# INFP or ENTP (a shockingly large gap, I know)



## Prometheus Faust

I am thoroughly confused about what my type is. As a kid I matched the childhood characteristics of an INFP and an ENTP. Then when I was a teenager I became very shy, withdrawn, and intellectual. I consistently tested on the Myers-Briggs as an INTP at this point in my life. Towards the end of high school, I started intentionally developing my Feeling side, which is now just as strong as my Thinking said I would say. Then a little over a year ago I had a life transforming event that temporarily gave me a lot of general identity confusion, and I started to consistently test as a ENFJ of all things. Once the dust had settled and I had once again found the core of who I am and who I aspire to be, I tested as an ENTP.

Nowadays, I find that both the answers to many of the questions on the test apply equally well to me. For instance, I definitely have strong analytical skills, but I also am a very caring, tender, compassionate person. I am unequivocally both, not either/or. When I take  this version of the test and answer as honestly as possible, I have to put "I'm really in between" for most of the questions. The result is that I get 64% N and P, and exactly 50% on T vs. F and E vs. I. I identify very strongly with both the ENTP and INFP types, equally well in fact. 

Is it possible in your opinion to simply be two Myers-Briggs types at the same time? If not, how can I tell which I am?


EDIT: Here's some other potentially useful information I forgot to include before: 

On the Big Five personality test, I usually score low to medium on extroversion, high on open-mindedness, low on conscientiousness, high on agreeableness, and low on neuroticism. The SLOAN type I get is RCUAI, Inquisitive type.


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## Prometheus Faust

Really? No takers at all? It's alright, you don't have to be an authority to answer the question, you don't even have to know what you're talking about. All opinions, wild conjectures, gossip, and other sundry verbalizations are welcome here.


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## abski83

I'm not sure about being 2 types at the same type but I have experienced something similar. I guess it's always possible to be of different shades of something.

You have mentioned about intentionally developing your Feeling side, as you now identify very strongly and equally well with both being ENTP and INFP. I believe this too, is possible, as we humans can be very adaptable. We can learn.

As times pass by, I have acquired skills but it seems that there is something that is so natural to me.. like my core. It seems to be ENTP for me. I may be in flux right now.. transitioning into an INTP, but I have been other MBTI types also before... but I seem to go back to my ENTP core. Then again, we humans are so pliable... 

In that sense, I think whatever feels most natural for you, is you (or in your case, your MBTI type). Not forgetting that each MBTI type comes in different variants. 

I hope this may help you.


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## myrine

Actually, this doesn't sound surprising at all. I'm rather glad I'm not the only one with a similar issue.

As a child I could probably be classified as an ENTP, but then slowly moved to INFP in my teens/high school with lots of daydreaming, thinking up stories and really feeling-oriented, then I drifted strongly towards INTP and after some changes in my life returned again to ENTP as my more dominant type.

I love spending time with people, talking with them, debating issues for hours on end, but I also really enjoy my quiet time and a total immersion in my inner world(s). I understand well the feelings of others (which is also an ENTP trait) and I used to be very careful not to make anyone feel bad or offended, but now I'm again returning to the ENTP trademark honesty  I'm definitely very in touch with my feelings though I tend to analyse them, dissect them, understand them, draw conclusions and plan changes... 

I think it also depends on the tests and the way in which questions are phrased, especially E/I. An extrovert does not always just attend all the parties in the neighbourhood  They may just really enjoy spending quality time with people from their own little 'circle', but this is also an extrovert feature. Plus, I agree with Abski in that we change over time and grow (or not) as individuals, but there are some things that just feel more natural. I can be very organised if I have to or feel I should, but my 'natural' mode is quite chaotic .

Besides, I tend to treat MBTI scores as a guideline rather than a set type. Labels are never good.


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## gumisgreat94

I understand what you mean. Many people feel that they are "in-betweeners" and don't know what to make of the system. While some people definitely have the ability to pinpoint what type they are because they have consistent behaviorial patterns; other people exhibit behavior that correlates with more than one type. This can make identifying your type a "sticky" situation.

I also agree that labels are never good. If you are allowing your behavior to be run by what your "type" is, then typing yourself may actually become an unhealthy thing to do. On the other hand, MBTI is useful in understanding yourself and others. The trick is to use it with the knowledge that not all information is 100% accurate.


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## endtroducing

INFP's dominant function is introverted feeling which is more oriented towards personal values, and subjective attitudes. 

