INFJ or INTJ? | INFJ Forum

INFJ or INTJ?

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eternalaum

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May 28, 2014
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I've been unsure as to my MBTI type lately and I wondered if you guys could help me out.

When I've taken MBTI tests I've often got both INTJ and INFJ and looking at cognitive functions doesn't really seem to help that much either. I would consider myself a healthy individual with a good integration of my shadow side so perhaps there's an overlap of functions going on here. Perhaps I should list some traits as to why I think I'm each one:

INTJ:

- I don't feel like I have a large emotional range. I tend to be quite 'neutral'.
- I tend to deal with my emotions rationally e.g. letting myself feel them but not getting absorbed or carried away by them.
- My logic tends to be step by step rather than an analysis of everything little thing:
- I don't like to be distracted by 'irrelevant' or non-factual details.
- I can sometimes be quite direct and (accidentally) insensitive to the way I'm saying something to someone.
- I tend to see morals as subjective than objective.

INFJ:

- I can be sensitive to other's emotional reactions
- Sometimes I empathize so heavily I feel like I'm drowning.
- I tend to follow my heart rather than my head when making a decision:
- I also think the world would be a better place if everyone followed their heart.
- I see logic as a valuable tool, but not the most important one.
- I can be quite indignant towards injustice (although that's probably an INTJ trait too)

They're all I can think of right now but if anyone has any questions they want to ask or any insight I'd be grateful to hear from you.

Thanks.
 
is the most obvious distinction between T and F how we see the world - our expectations of how people behave? sometimes i have wondered whether T types have an expectation for other people of "you are not acting rationally!" where F types are a little bit more like "humans are irrational and guided by emotions." this is just speculation, something ive been thinking about, not a deeply considered opinion.
 
Hmm.. It could be, but I take both stances. On one hand I wish sometimes people could use their brains a bit more to understand things properly and see that their concerns are not as overly-complex as they think them to be, but on the other hand I realize that they're just being emotional and that when they're in that place they can't effectively see things clearly.

So, I have compassion for the irrationality of humans because irrationality is actually what makes us human, but I also feel like if only people understood how they would better be able to deal with whatever is causing them concern in the first place.

A question about Fe:

Do you guys feel like you 'should' do something because it's expected of you?

This is one argument I have against me being an INFJ. My mother is an ISFJ and she feels compelled to go to church even when she doesn't feel like it, and I'm always reminding her that she doesn't have to go if she doesn't feel like it (I never go, if that's relevant). How would you guys feel/think/act/respond in this situation?
 
Well, given the fact you're asking this question, you're probably INFJ.

The Fi of INTJs would allow them to know for sure what the identify with more, while Fe is... a bit more complicated.

Also the fact that you tend to follow your heart more than your head makes me think INFJ much more, because that's basically what F and T are; functions you use to make decisions, and since you tend to use you heart more, that makes me think F as well.
 
kakeli said:
Well, given the fact you're asking this question, you're probably INFJ.

The Fi of INTJs would allow them to know for sure what the identify with more, while Fe is... a bit more complicated.
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Not sure i agree with that

I'd say the INFJ experience is pretty specific and is not really something you question having...it stands out...like a smack in the face...you won't miss it
 
I recommend watching Dave Super Powers vids on youtube, he gives specific examples of differences between the types. Also, perhaps it might be good to have some friends observe your behavior and give you some feedback- its harder to tell online.
 
Ni can appear cold and detached. When coupled with Te, a person will communicate very directly and very bluntly. If you constantly worry that what you are saying is offending someone or regret being too blunt and direct, then you're auxillary may be Fe. Sometimes the difference is very subtle. Sometimes it's terribly obvious. It's all about how a person presents knowledge to the world.
 
kakeli said:
Well, given the fact you're asking this question, you're probably INFJ.

The Fi of INTJs would allow them to know for sure what the identify with more, while Fe is... a bit more complicated.

Also the fact that you tend to follow your heart more than your head makes me think INFJ much more, because that's basically what F and T are; functions you use to make decisions, and since you tend to use you heart more, that makes me think F as well.
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I don't agree with that at all. I'm an INFP, which apparently is blatantly clear to others, however after taking the test and getting INFJ I felt I was that for a long while, Fi and all. Fi may mean that we have a better sense of self however it in no way means we can explain our feelings quickly or even with words *que interpretive dance* Fi needs Fe to help us explain what the hell it is we're feeling.

