(This started out as a reply but then I realized that it should be its own post/ could be helpful to more ppl than just the recipient or my usual blog readers)
Itâs worth noting that a 9-fixed 5 can absolutely present as somewhat âsoftâ, shy and/or conflict avoidant, and that 9s can absolutely come off very philosophical & intellectual, especially if theyâre, like, Ne aux. Also, as both are in the withdrawn triad there would genuinely be shared behavior patterns.Â
That said, for this one thereâs 3 good litmust test questions:
a) âWhat do you do when youâre talked at unexpectedly or suddenly asked if you can do an errand for someoneâ.
The more randomly the better cause that way one is more likely to just respond on automatic.
Basically, (& this has been confirmed to me by numerous accounts) the 9 is much more likely to humor the rando for a while or get sidetracked from whatever they were meaning to do, even if they may be annoyed or kick themselves for it afterward. âWTF did I agree to this? I thought I was chill with this but actually it does bother me/ piss me off⊠â are common types of experiences. Priority sorting is not a strenght or at least takes deliberate effort.
A 5 generally would kneejerk default to either excusing themselves immediately (âivegottogodosomethingâ) or limiting the scope of the interaction once minimum politeness has been served. Theyâd tend to have their priorities immediately present (âIf I say yes to this now then I might not be able to do what I wanted to do this afternoon⊠ ugh theres never enough timeâŠâ) - they would be far less likely to agree to something they donât wanna do & if they did, it would be the result of a considered deliberate decision. (often of the form of âlets meet my quota for now so theyâll shut up about it & let me beâ)
b) âAre you a forgiving person?â
This isnât always conclusive but often if you ask this the person will say something that clinches it one way or another.
9s can and do disappear on ppl sometimes but generally letting go on old attachments can be a struggle & theyâd rather get along if the option exists & Â might be the sort of ppl whoâd prefer to at least forgive inwardly for their own peace of mind, & will at least generally give ppl the benefit of the doubt, second chances etc.
5s may actually tend toward keeping grudges. Â You only see that mentioned in a few sources because it doesnât fit the general stereotype. (that, and because, unless pushed, theyâd simply avoid whoever slighted or angered them, so maybe only their spouse or their bestie knows that they loathe that guy from work.)
- not every individual does, because it doesnât seem worth the drama or, theyâre trying to be objective about it etc. but even then there still tends to be a âonce youâre out, youâre outâ policy - not generally the sorts to stay friends with their exes.
c) When someoneâs trying to type themselves: âWhat degree of inner running commentary do you have? How much do you âinterpretâ your experience moment to moment?â
Specifically in a random every day situation like walking down a street, not a setting where everyone would get their thinky gears spinning, like trying to solve a task oriented problem.
None too long ago I came by this excellent writeup on âhow to write a 9 as a 1st person POV characterâ (by a 9 writer)
Especially this bit here:
I wouldnât use metaphors/similes if I were writing myself as a close POV. If Iâm watching a sunset or enjoying a flower or something, Iâm not cataloging, comparing, capturing, or evaluating it, Iâm just experiencing its existence as itself. For something pleasant, my thoughts might momentarily narrow to the equivalent of a long, satisfied sigh.
Thatâs honestly a little hard for me to imagine.
For contrast, this here is a 5 - and you can tell from the last paragraph that they are probably 9-fixed. (The person didnât know their type yet, so this is an almost completely untainted account) As you see, itâs almost the total opposite.
Which is super fascinating when you think about cause those 2 types can be among the most similar as far as outward behavior goes, especially if you grab yourself 2 specimens of the same mbti, yet at the same time the inner experience is night and day.Â
Whatâs especially striking is how the experience of being struck by beauty leads this person to a lowering of activity rather than an increase of it. (Iâm guessing this may be common for all the head types & gut types respectively. Some 3s, 2s or 4s please describe their experience of The Pretty for me so I can complete the set)
Earlier today I was sent a picture that made me go âWow this is so beautiful actuallyâ though it was, like, a half eaten apple sent to me for the humor of eating it differently than expected.
But because it had been eaten from the top, & the core had this five-rayed structure, almost like a star, that isnât visible when you cut it like normal, mostly cutting into the core from the sides.
I realized that it is from the structure of the flower - apple blossoms have 5 petals and of course the inner structure of the flower, the stamens, the ovary etc. also has that star-like symmetry and the fruit grows out of the inner parts of the flower. So there was an echo of a long-faded flower in that apple.
I suppose a star shape is pretty in and of itself, but much of me response came from superimposed layers of interpretation, not cause a half eaten apple is so appealing on a sensory level.
