Distinguishing INFJs from INFPs

[Milon]

Introverted types are introverted function dominant so INFJ is Ni Fe (Ti Se Ne Fi Te Si) while INFP is Fi Ne. ENFJ would be Fe Ni.

Oooohhhh! *light bulb*

So the first letter states whether the primary function is intro- or extra-verted (rather than the 2nd letter). The last letter states which is primary, and the middle two state which perceiving and which judging functions are dominant. Me thinks I get it now!

 

[aeon]

One thing INFPs do obsess over is word choice. Many of us report looking words up in the dictionary before posting and agonizing over the post before hitting submit because we want to convey our meaning perfectly. I do this with words I already know just to make sure it is saying exactly what I want.

Yea, this describes me well.


cheers,
Ian

 

[aeon]

A question to INFPs:

when you are driving, do you occasionally, to frequently, have people impatiently trying to overtake you?

Only those who would seek to break the law by passing me - I drive the speed limit.

That said, in general, I choose to overtake. Seeing patterns in traffic and identifying opportunities is a pleasure.


cheers,
Ian

 

[aeon]

I have noticed one thing in this thread that I sense as inaccurate, based on my understanding. There seems to be some degree of conflation of Fi and emotion. Fi, or introverted feeling, is a cognitive process under Jungian theory - it is a wholly different aspect of conscious awareness than is emotion.

Emotional lability and external expression certainly has a basis or bases, but my sense is the cognitive process of Fi is not one of them.


cheers,
Ian

 

[Satya]

For some reason, I have difficulty getting along with INFPs. They overreact to criticism whereas INFJs just tend to shut down. They also tend to have much more sympathy for themselves than others whereas the reverse is true for INFJs. Everyone has to live up to the INFPs ideals whereas INFJs try to adjust their ideals to be inclusive as possible.

 

[VH]

Oooohhhh! *light bulb*

So the first letter states whether the primary function is intro- or extra-verted (rather than the 2nd letter). The last letter states which is primary, and the middle two state which perceiving and which judging functions are dominant. Me thinks I get it now!

The first letter in the MBTI states whether the primary function is introverted or extroverted.

The middle two letters are the core of a person, stating which P and J preferences the person has, respectively.

The last letter states which of the person's core functions is extroverted.

For examples:

INFJ = primary introverted, NF core, extroverted J function (Fe) = Ni + Fe
ENFJ = primary extroverted, NF core, extroverted J function (Fe) = Fe + Ni
INFP = primary introverted, NF core, extroverted P function (Ne) = Fi + Ne
ENFP = primary extroverted, NF core, extroverted P function (Ne) = Ne + Fi

This is how the MBTI uses the dichotomies to define cognitive function preference.

 

[Zero Angel]

J types extravert their T or F as one of their first two functions (so it would be Fe or Te) and introvert their perception (S or N) -- P types do the opposite (introverting judgement T/F and extraverting perception S/N). So a TJ would have Te as one of their first two functions, and an FJ would have Fe as one of the first two.

An NJ would have Ni as one of the first two, and an SJ would have Si as one of the first two functions. Complementarily an NP would have Ne as one of the first two, and an SP would have Se as one of the first two.

An ENTJ -- being a TJ and an extravert would have Te as his first function, and being an NJ, would have Ni as his auxiliary function. The remaining two are mirrors of the first two. So his function order would be

Te, Ni, Se, Fi

an INTP -- being an TP, would have introverted thinking as one of his first functions, and being an NP would have extraverted intuition as one of his first two. His function order would be

Ti, Ne, Si, Fe

 

[acd]

For some reason, I have difficulty getting along with INFPs. They overreact to criticism whereas INFJs just tend to shut down. They also tend to have much more sympathy for themselves than others whereas the reverse is true for INFJs. Everyone has to live up to the INFPs ideals whereas INFJs try to adjust their ideals to be inclusive as possible.

The INFP experiences their emotions with intensity. It's a curse and a blessing. The curse, would be the self-involved self-pitying legacy our type has a tendency to indulge in. However, if we are able to overcome our negative emotions, our rich emotional world is a blessing. We use our experience to navigate through life working to maintain harmony through sympathizing with others--because we understand how overwhelming negativity can be. Any INFP profile I have read has said that the INFP is the type with the deepest capacity for caring.

As for everyone else having to live up to the INFPs' ideals, I disagree again. Dogma and the INFP are antithetical. Speaking personally, you have no idea how easy my life would be if I could fit myself into one value system and purpose; believing and following blindly and expecting the same of others. INFPs are probably the most idealistic of the types, but the catch-22 for us, is that we see things that need to change, but we wouldn't dare push our agendas on others. The last thing we want is conflict-- so we try the best we can not to contribute to the ugliness around us. We can see outside the glass box, and we sulk and brood that others cannot see with us and act.

