I think IXTPs are misunderstood, and ENTPs.

Okay, can someone please educate me on this?✋

I only recently got into this mbti thing last year in like late September, early October. I learned about the INFJ stare, and now I know that ESFP has a stare too from a post below. Which makes me curious, what kind of stares do the other types have?

Just want to hear a few perspectives on this since it's such a frequent topic of discussion. Have heard from a few people that Ni and Si are often the hardest functions to describe.

For example, if someone has ADHD and Autism. I’ve known about MBTI for almost a decade (I’m 20 now), but I’ve always struggled with my identity growing up. Despite knowing about the cognitive functions, I find it easier to type people I’m close to irl and fictional characters than myself. I tend to overthink a lot about who I am. I know I’m neurodivergent, and with masking, you have the tendency to lose yourself, but it seems like every other neurodivergent person I know has a concrete identity developed. I don’t even know my favorite color. I thought it was orange, but it might be pink cuz I have a lot of pink stuff. I’ve mirrored people my whole life. It didn’t really hit me how much I mirrored people until I left my college friend group and I didn’t know who I was anymore. I feel like nothing is connected to me.

Like what makes each of y'all happy. Like for me as an SE dominant, I came back from the gym early in the morning going to college, and the weather is finally cooling down, the color of the sky looks more gloomy, the vibe is sooo amazing, almost nostalgic, and I wanted to play some music that fits the vibes and at that moment I felt like the world is magical. Maybe it's not an MBTI thing but what makes y'all very happy?

been reading about how MBTI lines up with the big five and it’s kind of interesting. roughly:

E/I = extraversion
N/S = openness
F/T = agreeableness
J/P = conscientiousness

and then the big five has a fifth one (emotional stability) that MBTI doesn’t really cover at all

if you’ve taken both, does it line up for you? like do INTJs actually come out low on extraversion and high on openness, or is it all over the place?

i’ve never done a proper MBTI test, but going by that mapping my big five says ISFJ: extraversion 21, openness 25, agreeableness 63, conscientiousness 84. and emotional stability 35, which MBTI wouldn’t even show. curious if real ISFJs here look like that

I want to understand what exactly using Te entails as an INFJ (Te-blind).

I know conceptually it deals with external systems, and I think that it can also play a big part in self-discipline, but that's about it.

Can someone explain how Te works and preferably give examples of Te in action?

I was reading another post about what makes you happy, but now I’m wondering what your absolute dream position or career would be.

For me, 47F ENFP, it’s having a room full of old manuscripts and books: The Lindisfarne Gospel, a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, And let’s throw in The Tale of Genji in for good measure!! There are many, many more but those are just a few off the top of my head.

I just want to sit and pour over all these old pieces of history in my own home. There’s just so much detail that goes in them and the BEAUTY of the artwork is like nothing we have today.

ALSO, a room full of vintage perfumes from the past. I collect vintages and having bottles of perfumes in pristine condition and in their original packaging would be AMAZING!!

Would any of this ever happen? Probably not, but it’s fun to dream!!

What’s YOUR impossible, frivolous dream ??

I say this because I'm an Ni dom who grew up around sensors so how the heck would I even learn to do Ni if there was no one around to teach me or even influence me to think this way? The only explanation would be this is simply how my mind is naturally wired.

It was mind blowing to learn about it for the first time because no other psychological theory I have encountered has described my way of thinking so specifically, plus the fact that when I describe it to my ISFJ cousin, she could NOT relate to Ni-Te at all. But what's even more interesting is how alien Fi to is to her. I spent an hour describing to her the experience of Fi and she could not relate AT ALL but when I described Fe, she 100% identified with it.

Cognitive functions get dismissed a lot as pseudo-science and may not be fully validated by traditional science but Carl Jung was definitely ONTO SOMETHING.

I think i have successfully typed myself as an Ti-Dom, but i can't really grasp the change in cognitive behaviour when it comes to my Aux Function. Most of the time i feel like Discussions or Explanations about differences between Sensing and Intuition focus on them as the Dom Function.

But i would like to know how to discern the cognitive processing of an ISTP and an INTP, so that i can understand which one of them feels more akin to my ways of thinking. And i hoped you guys can help me out here ^^

Hi! I'm an INFP 5w4. I ended my "relationship" with an ISTP 5w6 a while ago and I'd like to have a casual (and friendly) daily chat to change things up 💫

Meme made by me. This is INFJ you meet mostly online and explanation they give for them being INFJ.

What do you think? ( I hope u got dawn reference)

I do not know whether some functions are mere pieces of extravagance which lack significant advantages, relative to the ones perceived as more advantageous. I would be pleased to gather anecdotes from others.

I genuinely think the ENTJ stereotype has become so distorted that it barely resembles the actual personality type anymore.

