# INFP vs. INTJ



## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

Ive recently been doubting rather I am an INFP or not. 

You see I resonate with many of the INFP descriptions. But the INTJ functions seems more accurate for me than the INFP functions. 

I'm aware that INFPs and INTJs both have Fi and Te functions. Perhaps that can be where their similarities come out. But I feel like my Te is stronger than my Fi. Yet perhaps my Fi is developed well enough.

I'm complimented often on how "sweet" I am. But I feel like if I let "the real me" out I would be misunderstood as cocky, know-it-all, blunt or rude. For 1) I believe that I am a know-it-all I'm just not confident enough because of my lack of education. 2) I am nice possibly because I tie in my morals with my logic. Morals are very important for success it would only be logical to use them. Right? Also I've been raised on morals as well. My father seems to have brought out my heart and my mother my head... if that makes any sense.

I criticize like everything. Everything needs systems and results and my brain (lol). I often wish that I can take over the world and program everyone's brains to work properly (-that's soo my goal- mwahehehe!). 

But anyways, I sometimes feel like I have split personalities; my INFP side and INTJ side. I haven't put enough details I know.. not a details person.

But anyways feel like I have Ni the strongest and Fi doesn't feel as strong as Te. (But I don't feel like I'm educated enough for a well developed Te? Plus I'm lazy and disorganized apparently but that's because I spend so much time analyzing and/or prioritizing things over cleaning my bedroom) 

Help? Please? Maybe?


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## TTD187 (Dec 20, 2012)

I think you should fill out one of the questionnaires. I think it is very possible that you're an INFP, but may not feel confident?
Having no education doesn't mean you'll have no (or little) Te. It's possible that your Te is developed greater than Si.
Would you say you're a sentimental person? Nostalgic?


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## NighTi (Jan 1, 2013)

What @TTD187 said.

I'm picking up a pretty distinctive vibe from you but I'd rather withhold judgment for a while. You can pick any one of the three questionnaires and post your answers here. For what it's worth, my favorite is @Spades's http://personalitycafe.com/whats-my-personality-type/99679-whats-my-type-questionnaire.html .


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## Teybo (Sep 25, 2012)

INFP's and INTJ's are fairly different kinds of people. You might get a better handle on your T/F preference and J/P preference if you rely less on "function-based" typing methods.

I'd be interested to see your results on this online Big 5 inventory test. Why not give that test a try and post your scores, including percentages? I wouldn't pay too much attention to the "descriptors" you get at the end of the test. The test is more useful as an indicator of preference, and people generally don't seem to resonate with the "profiles" you get at the end.


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

Teybo said:


> INFP's and INTJ's are fairly different kinds of people. You might get a better handle on your T/F preference and J/P preference if you rely less on "function-based" typing methods.
> 
> I'd be interested to see your results on this online Big 5 inventory test. Why not give that test a try and post your scores, including percentages? I wouldn't pay too much attention to the "descriptors" you get at the end of the test. The test is more useful as an indicator of preference, and people generally don't seem to resonate with the "profiles" you get at the end.



Hmm. Interesting. Well my results were:: Global 5: sloan RCUAI; sloan+ |R|cuai; primary Reserved; R(72%)C(64%)U(64%)A(64%)I(54%) 

Also, I feel in between both T/F and P/J...


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

NighTi said:


> What @TTD187 said.
> 
> I'm picking up a pretty distinctive vibe from you but I'd rather withhold judgment for a while. You can pick any one of the three questionnaires and post your answers here. For what it's worth, my favorite is @Spades's http://personalitycafe.com/whats-my-personality-type/99679-whats-my-type-questionnaire.html .


You're getting a vibe that I'm an INFP. Right? I think anyone would.
But i'll try that .. I'm busy with school finals and crap. So it'll have to be later.


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## Ollyx2OxenFree (Feb 2, 2012)

judiyqing7 said:


> Hmm. Interesting. Well my results were:: Global 5: sloan RCUAI; sloan+ |R|cuai; primary Reserved; R(72%)C(64%)U(64%)A(64%)I(54%)
> 
> Also, I feel in between both T/F and P/J...


