Kerissa asked: Is this situation possible, or am I misreading myself? I think that I’m an INFJ, but that I rely on my Ti more than my Fe. I’m still fairly young and I read somewhere that Fe develops later than some other functions. All the tests type me as an INTJ, but I’m almost positive I use Ti and Fe. According to function stacks, I can’t use Ni as my dominant function and Ti as my second one, but that’s how I would think I think.
Always trust your self knowledge before you trust the test.
What you’re describing is a function loop, where you get stuck using either your two introverted functions or your two extraverted functions and neglect the other two. Stop doing that. It’s not good for you.
The best way to get out of it is to focus on using the two functions that you’re not using as much more often. This will help bring you into a more balanced state.
The Book Addict's Guide to MBTI: 
Yes! Finally, I have found someone asking about this. Can someone give (or link to) an indepth workup comparison between INFJ’s & INTP’s, actually including the different possibilities of how they may utilize there functions. I’ve been looking everywhere, and this is the most promising lead yet! Also, how well do you (Kerissa) relate to any of the following? + useful information for anyone willing to assist me/us.
I can’t tell conclusively if I’m an INTP or an INFJ. (tests are ultimately rubbish of-course, but even their inaccuracy’s can indicate truth from whatever went wrong) On one test, I always score INTJ, but if mixing up my answers a bit on questions I was unsure of, I get INFJ. On a different test, I always get INTP. When taking a test about functions usages, it showed Te & Fi being of excellent use & the other 6 functions rather low on usage.
[Probably important to note I suffer many mental/emotional issues. Many think that can interfere with the functions, but I theorize the functions actually refer to physical parts of the brain; thus, mental problems being a rogue/defective function, or symptom of a function/utilization of function] I experience emotions very intensely, but am rather confused about which they are/causes/etc. (though I’ve become highly self-aware of them, only through study); from my understanding, this could be a side-effect of Si, or Fe higher on the stack. Ti is my favorite of the 8 functions (before knowing about MBTI), which could be why I use & only trust it for judgments/decisions/conclusions. I’m always thinking up all possible possibilities, and can also make scarily accurate predictions. I can’t tell if this is Ti + Ne working up possibilities & concluding the most likely probability with accuracy, or Ni assisted with subconscious Ti + Fe/Se – depending on which example I think of, it could be either method. I can be oblivious to others emotions 50% of the time, and the other 50%, I seem fully aware. I’ve indepthly studied people/emotion/mind throughout my life & have grown an accurate indepth understanding, so I don’t know if I sense or if I indicate/deduce. I could/can not relate to others emotions, or rather the why, and as a child, was utterly confused by the emotions of others – I could/can tell others emotions based on physical cues, but often misinterpret them, also based on said cues.
So, can INFJ’s & INTP’s utilize their functions in a way similar to each other, creating a precipice some can fall into & not know their type? or could what me, & possibly Kerissa, actually be using an entirely different set of functions (possibly utilized in an untypical/unhealthy fashion)?
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Hi, I’m Kerissa. I’m positive I’m an INFJ now.
My issue was that I was studying my internal thought process, which is by nature my introverted functions, so I was over focusing on my Ni/Ti. I’ve read that people often use their tertiary function for recreation, so when I thought about what I ‘liked’ to do, it was often Ti activities (like analyzing MBTI…). This made me focus too much on my Ti- in a normal situation, I use a lot of Fe.
I also couldn’t find a great description of Ni, and since a lot of the internet views Ni as ‘speshul!!’ and ‘magic!’ I hesitated putting myself in the ‘best’ type, out of fear of misreading myself. Of course, there’s nothing special or magic about Ni (yes, even Ni doms).
One thing that finally cemented it in my mind that I actually was an INFJ a post on another blog (that I can’t find right now…) is the question, “What HURTS the most?” And the answer is your inferior function.
If you’re called ‘cold’ and ‘unfeeling,’ does it HURT? That would be inferior Fe (IxTP)
If you’re accused of being lazy/passive, does it HURT? That would be inferior Se (INxJ)
If I’m called ‘cold,’ I laugh, because I’m deliberately manipulating people’s image of me (though it’s almost unconscious- higher Fe).
If I’m called passive, I get defensive, because I do often feel like I’m letting opportunities pass me by (inferior Se).
That may not be the process that works for everyone, but that’s how I typed myself.
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C.S. Joseph provides a GRid to type people. I highly recommend his videos on youtube.
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This has been my experience ever since I discovered MBTI. Definitely INFJ, always test INTJ, present to others as INTJ, identify strongly with Ti processes, wonder if maybe it’s possible that some of us are just born with our functions inverted, or if I’m actually just a sociopath who happens to be an INFJ. I definitely observe myself using Fe as a mode of social functioning (although it only began to develop in my twenties), but not something as inherent as Ni-Ti processing. When I try to lean on my Fe function, I get scattered, lose my focus, and feel mentally unhealthy. Vice-versa, if I lean too much on data-intake and processing without expression of some kind (which should be understood as a function of Fe), I get scattered and lose my focus. The moral of the story, I suppose, is balance. It’s important to understand what balance looks like for you as an individual, rather than what balance looks like for XXXX according to MBTI personality theory, which is, after all, a theory.
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Thank you!
Another thing I’ve realized due to this issue- when I sit down to think about how I think, I’m using internal (introverted) functions, which would naturally bypass my Fe (I’m sure I’m an INFJ now). That’s why it’s important to look at how/why you ACT, not just how/why you THINK when typing yourself:)
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