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What's Fi ?

3K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  The Great One 
#1 ·
I'm a INFP, and I don't really know what Fi is. That's not good :p

I know it has something to do with knowing if things are wrong or good.

But if it's only that then it's boring. Does that mean that we're always telling that everything is wrong all the time more than other types ?

And to add some more to the topic, what are the differences between Fi and Fe? I for sure am a P, but I feel like I use Fe more than Fi, but Ne more than Ni anyways.
I'm confused! xD
 
#2 ·
Introverted feeling is the dominant function for both ISFPs and INFPs. It's the ability to know exactly who and other people are, and whether a certain situation, action, or behavior is congruent with your true self. Introverted feelers are able to find connections with those who hold similar values to them. It's a great ability to have, in my opinion, but the catch is that introverted feelers don't usually project their true selves outwards for others to see.

There's much more to it as well, including the ability to see right from wrong like you mentioned.
 
#3 ·
Fi is like Fe but introverted. Sounds stupid, but it's true, I guess. In Fe your feelings are regarding the external, concrete world of other people and social rules and what have you. With Fi, your feelings are about the inner world, your gut reactions, personal morals, being able to relate external situations to "yourself" etc etc
 
#6 ·
Disclaimer: Neurotransmitter Flood

Fi is a filtration system of the ego. It experiences the world in tandem with oneself, as an entity subject to the evaluation of the individual. It transforms tangible and intangible phenomena into expressions of uniqueness. It accommodates the external to the internal. It is an extension of the solitary mind. It considers what makes you. It recognizes what IS you. It ponders consideration. It is mindless self-indulgence. It wonders about feeling what cannot be versed. It latches onto the bullet of instinct to understand.

In a singular mind, it yearns for the substance of existing by swallowing the world as a whole and digesting its contents through identification, be it negative or positive.

At least, that's how I see it.
 
#12 ·
Here's my basic description of my introverted feeling (there may be some Ne in this, as it's hard to unbake a cake, so to speak). I copied & pasted these from a few places I posted & added/edited a bit, so I may repeat myself.....

Fi picks up on feelings from the unconscious, what it means to be a human and what is moral. These feelings amount to principles, and the individual Fi-dom interprets these broad feelings into something they can apply to themselves, and maybe the external world. There is basically a model of the world and self in the Fi-dom's mind, similar to the Ti-dom, but the nature of it is more idealistic and concerned with issues which are heavily subjective. It's extremely hard to define Fi because of this. It seems there are no accurate words, as even "Feeling" falls short with its inaccurate connotations (ie. emotion). It's been suggested by one author that "sentiment" is a better word choice, but that word has it's own sappy baggage.

----

My Fi is an internal knowing of what is right and wrong and what makes sense, particularly from what I call a "human standpoint" or the "essence of being human", dealing with emotions & their meaning, morals & self and how they work, trying to harmonize the inconsistencies through evaluation, creating a model of the world & self that is ideal in a similar way a Ti-dom creates a theoretical model that is logical. Things tend to resonate with me as truth immediately, and further reflection and analyzing sort of fits it into already existing beliefs, or susses out why it resonates as truth. Sometimes there is conflict with new info, and resolving it can distress me, as can resolving a strong emotionally-driven desire with my values. Most everything is personal in some sense....I have to relate it to myself to understand it on a level where I can decide if it is right or wrong. That relating and evaluating is not done in such a linear manner though. As mentioned, often I start with the feeling and work through the "why" afterwards. It's a bit holistic and exploratory, like starting with a lump of clay and shaping it until it's a form you can name - it's not an exact science, but an art. Sometimes fantasy and imagination is used to problem solve.

There is also a welling up of feeling - not emotion, but just a feeling that says "this is me, or what I believe, or an idea I feel is worthwhile" and it can be felt in a mood, an image, a melody, a phrase, etc. When I come across a way to reflect that feeling externally, I will feel immediately, "this is how the feeling must be expressed".

For me, my Ne can be the "why?", exploring & finding possibilities, and my Fi can provide the "because" by reasoning on and narrowing those possibilities to what feels true.

As for emotions, they function separately as they are not a rational thought process (which Fi is), but are invaluable to Fi for deriving meaning and shedding light.
 
