[BUtheBabyUnicorn]

Hello. All of you probably know me as an INTP who hangs around here a lot.
But maybe some of it's a lie.
Perhaps, I have been lying to everyone (and myself?) that I am indeed an INTP, when, perchance, I could be an INFP, or some other feeling type.

And I believe that most of us know by now that one of the key differences between an F and a T is that Feelers use feelings and emotions to make decisions and Thinkers use logic.
I use both feelings and logic to make decisions, just in different cases. In a group setting, I might use more Feeling in addition to Thinking to make a decision, while by myself I might use Thinking (but occasionally Feeling, but only if others could be affected by my decision). So, this has been bothering me for quite a while.
I also draw a lot (which is supposedly an F-ish thing to do), play instruments (another F-ish activity, and I just realised that "F-ish" sounded kind of offensive or dirty, oh well), and write songs and books (which is, again, another F-type activity). But I know that many other INTPs also have these sorts of hobbies.

So what are some other surefire ways to tell if I'm a Thinker or a Feeler?

 

[Strider95]

Do you cry during movies? Anyways it's not either F or T just one is more dominant than the other, you are probably somewhere in the middle.

On an unrelated note, F-ish DOES sound weird o.0

 

[koalaroo]

Equating "feeling" with "emotion" is the main problem I see in your post. As much smarter people have said before me, feeling is better explained as valuation (using a feeling function places value on something whereas thinking categorizes). In terms of Jungian theory and MBTI, feelers are perfectly adept at logic and reasoning. In my personal experience, INFJs often tend to be very logical in their expression and often more so than many "rational" types.

Another problem I see with your post is the idea that artistic pursuits are un-intellectual. I'm another INTP/ENTP-type person who is very artistic. I was into artsy things (visual arts and orchestra) mainly because I was pressured into it because I simply had a natural bent for it (I draw pretty well and have both perfect and relative pitch). That said, my art tends to be highly symbolic and metaphoric. My musicianship probably helped with poetry writing (for instance, being rhythmically inclined means not sucking at cadence in poetry).

Note, the feeling !=emotions is also something that Jung himself said. Something about feeling is valuing whereas emotion is involuntary. If you want to think about it in terms of ... say, coding or scripting, "feeling" is more like a Yes/No function whereas "thinking" has more than two options. So like, a Boolean function versus a more complex switching function.

 

[Ayia]

yup. feeling isn't about crying in movies or just emotions. Usually feelers have learned to put a lid on their emotions early in life. and especially those of us who use fi a lot won't really show it. but you might say that we put our values before logic. a crude example is those who choose a low-paying job where you help others or live out your interests over a high-paying one. but thinkers might do that too, of course.

I would fill out one of the forms on the "which type am I" forum and see what other people think.

 

[Finagle]

Can you breath underwater? Otherwise you probably aren't a fish.

Forget about finding if you are a feeler or a thinker, and find if you use Ti-Fe or Fi-Te. If you are unsure of your preference, I think it's the easiest way.

 

[Ember]

INTP: http://personalitycafe.com/intp-forum-thinkers/94751-intp-jungian-cognitive-function-analysis.html Read this and the INFP description. From what I know of you, you definitely seem to be an INTP. Probably ENTP?

INFP: [INFP] INFP: A Jungian Cognitive Function Analysis
ENTP: [ENTP] ENTP: A Jungian Cognitive Function Analysis

 

[BUtheBabyUnicorn]

Do you cry during movies? Anyways it's not either F or T just one is more dominant than the other, you are probably somewhere in the middle.

On an unrelated note, F-ish DOES sound weird o.0

During movies... no.

Yeah, I thought it did, after I typed it twice. XD Although I was a bit too lazy to change it afterwards...

Equating "feeling" with "emotion" is the main problem I see in your post. As much smarter people have said before me, feeling is better explained as valuation (using a feeling function places value on something whereas thinking categorizes). In terms of Jungian theory and MBTI, feelers are perfectly adept at logic and reasoning. In my personal experience, INFJs often tend to be very logical in their expression and often more so than many "rational" types.

Another problem I see with your post is the idea that artistic pursuits are un-intellectual. I'm another INTP/ENTP-type person who is very artistic. I was into artsy things (visual arts and orchestra) mainly because I was pressured into it because I simply had a natural bent for it (I draw pretty well and have both perfect and relative pitch). That said, my art tends to be highly symbolic and metaphoric. My musicianship probably helped with poetry writing (for instance, being rhythmically inclined means not sucking at cadence in poetry).

