The Psychic and the Catalyst

From other forums, I have come to the understanding that INFJs and INFPs have a unique ability that sets them apart from all the other types. They can feel via their intuition and feeling, what others are thinking. Both types also possess the abiity to see multiple sides to every issue and the ability to sense underlying patterns of behavior.

When these abilities are combined and focused outwardly, as they are in INFJs, the result is an ability to predict what an individual is thinking, and where those thoughts will probably lead them. To some people this appears to be a psychic ability to fortell the future.

INFPs focus their abilities inward, and unlock an infinite depth of feeling. To some people this appears to be an ability to act as the perfect catalyst to others; to transform other people's perceptoins, without ever changing themselves.

Either way, INFJs and INFPs are bound to feel a lot of misery as these abilities are not without consequence. First, it's obviously very difficult to explain to others how you can know what they are thinking, or how you know how those thoughts will affect their behavior in the future, when those ideas are arrived at almost entirely by intution and feeling. Second, these abilities often drain the energy of both types, and can lead to paranoia or depression. An inherent ability to know the unfiltered judgements of others towards yourself, to automatically know when people are bullshitting or lying, sensing when others are acting thoughtlessly for their own selfish purposes, knowing when people are trying to use you to satisfy their own ego, and feeling the apathy and lack of care people have toward things that are important, could drive just about anyone insane. For that reason, it's important to always remember the good of human beings, and to retreat when being bombarded with attempts to manipulate or decieve.



Does all that sound about right?

 

People who put on fake smiles really get under my skin. However, I usually question it severely when I begin to sense what others think about me. It is strange though. Human beings are psychologically naturally inclined to be kinder to themselves than to others. So I can't accept that I make up all the harsh judgments I feel resonating from people in my own head. The hardest part though is having those feelings, but also having no external evidence to back them up. I usually just have to close my mind to it, and force myself to not speculate on what others may be thinking.

Yes, the hardest part for me is accepting that not everyone can see multiple sides to every issue, that they can't feel the value that each side has, that they can't predict the outcome of a particular set of choices based on those differing points of view, and especially that they won't even bother to consider the merit of other points of view. I often find myself playing devil's advocate and arguing views far from my own, simply because I want my like minded friends to appreciate the complexity of the opposing point of view's thoughts and feelings. This often shocks my friends since I can present the argument as if it is my own, and as if it is supported by my own feelings. I've even argued in support of things like genocide, something I gravely detest, simply because I want my friends to comprehend the reasoning and justifications of those who carry it out. However, I think it scares them. It probably leads them to believe that I could rationalize any decision over my own personal values. It undoubtedly makes me look fake and circumstantial. However, it just doesn't seem right casting judgments on others without first considering the thoughts and feelings behind their choices.

 

Exactly. Motives are the worst. Mainly because they may not even be based on thought or feeling, but rather just a simple set of reasons that have been ingrained to drive a person toward action. They can be incredibly basic and selfish or incredibly complex and altruistic. And worst of all, people are seldom aware of exactly what their motivations are, so when they are questioned, it can shake a person up.

However, I don't think people are necessarily closed minded for coming after us INFJs for our ability to express issues from mulitiple facets. For example, ENFPs are the masters of determining motives. In fact, I've found them incredibly grating on my nerves at times because they can so blatantly assert inner motives of which I was not even aware. However, ENFPs are incapable of predicting what you are thinking or feeling. They are judging based solely on your actions and their own personal feelings of those actions. People also tend to assume that people have one primary motivation for why they do everything, and all other motivatioins are just justifications. So they may correctly determine a selfish motive you have, but be unaware of the selfless ones you have. It's ENFPs who realize that people possess simultaneious motives of self preservation, pleasure seeking, security, peace and harmony, and trancendence, who are rather remarkable.

 

I've ended up almost mentally ill before from speculating what people might be saying or thinking about me behind the scenes. An ENFP actually gave me some advice that I have found incredibly helpful when I end up becoming paranoid about what people might think of me. "If they can't accept you for who you are, then they don't deserve you." It's that rough ENFP logic, but it rings true. You can't control what other people think, but you can control your own thoughts. And as long as you can accept yourself as worthy, it is no longer your problem whether or not other people do so.

 

Whoa. You are a bigger Star Trek geek than me!