ENTP's tertiary strength is extraverted feeling which is oriented towards people, groups, and social relationships. 
This quote: "I love spending time with people, talking with them, debating issues for hours on end" sounds like something an extraverted feeler would enjoy. With INFP's, while they do enjoy conversation with people, they might not seek it out as much, and definitely not the debating aspect.


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## Prometheus Faust

myrine said:


> myrine said:
> 
> 
> 
> I love spending time with people, talking with them, debating issues for hours on end, but I also really enjoy my quiet time and a total immersion in my inner world(s). I understand well the feelings of others (which is also an ENTP trait) and I used to be very careful not to make anyone feel bad or offended, but now I'm again returning to the ENTP trademark honesty  *I'm definitely very in touch with my feelings though I tend to analyse them, dissect them, understand them, draw conclusions and plan changes*...
> 
> 
> 
> This exactly summarizes my emotional intelligence, particularly the last bit. I'm still in my trying-not-to-hurt-or-offend-anyone phase though haha...
Click to expand...


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## punky16

I had the same problem and settled on ENTP...

I am an ENTP. Here is a quote from a person that loved another ENTP and I think it is true about me...
"Their initial flightiness or unwillingness to commit does not mean they are not capable of very committed, passionate, loving relationshi...ps. The trick really is to not jump at initial signs of interest, even if you become lovers. When an ENTP is ready to commit to you trust me, she will let you know and never let go, but not a minute before." I read and memorized each description. Then I tried on each personality. I appreciated each one for a season. I got to know them like dear friends. I settled on INFP. Then I learned about cognitive functions and found out that alot of the descriptions in INFP that I related to were Ne. I found that I do not relate at all to Fi, Te, Se, or Ni. That narrowed it down to ESFJ, ISFJ, ENTP or INTP. I knew it had to be high Ne and Ti. I was startled when I realized it was ENTP...then I realized that I fit the description but argumentative is how that one comes across and that is not me...BUT I do love debates. I think a good description for the ENTP female has yet to be honned. I thought I was an introvert because ENTP is the least extroverted of all the extroverts. I thought I was a feeler because I have such a well developed Fe function as my third function. I was never confused about the N or the P though. So now I am positive that I am ENTP. And I have rewritten the ENTP description for women to read like this:

bonds suddenly or allows others to think they are bonding so the other person is more vulnerable, sense of humor, can laugh about anything, creative, curious, charming, visionary, inventive, likes to generate so many creative alternatives for improving just about any system, tackles challenges, loves to debate intellectual topics, plays devils advocate, plays one-up-man-ship, verbally quick, obsessed with minor details under attack of tension or pressure, capable of giving insult after insult, bad about finishing a project, not patient with people who are dumb on purpose, witty. Examples: Milla Jovovich, John Candy, and Hellen Mirren.

This was helpful in my process too:
The order of our functions determines how much we need people. An ESFJ leading with a Fe function would die without people all the time. An INTP with a Ti lead function would die without their alone time. Those are the two extremes, anyway, here's a list of most to least extroverted. Extroverts at their Most Annoying" top 10 List by Adam Block , facebook group: Introverted Intuitives: It's all in our head)



ESFJ

ESFP

ESTJ

ESTP

ISFJ

ENFJ

ISFP

ENTJ

ISTJ

ISTP

ENFP

INFJ

ENTP

INFP

INTJ

INTP

And this:
Understanding the MBTI feeling function by Adam Block



The most common mistake I see among IFs is their misunderstanding of the I/E and F/T functions so I want to go a little more into depth on the T/F. In part because I see many people picking partners based on misconceptions of how MBTI works and in the most common cases like INFJs picking an INTJ or ISTJ it's such a poor match I can't help but feel some confusion about how you can't see what's missing*. I'm writing this to sort my own thoughts on the topic and will share with others so you have a better understanding of how this works. I often times see people grouping Ts and Fs together, saying things like "Ts aren't sensitive or emotional enough" or "I need to be with another F because they're equally emotional". At face value this is what the letters would seem to indicate but like a coin, each letter has two sides, one that is introverted and another that is extroverted. So that Feeling function can be expressed as Fe or Fi depending on the type. The differences between those two are HUGE, here's an example:



Fe is adapting one's interactions with the external world to the moods and feelings of others. Fe is sensitive to events like changes in people's expressions or other such "soft," hard-to-quantify conditions in the environment.