Note, the feeling !=emotions is also something that Jung himself said. Something about feeling is valuing whereas emotion is involuntary. If you want to think about it in terms of ... say, coding or scripting, "feeling" is more like a Yes/No function whereas "thinking" has more than two options. So like, a Boolean function versus a more complex switching function.

...I did, that didn't I... And what do you mean by "categorizes?" Like sorting, making lists, etc.?

Oh, no, someone just told me somewhere on the forum that artistic things are usually things that Feelers tend to do, although that was probably reinforced by all of the XXFPs that I keep on finding on artist community websites.

yup. feeling isn't about crying in movies or just emotions. Usually feelers have learned to put a lid on their emotions early in life. and especially those of us who use fi a lot won't really show it. but you might say that we put our values before logic. a crude example is those who choose a low-paying job where you help others or live out your interests over a high-paying one. but thinkers might do that too, of course.

I would fill out one of the forms on the "which type am I" forum and see what other people think.

Hmm, I would probably choose the low-paying job (probably either about researching, art, or something...), but more likely because I dislike corporations, filling out forms, etc. and that's usually where the higher-paying jobs are these days...

 

[LadyO.W.BernieBro]

Can you turn your feelings off?

For me it's like I never experience feelings if I don't want to, if we're defining feelings as values and emotions as involuntary.

I do have emotions but they aren't strong and very rarely lead to feelings.

And sometimes I don't experience the emotions I should at the right times or I don't immediately understand someone's meaning if there's underlying emotional context. I can get it later but I have to go back and put the pieces together.

 

[QuietStorm]

Remember that being a T doesn't mean you can't* 'F' every once in a while... it just means that that function is the dominant one.
I know I use more thinking than feeling when I make decisions -- but there are times when I've relied on 'feelings'(and gotten burned because of it...I should know better by now).
Anyway... there's no 'surefire' way to know, in my opinion. Because in one situation you may use one function, while in another you won't. It's all circumstantial, really.


EDIT:
I cry during movies..... and sappy TV show moments and while reading books. I usually have to pretend I'm the main character and it usually involves myself or one of my close friends dying ... I may have a problem...

 

[koalaroo]

@BUtheBabyUnicorn -

I'm going to oversimplify this a fair bit, so take this as a basic, basic, basic template that you should expand upon with your own research on the subject!

Feeling in terms of valuation is generally either "This is good" or "this is bad", and it's generally more in line with black-and-white thinking (well, valuation)! (Note: this isn't always the case). This is why I say it's somewhat like a Boolean function (a zero or a one). An analogy would be, say, sorting out clothes you want to keep with clothes you'd give away. Thinking in terms of categorization would be to the way your brain sorts out whatever information it receives. So, an analogy here would be using an organizational "space saver".

 

[Ember]

Hello. All of you probably know me as an INTP who hangs around here a lot.
But maybe some of it's a lie.
Perhaps, I have been lying to everyone (and myself?) that I am indeed an INTP, when, perchance, I could be an INFP, or some other feeling type.

And I believe that most of us know by now that one of the key differences between an F and a T is that Feelers use feelings and emotions to make decisions and Thinkers use logic.
I use both feelings and logic to make decisions, just in different cases. In a group setting, I might use more Feeling in addition to Thinking to make a decision, while by myself I might use Thinking (but occasionally Feeling, but only if others could be affected by my decision). So, this has been bothering me for quite a while.
I also draw a lot (which is supposedly an F-ish thing to do), play instruments (another F-ish activity, and I just realised that "F-ish" sounded kind of offensive or dirty, oh well), and write songs and books (which is, again, another F-type activity). But I know that many other INTPs also have these sorts of hobbies.

So what are some other surefire ways to tell if I'm a Thinker or a Feeler?

In fact, I had the same dilemma a while back and I posted about it in "What type am I?" forum. They asked me to read about the eight cognitive functions and decide. Initially, I was confused between INTP and INFP but after listening to what they had to say, I concluded that I was ENTP. Ne - Ti - Fe - Si.

 

[Finagle]

hum...

Think about your most important value. Your value is retarded. I prove it to you with a logical argument. After looking at my argument, you realize that I'm right. How do you react? Will you change your value?

Think about an indisputable true. Your true is immoral. I can show you that thinking this way is immoral. After listening to my tear-jerking speech, you realize that I'm right. How do you react? Will you stop believing in that true.

