Author: Guest Writer

A Guide to Why Real INFPs Cry

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Guest Post by Key Lime Pi, INFP

A while ago, I read Help! My INTJ Is Crying! and it caused me to think more about how different types have different approaches to crying, much less any sort of emotion. As an INFP, one of the popular stereotypes I find most irritating is that INFPs are always crying. Some INFPs (especially female ones) might cry more frequently than less dominantly emotional types, but that does not mean we are fragile butterflies whose wings will instantly crumple when touched. To set the record straight for all of you who are less dominated by emotion, here is a brief guide to help you understand your emotion-oriented INFP friends.

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Albus Dumbledore: INFJ

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Smeagol (Gollum): INFP

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Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien

Dominant Introverted Feeling (Fi): Smeagol is primarily motivated by self-interest. He does think about some moral concepts, such as fairness and kindness, but mainly when they apply to himself in some way. If he breaks some aspect of this moral code, he finds a way of justifying it (e.g., claiming the Ring was his birthday present and that he is therefore the rightful owner). Smeagol, unlike his alter-ego Gollum, can feel personally responsible to people who have helped him (although not to people in general). Gollum does not even care about people who have helped him, reacting viciously toward anyone who stands in his way. Smeagol cannot empathize with other people unless they have had similar experiences–specifically in relation to the Ring. While he understands something of how Bilbo and Sam think because he is a Hobbit himself, he has little sympathy for either of them. On the other hand, he knows that Frodo has experienced something like his own struggle while staying wiser and retaining a strong moral code. Smeagol admires Frodo, but he betrays Frodo anyway because he cannot be loyal to Frodo while fulfilling his own desires.

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Iris – Pokémon: ISTP

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Dominant Introverted Thinking (Ti): Iris hates rules and boundaries, especially the stifling ones she experienced at school. She is always brutally honest, even when her honesty is neither needed nor appreciated, especially when it comes to Pokemon battles. Iris has a disdain for book learning (indeed, she often gets textbook facts wrong) and apathy for being taught by others, preferring instead to figure things out on her own. She prefers a logical approach to problem-solving and doesn’t generally respect people who make emotional decisions. When Iris first meets Ash, she doesn’t know or care about his many past accomplishments; his battle style makes little sense to her and he gets caught up in his emotions, earning him permanent “little kid” status in her book.

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Kate Sutton: INTJ

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Guest Post by E.J., INTJ

The Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Marie Pope

Dominant Introverted Intuition (Ni): As a young woman in Tudor England, Kate’s ability to shape her future is somewhat limited. Her role as a royal maid of honour means that she has to follow orders, regardless of her personal opinions. Kate does, however, have a strong future orientation. To prevent Christopher Herron from becoming unhealthily detached from reality during their imprisonment by the Fairy Folk, Kate forces him to plan ways to rebuild the deteriorating manor he has been longing to buy. She also refuses the Lady’s initial reward offer because she recognizes that its ultimate effects would be damaging. Kate is unusually good at putting together big-picture ideas. While Cecily’s relatives have accepted Cecily’s supposed death, only Kate—a newcomer to the area—is able to piece together what actually happened.

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Emilia Stożek: ISFJ

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Guest Post by Justice, INFJ, Justice and Writeousness

Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys

Dominant Introverted Sensing (Si): Emilia constantly relives the details of happier times to calm herself, from the smell of fresh pencils to her parents’ words, and names her baby after her mother’s nickname. When nervous, she sings her childhood duckie’s song. Encouraged by her mother, Emilia pays attention to her loved ones’ little preferences, like what part of a rabbit they prefer. She views Florian as one of Poland’s knights woken to defend her- Si detached from reality.

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John Childermass: INTJ

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Guest Post by Kerissa, INFJ, Justice and Writeousness

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke

Dominant Introverted Intuition (Ni): Childermass is perfectly content playing the long game, waiting for Strange’s and Norrell’s disagreement to pass before surfacing as a magician. He’s good at knowing when someone’s lying or not, like believing Vinculus’s five wives when they said they didn’t know about the Book and disbelieving Lascelles’s story of Drawlight. When with Vinculus, he’s the one trying to figure out the one right answer to something while Vinculus sees all the possibilities.

