Cognitive functions stacking confusion
I'm quite confused about my cognitive functions stacking because it doesn't seem to make sense.
I know taking just one test is not enough so I took several, the results are under spoiler here:
So as you can see, what's consistent with most test results is that Ni and Fi are the functions I use the most, while everything else is a mess and just not consistent.
I do agree that I use Ni and Fi the most, which makes no sense in mbti theory because there's supposed to be a second extroverted function in between the two of them, and I can't just pinpoint which one it is. I know that the possibilities are either Te, Fe or Se; Te is the one I can most easily rule out because I don't really show it in my everyday behavior, as for Fe I have a weird relationship with it because I am indeed good at understanding people and just seem to instinctively know how they feel without them having to tell me anything, but I don't really see myself in the Fe-user stereotype, and I actually kind of despise it (I must also add that I became capable of understanding other people so easily during my early teens, when I was a kid I had a lot of trouble understanding what others might be thinking or feeling). As for Se, I admit that I thought for a long time that I could be an isfp in a Fi-Ni loop, but I realize now that it makes no sense because a loop is supposed to be something temporary and not something lasting for someone's whole life, as well as because I don't really see myself in the inf-Te related problems. I think if anything, the periods in which I seemed to use Se are sporadic and chaotic more than anything else, because on a daily basis my Se is pretty much nonexistent, as much as it pains me to admit so.
As for other cognitive functions, I would say that my Ti is decent, while I don't really know about my Si, and I don't seem to use Ne much at all, and Ne users are the people I have most troubles understanding, we just seem to think in completely different ways.
What mbti type would fit best someone who has Ni and Fi as their strongest functions? I can't seem to make any sense of this.
I don't know if this can help, but in enneagram I'm a 4w5 (415 or 451) so/sx. I've been told by someone I know who's kind of an expert in mbti that I could be an infj that appears to have a high Fi due to core 4, but I'm not really convinced because type 4 and Fi are not really the same, plus as I said before I don't really see myself in the "typical" infj descriptions nor in the Fe-user ones at all, and as I said before, I kind of dislike the idea of being like that.
What are your opinions on this?
I know taking just one test is not enough so I took several, the results are under spoiler here:
So as you can see, what's consistent with most test results is that Ni and Fi are the functions I use the most, while everything else is a mess and just not consistent.
I do agree that I use Ni and Fi the most, which makes no sense in mbti theory because there's supposed to be a second extroverted function in between the two of them, and I can't just pinpoint which one it is. I know that the possibilities are either Te, Fe or Se; Te is the one I can most easily rule out because I don't really show it in my everyday behavior, as for Fe I have a weird relationship with it because I am indeed good at understanding people and just seem to instinctively know how they feel without them having to tell me anything, but I don't really see myself in the Fe-user stereotype, and I actually kind of despise it (I must also add that I became capable of understanding other people so easily during my early teens, when I was a kid I had a lot of trouble understanding what others might be thinking or feeling). As for Se, I admit that I thought for a long time that I could be an isfp in a Fi-Ni loop, but I realize now that it makes no sense because a loop is supposed to be something temporary and not something lasting for someone's whole life, as well as because I don't really see myself in the inf-Te related problems. I think if anything, the periods in which I seemed to use Se are sporadic and chaotic more than anything else, because on a daily basis my Se is pretty much nonexistent, as much as it pains me to admit so.
As for other cognitive functions, I would say that my Ti is decent, while I don't really know about my Si, and I don't seem to use Ne much at all, and Ne users are the people I have most troubles understanding, we just seem to think in completely different ways.
What mbti type would fit best someone who has Ni and Fi as their strongest functions? I can't seem to make any sense of this.
I don't know if this can help, but in enneagram I'm a 4w5 (415 or 451) so/sx. I've been told by someone I know who's kind of an expert in mbti that I could be an infj that appears to have a high Fi due to core 4, but I'm not really convinced because type 4 and Fi are not really the same, plus as I said before I don't really see myself in the "typical" infj descriptions nor in the Fe-user ones at all, and as I said before, I kind of dislike the idea of being like that.
