Life in the Eyes of an INFJ

Emily. English major. Life's tough as an INFJ. So I decided to write about it. Read more about me here. var sc_project=8146085; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="ac192268";

[emilyinfj]

A Possible Loop of Some Kind...

Sorry I haven't updated recently, guys. I haven't had much to say, and been busy otherwise.

I hope you all don't mind that I end up rambling and ranting a little. Silly stuff, really.

I once read from an INFJ website that when Ni is used in a positive way, with happier "visions in your head" and what-not, it means that it's becoming greatly developed. I have a lot of moments like this, where it can be really happy and I see these wonderful "visions in my head" of my future and such...

But when I'm under stress and inferior Se kicks in (*coughgripexperiencescough*), my Ni completely falls apart. It anticipates things wrong (I have a tendency to be able to tell things like what will happen within the next few moments correctly, but I think that's only when I'm in a good mood and my Ni isn't so bogged down), and the visions are absolutely terrible. They're ugly. Horrendous. Visions of a future probably no one really wants to live. Or thoughts no one wants to keep.

Maybe this is just a human thing, something that happens to everybody...I kind of wonder if it plays out in this weird, annoying, extremely stressful way just for us Ni-doms. Maybe it's a bad Ni-Ti loop, or even some other function loop entirely (apparently, anyone of any type can have any kind of loop). Any others feel this way (I ask this to any type, but especially the INJs)? And how do you slip yourself out of it? Ni can be so spot-on, that when it is self-defeating, it's sometimes hard not to pull yourself out of its less savory predictions (yes, predictions), anticipations, and visions...

[emilyinfj]

nellexicon answered your question: Let's talk Enneagram!: Wings or No?

This is why I like the tritype theory better…I feel like the wing theory is too limiting.

Hmm...I tend to think of the wing and tritype theories as more or less feeding off of each other...

For example, on the quiz I took on Personality Cafe (which I think was actually fairly accurate), I got 1w2 > 2w1 > 6w5 (does this make me look neurotic or what? ;) ). From there, I guessed that I was a 1-2-6, and, reading the description of that tritype from here, I think it describes me pretty well (although I think I can lean towards 1-2-5, even though I'm not a 5w4 or 5w6, as well as 9-4-5, 1-4-5, and probably even 9-2-6 or 9-2-5...as you can see, I'm rather lost in what my DEFINITE tritype is :P ).

I think if you hone in on your first, second, or even third type with wings, you can derive your tritype much more easily. But just my opinion! :)

[emilyinfj]

Let's talk Enneagram!: Wings or No?

Let me first say this: if this is the first time you're hearing about the Enneagram and are now curious about it and want to find out your type, I don't recommend researching it when you're at your emotional low. Not only will that skew your type (really, it will), but once you read your (not-real-at-all) type, you might find yourself wallowing and crying about it, because y'know what? The Enneagram is all about neuroticism! Yep. Which would explain why I always feel like I'm some unhealthy, frazzled being every time I read about it.

I also speak from personal experience about not researching at your emotional low. I happened to be wallowing in some personal stuff when I first researched it, and tested as a Four on an otherwise not-very-accurate test anyway, and ended up bawling in front of my computer screen because of how accurate it was. Well, turns out I was just a stressed out One. Go figure.

Sad thing is, unlike the MBTI, when it comes to the Enneagram, because it's so much less well-known, you pretty much have to foot your own research and figure out your type on your own. Yeah, yeah, there are some free online tests out there that are quasi-accurate, and those will give you some idea of what you are, but otherwise, you're on your own.

This is where my problem comes in. I've taken gazillions of these possibly inaccurate tests, and I always end up with something different. I'm usually a Type One with a self-preservation variant (backed up by a very close social one), but after that...I have no freaking idea. I used to think my wing was Nine, and then in later tests I found out I was a Two...and I just took what is called the "most accurate free online Enneagram test" (from Eclectic Energies), and it said I have balanced wings!

Which, to be honest, makes sense. Thankfully, Nine and Two don't conflict much, but I do see both sides of me very strongly. There's the Two from my Fe as an INFJ, and my Nine that just...sometimes likes to take the time to chill, y'know. ;) (A lot of people would describe me as laidback, and luckily, it can go side-by-side with being a caring Two.)

Now! I'm curious from you guys (regardless of any MBTI/Socionics/Enneagram type):

What free online Enneagram do you recommend?

What type/wing/variant are you, or do you have balanced wings?

Do balanced wings mean that you're healthy, as if you've reached some form of self-actualization, or does it just describe how your personality is? (Because, imo, having one very heavy wing does sound like it wouldn't be terribly healthy, with a whole push-pull vibe going...on the other hand, if I do indeed have balanced wings, I don't think I'm very self-actualized...)