Fi is judging perceptions emotionally, based on weight of evidence. Fi as a mental process is the flow of judgements on perceptions personal ideals or feeling of right and wrong. Fi strives for integrity and consistency in it's ideals. Fi is higher cognitive refinement personal emotion. Fi enables one to vividly re-experience past feelings.



The same applies to the Thinking function as follows:



Te is structuring one's interactions with the external world in a systematic fashion, based on logical and impersonal hierarchies and categories.



Ti is judging the validity of perceptions logically. Ti as a mental process is a collection of threads of thought taking concepts or percepts apart or pulling them together based on rules and criteria.



The types possessing Fe in order of dominant, secondary, tertiary and inferior are:



EXFJ

IXFJ

EXTP

IXTP



You will never find Te in a type that possesses Fe so in every case of a type with Fe they're also expressing a Ti thinking function.



All you have to do is read the descriptions of these functions to gain some understanding of the implications of them and how they relate to the emotional aspect many INFJs are speaking of when simply talking about T/F as a letter. The INFP, ENFP, ISFP and ESFP are all Feeling types that posses Fi/Te which will consistently come off as a more self serving, less emotional and less empathic and understanding of the emotions and feelings of others than the Ti/Fe in a ESTP, ENTP, ISTP or INTP.





* Relationships are clearly very personal with intricacies that others won't see or understand, I'm not condemning any pairing, I'm simply stating that I see no reason to overcome huge obstacles that can be avoided through selection. Any two people can work but there is more of a price to pay for some than others and I am simply questioning if the comfort you gain is worth the price you pay.


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## Prometheus Faust

endtroducing said:


> INFP's dominant function is introverted feeling which is more oriented towards personal values, and subjective attitudes.
> 
> ENTP's tertiary strength is extraverted feeling which is oriented towards people, groups, and social relationships.
> This quote: "I love spending time with people, talking with them, debating issues for hours on end" sounds like something an extraverted feeler would enjoy. With INFP's, while they do enjoy conversation with people, they might not seek it out as much, and definitely not the debating aspect.


I enjoy the debating, as long as it remains civil. I like debating best when it feels like it's a discussion, a mutual search for truth, rather than a bare knuckled competition for "victory". For me, victory means getting to the truth, or as close an approximation of the truth as is possible, not proving the other person wrong. Although, subtly and politely proving that the other person is wrong in front of other people is mighty satisfying too, especially if they've been trying to prove _you _wrong haha...

I like spending time with people I feel I have a connection with, or just something to talk about with. If I feel like I _don't_ have a connection or anything to talk about with a person, then I just want to flee the social interaction. 

I like to have conversations with people. I quit smoking a week ago, but I'm still planning to bum cigarettes from people, not only for the pleasure an occasional cigarette gains me, but mainly because bumming a cigarette from someone is a great way to start a conversation them. 

I have strong values. This is my personal code of ethics in a nutshell: be kind to others whenever possible, and treat others as you'd like to be treated (which for me are two ways of stating the same thing, since I always want to be treated with kindness myself). Never torture, cause permanent bodily disfigurement, rape, or murder. Apart from that, use your judgment. 

I like to be a diplomat. I like to help people with their problems, especially if they're spiritual in nature. I've talked to people who are suicidal before about why life is a better option, and I tell you, there is no greater rush than feeling that someone's life is in your hands, that you're being with them empathically, completely in the moment, where every word you say _matters _. And before anyone says anything, yes I'm aware of how risky that is and so on and so forth...don't worry, I'm aware of the risks involved and I take responsible precautions.


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## Prometheus Faust

punky16 said:


> Here is a quote from a person that loved another ENTP and I think it is true about me...
> "Their initial flightiness or unwillingness to commit does not mean they are not capable of very committed, passionate, loving relationshi...ps. The trick really is to not jump at initial signs of interest, even if you become lovers. When an ENTP is ready to commit to you trust me, she will let you know and never let go, but not a minute before."
> 
> ....
> 
> bonds suddenly or allows others to think they are bonding so the other person is more vulnerable,


This applies to me well too. Maybe even though I'm a guy I'm secretly really one of your female ENTPs? haha. One way in which I feel like I don't fit the typical ENTP description is that I'm not afraid of commitment, at least, not universally. I hate it when someone tries to get me to commit. But sometimes I decide that I really want something (or someone), and then I commit spontaneously. In fact, the girl I'm seeing right now is the one who doesn't want to say we're officially "going out" yet (I do, mainly because it's easier to refer to someone as your girlfriend rather than as "the girl I'm seeing"). At the same time though, if _she _tried to get _me _to commit, I suspect I would start to feel claustrophobic. 