What are your opinions on this?
1 - 20 of 86 Posts
Inconclusive. If you have very high Fi you are not infj. High Fi is more likely INTJ if you are Ni dom. However INFJs don’t know how to test Fi/Fe, I also sometimes get Fi in tests higher than Fe (in reality it’s not). To me Fi questions are “whatever”, 50-50.
You don’t sound like NiFi.
One of your tests has Se dom. Impossible (SeNi).
Maybe ISFP makes sense, tertiary Ni can feel “dominant” (stronger) even if not real Ni dom. This would especially happen in self testing.
Switched auxiliary & tertiary function won’t put you very far away in behavior from the mbti label. E.g. ISFP with permutation between Se & Ni is still like ISFP (to others). Dominant-inferior function dynamics determine most of your type traits.
I think you are:
Fi-Se-Ni-Te
or
Fi-Ni-Se-Te
I type both as ISFP. There are some differences in “schools” how to type permutations in inner stack. (The same would be for INFP permutations.)
Enneagram 4 is not the same as Fi (but there are correlations).
You don’t sound like NiFi.
One of your tests has Se dom. Impossible (SeNi).
Maybe ISFP makes sense, tertiary Ni can feel “dominant” (stronger) even if not real Ni dom. This would especially happen in self testing.
Switched auxiliary & tertiary function won’t put you very far away in behavior from the mbti label. E.g. ISFP with permutation between Se & Ni is still like ISFP (to others). Dominant-inferior function dynamics determine most of your type traits.
I think you are:
Fi-Se-Ni-Te
or
Fi-Ni-Se-Te
I type both as ISFP. There are some differences in “schools” how to type permutations in inner stack. (The same would be for INFP permutations.)
Enneagram 4 is not the same as Fi (but there are correlations).
Is this possible even if I don't relate to Te-inf problems? I've always known that one of the best ways to type yourself is look into your inferior function and how it affects your life. Te-inf doesn't really make sense to me. Is it possible for an isfp to have no problems with Te and actually have an average use of it?
If I had to rank those four functions based on how much I use them, it would be Ni=Fi>Te>Se. Again, with a Te giving me less problems than Se it makes no sense.
If I had to rank those four functions based on how much I use them, it would be Ni=Fi>Te>Se. Again, with a Te giving me less problems than Se it makes no sense.
So how do you use Te in your everyday life? Can you give some examples about how it didn't meet the inferior use?
I also like to know how you think of the following questions if you'd like to tell me:
1. When someone points out that some of your behaviors is "inappropriate", do you take it to your heart almost every time, or sometimes don't care about it as long as you think this behavior is acceptable to yourself?
2. When you see some visual clues, do you read it literally at first glance, or jump to a meaning immediately?
I also like to know how you think of the following questions if you'd like to tell me:
1. When someone points out that some of your behaviors is "inappropriate", do you take it to your heart almost every time, or sometimes don't care about it as long as you think this behavior is acceptable to yourself?
2. When you see some visual clues, do you read it literally at first glance, or jump to a meaning immediately?
Ni Fi Te Se are INTJ functions. Do you think you are Ni dom or Fi dom?
Fi Ni Te Se?
You sound more like you use Ti, “makes sense” is Ti statement. “I wouldn’t be happy with this”is Fi statement.
When/how do you use Ni?
Fi Ni Te Se?
You sound more like you use Ti, “makes sense” is Ti statement. “I wouldn’t be happy with this”is Fi statement.
When/how do you use Ni?