Second of all, we don't expect anyone to conform to our standards because our standards are usually pretty fluid. We like to remain open and adaptable to new information and circumstances. Our minds work like the eyes of a dragonfly. We see an issue from many degrees and angles. We're too busy trying to figure out the innerworkings of the universe, reality, our own minds, and everyone else to even bother with trying to lead. The INFP is the first of the types to admit, "I don't know. I'm searching." We're too curious; exceedingly tolerant (perhaps to a fault, even) to impose our wills upon anyone else. The INFP 'goes with the flow' until they feel violated (which may not happen very often, as the INFP tends to be drawn equally to all things sacred and profane.)

I don't see how this thread is a good indicator of the INFJ/INFP differences. So some posters put up biased ideas of the differences. Obviously, the INFJ descriptions read more favorably than the INFP ones. That's what I see. I know you are all well-meaning, but the bulk of this thread seems to read that the INFP seems to be lazy and/or careless and/or aimless.

I'm not offended, though. I'm enjoying this thread and I enjoy this forum immensely. Alls I'm sayins..I don't really feel the INFP is understood here.

 

[Sever]

INFP posts typically appear ragged and random in their formatting as compared to INFJ posts. Capitalization, punctuation, etc. are generally not heeded as much. And the line spacing that INFJs tend to use is their posts in generally not something you see in INFP posts.

I've seen enough of both that I have a pretty good idea of a mistyped member or two on this forum in this regard. Just look at arbygil's post as compared to yours and you can see what I mean. Your post is a clump and her post is carefully formatted.

Silly me, I thought I was being structured! Here's how it went in my head : Introduction (what got me here, my journey so far) - Things that make me think I'm Infj- Things that make me think I'm Infp- Conclusion (I'm lost).

After rereading it though from your point of view, I can see how it can appear random. I didn't use spacing and I missed some capitalization. I usually don't pay enough attention to capitals, but I do think it's very important not to misspell words. I'm going to try to use more spacing to make my posts easier on the eyes.

One thing INFPs do obsess over is word choice. Many of us report looking words up in the dictionary before posting and agonizing over the post before hitting submit because we want to convey our meaning perfectly. I do this with words I already know just to make sure it is saying exactly what I want.

I do that ! I either worry that the word that doesn't mean what I think it means or even that the word might not exist in the language I'm writing in and I've "borrowed" it from one of the other languages I speak (usually, my doubts have no reason to be but I feel better after checking).

Sever - when it comes to INFJ vs INFP, what it really comes down to is this: Are you Fe Ni (Fe dominant) or Ni Fe (Ni dominant)? That's all the difference MBTI gives between INFJ and INFP. Personally I don't think it's a very accurate method of describing people in general. Sometimes I'm Fe Ni, sometimes I'm Ni Fe. I go with INFJ because that's most correct for me.

Yeah, I've been trying to define what it concretely means to be Fe Ni/ Ni Fe (struggling to grasp the concept but some previous posts have helped).

I read what the site "Infp or Infj? Take a closer look" says and now, I'm leaning more towards Infp.

For some reason, I have difficulty getting along with INFPs. They overreact to criticism whereas INFJs just tend to shut down. They also tend to have much more sympathy for themselves than others whereas the reverse is true for INFJs. Everyone has to live up to the INFPs ideals whereas INFJs try to adjust their ideals to be inclusive as possible.

Well if I am Infp, that doesn't fit me.
I can be hurt by criticism but I try my best not to show it (I don't like being too sensitive and I'm afraid people will think I'm weak).
I am much harder on myself than on others. I live by ideals but I don't judge the rest of the world by them. I can be so harsh with myself that lately, I came up with this exercise : When I start beating myself up for every little mistake, I try asking "what would my reaction be if someone else did what I did? " then I have to admit that I'd have forgiven the person so I try to do the same for me. I can fall into the trap of pitying myself though, so I have to watch out.

INFJ = primary introverted, NF core, extroverted J function (Fe) = Ni + Fe

INFP = primary introverted, NF core, extroverted P function (Ne) = Fi + Ne

So the difference between Infp and Infj is that one extraverts the P function and one extraverts the J function. Am I then an Infp if in my head I feel structured and working towards a goal but to others I seem random, messy and a wanderer? Am I extraverting P ?

It's so weird to realize I could have been wrong in thinking I was Infj all this time. One clue I should have paid attention to is that I have a close friend who is Infj and we're not that alike. I suspected I might have mistyped him, not myself. The biggest difference is how we see others : He makes up his mind quickly about a person and never changes it. He will always refer to X in the same terms. I used to tell him I feel people deserve a second look and I keep myself open to changing my mind about someone. Is this a demonstration of Infj-ness and Infp-ness? (I'm just speculating. could be wrong.)