[MENTION=11562]eternalaum[/MENTION] -You sound like an INTJ to me. You have more traits in common with T than you do with F and I think you figured that out yourself in the typing of the first post. But I may be wrong, I think you should read all that Fi Fe crap and figure it out. If you get lazy though and think we should give you the answer instead of you doing the research and coming back to us to discuss than you're probably an F.
 
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INFJ and INTJ actually come across very similar because their dominant and inferior functions (Ni + Se) are the same. INFJs most definitely can come across as rather aloof, yet warm. They're not very gushy or openly expressive people. They have a more 'composed' air than other feeling types.

So how do you tell the difference?

Ni+Te makes someone more of a linear, sequential thinker. Are you naturally good at organizing and prioritizing your thoughts and tasks for utmost efficiency? Do you know exactly what a project requires without having to consciously slow down to break down the steps on paper, you just automatically do it? How quick are you at identifying a problem or strategy? Does it drive you crazy when people skip steps or spend too much time sitting on a problem? Do you find yourself making a whole bunch of decisions on the spot and executing them one after the other without needing to weigh the pros and cons? How good are you at explaining things on the spot? Do you see everything in terms of choice/opportunity cost? Do you enjoy theorizing and finding ways of applying your theories to every day life? How decisive are you? Are you able to instantly identify the next several steps in a strategy or process? Are you able to dutifully things now that you may not like that you know will have a payoff later?

Ni+Fe makes someone more of a holistic thinker. Do you tend to have a quick understanding of a concept but tend to have difficulty breaking down just why it makes sense to you? Do you tend to steer yourself by impression and intuition of things? Are you immediately able to see all sides of an issue and have trouble deciding on a singular course of action because you naturally see the validity in multiple perspectives? Are you naturally good at assessing other people's needs and getting everyone on the same page? Do you immediately pick up on the atmosphere of the room that you walk into? Do you know exactly when to say to someone or how to solve their problem and strive to do so in a diplomatic way? Are you better at determining what other people's needs are or are able to solve issues outside your personal sphere than you are capable of solving your own problems? Are you able to identify the motivation behind a strategy quicker than you are able to identify the actual strategy? Do you fair better when you 'go with the flow' rather than try to consciously try and break things down for yourself?

 
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eternalaum said:
I've been unsure as to my MBTI type lately and I wondered if you guys could help me out.

When I've taken MBTI tests I've often got both INTJ and INFJ and looking at cognitive functions doesn't really seem to help that much either. I would consider myself a healthy individual with a good integration of my shadow side so perhaps there's an overlap of functions going on here. Perhaps I should list some traits as to why I think I'm each one:

INTJ:

- I don't feel like I have a large emotional range. I tend to be quite 'neutral'.
- I tend to deal with my emotions rationally e.g. letting myself feel them but not getting absorbed or carried away by them.
- My logic tends to be step by step rather than an analysis of everything little thing:
- I don't like to be distracted by 'irrelevant' or non-factual details.
- I can sometimes be quite direct and (accidentally) insensitive to the way I'm saying something to someone.
- I tend to see morals as subjective than objective.

INFJ:

- I can be sensitive to other's emotional reactions
- Sometimes I empathize so heavily I feel like I'm drowning.
- I tend to follow my heart rather than my head when making a decision:
- I also think the world would be a better place if everyone followed their heart.
- I see logic as a valuable tool, but not the most important one.
- I can be quite indignant towards injustice (although that's probably an INTJ trait too)

They're all I can think of right now but if anyone has any questions they want to ask or any insight I'd be grateful to hear from you.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You sound kind of like me :)

I've considered myself intj since I was 13. Only in the last few years have a started to really understand the xxFx side of decision making. Honestly I'm not that sure about myself. I feel like life experience and the people in my life brought me to see the world in a way that leans more towards the Fi

But you know, it's weird. I value ideas and systems I see as fair and beneficial. It's very important to me. But as a human, emotion is part of that.

4 years ago I thought becoming immortal if I could be merged with a machine or enhanced by nanobots would be the best possible thing. But I am absolutely against it if it means losing my emotions. I don't want to lose my ability to feel. What's the point of existing then? Discovery? Knowledge? -It's pointless if I cant enjoy it.

