Life as an ISFP

If You’re Confused About Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type, Read This: An Intro To Cognitive Functions 

Here is an overview of the eight cognitive functions:

Perceptive Functions:

Extroverted Intuition (Ne):

Extroverted intuition generates new possibilities, synthesizes abstract ideas and picks up on connections in the external environment. Extroverted intuition is capable of entertaining multiple contradictory ideas simultaneously as it sees almost every side to every situation. It is predominantly a future-oriented function that examines all the possibilities of what could happen next.

People who lead with extroverted intuition are usually excitable, entrepreneurial and highly creative. They intrinsically enjoy debating ideas, exploring various interests and they view almost everything in life as a challenge. They are constantly thinking about what to do or experience next, but have a difficult time sticking with just one idea or plan long-term.

Introverted Intuition (Ni):

Introverted intuition forms a framework of how the world works based on thorough, abstract analysis of past and current events. It aims to identify the ‘essence’ of ideas, theories, people and situations in order to fit them into a larger schema. Introverted intuition is a forward thinking function that seeks to identify the optimal or most likely outcome of future events.

People who lead with introverted intuition are usually intense, focused and highly perceptive of inconsistencies that arise in their external environment. They enjoy riddles, puzzles and wordplay. They often experience ‘hunches’ or ‘aha’ moments that they may identify as epiphanies. Their intense foresight is a product of their future-oriented introverted intuition subtly pairing with their inferior extroverted sensing.

Extroverted Sensing (Se):

Extroverted sensing is focused on taking in the world as it exists in the present moment. It is highly in tune with the sights, smells, sounds and general physical stimulus that surrounds it. Extroverted sensing lives and thrives in the moment, more so than any other function.

People who lead with extroverted sensing are often naturally athletic, highly impulsive and enjoy ever-changing stimuli. They place a high value on aesthetics and lust after the ‘finer things in life.’ Extroverted sensors usually aren’t interested in over-analyzing a situation – they simply see what they want and they go for it. These types tend to exude a natural sense of confidence, as they are usually quite sure of who they are and what they want.

Introverted Sensing (Si):

Introverted sensing is a detail-oriented, information storage function. It takes note of facts, events and occurrences exactly as they happen and categorizes them, somewhat like an internal filing system. This is a past-oriented function that dwells predominantly on what has been and it often gives way to nostalgia.

People who lead with introverted sensing are organized and structured, as they believe in being prepared for any potential mishap. They hold tradition in high esteem and believe that the tried and true method is always the best way of getting things done. Introverted sensors believe that the future will repeat the past, more so than any other type.

Judging/Decision-Making Functions: Introverted Feeling (Fi):

Introverted feeling is the in-depth analysis of emotional processes and morality. It seeks to break down emotions to their core and understand them as wholly as possible. It also develops a strong internal system of right and wrong, which the Fi user employs to make decisions. Introverted feeling searches for the deeper meaning behind absolutely everything. Introverted feelers are highly aware of and in touch with their own emotions, and when they put themselves in the shoes of others, they can often feel their pain or joy on a personal level.

People who lead with introverted feeling are compassionate, analytical and often highly concerned with moral issues. They are usually highly creative or artistic, and may feel as though nobody else truly understands who they are deep down. Because their feelings are introverted, Fi-dominant types aren’t always comfortable expressing how they feel outwardly. They have a rich inner world that they want to guard and yet they often secretly wish that others were capable of tapping into it.

Extroverted Feeling (Fe):

Extroverted feeling is highly concerned with maintaining social norms and keeping the peace. It is a decision-making function that strives to do what is best for the group and picks up naturally on the emotions of others. It is a mirroring function that may cause the user to have trouble deciphering their own feelings without the input of others. Extroverted feeling requires social interaction to stay fulfilled, more so than any other function.

People who lead with extroverted feeling are highly reactive to the feelings of others. They seek out social interaction relentlessly, as they feel the happiest and most alive when they are in the company of loved ones. They seek to maintain harmony and keep the peace at all costs – they cannot fully enjoy themselves unless the people around them are healthy, happy and comfortable.

Extroverted Thinking (Te):

Extroverted thinking seeks to impose order on the external environment as efficiently and logically as possible. It values productivity above all else and is a results-based, action-oriented function. Extroverted thinking naturally implements concrete plans for accomplishing goals and is quick to make decisions.

