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INTP vs INFP

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There has probably been a thread about this before, but can anyone give me or link me to a good breakdown on the difference between INTP and INFP? I would really appreciate it.
 
This is from the Myers & Briggs Foundation

INFP
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.
INTP
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.
 
This one's obvious but you can't go wrong here:
INFPs are motivated by feelings (even if it seems on the outside we're not). They will seek out knowledge if the topic resonates with them emotionally.

INFPs talk about their feelings rather than show them (INFP display of emotions is tightly controlled.)

INTPs show their feelings (can't really help it) rather than talk about them.


These are my observations.
 
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This one's obvious but you can't go wrong here:
INFPs are motivated by feelings (even if it seems on the outside we're not). They will seek out knowledge if the topic resonates with them emotionally.

INFPs talk about their feelings rather than show them (INFP display of emotions is tightly controlled.)

INTPs show their feelings (can't really help it) rather than talk about them.


These are my observations.


[MENTION=564]bananaphone[/MENTION] Interesting point, could you elaborate on this difference between showing feelings rather than talking about them?
 
I'm right in between, but i prefer the INFP ideals to the INTP ones, so I suppose that makes me INFP.
 
[MENTION=564]bananaphone[/MENTION] Interesting point, could you elaborate on this difference between showing feelings rather than talking about them?

I think what was meant by "showing" is through body language and actions.
 
I think what was meant by "showing" is through body language and actions.

Ah, ok. Thank you for responding.

@DevilDoll or @frozen_water or @bananaphone

Yeah, i think i see the difference. So, INTPs are more likely to let someone know how they feel through facial expressions or attitude than through verbal comm, while INFPs are more likely to talk about and express how they feel through words.

Does this mean that you're not likely to know how an INFP really feels unless they say it? Does this also mean that an INTP will rarely tell you how they feel, and that you would need to know them personally to be able to interpret their actions and know how they truly feel about something?
 
Do you think it is possible to be an infp and intp kinda sorta at the same time?
 
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Ah, ok. Thank you for responding.

@DevilDoll or @frozen_water or @bananaphone

Yeah, i think i see the difference. So, INTPs are more likely to let someone know how they feel through facial expressions or attitude than through verbal comm, while INFPs are more likely to talk about and express how they feel through words.

Does this mean that you're not likely to know how an INFP really feels unless they say it? Does this also mean that an INTP will rarely tell you how they feel, and that you would need to know them personally to be able to interpret their actions and know how they truly feel about something?

From my experience INFPs are very inclined to tell you how they feel. They are Fi dominant after all.

Being an INTP, I find that I don't verbally express my feelings unless I am very close to the person I am talking to. However, I can't seem to control my facial expressions and body language. So yeah, you kind of need to interpret my actions. Or just ask how I feel about something. I am very straight forward and will answer honestly. I tink this is an INTP thing.
 
I think what was meant by "showing" is through body language and actions.
Yeah.

From my experience INFPs are very inclined to tell you how they feel. They are Fi dominant after all.

Being an INTP, I find that I don't verbally express my feelings unless I am very close to the person I am talking to. However, I can't seem to control my facial expressions and body language. So yeah, you kind of need to interpret my actions. Or just ask how I feel about something. I am very straight forward and will answer honestly. I tink this is an INTP thing.
This is in fact what I meant.
 
Yeah, i think i see the difference. So, INTPs are more likely to let someone know how they feel through facial expressions or attitude than through verbal comm, while INFPs are more likely to talk about and express how they feel through words.

I definitely talk abut them if asked, but will rarely bring it up unless someone else does first. I have been told that my mannerisms change a lot, depending on who I'm with, though. Some friends in elementary school insisted I did, at least, even though at the time I insisted that I didn't at all. I really do try to act the same around everybody... but apparently I'm not very good at it.

My experience with INFPs was that they just kind of expected you to know how they feel. I couldn't always tell, but I'm not sure if that's because they're hard to read or because I'm bad at reading people.
 
