of "job application" if you have a particular project that would benefit from any external involvement, whereas the remainder of this post is a much quicker stab at simply replying to what you kindly replied to me about.

"_I wonder what would be a better stressor to put there? Perhaps “being rushed?” _"

This was about #7. There would be "room" here potentially for a big fat "why?" in terms of disliking conflict - probably also for "being rushed". I might only be tempted to say I dislike "being rushed" because it would call out my inner Han Solo ("_I only take orders from one person, sweetheart, and that's me_") or because if I knock on Ni's door and he (it?) needs longer to answer then I'm not going to like being pushed into making a decision based on any other functional input. But do I mind having to make decisions quickly in general? If it suits me, no problem at all. Much better to have a decision than just be wasting time running through options when it's "obvious" (sometimes only to me ...) what needs to be done. Hmm, haven't really helped you here. Let's find an XXFP who might be able to help ...

"_What word would you suggest maybe changing “zen” to?_"

This was #14. All I meant - and I was being serious when I acknowledged that there are hardly any Zen Buddhists about so really who cares? - was that personally it wasn't a helpful word. When you say "zen" you mean "calm", basically, right? That might be fine word - especially if it's actually what you meant. If "calm" doesn't seem good enough, maybe I could return service and ask you what you wanted "zen" to add on.

Without getting boring or preachy, zen isn't calm - nor is it animated - yet nor is it neither calm nor animated, or both calm and animated. Zen isn't a thing. _Great Master Nagarjuna went to the underwater kingdom of the snake gods to retrieve the great wish-granting jewel which the Lord (ie: the Buddha) had left there. He took it to his master and asked him "does this jewel have form or is it formless?". The master replied "you understand having form and not having form, but you do not understand that this jewel is neither form nor formless. It is not even a jewel". At this, Master Nagarjuna became awakened_. That's the kind of ridiculous story we like in Zen Buddhism.



"_a continual river actually is consistent with stability_"

This was about #14 still. Yeah, when you put it like that I see what you mean - so, sure, chalk me up as "stable" then! I guess I was thinking more about Heraclitus - the whole "you never step in the same river twice" idea. But what characterises a "river": is it the water, which changes? Or is it the flow, which is "constant"? When I first answered I was only thinking about the water, but your point captures the flow more. Two sides to the same coin.

"_So like, one person is going to see me a certain way, and that's going to seem pretty stable to them._"

Makes a lot of sense to me. One more return service, then: does it also happen that when you really get to know someone and you decide to 'let them in' a little more that they can get surprised at how "different" that layer is from the one they normally saw? Let's not exaggerate, but the more people get to know me the sharper and more cynical I am, whereas people who don't know me at all well see more of the fluff and bubbles which Fe effervesces and confuse that with the way I "am" as opposed to just how I've decided to come over on a particular occasion.

Thanks - and I often say this, but this was a particularly long reply - for your time. All the best for your typing project, however it manifests itself.


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## Jinsei (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks @lawof23 for the invite. I'll offer my feedback on the questions and then give a post with the 8 questions I use for all personality types and explain my reasoning process behind them.

*1.
a) I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others. *
This is very ambiguous because it could point to either Fi or Fe here. From an Fe stand point my own feelings seem removed and hard to process therefore the particularly deep ones are hard to access and therefore explain. However when I can access and intellectualize them with my Ti I can explain them fairly well. Whereas an Fi user would have a much more clear picture in their mind of how they are feeling but might be disjointed in trying to explain it with Te maybe... or just generally find it harder to express externally due to Fi?

*b) I find it difficult to explain my complex insights to others. *
Again are we talking Ni vs Ne here? Because having an insight pop into my head out of nowhere from my Ni and then trying to explain how I got there could be hard. But trying to explain the connections between the barrage of ideas that an Ne user vomits out could be difficult too. How does this relate to the previous choice and determine XNFJ vs XNFP

*2.
b) I find that empathy (feeling what others feel) comes very naturally to me. *
Very clear Fe here.

