INFP's, Make It Simple...

INFPs are extremely imaginative and often out of it because we kind of live in our own worlds. ISFPs are not often out of it at all because they observe the world they're already in. As an INFP, I often feel i was meant to live in a fairy tale. ISFPs love the world around them and don't act for it to be different or try to imagine it in a different way that it is. INFPs are both curious and shy, so even being introverted they often will ask loads of questions. From the outside, INFPs and ISFPs appear very similar, both looking off into the distance quite a bit (at least from my experience). It's the thought process that will differentiate. ISFPs look at something and think about that one thing, and the beauty of it. INFPs appear to be looking at the same thing, but really that object is simply a trigger to other thoughts. These thoughts are often something completely out of this world. With feelings, ISFPs are easily hurt and they show it, but INFPs get hurt too just as easily, and they will quite often bottle it up and not let you know how they really feel. Both are creative, but the ISFPs creativeness comes from putting together what is already there, whereas the mind of an INFP produces things that can only exist in fairy tales and imaginations as mindblowing as theirs.

I know someone who I believe is an ISFP. She often seems very dreamy and distant, but she has this extraordinary ability to see things in the world around her and translate them into her artwork. She is an AMAZING artist, very realistic and detail-oriented. She also reads people more at face value and tends to take those things personally, making her very self-conscious. She will often jump to the conclusion that people dislike her when it seems obvious to me that they don't.

While I am also very creative, I tend to be more imaginative, seeing things outside the world around me, and my artistic style is more reminiscent of a storybook than anything in the real world. I read people differently than my ISFP friend, and I feel like I'm better at interpreting the intent behind their actions than she is. She notices details that I overlook and places more value on those details.

I can't tell them apart unless it's real life and I've been around them for longer.

These are the differences between me and the ISFPs I know.

I'm more likely to want to talk about hypothetical or philosophical questions and theorize about different perspectives even if I've made up my own mind.

They're better at handling material things and are (WAY) more practical than I am. They're also more quick to act on impulses (such as going to a movie or grocery shopping for an item they're missing) on short notice. Se users are more sensitive to missing material desires, while INFPs find it difficult to act on a whim because they feel they have to be emotionally prepared for whatever they have to do. Si plans material needs ahead of time and is less likely to want fancy things. INFPs aren't as extravagant. Basically INFPs appear to have more judging traits because Ne isn't as externally impulsive. (If I were to be told that we're leaving for the amusement park first thing tomorrow, I'd have a lot more difficulty dropping the minor things I had planned for that day than my ISFP friends)

I'm less assertive and less likely to show my moods (even if I talk about them I won't physically act them out), I also make puns and play mind-game sort of jokes instead of acting out jokes or making faces. ISFPs I find use their bodies (at least the males) to make jokes, like they'll climb a tree or tackle someone. I also feel useless on the dance floor and find it difficult to physically interpret music, ISFPs I've seen have no problem dancing.

I'm more likely to actively intuit other's emotions and try to imagine what other people's worlds are like. The ISFPs are also concerned with other's emotions but need more obvious physical signs to notice it. However once they notice they act on comforting others a lot more quickly than I do. They're also more likely to offer physical or material comfort while I'm more likely to take the time to better acquaint myself with their problem before I try to help them. So when someone is crying and says that this and this happened ISFPs will more likely say "What can I do to make it better?" while INFPs will ask something like "Why did this happen?" or "what specifically made you upset about this situation?"

INFPs are usually a lot more conservative than ISFPs Take Lady Gaga as an ISFP example. INFPs (at least the one's I know) are kind of prudes compared to ISFPs. Also ISFPs are more social and usually reply/check their texts more often while my INFP friend and I have exchanged about 3 texts in the past half a year.

Both ISFPs and INFPs enjoy literature equally as far as I know but INFPs seem to like poetry more than ISFPs do especially if it's metaphor ridden or cryptic poetry. This is reflected in their style of writing too. INFPs use metaphors and will connect their subject matter to more universal truths, while ISFPs write in similes and are more likely to incorporate action or complications in the real world. INFP writing: main character struggles with philosophical question or internal conflict. ISFP writing: Main character is in a tough family situation or in a love triangle and is struggling with own emotions.

One last thing: I've observed that ISFPs get distracted by physical things or things happening around them, while INFPs get distracted by inner thoughts and imaginings.

As an INFP I spent my day-dreaming time, living imaginary experiences from other people's perspectives as well as my own. I don't know how ISFPs day-dream (if they even do it that often)

INFP: Empathy. They like putting themselves in other peoples shoes to feel that situation. Bird, person, cat, paperclip, spider, teapot, actual shoes, it doesn't matter. Infps want to feel how something else feels. As children, these are the ones who spend hours genuinely believing theyre fairies or something and play with imaginary friends. The best toy is a cardboard box.

ISFP: They sense. They experience the world through intense feeling: think colour, smell, taste, texture, sound. They appreciate beauty like art, for the surface value of actually being beautiful. These people are the most artistic, painting drawing, sculpting, that kid that's covered in glue and glitter.

ISFP tend to see "oh wow, thats a beautiful flower" and get really excited and want to draw it or instagram it, where as INFP tend to say "oh that's a gorgeous flower" and think about what it might be like to be a flower, then write poetry on how the flower made them feel as well as interpreting metaphors and all.

HOWEVER:
The S is stronger in INFP than the N is in ISFP. Therefore ISFP tend to happily accept they are ISFP whereas INFP tend to question which one they are.

Sincerely, a proudly chronic INFP x