(N)ot a psych(i)c

INFJ 4w5 | she/her | mostly here to talk to myself or ramble about stuff that happens in my life | submissions open!

[cruelworlq]

mbti explained (how to self-type)

what is mbti?

mbti is a tool which is frequently used to help individuals understand their own psychological preferences in communication, interaction with others, perceiving the world, problem solving, managing changes, resolving conflict etc.

is mbti even a real thing?

though the mbti resembles some psychological theories, it has been criticized as pseudoscience and is not widely endorsed by academic researchers in the field.

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now that you have an idea about what mbti is - let’s get familiar with the 8 mbti functions

1. extroverted sensing (se)

extroverted sensing is using taste, touch, smell, sound, movement and sight to easily absorb information in the physical world. as strongly observant, these people pick up on details other people do not notice, and some even have a photographic memory. they love excitement, spontaneity, new experiences, and material goods.

2. introverted sensing (si)

introverted sensing is understanding the world through past precedent and experience. people who are introverted sensors thrive using routine, tradition, organization, and rules. they are often very attuned to their bodies, and have specific ways of doing things that work for them in order to get the job done. they are responsible, reliable, and cautious.

3. extroverted thinking (te)

extroverted thinking is outwardly conveying thoughts using logic, reason, and analysis. extroverted thinkers are clear and concise, direct, and unmoved by emotional appeals. they are often strong orators and writers, who have thoughtful, well-researched arguments and theories. extroverted thinkers like to convince people of their thoughts and implement new ideas.

4. introverted thinking (ti)

introverted thinking is a function that seeks to understand personal ideas using a deeply specified framework. introverted thinkers are constantly mining their own thoughts in an attempt to be rational and reasonable, slowly ruling out other ideas before coming to their own firm conclusions and they’re often guarded about how they got to these conclusions.

5. extroverted intuition (ne)

extroverted intuition often means noticing patterns, symbols, and connections in the world that others may not see. extroverted intuitives live for possibility, often expressing themselves through a tumble of ideas, or a constant external brainstorm. they may talk about many things they want to do, but not ultimately follow through. for them, it’s all part of the process to get to the best idea.

6. introverted intuition (ni)

introverted intuition is described as “knowing without knowing how,” as well as “thinking without thinking.” it’s the most mystical of all the mbti functions. people with this dominant function tend to reach conclusions without having a clear idea as to how they got there. they are wise, convicted, and always have a plan to work toward a bigger picture and seek to build and understand complex systems. Introverted intuitives are always processing in the background, and regularly have answers simply come out of nowhere.

7. extroverted feeling (fe)

extroverted feeling is concerned with harmony, bringing people together, and caring. extroverted feelers are great at reading the emotions of others; they are big empathizers, absorbing the feelings of others around them to the point that they sometimes cannot tell which feelings are their own. they easily squash and step around conflicts, and they are typically very social.

8. introverted feeling (fi)

introverted feeling is a function concerned with authenticity, individualism and values. introverted feelers know what they believe, have a strong sense of self, and can easily identify their personal experience of emotion. they are often outspoken activists, and love to help those in need. they don’t have stronger feelings than others who utilize this function, but they do have more mastery over them and can put them toward change—of self, of others, of society.

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understanding the mbti functions as the 16 types

now that we’re clear about the eight mbti functions, we can better understand how they correspond to each of the 16 personality types. each type has four functions, ordered in a stack from strongest to weakest:

dominant function

the first function in the stack is called the dominant function, the strongest one you use so often, you may not even realize you are doing it.

auxiliary function

the second function is called the auxiliary function, which assists the dominant function in conveying ideas and is also relatively strong in your personality.

tertiary function

the third function is the tertiary function, which may be slightly under-developed, but does start to manifest in your type more prominently as you age.

inferior function

the fourth function is your inferior function, which is challenging to access and often only comes out under stress.

now, let’s look at all of the types and their functions.