*a) I find that creativity (coming up with new ideas) comes very naturally to me.*
This can be ambiguous however... with my primary Ni I often find myself lost in my own imagination and ideas. I can see how you are trying to point to Ne here but I would be completely torn between these two choices because my Ni is primary... it may cause an XNFJ to choose A over B

*3.
b) When others are feeling sad, I feel responsible for inspiring them or making them feel better.*
This could be true for Fi and Fe users

*a) When others are feeling sad, I often start to feel sad too so they don't feel so alone.*
This seems to point more towards Fe than Fi... The previous question about feeling others feelings is closely linked to how you worded things here. Again I would be torn here and may choose A just because other's emotions can deeply effect me. An Fi user may feel sad too, or they could be annoyed, or uncomfortable, or any number of feelings.

*4.
b) I find it energizing to think about one problem in detail until I come to an understanding about it.*
Very Ti
*a) I find it energizing to bounce between ideas until I come up with something new and exciting. *
I can see you trying to point to Te here but this is tricky because Ni is very much an internal idea generator too.

*5.
b) Often, talking about personal issues to others helps me to realize what I'm truly feeling.*
Very Fe... I need to intellectualize and vocalize my feelings.

*a) Often, talking about personal issues to others confuses me and leaves me with self-doubt. *
Is this because external influence that is incongruent with the decisions Fi has already made about feelings confuses things? I could see this being true but I'm not an Fi user

*6.
b) When I am out in public, I tend to act formal and serious.*
Very tricky here because while I am also formal and serious when I'm in a formal and serious environment... when I'm not I will typically align to my environment... so if it is a casual one I will conform to it... FeSe social chameleon like. I can be quite the comedian at times too and tend to try to project casual and relaxing energy into my environment which is a very Fe thing to do.

*a) When I am out in public, I tend to act casual and fanciful.*
Is this supposed to point to Si... because I could see this but I am not sure it is unique to it.

*7.
b) Uncertainty and lack of control are two of my biggest stressors in life. 
a) Conflict and having my options limited are two of my biggest stressors in life. *
Hrm... both of these seem to be more linked to enneagram drives rather than cognitive functions. My 9w1 desire for peace and harmony might skew my decision towards A. What is your reasoning on how they tie to the cognitive functions here?

*8.
a) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to come to it every so often when I'm feeling ready for it. 
b) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to work on it all in one burst of energy until it's done. *
B is definitely me here, very clear and easy decision

*9.
a) I find it more important to point out peoples' differences and what makes us all unique.
b) I find it more important to point out peoples' similarities and what brings us all together.*
Again I'm completely torn because I see both very clearly quite a bit. Same question, which cognitive functions are you trying to point to?

*10.
a) I would rather be given an open-ended question to explore to see where my ideas could take me.
b) I would rather be given a question that is looking for a definite (or at least probable) conclusion. *
I could see this as a NeTe vs NiTi... I like to define things and unlock a core understanding. Definitely B

*11.
b) I feel relief after making a decision, knowing that it's done and doesn't need to be revisited. 
a) I feel somewhat trapped after making a decision, wondering if the other options might be better. *
Another tricky one because I like to have a plan but I also value being adaptable and my perfectionist tendency usually asserts itself to doubt, second guess, and try to refine the plan.

*12.
b) I think categorizing things allows for clearer understanding, organization, and general rules to live by. 
a) I think categorizing things can greatly limit our understanding of something because there are going to be many things that don't fit, and they are just as important. *
I see the benefits of both again here but I do gravitate a bit more towards B... still very hard to choose.

*13.
b) I persuade people by distancing myself from what I believe, and instead wonder how I can present the issue in a way people would best respond to. 
a) I persuade people by using conviction and utmost honesty, to create a clear presentation about why the belief is the path to take. *
Why can't I do both? I do do both. I have strong convictions, I value honesty in myself and others, but I am also very aware of how I present things and how people would best respond... so I find ways to be honest about and present my convictions in light of that.

