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The alluring trap of INFP's..

15K views 66 replies 35 participants last post by  Dabbling  
I believe the "problems" you are struggling to come to terms with lie entirely in the nature of xNFPs and xNTPs. (Addressing the OP directly.) My mother is an INFP. One of my sisters is an INFP. I was married to an xNFP for 6 years. None of them understand the way I evaluate the items I perceive, even if they perceive the items as well.

xNFPs look at the world with Ne, just as xNTPs do, and so may ask the same questions or find unusual approaches to looking at subjects. This translates directly into interesting conversations and initial attraction. Unfortunately, once an xNFP or xNTP grasps a subject, they processes it oppositely: the xNFP applies their own experiences and ideals to the object, while the xNTP simply cannot and refuses to do so, as doing so is "wrong."

At that point conversation becomes fruitless, as the xNFP strongly tends to apply their subjective opinions, the xNTP rejecting subjectivity altogether (or the inverse occurs, where the xNTP applies objective observations/opinions and the xNFP cannot grasp them).

Ne brings them together, the xNTP's Ti and Fe repulse the xNFP's Fi and Te and vice versa.

Another observation is that xNTPs will inevitably identify xNFPs as manipulators. Not because they are intentionally being manipulative, but the xNTP generally maintains this idea: "expressing non-objective opinions = expressing potential false-hoods = expressing lies." Naturally the xNFP isn't truly doing this, but the xNTP cannot handle it well at all. Inversely, xNFPs will inevitably identify xNTPs as heartless, as the xNFP generally maintains this type of idea: "When I express my feelings, I am sharing a part of my life with someone--part of who I am." And the xNTP doesn't understand how to deal with this idea in the slightest.

(Really, despite my own extensive experience with xNFPs, I struggle with handling any sort of communication regarding feelings. If I were to express my deepest feelings about some subject, I would expect the xNFP to objectively process it with me, potentially arguing with me, tearing my philosophy/feelings apart, asking me if I'm just being stupid about it, etc. etc. If they don't, then they aren't helping me at all!)

Hope this helps.