Between 16Personalities, Socionics, oversimplified MBTI descriptions, fictional character typings, and the endless nonsense circulating in personality communities, they've somehow created this completely ridiculous image of what an ENTJ supposedly is.

And I'm getting pretty tired of it.

Apparently, every other person and their mother is an ENTJ nowadays because they are strict because of Si nonsense.

And apparently, being an ENTJ means you're some extremely aggressive, manipulative, controlling, power hungry psychopath with Dark Triad traits and the personality of an anime villain.

Seriously, what the hell happened?

It's like we've entered some distorted parallel universe where ENTJs have become fictional creatures rather than actual human beings.

People are typing themselves and others based on movie characters with completely made up personalities, exaggerated behavioral traits, and fictional motivations. And then they use those characters as a reference point for understanding real people.

How does that make any sense?

ENTJs are an extremely rare and complex personality type, and I genuinely believe most people have no idea what an actual ENTJ looks like.

And the worst part is that I see actual ENTJs being misunderstood even within their own mbti community.

ENTJs are not naturally aggressive, manipulative, or controlling.

Let's get something straight.

Being an ENTJ does not automatically make someone aggressive, domineering, narcissistic, manipulative, emotionally detached, or obsessed with controlling other people.

Those are not defining characteristics of Extraverted Thinking.

Can an ENTJ have those characteristics? Of course.

Just like literally any other personality type.

But that doesn't mean those characteristics are caused by being an ENTJ.

Dark Triad traits are not cognitive functions. Psychopathy is not Te. Narcissism is not Ni. And being manipulative doesn't suddenly make someone an ENTJ.

Yet somehow, a significant part of the MBTI community seems to believe otherwise.

I also suspect that quite a few people identify themselves as ENTJs precisely because they recognize themselves in these exaggerated descriptions of dominance, manipulation, emotional coldness, and control.

Some may have entirely different personality patterns, including potentially pathological traits, and mistake those for ENTJ characteristics.

I'm not diagnosing anyone here. I'm saying that identifying with a stereotype doesn't establish your cognitive type.

And frankly, this is damaging the image of actual ENTJs.

It creates ridiculous expectations about how we're supposed to behave, how we're supposed to communicate, and even how we're supposed to experience emotions.

ENTJs are not concrete thinkers like ESTJs or ESTPs.

Another thing that drives me absolutely insane is how many people seem to believe that ENTJs are fundamentally concrete, practical, action-oriented people who only care about immediate results.

That's a massive oversimplification.

If you actually look at Linda Berens' temperament framework, ENTJs belong to the Abstract and Utilitarian temperament, not the Concrete and Utilitarian temperament associated with ESTPs.

ENTJs are conceptual, strategic, future-oriented thinkers.

We're visionaries.

We're often nerds, actually.

We develop ideas, theories, possibilities, strategies, systems, and long-term visions, and then we want to figure out how to turn those visions into reality.

That doesn't mean we spend our entire lives giving orders, managing employees, or trying to dominate every room we enter.

The whole idea that an ENTJ must be some loud, aggressive CEO barking instructions at everyone is honestly laughable and incompetent.

Te is not synonymous with people management.

I genuinely don't understand why people keep making that association.

Extraverted Thinking is about organizing, structuring, evaluating, and implementing things according to external logic and effectiveness.

In an ENTJ, it works together with Introverted Intuition.

That means our thinking is often directed toward realizing an internally developed vision.

We want to make something happen.

We want to build something.

We want to understand how things work and how they could work better.

People management might be one application of that process, but it certainly isn't the defining feature.

An ENTJ can be an entrepreneur, researcher, engineer, artist, developer, musician, philosopher, strategist, or someone who spends most of their time obsessing over a complicated intellectual project.

Not every ENTJ wants to become a corporate executive.

ENTJs and INTJs are much more similar than people seem to realize.

Both types use Te and Ni in their preferred cognitive-function stack.

The distinction is largely about which process takes priority.

For an INTJ, Ni leads and Te supports its realization.

For an ENTJ, Te leads and Ni supports the overall strategic direction.

This can create meaningful differences in how they approach the world.

ENTJs may be more inclined to initiate, experiment, test things externally, and actively pursue their objectives.

INTJs may be more inclined to develop and refine their internal understanding before taking action.

But the underlying similarities are substantial.

And no, this doesn't mean ENTJs are necessarily socially dominant extroverts who need constant attention.

Extraversion in cognitive-function theory is not the same thing as being loud, socially aggressive, or obsessed with other people.

And can we please talk about Introverted Feeling?

Because this is probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of the ENTJ personality.

ENTJs have inferior Fi in the conventional four-function model.

And people somehow interpret that as meaning we don't have feelings, don't understand emotions, or are incapable of emotional vulnerability.

