# Mistaking Your MBTI. Oops.



## Modesty (Aug 30, 2011)

How many users on average join PerC thinking they know their MBTI type when they really don't? At first I scored INTP and later realized I was Introverted Feeling. I joined INFP and reached "Enthusiast" when I discovered that I was (most likely) ISFP.

I'm such a fool! Has anyone else here made this mistake before? I don't think I could take another hit like this and still be proud of whatever type I get. Unless, of course, I come back in a few years when my personality is stunning.


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## LotusBlossom (Apr 2, 2011)

Uhm, there was never a shadow of doubt in my mind that I'm ISFP, so I can't really relate to you here. It's not an uncommon thing though, going by the amount of people in this forum who's changed their types since I've been here.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

LOL. It's hard to blame people. Information about this stuff is a mile wide and an inch deep. Especially on forums. So people are led to believe all kinds of things that often aren't consistent from thread to thread or site to site that end up being more destructive than helpful. I'm of the mind that it is not good for someone to believe something about themselves that is not true.

But the way the personality community is set up as being so decentralized with its knowledge base makes it basically impossible for people to start from a place of shared basic knowledge (not to mention the clannishness of personality forums that restricts free flow of ideas). It's like everyone has their own interpretation (and MBTI and Jung are philosophical anyway). But I can feel your pain because I was mistyped as INFP, ENTP, ENFP before someone screamed INFJ to me and all of a sudden it all made sense and I began to learn to functions and read Jung, etc and realized how mislead I had been. In fact on online tests I couldn't make myself be anything other than INFP but I am so not an INFP and now that I know better can't imagine how I could've thought that.

And you hear people saying ridiculous things like "I was a P when I was 14 and now at 20 I'm a J." But they just don't know any better (or realize that a person who's judging and perceiving functions were that fluid would probably be pathologically crazy in real life). You have to spend a lot of time, unwrapping the mummy of bad information to get people on the right track, especially those that are adamant that ISFJs must be emotional and INTJs must be analytical and all that craziness.


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

LiquidLight said:


> LOL. It's hard to blame people. Information about this stuff is a mile wide and an inch deep. Especially on forums. So people are led to believe all kinds of things that often aren't consistent from thread to thread or site to site that end up being more destructive than helpful. I'm of the mind that it is not good for someone to believe something about themselves that is not true.


So true! I thought that I'm INFP when I got here but ended up thinking I'm ISFP because I was told I seem more S than N... even though I had never by myself thought I could be Sensing. Now I've realized I'm the only person who can actually know my type. It might take me a while but still, I'm the one who can say it. And now I listen others and their advice but make my own decisions... which is something I should learn anyway. But, @Sandpaper, yes, mistaking your MBTI type happens. Don't let others tell you who you are, that won't make you happy  



LiquidLight said:


> You have to spend a lot of time, unwrapping the mummy of bad information to get people on the right track, especially those that are adamant that ISFJs must be emotional and INTJs must be analytical and all that craziness.


Well phraised, LiquidLight! That's exactly what I've tried to do to myself recently. Let's see what I'll find out, I'm curious :tongue:


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## Beyond_B (Feb 2, 2011)

Sandpaper said:


> How many users on average join PerC thinking they know their MBTI type when they really don't? At first I scored INTP and later realized I was Introverted Feeling. I joined INFP and reached "Enthusiast" when I discovered that I was (most likely) ISFP.
> 
> I'm such a fool! Has anyone else here made this mistake before? I don't think I could take another hit like this and still be proud of whatever type I get. Unless, of course, I come back in a few years when my personality is stunning.


Yup, been there. INTP, INTJ, INFP, ISFP, ENTP! I was depressed that's all*grins*. However the first person who typed me was right, but I wanted to consider other possibilities XD.


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## firedell (Aug 5, 2009)

Don't worry, you are not alone. I think I have been through every type, relating to all of them at one point.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

Yes, I have had similar issues. I never thought I was a T type but I briefly considered INFJ before I realized that was absolutely comically ridiculous (I'm VERY clearly Fi and even score very high on P on the MBTI/Keirsey tests, P often being my highest letter...or F). 

I test INFP the most, but I also considered ENFP because something just didn't seem ...right...about INFP. I felt like I was more external in some way, and I finally realized it's because I have Se rather than Ne, not because I'm an extrovert (because I'm really not). 

So I understand. 

There's nothing to be ashamed of, as we learn about personality type we can realize we made incorrect assumptions simply because we did not have the right information. It's actually a pretty complex thing to learn if you really want to understand it, it takes time to understand personality theory and to also realize who you are as an individual.


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

fourtines said:


> There's nothing to be ashamed of, as we learn about personality type we can realize we made incorrect assumptions simply because we did not have the right information. It's actually a pretty complex thing to learn if you really want to understand it, it takes time to understand personality theory and to also realize who you are as an individual.


And isn't that at least one reason to why this forum exists and why we are here... To get to know each other and ourselves better :happy: Mistakes can teach us, too.


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

1199 said:


> Yup, been there. INTP, INTJ, INFP, ISFP, ENTP! I was depressed that's all*grins*. However the first person who typed me was right, but I wanted to consider other possibilities XD.


Thanks for sharing, I've had the exactly same problems... Sometimes I even thought I'm INTJ although I'm not at all like that. I'm not very logical person and I don't think I'm J. If I would be I might have said "I'm definitely not J". But I'm not sure enough to say it like that and that's why I do assume I'm P (although, that's probably one of the most logical deductions I've made this whole week). I usually cannot be sure about things...