People who lead with extroverted thinking are frank, decisive and highly productive in every capacity. They are natural leaders in the workplace as they are quick to take charge and impose order. Dominant extroverted thinkers may come across as bossy or opinionated to those who lack the function, but in reality they are simply pointing out what they believe to be the most efficient course of action for everyone involved.

Introverted Thinking (Ti):

Introverted thinking is an information-gathering function that seeks to form a framework for how the world works on a concrete, tangible level. It is adept at understanding systems and naturally notices inconsistencies within them. Introverted thinking seeks a thorough understanding of how things work – it wants to deconstruct things to look at the individual parts and see how things function as a whole.

People who lead with introverted thinking are logical, systematic and objective to a fault. They enjoy finding ‘short-cuts’ that increase efficiency within a given system. Ti-dominants are often heavily introverted, as they take a great deal of time to understand how things work before they feel comfortable sharing or acting on their knowledge.

How do I know what order I use my functions in?

It can be confusing trying to figure this out. We’re often more aware of our second function than our first, as we are somewhat removed from our second function and can see it more objectively.

Think of it like this: You are in a swimming pool and your first (or “dominant”) function is the water. It’s everywhere. It’s what you do without thinking about it. It’s your natural first impulse to every situation – it comes to you so naturally that you may not even notice yourself using it.

Your second function (known as your auxiliary function) is like the ladder, or the waterslide. To an extent, you can choose to use it or not use it. You are very aware of its presence. You can’t make it go away, but you can temporarily ignore it. You have to swim through the water to get there.

Your third and fourth functions (Or your “tertiary” and “inferior” functions) are less accessible to you, as you may not fully develop them until you are nearing middle age. When you’re younger, your third and fourth functions are primarily called upon when you are under stress. If you started drowning in the water, your tertiary and inferior functions would be the life raft that you cling to. Eventually, you can integrate them to become pool toys that you use on a regular basis. Once you’ve done this, you will finally have a well-balanced, relaxing pool experience. We can also refer to this as type actualization.

The breakdown of functions and the order in which they’re used is as follows for each type:

ENFP: Ne – Fi – Te – Si INFP: Fi – Ne – Si – Te INFJ: Ni – Fe – Ti – Se ENFJ: Fe – Ni – Se – Ti ISTJ: Si – Te – Fi – Ne ESTJ: Te – Si – Ne – Fi ISTP: Ti – Se – Ni – Fe ESTP: Se – Ti – Fe – Ni INTJ: Ni – Te – Fi – Se INTP: Ti – Ne – Si – Fe ENTJ: Te – Ni – Se – Fi ENTP: Ne – Ti – Fe – Si ISFJ: Si – Fe – Ti – Ne ISFP: Fi – Se – Ni – Te ESFJ: Fe – Si – Ne – Ti ESFP: Se – Fi – Te – Ni

Any type can, theoretically, access any of the eight cognitive functions, but tapping into a function that is not part of your type’s stacking will be an incredibly exhausting experience.

Why is it important to know about functions?

Understanding cognitive functions is imperative to understanding type. The four-letter dichotomies cannot possibly explain the complexity of our personalities – we are all thinkers, feelers, sensors and intuitives in various situations. The cognitive functions allow us to understand when we use each function and how it impacts our decision-making process.

Cognitive functions also help us to distinguish between types with clarity. No more thinking you’re an ENFP/J! Now you know that ENFPs and ENFJs actually share zero cognitive functions. If you’re an ENFP who employs a great deal of structure into your life, it simply means you’ve developed your extroverted thinking function effectively.

ISTP 

Actively solving problems. 

Observing how things work. 

Talent for using tools for the best approach.

Need to be independent. 

Act on their hunches or intuitions.

 Understanding a situation. 

Taking things apart. 

Making discoveries.

 Sharing those discoveries. 

Unsettled by powerful emotional experiences.

ESTP

Taking charge of situations. 

Tactical prioritizing. 

Talent for negotiating. 

Want a measure of their success. 

Keep their options open. 

Enjoy acting as a consultant.

Winning people over. 

Caring for family and friends. 