INTJ: Ni > Te > Fi > Se

INFJ: Ni > Fe > Ti > Se

ENTJ: Te > Ni > Se > Fi

ENFJ: Fe > Ni > Se > Ti

ENTP: Ne > Ti > Fe > Si

INTP: Ti > Ne > Si > Fe

INFP: Fi > Ne > Si > Te

ENFP: Ne > Fi > Te > Si

ESTP: Se > Ti > Fe > Ni

ESFP: Se > Fi > Te > Ni

ISTP: Ti > Se > Ni > Fe

ISFP: Fi > Se > Ni > Te

ISFJ: Si > Fe > Ti > Ne

ESFJ: Fe > Si > Ne > Ti

ESTJ: Te > Si > Ne > Fi

ISTJ: Si > Te > Fi > Ne

to take a closer look, let’s break down what this means for just one of the types. say we’re analyzing the ISTP personality. to do this, we consider the four cognitive functions that correspond to the respective personality type in order to get a deeper understanding.

ISTP: Ti > Se > Ni > Fe

ISTPs are rational and reasonable, very analytical, logical and objective (dominant ti). they have detailed memory of events. they focus on the objective, sensory world and are eager to experience it fully (auxiliary se). may be focused inwards, on the internal world of thoughts, ideas, and concepts (tertiary ni)

the ISTP’s inferior function (fe) may only be noticed when they are under stress or in the problems they deal with often, especially considering the inferior function is often the opposite of the dominant function.

[dear-infj]

the infj urge to never shut the fuck up about mbti

[dear-infj]

dear INFJ,

gotta remind yourself not to fantasize about the perfect relationship too much. love will come, or maybe it already has, but it's natural that things and people will not always be what you expect them to be.

but it's a bit freeing, isn't it? makes everything more fun and interesting :)

[dear-infj]

inferior Se things

suddenly seeing a fresh wound on your arm and thinking "huh. where'd that come from lol"

[an-arrow-to-the-ni]

Inferior Se Checklist

Check below if you’ve done any of the following:

Walked into a wall

Walked into furniture

Walked into other people

Walked into all of the above in the same day

Almost gotten hit by a car

Actually gotten hit by a car

Gotten hit by multiple vehicles on multiple occasions

Tripped while going down the stairs

Tripped while going UP the stairs

Tripped standing still on an escalator because fuck logic

Gotten hit in the head with a ball/frisbee/other sports thingy

Said “Yeah” to something a friend told you without actually listening to what they said

Blurted out “What?” about ten seconds after a person first asked you a question

Still said “What?” after they ask you the same question a second time

Locked your keys in your car

Locked your keys in your house

Straight-up lost your keys somewhere in the void

Thought you lost your keys and destroyed your house looking for them only to discover they were buried in your right pocket the entire fucking time

Lost one or more forms of identification

Had to spend money to replace lost forms of identification

Hidden something important from yourself and then forgotten where the hiding spot was

Found something important in one of those hiding spots months later

Done something incredibly impulsive and then spent the next month hating yourself for it

Done something incredibly impulsive and it actually turned out to be a good decision

Walked into a wall right after obtaining that realization

[dear-infj]

17 out of 25. I am gonna die early

[enypnion]

us

[yenshu-deactivated20240911]

Reblog with your mbti type and your love language(s). (aka how you like to receive love. Bonus points if you mention how you like to show love too.)

The 5 love languages: Gift giving. Quality time. Words of affirmation. Acts of service. Physical touch.

[dear-infj]

INFJ

how i like to receive love: words of affirmation AND quality time

how i like to show love: quality time, words of affirmation (depending on the person because not everyone i know is assured by words)

[personalitiesinwriting]

WAY OVERSIMPLIFIED (but sometimes that's needed so here ya go!)

[dear-infj]

INFJ moment

saying "i told you so" in a way that is sarcastic while trying not to be sarcastic

[dear-infj]

dear INFJ,

why is that when you wish to do something in your head and the opportunity immediately presents itself, suddenly you can't do it?

[dear-infj]

INFJ sister, ISTP brother

ISTP: *stares at the screen, tempted to start a game* should i even finish this essay

INFJ: should you? we'll all die anyway

ISTP: yep

-

INFJ: *can't get up from bed* should i even cook dinner

ISTP: *plops down beside me* dunno. we'll all die anyway

INFJ: yep

ISTP: just joking i'm hungry. go cook

[funkymbtifiction]

What factors discern between Ne-Si vs. Si-Ne? How can they be confused with Ni-Se, by the way? I know I use some mixture of Ti-Fe/Fe-Ti, but there are too many contradictory aspects of myself now and when I was younger to understand my perceiving functions.