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

O_O by the maker! I think I'm ENFP again! I thought INFP at first, then INFj, then ENFP, then ISFP..recently INTJ..and now I'm back at ENFP again!


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## Beyond_B (Feb 2, 2011)

zallla said:


> Thanks for sharing, I've had the exactly same problems... Sometimes I even thought I'm INTJ although I'm not at all like that. I'm not very logical person and I don't think I'm J. If I would be I might have said "I'm definitely not J". But I'm not sure enough to say it like that and that's why I do assume I'm P (although, that's probably one of the most logical deductions I've made this whole week). I usually cannot be sure about things...


Just take your time, you aren't in a hurry or anything. I asked my parents about my childhood, it helped me to discover that I am indeed an ENTP just like my teacher thought XD.


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

@_Rim_ , your signature is great, though - what a shame you have to make a new one :tongue: But it's good that it's possible. I'm still a bit unsure, how surprising  Well, I think I've got my whole life to figure things out. And the figuring out process is like candy for a kid roud:

Btw, @_Rim_ , I found out a thread about ENFPs having depression... I felt like I found myself. Check it out if you like!


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## clicheguevara (Jul 27, 2011)

I can relate.

When I first learned about personality types (must have been about 13 or 14), I didn't get what Feeling and Thinking actually meant in terms of MBTI. My conclusion was given that I'm capable of emotion, I must be a feeler. 
Then a few years later I joined PerC, still convinced I was an INFP. But I kept getting mixed test results (ISFP-INFP-INTP), so I started reading different type profiles and looking into functions.

I think the problem might be that our expectations of personality theory can be too high. We want four letters to explain as much about us as possible but then we find out that we don't fit in the box entirely and start looking for something which explains an aspect about us the previous type didn't explain. I came to discover that overall, INTP fits me best but in all the aspects in which I am not the personification of INTP stereotypes, I still relate to INFP. That might not make any sense function-wise but we're persons after all, not types. Confusion is normal I guess.


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## sanari (Aug 23, 2011)

I have tested INTJ for the past decade [college mbti, etc]...and only discovered PerC this August. When I first started taking interest in the MBTI this summer, I started taking tests. Reliably, on every one I took I was called an INTJ. I could have easily gamed the test, but that would not have been the truth. So I answered truthfully, according to my behaviors in the past 3 months. INTJ again.

I went back and looked over the paperwork from my college MBTI [career dept.], and there I was an INTJ as well.

I joined PerC, and found many other INTJs and was delighted! These people *understand*! I am not alone! Haha! Yey~

And then I run across all of these people who are "confused" about their type, and think they are a bit of every type - and my answer, that I have not heretofore mentioned - is that they are not being honest with the test.

They are overlapping what they see their ideal selves as, and not what their real selves are doing.

Try taking the test, and answer according to your behaviors in the past 3 months. Be honest. If your room/house is messy, answer truthfully - even if you wish you were the neatest freak out there, or see yourself as the neatest freak out there.

There will be no confusion then.


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## clicheguevara (Jul 27, 2011)

sanari said:


> And then I run across all of these people who are "confused" about their type, and think they are a bit of every type - and my answer, that I have not heretofore mentioned - is that they are not being honest with the test.
> 
> They are overlapping what they see their ideal selves as, and not what their real selves are doing.
> 
> ...


I can see how that could be a problem but you're disregarding every other possibility there is for type confusion.

Let's say someone depressed takes a test and answers it as honest as he possbily can. Then he retakes the very same test months later, having fully recovered from depression and gets a completely different result. Was he not being honest this time?

Or someone is neither a strong introvert nor a strong extravert. Depending on the phrasing of the questions, he gets different results from different tests. Is the problem then caused by him or by the differences between tests?


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## sanari (Aug 23, 2011)

clicheguevara said:


> I can see how that could be a problem but you're disregarding every other possibility there is for type confusion.
> 
> Let's say someone depressed takes a test and answers it as honest as he possbily can. Then he retakes the very same test months later, having fully recovered from depression and gets a completely different result. Was he not being honest this time?
> 
> Or someone is neither a strong introvert nor a strong extravert. Depending on the phrasing of the questions, he gets different results from different tests. Is the problem then caused by him or by the differences between tests?


The test never asks questions that vary based on how a person feels. So are you saying that a depressed person views their reality in a different light than when they are a normal person?

You are almost never late for your appointments
YES NO

Depressed person thinks, oh, in the past 3 months, I have been late to a few.
Normal person should think, oh, in the past 3 months, I have been late to a few.

There are no emotional factors in the questions! Go over the test and find one question that shows or will vary based on how a person feels.

Personality test based on Jung and Briggs Myers typology


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

@sanari, I both agree and disagree with you. I think many people aren't totally honest. But that's quite human. Well, some people are more image-conscious and want to see themselves as a certain kind of person - and want others to see them as such, too. Other people just don't realize their answering according to their idealized self-image, not their true self. And some people, like me, just don't know who they are. They are like chameleons. That can even overlap with the first, who they are depends on the company they've got. At least I had that. I didn't know who I am (and even if I had known I wouldn't have dared to be that person then), so I tried to be who they wanted me to be. Other times I wasn't feeling good (which isn't very surprising). But I was quite sure about my type, I thought I'm INTJ. And I'm actually xNFP. So things aren't as simple as you seem to assume...

