INFJ and 'Gut Feelings'

S

Skaught

One
MBTI
INTP
First of all, I'd like to say hello since this is my first post here. I'm an INTP I'm dating an INFJ right now. She is pretty complicated to figure out, but being an INTP, I can't stand not figuring something or someone out so I have spent a good amount of time talking to her and reading up on INFJs and I think I can somewhat understand her now. One of the many things that interest me about her is her Ni which she tells me can be used to sense when something is going to happen. However, everytime she gives me examples it is usually something bad. It makes me somewhat paranoid with how she explains it because it seems like she could know more about me than she tells me. Anyways, I'm sure this has been discussed many times, but is this Ni 'gut feeling' really as powerful as the INFJ I've encountered has described to me?
 
I'm actually learning that Ni, when used properly, should be utilized only for insight, not for contemplating what other people are thinking. As analytical as an INFJ can be due to their Ti, and as concerned about how they relate to others due to their Fe, it can be a recipe for disaster. It can create self consciousness that seems borderline pathological to people. It can mean constant concern of how what you say and do can affect other people's perceptions of you and constantly trying to predict outcomes based on the gut feelings you develop toward people.

Ni seeks to find deeper meanings to things and a person has to be careful where that is focused because sometimes there simply isn't any deeper meaning than what can be seen on the surface. It's a natural desire to understand more than what is readily evident, but that can turn into worry, paranoia, and suspicions if it is focused externally as opposed to internally. Finding deeper meanings to yourself and your beliefs is Ni's task, and if INFJs try to use Ni like Ne, then INFJs will live in a world of constant fear and anxiety. What is facisnating is that the "psychic" capacities aren't hindered by focusing Ni inward, but rather increased because a person becomes more aware of how others would act in a given situation because they understand how they would act in that situation.
 
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Speaking as an INFJ, I can testify to our seemingly psychic abilities. It's sort of like how a more analytical person can take all the pieces of data and put together the whole picture. I think the difference for us is that we can put the picture together in our heads and on a less conscious level, hence we seem to get our answers from out of thin air.
 
Satya said:
I'm actually learning that Ni, when used properly, should be utilized only for insight, not for contemplating what other people are thinking. As analytical as an INFJ can be due to their Ti, and as concerned about how they relate to others due to their Fe, it can be a recipe for disaster. It can create self consciousness that seems borderline pathological to people. It can mean constant concern of how what you say and do can affect other people's perceptions of you and constantly trying to predict outcomes based on the gut feelings you develop toward people.

Ni seeks to find deeper meanings to things and a person has to be careful where that is focused because sometimes there simply isn't any deeper meaning than what can be seen on the surface. It's a natural desire to understand more than what is readily evident, but that can turn into worry, paranoia, and suspicions if it is focused externally as opposed to internally. Finding deeper meanings to yourself and your beliefs is Ni's task, and if INFJs try to use Ni like Ne, then INFJs will live in a world of constant fear and anxiety. What is facisnating is that the "psychic" capacities aren't hindered by focusing Ni inward, but rather increased because a person becomes more aware of how others would act in a given situation because they understand how they would act in that situation.
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Ouch, Satya...that's so terribly, terribly true. I didn't think about that until now, but that's where the demon Fi rears its head, isn't it?

Hmm...*contemplates.*:m080:

Heh. To answer the question, I think it's there...but it depends on the INFJ. Some are more limited and others are too out there. Ni has to be balanced along with everything else to work properly. I think we have to be at peace to truly utilize those "powers" for good. :D
 
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My friend is an INFJ, her insights can be quite shocking.

Often she put my thoughts into words for me.

On September 11 she told me she had a really bad feeling something bad was gonna happen at school.


Then there are time when she confuses her own wishes with intuition, that doesn't happen very often though.
 
I find that my intuitions are usually negative as well. I don't think I've ever had a gut feeling about someone doing something good.

I have basically always known why my relationship with someone would end before it even began. And I find I ignore my gut instincts, and go ahead anyway, hoping to be proven wrong. Which has not happened yet.

I do think that intuition is also a negative thing, in that it can be linked with anxiety. I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. So I know what its like to worry too much.

I don't know if I would trade it though? I just hope one day it doesn't show me the downfall of my relationship.
 
I use my intuition too much really. It puts alot of limitations on what I should and should not do. Simply because, I get these "knowings" before hand, and then judge my actions based on it. Where in reality, these knowings could be wrong or baseless, and limit what I could do.

That being said, I would be very very upset if I was told "you can't use intuition anymore". I truly use it for nearly everything.
 
Satya said:
I'm actually learning that Ni, when used properly, should be utilized only for insight, not for contemplating what other people are thinking. As analytical as an INFJ can be due to their Ti, and as concerned about how they relate to others due to their Fe, it can be a recipe for disaster. It can create self consciousness that seems borderline pathological to people. It can mean constant concern of how what you say and do can affect other people's perceptions of you and constantly trying to predict outcomes based on the gut feelings you develop toward people.
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Yes.