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How to Differentiate Between Judging/Perceiving, Introverted/Extroverted

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Derek Morgan: ENTJ

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Guest Post by Occam’s Chainsaw, INTJ

Criminal Minds

Dominant Extroverted Thinking (Te): Derek has a rational approach to the world, preferring logic to feelings whenever he has to make a choice. When they get a call or they are provided new information about the case, he’s among the first ones to react, wanting to take decisive action to find a solution, not out of mere impulsiveness. He wants to cut to the core of things and solve things as fast as possible, no matter the cost. He gets impatient when they were misled or when the investigation is stuck, because it makes him feel ineffective, and there are not many things that could frustrate strong Te users more than inefficiency. Derek wants to find the quickest solution to get rid of the problem as soon as possible. He can be blunt when it comes to stating facts, but since his Fi has developed over the years, Derek knows when to shut up and keep his inspections to himself.

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Clemont – Pokémon: INTP

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Dominant Introverted Thinking (Ti): Clemont loves machines. He has a whole gym full of gadgets that he’s invented himself, and he invents all manner of technological contraptions while on the road with Ash (Ti-Ne). Clemont’s affinity with machines comes from his view of life as a system to be analyzed and exploited if necessary, and Clemont applies this worldview to all aspects of his life, not just to his tinkering. For instance, he deconstructs Ash’s battle style in order to find weaknesses as part of his preparation to battle his friend. Also, he builds a robot, Clembot, to run his gym for him, and he programs Clembot with a “wish list” of qualities and qualifications that he would like to see in potential challengers.

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Edward Fairfax Rochester: ENTJ

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Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Dominant Extroverted Thinking (Te): Rochester is strong-willed and a natural leader, often to the point of behaving in a domineering manner. Even equally wealthy people tend to obey him instinctively, despite his unattractive appearance and frequent neglect of social conventions. Rochester tends to be very direct, to the point that it catches most people off guard. His focus, however, is practicality. This utilitarian viewpoint leads him to hide Bertha’s identity from most people in England. In Rochester’s mind, if making Bertha’s existence publicly known will not benefit either of them, then there is no reason for him to do so.

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Ludo Bagman: ESTP

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling

Dominant Extroverted Sensing (Se): Bagman used to be a big Quidditch star, owing to his thrill-seeking nature. He played a position (Beater) that requires balance as well as arm strength. Even after leaving the world of professional Quidditch, Bagman still prefers to live life on the edge. He does this mainly by betting; he is a compulsive gambler, especially about Quidditch matches and other sporting events, and he borrows large sums of money in order to cover his gambling debts. Bagman is the announcer at both the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, owing to two things: his eye for details and his liking for attention.

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Lucius Malfoy: ISTJ

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling

Dominant Introverted Sensing (Si): Lucius regards heritage as being all-important. He thinks of wizards and witches from old magical families as the most valuable people, while disdaining “mudbloods,” or witches and wizards from muggle families. Moreover, he maintains that some wizarding families (like his own) are better than others (like the financially strapped Weasleys). Lucius has nothing but a dismissive contempt toward the lowest of the low in wizarding society, such as house elves, which has cost him dearly on occasion; in particular, his careless attitude toward his own elf, Dobby, has blinded him to his servant’s frequent attempts to aid Harry and to pass forbidden information to his political enemies. However, in contrast to his lackadaisical attitude toward the underlings of his world, Lucius has a keen sense of the rules of the game in any situation, which has allowed him to get away with a great deal, all while becoming well-connected at the Ministry of Magic.

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Skeeter Phelan: INFP

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Guest Post by Emily, INFP

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

Dominant Introverted Feeling (Fi): Skeeter is one of the only people bothered by how the maids are treated. When Mrs. Stein asks her to write a list of things that bother her but don’t seem to bother anyone else, it ends up being a long list. When interviewing Aibileen, she tells her that she is tired of the rules. When she was a kid, visiting Constantine, her mom told her to be nice to Constantine’s neighbours, but Skeeter didn’t know why she wouldn’t be nice to them. When Hilly tells her to write the health initiative for the newsletter, Skeeter eventually tells her she won’t write it. She also paid Pascagoula’s brothers to put the toilets in Hilly’s yard. She has almost no interest in dating and broke up with Stuart after their first date because he said she was writing the Miss Myrna column to get a husband. Although she is writing a cleaning column, she has no interest in learning how to clean. She buys banned books off the black market because “if the State of Mississippi banned them, they must be good.”

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