Ne-Si makes connections easier than Si-Ne does. Like, from a young age, a high-up Ne user will figure stuff out that the Si-dom wouldn’t even notice. This isn’t a slight against the Si-doms, who can usually actually remember people’s names and maybe even where they parked in the lot five minutes ago, but Ne just… reads between the lines.

As a kid, I knew that Alfred Hitchcock movies were sly, sneaky, a bit kinky, and using double innuendos to get past the censors before I knew what sex even was; I just knew more was going on than was obvious, and that something weird and possibly “bad” (to my innocent little naive radar) was happening in the subtext. Subtext I didn’t even understand yet. I accurately guessed that a girl had been molested as a kid, based on a couple of random conversations that happened months apart and seemingly had no relation to one another, but my brain connected the pieces unconsciously. I was right, but it surprised everyone that at ten years old, I knew this from her parents not letting other siblings go on sleep-overs and being over-protective, and other things.

Now, in fairness, I know a Si-dom (ISTJ) who has an insane use of Ne. She can predict stuff better than I can and I think it’s because she has so much information and personal experiences stored in her head (Si) that her brain subconsciously connects pieces of information, weighs them against similar things that have happened in the past, and trusts that history will repeat itself. And a lot of the time, it does. It’s very much a Si-dominant Ne process, but I suspect it needs stuff to “connect to” in the first place (which, of course, being a Si-Te, she has because it’s all about BOOKS and LEARNING and USING STUFF), whereas mine doesn’t always need former references and instead, will go looking for validation on theories that come out of nowhere.

So I guess the primary difference is — Ne-Si makes crap up that is often right, but then goes looking for proof of it; Si-Ne knows the truth from previous experience.

Not sure how anyone could confuse Si-dom for Ni-dom, because Si-doms are all about concretes and details and repetition and handling the everyday essentials inside a comfortable, reliable routine, whereas Ni-doms are all about big picture visualization and new concepts, and pooh on routine (routine is boring!!), while steadily working toward implementing their inner vision in some way; but I can see how Ni can get confused for Ne, because they both do the same thing in some regards (predictions, “knowing things,” etc), while being very different. Ni-doms, as I have said repeatedly over the last few days, are very much into in-depth symbolism and visualization. Ni goes deep. Really deep into a topic. Deeper than anyone else anticipates, and then it goes back for more. It will be content to re-examine something it values for decades, because there is always another layer of truth to unearth.

Ne is not like this. Ne gets bored with something it has already figured out, and wants to find something new to learn and focus on for awhile. Let’s say that Ni and Ne are both into The Lord of the Rings. Ni will go back, again and again, finding something new and exciting in the series each time. The obsession lasts decades, if not their entire life. Now, the Ne user gets obsessed for awhile, tears it apart, reads the books, watches the movies, discusses it from every angle and… are done.* They will revisit the series now and again, but never with the same level of ferocity and intensity, because in their mind, they understand it, they have seen it, they have explored it, and there probably isn’t any new angle left to discover. It’s an old passion, not dormant but waiting for a new tidbit to add to their knowledge base. Until that arrives, and sheds an entirely new light on Middle-earth, it’s an old hobby like so many, that has a special place in their heart but no longer holds their intense focus. Been there, done that, what’s next?

Of course, Ni has Se, which is factual retention and memories, but without the desire for routine and tendency to relive emotional experiences of Si. So INXJs will not fall into a melancholic memory rut in the way that Si-users of any kind do; Si is subjective memory, influenced by personal values and opinions, but also brings with it access to those same feelings it had when the incident happened. Se is objective, impartial memory retention, which allows Ni to evade the emotional baggage. It wants new experiences merely for the experience itself, whereas Si wants to hold on, in some respects, to the past and routine for its own comfort and state of mind.

* True story. Me and my NJ friends. Heh.

ETA: I should probably mention that Si-doms love LotR too, and will return to it, but their enjoyment is different from Ni. They’re reliving something they loved, and have subsequently loved ever since; each time they watch it, it is solidified in their minds as “awesome.” Si brings back a host of memories of previous experiences watching it, and… you guessed it, the same emotions revisit them each time.

