Tips for introspection?
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(My first OP! woohoo =D)
I think first I should give a little backstory. Well, when I was little I always had the kind of dreamy and idealistic nature INFPs are known for, but I was also good at using logic to do schoolwork and the like. I believe that during those times this 'rational' side was kind of a 'servant' for my Idealist side, just using objective logic when it was needed to. I also reflected a lot about life during those days.
When I was about 14 I entered into a spiritual/emotional crisis which left me emotionally vulnerable for a while. I believe that during those times I started relying heavily on my thinking side throughout the day, to the point that it was present even when I was out of school. Add to that that my mom started pressuring me to stop reflecting and to hang out more with other people, like an extrovert. And as time went on, my parents started arguing more often, which I feel discouraged me even more from paying attention to my feelings.
Well now I'm almost 18, and I've long since recovered from that crisis, but now I think that I've neglected some of my Idealist traits in favor of my reasoning self. I feel I've spent most of my time at home using the internet, playing video games and other distractions to keep me from having 'alone time'. I still believe I'm an INFP, since I treasure values and other people's feelings more than logic and ideas, but I've been wanting to regain that dreaming and idealist nature again.
Externally my situation's all right, I just want to solve this inner conflict in myself and bring that inner idealist to fruition.
In short, I want to develop my Introverted Feeling function more, mainly through having some alone time to focus on finding meaning in the world, in myself, in other people etc. I'm just lost as in where to start, how to decide what's right, and how to direct myself.
Anyone have any suggestions? Ideas? Oh, and thanks to anyone who had the patience to read the whole post!
roud:
I think first I should give a little backstory. Well, when I was little I always had the kind of dreamy and idealistic nature INFPs are known for, but I was also good at using logic to do schoolwork and the like. I believe that during those times this 'rational' side was kind of a 'servant' for my Idealist side, just using objective logic when it was needed to. I also reflected a lot about life during those days.
When I was about 14 I entered into a spiritual/emotional crisis which left me emotionally vulnerable for a while. I believe that during those times I started relying heavily on my thinking side throughout the day, to the point that it was present even when I was out of school. Add to that that my mom started pressuring me to stop reflecting and to hang out more with other people, like an extrovert. And as time went on, my parents started arguing more often, which I feel discouraged me even more from paying attention to my feelings.
Well now I'm almost 18, and I've long since recovered from that crisis, but now I think that I've neglected some of my Idealist traits in favor of my reasoning self. I feel I've spent most of my time at home using the internet, playing video games and other distractions to keep me from having 'alone time'. I still believe I'm an INFP, since I treasure values and other people's feelings more than logic and ideas, but I've been wanting to regain that dreaming and idealist nature again.
Externally my situation's all right, I just want to solve this inner conflict in myself and bring that inner idealist to fruition.
In short, I want to develop my Introverted Feeling function more, mainly through having some alone time to focus on finding meaning in the world, in myself, in other people etc. I'm just lost as in where to start, how to decide what's right, and how to direct myself.
Anyone have any suggestions? Ideas? Oh, and thanks to anyone who had the patience to read the whole post!
roud:1 - 9 of 9 Posts
I don't have much in the way of advice... but I relate so I wanted to say something. Joining this blog, I'm sure, is a good start. By perusing the posts one can't help but weigh things said in terms of themselves, relative to themselves I mean. I'm an INFP but a lot of the stuff I see in those thread I can't relate to. I don't know what I mean by that.
I suppose a good (if cliche) place to start would be maybe to begin writing in a journal. Or find something that really interests you and figure out why it does. Don't know if that was helpful! good luck to you.
I suppose a good (if cliche) place to start would be maybe to begin writing in a journal. Or find something that really interests you and figure out why it does. Don't know if that was helpful! good luck to you.
Congratz
Assuming that you've "suppressed" your inner self from age 14 (for a couple of years?), maybe it might help to take a few tests in two mindsettings: answer a test as you would when you were 14 (and younger) and as you would when you were 14-17.
Good luck, see you soon? ^^
Actually, Fi is a rational judging process, but instead of slapping impersonal, neutral, 'subjectivated' 'objective' logic labels on everything, INFP's label stuff with personal, colored, 'objectivated' 'subjective' values.