#13 ·
^^ That was very descriptive! Now I know I'm not an ENFP, for sure...Even though I know that Fi would be experienced differently for an ENFP, I think I would be able to relate to that a little. Not that that matters...

So as an Fi-user, you're very in touch with...yourself? I've also read that Fi-users are also in touch with other people and, by nature, can tell how different things affect other people. How does that work? Because I'm trying to find some other differences between Fi and Fe besides what's obvious and besides what I know already...
 
#22 ·
Yeah, you pretty much have to be very in touch with yourself and your feelings to be a dominant Fi user.
 
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#14 ·
Thanks everyone!
Does that mean that IxFP do it more than other types?

And would that be an example of Fi?

TV: The compagny Superevil is going to destroy all the trees from the forest to make chairs and tables
MaybeFiPerson: That's wrong! They deserve to be tortured! They ($*@$*$@(*!&$@$(*& !

Or is it just a random hysteric reaction?
 
#15 ·
IxFPs are Fi-dom, or they have introverted feeling as their dominant function, so yes, we "do it" more than other types :laughing:.

That seems a random hysteric reaction to me. You can't really attribute that to a function, as it seems very emotional. Cognitive functions are mental thought processes. You would need to know the reasoning behind the sentiment.

Introverted feeling types do tend to have strong emotional feelings about their values, or things which they have deemed as important in some way. These can come out unexpectedly, but random freakouts aren't what I'd call the norm.
 
#16 ·
TV: The compagny Superevil is going to destroy all the trees from the forest to make chairs and tables
MaybeFiPerson: That's wrong! They don't(is that what you meant?) deserve to be tortured! They ($*@$*$@(*!&$@$(*& !
It actually depends. That certainly could be Fi, but it doesn't have to be an Fi-user. An INFJ, such as my mom, might say the same thing. But she'd be taking in the information via her Ni which I think sees the unbiased structure of a situation or thing or person...I THINK!...I think that her values would come from what she sees as reliable throughout time... something that she can rely on through thick and thin. Also, she might be able to look at the situation from many different angles and- I actually don't really understand Ni too well. I'm really just theorizing here...So she might have that same feeling that the trees shouldn't be cut down. But now that I look at it closely, I think the Fi thing about that would be this: "They don't deserve to be tortured". According to some of the things I've read about Fi, atleast.

That might now make sense and I might be wrong...So...Bye!
 
#20 ·
Is Fi very different for INFP and ENFP ?
I've always wondering about that. Is it just less prominent? I guess I've always been confused because it seems so obvious to me that my perception is filtered through 'me'/my set of values. I guess I understand how Fi can be a second function in an intellectual way but not on a visceral level.
... ok, so maybe I have a hard time fully comprehending extroversion full stop (again, not intellectually, but viscerally).
 
#18 ·
ENFP profile - Typology Central

Introverted Feeling is the rational function and the kernel of the ENFP’s inner being. As an introverted judging faculty, it is primarily responsible for establishing personal values by which the ENFP will assess themselves and their external environment. However, as an Extroverted type, strangely enough the ENFP tends to rely on external cues for self-assessment. Thus, even if the Introverted Feeling is sufficiently developed, the ENFP could not and would not want to wholly divorce the External standard. As an Extroverted perceiver, the ENFP is more concerned with the general ambience of the environment rather than private perceptions. In this respect the ENFP is very different from the INFP who is primarily concerned with making private assessments of what has been observed, the ENFP often goes without judgment altogether, merely takes in the external environment, at times even becomes absorbed in it. On that account the ENFP makes a perfect mimic, effortlessly and spontaneously he captures the souls of those around them and can easily represent the observed person by virtue of mere hunches he shall project onto the external environment. Because the ENFP is this intensely attuned with the external ambience and the emotional climate of the environment, he likely would excel at journalism, as this type is overrepresented in that enterprise. Unlike the Introverted perceiver the ENFP does not filter what has been incepted through the inner agenda, but can merely recollect the external image in its pure essence, even pantomime if necessary. As we have observed in the INTJ profile, the perceptions of an introverted perceiver are thoroughly imbued in unconscious predilections of the subject and for this reason end up being inaccurately collected. Yet this is not a problem at all for the ENFP for the aforementioned reason.


