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How could you tell if someone is ISFP ,or INFP in 'real' life?

[ISFP] 
3K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  ThoughtShadows 
#1 · (Edited)
How could you tell if someone is ISFP ,or INFP in 'real' life?

Between aux Se:Ni ,and aux Ne:Si
,what could be a 'thin thread' that could separate their world entirely?

(from your own experience > theory!!)
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
@Panda Eyes super-Thanks for the thoughtful answer


1) the second point of your observation is very interesting
__I will try to keep that in mind__and observe more.


2) I think it s very challenging to observe someone else ,and try to figure their type out
__lately I have to put the level of 'development' of each cognitive functions into my consideration more
(I am quite new to MBTI ,and still learning ,so I cannot 'digest' it properly yet)


hope we could discuss more.
enjoy your day!
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Hi, I'm an ISFP and I have a friend who is an INFP. We both let emotions guide our actions, we are goofy, sweet or scary...

The differences are she imagines and assigns meanings to many things: movies, songs or places and use them to nurture her Fi by creating connections via those meanings. There is a time when she likes this boy and even when he doesn't know who she is, she still able to find happiness by imagine being in a relationship with him. She doesn't understand realistic things and her head is in the clouds a lot of time. Also her Si makes her stay at home like always, she prefers comfort from familiar things or people.

With me, I can't stay at home, I need to see, listen, smell, touch things and new things. Everyday I need to go out to new locations and do things otherwise I would get really tired and stiff. If I like someone, imagining being with them is not enough, I need to stay next to and touch them for 24/7. My Ni sometimes makes me be paranoid about things I get from my senses, like I locked the door and then think "Did I lock it?" and went to lock it again for a couple times.

We did get our inferior Te moment, we will yell and order people around, becoming very fierce for a (very) short moment. People tend to be really surprise when it happens haha.

I don't know how to say it clearly by words, hope you can understand and hope it helps!

thanks for your reply ,could we discuss more?


for you ,do you count 'being online' 'exploring the online world' as a 'going out for your sensing's experience'?
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
@PlasticRenaissance
I can tend to tell the difference based on the aux Se and Tert Si contrast. I lived for 20 years with INTPs who also have Tertiary Si. I would describe tertiary Si as very sensitive to certain sensory stimulus, and having a kind of hyperfocus vs. obliviousness about sensory things. There are certain details that are internalized and for which the person has a sensitivity to keep it consistent. Then there are other areas where the person is completely oblivious. The person I live with now is likely an INFP (possibly ENFP), and he is very sensitive to keeping the floor vacuumed and certain aspects of his things very ordered, but then he is completely oblivious to the bathroom. Tertiary Si causes pockets of sensitivity, rigidity, and expectation about sensory experience, but it can be a little bit masked by the pockets of obliviousness that seem more go-with-the-flow.

Aux-Se tends to be more wholistically flexible about sensory experience. There is more of a generalized awareness and adaptability. There also tends to be some logic to the preferences and distastes about sensory experience - the Se-Te pairing creates a sort of objectivity that takes each thing for what it is instead of having an internalized model of it. For example, I tend to keep all my stuff relatively organized, but nothing is extremely well-kept. Everything is clean and organized enough to be easy to access, but never done to any extreme that would also waste my time.

In a way I would say that Tert-Si also has a bit more anxiety about concrete, sensory experience because of the sensitivities and pockets of blindness. The inconsistency is rooted in a kind of personal investment that can be hit or miss. Aux-Se feels a little more command of the concrete realm and is more comfortable adapting and going with the flow and changing things up as needed.


thanks for a thoughtful observation.


1)from your description ,it seems like ISFP is more adventurous in the outside (tangible?) world
,on the other hand INFP is make their own journey in their head a lot
(pls, correct me if I am wrong)


2)since you seem to have the experience with both side
,could I ask you about their 'shadow' ?
(I mean when they are struggling with life)
,what does they react when they are in the 'bad' mode?
(since their inferior functions are the same)


3)(maybe we should invite @goldthysanura and @HaneruHare to join us in the Q?)