@clicheguevara, I've got all these at different times: INTJ, INTP, ISTP, ISFJ, ISFP, ESFP, ENFP, INFP, INFJ. Not very stable, huh? Well, the only I've actually thought could be my type are INTJ, ISFP, ENFP and INFP. But I had a lot of troubles to recognize who I really am since I usually wasn't myself (I had a somewhat difficult childhood) so I totally get what you're saying - thanks!


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## clicheguevara (Jul 27, 2011)

@sanari
Depression is not the same as feeling a bit down, it affects every aspect of your life. It includes loosing interest in activities you would normally enjoy, so if you want me to find a question that someone suffering from depression might answer differently than usual, "It's difficult to get you excited - YES NO" would be a good example, as well as "You know how to put every minute of your time to good purpose - YES NO" because someone depressed has a hard time finding any meaning in life, or "You frequently and easily express your feelings and emotions - YES NO"... there are a lot of problematic questions really.

Besides, depression is just one possibly explanation why a test result may not be reliable and tests are flawed anyway, as well as MBTI as a psychological model. We assume that there is just one right box for everybody but I think very few people actually identify with their type up to the point where they think they completely fit in there.


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

sanari said:


> I have tested INTJ for the past decade [college mbti, etc]...and only discovered PerC this August. When I first started taking interest in the MBTI this summer, I started taking tests. Reliably, on every one I took I was called an INTJ. I could have easily gamed the test, but that would not have been the truth. So I answered truthfully, according to my behaviors in the past 3 months. INTJ again.
> 
> I went back and looked over the paperwork from my college MBTI [career dept.], and there I was an INTJ as well.
> 
> ...


I followed your advice and here is my dilemma: 










I am not very J and no very P....the function order for one or the other is very different -.- so I don't know. A test can only go so far.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

Parity between perception and judgment functions doesn't mean a whole lot. It just likely means that either your dominant and aux are in appropriate balance (aux supporting dom) or you are possibly leaning heavily on dominant and tertiary and neglecting the aux.

In INFP dom is Fi (judging) and Aux is Ne (perception). If both are developed then you shouldn't have one flying way off the scales. (if you are getting 80% one or the other, something is out of balance).

The other way INFP could get this is if they were super introverted and were relying mostly on Fi and Si (judging and perceiving). This would give a somewhat balanced score, but the actual person would be out of balance and in one of Lenore's dom-tert loops. 91% introvert might suggest this is what is going on, that's way out of balance. 

Either way scoring 50/50 on J/P doesn't mean a whole lot if you aren't considering the functions.


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

LiquidLight said:


> Parity between perception and judgment functions doesn't mean a whole lot. It just likely means that either your dominant and aux are in appropriate balance (aux supporting dom) or you are possibly leaning heavily on dominant and tertiary and neglecting the aux.
> 
> In INFP dom is Fi (judging) and Aux is Ne (perception). If both are developed then you shouldn't have one flying way off the scales. (if you are getting 80% one or the other, something is out of balance).
> 
> ...


As far as I can tell Fi and Ne are pretty balanced. Some would say I lead with Ne and judging by how logical, detached and objective i can be ^^ I'm leading with intuition.

The test has like 10 question for I and E and I was never really interested in much social contact or very capable of building a social network.

My social anxiety also plays into this, but if it would be gone...people would irritate enough to not stay in much contact with them. I have very few friends, mostly because I choose well and don't even start up a friendship with someone I perceive as trouble in the future.

Yeah I can pretty much tell if I like someone within 10 minutes or so. Sometimes even if they are very distant and introverted.

I do care for function order and that is what will decide this once and for all. Going to look up the bebe model or wtf ppl have been talking abut.


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## Aerorobyn (Nov 11, 2009)

The thing is, I believe I really am an alien. You know how most people here state, "I am [insert type] and I act exactly like how they're described!" Well, you see, I often find myself acting out in ways that are described in each individual type. One day I decide to say how much I hate my job, so that makes me an F. The next day I decide to tell somebody how pathetic they are, and that makes me a T. Oh, lets not forget the days that I want to be alone and think about things on my own, I'm an I! And then the next day I will go out to a party, and I'm automatically an E! This is me, you see. I'm an Alien. There is no type for me. 


But in all honesty, I have questioned my type from the start. I've never fully 'clicked' with any type; and honestly, even if I do finally click with a type, I'm not sure that I'll be willing to accept it. I'm a natural questioner, and every time I finally decide to declare myself as a type, I find myself asking, "Why?" or "How can this be?" and I get sidetracked and thrown back into the 'unknown' group.


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## Toru Okada (May 10, 2011)

This is probably because mbti is such a soft personality tool. Cognitive psychology is already a soft science. You could turn out a certain type one minute and then take another test a year later and have a different result. Which one is right? Depends on who you ask. Depends on which test you took. Depends on what typological model you are using. Depends on what you ate for breakfast that morning.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

@Rim

Haha just make sure you don't get too caught up in the peripherals of Beebe's model. He spends A LOT of time talking about his dream. 

Also with introversion/extraversion we're referring more to the directionality of your cognitive energy. Inward or outward (that may manifest itself in behavior but maybe not. A person could be a very socially anxious extravert). So it struck me as odd to see someone with 91% introversion because that person, to me, would seem to be excessively self-oriented because the majority of their cognitive energy is being directed to the self to the neglect of the outside world. (In other words his own subjectivity isn't being properly balanced by interaction with the outside world Ne an Te in INFP). It might appear normal and functional to you, but it is typologically an out of balance person. (And even tests like SLOAN that only measure extraversion from a persona standpoint -- it would be odd to see a person with only 9% extraversion).