*14.
b) My internal state of being tends to be fairly stable and neutral when alone, almost zen-like.
a) My internal state of being tends to be rather lively and capricious, with strong emotions. *
I would use more powerful words like "most often" here rather than "tends to be". I can tend to have powerful emotions and be very lively and conflicted and such about things when my own emotions have built to the point of overflowing. But generally I would tend towards stable and zen like.

*15.
b) When around others, my external state can be very capricious and unpredictable. 
a) When around others, my external state tends to be stable; people generally have a good idea about who I am. *
Yeah I can be both but most often I want to project stability into my environment via FeSe so I will be that stable constant amidst unpredictability.

*16.
a) I more often than not have a clear understanding of where my ideas come from – this leads to this leads to this, etc.
b) I quite often do not understand where my ideas are coming from or how I've come to a conclusion – sometimes they just appear. *
At first I am not clear about where the idea came from but my logical Ti kicks in and figures out how I made the connections I did and I can typically come to a very clear understanding of where it came from. Another tricky and ambiguous one.

*17.
a) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to consider the act/situation from a morality standpoint. 
b) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to try to understand the person's thought process or experiences that led to such a thing. *
Seems to be a clear Fi vs Fe choice here. I would definitely choose B


So all of that feedback said... The difficulty with tests like this is they look at behaviors which are just symptoms of the cognitive functions working behind the scenes. As @lawof23 so brilliantly enlightened me to when we were helping people identify their type... There is no human interpretation element as to "Why?" they made the choice they did. The cognitive functions all work together to generate certain common behaviors but very often opposing functions can get to the same behavior... only by taking a different cognitive path to get there.

*RESULTS:*

*Undecided:* 9
*A (INFP):* 1
*B (INFJ):* 7


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## Jinsei (Aug 4, 2014)

These are the questions I have used and thanks to @lawof23 have added the why element to the end in order to clarify peoples motivations behind their choice. It gives me the feedback I need to make sure exactly which cognitive function motivated the decision.

*1- This is a gut instinct answer so choose the first one that comes to mind...do you feel with your heart or your soul? Why?*

*Heart -* Fe 
(Internal genuine feelings are usually buried deeper in Fe users and when powerful ones erupt can often feel tied to the body ie stomach pains / physical knife through the heart / body vibrating with excitement / euphoric high etc)
*Soul -* Fi 
(Soul is generally perceived as tied to the mind and Fi users have much more conscious and mindful access to how they feel. However for someone who perceives their soul as tied to their physical body this can confuse the response... hence the "Why?" to clarify)

*2- Which do you consider FIRST when making a decision? Why? * 
(The FIRST is essential here because most Fe and Fi users can do both)
- *How a decision might affect others* 
(Initial default Fe consideration... concern with others)
- *Whether you feel the decision is right or wrong * 
(initial default Fi consideration... concern with internal values/feelings)

*3- When interacting with another individual what are you MOST aware of? Why?* 
(again the MOST is important here for the same reasons as question 2)
*- How you are feeling in response to that person* 
(Fi focus on internal feelings independent of others emotions)
*- What that person is actually feeling* 
(Fe focus on others emotions)

*4- Which of these matters MORE to you? Why?* 
(I don't need to repeat myself here about the reason for MORE do I?)
*- working through to the core of an idea so you can come to a fundamental understanding of it regardless of how useful it is*
(Ti user will logically deconstruct a single idea to it's core just for the sake of understanding and will be less likely to care how it is applied in the real world)
*- the facts and references that back up an idea as well as how it actually applies to the real world*
(Te user seeks external validation of ideas both in backing up their validity and determining their value and usefulness)

*5- When presented with a problem which way do you MOST prefer to work through it? Why?*

