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How to tell if someone is ISFJ or ISTJ

[ISFJ]
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CallMeMaybe

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
:heart: Guys.. please give me some real, every day, solid pointers.

What key differences do you think exist between ISFJ and ISTJ?


If an ISFJ and an ISTJ both walked into the same room: how would they act? How would they be dressed differently? Would one be quieter and less assuming than the other? Would one generally smile more or talk first? Would one stay late to help clean up? etc etc.

How could you tell them apart?
 
#2 ·
ISFJ will be more friendly, ISTJ is more… well like an ISTP with a hard edge.
ISFJ will stay late to help clean up, ISTJ will leave last. Possibly because they have a crush on ISFJ, or because it's their thing to protect, so they stay.
ISFJ will be quieter, more like a wallflower type. ISTJ may come across as tactless, ISFJ is the epitome thereof.

At least the ones I've seen.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Hi I’m an ISFJ. But have a dad and a few friends that I believe are ISTJs. Here is the key differences.
Cognitive Functions
ISFJ: Si Fe Ti Ne
ISTJ: Si Te Fi Ne

First, ISFJs have Fe-aux and Ti-tert. While ISTJs have Te-aux and Fi-tert
-ISFJ will be warmer and more emotive. ISTJs will appear more colder and unemotional.
-ISFJ will be friendly and more approachable. ISTJs can look more unapproachable due to their cold and unemotional vibe
-ISFJ will care more about what other people think and be more people orientated. ISTJs don’t care as much about what other people think and will focus more on being task-orientated.
-ISFJ will also be more in tune with how others are feeling. ISTJs won’t be as in tune with others feelings and can unintentionally hurt others by being too critical.
-In a discussion, the ISFJ will focus more on finding a compromise with others than being right. ISTJs when they think they are right, will focus more on being right than find a compromise.
Example: With my ISTJ Dad, when he thinks he is right it can be extremely difficult to change his position.
-ISFJs will have more of a goofy sense of humor. ISTJs will have more of a dry sense of humor
-ISFJ will be the quiet, friendly, kind, and more empathetic. ISTJs will also be quiet, honest, analytical, and they’ll be friendly too once you get to know them properly.
-Both types will be quiet, loyal, hard-working, reliable, helpful to their communities, and detail-orientated. Stemming for being Si Doms


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
kjdaniels said:
Hi I’m an ISFJ. But have a dad and a few friends that I believe are ISTJs. Here is the key differences.
Cognitive Functions
ISFJ: Si Fe Ti Ne
ISTJ: Si Te Fi Ne

First, ISFJs have Fe-aux and Ti-tert. While ISTJs have Te-aux and Fi-tert
-ISFJ will be warmer and more emotive. ISTJs will appear more colder and unemotional.
-ISFJ will be friendly and more approachable. ISTJs can look more unapproachable due to their cold and unemotional vibe
-ISFJ will care more about what other people think and be more people orientated. ISTJs don’t care as much about what other people think and will focus more on being task-orientated.
-ISFJ will also be more in tune with how others are feeling. ISTJs won’t be as in tune with others feelings and can unintentionally hurt others by being too critical.
-In a discussion, the ISFJ will focus more on finding a compromise with others than being right. ISTJs when they think they are right, will focus more on being right than find a compromise.
Example: With my ISTJ Dad, when he thinks he is right it can be extremely difficult to change his position.
-ISFJs will have more of a goofy sense of humor. ISTJs will have more of a dry sense of humor
-ISFJ will be the quiet, friendly, kind, and more empathetic. ISTJs will also be quiet, honest, analytical, and they’ll be friendly too once you get to know them properly.
-Both types will be quiet, loyal, hard-working, reliable, helpful to their communities, and detail-orientated. Stemming for being Si Doms


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Extremely helpful!!! Thank you so much. :love_heart:
 
#5 ·
ISFJ's will ask more personal questions and want to talk about feelings, e.g "How are you?", "How's your work? What kind of work do you do? family? etc ISTJs will more want to talk about impersonal data, such as who owns the restaurant, the prices, the economy etc.
 
#6 ·
Zeri said:
ISFJ's will ask more personal questions and want to talk about feelings, e.g "How are you?", "How's your work? What kind of work do you do? family? etc ISTJs will more want to talk about impersonal data, such as who owns the restaurant, the prices, the economy etc.
Click to expand...
I do both of these things, how do we tell what we use as an aux primarily if that's the case.
 
#7 ·
@Mistress Hello hello! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ Sorry, I hope you don't mind if I try helping out a little bit;;

I think perhaps what Zeri was trying to say, we have a lot of interest when it comes to learning about a person. We especially like lots of details, and don't mind at all spending long periods of time simply talking to someone about even the tiniest of things going on in their life. The STJs I know of, they can easily become very irritable and drained when having to stand around and hear too much information about a person, believing what they're saying is not of any importance and always regretting the decision to ask, "How are you?" SFJ is usually much more patient and less bothered, and will even go out of their way to become interested in the other party's interest as a way to bond more.

