# INF something



## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

Hey cool people of PerC, I help your help. Every MBTI I've taken says I'm INFP but every cognitive function test has me INFJ. What's a girl to do? Let's get to the bottom of this.


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## apprehended (Sep 24, 2010)

I agree. 

Start here


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

Learn the cognitive functions and figure out which you most identify with.

MBTI tests will mistype you all the time because of the way the tests are structured. Many many people test as INFP or INTP who really aren't (and some are really far off from being INPs in real life).


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

1) What aspect of your personality made you unsure of your type?
I don't relate to NF's a lot of the time. I can be objective, take criticism, give criticism and I prefer the cold hard truth over people's feelings. If I realize I'm wrong, I change.

2) What do you yearn for in life? Why?
For harmony in my family and more money. More money because then my husband won't be so stressed and we can have fun from time to time.

3) Think about a time where you felt like you were at your finest. Tell us what made you feel that way.
Senior year of High school. I'd just been cast in two plays/ musicals and I got to perform dances every week. My grades were up and school was almost over! And I had just met this super sexy older ISTP.

4) What makes you feel inferior?
I feel like my life has stagnated. I want to be out doing all those things I've day-dreamed about. I'm not as far in life as others my age, and normally that wouldn't bother me but I actually feel like I'm letting myself down.

5) What tends to weigh on your decisions? (Do you think about people, pro-cons, how you feel about it, etc.)
Lately, I take everything into consideration. I can't make a decision without consulting other people and getting their points of view, and then crunching some numbers, and then when I think my decision is the 'right' one I do it.

6) When working on a project what is normally your emphasis? Do you like to have control of the outcome?
I do like to have control of the out come. I prefer working alone so I can make sure my projects meet my standards.
Back in Highschool I would have the most informative projects because I'd really look into the subject I was studying and make it a passion.

7) Describe us a time where you had a lot of fun. How is your memory of it? 
I had alot of fun when I was pregnant. I'd go visit my husband at work and we'd walk around Downtown Denver looking at all stores and eating over priced but super yummy food and talking about our hopes for the future. 

8) When you want to learn something new, what feels more natural for you? (Are you more prone to be hands on, to theorize, to memorize, etc)
I watch and listen intently to someone as they do whatever it is I want to learn. If it's dancing I have them walk me step by step through the routine, if it's math/science or something I watch and ask questions about each step.

9) How organized do you to think of yourself as?
Moderately. I'm organized because I have to be. Ie, the baby needs to eat at this time, sleep at this time etc. But before he as born I di dn't have much of a routine.

10) How do you judge new ideas? You try to understand the principles behind it to see if they make sense or do you look for information that supports it?
Both? I gather the information I can and then decide on the principle.

11) You find harmony by making sure everyone is doing fine and belonging to a given group or by making sure that you follow what you believe and being yourself?
I make sure everyone has their needs met, unless it is in direct opposition to my values/needs. If it's not I'm ok with bending over for people.

12) Are you the kind that thinks before speaking or do you speak before thinking? Do you prefer one-on-one communication or group discussions?
I think before I speak almost always. When I don't, I usually regret it later. If the discussion is of a sensitive nature I'll do one on ones but usually I'd like a group discussion so that I can get everyone's POV. I notice when talking to someone one on one I get very finnicky and start randomly cleaning.

13) Do you jump into action right away or do you like to know where are you jumping before leaping? Does action speaks more than words? I like to know what I'm doing before I do it. I like things to run smoothly, although I can go with the flow if I have to. Actions speak louder than words, but the words are nice to hear to 

14) It's Saturday. You're at home, and your favorite show is about to start. Your friends call you for a night out. What will you do?
Hesitate, sigh, and then go hang with my homies! But I'll be mad if it wasn't worth it in the end. 

15) How do you act when you're stressed out?
I clam up, think of all the millions of possibilities to get out of my situation, run it by some people and then throw myself into remedying the situation.

16) What makes you dislike the personalities of some people?
I feel like a lot of people don't bother learning/thinking about the shit they talk about. That's usually followed by lots of gossiping too.
A lot of people accept/ reject new ideas based off of their feelings instead of the truth.