Enjoy exhilaration at the edge.

Disappointed when others don’t show respect.

ISFP

Taking advantage of opportunities. 

Stick with what’s important. 

Talent for pulling together what is just right. 

Creative problem solving. 

Building relationships. 

Attracting the loyalties of others. 

Being their own true self. 

Have their own personal style. 

Play against expectations. 

Struggle with nurturing their own self-esteem.

ESFP

Stimulating action. 

Have a sense of style. 

Talent for presenting things in a useful way. 

Natural actors—engaging others. 

Opening up people to possibilities. 

Respect for freedom. 

Taking risks. 

A love of learning, especially about people. 

Genuine caring. 

Sometimes misperceive others’ intentions.

ISTJ

Drawing up plans and being prepared. 

Take responsibility. 

Getting work done first. 

Being active in the community. 

Loyalty to their roles. 

Cultivating good qualities.

Doing the right thing. 

Bear life’s burdens and overcome adversity. 

Talented at planning, sequencing, and noticing what’s missing. 

Having to learn so much in hindsight is painful at times

ESTJ

Talent for bringing order to chaotic situations. 

Educating themselves. 

Industrious, work-hard attitude. 

Balance work with play. 

Having a philosophy of life. 

Having the steps to success. 

Keeping up traditions. 

Being well-balanced. 

Connecting their wealth of life experiences. 

Often disappointed when perfectionistic standards for economy and quality are not met.

ISFJ 

Noticing what’s needed and what’s valuable. 

Talent for careful and supportive organization. 

Know the ins and outs. 

Enjoy traditions. 

Work to protect the future.

 Listening and remembering. 

Being nice and agreeable. 

Unselfish willingness to volunteer. 

Feeling a sense of accomplishment. 

Exasperated when people ignore rules and don’t get along.

ESFJ

Accepting and helping others. 

Managing people. 

Hearing people out. 

Voicing concerns and accommodating needs. 

Admire the success of others. Remember what’s important. 

Talented at providing others with what they need. 

Keep things pleasant. 

Maintaining a sense of continuity. 

Accounting for the costs. 

Often disappointed by entrepreneurial projects.

INTJ

Maximizing achievements. 

Drive for self mastery. 

Build a vision. 

Very long-range strategizing. 

Realizing progress toward goals. 

Systems thinking. 

Talent for seeing the reasons behind things. 

Being on the leading edge.

 Maintaining independence. 

Find it difficult to let go in interacting with others.

ENTJ

Being a leader. 

Maximize talents. 

Marshal resources toward progress. 

Intuitive explorations.

Forging partnerships. 

Mentoring and empowering. 

Talent for coordinating multiple projects. 

Balance peace and conflict. 

Demonstrates predictive creativity. 

Often overwhelmed by managing all the details of time and resources.

INTP

Becoming an expert. 

Seeing new patterns and elegant connections. 

Talent for design and re-design. 

Crossing the artificial bound- aries of thought. 

Activate the imagination. 

Clarifying and defining. 

Making discoveries. 

Reflect on the process of thinking itself. 

Detach to analyze. 

Struggle with attending to the physical world.

ENTP

Being inventive.

Talented at building prototypes and getting projects launched. 

Enjoys lifelong learning. 

Enjoy the creative process. 

Share their insights about life’s possibilities. 

Strategically formulate success. 

An inviting host. 

Like the drama of the give and take. 

Trying to be diplomatic. 

Surprised when their strategizing of relationships becomes problematic.

INFJ

Personal growth. 

Sustain the vision. 

Honoring the gifts of others. 

Taking a creative approach to life. 

Talent for foreseeing.

 Exploring issues. 

Bridging differences and connecting people.

Practical problem solving.

Living with a sense of purpose. 

Living an idealistic life often presents them with a great deal of stress and a need to withdraw.

ENFJ

Communicate and share values. 

Succeeding at relationships. 

Realizing dreams—their own and others. 

Seek opportunities to grow together. 

Heeding the call to a life work or mission. 

Enjoying the creative process. 

Intuitive intellect. 

Reconcile the past and the future. 

Talent for seeing potential in others. 

Often find living in the present difficult.

INFP

Going with the flow. 

Knowing what is behind what is said. 