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

LiquidLight said:


> @Rim
> 
> Haha just make sure you don't get too caught up in the peripherals of Beebe's model. He spends A LOT of time talking about his dream.
> 
> Also with introversion/extraversion we're referring more to the directionality of your cognitive energy. Inward or outward (that may manifest itself in behavior but maybe not. A person could be a very socially anxious extravert). So it struck me as odd to see someone with 91% introversion because that person, to me, would seem to be excessively self-oriented because the majority of their cognitive energy is being directed to the self to the neglect of the outside world. (In other words his own subjectivity isn't being properly balanced by interaction with the outside world Ne an Te in INFP). It might appear normal and functional to you, but it is typologically an out of balance person. (And even tests like SLOAN that only measure extraversion from a persona standpoint -- it would be odd to see a person with only 9% extraversion).


^^ I will try not to, thx for the warning. Btw here is my SLOAN, maybe it will trigger some Ni moment and connect some dots, it is also more accurate when it comes to the actual levels of introversion/extroversion.










It is accurate within -+ 2% here and there. Also I am not overly subjective  or at leas I don't see it that way. In fact I'm overly aware of the people around me, what is going on and my attention tends to drift towards that and towards more of a detached objective viewpoint. I'm not sure however if this is accurate or not i can always be unknowingly misleading myself...or that is just the 6 in me talking (I can never be too sure of what i feel or think because it is from a certain point of view,  I'm only human and do make mistakes).


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## luemb (Dec 21, 2010)

@Rim I know you've been on this search for a while. I guess it could be a bit of a 6 thing, because I have been too. More about that at the bottom. 

I have an INFP friend, and an INFJ sister. The differences are pretty clearcut when you see them interacting. Fe (INFJ) is trying to get other people to act in the way they judge to be right. So my sister would say "Mom, aren't you going to hug me? You love me right?" She is upset when other people do not follow her ideas of what is right emotionally/morally. 

Fi (INFP) has no desire to assert control or outline any guidelines for other people to follow, although they tend to evaluate their own guidelines a lot. Fi is much "softer" and personal. The other thing about my Fi friend is that she reacts according to her emotions a lot, and enjoys going out and experiencing them. So, say she is at an art museum, when she comes home she will tell me all about the painting that affected her the most emotionally. Also, when interacting with friends, what matters most to her is how other people or situations make her feel herself (and not what she thinks other people should be doing or whether it was right or wrong). 

How this differs from, say, and ENFP is that an ENFP wouldn't be as focused on the emotions themselves, but on the possibilities that the situation suggests, guided by their emotions. So, if I had an ENFP friend, they would tell me more about their intuitive ideas which arose from their emotional response than about the emotional response itself.

Finally, if you are an Ni user, I think you would pay more attention to the meanings behind the painting, what the context of the paining was, and how this fits with other paintings. (There is a good example of how Ni sees a measuring cup in some thread. I'll point you that way if you'd like.) 

(I hope I haven't misrepresented anything here... I don't want to contribute more to the confusion and chaos that already exists around here. Corrections to this are welcome. Also, liquidlight probably knows way more than I do.) 

I wanted to add that I too have been confused and searching for my type for quite a while. I'm pretty sure I'm an INTJ, and today I tried to take a test as honestly and as unbiased as I could, and here are the results: 

Your Type is 
INTJ
Introverted Intuitive	Thinking	Judging
Strength of the preferences %
100 50 50 56

I've heard it said before that the percentages are not how strong any of these functions are, but how confident the test is that these are your functions. So, I'm not 100% introverted, but the test is 100% sure that I am introverted.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

> I've heard it said before that the percentages are not how strong any of these functions are, but how confident the test is that these are your functions. So, I'm not 100% introverted, but the test is 100% sure that I am introverted.


That's probably a good way of looking at it. Rim's SLOAN (which keep in mind is more of a snapshot of who you are in a moment than Jung because its measuring persona not ego) has him at 30% which is probably about right given how he describes himself. Again I think we're all looking for a sense of balance (even ferocious extraverts need to learn to appreciate time alone) over the course of our lives, but at least with MBTI/SLOAN/Enneagram, etc we can have a starting reference point for where we are relative to where we'd like to be.


_I should further explain that Jung calls 'persona' the person you show to the world. It's your social mask, so to speak. Ego refers to who you think you are._


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

Interesting thread... Thanks for all of you, I'm having pretty same "problems" (well, I'm quite enjoying them so maybe puzzle might describe this whole thing better) than @Rim so this'll help me too. Still don't know, though. Suspecting xNFP but don't know if I'm I/E and what is the order of the functions.


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## PisceanReve (Jun 2, 2011)

I've had that problem. I first thought I was an ENFP because many NTs on here are quite cold and emotionless--or try to be. Because I felt for people and cared, I thought I must be an NF. Additionally, I had some I moments and thought I was either an INFP or an INTP, but it was really because I was either going through a bad time or the people I had to be around every day sucked, for lack of a better term. To really decide, I studied function theory and knew that I really didn't use Fi so much as I used Fe and knew I was an Ne-dom. So, thus, ENTP! It was really hard to decide, but also had to not listen to some of the people on the ENTP forums saying I used Fi or F-logic at times because I was debating about something I believed in or something that involved morals.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

Don't worry too much about it. Everyone has their moments of doubt. Just keep your mind open to the possibility that you might be something else and don't be afraid to change it if you reach that point. It's people who cling to a type like it's a lifeline that are in trouble.

