Most likely alternatives to INFJ

[justeccentricnotinsane]

Hello
It's often said that many people who type as INFJ are not, as it is a rare personality. I don't suggest that we go around retyping ourselves or each other. At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter and people can get sensitive about these things. But I'd be interested to discuss what types are more likely to mistype as INFJ - even if they read a lot of typology material and grasp the cognitive functions.

There are, I suppose, a few ways one might mistype. The obvious one is that we all lie to ourselves because there will always be a way we wish we were or want to be and we will type ourselves accordingly to make ourselves feel better.

But for those who do know a lot about the cognitive functions, we can assume they may be correct in saying they use Ni Fe Ti and Se, but possibly in a different order. So are ENFJ, ISTP and ESTP more likely to mistype as INFJ - or more particularly the first two, perhaps. It seems weird that a lot of those that mistype discover themselves to be INFP, INTJ or ISFJ (or so it seems) as these use different cognitive functions.

Anyway, I basically don't know the answer, but I though it would be interesting to discuss what we believe causes mistypings, whether it matters (that might be a terse subject) and whether there are certain types that more often mistype as INFJ and why.

Don't know if this will one's got legs - but off you go!

 

[Wyote]

Probably the most common is INFP due to a misinterpretation of Fi/Fe and Ni. INFPs(among others) can easily overestimate their Ni and underestimate their Fi.

The second most common is probably INTJ because they misinterpret exceptional usage of Te/Fi as Fe.

 

[justeccentricnotinsane]

Probably the most common is INFP due to a misinterpretation of Fi/Fe and Ni. INFPs(among others) can easily overestimate their Ni and underestimate their Fi.

The second most common is probably INTJ because they misinterpret exceptional usage of Te/Fi as Fe.

Cool. What would exceptional usage of Te/Fi look like?

 

[Nixie]

Probably the most common is INFP due to a misinterpretation of Fi/Fe and Ni. INFPs(among others) can easily overestimate their Ni and underestimate their Fi.

The second most common is probably INTJ because they misinterpret exceptional usage of Te/Fi as Fe.

Blasphemy!!!!!!

 

[Wyote]

Cool. What would exceptional usage of Te/Fi look like?

Like @Sonya on a good day =P

 

[Nixie]

Like @Sonya on a good day =P

My inner Te is not amused
My inner Fi is bemused
My inner Fe sucks
My inner ESFX says "I'm good everyday, and in everyway baby"

 

[Broken705]

I've wondered about ENFJ. Some people say they are extremely extroverted and others say that they need more introspection. I have no idea.

 

[roxtehproxy]

Probably the most common is INFP due to a misinterpretation of Fi/Fe and Ni. INFPs(among others) can easily overestimate their Ni and underestimate their Fi.

The second most common is probably INTJ because they misinterpret exceptional usage of Te/Fi as Fe.

Indeed. Get a feel for the types. Or better yet, sign up to both the INFP forum: http://infpforum.net/ and the INTJ forum: http://intjforum.com/ and get a feel for both so you can find out which it is you are. You could be anything that is introverted and intuitive, so long as those are confirmed.

Hope you find the answers you need.

 

[justeccentricnotinsane]

Indeed. Get a feel for the types. Or better yet, sign up to both the INFP forum: http://infpforum.net/ and the INTJ forum: http://intjforum.com/ and get a feel for both so you can find out which it is you are. You could be anything that is introverted and intuitive, so long as those are confirmed.

Hope you find the answers you need.