Uncovering mysteries. 

Exploring moral questions. 

Talent for facilitative listening. 

Relate through stories and metaphors. 

Balancing opposites. 

Getting re-acquainted with themselves. 

Have a way of knowing what is believable. 

Struggling with structure and getting their lives in order.

ENFP

Inspiring and facilitating others. 

Exploring perceptions. 

Talent for seeing what’s not being said and voicing unspoken meanings. 

Seek to have ideal relationships. 

Recognize happiness. 

Living out stories.

Want to authentically live with themselves. 

Respond to insights in the creative process. 

Finding the magical situation. 

Restless hunger for discovering their direction.

There’s no way to know for sure unless you ask, but here’s some traits you’ll notice in them:

ISFPs have a strong sense of what is wrong and right to them. Mature ones will recognise that morality is subjective, and tend to be more understanding and accepting of others’ differences. Unhealthy ones will insist that their moral code is the right one.

ISFPs are generally empaths and are acutely aware of their own emotions; if this is extended to others, they can be very caring and warm.

Many ISFPs tend to have idiosyncratic tendencies, and display them proudly as a part of their own identity.

They enjoy things that stimulate them. ISFPs generally don’t enjoy sitting still for long periods of time, as compared to other things that engage them and attract their attention. Interacting with the world is a way that they enjoy life. For example, some ISFPs might love exploring nature, while others might love composing music or sketching, and even sports.

Healthy ISFPs will have a general sense of direction in life; they will have goals and will work hard to achieve them. However, unhealthy ISFPs can be very paranoid and anxious, or have very poor organisational skills.

Dominant Si (ISXJ: I know how this works, how it was last week, and how I want it to be in the future. If knitting in that way helped the other person to create that scarf, I feel sure that I can do the same thing by learning the same stitch. I feel happiest when I hold tight to the things that are truly important and lasting in life, such as family, friends, and often, my faith. I find that interesting, but it doesn’t match my memories of what happened. Can you give me more details, so I can decide whether or not to accept it? I know if something or someone is different from how they used to be, and can tell you exactly what has altered. I highly value my past experiences, and find it hard to forget or move past things. I really love participating in local events, family traditions, and cultural things, because it makes me feel like I am part of a living past. I enjoy routine and like things to be predictable.

Auxiliary Si (ESXJ): The last time I tackled this project, using this technique worked, so I feel confident in my ability to succeed using the same technique. This restaurant is laid out different than it was the last time I was here; those tables were on the patio, and they had red curtains, not green. I’m happy to provide you with the details of why I am making this decision. I recognize this street, so I know where to turn! This holiday is meaningful to me, because it allows me to connect to my family or my culture. I’m disappointed if we can’t celebrate it together every year. If we’re going to do this project, let’s do research to see how others have done it before we start. I like to reflect on my own past experiences when making decisions in the present, and believe I can learn from others’ mistakes.

Tertiary Si (INXP): I love to revisit things that have given me joy in the past. Going to the same museums, watching the same favorite old movies, and thinking about an old idea is a lot of fun for me. I’d actually rather go to the tea shop again than try out a new hot spot. I find history interesting. Oh, do you want to know everything I learned about Ancient Egypt / the Klingon Conflict? I have all the details right here! I have a box of Star Wars memorabilia in my closet.  Oh, I remember that smell… this tastes like my grandmother’s cookies… no, that’s not how “they’re” is spelled. I like familiar things and when I am upset, they comfort me.

UGH. Lovely man. What would reality be like without jackasses? =P

It goes without saying that these examples are for healthy Fi’s. In unhealthy or immature Fi’s, these stereotypes certainly will manifest.

I will do what I want. I don’t care if you get hurt.

That is just immaturity and selfishness – not Fi. In fact, Fi might be inclined to think, “Not treating people as I want to be treated is devaluing their humanity, so I am going to treat them with kindness even if it brings me unhappiness, because to do less than that is not who I am or want to be.” Fi might fall in love outside their current relationship, but decide not to leave their partner or cheat on them, because they made a promise to this person, a commitment, and Fi believes in personal integrity. Cheating is not even an option in their mind.

I don’t care what you think or need your affirmation.

