The INFJ Super 'Ti' Support Thread
- Thread starter Mogura
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So, what kind of lines of work are you Titanium (Ti) INFJs doing? How do you feel about your chosen career/occupation? What are your feelings regarding the suggested "mainstream" (Fe) careers for INFJs (clergy, counselling, speech pathology, art teaching, etc.)?
I'm doing IT (Infrastructure design, maintenance and support) at a financial services company (hedge fund). When I'm learning something new, being challenged (intellectually-speaking), innovating, or blazing a new trail it can be fun and exciting... for awhile. But when I'm not learning or being challenged or when my work becomes routine, it can be a serious bore. The days where I have to deal with incompetent individuals severely lacking in people skills or personal integrity really suck. And then there are the days where I dwell on the fact that my job/this line of work really doesn't fulfill me. At the end of the day, I feel more drained than energized. I don't ever feel like I accomplish anything positive. Yes, I complete my tasks, efficiently and correctly. But I haven't saved a life, cured cancer, or even made someone smile. Also, in the grand scheme of things my company is all about making rich people even richer--I hate being a cog in that type of machine.
The suggested mainstream careers for INFJs seem so damn touchy-feely to me. I don't discount their importance or the good that they do in helping people. But at the same time I feel a bit uneasy when I try to imagine myself doing them. I do like the concept of helping people, and I do like helping people, but do I really have to deal directly with people in order to help them? Lol...
I'm doing IT (Infrastructure design, maintenance and support) at a financial services company (hedge fund). When I'm learning something new, being challenged (intellectually-speaking), innovating, or blazing a new trail it can be fun and exciting... for awhile. But when I'm not learning or being challenged or when my work becomes routine, it can be a serious bore. The days where I have to deal with incompetent individuals severely lacking in people skills or personal integrity really suck. And then there are the days where I dwell on the fact that my job/this line of work really doesn't fulfill me. At the end of the day, I feel more drained than energized. I don't ever feel like I accomplish anything positive. Yes, I complete my tasks, efficiently and correctly. But I haven't saved a life, cured cancer, or even made someone smile. Also, in the grand scheme of things my company is all about making rich people even richer--I hate being a cog in that type of machine.
The suggested mainstream careers for INFJs seem so damn touchy-feely to me. I don't discount their importance or the good that they do in helping people. But at the same time I feel a bit uneasy when I try to imagine myself doing them. I do like the concept of helping people, and I do like helping people, but do I really have to deal directly with people in order to help them? Lol...
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Right now I do clerical/administrative work at a big law firm (currently still a temp though) and I hate it. Dull, tedious, and the pay is really bad. I studied French and Russian in college and went to France and Russia as a student but decided I didn't want to live in either country long enough to become fluent.
Before that I was an estimator at a book bindery and a customer service rep. The customer service job was terrible. The clients were verbally abusive to me, my boss displayed psychopathic behavior and put a hidden camera on me, and many of the employees there belonged in a psych ward. There were screaming matches, sexual harassment, constant weird gossip and made-up vicious rumors, and one girl got caught giving someone a blowjob in one of the cubicles. It was the most bizarre group of people I've ever met...so glad I got fired.
I know what you mean there. The one job I've always thought about is social work, but I don't know if I could handle it. It makes me a bit uneasy to think about dealing with people one on one about their personal problems...Plus where I live the degree would cost $40,000, and I'd probably start out making less than that.
Aaaaah wow 
Yea I uhm kind of can understand how it might seem almost impossible to "get into" the Japanese society. I am a "halfling" with my mother being from Japan and my father being from the Netherlands.
According to the Japanese I "look" western (consequently they are astonished by my fluent, accentless Japanese). Irony has it that I don't "look" that western according to peers over here >.>. So in a sense I am never really accepted for how I look wherever I go (not that that's a big problem, I mean people are generally able to look beyond that). But......Sadly it is very true that there is a fundamental difference between how one is treated in the west compared to how one is treated in Japan.