Warrior Therapist said:
I think the difference for us is that we can put the picture together in our heads and on a less conscious level, hence we seem to get our answers from out of thin air.
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Yes.

Lucifer said:
Then there are time when she confuses her own wishes with intuition, that doesn't happen very often though.
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And yes.
 
Warrior Therapist said:
Speaking as an INFJ, I can testify to our seemingly psychic abilities. It's sort of like how a more analytical person can take all the pieces of data and put together the whole picture. I think the difference for us is that we can put the picture together in our heads and on a less conscious level, hence we seem to get our answers from out of thin air.
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Yes, upon realization after the fact, i'm left confused upon reflecting that i've seemingly understood a situation or come to a conclusion without consciously thinking. It is as if many concepts are weighed as judgements arise in an almost associative pattern of meanings that are hard to accurately describe step by step. The whole process is not really thought out in language either but may be more pictorial.
 
It sounds pompous...but I feel like I've only ever been 'wrong' about a person in my whole life twice..and it was the same person--> hence she is still my loved, and very trusted sister-in-law

I also agree that you only intuit negative stuff. The happy dreams don't appear


...which leads me to the 'LAW OF ATTRACTION'?? We should listen to our intuitions but at the same time hope for the best, and think GOOD GOOD things, yes? (So does that mean we influence the environment, or the other way around?)
 
It can mean constant concern of how what you say and do can affect other people's perceptions of you and constantly trying to predict outcomes based on the gut feelings you develop toward people.
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The story of my live!

I use my gut feeling to predict how people will think about me all the time. But I don't know what people thing and I'm wrong a lot of times or I think I'm wrong so it is useless to me and exhausting.

It would be much more usefull to me to use my gut feelings from the inside out. Focus on what I want and don't want, what are my feelings and intentions, my deeper plan and focus on fullfilling them instead of trying to please everyone
 
Morgan said:
The story of my live!

I use my gut feeling to predict how people will think about me all the time. But I don't know what people thing and I'm wrong a lot of times or I think I'm wrong so it is useless to me and exhausting.

It would be much more usefull to me to use my gut feelings from the inside out. Focus on what I want and don't want, what are my feelings and intentions, my deeper plan and focus on fullfilling them instead of trying to please everyone
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Maybe you're intuition is right about what people think of you, it's just that the other person makes you think that you were wrong when in fact you were correct. Many people don't like the fact that others know their real feelings, so they will often tell you that you were wrong. Make sense? :D
 
I've had a gut feeling that something great was going to happen and that whole day was great plus I received my first kiss that day.
 
Last Dawn said:
Maybe you're intuition is right about what people think of you, it's just that the other person makes you think that you were wrong when in fact you were correct. Many people don't like the fact that others know their real feelings, so they will often tell you that you were wrong. Make sense? :D
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Make sense yeah, And my self esteem is so "high" that I directly believe whatever the other person is saying :madgrin: because comm'on they seem the have real prove for there statements while mine are just based on gut feeling :smile:
 
My intuition is pretty strong, and I use it on an almost daily basis without meaning to. It's a knee-jerk reaction, and I find myself 'just knowing things' without any conscious or rational explanation as to why. But, because this hyper-sensitivity has backfired on me before, what often follows this 'just knowing' is this desperation for confirmation that manifests itself by me trying to logically break this gut instinct down and find out the 'why' of what I'm feeling.

Silly example, but say I suddenly find myself thinking about someone. They just randomly pop into my head, and five or ten minutes later, I get a phonecall from said person. And it happens a lot more often than I'd care to admit.

But sometimes, I just get these, I guess, stronger doses of intuition that are hard to brush away. Especially about important things in my life and the people I meet. Sometimes I can almost describe it as a near psychic-connection with other people...

Like I knew that I was going to date my childhood crush later in life (after completely severing ties). Or that I was going to get a job that I had no qualifications for. Just odd, little things I know.

And even now, I'm sitting and thinking that there has to be a psychological explanation for it.
 
I think our insights allow us to make decisions more quickly, but it doesn't mean that they are any more accurate than other decision making processes. We do probably place more trust in our insights though.
 
Lucifer said:
Then there are time when she confuses her own wishes with intuition, that doesn't happen very often though.
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Yep that's my case :(

Many you guys rock for having this sense. My INTJ lab parterner just "knew" which bunsen burner was good.

When ever I try to follow my huches it always leads me to the wrong place.
But I end up making a better overall decision if I choose too.

What ever... any tips on Introvering intuition? I find that mine has been lacking lately.
Any InFJ psychedelic prediction for me??? B) <--off topic were do I find the smiley menu?
 
YES!!! I experienced one today!!!!
After being insulted by a bunch of SJ in music class for playing piano,
I had a strange sensation to eat the chew chips ahoy cookie brand.
When I got home my mom bought some. She had only bought the hard
cookies before.
 
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