I've jumped between ESTP, ESTJ, and ENTP several times myself.


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

^^ well I went through several threads explaining the functions and what I can see is:

A lot of Ne and Fi...I can't tell which one I use more.
A lot of Te and Ni...Te seems to be relatively well used by me. Ni isn't too bad either.
Some Si or I am unaware to what degree I use Si, I have trouble remembering past stuff, I don't keep things that allow me to remember, its all hazy and I don't bother too much.

Fe is kind of crappy.
Se is decent enough.
Ti is not bad, but difficult and I prefer Te over Ti.

I am either ENFP or INFP with a developed Te...either way no NFJ functions are as used as NFP functions with the exception of Ni. @ you seem to be a heavy Ne - Fi user as well.


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## intrasearching (Jul 15, 2011)

I believe I am an emotionally-focused INTP. I am aware of my emotions, and I am aware of other people's emotions. My main focus in life is emotions. However, I never make decisions with my emotions. I use logic. In fact, in my emotional experiences I analyze them and break the feelings down with logic. I am all analysis, all the time. I think through my feelings, I never feel through my thoughts. But how could an INTP be so concerned with emotions? Because of this dilemma, I sometimes consider myself INxP. But, I would say that judging by the way I interact and deal with the world and myself, I am INTP.

However sometimes I feel unsure..!


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

Spirit said:


> I believe I am an emotionally-focused INTP. I am aware of my emotions, and I am aware of other people's emotions. My main focus in life is emotions. However, I never make decisions with my emotions. I use logic. In fact, in my emotional experiences I analyze them and break the feelings down with logic. I am all analysis, all the time. I think through my feelings, I never feel through my thoughts. But how could an INTP be so concerned with emotions? Because of this dilemma, I sometimes consider myself INxP. But, I would say that judging by the way I interact and deal with the world and myself, I am INTP.
> 
> However sometimes I feel unsure..!


 well everyone feels emotions. The NTs who say they don't...well they have some kind of problem imo. The thing that makes NTs is that they prefer logic even if they do feel inside. The reverse goes for NFs. I can be extremely logical and I'm good at it when it is required, but I prefer to listen to my feelings. I probably feel the same amount of emotion as you do.

It boils down to simple preference.


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## intrasearching (Jul 15, 2011)

Rim said:


> well everyone feels emotions. The NTs who say they don't...well they have some kind of problem imo. The thing that makes NTs is that they prefer logic even if they do feel inside. The reverse goes for NFs. I can be extremely logical and I'm good at it when it is required, but I prefer to listen to my feelings. I probably feel the same amount of emotion as you do.
> 
> It boils down to simple preference.


Hmm, this is confusing for me. When I logically -know- something, I believe that I also -feel- it. Say, for example, I know logically that I should not be with a certain person romantically. While I understand this logically, because of the way it will affect me in the present and future, I also feel it. Although I suppose that if I were to decide with my feelings I would stick in the relationship out of fear. However, I did do that once, and was only able to get out of the last one right when I knew it was wrong because she told me, on the day I had been thinking of getting out, that whatever I felt inside was okay (without me hinting at anything). I knew that it wasn't right for me to be with her, but I felt so horrible about it and so against hurting her that it was very hard for me to admit my feelings (although I did, thoroughly and calmly). Is this totally an NF phenomenon, or could NTs struggle with this as well?


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

Spirit said:


> Hmm, this is confusing for me. When I logically -know- something, I believe that I also -feel- it. Say, for example, I know logically that I should not be with a certain person romantically. While I understand this logically, because of the way it will affect me in the present and future, I also feel it. Although I suppose that if I were to decide with my feelings I would stick in the relationship out of fear. However, I did do that once, and was only able to get out of the last one right when I knew it was wrong because she told me, on the day I had been thinking of getting out, that whatever I felt inside was okay (without me hinting at anything). I knew that it wasn't right for me to be with her, but I felt so horrible about it and so against hurting her that it was very hard for me to admit my feelings (although I did, thoroughly and calmly). Is this totally an NF phenomenon, or could NTs struggle with this as well?


Everyone struggles with this, unless they have some psychological damage.


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## intrasearching (Jul 15, 2011)

Rim said:


> Everyone struggles with this, unless they have some psychological damage.


I would agree with this, actually. I would say that after all the scrupulous analysis, I am an INTP... I feel pretty confident about it right now, actually.


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## Miss Scarlet (Jul 26, 2010)

I know this isn't a popular theory around there but I believe that people change and therefore so does their type. I was an INFP kid, then an ISFJ teen, and then ESFJ, then ESTJ, and now I'm a ENTJ. And I like this one the most, it's who I truly am. So have you considered that you didn't miss type yourself but you have just changed?


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

ENTJwillruletheworld said:


> I know this isn't a popular theory around there but I believe that people change and therefore so does their type. I was an INFP kid, then an ISFJ teen, and then ESFJ, then ESTJ, and now I'm a ENTJ. And I like this one the most, it's who I truly am. So have you considered that you didn't miss type yourself but you have just changed?