*- prefer to be left alone so you can think about it?* 
(internal Ti thinking process)
*- brainstorm and work through it logically with another person or group of people* 
(external Te talk through and validate ideas process)

*6- What energizes you MORE? Why?* 
(Determining introvert vs extrovert is based on discovering the core things that feed someone energy)
*- Interacting and doing things with other people* 
(Should be a clear extrovert choice. Time alone drains their energy bucket. Time socializing fills it)
*- Spending time alone doing or thinking about things you enjoy*
(Should be a clear introvert choice. Time alone doing things they enjoy fills their bucket. Social interaction drains it.)

*7- What are the top two categories out of this list which you MOST identify with, #1 being the highest? Why?*
Now that it is clear whether someone is Fi vs Fe / Ti vs Te / and introverted vs extroverted. It is simply a matter of identifying the archetype that they most relate to.

*- Traditionalist (details, goals, security, order)* SJ
*- Creator / Experiencer (live for the physical experience)* SP
*- Intellectual / Rationals (big picture thinking, non-personal)* NT
*- Dreamer / Idealist (value and people centered)* NF

*8- On a scale from 1 to 10, how sure are you of your FIRST choice from the last question?*
Often times it is hard to choose here so this helps determine certainty between the 2 choices from the previous question. With the knowledge of whether they are Fi/Fe and Ti/Te you can pretty much nail down their exact type between the two choices.


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## Jinsei (Aug 4, 2014)

Example of my responses to the questions minus the whys as they were already explained above:

1- Definitely heart (Fe)
2- How it effects others (Fe)
3- What the person is feeling (Fe)
4- Working to the core of an idea (Ti)
5- Leave me the hell alone lol (Ti)

At this point you should have a pretty clear determination of which F and which T they default to and if there are some conflicting answers you will have the why behind it to clarify the function

6- I wanna do what I wanna do... leave me alone and stop sucking my energy dry you social VAMPIRES!!! (introvert)

7- While I relate to a bit of all of them I know first is Dreamer and very close second is Rationalist (NF or NT)

8- 6 or 7ish

Ignoring the first 5 questions I know my only choices are
INFJ
INFP
or possibly
INTJ
INTP

Now with the knowledge that I am a Ti and Fe user:
INFP: Nope they are Fi Te
INTJ: Nope again Fi Te
INTP: A possibility but depends on how torn they were on the final two questions. Most likely not though due to inferior Fe and primary Ti. Should make for a very clear decision between NT and NF
INFJ: The most likely possibility due to the close proximity of auxiliary Fe and tertiary Ti


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## Vivid Melody (Apr 25, 2011)

1.
*a) I find it difficult to explain my complex feelings to others. *
b) I find it difficult to explain my complex insights to others. 

I feel like my feelings have layers and therefore it's not always simple for me to put them into words. They are constantly shifting and it's hard for me to put into words how I got there....emotions are slippery that way. It's also hard to put them in words when I'm feeling emotional because I'm not thinking rationally. I think explaining my insights is easier because you can always turn to metaphor, making the whole process easier. I think that is fun because I love metaphors.

2.
b) I find that empathy (feeling what others feel) comes very naturally to me. 
a) I find that creativity (coming up with new ideas) comes very naturally to me. 

*Both - intuitives are idea people, yes? Makes sense why I relate to both. *

3.
*b) When others are feeling sad, I feel responsible for inspiring them or making them feel better.*
a) When others are feeling sad, I often start to feel sad too so they don't feel so alone. 

This was a close call but I think I do more b more.

4.
*b) I find it energizing to think about one problem in detail until I come to an understanding about it.*
a) I find it energizing to bounce between ideas until I come up with something new and exciting. 

5.
*b) Often, talking about personal issues to others helps me to realize what I'm truly feeling.*
a) Often, talking about personal issues to others confuses me and leaves me with self-doubt.

It depends what it is and who I'm talking to but generally, b.