[infjconfessions]

INFJ Confessions 1697) Sometimes when I'm home alone, I pace around the entire house, making up scenarios, narrating events in my head, talking to people who aren't there. Occasionally I stop to think what other people would think if they saw me; but I usually dismiss these feelings. Usually, I'm having too much fun by myself, and with myself, to care. And I don't mind that one bit.

[emilyinfj]

Hello! You might be interested in my twitter account @mbtiproblems ran by myeself (INFJ) and an ENFP.

Hi to a fellow INFJ! Thanks for the rec--sounds like a cool Twitter account you've got there! :)

[emilyinfj]

Why am I interested in the MBTI?

I've sometimes wondered whether I'm an Ne-user because I often find myself so interested in a number of subjects, including the MBTI, but I don't think I invest in them as heavily as an Ne-user would, and plus, I find that these subjects tend to all end up with some purpose for the main thing I'm interested in (I'll get to that in a bit).

I've been fascinated by psychology ever since I took it in high school. MBTI being more or less a natural offshoot (or school, what have you) of psychology, I love learning more and more about it.

I'm an intuitive. Intuitives love theoretical subjects. (Am I right or am I right? ;) ) I find that a lot of intuitives are drawn to the MBTI like bees to honey. I once asked a bunch of my friends to take the test, and the majority of those who responded were intuitives. (Or maybe most of my friends just are intuitives. We INFJs are a rather picky bunch when it comes to befriending and opening up to people. ;) )

I like knowing how and why people tick. I've also been finding that it comes up for a good explanation to me as to why people act (in the sometimes infuriating) way they do. Being able to learn to understand people for who and what they are just appeals to me (Fe).

I'm a writer, and the third point sort of goes with this: I love trying to figure how and why my characters tick. They're a tricky bunch, and I typically don't feel like I even created them--they were just always there for me to find (Ni). I hear a lot that people say, "I related to this character from that book, up until they did this one thing, which I would NEVER do!" I find this rather interesting, since I think one of the ways this could be resolved (aside from the fact that not everyone fits perfectly into sixteen different cookie-cutters, and that authors add idiosyncrasies from all eight cognitive functions into their characters) would be with the help of MBTI and the Enneagram. I've always intuitively known that the main character of one of my projects is very much like me, and I could never pinpoint why or how, and it puzzled me even more as to what ways I could manifest myself into what she does. When I realized that both of us are Type One INFJs, it made so much more sense to me how she was like me and why, and I knew how to make her more realistic and human. (I think it also goes to show that experience really does make the writer: once you learn just who you are, writing gets a wee bit easier. Just a tad.)

Paradoxically, it's one of the few ways I can ground myself in the here and now (Se)--with a very theoretical topic. When I'm with friends or family, I always observe their little ticks or things they do that are fitting with their respective cognitive functions--yep, all that's going up in my head.

Growth! I never realized that a lot of people actually use the MBTI for growth, and I suppose that is why it took me so long to realize why I wanted to learn it (*coughcoughFecoughcough*). But of course, I can't forget that...

I'm an INFJ! We're more or less naturally interested in the MBTI (theoretical subject? check! understanding people? check!), which is why we're typically over-represented in personality forums despite our "rare" nature (in addition to our fellow INxx's and a good handful of ENxx's and ISxx's).

[emilyinfj]

An Introduction

Hello! You can call me Emily. Obviously, as you can tell, I'm an INFJ and, let me tell you, as part of the "one percent", it's a little rough. I've gone through a lot of times where I've doubted what type I was, and once I figured out I was an INFJ and found out how rare we are, everything just clicked and made sense.

So...this may or may not be fun, but I'll be talking about my life on here a lot, as well as, of course, reblogging stuff that seems very specific to my type (I'm looking at you, INFJConfessions tumblr!).

I'll try not to bore everybody though. I'd absolutely LOVE if anyone interested in the MBTI--INFJ or not--would throw something in my little inbox and ask a Q: what it's like being an INFJ, questions on the MBTI (though I'm not professional), how I relate to other types, et cetera. And since tumblr folks love their fandoms, you can stick a character's name from a fandom into my ask, and I'll try to piece out their MBTI and even their Enneagram in a post. :) (I'm actually not too heavily involved in fandoms, though, so I may not have seen/read it... :P ) I'll also in turn probably throw out Q's to you guys, regardless of your type, and I'm looking forward to those responses. :)

Hope you join me in this ride! It'll be a crazy quest, for sure, as I try to figure out why and how my functions are working this way. :)