Fi does care what you think – it is just that your feelings are not always going to overrule their personal decisions, because they feel honor-bound to hold to their ethical standard. The more they care about you, the more your feelings and what you think of them is prioritized in their mind. Total strangers can hurt Fi’s feelings, though it is true that someone much closer to them can do far more damage. Words are hurtful. Fi does need you to care and invest in them. Fi will blossom under your encouragement.

I am rude and inconsiderate.

Blindsiding a Fi and asking for an opinion on something that is obvious to them will probably generate a completely Te answer – particularly in a young Fi. More mature Fi’s pause to consider how to tactfully tell you that dress you’re wearing that you want an opinion on makes you look like a pink elephant.

I am manipulative.

Being manipulative involves insincerity. Fi’s value authenticity and often refuse to show any emotion other than what they truly feel – they do not “fake” things. Fi will say nothing over engaging in what they consider to be “fake” behavior. If you want total honesty, look for Fi. Further, Fi may decide manipulating people is ethically wrong, inhibiting them from doing it.

I am unhelpful and leave people to fend for themselves.

Fi is more comfortable showing love than speaking it. How does this manifest? In actions. Fi may not know how to comfort you when you are in tears, but it sure knows how to make you feel better by boxing up all your favorite treats, buying you the latest movies/CDs/books, and arriving at your house with said box in one hand and a gallon of ice cream in the other. Fi sends flowers. Fi chooses gifts that it feels are meaningful. Fi shows you love in whatever way it can think of, and that sometimes includes jumping in front of a bus for you.

I never share my feelings with anyone.

The sharing of feelings is selective, but emotions do come out. Fi’s do vent – often not about how they are feeling (”it made me feel so worthless!”) but about the situation itself (”they didn’t invite me – again!”). If you are close to Fi, if Fi loves you, if Fi trusts you, Fi will share with you. It may be awkward. It may be full of metaphors. But they will share. It simply may take time.

I only care about my own stuff, not yours.

This is immaturity and selfishness and turns up in all types, with or without Fi.

It hurts me to scroll through tumblr and see people’s creativity go ignored. I feel anguish when their blog posts get no response, when their art goes ignored, when no one comments on their music videos, or clicks “like” on what they have to say. Unless I disagree strongly with something, I click “like” on every tumblr post I see. I leave comments on people’s fanfics. I want them to know someone SEES them and CARES. It requires so little effort from me, and can mean the world to them, because it’s proof that I SEE YOU. In our desperately lonely society, people need to be seen, heard, and loved.

Which brings me to this, which ties into the whole “Fi will do this whether or not you care” stereotype – for months, I have been upset that despite having over 18,000+ followers on this tumblr, the posts here receive so little acknowledgment. A tremendous amount of time, study, thought, and effort goes into what you see on this blog – not merely from me, but from my co-mod, and our many contributors. I know that some people appreciate it, even deeply, but we do not know that unless you hit “like.” I am not an attention whore, I do not need constant affirmation, but when posts go out to 18k dashes, and get 4 notes, I start wondering, “Is this a waste of my/our valuable time?” I am not only hurt on my behalf, but on behalf of everyone doing this with me.

I do not have to run this tumblr. My co-mod does not have to spend hours adding graphics and tags and putting things in the queue. Our contributors do not have to spend hours thinking about characters you request and typing up profiles. I do not have to answer your questions, or help you figure out your type, or write, for the ten thousandth time, the difference between two types or functions. I choose to do it. I own that decision. I rarely complain, but many times, I have come very close to NOT DOING IT out of a lack of visible support and appreciation. Yet, I continue doing it, because deleting this blog would disappoint so many of you. Not very stereotypical “Fi” of me, is it?

To my Fi, saying this seems whiny. It seems needy. But it needs said, because everyone needs support and affirmation, and I see a considerable lack of it all over the internet across all mediums. Clicking “like” on a tumblr post is easy. It says, “Thank you.” It says, “Even though this character is not my type, and I know very little about them, I appreciate the time you take to do this.” Clicking “like” on music videos on YouTube (better yet, commenting), taking two minutes to encourage a fanfiction writer by complimenting their story, reblogging a cool piece of art, or writing a thoughtful response to someone’s blog post can literally make their day.

