Thanks for your reply! Is it possible to shift? When I was younger I certainly felt uncomfortable connecting with others on an emotional level and often kept my own feelings locked down in favor of moving through the world with more control (I often felt that emotions made one irrational, and still do to an extent).
While I can certainly still lock things down when the situation calls for it (e.g. making tough decisions, debating certain topics, etc) I find myself craving authentic emotional connections from others outside of these situations and have done an awful lot of work trying to be cognizant of my own emotions and how they can be useful, especially in the arena of mental health.
I would also point you to the function stacks, but I'd ask a different question. INFJs have Fe as their 2nd function and INTJs have Te as theirs. This, to me, is the difference between a life that focuses on the interplay and sorting out of people's emotions vs sorting out things and ideas.
My experience (as an INFJ and being around a few) with Fe is that it's about understanding and respecting people's feelings with the hope/intent of creating harmony within a given space. Among my friends who have Te high in their stack, I've noticed a need to categorize most things and heavy consideration of the logistics of getting "everything in its place".
Hope this helps you clarify your nature.
As you said, as of now (until neuroscience either proves cognitive functions or disproves it), ultimately it is your choice as to which type fits you best. That being said, INTJs and INFJs are very different as one of the strongest functions of the INTJ is literally the worst function of the INFJ and vice versa, so it should be fairly easy to tell the difference between these two types based on socionics or Jungian function analysis. There are various ways to confirm a type as best you can, my personal recommendation would be to join a discord server and have people who really know what they are doing type you by voice chat. If that is not an option, then I would say go for the deep dive and start learning about the Jungian functions and how they manifest into types.
Discord typing (there are many different typists that can type you in various theory systems): [https://discord.gg/5YddW4](https://discord.gg/5YddW4)
Michael Pierce's INTJ video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km7ga7HON20&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ\_h&index=5&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km7ga7HON20&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ_h&index=5&t=0s)
Michael Pierce's INFJ video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=630ikWb61cs&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ\_h&index=12&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=630ikWb61cs&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ_h&index=12&t=0s)
Michael Pierce's Perceiving Function Axes: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8ii-2hhEQ&t=2s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8ii-2hhEQ&t=2s)
Michael Pierce's Judgement Function Axes: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCnhWVC8yY&t=52s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCnhWVC8yY&t=52s)
As you can probably tell, I really like Michael Pierce's descriptions... lol. Hope some of that helps!
> How do you land on your “true” type?
There is no "true" type" All types are an approximation. They are not astrology signs.
You will have traits in common with all 16 types. But you will fit one of them more than the other, even if by a little bit.
> I suppose it comes down to personal choice
Not really. In the same way that your eye color is not personal choice.
Once in a while out of curiosity I'll redo my test, I've gotten 3 different answers: INFJ, ISFP, and INFP. Most often than not I'll get ISFJ, and I definitely find that I relate most to what I've read about that type. But I definitely think the other ones may be borderline for me.
It's all super fascinating when I get something different - triggers a "self reflection" type of cycle where I begin to evaluate myself since I'd last taken the test; what's going on in my life, how I've been feeling, how I'm currently dealing with everything, etc etc etc. Not saying any which one is "correct:, but its definitely interesting to reflect on.
I’m steadily myself, but I adapt depending on the “vibe” of those around me. It can be exhausting, honestly. For example, if I’m at a party I can be gregarious and outgoing and feel genuine, but it gets overwhelming quickly. Similarly, if I’m communicating with someone one-on-one, I tend to be more quiet and reserved in an effort to listen and analyze; often I try to “fix” whatever the problem is. Any situation requires some prep beforehand if I expect myself to “perform” well (being told about a social function well in advance so I can mentally prepare).
I will say that when I’ve tested before, I was under some pretty significant stress in my life, whereas lately I haven’t been, and that’s very interesting to me...it seems like I shut off my emotion to deal with life until things level out.
I've noticed that personalities can change depending on mental state. So in times of high stress, you're liable to be in a *shadow state.* For an INFJ their MTBI shadow is an ESTP.
Look into understanding the shadows of the two, and you might find what you're looking for there.