Thanks. I probably won't continue to question my type anymore though because I'm probably never going to decide. I usually think that if I'm not an INFJ I'm somewhere between an INTJ or INTP - my T is almost certainly Ti like the INTPs because I tend to recognise exactly what they're saying when they talk about their logical patterns, but I'm not all full of ideas like they are, I'd rather just focus on one thing and although I like pondering for pondering's sake sometimes, I would have to be doing something for one purpose that ended up with one result - it has to be a structured project. But then I don't particularly like details either, usually finding them to distract from the real issue. And with things like MBTI, I'm not particularly happy just staying looking at the same information and not transforming it (which sounds very Ne). I don't really see the point in learning what someone has said to a tee. It would seem better to understand the principle behind the theory, realise that they could have got some of the details wrong, and then merge it with other existent theories of society to create a wider understanding - I would correlate MBTI with theories of dominant ideology and cluster theory, for example, because it would be more interesting to see how things came about and how they fit in the wider context and what mechanisms are right in the middle of all of it - where it all converges and diverges at the same time. Just talking about what the individual theory means seems a bit finicky to me. I relate to the INTJs quite a lot but not the details oriented bit or their ideas of politeness and appropriate behaviour which even on forums can seem a bit rude to me. But I'm probably only thinking of a couple of INTJs and I have not been offended by anyone on this forum so please do not take offence - it's a broad generalisation. I always seem to throw the idea of INFP out as soon as it's mentioned but I think this is because of feeler stereotypes and I strongly do not think of myself as being sensitive and emotional and soft (although I am in many ways) because it goes against the myth I've created for myself as a logical hard ass :-D

So, as you can see, I'll never decide so there's not much point for me to look into further. I'd be interested, though, to see why people mistype - is it to do with how they see themselves? Is it to do with us being less conscious of our dominant function? Is it because MBTI can never capture everything? That kind of thing.

 

[Nixie]

Thanks. I probably won't continue to question my type anymore though because I'm probably never going to decide. I usually think that if I'm not an INFJ I'm somewhere between an INTJ or INTP - my T is almost certainly Ti like the INTPs because I tend to recognise exactly what they're saying when they talk about their logical patterns, but I'm not all full of ideas like they are, I'd rather just focus on one thing and although I like pondering for pondering's sake sometimes, I would have to be doing something for one purpose that ended up with one result - it has to be a structured project. But then I don't particularly like details either, usually finding them to distract from the real issue. And with things like MBTI, I'm not particularly happy just staying looking at the same information and not transforming it (which sounds very Ne). I don't really see the point in learning what someone has said to a tee. It would seem better to understand the principle behind the theory, realise that they could have got some of the details wrong, and then merge it with other existent theories of society to create a wider understanding - I would correlate MBTI with theories of dominant ideology and cluster theory, for example, because it would be more interesting to see how things came about and how they fit in the wider context and what mechanisms are right in the middle of all of it - where it all converges and diverges at the same time. Just talking about what the individual theory means seems a bit finicky to me. I relate to the INTJs quite a lot but not the details oriented bit or their ideas of politeness and appropriate behaviour which even on forums can seem a bit rude to me. But I'm probably only thinking of a couple of INTJs and I have not been offended by anyone on this forum so please do not take offence - it's a broad generalisation. I always seem to throw the idea of INFP out as soon as it's mentioned but I think this is because of feeler stereotypes and I strongly do not think of myself as being sensitive and emotional and soft (although I am in many ways) because it goes against the myth I've created for myself as a logical hard ass :-D

So, as you can see, I'll never decide so there's not much point for me to look into further. I'd be interested, though, to see why people mistype - is it to do with how they see themselves? Is it to do with us being less conscious of our dominant function? Is it because MBTI can never capture everything? That kind of thing.

*is offended*

 

[justeccentricnotinsane]

*is offended*

You know what, you're actually an extremely inoffensive INTJ (and I don't mean that as a criticism!)

 

[Nixie]

You know what, you're actually an extremely inoffensive INTJ (and I don't mean that as a criticism!)

F*ck. I'm probably infected with that damn Fe-Ray. Unbeknowst to all other types here on this forum--there is a deadly and terrible Fe-Ray here. Gather more than 3 INFJ's in one spot and BAM! Fe-Ray is engaged---corrupting all that is good and kind...err I mean corrupting us with goodness and kindness.

 

[Wyote]

Gather more than 3 INFJ's in one spot and BAM! Fe-Ray is engaged

ANIMA, ANIMUS, and HEART activate!

 

[NYLilac]

A few times, I typed as an ISFJ, with a slight Si. A friend who is qualified to administer the MBTI told me that I am more likely INFJ, with a primary Ni and secondary Fe. I had been raised as a Sensor, but was truly an Intuitive in the making.

 

[aerosol]

1. Infp
2. Isfj
3. Isfp