That's not how I understand Fi at all.

Introverted Feeling is not simply the ability to experience internal emotions or express feelings.

It concerns subjective valuation, personal significance, individual values, and what matters to someone on a deeply personal level.

For ENTJs, this process occupies a particularly interesting position.

We lead with rational evaluation and external effectiveness, but that doesn't mean our inner world is empty.

Quite the opposite.

I would argue that some of our deepest motivations can originate from this personal value system.

The things we pursue can matter to us enormously on an emotional and personal level, even when the methods we use to pursue them are highly rational.

And this creates an interesting internal conflict.

Sometimes our rational conclusions can actually hurt our own feelings.

We can recognize something as logically correct, necessary, or strategically sensible while simultaneously experiencing emotional resistance to it.

And because Fi is inferior, that inner world can be particularly sensitive, difficult to integrate, or vulnerable.

Not necessarily absent.

Not necessarily inaccessible.

And certainly not proof that we're incapable of love, compassion, emotional depth, or meaningful relationships.

In fact, I think this tension between Te and Fi is one of the most important things to understand about ENTJs.

And it barely gets discussed properly.

ENTJs can be deeply sensitive people.

I also find it strange how people automatically associate ENTJs with emotional toughness and an almost complete lack of sensitivity.

An ENTJ can be deeply affected by things.

An ENTJ can struggle with personal feelings.

An ENTJ can have emotional difficulties.

An ENTJ can be incredibly loving, vulnerable, romantic, affectionate, or sensitive.

None of that automatically makes them an ENFJ, INFP, or some other feeling type.

And having inferior Fi doesn't mean we're necessarily worse at expressing emotions than everyone else.

It describes a preference and a particular relationship with a cognitive process, not a universal inability.

There are also types that don't prefer Fi in their main function stack at all, and some individuals may come across as more narcissistic or self-centered depending on how their personality develops.

But narcissism itself isn't determined by cognitive type either.

That's exactly my point.

We need to stop confusing psychological traits, personal development, emotional health, and behavioral problems with cognitive-function preferences.

They're not interchangeable.

ENTJs need enjoyment, freedom, and emotional fulfillment too.

Here's another thing I rarely see people discuss.

ENTJs can become so focused on rational thinking, strategy, productivity, improvement, and achieving their vision that enjoying life becomes incredibly important.

Sometimes we need to get out of our heads.

We need pleasure.

We need experiences.

We need affection, playfulness, excitement, spontaneity, and things that simply feel good without having to justify them through productivity or some grand strategic purpose.

I think this is an important part of understanding the ENTJ personality.

We're not machines.

We're not walking productivity algorithms.

And we're not constantly calculating how to manipulate everyone around us.

Sometimes we just want to enjoy being alive.

And I would argue that this need can become particularly significant precisely because of how strongly our preferred rational processes shape our lives.

The ENTJ stereotype is actively hurting the community.

What bothers me most is that these stereotypes don't just create inaccurate descriptions.

They affect how actual people are perceived.

People make extremely strange assumptions about ENTJs and INTJs based on fictional villains, online stereotypes, exaggerated descriptions, and supposed personality traits that have very little to do with the actual cognitive models.

And when an ENTJ doesn't behave according to those expectations, people start questioning whether they're really an ENTJ.

Apparently, if you're not aggressive enough, you're mistyped.

If you're emotionally sensitive, you're mistyped.

If you're affectionate, you're mistyped.

If you're not interested in controlling other people, you're mistyped.

If you're more conceptual than concrete, you're mistyped.

If you're a nerd who spends hours developing complicated ideas instead of shouting orders at people, you're mistyped.

It's ridiculous.

And I think we've reached a point where some people who genuinely fit the ENTJ cognitive profile are being told they aren't ENTJs because they don't resemble an exaggerated fictional stereotype.

Meanwhile, people who strongly identify with dominance, manipulation, and ruthlessness sometimes assume those traits are evidence that they must be ENTJs.

Do you see how backwards that is?

We've essentially created a fantasy version of the ENTJ, and now we're judging real people against that fantasy.

The theoretical frameworks I'm referring to

For context, my understanding is primarily informed by:

- Linda Berens — temperament theory, interaction styles, and the abstract/concrete and cooperative/utilitarian distinctions.

- David Keirsey — temperament theory and the conceptual, strategic orientation of NT types.

- John Beebe — the eight-function model, including the relationship between dominant and inferior functions.

- Jungian cognitive-function theory — particularly the relationship between Te, Ni, Se, and Fi.

I'm not saying every interpretation within these frameworks is scientifically established, or that these authors agree on every detail.

I'm explaining the theoretical perspective from which I'm approaching this discussion.