 

[Sever]

As for everyone else having to live up to the INFPs' ideals, I disagree again. Dogma and the INFP are antithetical. Speaking personally, you have no idea how easy my life would be if I could fit myself into one value system and purpose; believing and following blindly and expecting the same of others. INFPs are probably the most idealistic of the types, but the catch-22 for us, is that we see things that need to change, but we wouldn't dare push our agendas on others. The last thing we want is conflict-- so we try the best we can not to contribute to the ugliness around us. We can see outside the glass box, and we sulk and brood that others cannot see with us and act.

Second of all, we don't expect anyone to conform to our standards because our standards are usually pretty fluid. We like to remain open and adaptable to new information and circumstances. Our minds work like the eyes of a dragonfly. We see an issue from many degrees and angles. We're too busy trying to figure out the innerworkings of the universe, reality, our own minds, and everyone else to even bother with trying to lead. The INFP is the first of the types to admit, "I don't know. I'm searching." We're too curious; exceedingly tolerant (perhaps to a fault, even) to impose our wills upon anyone else. The INFP 'goes with the flow' until they feel violated (which may not happen very often, as the INFP tends to be drawn equally to all things sacred and profane.)

.

Scary how well that describes me. Especially lately.

 

[jn56uytrx]

Alls I'm sayins..I don't really feel the INFP is understood here.

I can appreciate that sentiment. Part of that may be true misunderstanding, but part of it might also be the difficulty of language. I think there can be an unconscious preference toward language that is more favorable to one's own experience. I don't think in that case it's an intentional slight, but rather a truly unaware bias. I'm sure I'm guilty of it.

I spent time at the INFP forum in the past and I admit near the end I did experience a good deal of frustration and hurt at the hand of what I believe to be this kind of communication bias. Many times it came from people I considered friends who I believe valued me and my expression very much, but who spoke with a language choice that conveyed preference for their way of being. In places where that way of being contradicted my own, I felt my expression slighted by their language choices. There was confusion, defensiveness, and sometimes gentle attacks to my sensitivity when I tried to make them aware of the hurt I was experiencing. I recognize my own responsibility for my sensitivities and that they likely meant no harm at all, but I do think that bias can unintentionally cause pain when someone self-identifies with an opposing nature to that being preferred in the language choice. I know you expressed feeling no sensitivity to it, but I want to apologize if any of my own bias in language caused others to feel hurt. I'm not sure I can avoid it, but having felt the sting of being on the other side, I wouldn't choose to inflict it.

 

[jn56uytrx]

We're too curious; exceedingly tolerant (perhaps to a fault, even) to impose our wills upon anyone else. The INFP 'goes with the flow' until they feel violated (which may not happen very often, as the INFP tends to be drawn equally to all things sacred and profane.)

That seems true to me in my experience. I have a more prominent sense of INFPs lashing out in judgment and anger than your description seems to indicate, though. Someone once described INFPs as teddy bears with really sharp claws. I don't know if my larger sense of INFP claws is because that is truly a larger part of the typical expression than indicated by your words or if it's because something in my own temperament feels terribly startled and threatened when the claws suddenly swipe and so it takes on a larger (and distorted) shape in my experience.

 

[jn56uytrx]

I read what the site "Infp or Infj? Take a closer look" says and now, I'm leaning more towards Infp.

I dislike that site.

I had tea this afternoon with a friend I met through shared interest in MBTI and we were discussing how unpleasant it is to experience rigid prejudices about MBTI type. Part of what we discussed was how MBTI is about the internal cognitive processes, but so much of what people base their prejudiced MBTI judgments on is external behaviors. She expressed, and I agreed, that there are so many other factors besides cognitive processes that affect a person's behavior.

I dislike the Infp or Infj site because I think it's very anecdotally behavior based. While the ideas might be interesting to contemplate, in the end I don't think it truly reveals very much. I do recognize it's difficult to see into a person's internal thought patterns (sometimes even our own), and so perhaps the best we can do is look at behavior to try to discern the inner thought process, but I think it wise to keep very much in the forefront of discernment, that many of those distinguishing test results could be true for either type depending on a large number of other behavioral influences.

 

[VH]

So the difference between Infp and Infj is that one extraverts the P function and one extraverts the J function. Am I then an Infp if in my head I feel structured and working towards a goal but to others I seem random, messy and a wanderer? Am I extraverting P ?

It's so weird to realize I could have been wrong in thinking I was Infj all this time. One clue I should have paid attention to is that I have a close friend who is Infj and we're not that alike. I suspected I might have mistyped him, not myself. The biggest difference is how we see others : He makes up his mind quickly about a person and never changes it. He will always refer to X in the same terms. I used to tell him I feel people deserve a second look and I keep myself open to changing my mind about someone. Is this a demonstration of Infj-ness and Infp-ness? (I'm just speculating. could be wrong.)