In Japan there is a general "distance" many foreigners perceive. You will probably not only personally experience this yourself but also perceive how other japanese treat eachother. To us it seems very "fake" as if it's all protocal and robot-like. But over there this kind of "weird" politeness is considered normal behaviour when it comes to general strangers. In Japan there are many etiquettes in regards how you treat other people. Although naturally you will see variations in character (or not Japanese people see the differences more because they are used to the general "robot-ness" we... are not used to it so it kinda seems the same) most of the time you will experience the same "attitude" towards you. Although it is not anything negative.... It will feel verry hollow and empty. We are not used to this kind of communication.
Now I have family over there and so I know how people treat close relatives and friends of theirs... and this is very very different to the membrane that foreigners experience when touring Japan. The closer relationships Japanese have with eachother is naturally different compared to that of other cultures... but it is familiar to say the least. One will easilly be able enjoy and to adapt to such circumstances.
Even though you may be able to get past physical barriers. (People treating you as if they have no idea what they're doing because you're a foreigner etc. etc.) You will still have to somehow gain acceptance through adopting mannerisms and such so they can "understand" and "trust" you better.
Yea I uhm kind of can understand how it might seem almost impossible to "get into" the Japanese society. I am a "halfling" with my mother being from Japan and my father being from the Netherlands. According to the Japanese I "look" western (consequently they are astonished by my fluent, accentless Japanese). Irony has it that I don't "look" that western according to peers over here >.>. So in a sense I am never really accepted for how I look wherever I go (not that that's a big problem, I mean people are generally able to look beyond that). But......Sadly it is very true that there is a fundamental difference between how one is treated in the west compared to how one is treated in Japan.
In Japan there is a general "distance" many foreigners perceive. You will probably not only personally experience this yourself but also perceive how other japanese treat eachother. To us it seems very "fake" as if it's all protocal and robot-like. But over there this kind of "weird" politeness is considered normal behaviour when it comes to general strangers. In Japan there are many etiquettes in regards how you treat other people. Although naturally you will see variations in character (or not
Japanese people see the differences more because they are used to the general "robot-ness" we... are not used to it so it kinda seems the same) most of the time you will experience the same "attitude" towards you. Although it is not anything negative.... It will feel verry hollow and empty. We are not used to this kind of communication. Now I have family over there and so I know how people treat close relatives and friends of theirs... and this is very very different to the membrane that foreigners experience when touring Japan. The closer relationships Japanese have with eachother is naturally different compared to that of other cultures... but it is familiar to say the least. One will easilly be able enjoy and to adapt to such circumstances.
Even though you may be able to get past physical barriers. (People treating you as if they have no idea what they're doing because you're a foreigner etc. etc.) You will still have to somehow gain acceptance through adopting mannerisms and such so they can "understand" and "trust" you better.
Yep, I'm in this club.
Yes, mine was squashed so badly for many years that I did not even realize it was there until my last romantic relationship awakened it.
Then she cheated on me and well, that honestly has squashed it again. At least I know its there still, in theory, as a function of my personality that I'd rather not use. And yes, Schizoid is the end result of that road. If I went to a head doc today, they'd likely label me as one. Oh well... My Fe probably cares too, but Ti doesn't.
That's the issue I've had with the two when Fe finally resurfaced. I would hit instances where one would provide one answer and the other would provide an entirely different answer. I think if my Ti was less developed, I could just easily follow me Fe because it would be more developed and reliable.
Yet when my Fe surfaces, since it's underdeveloped, it's not as reliable for making decisions as Ti. I have learned this the hard way and it has brought me a lot of pain. This pain has forced me to conclude Ti is the better decision making method for me personally. This presents the problem that Fe is secondary, and I doubt I'll be emotionally happy with such a situation. Before, I was unaware of not being emotionally happy for the most part. I mean I knew, but it wasn't a big deal, I guess. Now that I know what happiness is, it's sad to think I wont experience it anymore because of my decision to rely on Ti.
If I could just make Ti and Fe congruent in their thinking, I might be able to resolve the problem, but it doesn't seem I am able. My Fe is childish, it wants things that I can easily determine with Ti to be bad ideas.