I'm right in between, but i prefer the INFP ideals to the INTP ones, so I suppose that makes me INFP.

No it doesn't. You are either Ti dominant or Fi dominant.

Do you think it is possible to be an infp and intp kinda sorta at the same time?

Nope. Even if you were an INFP with developed thinking, your inferior would be Te, which is very different from Ti and not to mention it would mostly manifest negatively unless you have developed it well. You really need to stop focussing on what "type" you are and focus on your cognitive preference order.

For most people, "type" is just an arbitrary and abstract framework of behaviour. "You're not an INTP because you don't do this that and the other..!" If you base what you think a type should be on type descriptions or Keirsey's temperaments then you'll never really get this at all.
 
I definitely talk abut them if asked, but will rarely bring it up unless someone else does first. I have been told that my mannerisms change a lot, depending on who I'm with, though. Some friends in elementary school insisted I did, at least, even though at the time I insisted that I didn't at all. I really do try to act the same around everybody... but apparently I'm not very good at it.

This was me.
 
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No it doesn't. You are either Ti dominant or Fi dominant.

Of course that's the theory you've read and embraced, but it's simply false. I'm equally Fi, Ti, Ne and Ni. I have no Te, no Fe.
 
No it doesn't. You are either Ti dominant or Fi dominant.



Nope. Even if you were an INFP with developed thinking, your inferior would be Te, which is very different from Ti and not to mention it would mostly manifest negatively unless you have developed it well. You really need to stop focussing on what "type" you are and focus on your cognitive preference order.

For most people, "type" is just an arbitrary and abstract framework of behaviour. "You're not an INTP because you don't do this that and the other..!" If you base what you think a type should be on type descriptions or Keirsey's temperaments then you'll never really get this at all.

This is something I can't get some people to understand. Just because there is one letter difference doesn't mean the types are similar. If you look at the preference order of an INFP and compare it to an INTP you'll find that the auxiliary and tertiary functions are the same, but the Dominant and and inferior are not. I find that there is a pretty big difference between a Ti user and an Fi user. That should really be the easiest way to tell.
 
I find that there is a pretty big difference between a Ti user and an Fi user. That should really be the easiest way to tell.

[MENTION=2096]DevilDoll[/MENTION]

What do you think are the biggest, most obvious differences between a Fi and Ti user?
 
My experience with INFPs was that they just kind of expected you to know how they feel. I couldn't always tell, but I'm not sure if that's because they're hard to read or because I'm bad at reading people.

this is definitely true for me. I don't like to talk about my emotions since that would mean I press them on people or expose them to judgement. But I do expect other people to know when I don't feel good and act on it. But not everybody is equally good at that :)

Of course that's the theory you've read and embraced, but it's simply false. I'm equally Fi, Ti, Ne and Ni. I have no Te, no Fe.

you can't be INTP and INFP at the same time. They have different dominant functions and the dominant function defines your core. You also can't use Fi and Ti or Ne and Ni together. It could be that your other functions act like if if they where for example Ni. I always thougth I used Fe (since that is also in the result of the tests) but I think now it is more like Te acting like Fe. I don't value the groups morals (I only value mine) but I accept them or act on them because it is the most logical thing to do, it will help to get me integrated. Cognitive functions are not about what you do but how you do it. It is not because you are social that you must been using Fe, you can also be social using Te but than the motives for doing so are different.
 
[MENTION=2096]DevilDoll[/MENTION]

What do you think are the biggest, most obvious differences between a Fi and Ti user?

I would say an Fi dominant is very aware of their feelings but has difficulty with logic since it is the inferior function; they go for what "feels right", while a Ti dominant is very aware of their logics and has difficulty with searching out there feelings and they go for what "IS right in there minds".

Fi users will see values as personal and logic as commune
Ti users will see logic as personal and values as commune