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Tell me more about being ISFP!

1502 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Sparkling
Hello there, Sensor-cousins,

I've been curious for a while now about you guys. Truth be told, as I've grown older I've come to envy you somewhat. I've always be more or less comfortable with my INFP status, but I've always said if there were one letter I'd change, it'd be that N to an S.

When I was younger, being an Intuitive appealed to me far more. Abstract ideas, outside-the-box thinking, philosophising, conceptualising, trying to tie everything together and observe some underlying "truth" to everything. Challenging the "mainstream" and "conformist". Believing I was thinking unique and reality-shattering philosophical ideas. I was one of those kid who thought "The Matrix" was the greatest movie ever.

But now... I've grown tired of that stuff. I've grown tired of people talking metaphysics and theory and all these profound-sounding but unfalsifiable ideas there is no discernible way of demonstrating to be right. Tired of endless debates over abstractions and listening to conjecture over the nature of reality. I don't want to muse over life all the time. I want to live it. I want to experience it. I want to participate and know what it is to be alive via my senses, not hover over life with a microscope; detached, aloof, and impersonal.

Our types seem so alike, and yet that N/S dichotomy clearly coms into play somewhere. N and S have always been the hardest functions to describe for me due to their "perceptive" nature. So ISFPs, I'd like to get your spin on things. What do you think are the main differences between INFPs and ISFPs? How do you experience Se? How do you experience life? How do you feel about abstraction and theory and all that stuff? Do you find people banging on about intangible concepts and their disregard for/subjectifying of physical reality tiresome? Do you think such things are largely N/S-related?

Thanks!
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My dad is an infp and I'm an isfp. A big difference I have noticed between us is that he tends to talk and theorize about everything, where as I prefer to just live in the moment and take everything in rather than put every little thing into words. I'm definitely not abstract and hate abstract thinking, it bores me and I lose interest quickly. Usually people tell me I don't talk much and seem reserved, but I think I'm just content observing than having to talk about everything.

How do you experience life?
I enjoy having friends and being social, but only to a certain extent. Sometimes I'll need to socialize and talk to people, but usually I am content hanging out in my room just thinking about things, whether it's my latest hobby or a life problem. Personal space is a must for me. I cannot hang out with someone all day with no breaks, at some point I have to break off and be by myself. I am content with a book or just listening to music on a bike ride on a day to day basis.
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