I guess if a digital environment can simulate the hormones and neurotransmitters in our brains there might be a chance :p

(I said some seriously weird stuff... might mean I really am an eccentric intj)
 
I think you are an INFJ working in an INTJ environment. Let me guess, do you work in a science or engineering profession? I am, I believe an INFJ, currently working in a science profession. When I first learned about MBTI in college, I thought I was an INTJ as I have always loved science and valued logic. I was even tested as an INTJ on several occasions. After I started living on my own years later, I became more aware of my Fe. I realized that while I value reason and logic, I naturally tend to make my decisions on my gut feeling. I became aware of how I intuitively understand and care about how others feel. Even so, I often fail to express my feelings in an INTJ-dominated environment I am currently in. Science is a highly competitive environment, and logic and reason are important determinants for success. While I may be naturally an INFJ, I often resemble an INTJ on the outside. Over time, I became more of an INFJ/INTJ hybrid.
 
Pierre said:
I think you are an INFJ working in an INTJ environment. Let me guess, do you work in a science or engineering profession? I am, I believe an INFJ, currently working in a science profession. When I first learned about MBTI in college, I thought I was an INTJ as I have always loved science and valued logic. I was even tested as an INTJ on several occasions. After I started living on my own years later, I became more aware of my Fe. I realized that while I value reason and logic, I naturally tend to make my decisions on my gut feeling. I became aware of how I intuitively understand and care about how others feel. Even so, I often fail to express my feelings in an INTJ-dominated environment I am currently in. Science is a highly competitive environment, and logic and reason are important determinants for success. While I may be naturally an INFJ, I often resemble an INTJ on the outside. Over time, I became more of an INFJ/INTJ hybrid.
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Interesting perception. My own is that science is a hugely presumptuous profession in that too many simply accept past realizations as the final word and never question beyond them for fear of upheaval.
 
Eventhorizon said:
Interesting perception. My own is that science is a hugely presumptuous profession in that too many simply accept past realizations as the final word and never question beyond them for fear of upheaval.
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Lots of them are thinking about their jobs first, too. It's the naïve, tenured, or stubborn people who rock the boat. One of the inventors of the x-ray laser lost his lab at MIT upon sticking up for cold fusion, and has been blacklisted since... this was after they falsified the data to show a negative result, and Eugene Mallove quit MIT over it.
 
I would say Fi over Fe, from what you wrote in the OP.
 
eternalaum said:
Do you guys feel like you 'should' do something because it's expected of you?
Click to expand...

The thing is you don't need to worry about this, because that's just one manifestation of Fe. You can Fe without ever believing such a thing. Part of the immense challenge of typology is it needs to be broad enough to encapsulate very different people, yet still get at certain similarities, enough that you can say "Hey, that's typical INFJ."

For starters, some people can and do experience a consistent reaching of the same type by testing, and then don't fit the model for that, because the models are ultimately theorized to fit the test-taker receiving a certain type, but this is one of the less agreed upon aspects of the theory, because while the official MBTI items are clear, the definitions of what officially can and can't be an Fe thing, etc, are not always as fixed.

Still, with strong inquiry into the nature of this stuff, you can arrive at an educated estimate.

For starters, feeling is a way of being rational, not of just getting carried away - that's why the MBTI even has F and T in the same category. The point is that feeling helps you determine based on reason what you feel about things. As a simple example, you may experience several conflicting feelings about someone, and the reasoning faculty of feeling helps you arrange all those and know how all those disparate feelings fit together into one ultimate determination.

For INFJ, it's variable: Fe may be a very strong part of you, or it may just be there. Some INFJ can have very developed intuition but less developed feeling. Development is not about proficiency/deficiency only, it's also about what you find to be most you.

If you believe in letting your heart decide over your head, that sounds like a F thing to me. I think a thinker preference might be more likely to follow what the head says, while some thinkers will still take the heart into account. One can't always use one or the other, as there are issues that are more "heart issues" and more "head issues," and the question for a feeler may be more about going deeper into the heart issues. For instance, they could explore this sort of thing through music. A feeler can also have a very strong thinking side, just that their perspective will tend to be more in line with feeling. Other feelers will not have a strong thinking side and be more exclusive.

Your rationality with your response to emotions can be either a thinker or a feeler thing. It's more a question of what kind of reasoning you find is more you in terms of what it's natural to trust and go further/deeper into.

There's a big difference between saying "I think the world should be more careful to not harm people" which is consistent with either thinker/feeler, vs saying "I think the world should prioritize the heart over the head more" which would sound like either a feeler, or a thinker exploring his/her feeling side.
 
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