Do you know an ISFP? | Page 4 | INFJ Forum

Do you know an ISFP?

Would you consider yourself a perfectionist with most things in your life?

I don't know about this, I hold very high standards for myself (and then there are other areas where I have no standards, like the length or content of my internet posts :wink: ). However I tend not to get flustered if I don't meet those standards, I just keep on perservering trying to gain more skills. My ideals are very high though.

What was your path of discovering you are ISFP?

Online tests kept leading me towards INFJ, so I came here as an INFJ looking to see if that was really my type. Eventually I came to realise just how much the things I enjoyed most involved a lot of Se. I discovered that the superficial stereotype I had of the ISFP type was false, once I actually gave the type consideration and really began to explore and find more and better descriptions I found more and more I could relate to and here I am today, a certain ISFP with a bent towards some slightly abstract interests.

I probably like this description best:

http://www.murraystate.edu/secsv/fye/ISfP.htm

followed by:

http://www.bestfittype.com/isfp.html
 
What about social interactions, how do you feel about interacting with people you do not know.

Have you ever had a retail/sales job? How did working there affect you?

Do you pay attention to the news and are you political? If so, can you give a brief overview?

Do you follow religion?
 
*Feels like a kid in a candy store*

Have you been classified as the stereotypical nice guy/gal?

How guarded are you, and if you let down your guard do you feel like you will be taken advantage of?
 
I know this has been covered many times, but can you give me your interpretation of Se in a nutshell?
 
What about social interactions, how do you feel about interacting with people you do not know.

Have you ever had a retail/sales job? How did working there affect you?

Do you pay attention to the news and are you political? If so, can you give a brief overview?

Do you follow religion?

As far as social interactions with people I don't know, I'll normally be very quiet unless I get some kind of sign from the other person that it's okay to start talking. With a little liquor in my system, I'm much more inclined to talk to people I barely know, but I feel like that resonates across the board regardless of a person's MBTI. On the whole though, I will do my best to be nice and courteous to strangers even if I don't necessarily strike up a conversation.

I did have a retail job, working at a chain photography studio in a mall. It was very commercialized, which I hated, but the job wasn't too bad in the beginning. It started to get bad when there was more pressure to make sales and hound people for money. I also was not a fan of having to meet daily, weekly, and monthly sales quotas. It was far too rigid to actually enjoy the job, which could have been fun if the commercial aspect of it had been removed.

I do pay attention to the news to a degree, and actually used to be a journalism major. I switched to English when I felt that journalism was too impersonal and nosy. I am liberal, and used to be a borderline activist a few years ago, but now I'm more tame as far as expressing my political opinions.
 
*Feels like a kid in a candy store*

Have you been classified as the stereotypical nice guy/gal?

How guarded are you, and if you let down your guard do you feel like you will be taken advantage of?

I don't think I've ever been stereotyped as the typical nice girl, except maybe a few times. I also have an adventurous side that many people probably wouldn't feel fits into that sit at home demographic.

I am a very guarded person, and I feel that if I let my guard down I'm exposed. I don't necessarily feel that I will be taken advantage of as much as pried about my personal life, and I desire a lot of privacy.
 
I have an ISFP friend, she's probably the nicest person I've ever met. She's very interested in foreign cultures, and has traveled across Europe and Asia. She's probably more "Asian" than me in some ways, even though she's white and my parents are Chinese. She's also very carefree, and it's practically impossible to be angry around her. She's artsy, somewhat athletic, and doesn't follow politics.

ISFPs are good stress relievers ^_^
 
I mean it's like a machinary, which you can use for different goals. Not all ISTPs and INTPs are actually that cold in behavior, because they also have the mighty Fe, if they decide to turn to it.

The way I understand it is that the idea of type is that whilst we all have and use all 8 cognitive functions we also all have a natural, deeply ingrained, fundamental preference for two functions above all the others (our primary and auxiliary functions). These preferences are then counter-balanced by their opposites, so that we can function properly (perhaps as a natural consequence at a physiological level of the relevant neural pathways being formed that facilitate those original two functions, who knows?).

So, whilst we can develop all of our functions to a level where we are comfortable and proficient with their use (by building up new neural pathways through repetition and use), we will still have that fundamentally ingrained preference above all the others for those original two functions and their "shadows", which is what makes up our "type", and this fundamental type never (IMO) changes even when we exercise our alternative functions.

enfp can be shy said:
MJ is a dancing genius, he can't be anything but ISxP, I hope we agree. But he is very different from all ISFPs I know, nothing like them. He resembles much more the precision of IxTPs, he is robot-like, mechanical, in his movements, he has strong restraint and control, which Fi-primary doesn't have.