6.
*b) When I am out in public, I tend to act formal and serious.*
a) When I am out in public, I tend to act casual and fanciful.

Depends who I'm with and what mood I'm in, but generally, b. 

7.
*b) Uncertainty and lack of control are two of my biggest stressors in life. *
a) Conflict and having my options limited are two of my biggest stressors in life. 

8.
a) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to come to it every so often when I'm feeling ready for it. 
*b) When I have a task to complete, I find it more realistic to work on it all in one burst of energy until it's done. *

9.
a) I find it more important to point out peoples' differences and what makes us all unique.
*b) I find it more important to point out peoples' similarities and what brings us all together.*

10.
*a) I would rather be given an open-ended question to explore to see where my ideas could take me.*
b) I would rather be given a question that is looking for a definite (or at least probable) conclusion. 

Open-ended questions are more fun.

11.
*b) I feel relief after making a decision, knowing that it's done and doesn't need to be revisited. *
a) I feel somewhat trapped after making a decision, wondering if the other options might be better. 

12.
*b) I think categorizing things allows for clearer understanding, organization, and general rules to live by. *
a) I think categorizing things can greatly limit our understanding of something because there are going to be many things that don't fit, and they are just as important. 

13.
b) I persuade people by distancing myself from what I believe, and instead wonder how I can present the issue in a way people would best respond to. 
a) I persuade people by using conviction and utmost honesty, to create a clear presentation about why the belief is the path to take. 

*Both - I do both. It also depends what it is and who I'm talking to...*

14.
b) My internal state of being tends to be fairly stable and neutral when alone, almost zen-like.
*a) My internal state of being tends to be rather lively and capricious, with strong emotions. 

*Interesting. I didn't know xNFJ's are zen-like. I'm not a type 9!  I wish. Then again, I love strong emotions. They help me create and make me feel alive.

15.
b) When around others, my external state can be very capricious and unpredictable. 
*a) When around others, my external state tends to be stable; people generally have a good idea about who I am. 

*Depends what mood I'm in but generally a.

16.
a) I more often than not have a clear understanding of where my ideas come from – this leads to this leads to this, etc.
b) I quite often do not understand where my ideas are coming from or how I've come to a conclusion – sometimes they just appear. 

*Both - I often back track with Ti if I don't know where something is coming from. At least I'm pretty sure that's what I do. It's kind of an obsessive compulsive thing.*

17.
*a) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to consider the act/situation from a morality standpoint. *
b) When I hear about somebody's wrongdoing, my initial instinct is to try to understand the person's thought process or experiences that led to such a thing. 

*Both - I have a strong one fix and some things people do just REALLY get under my skin and make me mad. I hate it when people don't take others into consideration - especially when it's deliberate. But I am also very interested in understanding what drives people so I do the second one after that reaction. So I guess my answer is more a?*

*B =8
A = 4*


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## GisselleHelena (Oct 5, 2014)

a) 3
b) 14

No doubt, LOL.


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## slothpop (Mar 19, 2014)

1. b)

2. a)

3. b)

4. b)

5. b)

6. completely depends! If I don't know those around me, then b).

7. b)

8. a) 

9. b)

10. a)

11. It really depends on the context. Maybe a) if it's something that matters to me, which is why I'd be conflicted in the first place. So I guess I'd choose a).

12. b)

13. b)

14. b), though I'm not sure I would use 'zen-like' to describe it. Moreso neutral and reflective, and slightly anxious at times.

15. b)

16. It depends. I can usually trace my ideas back somewhere though, so a).

17. b)

12/17 towards xNFJ, 5/17 towards xNFP. I identify as INFJ, so it worked for me.


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## Bitterself (Mar 14, 2015)

a-7
b-8
neutral-2 
(I'm not sure about my personality, so don't say immediately that the test doesn't work)


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## crb (Sep 18, 2015)

I only had like 2 b's. lol


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