INFP is Fi + Ne.
Fi says "I know how I feel."
and because it is dominant, "...and I feel strongly."
Ne asks "What if?"
and because it is secondary, "...because I know how I feel."


INFJ is Ni + Fe
Ni asks "Why?"
and because it is dominant, "...and I must know."
Fe says "I know how things should be."
and because it is secondary, "...because I asked why."

 

[Sever]

INFP is Fi + Ne.
Fi says "I know how I feel."
and because it is dominant, "...and I feel strongly."
Ne asks "What if?"
and because it is secondary, "...because I know how I feel."


INFJ is Ni + Fe
Ni asks "Why?"
and because it is dominant, "...and I must know."
Fe says "I know how things should be."
and because it is secondary, "...because I asked why."

I recognize myself in Fi and Ni. Is that possible?

 

[Satya]

Second of all, we don't expect anyone to conform to our standards because our standards are usually pretty fluid. We like to remain open and adaptable to new information and circumstances.

I have an INFP friend. His favorite line is, "I'm alright with people doing what they want as long as it isn't stupid". INFPs are "fluid" until people do things that conflict with their ideals, then they are as rigid as concrete. This has nothing to do with "dogma" or what an INFP might believe, but the sensibilities of the INFP. That is what makes INFPs inflexible when it comes to their ideals, and very few INFPs are willing to recognize that their emotional state gets in the way of their so called "flexiblity".

 

[mayflow]

I have an INFP friend. His favorite line is, "I'm alright with people doing what they want as long as it isn't stupid". INFPs are "fluid" until people do things that conflict with their ideals, then they are as rigid as concrete. This has nothing to do with "dogma" or what an INFP might believe, but the sensibilities of the INFP. That is what makes INFPs inflexible when it comes to their ideals, and very few INFPs are willing to recognize that their emotional state gets in the way of their so called "flexiblity".

O the poor dears!

 

[Sever]

but the fact that your friend thinks that way doesn't mean all Infp's do.

 

[acd]

I can appreciate that sentiment. Part of that may be true misunderstanding, but part of it might also be the difficulty of language. I think there can be an unconscious preference toward language that is more favorable to one's own experience. I don't think in that case it's an intentional slight, but rather a truly unaware bias. I'm sure I'm guilty of it.

I spent time at the INFP forum in the past and I admit near the end I did experience a good deal of frustration and hurt at the hand of what I believe to be this kind of communication bias. Many times it came from people I considered friends who I believe valued me and my expression very much, but who spoke with a language choice that conveyed preference for their way of being. In places where that way of being contradicted my own, I felt my expression slighted by their language choices. There was confusion, defensiveness, and sometimes gentle attacks to my sensitivity when I tried to make them aware of the hurt I was experiencing. I recognize my own responsibility for my sensitivities and that they likely meant no harm at all, but I do think that bias can unintentionally cause pain when someone self-identifies with an opposing nature to that being preferred in the language choice. I know you expressed feeling no sensitivity to it, but I want to apologize if any of my own bias in language caused others to feel hurt. I'm not sure I can avoid it, but having felt the sting of being on the other side, I wouldn't choose to inflict it.

I think you are are onto something? Communication is not so cut and dry. You can speak the same language as someone else and yet--not. My bf is an INTJ and it's definitely more apparent in certain conversations, especially ones of an interpretive nature. Often, we are agreeing on something, and end up disagreeing based on semantics and the way each of us express ourselves through bias of our experience. Then we circle back to agreeing again once it's understood how each the other is communicating. It's odd. If that makes sense at all.

That seems true to me in my experience. I have a more prominent sense of INFPs lashing out in judgment and anger than your description seems to indicate, though. Someone once described INFPs as teddy bears with really sharp claws. I don't know if my larger sense of INFP claws is because that is truly a larger part of the typical expression than indicated by your words or if it's because something in my own temperament feels terribly startled and threatened when the claws suddenly swipe and so it takes on a larger (and distorted) shape in my experience.

As far as the Teddy bears with claws thing.. I think that's funny and sad. I won't say it's untrue. I have a nasty side as well and as a result of understanding the subtle complexities of human emotions and their vibratory strings-- I'm pretty good at pulling the negative ones when I lack the self-control. Just as any type, INFPs can be judgmental and act in anger. I should have clarified this when I mentioned the blessing/cure thing--that when the INFP learns to temper their emotions with rationality-- they are less prone to being judgmental and less prone to act in anger. I was pretty much describing my type through my own experience because I was tired of other people describing it through their own... so maybe this thread did hit a chord in me.

 

[Satya]

but the fact that your friend thinks that way doesn't mean all Infp's do.

Most INFPs I have encountered online and off have a very similar attitude. They are flexible in their values until their sensibilities are offended or hurt.