[funkymbtifiction]

Most 2s are kind and helpful but that isn’t what makes them 2s. I that may be part of the confusion. It is sort of like typing people who like reading as 5s. The 5 type will not describe them well. Any type can be kind, helpful, or compassionate. What makes someone a 2 is why they are doing it. The image type aspect of 2 is more important than being helpful, since it says more about the inner motives than any outward behavior.

That being said, 2s do get a back reputation for being fake because people don’t know what image type means. Haven’t read what enneagrammer says about 2s, but if it’s that bad they are just ignoring their own teaching imo. Saying all image types are fake is sort of like saying all gut types are weak or all head types are dumb. Only maybe worse lol. It’s just really missing the entire point.

All image types strive for authenticity unless they are not unhealthy. 3s genuinely want to be a success, a 4 genuinely wants to be unique, and a 2 genuinely wants to be loving. They aren’t just acting. They try to live out this way as honest as possible. However, all image types (including 4s) struggle to reach authenticity. This is because they confuse the image for the real self. The problem with the average 2 isn’t that they are fake. It’s that they confuse their image of lovable person with being a loved. This confusion doesn’t cause intentional fakeness very often, but it does lead to a deep shame.

This is also why it drives me crazy to hear people say 4s are naturally authentic. No, they are not! This is something they have to work on. Imagine for a moment that someone started filming everything you do. It is pretty well documented that your behavior would change just because of the camera. It is the reality tv that effect where you are being yourself but in a heighten way, so that everything is a bit extra. The average 4 is the same way. They are playing themselves but the very act of playing themselves mean they aren’t truly comfortable with themselves. This is the problem with all image types. They confuse the image with reality, until the former consumes that latter.

A 2, 3, or a 4 that doesn’t care about image is either incredibly healthy, in denial, or mistyped.

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Mod: A 4 story. I love what Rohr says about 4s, that their super casual "I just threw this on" attitude is actually deceitful in that they spent a long time choosing their outfit particularly to make them stand out in some way from everyone else. Even Enneagrammer has admitted that 4s, just like they say or 3s and 2s, are 'constructing an identity/persona' as an image type. I got to see this first-hand with a 4 a few years ago, when they were to attend a party. It had a particular theme, with the implication that everyone would be somewhat dressed alike. This was intolerable to the 4, so they deliberately went against the expected persona and chose something within the theme but that they KNEW nobody else would be wearing, to draw attention to themselves. Image types all want you to look at and notice them, it's just how they go about it that is different, and no, they aren't consciously aware of doing it (it's a drive and a need, a strategy of putting self forward in some way), but they are still doing it to gain a particular response from others.

[personalitiesinwriting]

INFJ's aren't super disorganized... They're ni doms...

Now this isn't to say it will always LOOK organized, ni isn't necessarily going to look like a "normal" or "in order" si organization but it definitely is organized in a flowing way.

[notanotherinfjblog]

Ne vs. Ni brainstorming

INTP: Have you thought about what you want to do?

INFJ: Yes.

INTP: Have you also considered other things than the one that you‘ve previously thought about?

INFJ: … no.

INTP: Why not?

INFJ: Why should I?

[justinfjthings]

Reblog with a link to a song that you really love and your MBTI type! I wanna hear what my peeps are listening to! 🎶🎧👀

I've had this on repeat these past few days: https://youtu.be/UnIhRpIT7nc

[dear-infj]

uhgood by RM

a striking lyric: "my ideal and reality, so very far / but i still want to cross that bridge to reach me / the real me"

very INFJ.

[anonymousintp]

MBTI Sarcastic Functions (Introverts)

Get this on a sticker, card, T-shirt, or mug—a perfect gift for MBTI enthusiasts →

You can give MBTI sarcastic function gifts to your friends, family, and teachers to let them know what kind of annoying douche bags they are based on their type.

Version 2: I redesigned the series to look more modern & look good on any color clothing. I also rewrote some of the functions to be a bit funnier (hopefully :p) and made the font thicker so it’s more legible on small merch like greeting cards/stickers.

Extraverts → Individual types →