In order for the ENFP’s vision to be fulfilled, he needs to arrive at a situation where he picks up the hunch that his vision has been realized. Unlike the IN types, he would not be satisfied with merely knowing that he knows how to be successful or captures an internal feeling of fulfillment, he needs for his vision to become a reality. As aforementioned, because of the ENFP’s lack of focus on external perception he is compelled to draw all of his energy into the external endeavor. As Jung commented, for this reason the ENFP tends to embody his vision. He becomes one with the essence he is currently preoccupied with. We have here a radically paradoxical notion.
The generally unfocused ENFP here focuses on his vision with blazing intensity the point of becoming one with it. Essentially, unlike the judging dominant types, the ENFP does not need to focus on any one particular thing, but rather on the general scope of his environment. Thus the ENFP can easily be preoccupied with his pursuit of the entire vision whilst shifting from activity to activity whilst undertaking his project. Extroverted Intuition is often malleable and can easily be influenced by the external environment, as we mentioned it lacks the grid of judgment. The ENFP can very easily be focused on one particular task at one point and by way of external circumstances be blown away to be focused with the same intensity on something radically different. This problem can be rectified only through cultivation of Introverted Feeling, which is the backbone to his psyche. At this point the ENFP will have a clear, internal focus on his activities and will not rely on external perceptions for guidance. Because the ENFP requires changes in his environment, as an Extroverted perceiver and depends on the outward scenario due to the factor of Extroversion, he depends almost wholly on outward stimulation for his energy. Thus when the external environment is satisfactory, the energy level will likely be high where he will devote most of it to the current endeavor he is pursuing. This is even more pertinent for the ENFP than the ENTP as the former is much more influenced by the human element and the emotional ambience of the environment. A toxic environment tends to be poisonous for this type as Feeling is at the core of the ENFP.
An unbalanced ENFP is unlikely to have a firm inner being and his self-image, as well as self-esteem will be greatly contingent upon the high and lows of the swings of his intuitive energy. And of course, to even a greater extent the intuitive ambience he shall entertain as reception from the audience. Such ENFPs will greatly depend on admiration of others for their own sense of self-confidence. As the soundness of their inner feelings and values will be almost entirely contingent upon their public reception. Because such ENFPs will depend on the approval of others to such a tremendous extent they will prostrate their values to appease their audience in order to recollect the proper hunch of harmony and appreciation by others. They will tend to measure their success by how well they are liked. They will need consistent external gratification in order to be hold their own soundly. This lack of judgment leads to a grotesque inconsistency in the behavior of this type which often undermines the self-confidence and integrity of the ENFP. Being reliant on the approbation of others, the ENFP will do all that is possible to win their approval, yet even this would be difficult because the lack of judgment in this type will make it hard for the ENFP to behave consistently. The intense external focus (due to lack of involvement of introverted feeling) will make it difficult for the ENFP to reflect on his own behavior and therefore this type likely will be unaware of inconsistencies in his own behavior that are obvious to others. As Introverted Feelers, ENFPs tend to put a high premium on integrity, yet they also would go by external reception to assess their performance. Therefore the ENFP likely will be deeply hurt by others seeing them as insincere and unreliable for the reasons mentioned above. The only sound way to overcome this problem would be to cultivate Introverted Feeling first and foremost, so at that point the ENFP will rely on his own private judgments to assess his character and not on amorphous perceptions and receptions of the audience. Secondly the ENFP will need to cultivate Extroverted Thinking in order to support their value judgments and acquire the tough-minded fortitude to stand by their values in face of external adversity. The ENFP tends to be extremely sensitive to criticism in great part for different reasons than the quintessential feeling types. A great part of this is the Extroverted perception which leads to excessive reliance on feedback.


“The intuitive’s morality is governed neither by thinking nor by feeling; he has his own characteristic morality, which consists in loyalty to his vision and involuntary submission to authority. Consideration for others is weak. Their psychic well-being counts as little with him as does his own. He has equally little regard for their convictions and way of life, and on this accounts he is often put down as an immoral and unscrupulous adventurer.”