And I think that's important, because I increasingly get the impression that people are discussing ENTJs without understanding the underlying theory at all.

Instead, they're discussing stereotypes derived from stereotypes derived from fictional characters.

My point

I genuinely believe ENTJs are far more complex, sensitive, conceptual, and internally conflicted than the popular stereotype suggests.

We're not inherently aggressive.

We're not inherently manipulative.

We're not inherently controlling.

We're not inherently narcissistic.

We're not necessarily concrete thinkers.

We're not all natural people managers.

And we're certainly not some kind of Dark Triad anime villain.

We're often visionary, strategic, intellectually curious people who want to turn ideas into reality, while also having a deeply personal inner world that can sometimes conflict with our rational judgments.

And yes, we can be extremely emotional, affectionate, playful, vulnerable, and passionate.

That doesn't make us any less ENTJ.

I'm genuinely tired of watching this personality type being turned into something it isn't.

At this point, the stereotype has become so detached from reality that I sometimes wonder whether people are even discussing the same personality type anymore.

I really hope the MBTI community starts taking the actual theoretical distinctions more seriously instead of perpetuating these ridiculous caricatures.

Because real ENTJs deserve to be understood as human beings.

Not fictional psychopaths.

Thank you for reading my rant, i appreciate it and i am curious what you have to share about this subject.

NOT a type me post don't type me based of this thanks I am seeking advice !!

im mad im mad cause I looked over each cognitive function individually, some time at night at a random day with a lot of sources online and some lengthy reddit posts (i don't know if they're reliable or not but it had positive reactions... so i guess..)
I got ti ne si fe. intp. I relate to ti and te but mostly ti. i relate to ni, si, and fi. but a little birdie called captain obvious told me i can't have all introverted functions

Fi and fe is low for me, that's for sure. very underdeveloped; my relationship with feeling is all or nothing
I already stated that I relate to Ti more than Te.
I'm both ne and ni but I wouldn't say they're a dominant function.. more ne.. but also ni... but also no
si and se are middle for me but I would be more of a si user

i'm so lost ?? why am i so indecisive about this. how do I find out what my cognitive stack is... any more sources that can make me go "oh!" or scenarios to put myself in i think scenarios are really helpful for me. thank u all

To everybody who’s sure of their type (and is not using the four letters system, but cognitive functions), what made you sure you were your type? Tests? Specific behaviour? Just by process of elimination?

I’m very curious for those who have played Ace Attorney Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, how you see the process of connecting evidences (from investigation) to form a conclusion in relation to the cognitive functions. For reference, this occurs at the climax of the trial when Apollo, Athena, (both in (Dual Destinies) and Phoenix (Spirit of Justice) is cornered, and need to turn the tables around with a strong conclusion that points presented evidence away from the defendant.

I’d like to entertain the idea that Revisualization lets us have a glimpse of a certain cognition running in the background in slow motion when really this process would have been rapid fire.

In a similar manner, Edogawa Conan explains through the deduction process (as Mouri Kogoro or Sonoko) in giving a rundown of the evidence/connections he made from his investigation which ultimately point toward said culprit. of course the accused culprit is shocked and denies, yet Conan hits the nail in the coffin with the hidden motive.

This is a random appreciation post but I am an INFJ in my freshmen year of college and my roommate happens to be an ENFP. We had already gotten along well prior to meeting in person but I just need somewhere to say how grateful I am for her. I genuinely do not know what I would do if anyone else was my roommate and she is such a special person. Sometimes I feel bad because I have a hard time expressing myself and I just want her to always know how much I love and care for her. For any Infjs who feel lonely, just know there is an enfp waiting for you who will make your life better in so many ways. They are not lying when they say infj x enfp are the golden pair!!

As an INTP I think I'm slowly getting a grasp of the inner workings of MBTI types that are similar to me. They are similar enough that I can use my own thinking to get close enough to their way of thinking.

These are the types I feel I intuitively can understand to some extent:

INFP, INTP, ISTP, ENTJ, ENTP

Other types that are further away from me are much harder to understand. I can observe their behaviour and make educated guesses, but I can't build a working model of their thought processes. They seem like complete black boxes to me. I just can't *get\* them in the same way.

Maybe some types will always remain black boxes to me. Where maybe this is just a limitation of the human experience. That the human mind limiting itself to certain processes of thinking because having access to all of it would drive you insane.

Still I would like to at least try to understand other types better. I find it horrifying to think that I'll only grasp just a subset of the human experience. Considering how little we *truly\* understand each other it makes me wonder how we haven't torn each other apart already. Within conversations we might talk the same language but the processing within each mind is truly alien and different.

Or maybe I'm just projecting, and everyone else understands each other perfectly fine. Maybe I'm just the one who's deficient in understanding all of this. Who knows.

Any tips or advice on this matter?