I used to think he was an INFP, but before infpglobalchatter went down there was a thread on there about whether he was INFP or ISFP and the "he was an ISFP" camp's arguments were pretty persuasive, so right now I'm kind of undecided between the two with a slight leaning towards ISFP. I think his restrained attitude compared to other ISFPs can be put down to his childhood, remember his father was a very domineering and abusive guy so MJ probably learned pretty quickly to hide what he was feeling about things and naturally at the same time became a very strong introvert.

Here's an interview of his from the early 80's where he talks a little about his creative process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lao3_sB0_nY

Notice how he talks about putting his heart into the music and how his responses tend to be about how things make him feel? It's all about his emotional and spiritual responses to things, rather than the intellectual response you're more likely to get from an INTP.

Also, I still don't think it's a good idea to try to type people based on their physical characteristics. You can sometimes get a vibe from someone about what their type might be from their mannerisms, but that's not what the MBTI and the cognitive functions are designed to describe, so it can be misleading.
 
We're so pathetic, guys. Strongly dislike that about ISFPs. Would like to reorient my approach to people and human relationships in general..

Why are we like that? I guess in attempt to explain the behavior I feel like... everybody lives their life and experiences it in their own worlds, where we're all separate people living our separate journies, coming together to discuss/share our experiences when we need to. I acknowledge our desires to the motherly calling in us that offers the best TLC whenever called upon, but otherwise it's the "I don't need you" mind-set, when secretly we kinda do. I mean, we deprive ourselves of human interaction already. I won't deny that we still love everyone to exhaustion, except ... at a sad, far distance, but it's usually meshed with the "the-universe-is-awesome" emotion so it's personal and not at the same time.

When not careful, I could completely brush off someone's need for my friendship, never ever initiate conversation unless there's a definite purpose.. and just come across as extremely aloof. I hate when I'm too absorbed-in-my-own-world to care and unknowingly let others see me as having no interest in them. We're such walking contradictions -- wanting to be everybody's best friend, meanwhile hogging all our time to ourselves in our own head/emotions and sharing nothing. =[

I think one reason is we just take life too seroiusly. So when others don't take life seriously and talk to us about what seems like trivial things.... we have minimal interest. Is it pride? Argh, I dislike this about me. haha. this belongs to the "what do you hate about yourself" thread.

Anyway. Ah. Not to change the direction of the forum, but if anyone wants to offer encouragement to change... I'm open. :|

ISFPs, we're so weird. Or maybe it's just me. I haven't met another one of us IRL.... surprise surprise


Quinlan, jmclaypoole, can either of you relate to this? I grabbed this post from another forum.
 
Quinlan, jmclaypoole, can either of you relate to this? I grabbed this post from another forum.

Obviously I'm not either one of those two fine gentlemen, but I thought I'd butt in and say that a lot of what that guy posted sounds like typical Fi stuff rather than something specific to ISFPs.

The F(eeling) part wants to connect with people, while the i(ntroverted) part wants to maintain a distance from people. Classic push/pull scenario.
 
What about social interactions, how do you feel about interacting with people you do not know.

I don't really like it, it takes a long while for me to warm up to someone and feel comfortable to be myself. It is I think with good reason because my natural personality can be unpredictable and abrasive to some.

Have you ever had a retail/sales job? How did working there affect you?

Nope, I have had times where I have had to be on the phon for much of the day, I would have these little spikes of anxiety when someone called or when I had to call someone new.
but I got used to it after a while and came to enjoy it.

Do you pay attention to the news and are you political? If so, can you give a brief overview?

It depends, a lot of the news media is so sensationalist I avoid it a bit. In terms of politics I'm a left-something, it changes from issue to issue I think.

Do you follow religion?

Nope

*Feels like a kid in a candy store*

Have you been classified as the stereotypical nice guy/gal?

No, I think I am too aloof and guarded to come off like that. Which leads to...

How guarded are you, and if you let down your guard do you feel like you will be taken advantage of?

I'm very guarded I don't know if it's a feeling of being taken advantage of, it's more like a loss of authenticity, if I share too much then it feels less authentic and therefore of less value. It's hard to explain.

I know this has been covered many times, but can you give me your interpretation of Se in a nutshell?