This, almost certainly, is a result of the Introverted Feeling, or the judging essence, ethics building faculty being enslaved by the Extroverted Intuition. Such an ENFP sees a good thing as simply whatever is in accord with his vision. Whatever is not, shall be deemed bad. Here he simply sees no distinction between desirable and desired by me. As mentioned in the INFP profile, the nature of Introverted Judgment without a purpose will be radically ego-centric, though the introverted judger who has found a higher purpose will likely avoid self-apotheosis. The latter is the danger that the ENP is particularly susceptible. As the Introverted Judgment is unlikely to function soundly if the ENfP is off-balance. Such individuals will likely use their keen awareness of the external environment to simply ‘pick the berries’ whilst having little concern for the interest of others and even less the amelioration of the community. Such ENFPs will utilize their networking skills to win the approbation of the multitude and appease the interests promoted by their Extroverted Intuition. This once more, is an inevitable consequence of introverted judgment turned corrupt. Manipulating the external situation will be central to his interests. Extroverted Perception will give him a clear view of the ‘entire board’, and Introverted Feeling will allow for the ENFP to make sound interpersonal decisions to do all that is necessary to appease the whims of his egocentric will. Such ENFPs function in this fashion because they lack a higher purpose, or they do not wish to pursue any inner virtue that transcends what befits their external environment. Accordingly they will have little interest in being as sensitive as possible for instance. They will only want to be sensitive enough to get what they are looking for in terms of external rewards.

“Since his intuition is concerned with externals and with feretting out their possibilities, he readily turns to professions in which he can exploit these capacities to the full. Many business tycoons, entrepreneurs, speculators, stockbrokers, politicians, etc., belong to this type.”


As aforementioned the ENFP is often able to put on exactly the kind of an image he needs to put on for the sake of meeting a particular external end. The ENFP is even better at this than the ENFP because he is attuned with the likes and dislikes of the people around him and the general ambience they produce, almost impeccably he will be able to recollect just the right image he needs to throw in their faces to pay the proper lip service.

“Endless clandestine rivalries spring up, and in these embittered struggles she will shrink from no baseness or meanness, and will even prostitute her virtues in order to play the trump card.”

Thus, the ENFP without sound values will merely prostitute oneself for the whims and fancies of his/her spectators. Yet one with sound inner values will teach by example. Much like the INFP, the ENFP will not need to preach or lecture to influence the external environment, he will simply wish to live out his values, as famously demonstrated by Leo Tolstoy. There can be no doubt that ENFPs, as feelers and Extroverted perceivers have an intense need to influence the environment (as mentioned in the earlier allusion to them being over-represented in journalism), yet they shall not aspire to do this in the conventional Extroverted Judging way by imposing their principles on others. Such ENFPs will truly walk the talk and stand by their commitments and values, and will rarely attempt to act merely for effect. They will not be letting down those who have been taken aback by their sincerity and depth of Feeling, as their behavior will be consistent and well thought out. The quest and morality of this type will be intensely focused on the individual, as denoted by the factor of Introverted Feeling. Despite the all embracing vision represented by the Extroverted Intuition of this type, the aim of the ENFP is often elitist due to the Introversion of judgment. This is where the Extroverted Visionary differs from the Introverted. The introversion visionary (Ni), will want for all to accept and understand their vision (Extroverted Judgment shall impose on all), yet would lack the expository skills to make their ideas accessible. Yet the Extroverted Visionary aims only at the select few (Introverted Judgment), yet is able to make his ideas accessible to all. Introverted Vision is concerned primarily with the search of inner life and the outer world, the INJ will wish for all to pursue this quest. Yet the ENFP is primarily concerned with this world, much like Tolstoy and Sogyal Rinpoche, yet admittedly or not, the ENFP will only wish for the selected few to undertake the venture. This also accurately represents the social aspect of this type, as the ENFP prefers to show his true colors only to the select few who have connected with their inner values. This attests to the phenomenon of elitism in this type which is often concealed by the all embracing, everywhere and nowhere approach to life of Extroverted Intuition which is at the helm of the psyche of the ENFP.
 
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