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Introverted Sensing (INxP): Tertiary SI manifests in people wanting to explore and expand their horizons, but this nagging feeling to use points of references to set off into the unknown. “I have to remember where I came from…”  is what they will often tell themselves. INxPs thus love to name and remember what they like and dislike, based on their own personal experiences and then expand on it. Pop culture references and childhood memories are thus often staring points in their exploratory nature and they will not allow time and trends to erase them. 

Extroverted Sensing (ENxJ): Tertiary Se manifests in people wanting to take a break from their projects and soak in immediate experiences. And thus, they will usually delve into their immediate pleasures and want to find ways to “flash,” showing great knowledge of current, popular trends. They want to take the general population’s “pulse” into what’s “in” right now.

Introverted Intuition (ISxP): Tertiary Ni manifests in people wanting their artistic and/or mechanical projects to lead to something greater. They love being “hands on” but always wonder if it will lead to something better down the road. They can thus at times, wonder what the future has in store for them. This can lead them to daydreaming but with actual skills and plans to make it happen if they put the effort and energy into it. 

Extroverted Intuition (ESxJ): Tertiary Ne manifests in people having a desire to shake up their daily routine and explore the unknown.They usually see this as a personal way to express themselves in a deeper fashion. Routine and daily chores is what leads their lives and it works for them, but they have a secret desire to push the boundaries and see what else is out there. In its dark form, this may lead them to completely want to re-start their lives anew (think of a mid-life crisis) but in its healthy form, makes them question what new horizon they want to explore to give deeper meaning to their deep-rooted values. 

Introverted Feeling (IxTJ): Tertiary Fi manifests in people wanting to defend their idealism and express their own individuality.They are so used to following a system that this functions nags them to express themselves and remind others that they are their own individual person like a snowflake. This can lead to bouts of moral righteousness and dictating to others what is right and what is wrong. But it’s simply their Te wanting to shout out their personal standards. And such, they may start their very own projects and hobbies that they have always wanted to do since a very early age. 

Extroverted Feeling (ExTP): Tertiary Fe manifests in people finding the need to make others happy or to validate whatever it is they are thinking or doing. They are very confident in who they are, yet will feel fragile if other people don’t express their validation towards them. This leads them to use their auxiliary Ti to read people then get what they want out of them, for better or for worse. But either way, they will feel empty if others don’t acknowledge their ideals and/or existence and thus the need to appeal to others’ feelings. 

Introverted Thinking (IxFJ): Tertiary Ti manifests in people taking a step back and questioning what is really going on behind the scenes. They want to believe the best in people and help them by all means necessary, but will have this nagging voice questioning them whether it is the smart thing to do. Thus, they start developing a healthy like for data and facts as it helps them make sound decisions. It can also manifest itself in an impersonal way, wanting to understand the mechanics in whatever they find new interest in. 

This is a great questions, and one that has a pretty slippery answer.  I’m not sure this will be an adequate response, but hopefully it helps some!

Generally, I would say to avoid the typical internet MBTI tests that say you’re 54% introverted and 33% feeling or whatever.  They aren’t really evaluating what MBTI is all about, so people often will get very different results from their actual type.

My big recommendation to you would be to study up on the cognitive functions.  A brief rundown: there are eight cognitive functions, each of which works in a distinct way either gathering information from the world (perceiving functions) or making decisions based on those perceptions (judging functions).  Some functions are focused internally while others are focused externally.  They, along with a very brief description of them, are as follows:

Introverted Thinking: taking apart ideas and concepts to find their very core, what makes them tick.

Extraverted Thinking: assessing problems in very practical ways in order to find immediate solutions to them.

Introverted Feeling: personal morals and values that are held to out of a sense of responsibility to self.

Extraverted Feeling: assessing the emotional and social temperature of a room and adopting behavior and values that are appropriate for the context.

Introverted Intuition: having a clear vision of what your purpose is in life or what the true meaning of things are.

Extraverted Intuition: exploring new ideas and possibilities, seeking novelty or creative ways of thinking about the world.

Introverted Sensing: an inner catalogue of thoughts and experiences that are used to compare the present to the past.

Extraverted Sensing: being attuned to the physical world and the sensory details of it; highly in the moment.