Based on your results, that's an INFP score. R = Introversion, C isn't too important, U = Perceiving, A = Feeling, I = iNtuition. If we're taking the scores seriously, you're closer to S/N than you are J/P or T/F.


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

TTD187 said:


> I think you should fill out one of the questionnaires. I think it is very possible that you're an INFP, but may not feel confident?
> Having no education doesn't mean you'll have no (or little) Te. It's possible that your Te is developed greater than Si.
> Would you say you're a sentimental person? Nostalgic?


May not feel confident that I might be an INFP? No. Ive never said that I'm pretty sure. My sole goal is to find which type I point mostly towards which may be none. Since this mbti system seems almost impossible to follow. Whatever personality type I am I happy with it I'd just like to be able to understand it.

Edit: sorry. I didn't notice the other part of your message. Hm. Um.. sentimental? Nostalgic? Sometimes but I'd have to say often times not. I usually try to shut out any sentimental emotions. I guess. But what would explain my Fi ? It doesn't feel like my dom function.


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

Ollyx2OxenFree said:


> Based on your results, that's an INFP score. R = Introversion, C isn't too important, U = Perceiving, A = Feeling, I = iNtuition. If we're taking the scores seriously, you're closer to S/N than you are J/P or T/F.


You're saying I'm more in between S/N than T/F and J/P? If I haven't been even more confused ......


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## Teybo (Sep 25, 2012)

judiyqing7 said:


> Hmm. Interesting. Well my results were:: Global 5: sloan RCUAI; sloan+ |R|cuai; primary Reserved; R(72%)C(64%)U(64%)A(64%)I(54%)
> 
> Also, I feel in between both T/F and P/J...


As you can read about here, those results correlate with the MBTI INFP type. The Big 5 test you took has two key benefits over many other tests. The first is that because you get to scale how much you agree or disagree with a certain statement, as opposed to just picking from two options (yes/no), your results are more likely to indicate the strength of your preference on each dimension. The second benefit is that because the test items are not MBTI specific, test takers are arguably less likely to "bias" their own results by selecting answers they think would generate a specific MBTI type. Said another way, with the Big 5 test, it's a little bit more difficult to "intentionally" pick answers to produce a certain type as a result.

So, turning now to your percentage scores, your preferences for the Big 5 correlates of Feeling (Accommodation) and Perceiving (Unorganized) are both moderately strong, and in fact stronger than your preference than the Big 5 correlate of Intuition (Inquisitiveness). Based on these results, your type is more likely to be INFP than INTJ.

Two quick things that persuade me against INTJ as your type:



> I'm complimented often on how "sweet" I am. But I feel like if I let "the real me" out I would be misunderstood as cocky, know-it-all, blunt or rude. For 1) I believe that I am a know-it-all I'm just not confident enough because of my lack of education. 2) I am nice possibly because I tie in my morals with my logic. Morals are very important for success it would only be logical to use them. Right? Also I've been raised on morals as well. My father seems to have brought out my heart and my mother my head... if that makes any sense.


INTJ's and INFJ's have a strong tendency to act like "know-it-alls", but if they are not particularly self-aware, they may not see themselves as know-it-alls. All the same, IN_J types, especially when they are younger, often just can't stop themselves from being know-it-all snobs. The "confidence" is built in for IN_J's, so to speak, so when you say that you _could be_ a know-it-all if you just let it out, I'm inclined to think that you're more likely an INFP than an INTJ. "Letting it out" when "it" is their know-it-all pedantry is the default way of being for young IN_J's. That doesn't seem to be your default way of being. Your default mode seems to be holding things back to protect yourself and other people from your own incisiveness, which is consistent with INFP's. INFP's are more likely to listen carefully, think critically, and then make up their minds once they've considered everything, but it takes a lot to push an INFP to really get in someone's face and be obnoxious and "know-it-all".