 

[ununpentium]

Is there such thing as an INXP, because when I take tests there is like like a 1% discrepancy between T and F and sometimes I get INFP. However I consider myself an INTP with a weak T strength. How does that fill into the 16 categories? Could I have the (Ne,Ni) and (Ti,Te) with almost equal strength?

 

[Finagle]

Is there such thing as an INXP, because when I take tests there is like like a 1% discrepancy between T and F and sometimes I get INFP. However I consider myself an INTP with a weak T strength. How does that fill into the 16 categories? Could I have the (Ne,Ni) and (Ti,Te) with almost equal strength?

No, an inxp doesn't exist, and nop, you can't have ne, ni, ti and te at equal strength. Don't see the functions as skills, but more as mindsets. An intp and an infp with a 50/50 preference for thinking/feeling are still very different.

Ti dominant and Fe inferior, or Fi dominant and Te inferior.

 

[ununpentium]

@Finagle
I agree with you that the functions are like a preference for the way you understand and perceive reality, or possibilites. However what do you mean An intp and an infp with 50/50 preference for T/F are still very different? Didn't you just said INXPs don't exist? Or what do you mean?

 

[koalaroo]

@ununpentium -

The problem is that an INFP uses Fi for their primary function, while an INTP uses Ti for their primary function. Basically, Fi and Ti are mutually exclusive under cognitive functions hypotheses. A person who uses Ti will use Fe (a Fe user with use Ti). A person who uses Fi will use Te (a Te user with use Fi).

An introverted rational function is counterbalanced by an extroverted rational function. (Thinking and feeling are rational functions). The same is true for the irrational or perceiving functions: an introverted perceiving function is counterbalanced by an extroverted perceiving function.

 

[ununpentium]

@koalaroo

Yes it was my mistake of puting Ne,Ni it was Fe,Fi ... However why do I tend to fluctate or sometimes test INTP and others INFP? Could it be that I change under stress? Consequently being biased by the way I feel?

Also I just took the multiple intelligences test and my top 3 were logical/mathematical...Musical ..... and Intrapersonal.... could that explain it?

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

If you can't figure it out then you're probably a Thinker.

 

[koalaroo]

@ununpentium -

It would be fair to say that every type of introverted function is balanced by an extroverted function, and every extroverted function is balanced by an introverted function. So while your primary perceiving function (either your dominant or auxiliary function) might be extroverted, it is counterbalanced by an introverted perceiving function. This is further complicated by the fact that an extraverted perceiving function is counterbalanced by an introverted rational function, and the other way around.

In the case of either an INTP or INFP, their auxiliary function is their main perceiving function (extraverted iNtuition). This is coupled with their tertiary function which is also a perceiving function, but of the introverted attitude (introverted Sensing). While an INTP or an INFP may perceive the world similarly, how they process and categorize that information is different (Thinking and Feeling are rational functions).

The INTP uses introverted Thinking as their dominant function, with inferior extraverted Feeling to "back up" how the information is processed. They use an internal system to categorize what they take in, and an external system to value what they take in. The INFP uses introverted Feeling as their dominant function, with extraverted Thinking as their inferior function. They use an internal system of values to make determinations, and an external system to categorize.

The INTP and the INFP also express their inferior function differently (since the functions are different), and when the inferior function manifests most is primarily under stress or duress.

To sort of answer your question, I find that a standard MBTI does a disservice to most people curious about their type and potentially how their mind works. The best way to figure out how your cogs and wheels are turning is to take a cognitive functions test. At any rate, most of these tests are somewhat misleading. Where MBTI misleads people is that people think it's just Thinking or just Feeling, and they don't realize that a person's Thinking or Feeling has an attitudinal preference.

Having taken the official MBTI test, I test as an INTP. However, if I take a cognitive functions test my first and second functions are of a similar weight to one another, as are my third and fourth. I could very well actually be an ENTP.

 

[TrailMix]

I had this debate for a long time which was why I had such a hard time accepting I was an INTP. I always thought I was a feeler; I care about people, I enjoy drawing, I love playing and listening to music and I bawled my eyes out at Titanic just the other night with my boyfriend. Thinkers do have emotions

Anyway, its important to determine your primary "mode" of thought. I'm definitely strong in Ti and Ne, but my Fe has REALLY developed a lot over the last couple of years as I have grown up and matured. You just may be noticing it more now. Its useful, dont ignore it

I believe that you'll also find as you grow older that you become an overall, more well-rounded person, which is why we all have trouble knowing just who we are at many points in our lives. We discover new things about ourselves and we get better overall.