I like being extremely liberal with my verbal and physical affection with her. One of the reasons I am so liberal with it is that I know she's insecure and thinks I'm too good for her, so I want to let her know where she stands with me. I also want to see how much I can get her to fall for me. In order to get her to be vulnerable with me, I act vulnerable with her first. 




> Fe is adapting one's interactions with the external world to the moods and feelings of others. Fe is sensitive to events like changes in people's expressions or other such "soft," hard-to-quantify conditions in the environment.
> 
> Fi is judging perceptions emotionally, based on weight of evidence. Fi as a mental process is the flow of judgements on perceptions personal ideals or feeling of right and wrong. Fi strives for integrity and consistency in it's ideals. Fi is higher cognitive refinement personal emotion. Fi enables one to vividly re-experience past feelings.
> 
> 
> The same applies to the Thinking function as follows:
> 
> Te is structuring one's interactions with the external world in a systematic fashion, based on logical and impersonal hierarchies and categories.
> 
> Ti is judging the validity of perceptions logically. Ti as a mental process is a collection of threads of thought taking concepts or percepts apart or pulling them together based on rules and criteria.


That's helpful to me too. Judging by those descriptions, I'm definitely an introverted thinker and an extroverted feeler, and definitely _not _an extroverted thinker or an introverted feeler.



> All you have to do is read the descriptions of these functions to gain some understanding of the implications of them and how they relate to the emotional aspect many INFJs are speaking of when simply talking about T/F as a letter. The INFP, ENFP, ISFP and ESFP are all Feeling types that posses Fi/Te which will consistently come off as a more self serving, less emotional and less empathic and understanding of the emotions and feelings of others than the Ti/Fe in a ESTP, ENTP, ISTP or INTP.


That's an extremely interesting claim, that some rationals such as the ENTP come off as more empathic than some of the Feelers such as the INFP. From experience though I'd say it's true, and it makes sense since introverted and extroverted Feeling are so different from each other.


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## Prometheus Faust

I just took the cognitive process test here, and this is what I got. 

Cognitive Process	Level of Development (Preference, Skill and Frequency of Use)
extraverted Sensing (Se) *********** (11.8)
unused
introverted Sensing (Si) ************************ (24.7)
average use
extraverted Intuiting (Ne) ********************************************** (46.4)
excellent use
introverted Intuiting (Ni) *************************** (27.7)
average use
extraverted Thinking (Te) ********************** (22.7)
limited use
introverted Thinking (Ti) ************************************** (38.2)
excellent use
extraverted Feeling (Fe) ******************************* (31.7)
good use
introverted Feeling (Fi) ************************************* (37)
excellent use

The profile fits perfectly with an ENTP, except that I get almost exactly the same score for Introverted Feeling as I do for Introverted Thinking! How odd...


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## punky16

Find Out Your Myers Briggs Type:

Personality Analysis: Find Out Your Myers Briggs Type


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## vel

You sound like the intuitive subtype of ENTP. They tend to be higher on feeling 
It is the logical selector subtype that is higher on Ti that can come off as more argumentative and critical.

Description of intuitive subtype:

Victor Gulenko
They differ in their excellent sense of novelty. They frequently become the originator of many inventions and discoveries. Unsurpassed generator of ideas. In their suggestions they is very daring. However, they easily drop a project if they are bored with it and they then feel drawn to a new, more captivating project. Capable of working well in business. Dynamic, talks rapidly, with many gestures.
Meged/Ovcharov
Give the impression that they’re flying in the clouds, may appear childish/naïve. A socially adept conversationalist; read much and are inquisitive, willingly discuss new information with associates and are interested in their opinion. Their seemingly shy demeanour combines with coolness and obstinacy when they begin to defend their point of view. They like to discuss but rarely ever end these disputes in conflict. Often smile at associates without need of an occasion. Use an identical smile when they speak about both, ridiculous and serious, subject matter. Attempt being kind to all and do not take personal offence to remarks. In employment they are patient and, despite forgetfulness, tend to finish work which interests them. Gestures and speech seem either slowed down or accelerated. Pose with ease, appear absent-minded, gait and movements seem uncertain/weak-willed.

Profile of ENTP: http://www.wikisocion.org/en/index.php?title=Intuitive_Logical_Extratim


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