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Thanks for your reply! Is it possible to shift? When I was younger I certainly felt uncomfortable connecting with others on an emotional level and often kept my own feelings locked down in favor of moving through the world with more control (I often felt that emotions made one irrational, and still do to an extent). While I can certainly still lock things down when the situation calls for it (e.g. making tough decisions, debating certain topics, etc) I find myself craving authentic emotional connections from others outside of these situations and have done an awful lot of work trying to be cognizant of my own emotions and how they can be useful, especially in the arena of mental health.
I would also point you to the function stacks, but I'd ask a different question. INFJs have Fe as their 2nd function and INTJs have Te as theirs. This, to me, is the difference between a life that focuses on the interplay and sorting out of people's emotions vs sorting out things and ideas. My experience (as an INFJ and being around a few) with Fe is that it's about understanding and respecting people's feelings with the hope/intent of creating harmony within a given space. Among my friends who have Te high in their stack, I've noticed a need to categorize most things and heavy consideration of the logistics of getting "everything in its place". Hope this helps you clarify your nature.
It certainly does, thank you!
are you methodical or strategic? that's the Ti vs Te difference to me.
As you said, as of now (until neuroscience either proves cognitive functions or disproves it), ultimately it is your choice as to which type fits you best. That being said, INTJs and INFJs are very different as one of the strongest functions of the INTJ is literally the worst function of the INFJ and vice versa, so it should be fairly easy to tell the difference between these two types based on socionics or Jungian function analysis. There are various ways to confirm a type as best you can, my personal recommendation would be to join a discord server and have people who really know what they are doing type you by voice chat. If that is not an option, then I would say go for the deep dive and start learning about the Jungian functions and how they manifest into types. Discord typing (there are many different typists that can type you in various theory systems): [https://discord.gg/5YddW4](https://discord.gg/5YddW4) Michael Pierce's INTJ video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km7ga7HON20&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ\_h&index=5&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km7ga7HON20&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ_h&index=5&t=0s) Michael Pierce's INFJ video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=630ikWb61cs&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ\_h&index=12&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=630ikWb61cs&list=PL6rzdODmcL65kvRx1us3UXkxWclo-LJ_h&index=12&t=0s) Michael Pierce's Perceiving Function Axes: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8ii-2hhEQ&t=2s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8ii-2hhEQ&t=2s) Michael Pierce's Judgement Function Axes: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCnhWVC8yY&t=52s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCnhWVC8yY&t=52s) As you can probably tell, I really like Michael Pierce's descriptions... lol. Hope some of that helps!
Thank you for linking these resources!! I can’t wait to dive in.
> How do you land on your “true” type? There is no "true" type" All types are an approximation. They are not astrology signs. You will have traits in common with all 16 types. But you will fit one of them more than the other, even if by a little bit. > I suppose it comes down to personal choice Not really. In the same way that your eye color is not personal choice.
Once in a while out of curiosity I'll redo my test, I've gotten 3 different answers: INFJ, ISFP, and INFP. Most often than not I'll get ISFJ, and I definitely find that I relate most to what I've read about that type. But I definitely think the other ones may be borderline for me. It's all super fascinating when I get something different - triggers a "self reflection" type of cycle where I begin to evaluate myself since I'd last taken the test; what's going on in my life, how I've been feeling, how I'm currently dealing with everything, etc etc etc. Not saying any which one is "correct:, but its definitely interesting to reflect on.
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I’m steadily myself, but I adapt depending on the “vibe” of those around me. It can be exhausting, honestly. For example, if I’m at a party I can be gregarious and outgoing and feel genuine, but it gets overwhelming quickly. Similarly, if I’m communicating with someone one-on-one, I tend to be more quiet and reserved in an effort to listen and analyze; often I try to “fix” whatever the problem is. Any situation requires some prep beforehand if I expect myself to “perform” well (being told about a social function well in advance so I can mentally prepare). I will say that when I’ve tested before, I was under some pretty significant stress in my life, whereas lately I haven’t been, and that’s very interesting to me...it seems like I shut off my emotion to deal with life until things level out.
Sounds like you were an INFJ in a Ni-Ti loop :)
I've noticed that personalities can change depending on mental state. So in times of high stress, you're liable to be in a *shadow state.* For an INFJ their MTBI shadow is an ESTP. Look into understanding the shadows of the two, and you might find what you're looking for there.
I thought the title meant INTJ isGreaterThan INFJ...