Not really I have always been very NF like and the scores never change much. I very much think I was born this way. I have some psychological damage which makes me more introverted. I can't clearly remember how it happened thou...not good at recalling information from the past.

 hell when told I should fight back when faced with my first bully I responded with "I can't, that would hurt him..."  or so my parents tell me. This has changed to me kicking ass...in time, but I still feel the pain of others..in fact what others feel resonates within me strongly unless I chose to shut it out...if I can. Often I just can't. However I do have a more logical approach towards life and I understand Te at least and use it or have begun to use it more often not long ago.


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## Miss Scarlet (Jul 26, 2010)

Rim said:


> Not really I have always been very NF like and the scores never change much. I very much think I was born this way. I have some psychological damage which makes me more introverted. I can't clearly remember how it happened thou...not good at recalling information from the past.
> 
> hell when told I should fight back when faced with my first bully I responded with "I can't, that would hurt him..."  or so my parents tell me. This has changed to me kicking ass...in time, but I still feel the pain of others..in fact what others feel resonates within me strongly unless I chose to shut it out...if I can. Often I just can't. However I do have a more logical approach towards life and I understand Te at least and use it or have begun to use it more often not long ago.


Well maybe you're just awesome and every type at once?


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## intrasearching (Jul 15, 2011)

ENTJwillruletheworld said:


> I know this isn't a popular theory around there but I believe that people change and therefore so does their type. I was an INFP kid, then an ISFJ teen, and then ESFJ, then ESTJ, and now I'm a ENTJ. And I like this one the most, it's who I truly am. So have you considered that you didn't miss type yourself but you have just changed?


I would agree that I have just changed.


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## suicidal_orange (May 6, 2010)

Are all you "all about the possibilities" Ns really suggesting you remember your childhoods - the "why" not the "what" - with enough accuracy to type yourselves to observe changes? Switching N/S for an EFJ or ETJ is likely just developing and becoming more aware of your tertiary function, same with IFP and ITP (and T/F changes for EPs and IJs) but any other "change" is just bad typing or abnormal function development ("dom tert loops" as that's been termed). Brain scans clearly show J/P and there's no way anyone can make that change (apart from massive head trauma, possibly) unless they switch E/I too. I/E "changes" alone are likely just about popularity. Most people find people they want to be around at some point in their life - that doesn't mean they changed to E!

Behaviour changes, there's no doubting that, but MBTI is about brain function. Accepting feeling values as a valid logical consideration is a good thing for a T (and vice versa) but you're still a T :happy:

My own mistype history over the past couple of years is INTP (which I still test as more often than not) INFP, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP and finally ISFJ which followed a much longer and better thought out typing process.


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## timeless (Mar 20, 2010)

I've always had very strong Ne, but I thought that Extrovert in MBTI didn't fit. (Extrovert, in MBTI, is poorly defined.) By process of elimination, I thought INFP would be the most likely type. But when I removed the stereotypes from the Extrovert label in MBTI, ENTP fit perfectly.


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## Modesty (Aug 30, 2011)

timeless said:


> I've always had very strong Ne, but I thought that Extrovert in MBTI didn't fit. (Extrovert, in MBTI, is poorly defined.) By process of elimination, I thought INFP would be the most likely type. But when I removed the stereotypes from the Extrovert label in MBTI, ENTP fit perfectly.


I've always wanted to be extroverted or at least have a type description that fit me. I'm not sure if it's just me, but being feeling type is a headache. I figure I'm ISFP by the order of the functions, that's all.


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## intrasearching (Jul 15, 2011)

asmit127 said:


> Are all you "all about the possibilities" Ns really suggesting you remember your childhoods - the "why" not the "what" - with enough accuracy to type yourselves to observe changes? Switching N/S for an EFJ or ETJ is likely just developing and becoming more aware of your tertiary function, same with IFP and ITP (and T/F changes for EPs and IJs) but any other "change" is just bad typing or abnormal function development ("dom tert loops" as that's been termed). Brain scans clearly show J/P and there's no way anyone can make that change (apart from massive head trauma, possibly) unless they switch E/I too. I/E "changes" alone are likely just about popularity. Most people find people they want to be around at some point in their life - that doesn't mean they changed to E!
> 
> Behaviour changes, there's no doubting that, but MBTI is about brain function. Accepting feeling values as a valid logical consideration is a good thing for a T (and vice versa) but you're still a T :happy:
> 
> My own mistype history over the past couple of years is INTP (which I still test as more often than not) INFP, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP and finally ISFJ which followed a much longer and better thought out typing process.


You have a good point. I would say I have always been INTP, but was simply much more sensitive as a child/young teenager. I would say that I don't remember even "feeling through my thoughts" but I do always remember "thinking through my feelings". I suppose back then there were simply more, more intense feelings.


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## intrasearching (Jul 15, 2011)

Sandpaper said:


> I've always wanted to be extroverted or at least have a type description that fit me. I'm not sure if it's just me, but being feeling type is a headache. I figure I'm ISFP by the order of the functions, that's all.


If you don't mind my asking, could you explain a little bit why being a feeling type is a headache?


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## Modesty (Aug 30, 2011)

Spirit said:


> If you don't mind my asking, could you explain a little bit why being a feeling type is a headache?


Did I specify introverted feeling? Introverted Feeling feels useless to me.


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## Herp (Nov 25, 2010)

I am never sure about my type. I mean, if you took my posts from the last 6 months, you would see me boldly claiming to be INFJ, INFP and even INTP. I have no idea, as of now, about which type I actually am.