Related to that, INT's are, in my mind, among the least likely of types (especially as teens/young adults) to be often called "sweet". INT's usually have a hard time prioritizing other people's feelings and emotional reactions. They would much rather just say their opinion bluntly and move on. If you peruse this thread, you'll see that female T types have a tendency to be seen as, well, "inconsiderate". This is probably tied to gender expectations and cultural attitudes about women, but in any case, if you're being called "sweet" more often than "inconsiderate", that's a point against INTJ for you.

At this point I recommend reading through different IN profiles and seeing what resonates with you. If there's something you feel is "strongly me" or "strongly not me", that might be a great thing to discuss further.

IN__ Profiles, compiled by reckful:

_INTJ Profiles
Official MBTI Manual
Keirsey (Please Understand Me)
Kroeger & Thuesen (Type Talk)
Hirsh & Kummerow (Lifetypes [abridged])
personalitypage: Portrait
personalitypage: Personal Growth
personalitypage: Relationships
personalitypage: Careers

INTP Profiles
Official MBTI Manual
Keirsey (Please Understand Me)
Kroeger & Thuesen (Type Talk)
Hirsh & Kummerow (Lifetypes [abridged])
personalitypage: Portrait
personalitypage: Personal Growth
personalitypage: Relationships
personalitypage: Careers

INFJ Profiles
Official MBTI Manual
Keirsey (Please Understand Me)
Kroeger & Thuesen (Type Talk)
Hirsh & Kummerow (Lifetypes [abridged])
personalitypage: Portrait
personalitypage: Personal Growth
personalitypage: Relationships
personalitypage: Careers

INFP Profiles
Official MBTI Manual
Keirsey (Please Understand Me)
Kroeger & Thuesen (Type Talk)
Hirsh & Kummerow (Lifetypes [abridged])
personalitypage: Portrait
personalitypage: Personal Growth
personalitypage: Relationships
personalitypage: Careers_


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## Peter (Feb 27, 2010)

judiyqing7 said:


> Ive recently been doubting rather I am an INFP or not.
> 
> You see *I resonate with* many of the INFP descriptions. But the INTJ functions seems more accurate for me than the INFP functions.
> 
> ...


(All the bolded text wasn't bolded in the original post. I bolded it to show a point.)

INTJ's don't feel their functions. They know they exist and that their brains use them.

INFP's feel everything but because of Fi as their main function, tend do doubt eeeeeeeeeeverythiiiiiiiing and have the added difficulty of having Ne as their second function. This second function is your judging function and having a judging function who's main goal is to see possibilities which then are fed back into Fi as new information, tends to create this process you´re in now.

You´re not the first INFP that started a thread like this and you won't be the last either. You'll have to try to figure out how to deal with seeing so many possibilities and the doubt that it creates in your thoughts. I know that's a difficult thing to do for INFP's, but there are many INFP's that are very content with being an INFP, so it's not impossible.


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## Ollyx2OxenFree (Feb 2, 2012)

judiyqing7 said:


> You're saying I'm more in between S/N than T/F and J/P? If I haven't been even more confused ......


Not that you're likely an S. Just that your F and P preference, according to these results, is stronger than your preference for N. Your F and P are moderately high.


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

Peter said:


> (All the bolded text wasn't bolded in the original post. I bolded it to show a point.)
> 
> INTJ's don't feel their functions. They know they exist and that their brains use them.
> 
> ...


Lol. Ok. Wow thanks that makes a lot more sense now. It could explain why I'm constantly seeking information but hardly satisfied. So even if I may *feel* indifferent it's still contributing to my Fi because I call it a feeling instead a state of being. Which would explain my preference for similes over metaphors through speech and writing (slightly off topic). Would it also make sense that as an INFP, functions can change with moods or seasons? (Might sound like a dumb question but dumb is irrelevant when you're learning). I keep laughing because while making this post thinking all of the other posters are like "oh, there goes another straying INFP why don't we shepherd her back to her cloud." But anyways somedays I'm so intuitive I can hear the wall breathing. Somedays I'm I'm right about everything, prefer logic and reasoning and can't understand emotions for nothing. I feel insane.