As for the use of Te, I just know I have no problems with organization and efficiency as long as I can do things my own way. Other people's methods just don't work for me, but I can always find my own and I can reach the conclusions and results I need this way. I must say however that organization and efficiency are not that important to me in every context, they are in my job and when I'm trying to do something that inevitably requires some planning, but other than that I don't care about being organized in every situation and I don't like planning things thoroughly if I don't need to, as long as I have a general idea of what to do and what to expect it's fine, I like to know what awaits but I also like to be flexible.
As for the questions, to the first one I would answer that yes, I do take it personally when someone says I'm not being appropriate, as I do my best to be polite and correct in every occasion.
As for the second question, I would say that I immediately know the meaning of something I see; even just a misplaced object or looking at someone's face or surroundings can give me insight on what is going on/what the other person is feeling.
I often have insights like this into what people might be going through, and a similar thing happens to a lesser extent on my job (for context, I'm in the research field) when I just seem to know instinctively what the best way to approach a problem is, which saves a lot of time in many occasions.
I must specify though that I wasn't born with the ability to read people so well, it's rather something that suddenly started happening when I was around 15, because as a child and pre-teen I was pretty much clueless about what other people were feeling or thinking and this made me very naive and caused me a lot of problems with others in return, so I have no idea if I became hyper-aware as a survival strategy or what else.
As for the questions, to the first one I would answer that yes, I do take it personally when someone says I'm not being appropriate, as I do my best to be polite and correct in every occasion.
As for the second question, I would say that I immediately know the meaning of something I see; even just a misplaced object or looking at someone's face or surroundings can give me insight on what is going on/what the other person is feeling.
It's hard for me to put into words, but I'll try. My use of Ni is mostly related to knowing what other people are thinking or feeling. As I explained above, even a small visual clue like a misplaced object or someone's surroundings can make a thought pop up in my mind. One concrete example: last month I came back home after a week and as soon as I went through the door, a thought popped into my mind, which was "my flatmate is not feeling fine, something happened to her", even if I literally had nothing to confirm this. She couldn't have told me anything because she was sleeping at the time, and when I went to check up on her she didn't tell me anything about it, until she opened up a few hours later and I confirmed I was right.
I often have insights like this into what people might be going through, and a similar thing happens to a lesser extent on my job (for context, I'm in the research field) when I just seem to know instinctively what the best way to approach a problem is, which saves a lot of time in many occasions.
I must specify though that I wasn't born with the ability to read people so well, it's rather something that suddenly started happening when I was around 15, because as a child and pre-teen I was pretty much clueless about what other people were feeling or thinking and this made me very naive and caused me a lot of problems with others in return, so I have no idea if I became hyper-aware as a survival strategy or what else.
How old are you? (some approximate range)
Visual object causing thought -> not Ni dom. You don’t use Ni first but as a support for other functions.
Example is ISFP: Fi>Se>Ni>Te.
Like I said, tertiary Ni (any tertiary function) feels very dominant because it’s your relief function. You want to use it all the time.
I would believe you it’s Ni dom (INFJ) if you said you can know people’s intentions and characters based on small clues in behavior (Ni-Fe). How you described it doesn’t seem that you lead with Ni supported with Fe or Te (INFJ or INTJ).
Ni dominant is 24/7 function, it feels different. (Maybe if you are really young.)
Visual object causing thought -> not Ni dom. You don’t use Ni first but as a support for other functions.
Example is ISFP: Fi>Se>Ni>Te.
Like I said, tertiary Ni (any tertiary function) feels very dominant because it’s your relief function. You want to use it all the time.
I would believe you it’s Ni dom (INFJ) if you said you can know people’s intentions and characters based on small clues in behavior (Ni-Fe). How you described it doesn’t seem that you lead with Ni supported with Fe or Te (INFJ or INTJ).
Ni dominant is 24/7 function, it feels different. (Maybe if you are really young.)
The test has no bearing on the stacking order of a particular type. Instead it indicates which cognitive functions you are currently using. My pet response to these test is if you take the test again, it will show a use of a different set of cognitive functions depending on what is going on with the tester at the time, take it a week, month, year later, the cognitive functions shown to be used will be different. This only goes to prove that cognitive functions are fluid, not static.
