Private Eaters | INFJ Forum

Private Eaters

Motor Jax

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Retired Staff
May 5, 2008
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are all INFJ's private eaters?

i have a way that if there is someone new around or too many people, i will find a solitude place to eat...

at my navy job, it took over 5 months before i sat and ate in front of the 3 other people in that office...

... are all INFJs like that..?
 
I eat lunch with all of my co-workers every day and have for the last two years. I guess you might say I'm just about comfortable with it. It did take me a long time to adjust though. Eating in large groups, or tight groups anyway kind of repels me. I'm not sure if it's so much the eating but the feeling of being pinned in that bothers me more. And for some reason I'm only comfortable if I can see the door from my seat. If my back is to the door I never feel quite right.
 
I can't say I've experienced this myself to any noticable degree, but I'm kind of indifferent to eating, which might be the reason I don't. I'll bet if I took more interest in it, relished food more, I might feel the same way.
 
Yeah I prefer to eat alone.
 
In group settings I don't enjoy my food, I just want to get it over with. Also my throat kind of closes up so I have to eat more slowly. Most of the others chow down or wolf down their food and I'm a bit envious of them.
 
And for some reason I'm only comfortable if I can see the door from my seat. If my back is to the door I never feel quite right.

oh, me too...

when i was growing up, i would always take my plate and hide behind the couch... mom loves telling that story... anyways, she said that it was my hiding spot, when she couldn't find me, that would be where i was at... she would tell me that i would sleep there sometimes... and when i ate, that was where i would go...

after she tells me those stories, i notice that whenever i will eat, i am always gaurded and will go into a quiet area to devour my hunger... i also noticed (just lately) that even if i am starving and there is someone unfamiliar in the room, i would rather stand there starving than just going for the fridge...

the other day, i was starving and shopping for pants... so i bought some chips and dip (french onion is the best), and i was about to open the bag and start devouring... but i was in the middle of wal-mart and decided that i would wait until i was back in the privacy of my own truck...

so, i was wondering if there were other INFJs that are as inhibited as i...
 
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In group situations it feels really weird for me to eat. So if I do eat I usually do it really, really fast. I usually don't enjoy it. But I am one where I usually need to see the door and everything for me to feel comfortable.
 
MJ, do you think it's inhibitions or more of a comfort zone type of thing.
On another note the sight and sounds of 12 people chewing, talking with full mouths, a variety of smells - I don't know. kind of icky
 
yea, i agree... more of a comfort zone for me...



... no poking allowed...
 
Hmmm this is really interesting. I never linked my eating habits to the personality of an INFJ before...

I can relate though. I don't feel comfortable about eating in front of people I don't usually eat with, or eating in unfamiliar situations. Family is fine...and so are some close friends, but in all other situations I would rather be hungry than eat. Makes me sound nuts doesn't it?

Unfortunately, this has resulted in not eating as much as others in certain situations. I went on a school trip for a week and I'm sure my teacher thought I had an eating disorder or something...always commenting on how much I ate, ("[name], do you eat ANYTHING?"..."Have you SEEN how much she eats?" etc) . On the last day I purposefully ate a packet of chips in front of her just to prove I don't have a problem haha.

But yes, I tend to prefer to eat in relative privacy. I don't know what I'm so afraid of though...
 
*poke MJ*

Is it me then that I feel fine when I eat with people? I like to just eat in big groups but tend not to be active in the talking. Well, i am never active in social group.
 
I eat with people, but tend to worry if I'm eating something crunchy or loud... I wonder if they think it's too noisy for them. Yet I don't notice if they're being crunchy or loud... :-/

I did develop a habit of hiding my eating around my ex-housemate though... she had an ED and constantly checked up on my food... it seriously messed with my head.
 
I definitely prefer to eat alone. It's an opportunity to grab some quiet time away from a busy day.
 
I can't really say whether or not I hide to eat. I do hide from the kids when I am indulging in a treat, I don't like to share my treats.

I prefer to feed people though. I love to cook for people.
 
i love cooking for other people...
 
I made my gf hot cocoa last night. :tea:

I like to eat with people, but if I've been around people most of the day I like to eat alone.
 
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I like to eat while I'm reading. Alone.

I love to cook for others too.