Se is just awareness through the senses of the concrete world. For ISFPs this is probably most often expressed as a love of nature and beautiful things, Fi with Se wants us to have an impact on the physical world, that's why we often turn to art. Photography is a popular hobby of SPs, it is like capturing that perfect Se moment for all time. Se is biased towards the immediate time and context, the past and future are foggy and less meaningful compared to other types. I think Se is related to the concept of Flow.

Quinlan, jmclaypoole, can either of you relate to this? I grabbed this post from another forum.

I don't really relate, I wouldn't beat myself up over being aloof, it's who I am.
 
Oh dur, forgot to mention one (maybe two) very important person/people!

My best friend growing up is most definately an isfp.

"I like Monday because it's not normal for people to like Monday"
"I like country music because it's not normal for asians to like country music"
" I’m indecisive. Don’t ask me to decide anything because I might break down from all the mental stress."
"My clothes reflect my mood. The darker they are, the happier I am. I wear pink when I’m depressed."


-huge procrastinator
-wanted to be a nurse
-sensitive
-can go into bitch mode
-very very caring
-opinionated


Yeah. I loved her to death. She was my first best friend. I defended her
to
the
death.

Hehe.

I think she and my father are my main reasons for having such a (regrettably) strong Fi. My good Si is probably due to my mother.
 
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Quinlan, are you typically considered to have a higher N than most ISFP's?

How strong do you consider your T?
 
Quinlan, are you typically considered to have a higher N than most ISFP's?

Maybe, I don't think it's usual for ISFPs to spend a lot of time pondering things like cognitive processes etc like I do. If I do have high use of N I doubt it's because I'm well developed, more likely is that I've neglected Se and divert to Ni too often.

How strong do you consider your T?

Not strong, I think I'm better at putting on a T "face" rather than actually engaging in it. I don't know a lot about the thinking functions so I'm not sure exactly. I think I prefer Ti over Te.
 
I found a new description of ISFP and it has solidified what I feel is true. I have tried to move away from my SP impulsiveness in life, commonly telling myself it doesn't exist, but it is still there. Even if I resemble an ISTP, I can say that I am simply not able to neglect my F like that. Harmony means much more to me than an intellectual debate.

Here is that description:

Portrait of an ISFP:

Although all SPs (Sensuous Performers) are artisans in their nature, they usually do not pursue their artistry with the same devotion to grace and adornment as the ISFP. For whatever reason, the ISFP seems more inclined to the "fine arts" than the other SPs; so when an especially gifted composer, painter, or dancer shows up, he or she, more frequently than not, possesses the character of the ISFP. Beethoven, Toscanini, Rembrandt, and Nijinski, as shown by typo-historical research, were clear-cut ISFPs. But the ISFP temperament is very difficult to observe, even in the great artists, and so ISFP is probably the most misunderstood of all the types.

A major source of misunderstanding is the tendency of ISFPs not to express themselves directly, but through action. If they find a medium of expression, some art form, then the character is expressed in some degree via the medium. If not, it simply doesn't come out, and no one knows them, this social reticence making of the character all but invisible. Of course, in those rare cases where remarkable skill is achieved, such as in the virtuoso, ISFPs become celebrities, but their nature is still far from visible. Harpo Marx, a brilliant comedic actor, may well be seen as prototype, in his simultaneous celebrity and mute invisibility.

On close observation, these relatively infrequent SPs (5 percent of the population is ISFP, as compared to 15 percent ESFP) are just as hedonic and impulsive as the other SPs. Here is no NF search for significance, nor for that matter any fascination with science (NT) or commerce (SJ). ISFPs live Epicurean lives in the here and now, and as gracefully as possible. They do not plan and prepare. Submergence in their artistry is not preparation for something later' rather they experience intensely, now. ISFPs do not wait, for to wait is to see their impulse wither and die; they want and value their impulses and see them as the center of their lives. Nor are ISFPs devoted or committed to artful play; rather they are caught, as by a magnet or a whirlwind. So then the long hours of "practice" the virtuoso "gives" to artistry is not practice at all and it is not given; it is doing and it is taken from the (willing) ISFP by the performance itself. The act is the ISFP's master; not the reverse, so we must abandon any notion of ISFPs as careful and devoted planners and of dutiful preparation and rehearsal. They paint, or sing, or toot, or dance, or run, or skate, or pot, or whatever, simply because they must: the mountain is climbed because it is there.