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## Teybo (Sep 25, 2012)

@judiyqing7

I have two INFP sisters. If I were to extrapolate from my (many, long) conversations with them about all sorts of topics, I would say that INFP's see the world as very fluid and interconnected, with INFP's taking in all of the world around them and weighing it in their hearts and minds, trying to sift out the Truth and Beauty of it all. My sister once told me: "It's funny that I'm not a Thinker type, since I feel like I do more thinking than everyone around me." Despite what you may read from some things posted here at PerC, Feeling is just as logical as Thinking. The two "sides" just tend to concern themselves with different end goals.


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

Ollyx2OxenFree said:


> Not that you're likely an S. Just that your F and P preference, according to these results, is stronger than your preference for N. Your F and P are moderately high.


Alright. Yeah I think Im gonna just need more understanding of personality types. But btw thanks .


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## judiyqing7 (Apr 6, 2010)

@Teybo

Thanks much! Your information and reflection was very informative . The thing is that I was overly extremely shy when I was younger. Very timid and had horrible social anxieties. So I rarely interacted with people. I don't even remember interacting with my own siblings too much; I played alone a lot. So I cannot really say what others thought of me as a child other than shy, quiet or (later in my teenage years) crazy. I do remember being very very sneaky, I could hide and plot my way around and through things.

But anyways, the things you mentioned about your sister saying she's a feeler but she feels like she thinks more than others that's exactly how I feel. My friends, my siblings, Even my parents sometimes . I literally feel the need to write out whole plans and guide books for my family (not that they don't think, just that they could probably benefit on my philosophy )


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## Ollyx2OxenFree (Feb 2, 2012)

judiyqing7 said:


> Alright. Yeah I think Im gonna just need more understanding of personality types. But btw thanks .


You're welcome. I'd focus more on the cognitive functions that make up each type over the MBTI dichotomies (I/E, etc). That's where the real essence of type is at. MBTI is just a brilliant way to make Jung's more complicated functions and theories, simplified thus easier for humanity at large to understand and accept. I guess that's Isabelle Myer's Te at work (she's also INFP and created MBTI with her mother), making typology more efficient, in the sense of more people being able to get into it due to its simplicity. Problem with simplicity is that it often comes at the cost of accuracy. It works for many but not everyone which is why the cognitive functions are more important to look into. I'm also still learning but no longer putting as much focus into MBTI's dichotomous approach as I used to and I've gained more understanding that way.


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## Peter (Feb 27, 2010)

judiyqing7 said:


> Lol. Ok. Wow thanks that makes a lot more sense now. It could explain why I'm constantly seeking information but hardly satisfied. So even if I may *feel* indifferent it's still contributing to my Fi because I call it a feeling instead a state of being. Which would explain my preference for similes over metaphors through speech and writing (slightly off topic). *Would it also make sense that as an INFP, functions can change with moods or seasons?* (Might sound like a dumb question but dumb is irrelevant when you're learning). I keep laughing because while making this post thinking all of the other posters are like "oh, there goes another straying INFP why don't we shepherd her back to her cloud." But anyways somedays I'm so intuitive I can hear the wall breathing. Somedays I'm I'm right about everything, prefer logic and reasoning and can't understand emotions for nothing. I feel insane.


Functions don't change. But I guess what you´re asking is if you´re using different functions depending on your mood or the season.

The answer is basically: No. Your brain's preferences don't change depending on your mood. You're making the basic mistake of associating your behavior and way of conscious thought to function descriptions. So you think: I'm being logical now,... therefore I'm using Te. But you´re not. You´re using your brain and your brain's preferences didn't all the sudden change. So even when you´re being logical, you´re still perceiving with Ti and judging with Ne. When your brain is performing a logical task like making a calculation, there are no functions involved. It's just performing a learned task.

Basically all your thoughts are running through the loop of your first 2 functions: Fi-Ne. Your third function (Si) chips in when it doesn't agree with whatever the first 2 come up with. So imagine when your first 2 functions are constantly breaking the rules from your Si point of view.... you´re gonna feel like you´re not the same person anymore. Hence your idea of changing functions.


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