Before you go ahead and cultivate your 'inner idealist', I think should read up on the INFP functions first, namely Fi and Ne. You seem to be hanging on to profile descriptions (stereotypes) a lot, while it's more worthwhile to read up on these functions. It may also give you a satisfactory answer to whether or not you're an INFP.Well now I'm almost 18, and I've long since recovered from that crisis, but now I think that I've neglected some of my Idealist traits in favor of my reasoning self. I feel I've spent most of my time at home using the internet, playing video games and other distractions to keep me from having 'alone time'. I still believe I'm an INFP, since I treasure values and other people's feelings more than logic and ideas, but I've been wanting to regain that dreaming and idealist nature again.
Externally my situation's all right, I just want to solve this inner conflict in myself and bring that inner idealist to fruition.
In short, I want to develop my Introverted Feeling function more, mainly through having some alone time to focus on finding meaning in the world, in myself, in other people etc. I'm just lost as in where to start, how to decide what's right, and how to direct myself.
Anyone have any suggestions? Ideas? Oh, and thanks to anyone who had the patience to read the whole post!
Assuming that you've "suppressed" your inner self from age 14 (for a couple of years?), maybe it might help to take a few tests in two mindsettings: answer a test as you would when you were 14 (and younger) and as you would when you were 14-17.
Good luck, see you soon? ^^
You seem to be confused with Idealism and Introspection. These two are not the same.
I can understand why you'd switch to reasonability than idealism. Idealists, dream, imagine. Introspection is not related to idealism.
To introspect, is to simply examine or observe your own emotional and mental processes.
If you're really asking how to brush up on your introspective skills, you can try journaling, sitting in a quiet space, and thinking of the things that happened in your day, make connections, see viable patterns, and come to conclusions. Of course pattern making and making accurate portrayals of patterns in order to do this there has to be a conclusive sequence externally. It sounds easy. But it is not. Some people are not introspective. And they really ought to be. Introspection and self-awareness are mutual exclusive. These kinds of people have a major advantage in life. They can avoid commonalities in life that give people grief, etc.
Typically introspective tendencies are well developed in childhood. Not saying that it cannot be honed in adolescence and adulthood, it will just take a lot more conscious effort and time.
I can understand why you'd switch to reasonability than idealism. Idealists, dream, imagine. Introspection is not related to idealism.
To introspect, is to simply examine or observe your own emotional and mental processes.
If you're really asking how to brush up on your introspective skills, you can try journaling, sitting in a quiet space, and thinking of the things that happened in your day, make connections, see viable patterns, and come to conclusions. Of course pattern making and making accurate portrayals of patterns in order to do this there has to be a conclusive sequence externally. It sounds easy. But it is not. Some people are not introspective. And they really ought to be. Introspection and self-awareness are mutual exclusive. These kinds of people have a major advantage in life. They can avoid commonalities in life that give people grief, etc.
Typically introspective tendencies are well developed in childhood. Not saying that it cannot be honed in adolescence and adulthood, it will just take a lot more conscious effort and time.
Thank you!
Thanks again!roud:
Congratz
Can you help me understand what you mean by 'objectivated subjective values'?
Thanks, I'll start researching more on these functions. Regarding the Fi function, I mainly went with the description on the cognitive functions test, where it said it "attempts to find meaning in the world". My thought was that with introspection, I would use Fi to develop my values and find this meaning.
Thanks again!
roud:The way I thought about it was that Idealists operated on values which were developed from deep reflection into their experiences and feelings. So what I wanted was mainly to have this deep reflection so I could strengthen these values.
With that said though, I really thank you for your advice on introspection. I'll be starting right away!
With that said though, I really thank you for your advice on introspection. I'll be starting right away!
Objectivated, the word doesn't exist I think ^^ But what I mean are values, which are subjective by nature, are used/concluded to in such a rational manner it almost seems objective. With the other one, I mean logic, which is objective by nature, but used in a manner that can only 'belong' to a person (the subject). This isn't making it any more clearer, is it? ^^;
Don't worry, I got it this time. I think I understand it now:wink:
I wish I meditated more.
I love metaphors.
@EmotionallyTonedGeometry has a cool metaphor about lagoons and ships (love ship metaphors), sticked in the infj forum.
I love metaphors.
@EmotionallyTonedGeometry has a cool metaphor about lagoons and ships (love ship metaphors), sticked in the infj forum.
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