Yes, mine was squashed so badly for many years that I did not even realize it was there until my last romantic relationship awakened it.
Then she cheated on me and well, that honestly has squashed it again. At least I know its there still, in theory, as a function of my personality that I'd rather not use. And yes, Schizoid is the end result of that road. If I went to a head doc today, they'd likely label me as one. Oh well... My Fe probably cares too, but Ti doesn't.
That's the issue I've had with the two when Fe finally resurfaced. I would hit instances where one would provide one answer and the other would provide an entirely different answer. I think if my Ti was less developed, I could just easily follow me Fe because it would be more developed and reliable.
Yet when my Fe surfaces, since it's underdeveloped, it's not as reliable for making decisions as Ti. I have learned this the hard way and it has brought me a lot of pain. This pain has forced me to conclude Ti is the better decision making method for me personally. This presents the problem that Fe is secondary, and I doubt I'll be emotionally happy with such a situation. Before, I was unaware of not being emotionally happy for the most part. I mean I knew, but it wasn't a big deal, I guess. Now that I know what happiness is, it's sad to think I wont experience it anymore because of my decision to rely on Ti.
If I could just make Ti and Fe congruent in their thinking, I might be able to resolve the problem, but it doesn't seem I am able. My Fe is childish, it wants things that I can easily determine with Ti to be bad ideas.
I do a small computer repair business and I am finishing up my degree in accounting. Computer repair isn't too bad because I do get to help people. As long as I don't have to train them on using the computer, I am usually alright. I just like fixing it, making them satisfied, and getting my money.
It's stressful at times when a difficult problem comes up and they demand an immediate solution that I can't provide, but I manage.As for accounting, I need to find someone to hire me so I can get experience doing it.
As for mainstream careers for an INFJ, frankly, those INFJ's have a different personality than me. I believe I have met an INFJ on that side of the personality. They are a different breed. I can understand being a guru when it comes to spiritual issues, maybe... we can be good at that. I wouldn't want to try those careers, I have too much difficulty connecting with people.
Oh fuckin' hell, I know how you feel. My mom always said that I'd make a good preacher. One Problem: I'm an Atheist with Buddhist sympathies. :lol:
Yeah, it really makes me glad that the test isn't perfect and I was scoring as INTJ/INTP. I would have been really upset, and so would have my parents, if it said I was going to be good at being a preacher.
The secret of being a successful INFJ, I think, is learning how to help people. In almost any work environment, you can help people, whether they're customers or colleges. With Ti, we can become experts at something and help people in that field. The Ti-INFJ is highly adaptable and suited for all types of jobs, I believe. Personally, I am a jack of many trades type of person. I repair computers for people, have studied programming quite a bit, have a degree in accounting and am looking for a job in that field. I also dabble in investment strategies, mainly to help my father with his investments.
I think it's great when I repair someone's computer for them. I am not as competent at it as some others out there, but I focus on customer satisfaction rather than the job, which seems to make my very few customers happier in the end.
The secret of being a successful INFJ, I think, is learning how to help people. In almost any work environment, you can help people, whether they're customers or colleges. With Ti, we can become experts at something and help people in that field. The Ti-INFJ is highly adaptable and suited for all types of jobs, I believe. Personally, I am a jack of many trades type of person. I repair computers for people, have studied programming quite a bit, have a degree in accounting and am looking for a job in that field. I also dabble in investment strategies, mainly to help my father with his investments.
I think it's great when I repair someone's computer for them. I am not as competent at it as some others out there, but I focus on customer satisfaction rather than the job, which seems to make my very few customers happier in the end.
This would be because Ni + Fe are all but useless in our society today if you want to get anywhere. Sure, they're great if you want to be a preacher. If you want a job where you can make a living like a normal person, these two functions are not enough. You need Se and/or Ti, at the very least.
I think women are more apt to get away with just the top two functions, but that's really just a historical view. Now days they need jobs too, so are just as likely to dip into lower functions.
I think women are more apt to get away with just the top two functions, but that's really just a historical view. Now days they need jobs too, so are just as likely to dip into lower functions.
