I realize this thread is old, but I found it very helpful. I see a lot of myself as being more of the Diplomat when interacting with others and more of the Idealist when I'm in my head (if that makes sense.)
INFJ Subtypes: Intuitive Ni-INFJs and ethical Fe-INFJs
- Thread starter Lexika
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There are broadly 3 kinds of subtypes that I think are worth talking about.
1) the "dominant" subtype, that is, here it would be a very Ni-focused type, mostly irrational > rational, and so on
2) the subtype where the top two are well-differentiated, the "Fe-sub" of this thread
3) where the person strives for balance between the tertiary and auxiliary by subordinating both to dominant
I consider myself the 3rd version of these.
1) the "dominant" subtype, that is, here it would be a very Ni-focused type, mostly irrational > rational, and so on
2) the subtype where the top two are well-differentiated, the "Fe-sub" of this thread
3) where the person strives for balance between the tertiary and auxiliary by subordinating both to dominant
I consider myself the 3rd version of these.
My current thought is that the subtype system that makes most sense to me is one where there are the following 2 subtypes:
- top function/IE/whatever subtype, where there is a relatively strong preference of the base/leading function/IE over what socionics would call the "ignoring" (eg Ne>Ni in NeTi types, Ti>Te in TiNe types, etc), and a relatively greater balance between what socionics calls the creative and demonstrative (in a NeTi type, this is Te, Ti); not uncommon for it to have emphasis on what socionics calls hidden agenda (called tertiary in JCF)
- secondary subtype: similar paradigms to the former, but reversed. That is, e.g., in a FiNe type, they are "in a sense" more emphatic on the Ne>Ni but not directly, so much as through greater emphasis on rejecting the POLR through staunch following of balanced Fi/Ne.
I don't mean that these are the only combinations. I think that there are some aspects of the types more related to temperament than cognition, and I reserve dcnh labels for describing those.
I just think the above combos are good for describing the most cognitively or conceptually relevant varieties.
I admit some influence from Jung in selecting, and I believe Jung referred to the first subtype in his types where he proposed that e.g. a Ti-dom has the hardest time with Te (even more than with Fe, somehow).
I currently am identified with the first subtype of ILE; of course, I am actively thinking about this, so I'm less sure than I am with the overall ILE result.
Now I mentioned a third subtype (I think the "first" one from my above post), which is the "irrational" subtype of ILE, IEI, etc; personally I've come to believe that extreme irrational and extreme rational are less likely subtypes to occur in practice, due to the fundamental need for pairing irrational and rational. This isn't to say they don't occur. Jung describes an introverted intuitive woman, who is probably best seen as this subtype. But I don't think these are the most common ones in practice. Those are the extreme one-sided ones.
- top function/IE/whatever subtype, where there is a relatively strong preference of the base/leading function/IE over what socionics would call the "ignoring" (eg Ne>Ni in NeTi types, Ti>Te in TiNe types, etc), and a relatively greater balance between what socionics calls the creative and demonstrative (in a NeTi type, this is Te, Ti); not uncommon for it to have emphasis on what socionics calls hidden agenda (called tertiary in JCF)
- secondary subtype: similar paradigms to the former, but reversed. That is, e.g., in a FiNe type, they are "in a sense" more emphatic on the Ne>Ni but not directly, so much as through greater emphasis on rejecting the POLR through staunch following of balanced Fi/Ne.
I don't mean that these are the only combinations. I think that there are some aspects of the types more related to temperament than cognition, and I reserve dcnh labels for describing those.
I just think the above combos are good for describing the most cognitively or conceptually relevant varieties.
I admit some influence from Jung in selecting, and I believe Jung referred to the first subtype in his types where he proposed that e.g. a Ti-dom has the hardest time with Te (even more than with Fe, somehow).
I currently am identified with the first subtype of ILE; of course, I am actively thinking about this, so I'm less sure than I am with the overall ILE result.
Now I mentioned a third subtype (I think the "first" one from my above post), which is the "irrational" subtype of ILE, IEI, etc; personally I've come to believe that extreme irrational and extreme rational are less likely subtypes to occur in practice, due to the fundamental need for pairing irrational and rational. This isn't to say they don't occur. Jung describes an introverted intuitive woman, who is probably best seen as this subtype. But I don't think these are the most common ones in practice. Those are the extreme one-sided ones.
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something I like about discussions via forums is that you can read and respond at any time.The idea behind the two subtypes is that few people are exactly on the 50/50 line, and that you'll have a preference for one function or the other even if its very small like 1%. Meeting other INFJs I can say this certainly seems to exist on a sliding scale and some INFJs are very expressed, even far-end representatives of the Ni or the Fe-subtype, while others seem to be more balanced and closer to the 'center'.