help! Why can't I just chill about this?

[sarah]

So I'm starting to get a couple of people on this list emailing me to question my type preferences now. It happened on another type discussion list I was on, and I managed to convince them that there are all different flavors of the same type. It's really kind of irritating, though.

Am I really that untypical of ISFPs? I mean, shoot, I'm stereotypical in that I'm an actual artist, I love nature, I love little kids, I'm a pacifist and an environmentalist, I try to make everything in my life as beautiful as possible, I move gracefully, I care tremendously about staying lithe and fit, I notice the world in great detail and love pleasurable sensations, and I care about improving the aesthetics of everything. This stuff is my passion.

Is it just because I speak my mind, and I was brought up in a family that expected their daughters not only to talk coherently but also write in complete sentences with correct grammar (my mother majored in English literature in college and worked as a copy editor)? Is it because I care about psychological type enough to have read a number of books on the subject? Is it because I have rather "highbrow" interests? Or because I have spiritual opinions (which I've never even mentioned on this list yet, so that can't be it!) Is it because people think introverted feeling = the NF temperament? Is it because I say I have an imagination? What's going on here?

I know I should just chill out about all this type stuff, but it really bothers me that I can't just say I've discovered my best type fit and have that accepted by people. In fact, I feel angry and I don't know what to do. (My ISTJ sister hates most type descriptions of her type, as well as much of what's said about ISTJs online, but she seems to be able to just ignore the bad stuff... I envy that reasonable detatchment. I can't help not taking this stuff personally.)

Sarah
ISFP

[Aimahn]

Personally I don't question your type, I haven't encountered too many ISFPs so take that for what its worth. I think its more of a hang up on people not really understanding S or N, and don't grasp that creativity and intelligence can manifest in both perceiving functions.

[millerm277]

Who cares what other people think about your personality? Do you think your type fits your pretty well? Yes? Then don't worry about it, and let people think what they want.

[Quinlan]

What other types have they suggested? Like you said you seem to be an almost stereotypical isfp. It would frustrate me as well to have my type questioned by someone you doesn't know me hardly at all, especially if I had put a lot of time and thought into finding out what type I was.

[sarah]

Originally Posted by Quinlan

What other types have they suggested? Like you said you seem to be an almost stereotypical isfp.

Either ENFP or INFP. It's only been a couple of people so far.

Sarah
ISFP

[Aimahn]

Yeah I'm assuming they either don't have a very good grasp of MBTI or you just have a very good one and understand yourself more(obviously).

[Quinlan]

Originally Posted by sarah

Either ENFP or INFP. It's only been a couple of people so far.

Sarah
ISFP

Yet both of those types have weak Se, which seems to be a fundamental part of who you are. Sounds like these people are confusing abilty with preference, you seem to be a well developed individual with strengths right across the cognitve processes however I have no doubt that the isfp primary processes come most naturally to you. Well actually you shouldn't listen to what I think, or the others on the board because we don't know you, your isfp you probably only share a fraction of who you really are, so you know yourself far better than anyone else ever will.

[Jeffster]

Eh..there's people that think I'm an extrovert just because I post a lot and like attention. What can you do? Just be you. You probly can't chill about it because you've got that SP fire in your belly. But it'll pass, find some little thing to fiddle with, that's what I do.

[Aimahn]

Lol I know that SP fire you speak of and it cannot be contained.

[Sunshine]

Oops. Sorry Sarah.

Actually, I should have known better. I hate it when people question my type too.

I think you're an ISFP.

Originally Posted by Quinlan

Yet both of those types have weak Se, which seems to be a fundamental part of who you are. Sounds like these people are confusing abilty with preference, you seem to be a well developed individual with strengths right across the cognitve processes however I have no doubt that the isfp primary processes come most naturally to you. Well actually you shouldn't listen to what I think, or the others on the board because we don't know you, your isfp you probably only share a fraction of who you really are, so you know yourself far better than anyone else ever will.

YES. ISFPs only share a tiny fraction of who they are!!!