Seeing a psychotherapist has helped me to take my own steps, but I can't type myself after I found out what I enjoy doing. The only thing I know for sure is that I'm an introvert, regardless of the fact that I enjoy going out and mingling sometimes.


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## DonCoryon (Sep 16, 2011)

Good thread. I was never totally sure about being an INTP, even though most of the tests I took place me as an INTP. The Humanetrics test always scores me as an INTJ. In a thread I posted under the "Type Me" forum, the conscious was I was an ESTP. I originally used the tag "unknown personality" but recently I changed it to INTP. Now I almost feel guilty as if I am lying. Especially because I read threads where people claim there is a considerable amount of INTP posers. Why someone would go out of their way to pretend to be INTP is beyond me. As time goes by and I continue to learn more about MBTI and Jungian theory I'll see if I keep the INTP label.


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

DonCoryon said:


> I originally used the tag "unknown personality" but recently I changed it to INTP. Now I almost feel guilty as if I am lying. Especially because I read threads where people claim there is a considerable amount of INTP posers. Why someone would go out of their way to pretend to be INTP is beyond me. As time goes by and I continue to learn more about MBTI and Jungian theory I'll see if I keep the INTP label.


Thanks, you're writing gives me courage... :happy: Before I knew about this forum, I thought I'm INFP & Four. When I came here and wasn't sure about my type, I got the impression I'm not a Four nor intuitive (even though that was the only thing I had been sure by myself)  Well, I think they meant well. Anyway, I came into a conclusion I'm actually ISFP and a Six then. Well, I might be a Six but there's a LOT of Four in me, too, no matter how "rare" it's told to be. And I'm not ISFP, I'm more like ENFP. Might be also INFP, though. And I'm not necessarily a Six. A few days ago, actually, I realized I don't have to give a damn about others here or in the real life when I'm trying to figure out who I am. I am who I am and I can be what I want, there's no need to be ashamed of that.


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## DonCoryon (Sep 16, 2011)

zallla said:


> A few days ago, actually, I realized I don't have to give a damn about others here or in the real life when I'm trying to figure out who I am. I am who I am and I can be what I want, there's no need to be ashamed of that.


I think the same way, although in practice it doesn't always work out that way. I value what others think too much in the end. It's hard for me to turn that off. Good for you though, for me I'm actively working on my self-assurance.


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

Don't feel bad, lol. I'm having a hard time trying to decipher my type. I'm always slightly different from one day to the next. It seems as if I'm in a constant state of change. I challenge myself constantly, and it's resulted in a vicious cycle of inconsistency as far as my thoughts and actions are concerned. I feel as if I border E/I, T/F, and P/J. Intuiting is the one thing about me that is constant. Sometimes, I crave people. Other times, I want some serious space. I'm quite practical, and I enjoy discussing the logic behind what I and others believe, but I'm also very sensative and in touch with my emotions. Some days, I want the house to be completely spotless, and I will not stop cleaning until I have acheived my goal. Other days, I don't give a good "gosh darn" about how the house looks, and it can stay that way for days, lol. I think I've at least narrowed it down to xNFP :3


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## zallla (Oct 11, 2011)

@Tu Es Foutu, thanks for sharing! :happy: I feel pretty much the same. I'm intuitive, that's for sure. And much more feeling than thinking. However, especially my extroversion tends to change depending on my mood. I've been everything between highly shy and awkward and super talkative. But at least I know I'm xNFP, good for me! :tongue:


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

@zallla... one thing that brought me to the more likely conclusion that I'm an ENFP is that Ne is my strongest cognitive function... Fi and Ti both come in at a close second.


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## clicheguevara (Jul 27, 2011)

timeless said:


> I've always had very strong Ne, but I thought that Extrovert in MBTI didn't fit. (Extrovert, in MBTI, is poorly defined.) By process of elimination, I thought INFP would be the most likely type. But when I removed the stereotypes from the Extrovert label in MBTI, ENTP fit perfectly.


I've noticed how the final question of your cognitive quiz is worded a bit differently than the usual questions about I/E on most tests... Guess I have an explanation now.


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## suicidal_orange (May 6, 2010)

Spirit said:


> If you don't mind my asking, could you explain a little bit why being a feeling type is a headache?


 I've been thinking of an answer to this for a while but while I completely agree that it is so I can't think of a way to explain it.

The closest I can come is really vague - it's a headache because even though something is obvious logically that's not enough to act on it. I'll come back to this later when I actually have an explanation or example :happy:


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

asmit127 said:


> I've been thinking of an answer to this for a while but while I completely agree that it is so I can't think of a way to explain it.
> 
> The closest I can come is really vague - it's a headache because even though something is obvious logically that's not enough to act on it. I'll come back to this later when I actually have an explanation or example :happy:


Probably because its being overridden by a value judgment from either Fe or Fi. For example in INFJ (Ni, Fe, Ti, Se) Fe is supporting the dominant (Ni) these two would, normally, weigh heavier than Tertiary Ti (the tertiary is kind of an orphan function it theoretically shouldn't have the influence of the auxiliary or dominant, but its not nearly as semi-conscious and counter-ego as the inferior. Of course there are people who have very developed tertiaries due to neglect of their aux). 

What you describe would be really pronounced in a type with Te/Ti in the inferior like IFPs and EFJs.