Ni - introverted iNtuition
Ni is the FiSe’s third function, and it allows them to pull from every area in their brain to find valuable data, to look for patterns in the information they gather, or to skip ten steps ahead and predict what will happen in the future. Ni makes the Fi-led internal world very abstract and can involve lots of jumping around on intuitive leaps.
Probably why you sound logical while we discussed (“makes sense, doesn’t make sense”):
Te - extroverted Thinking
Te is the FiSe’s inferior function. This function may be their achilles heel, and is inherently not as strong as their other functions because their highest priority and focus is on Fi. Te is a very logic-oriented way of problem solving. It is the side of them that naturally looks to find a better solution to a problem, improve the efficiency of a process, or critique and refine what is already in place. FiSe’s generally prefer only to use Te only when necessary, rather than to make all of their decisions. Overuse of an inferior function can be very draining, and may be unhealthy when constantly given priority over other functions.
“I change during the course of a day. I wake and I’m one person, and when I go to sleep I know for certain I’m somebody else.”
BOB DYLAN (isfp)
Ni is the FiSe’s third function, and it allows them to pull from every area in their brain to find valuable data, to look for patterns in the information they gather, or to skip ten steps ahead and predict what will happen in the future. Ni makes the Fi-led internal world very abstract and can involve lots of jumping around on intuitive leaps.
Probably why you sound logical while we discussed (“makes sense, doesn’t make sense”):
Te - extroverted Thinking
Te is the FiSe’s inferior function. This function may be their achilles heel, and is inherently not as strong as their other functions because their highest priority and focus is on Fi. Te is a very logic-oriented way of problem solving. It is the side of them that naturally looks to find a better solution to a problem, improve the efficiency of a process, or critique and refine what is already in place. FiSe’s generally prefer only to use Te only when necessary, rather than to make all of their decisions. Overuse of an inferior function can be very draining, and may be unhealthy when constantly given priority over other functions.
“I change during the course of a day. I wake and I’m one person, and when I go to sleep I know for certain I’m somebody else.”
BOB DYLAN (isfp)
I've recently turned 25.
One thing still makes no sense to me if I were an isfp: how can I have a Se so weak, even weaker than Te?
This also happens to me, but usually it's more of a "ah-ah!" moment based on nothing tangible in particular. However, I am indeed good at reading other people's behavior, especially the way they speak or their posture or just their eyes. As I said before though, that is something I acquired suddenly when I was around 15, and not a skill I was naturally born it.
One thing still makes no sense to me if I were an isfp: how can I have a Se so weak, even weaker than Te?
It was Se dom in one test.
Regardless of that result (which is also the only test in which I scored so high on Se), I realize my use of Se in real life is pretty much nonexistent. I don't really live in the present, but only in my own head... and every time I try to "be in the moment" (which is usually when I'm drunk because otherwise I don't really let myself go), it ends up being a mess and chaotic. Is that normal for a Se-aux?
I used to think it could be a loop, but it was like this my whole life, therefore the loop theory makes no sense.
I used to think it could be a loop, but it was like this my whole life, therefore the loop theory makes no sense.
You coud be FiNi(SeTe) like I said.
I am NiTiFeSe, it’s not that uncommon to have inner stack permutations.
Se is about information gathering, not just being in the moment (that’s for Se inferior, maybe).
Try read about ISFP (and INFP), see if it makes sense. Ni doms are INXJ. It’s also about how you behaviorally appear to others, P/J should be obvious.
I am NiTiFeSe, it’s not that uncommon to have inner stack permutations.
Se is about information gathering, not just being in the moment (that’s for Se inferior, maybe).
Try read about ISFP (and INFP), see if it makes sense. Ni doms are INXJ. It’s also about how you behaviorally appear to others, P/J should be obvious.