17) Is there anything you really like talking about with other people?
Everything. I like talking about silly stuff because I'm a joker, and I like talking about heavier things because I love hearing other people's POV.
18) What kind of things do pay the least attention to in your life
Other people's expectations. I'm going to live my life the best I can. *Shakes fist at mom*

19) How do your friends perceive you? What is wrong about their perception? ? What would your friends never say about your personality ? I'm the nice one. And really, I am. I'm always trying to keep the peace while subtley getting people to question themselves. I don't think they'd ever say I was stupid or stubborn.

20) You got a whole day to do whatever you like. What kind of activities do you feel like doing?
Starbucks, Ice Cream parlor, exotic restaurant, shopping for lingerie, going to the park or carnival, or just kicking it with my family.


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

laney said:


> 1) What aspect of your personality made you unsure of your type?
> I don't relate to NF's a lot of the time. I can be objective, take criticism, give criticism and I prefer the cold hard truth over people's feelings. If I realize I'm wrong, I change.
> 
> 2) What do you yearn for in life? Why?
> ...


You seem quite sociable. Could you be ENF something?


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

Staffan said:


> You seem quite sociable. Could you be ENF something?


 Maybe. Besides family, I don't really seek out other people's company. I only engage with those outside of my inner circle if I have a question. I spend a week socializing 24/7 with my in laws last month and it has taken me over a month to ever want to talk to people again LOL.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

> 1) What aspect of your personality made you unsure of your type?
> I don't relate to NF's a lot of the time. I can be objective, take criticism, give criticism and I prefer the cold hard truth over people's feelings. If I realize I'm wrong, I change.


By far, none of this means that you're not an NF. I can't deduce anything from this.



> 2) What do you yearn for in life? Why?
> For harmony in my family and more money. More money because then my husband won't be so stressed and we can have fun from time to time.


The harmony bit sounds very Fe.



> 5) What tends to weigh on your decisions? (Do you think about people, pro-cons, how you feel about it, etc.)
> Lately, I take everything into consideration. I can't make a decision without consulting other people and getting their points of view, and then crunching some numbers, and then when I think my decision is the 'right' one I do it.


Okay, very interesting and telling. Desiring the input of others is a very Fe motivation - I see some likely Ti in their also with the "crunching some numbers" stuff.



> 8) When you want to learn something new, what feels more natural for you? (Are you more prone to be hands on, to theorize, to memorize, etc)
> I watch and listen intently to someone as they do whatever it is I want to learn. If it's dancing I have them walk me step by step through the routine, if it's math/science or something I watch and ask questions about each step.
> 
> 
> ...


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

> Maybe. Besides family, I don't really seek out other people's company. I only engage with those outside of my inner circle if I have a question. I spend a week socializing 24/7 with my in laws last month and it has taken me over a month to ever want to talk to people again LOL.


I didn't notice this at first - you sound like an introvert, although secondary Fe might drive you to be more social on average, which is rather common for IXFJs.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

Aww I'm losing my special INFP card. Oh well, I'll cling to my special Type 9 card  Any more questions?

Edit:Idk if this has anything to do with a certain function, but I spend most of my time day dreaming. It seems like everything I do is working towards a certain ideal I have about the way my life should be. I turn on my 'go getter' mode when I need to accomplish something urgent.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

JungyesMBTIno said:


> I didn't notice this at first - you sound like an introvert, although secondary Fe might drive you to be more social on average, which is rather common for IXFJs.


 I feel rude NOT being social, but I will avoid having to play hostess if I can.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

laney said:


> I feel rude NOT being social, but I will avoid having to play hostess if I can.


Ok, this makes me more confident that you're an introvert. I've seen the same thing with my ISFJ mom, where she'll go out of her way not to be rude for others, but otherwise, she's pretty reclusive and never has the urge to go on social outings, like ever (come to think of it, I've never seen her go on a social outing outside of special events my whole life, amazingly enough) (I'm not saying that you're like this, but I'm just using this as a standard of comparison). I've noticed that ISFJs are pretty good at going with the flow and being chameleons in social situations, but they can withdraw pretty easily also (and tend to more often).


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

JungyesMBTIno said:


> Ok, this makes me more confident that you're an introvert. I've seen the same thing with my ISFJ mom, where she'll go out of her way not to be rude for others, but otherwise, she's pretty reclusive and never has the urge to go on social outings, like ever (come to think of it, I've never seen her go on a social outing outside of special events my whole life, amazingly enough) (I'm not saying that you're like this, but I'm just using this as a standard of comparison). *I've noticed that ISFJs are pretty good at going with the flow and being chameleons in social situations, but they can withdraw pretty easily also (and tend to more often).*


 The bolded portion describes me perfectly. I'm good at keeping things light and harmonious.