This is a much needed thread. I have been quite confused as to true type. Most of the time, I have tested with INFJ results. But I have also tested as INTP and INTJ---
While I consider myself highly emotional---I am not touchy-feely. I tend to be "to the point" when I converse with others. In e-conversations as well as phone and face-to-face, I never quite fit in! And when I mention one of my unusual/ "deep", "insightful" or ironically humorous perceptions---it's as if I dropped a bomb. The people involved in the interactions either stop saying anything or change the subject. I try to be genteel, subtle---etc---but I get a sense that the things I say are too intense for other people to handle. I think I have even been called "intense" by someone. And blunt. I suspect I am totally missing social nuance when attempting to fit in with others. (and, no, I don't have asperger's.)
Is that common to "INFJ's"?
Also---I DO NOT respect authority, per se. I believe authority figures need to be honest, fair, willing to learn and improve, and be competent. They should earn respect---it isn't a given. If they exhibit dishonesty, carelessness, thoughtlessness, nepotism, incompetence---I become quite turned off. I may not outwardly show it but I'm boiling with contempt towards them inside...and I will find ways to do the work in a way that does make more sense or is more fair, etc.
Do other INFJ's experience this? or is this an INTx thing?
As an INFJ---have you always felt like you were the odd one out---neve quite fit in---have friends/ acquaintances sometimes treated you as if you were from another planet? As far as my firends---best friends have been ESTJ, ENTP, INTP, ISFP.
I always thought that INFJ's would socialize well due to Fe. Not the case with me.
I welcome your feedback on this.
While I consider myself highly emotional---I am not touchy-feely. I tend to be "to the point" when I converse with others. In e-conversations as well as phone and face-to-face, I never quite fit in! And when I mention one of my unusual/ "deep", "insightful" or ironically humorous perceptions---it's as if I dropped a bomb. The people involved in the interactions either stop saying anything or change the subject. I try to be genteel, subtle---etc---but I get a sense that the things I say are too intense for other people to handle. I think I have even been called "intense" by someone. And blunt. I suspect I am totally missing social nuance when attempting to fit in with others. (and, no, I don't have asperger's.)
Is that common to "INFJ's"?
Also---I DO NOT respect authority, per se. I believe authority figures need to be honest, fair, willing to learn and improve, and be competent. They should earn respect---it isn't a given. If they exhibit dishonesty, carelessness, thoughtlessness, nepotism, incompetence---I become quite turned off. I may not outwardly show it but I'm boiling with contempt towards them inside...and I will find ways to do the work in a way that does make more sense or is more fair, etc.
Do other INFJ's experience this? or is this an INTx thing?
As an INFJ---have you always felt like you were the odd one out---neve quite fit in---have friends/ acquaintances sometimes treated you as if you were from another planet? As far as my firends---best friends have been ESTJ, ENTP, INTP, ISFP.
I always thought that INFJ's would socialize well due to Fe. Not the case with me.
I welcome your feedback on this.
This is amusing, the tomboy-ish part in reference to female INFJs with well developed Ti functions. I think tomboy is accurate, not in that Huck Finn sort of way, but appearing like a hardass fuddy duddy to the more "mystical" INFJs. I have some of those bizarre feelings of premonition, but I never really put much stock into them. Although, it's like we make a doctrine out of reason, putting a little pride into our discerning nature. That's something I think the NTs don't necessarily do... then again, the INTP forum might as well be synonymous with 4chan (in terms of physics whizzes who love to troll. No harm, I enjoy reading them ) I do feel torn between the humanities and the sciences, but in college I went with history, seems to satiate my analytical tendencies but also indulges my imagination and drive to "know" what humanity is all about. Plus, at big state schools, the science class are huge, and multiple choice tests aren't my thing. Plus, there's not a big atmosphere of excitement about the concepts, just an annoying approach of memorizing details and figuring out what problems will be on the test. Le sigh...