This is still Se > Ni.
I am typing you from text (Ni), guessing in my head what information is missing, analyzing (Ti), no sensory info.
I am typing you from text (Ni), guessing in my head what information is missing, analyzing (Ti), no sensory info.
Maybe ask in ISFP forum in case they experience these loops. FiNi loop would be: Do I really like this or not? 😂 (Joking.)
Solution to get out of the loop: try something new (Se).
Solution to get out of the loop: try something new (Se).
I've read about both Ni-doms and Fi-doms, and honestly the descriptions make no sense and don't apply to me. I'm not methodical, precise and organized to an extreme degree, but neither am I a complete airheard that doesn't know how to get things done... I am organized and efficient when I need to be and I am in my own way. Nor am I extremely emotional to the point of not being able to hold back judgement when I need to, I know when it is the moment to express myself and when I need to shut up.
As for how I appear to others, I bet others are going to say that I'm serious, determined, organized, precise, a stickler for rules and details and all that stuff.. but that's on the surface and on the workplace. I don't really let people get to know me on a deeper level and beyond work-related stuff.
I also looked into inferior functions, as I said inf-Te makes no sense, inf-Se would make more sense based on the fact that the thing that hurts me the most is realizing that I'm physically unable to do something (for ex. not being good at sports is one of the most painful things in my life) and that I can't be spontaneous to save my life. I also used to have periods in which I would go crazy about diet and exercise and physical fitness in general, but that might just be sp-blind overfocus and ED-related problems, so I'm not sure I can blame inferior Se for all of this.
As for how I appear to others, I bet others are going to say that I'm serious, determined, organized, precise, a stickler for rules and details and all that stuff.. but that's on the surface and on the workplace. I don't really let people get to know me on a deeper level and beyond work-related stuff.
I also looked into inferior functions, as I said inf-Te makes no sense, inf-Se would make more sense based on the fact that the thing that hurts me the most is realizing that I'm physically unable to do something (for ex. not being good at sports is one of the most painful things in my life) and that I can't be spontaneous to save my life. I also used to have periods in which I would go crazy about diet and exercise and physical fitness in general, but that might just be sp-blind overfocus and ED-related problems, so I'm not sure I can blame inferior Se for all of this.
Se is not about sports. It’s a complex perceiving function, especially higher in the stack (dom & aux). It doesn’t make you good in sports. ISTPs are also not “sporty”, it doesn’t work like this. How it works: higher functions support lower; eg. Se gathers info, Ni analyses. Or: Ni gathers info, Ti analyses. It’s about the ordering/ranking, or information processing; how we gather and process new information.
I know that; what I meant is what my lack in physical ability means to me.
The inferior function is supposed to be the one that makes you feel the most inadequate and gives you the most problems, and for me that's definitely tied to the world of Se. That's how I knew inferior function works, at least; I'm not sure anymore.
The inferior function is supposed to be the one that makes you feel the most inadequate and gives you the most problems, and for me that's definitely tied to the world of Se. That's how I knew inferior function works, at least; I'm not sure anymore.
I don’t look at any of the top 4 functions as weakly developed; weakly developed are bottom 4 (shadow functions). Top 4 are normal “everyday” functioning. Inferior Te would mean you just don’t prefer to use it all the time.
Are these your stressors:
![Font Circle Liquid Event Advertising]()
Are these your stressors:
These seem to be very general to me; plus some things don't apply (for ex. conflict is not a stressor for me, nor do I feel limited by procedures as I know they need to be followed closely on many occasions).
As for other things, like dismissing what I feel or having my needs neglected, I think that would stress anyone, not just a Fi-dom.
As for other things, like dismissing what I feel or having my needs neglected, I think that would stress anyone, not just a Fi-dom.
This would make sense. But if this is true, what's the point of the inferior function theory?
1 - 20 of 86 Posts