Because the ISFP is always caught up, so to speak, in whatever actions are underway, rather than practicing toward some distant goal, there is no question of the ISFP noticing fatigue, pain, or danger. They are usually quite oblivious to these accompaniments of many of their favorite activities. It is not that ISFPs are inured to them as much as it is that, wholly engaged by an action, they simply do not notice them. In this ISFP is similar other SPs and different from all other types.

ISFP, like other SPs, has a special kind of intelligence. Please recall that intelligence is defined in this book as doing things well under varying circumstances. This particular category of intelligence might be called "artisan concretization." Such talent differs radically from that possessed by NFs, NTs, and SJs (granting, of course, that they too have their own unique and inherent abilities). This artisan concretization somehow keeps the ISFP more closely in touch with the very real. While the ISTP is attuned to the tool, so to speak, the ISFP is attuned to color, line, texture, shading-touch, motion, seeing, and hearing in harmony. The senses of the ISFP seem more keenly tuned than those of others. Rembrandt could almost taste colors so great was his discrimination, Toscanini could hear a single false note in the most complex operatic-orchestral score. and Hemingway's words tasted an smelled and felt the waves. This extreme concreteness and specificity seems to come naturally to the ISFP and is embedded "in the warp and woof of the man's make."

The social side of the ISFP character must not be eclipsed by the more spectacular performances some of this group are capable of. The ISFP has to be the kindest of all the types with no near competitors. The kindness is unconditional. Here is sympathy, of which we are all capable, carried to its most extreme form. The ISFP is especially sensitive to the pain and suffering of others arid, like St. Francis of Assisi, with sympathetic impulsiveness gives freely to the sufferer.

ISFP is usually not interested in developing facility in speaking, writing, or conversation. Speech, after all, is abstract, not concrete, ISFPs preferring to have their fingers on the pulse of life.That pulse must be felt-by touch, in the muscles, in the eyes, in the ears. This insistence on the senses being so closely attuned to reality can, in some ISFPs, occasion a breach with language, and language becomes a barrier to smooth interpersonal relations. So ISFPs are sometimes seen by others as reserved and private, tending to give up rather easily in their attempts to express themselves verbally. But this reluctant speech is not so much a lack of ability as it is disinterest. Hemingway broke that barrier, a splendid instance of an ISFP entering into the world of words an making aparent inarticulateness into art, changing the face of 20th Century literature.

Career

The number of the great artisans who, upon investigation, were found clearly to have been ISFPs, is truly awesome. The other SPs seem to have contributed far fewer masters to the fine arts. Gaugin and Puccini, both ESTPs, were in this sense exceptional. Music and dance seems almost the province of ISFP, and surely investigation will show many of the great athletes come from this group.

Of course, all ISFPs have not been and need not be artisans in the narrow sense of the word. Art, broadly conceived is any action the next move of which is a free variable, and it is art thus conceived that is the forte of SPs in general and the ISFP in particular. Thus ISFPs have a lot of leeway in choice of occupation, especially if they don't drop out of school early (most SPs do, since the school offers little tht is of interest to them or that challenges their special brand of intelligence). It is a sad day indeed when the ISFP chooses work wherein the operations are fixed by rule or necessity and not free. To be happy and productive the ISFP must choose variable actions and be rewarded for doing them.

Finally, in many ISFPs may be found an instinctive longing for the natural, the pastoral, the bucolic. They are quite at home in the wilds, and nature seems to welcome them. Some have a remarkable way with animals, even wild animals, almost as if there were a bond of mutual sympathy and trust. In some instances a similar bond may be seen between the ISFP and young children, instant and unstudied.

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about ISFPs is that they are SPs, with much in common with ESFPs especially, often resembling ISTPs, and even sharing some traits with the seemingly very different ESTP. To summarize this communality with other insubordinate; tending to ward off obligation, duty, confinement, and fetters; a lover of freedom, easily bored, wanting excitement; risk, chance, and tests of luck; uncomplicated in motivation, trusting, receptive, generous, and in every sense of the word a spender rather than a saver.
 
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If it makes you feel any better, from my experience at TypeC, ISFPs and ISTJs tend to have the hardest time figuring out what type they are.
 
If it makes you feel any better, from my experience at TypeC, ISFPs and ISTJs tend to have the hardest time figuring out what type they are.


Thank you!

:hug:
 
It's "Please Understand Me II", I believe. It sounds like it, anyway.

And they're the "gold standard" for SJ, SP, NF, and NT. :)
 
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