All 16 types use four of the eight functions, each in a distinct order:

Do any of those descriptions jump out at you?  Are any of those functions things that you seem to do unconsciously and on a regular basis?  If so, that means you probably use that function in either your dominant or auxiliary position (for example, if Te really sounds like something you use regularly and effectively, you are probably an ISTJ, INTJ, ESTJ, or ENTJ, depending on what other functions you see yourself using).  

So functions are, in my opinion, the best way to figure out your type.  Google them and try to get a grasp on which ones you use.  It’s important to note that you can only use two perceiving functions (S and N) and two judging functions (F and T), which have to be opposites of one another (for example, if you feel confident Ne is one of your top functions, then you also use Si, just not as naturally because it’s in a lower position).  

There are some cognitive function tests out there, but I’ve normally found myself aware of what each question is evaluating, so I feel like my results are always a bit biased.  They’re worth mentioning, though.  

Also, it’s okay if you decide you’re not the type you originally thought you were.  I thought I was an INFJ for years until I started learning more about the functions and realized that I don’t use Ni… at all (heck, I barely understand it), and that I use Si all the time. So if you land on one type, but more reading makes you think that you might have mistakenly labelled your functions or ordered them incorrectly, that’s okay!  

Dominant Position (ISFP and INFP): Uses their own personal values to evaluate their interpersonal relationships between individuals. Highly confident in evaluating the consistency of moral or ethical qualities in others. An Fi-dom therefore may appear judgmental or self-righteous. Can instantly decide if they are drawn or repelled to a person, recognize friend between foe based on their underlying intentions. They firmly hold onto their belief of good and bad, or right vs wrong. These feelings are often hidden however, unless something provokes a strong negative reaction from them. They are highly sensitive to what they perceive the concepts of honour, duty, or morality to be. Own feelings and values are more important than external public ones. Because they develop their values subjectively, they may deviate from accepted social norms, and as a result may be misunderstood.

Auxiliary Position (ENFP and ESFP): Very adept at recognizing, establishing personal bonds between people. They hold a strong set of feeling values like Fi-doms do, except it is more situational - when the external situation changes, which is perceived through their dominant Se/Ne, these feelings can change quickly in accordance to the events. Therefore auxiliary Fi is less “static” than it is in dominant position. 

Tertiary Position (ISTJ and INTJ): Values emotional bonds where feelings about others go unsaid, because they are very adverse to the context of Fe (feeling expression). May appear bluntly honest and very non-expressive of emotions. Prefers others to make gestures in establishing interpersonal relationships, lacking the initiative in this area. Shows a strong dislike of others trying to delve into their personal values or feelings.

[ quick switch: ISxJ | INxJ | IxTP | IxFP | ExTJ | ENxP | ExFJ | ESxP ]

(excerpts from Was That Really Me? by Naomi Quenk)

Important Features of Dominant Introverted Feeling

Introverted Feeling types are flexible, open, complicated, mild, modest, and often self-effacing.Though difficult to get to know, they are seen as trustworthy confidants who are tolerant of a wide range of differences.Their habitual approach to people is nonjudgmental, understanding, and forgiving. They place a high value on affirming both their own and others’ individuality and uniqueness.They seek to affirm all parties in a controversy and thus readily see the validity of contradictory points of view. Underlying their characteristic tolerance is an overarching natural curiosity. They find the diversity in the world immensely appealing. ISFPs want to experience as much of the environment, especially the natural environment, as possible; INFPs’ desire for broad experience, especially human experience, may be secondary to their need to understand it. Both Introverted Feeling types may find it difficult to take a firm stance on issues that are not centrally important to them. As a result, they may see themselves and be seen by others as indecisive and lacking in conviction. In matters in which they hold strong values, however, they are firm and uncompromising in expressing and enacting their beliefs. Introverted Feeling types focus on what is good in others, so they tend to downplay others’ faults, often forgiving them for slights or minor hurtful behavior. At their best, they accept their own mistakes and imperfections as well, achieving some success in maintaining the inner harmony that is so important to them. In crisis situations, they typically will hold back to see if others will solve the problem competently.They are then content to follow someone else’s lead. But if adequate leadership is absent, ISFPs and INFPs may assume a dominant role, acting swiftly, confidently, and competently to handle the difficult situation.