Here's a list of some things that may help, in determining if you use Fe (ISFJ) or Te (ISTJ):

Auxiliary Fe:
  • Highly in tune with the surrounding emotional environment.
  • Skilled at loosening up the atmosphere.
  • Often seeks to contribute to the overall sense of group harmony.
  • Uncomfortable when the group attitude is hostile or in disagreement.
  • Faced with these situations, may play the role of a peacemaker.
  • May expect others to adhere to and behave according to the emotional dynamics of the group (why are you not participating or having fun?).
  • Enjoys crafting an open, conflict-free, relaxed environment.
  • Wants others to feel able to express themselves freely.
  • May be confused if someone shares views contrary to the predominant mood.
  • Sensitive, shy, and reserved.
  • May develop a mild, friendly, and soft-spoken demeanor.
  • Tends to worry over if they have offended others with their words / actions.
  • May tend toward an avoidant, withdraw, or socially withdrawn lifestyle.
  • May adopt reserved behavior toward others rather than develop strong emotional connections.
  • Spends a lot of energy focusing on social acceptance.


Auxiliary Te:
  • Often practical, direct, or formal in their demeanor.
  • Prone to a dry, matter-of-fact tone.
  • Values clarity and directness of communication.
  • Focuses on communicating accurate information (neglects dealing with the emotional aspects or motives in conversation).
  • Pragmatic, and inclined to accumulate a great deal of practical knowledge (this may include: mechanical knowledge, skill with tools, financial information, technical abilities, historical knowledge, medical/scientific knowledge, etc).
  • Often focuses on developing practical knowledge to keep their life running smoothly (what do I need to know, to avoid or fix household problems?).
  • Presents their knowledge in a factual, plainspoken manner, easily accessible to others.
  • Enjoys analyzing and comparing different goods and services.
  • Prefers to do those things oneself, instead of delegate to others.
  • Demands an active, personal role in decision-making.
  • Often driven for financial independence and security.
  • Might see unnecessary waste of resources (financial, energy, water, living space, etc) as unacceptable and careless.


There's also this website that helped me a lot in realizing I'm ISFJ. I'm heavily familiar with Dario Nardi's work and contributions when it comes to MBTI, in that he has turned it into what could be argued as a legitimate science -- being able to use one's brain scans to determine what personality type you may have/prefer. Here's what the site has to say for these descriptions:
Written by Linda Berens Ph.D. and Dario Nardi Ph.D., two well know researchers and instructors in Type, this set of Personality Type descriptions is very unique. Each description is written in the first person perspective.

Basically, each Self Portrait was composed from interviews with 4 people of this type. The authors asked them one question: What is it like to be you? Then they captured the themes in their own words.

When you find the Self Portrait that seems to be your best-fit type, it should feel like the way you talk and really fit you well. Read the description as a whole and all the way through to get a feel for how well it fits. You want it to feel like a comfortable shoe. There will be some things that do not fit, but in general if this is your type, it will feel like you. If it does not feel like a really good fit, try on some other self-portraits.
Click to expand...

What it's like to be ISFJ
What it's like to be ISTJ
 
#9 ·
I have an ISTJ mother and friend and several ISFJ friends, and these are some differences between them. They are all female.: (These are generalizations from my own experiences, so take them with a grain of salt)


ISFJ: More socially inhibited. Less likely to approach people. Very concerned with how they affect other people. For example: if they see someone they know, they might try to avoid saying hello
ISTJ: More likely to approach people. See someone they know, have no problem going up to them and saying hello. Less socially aware, though. Don't realize when they commit a faux pas.

ISFJ: Sensitive; more likely to get upset about stuff, especially if it involves other people's feelings. They hate feeling like they've caused harm to anyone else
ISTJ: Thick-skinned; very calm in almost any situation. Bullying has no effect on them. Don't take other people's reactions personally. Care more about the facts of the situation than people's feelings.

ISFJ: Tend to dress in more feminine, casual, floral, flowy kind of clothes. They LOVE monogrammed stuff, and decor and jewelry with their initials on it. And they go nuts over Vera Bradley. I swear, every ISFJ I know likes this stuff :laughing:
ISTJ: Tend to dress more formal, conservative. Darker colors. Wear a lot of cardigans and shrugs. More concerned with practicality than with style.

ISFJ: tend to be more family-oriented. Put their obligations to their family above all else. Very influenced by their family's opinions.
ISTJ: tend to be more career-oriented. Put their obligations to their career above all else. Not as influenced by their family's opinions.

ISFJ: More open about themselves. Are more than willing to talk about their lives. I have witnessed ISFJs go on and on for ages about their lives and experiences.
ISTJ: Hardly ever talk about their own lives unless you ask them directly. They only talk about the present situation and their observations about it. I hardly know anything about the ISTJs in my life because they never really talk about their experiences or opinions. They will tell you if you ask them directly, but they never bring it up themselves. They just don't see why anyone would be interested in stuff like that. Getting information out of an ISTJ is a long and drawn out process.


These are just a few of many examples I could think of. Hope this helps!
 
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