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## Ayia (Feb 27, 2012)

laney said:


> The bolded portion describes me perfectly. I'm good at keeping things light and harmonious.


read up on the childhood-descriptions and hang out on the forums. See which of the childhoodthingys that are most like you as a child and see which of the forums you relate the most to. It's not foolproof, but it's a good way to start


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

laney said:


> Aww I'm losing my special INFP card. Oh well, I'll cling to my special Type 9 card  Any more questions?
> 
> Edit:Idk if this has anything to do with a certain function, but I spend most of my time day dreaming. It seems like everything I do is working towards a certain ideal I have about the way my life should be. I turn on my 'go getter' mode when I need to accomplish something urgent.


This sounds very much like INFP. But like Runa suggested, check out the various type forums here and see where you feel the most at home.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

> Edit:Idk if this has anything to do with a certain function, but I spend most of my time day dreaming. It seems like everything I do is working towards a certain ideal I have about the way my life should be. I turn on my 'go getter' mode when I need to accomplish something urgent.


Hmm...the ideals about the way your life should be sound kind of Si-driven - I've seen this in my largely Si family (mom and dad are ISFJ and ISTJ respectively, while my twin sister is an INTP (Si tert.), and they're all very particular about living their lives via preconceptions of what they should be like) - the go-getter mode might be inferior Ne clicking in in an urgent situation (assuming that you become more spontaneous as a go-getter and willing to take risks with your ideas). I guess "go-getters" are stereotypically spontaneous, right?


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

JungyesMBTIno said:


> Hmm...the ideals about the way your life should be sound kind of Si-driven - I've seen this in my largely Si family (mom and dad are ISFJ and ISTJ respectively, while my twin sister is an INTP (Si tert.), and they're all very particular about living their lives via preconceptions of what they should be like) - the go-getter mode might be inferior Ne clicking in in an urgent situation (assuming that you become more spontaneous as a go-getter and willing to take risks with your ideas). I guess "go-getters" are stereotypically spontaneous, right?


 This doesn't sound much like me. I'm not particular about anything. I like to say I live by principles, not rules, and so my ideals are based on virtues or feelings I want to experience in the future. I'm usually very unstructured and disorganized. My go-getter mode is MAKING things happen and making plans instead of passively accepting my future. This has been happening a lot more recently because I'm looking for a house.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

Hmm...now I'm not sure what to think. It all sounds pretty typologically ambiguous from this.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

JungyesMBTIno said:


> Hmm...now I'm not sure what to think. It all sounds pretty typologically ambiguous from this.


 I'm reading through the ISFJ forum and I can definitely see why you thought that could be my type. Maybe I'm super MBTI hybrid. An ISNTFPJ.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

Lol! It isn't uncommon for ISFJs to mix themselves up with INFPs, due to somewhat similar type descriptions. I recommend that you become acquainted with the cognitive functions to narrow your type down more.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

I sure will  Thank you for your time!


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

def Si-dom.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

I googled some cognitive function stuff and am now about twice as confused as before:angry:. So I took the key2cognition test and got:*Cognitive Process**Level of Development (Preference, Skill and Frequency of Use)*extraverted Sensing (Se) ********************* (21.9)
limited useintroverted Sensing (Si) ******************************* (31.9)
good useextraverted Intuiting (Ne) ********************* (21.9)
limited useintroverted Intuiting (Ni) ************************************** (38)
excellent useextraverted Thinking (Te) ********************************* (33.9)
good useintroverted Thinking (Ti) ************* (13.4)
unusedextraverted Feeling (Fe) *********************************** (35)
good useintroverted Feeling (Fi) ******************************************** (44.4)
excellent use


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

But.. the similarminds results are: 
Your results: 
Extroversion (46%) / Introversion (59%) 
Sensation (53%) / Intuition (52%) 
Thinking (66%) / Feeling (52%) 

