So, here is the ISFP version of a line of threads that focus on our thoughts, feelings, and experiences dealing with a single type! What may be terribly interesting to hear is everyone's experience with ISFPs specifically! Being general is a given around here I suspect, but don't be afraid to be specific either!
So my personal ISFP experience is limited since the only one I've gotten to know a bit deeper was a coworker; It is was a coworker I was pretty chum with... So the thing I find interesting is that, from a distance, they are supposedly a look-alike type with INFPs since we share the Fi dominance in common. I have a good idea of how that could be even though it really doesn't appear to be easy to confuse because of the Ne vs. Se as the expressed auxilary functions being just so sooo different. So me and my ISFP coworker would often feel comfortable enough with eachother to sort of expose even the most fiery parts of our Fi-conjured convictions to eachother, going on and on with passion about the strength of our opinions on various matters, and I suppose that ends up having a similar flavor, but with Ne, the way it comes out of me is, of course, decidely much much more big-picture-esch, though admitedly, anything that comes forth from Fi probably would actually feel big-picture-esch anyway because of that "sea of identity". Which is an interesting thing, because ISFPs really even seem kind of like intuitive types just listening to them, which seems crazy because of the super-realism ways of Se, but super-realism that is stomaching and tainted by the values, convictions, and depth of Fi just maybe come out sounding decidedly idealistic, almost as though they were using intuition...
So the ISFP I knew isn't the best example, because he definately had some substance abuse problems and seemed like he went, erhm, mildly crazy, BUT, it's still ISFP-action. It was a joy to have him around, because the kind of enthusiasm that he would display was so very very rich and rewarding to provoke. If I could get this ISFP to see the merrits of some thing or idea in the way that I did, I could get this reaction from him like his mind was blown and he needed to incoporate the idea or thing into his life at whim. "Whim", is a great word with ISFPs I think. The POWER of the ISFP-whim is particularly shaking I think. ISFPs seem to be one-part turbo-judgemental and one-part probing for the next thing that would just sweep them away in open-minded awe, which, actually, might just sound very INFP-like......
Also, something I suspect to be very much ISFP-like is this sort of sense of good vs. evil, where the ISFP appears to be able to SMELL foul intentions on people and have a nearly unstoppable impulse to decide that they must be "bad" people. This actually is also something that is unfortunately also INFP-like, which I think I have finally grown out of the negative parts of it, because it really can be irresponsible, and frankly, wasteful thinking, but I understand where it comes from and how it feels, and in certain phases of an ISFP's or INFP's maturing, I believe that if feels particularly powerful . I'm sure it has it's place, even if the way it's finally acted upon could risk being reckless and innapropriate to the healthiest change that could be imagined. I suppose that could be one role of healthy INFPs and ISFPs, to harness that smell for ill-will and bad directions that people face, and to eventually be able to approach it in a more controlled, deliberate, and responsible way that is still maintains that "driven" feeling provoked from that Fi-space, and eventually also a deep understanding of it on the part of both types...
I think I'm going to stop myself there, because after that a lot of my ideas are probably tainted by the fact that this ISFP had bad substance abuse problems, and, umm, may or may not have displayed symptoms of mild schizophrenia, heh. Even in spite of that though, he was a terribly cool guy, and I actually miss him which isn't a feeling I get often. He always showed great concern for growing out of the bad directions that he clearly knew well that he was facing, and I have confidence that he will get through it.
And of course, a shout-out to Quinlan, a self-proclaimed ISFP and one of the coolest people on this forum!
So my personal ISFP experience is limited since the only one I've gotten to know a bit deeper was a coworker; It is was a coworker I was pretty chum with... So the thing I find interesting is that, from a distance, they are supposedly a look-alike type with INFPs since we share the Fi dominance in common. I have a good idea of how that could be even though it really doesn't appear to be easy to confuse because of the Ne vs. Se as the expressed auxilary functions being just so sooo different. So me and my ISFP coworker would often feel comfortable enough with eachother to sort of expose even the most fiery parts of our Fi-conjured convictions to eachother, going on and on with passion about the strength of our opinions on various matters, and I suppose that ends up having a similar flavor, but with Ne, the way it comes out of me is, of course, decidely much much more big-picture-esch, though admitedly, anything that comes forth from Fi probably would actually feel big-picture-esch anyway because of that "sea of identity". Which is an interesting thing, because ISFPs really even seem kind of like intuitive types just listening to them, which seems crazy because of the super-realism ways of Se, but super-realism that is stomaching and tainted by the values, convictions, and depth of Fi just maybe come out sounding decidedly idealistic, almost as though they were using intuition...
So the ISFP I knew isn't the best example, because he definately had some substance abuse problems and seemed like he went, erhm, mildly crazy, BUT, it's still ISFP-action. It was a joy to have him around, because the kind of enthusiasm that he would display was so very very rich and rewarding to provoke. If I could get this ISFP to see the merrits of some thing or idea in the way that I did, I could get this reaction from him like his mind was blown and he needed to incoporate the idea or thing into his life at whim. "Whim", is a great word with ISFPs I think. The POWER of the ISFP-whim is particularly shaking I think. ISFPs seem to be one-part turbo-judgemental and one-part probing for the next thing that would just sweep them away in open-minded awe, which, actually, might just sound very INFP-like......
Also, something I suspect to be very much ISFP-like is this sort of sense of good vs. evil, where the ISFP appears to be able to SMELL foul intentions on people and have a nearly unstoppable impulse to decide that they must be "bad" people. This actually is also something that is unfortunately also INFP-like, which I think I have finally grown out of the negative parts of it, because it really can be irresponsible, and frankly, wasteful thinking, but I understand where it comes from and how it feels, and in certain phases of an ISFP's or INFP's maturing, I believe that if feels particularly powerful . I'm sure it has it's place, even if the way it's finally acted upon could risk being reckless and innapropriate to the healthiest change that could be imagined. I suppose that could be one role of healthy INFPs and ISFPs, to harness that smell for ill-will and bad directions that people face, and to eventually be able to approach it in a more controlled, deliberate, and responsible way that is still maintains that "driven" feeling provoked from that Fi-space, and eventually also a deep understanding of it on the part of both types...
I think I'm going to stop myself there, because after that a lot of my ideas are probably tainted by the fact that this ISFP had bad substance abuse problems, and, umm, may or may not have displayed symptoms of mild schizophrenia, heh. Even in spite of that though, he was a terribly cool guy, and I actually miss him which isn't a feeling I get often. He always showed great concern for growing out of the bad directions that he clearly knew well that he was facing, and I have confidence that he will get through it.
And of course, a shout-out to Quinlan, a self-proclaimed ISFP and one of the coolest people on this forum!
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