) I do feel torn between the humanities and the sciences, but in college I went with history, seems to satiate my analytical tendencies but also indulges my imagination and drive to "know" what humanity is all about. Plus, at big state schools, the science class are huge, and multiple choice tests aren't my thing. Plus, there's not a big atmosphere of excitement about the concepts, just an annoying approach of memorizing details and figuring out what problems will be on the test. Le sigh...
Gosh yes,
yes,
and sometimes.
Can you be really Fe and really Ti at the same time? I am very "complex" or whatever and I'm constantly misunderstood. Maybe this is the reason for it; the fact that I may be two extremes at the same time?
I am terribly, terribly Fe. I know that much. My sensitivity for things and people is sky-high and I have a desperate need to help others. I am very "just let me hug you and everything will be okay". Very touchy feely.
At the same time, someone told me I'm very Ti heavy. Which makes sense. This is the side that is probably responsible for all my frustration, aggression and hatred. I hate people but I don't hate ones in need. I want everyone to be okay. I think that is the cause for some of the misunderstanding in my life. People will take my kindness for fakeness.
For example: I have a good friend who is in love with me. I don't think he knows that I'm nice, I don't think he sees it. All he sees is my frustration for people and things around me, and I will bash people in really bad ways to him. I don't think he would say I'm a very nice person. I've been perplexed as to why he likes me at all. Then I think that maybe he sees it "uncounsciously" or whatever. He says he's never been more comfortable with himself and his thoughts and feelings than with me. He probably thinks I'm just a good fit for him in that way. Nevermind that I'm very open, that I show no judgement because I always see where people are coming from, that it takes work on my part to make others feel comfortable. People naturally trust and confide in me for a reason.
So... Do you believe you can be both very Fe and very Ti at once?
Of course... and it's normal.
Fe with no Ti or Ti with no Fe are both kinda unhealthy, especially for ifjs and etps
Is it normal to be heavily influenced by both? I do not like it, it makes me appear schizo/deranged. I don't see the same level of minsunderstanding for anyone else in my life.
Oh, and I forgot to say: I got 4 hours of sleep the night before last night. I was extremely tired at like 8 pm. But I stayed up and was gonna go to sleep at about 2 am, but as I was laying in bed I just could not get myself to "shut off". I kept thinking. I finally was all thinked out at about 4 am. It's like I need to think a certain amount everyday, and if I don't, my mind won't let me sleep.
That must be Ti, no?
Yes yes it's normal, don't worry
Fe and Ti work together (just like Fi/Te, Se/Ni and Ne/Si) so it just means you have developped both. A INFJ with not much Ti would just be less mature.And for the other thing, that's not Ti. It's just... thinking about stuff. o.o If it really has to be a function it would be Ni for you, helped by Fe,Ti and Se in its thinking.
Do you have an example of your "heavy use of Ti and Fe who makes you look like a weirdo" ?
My emotions I guess. Strong frustration/borderline hate mixed with total and genuine love for humanity.
People don't think you can be both, and don't seem to see that they are totally seperate from one another. They do not come from the same place and do not work in the same way. I can hate someone's action but that does not mean I hate the person.
Fe is more than just hugging people and showing emotion, Fe is analyzing and categorizing the world in regards to the collective feeling of the group. On the other hand, Ti is analyzing and categorizing the world from a detached, internal criteria.
You are not Fe heavy. You are being impinged by your Fe for validation, because it is your auxiliary function and you are more likely ignoring it. People who are Fe-heavy tend to judge the external world with the external criteria in mind, whereas you are judging the world from a very fixed, internal criteria, which comes from Ti.
Your frustration and aggression come from inferior Se, as well as Ti creating a world inside your Ni that is far too detached from reality (as they are both introverted functions). Your Fe feels validated as you keep telling yourself that your vision is for the good of humanity, and that you mean to help others, even though you aren't judging things according to the objective criteria. So you feel anger and resentment towards the world, because the world is unable or unwilling to calibrate according to your vision (Ni) of how things should be... because in your mind, it makes perfect sense.
(I'm still researching these things, so I might contradict somethings I said before, sometimes.
Don't hold that against me.)
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