*Te (Extroverted Thinking)* (58%) 
your valuation of / adherence to logic of external systems / hierarchies / methods 
*Ti (Introverted Thinking)* (66%) 
your valuation of / adherence to your own internally devised logic/rational 
*Ne (Extroverted Intuition)* (49%) 
your valuation of / tendency towards free association and creating with external stimuli 
*Ni (Introverted Intuition)* (66%) 
your valuation of / tendency towards internal/original free association and creativity 
*Se (Extroverted Sensing)* (33%) 
your valuation of / tendency to fully experience the world unfiltered, in the moment 
*Si (Introverted Sensing)* (54%) 
your valuation of / focus on internal sensations and reliving past moments 
*Fe (Extroverted Feeling)* (49%) 
your valuation of / adherence to external morals, ethics, traditions, customs, groups
*Fi (Introverted Feeling)* (66%) 
your valuation of / adherence to the sanctity of your own feelings / ideals / sentiment


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## apprehended (Sep 24, 2010)

laney said:


> But.. the similarminds results are:
> Your results:
> Extroversion (46%) / Introversion (59%)
> Sensation (53%) / Intuition (52%)
> ...


Cognitive function test are unreliable usually, so I wouldn't put too much stock in them. 

Something to keep in mind when browsing the other forums is that there are people of all different ages, backgrounds, life experiences, etc on them and yours may differ drastically from them. All of this things affect personality so I would keep that in mind if you find a type that seems to fit you, but find yourself not relating to the forum real well. 

I don't have much insight to offer as far as a type unfortunately. You certainly seem like an introvert if it's taken you a month to recover from that socializing you mentioned earlier. You seem like an F also from what you've described also, so IxFx would be the best I could offer at this point.


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

> Something to keep in mind when browsing the other forums is that there are people of all different ages, backgrounds, life experiences, etc on them and yours may differ drastically from them. All of this things affect personality so I would keep that in mind if you find a type that seems to fit you, but find yourself not relating to the forum real well.


This doesn't matter - all of these things constitute a person's persona much more than personality type. Personality type is fundamentally static, according to numerous studies. A person's age is meaningless, unless the person is an early adolescent (but I think this has more bearing on their understanding of typology than it does on how they manifest their personality type to the world). According to Jung, background doesn't alter type - types were evenly distributed throughout all cultures. Life experiences shouldn't even have that much bearing on type either, since type is a constant. All @laney needs to pay attention to are factors DIRECTLY associated with type - none of the persona stuff - just the fundamentals (personality type is meant to strip away the persona, btw).


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

Yea and you're either masquerading as an Introverted Sensation type or are really an Introverted Sensation type but the negative possibilities thing tends to be their calling card. And I suspect it's involuntary.

As for I/E..the easiest way to figure it out is, are you scared of the world? Or are you more scared of what's inside of you? Extraverts because of their general orientation to the outer world, see the inner world as something mysterious and maybe even a little scary, sort of like a guy who is always out and about and rarely comes home (and when he finally gets some time home alone he's spooked like "its too quiet in here.". Introverts on the other hand generally have a sense that the outer world might overwhelm or swallow them up (because they are oriented to the self).


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

> Introverts on the other hand generally have a sense that the outer world might overwhelm or swallow them up (because they are oriented to the self).


PERFECT description! I'm so a heavy introvert from this. Inferior Se engagement in the world gives me the "swallowed up" feeling most of the time, although I've had amazing moments of control over it on purpose sometimes (probably not fully conscious control at all though) - I feel rather mindless engaging in it - sometimes, I can't even keep a conversation going with someone in this state, because my focus gets so broken. I assume inferior Ne is a bit like this, but in the realm of speculative possibilities instead.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm intimidated by the outside world unless I'm with someone I know, then I'm a bubbly socialite. But going out of my own accord almost never happens. I think about it and then get overwhelmed by the options.

Edit: here's a better explanation. I want to go out and explore the world. A lot actually. Just not by myself lol. If my dad in law or husband is around I can't wait to leave the house and go do stuff.


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

Something else that's kind of interesting is that I never questioned my type or received any other results besides NF until I married into a family of ST's. My husband is ISTP and my father in law who Ive lived with the last 6 months is an ISTJ.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

laney said:


> I'm intimidated by the outside world unless I'm with someone I know, then I'm a bubbly socialite. But going out of my own accord almost never happens. I think about it and then get overwhelmed by the options.


Si-dominant.

read http://personalitycafe.com/isfj-articles/78380-recognizing-inferior-function-isfj.html


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## Laney (Feb 20, 2012)

I think we've cracked this cold case. I should pay you two for your hard work.


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