someone told me once that I could be ISFP because of my 'jumpy' behaviors and thoughts.
can you,guys relate to THIS so-called 'jumpy' ?
(I think she meant about push vs. pull reaction ,and very active mind)


hope we could discuss much further.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
Hi, exploring online stuffs does not count, firstly because my body does not move, the things I see are processed by the brain, which has little to do with my body. I need to move my body to feel and experience things, you could use the word 'tactile'. Secondly, I know which is real, as in similar to the real world, and which is not. For example, I really don't like to watch Hollywood animated movies like "The Incredibles", I even feel afraid of the 'fakeness' of the characters sometimes because there are nothing real with their details. I can watch movies like "Howl's Moving Castle" but I still prefer going out then watching something. Another example is seeing my character swim in an RPG is nothing like swimming, when you are wet and you can feel your hands/arms motions against the water and many more. Well, you will use your head most when using computers, your body will literally switch to idle mode. I used to play about 5 hours continuously with a game I like and my head hurts heavily I have to take a paracetamol pill, same with 3D movies where your brain has to goes into hardcore mode. I then will have to go out and move my body, shake it and exercises it hard to gain consciousness again, leaving your body to go into your brain/mind is scary for me. On the other hand, playing sports 5 hours straight will just make me feel refresh and fun and a good night sleep is more than enough for me to roll again.



Hi, hope I can help a bit with these questions!

1) A yes from me, it is summer time and I have gone to various places doing tons of things while my INFP girl has watched like a hundred movies already and have her own story/review about them inside her head. I feel pretty amuse when I ask about them but I tend to retreat before she shares too much haha. She only goes out when her family requires her or when see needs to buy something and no one is there to ask. His cousin has to buy a lot of things for her while he is out.

2) I've been through my 'shadow', my tert Ni is working like crazy and I am paranoid about everything, especially about non-tangible, mysterious and scary things. There was one time when I worry too much about catching a certain disease that I got a migraine headache and it keeps pounding for 3 months straight. Then I couldn't control my emotions and blamed everyone around me and went on a rampage.

My 'bad' side is much better (for me), I would display an intimidating outlook and be very serious and bossy. People better do what I said or I will get angry. However in both cases, actively hitting someone is very hard for me, I've only done it a couple of times and I tried to punch as lightest as possible. I feel remorse and guilty afterwards. Sometimes when I know that I am incompetent to others (which is a lot actually haha), I tend to react with rage just to hide it.

I'm more than ready to hit people when I'm in my Fi heroic mode, especially when protecting people I love. Never happens though because people tend to afraid and retreat really fast.

3) I do have jumpy behaviors or feelings, however I tend to not displaying them and show them only when I'm with my close ones. They tend to fade away really fast though so on the outside I'm pretty normal. My ENFP and ESFP friends are much more jumpy than I am. The hype are the same but they show it instantly and unabashedly while I will be embarrassed and sometimes blame myself for letting it out if the embarrassment is getting serious (in my own view). The ESFP is more hyper then the ENFP as she would not hesitate to show her excitement at everything!

I don't think I have an active mind as I really don't want to think/study/research or discuss. I can do so when the topics involve feelings or people but I still not prefer it much.

Hope it can help!
whoa! ,super-Thanks for your detailed answer
actually this help me to understand and think more esp. the last part

hope you have a nice day
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
I apologize it's been quite some time since this thread was posted, but I'm curious if @PlasticRenaissance is wondering about their type, between ISFP and INFP? If there's any confusion or need for clarification, I'd be more than happy to help! I took a bit of a hiatus from Meyers-Briggs types and found I'm ISFP, and my ex and one of my closest friends is INFP. Some little differences I can think of @ the top of my head:

  • ISFP is more easily bored, and will look for instant gratification and interaction with the environment. It could be something as simple as going on a spontaneous drive, or visiting a park, going on walks to find cats to pet. INFP is much more content to stay in the comforts of home, find ways to entertain themselves. Enjoys exploring worlds in books, video games and imagination.

  • ISFP may be more inclined to pay more attention to their appearance. Emphasis placed on aesthetic and style, think of trendsetters such as Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe (both typed as ISFP). There's an eye for detail, and a need for constant change. INFP is happy being comfortable, and wouldn't trip over themselves to do so much to their looks as an ISFP might.

  • ISFP may have shorter attention-span, and may have trouble keeping up with fanciful ideas and thoughts that aren't immediately applicable. INFP can philosophize for longer periods of time, may be more interested in ideas of morality, what their reactions may be in certain situations, right vs. wrong, etc. ISFP may not realize these values until a moment suddenly calls for it.

  • While inferior Te may make both types quite authoritative and critical, ISFP may be more likely to "lash out" and act out in the moment without thinking of the consequences. INFP may practice more restraint, and keep in mind how their actions may come back to hurt themselves or others later in the future once their emotions are smoothed out.

Thanks for a very well structural answer ,yet insightful
it could help me to observe more

I am quite new to MBTI ,and still learning
at first I was so eager to know my type
,however, right now I am trying to study about the basic foundation
(cognitive functions ,etc.) as much as I can
,I hope it could help me 'pick' my box clearly in the future.


hope to see you in the next discussion
 
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