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## suicidal_orange (May 6, 2010)

LiquidLight said:


> Probably because its being overridden by a value judgment from either Fe or Fi. For example in INFJ (Ni, Fe, Ti, Se) Fe is supporting the dominant (Ni) these two would, normally, weigh heavier than Tertiary Ti (the tertiary is kind of an orphan function it theoretically shouldn't have the influence of the auxiliary or dominant, but its not nearly as semi-conscious and counter-ego as the inferior. Of course there are people who have very developed tertiaries due to neglect of their aux).
> 
> What you describe would be really pronounced in a type with Te/Ti in the inferior like IFPs and EFJs.


I'm one of those who, at least consciously, has skipped aux Fe and runs on Si and Ti. I think this might actually create more inner conflict than having T "last" because I'm very much conscious that I'm being illogical while I think an F dom would be more accepting of their illogical (although no less valid) way of deciding things. I think "this is what needs to be done because of X Y and Z" yet still can't do it if it's a value based decision because at the end of the day Fe > Ti. Instead of accepting my Fness I try to be more T and run away and find more data that supports my F view. Only when Ti is satisfied that Fe isn't insane can I continue...

I sound crazy so I'm going to stop writing now :laughing:


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

asmit127 said:


> I'm one of those who, at least consciously, has skipped aux Fe and runs on Si and Ti. I think this might actually create more inner conflict than having T "last" because I'm very much conscious that I'm being illogical while I think an F dom would be more accepting of their illogical (although no less valid) way of deciding things. I think "this is what needs to be done because of X Y and Z" yet still can't do it if it's a value based decision because at the end of the day Fe > Ti. Instead of accepting my Fness I try to be more T and run away and find more data that supports my F view. Only when Ti is satisfied that Fe isn't insane can I continue...
> 
> I sound crazy so I'm going to stop writing now :laughing:


This is a problem with introverts who are too used to being in their own heads (especially Si-doms who always want a point of reference for everything). The purpose of aux-Fe in ISFJ is to provide an outside opinion to help balance your perceptions and your logic. This would produce the situation you describe where you war between your own conclusions and logic evaluations but aren't able to decide what's actually important. I think this is common for a lot of IxFJs who neglect Fe (or approach it cynically from the perspective of "screw all those people, they're all dumb, I'm going to do my own thing, I know whats right for me.") What they don't realize is by doing this they confuse Si's axioms for value judgments - "I do what I feel is right," but this conclusion comes from a different place then say someone who actually has Fi (the Fi type isn't taking anyone else into consideration, but the ISFJ still is, they're just consciously rebelling). It's like Si+Ti masquerading as Fi to fill the hole left behind by not integrating Fe.


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## Donovan (Nov 3, 2009)

i'm on the fence with my own type. i tested INFP when i was 18, but after looking at the differences between myself and other INFPs, retaking the tests, and looking at the cognitive functions i've come to the conclusion that i'm either an INTP or INFJ. 

first off, i don't think i'm Fi dom. while i do feel things very intensely at times and i have formed my own ethics, so do and so have just about every other person on this planet, so that alone doesn't qualify one as an Fi dom. now, the main source of confusion was that i do care a great deal about other people and their conditions as human beings but i do not have the best sense or notion as to the source of my own feelings unless i contemplate them very deeply or i have some sort of inner monologue (won't necessarily have to occur in words), so i started to entertain the idea of Fe. 

the other results, INTP and INFJ both have Fe, so i looked there. as an INTP, Fe is their "inferior" and with INFJ's its their auxiliary, so i'm either an INFJ with a moderate preference towards Fe or an INTP with a high, or frequently used inferior function. 

while the two contain Fe they also contain Ti--i can very easily identify with this function, but i have to make a conscious effort employ it, so one could argue that i may lean more towards prioritizing F over T. with that in mind, lets look at the different modes of S. at first i thought, "aha, i have an excellent memory so i must be a type with Si", but later i found out that Si doesn't necessarily have to do with memory as a whole but works at internalizing the individual's surroundings or sensational experiences along with procedural activities--both of which seem to be unconscious or shadow functions on my part.

so, Si is out of the question, how about Se? after a lot thought and careful examination of myself i realized this is what i use when my form of N isn't cutting it, or, it needs to re-define/re-examine whatever process i'm dealing with. 

now, to the N. this is the most confusing part for me because i can see myself using both so often that neither seems to take the lead. i... really don't know which is used more often, or, when one starts as itself and "bends" into it's opposite-attitudinal-twin... who knows? 

so, long story short, i'm either a highly intuitive:

INFP with a low Si, and a vague Fi due to prioritizing Te to the same level as the dom.
or
an INTP with a low Si that is, again, torn between the two judging preferences 
or
an INFJ with a Fe that is being balanced or augmented with a tertiary Ti, who has learned to rely on Se to gain more information.

(edit: if this helps, when ever i test i get: E/I: slight introverted scale--S/N: massive gap leaning towards N--T/F: slight lean towards either--J/P: slight lean towards either.


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## Mind Swirl (Sep 7, 2011)

It is hard to tell really! I can see how it can be easy to test differently. I've been questioning it and looking at my cognitive functions. Sometimes Ne sounds more like me than Ni, sometimes not. The N and T functions all tend to show up close to each other. I took the test many times to look for a pattern and frequency in results. 
*
Most common result:* INTJ, INTP
*Second most common:* ENTP, ENTJ
*Third most common:* INFP, ISTJ 

No other types have come up besides these and it does still point to one of the two INTs. J/P has been hard to decide. I don't know if I extravert judging or perceiving.


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