Posted by Heidi on December 30, 2000 at 17:11:19:
In Reply to: RA's Saturday Fireside Chat for Type 5s posted by RoTtEn ApPlE on December 30, 2000 at 12:44:18:
I read something on those lines (it was on the Dolphin Cove page for INFJs) but it was a little different--it refers to all the IN types:
INTP: Warm on the outside, cold on the inside
INTJ: Cold inside and out
INFP: Warm inside and out
INFJ: Cold on the outside, warm on the inside
I just bought Lenore Thomson's _Personality Types_ that describes dominant Jungian functions in depth. I'm not going to really get into it in excruciating depth, but the above correlation seems to be that those with the dominant perceiving function (Ni, INTJ and INFJ) seem cold on the outside, and those with a dominant judging function (Ti for INTPs and Fi for INFPs) are warm on the outside. According to the above, a T function in general would give you a cold inside, and the F would give you a warm inside. Um...duh.
I have never heard what you said below. I suppose it's plausible considering that Fe is the INTPs inferior function, and the INTJs tertiary.
I know you've already stated that you're not much interested in the theory, but I don't really say much around here and I'm going to talk about it since you brought it up.
Thomson says that the road to "unhealth" in Jungian terms comes from a more or less exclusive reliance on the dominant function. Those who use their secondary function to a great enough extent, strike a better balance on the whole and are more able to access their tertiary and inferior functions in a healthy way. She says that people who rely on their dominant function for everything are often subject to the unhappy emergence of their 2 lesser functions. I can see why this system might be annoying for some...it's really rather imprecise in definition. In reference to one's dominant function, how do you know when you're relying to heavily upon it? And there's never a very good definition or distinguishing "line" between health and unhealth in enneagram or MBTI books. It does seem rather arbitrary. Blah, blah, blah.
There's a point here somewhere (welcome to the world of someone who relies too heavily on a dominant Ni). According to the theory, if one uses one's dominant and secondary functions in proper balance (whatever the proportions may be--60/40 maybe?) they would be able to use the other functions more easily or positively. So, a "healthy" INTJ, would have better access to feeling because it's third on the list, whereas it's fourth on the INTP's list.
Because I'm an INTJ, I can sort of vouch for your statement. I think I'm usually cold on the outside, but I'm quite warm when it comes to certain things and certain people who are very close to me. Back to what I read at the INFJ site, that would seem to mean that I'm an INFJ, which I have wondered about on occasion, and even a little right now.
Back to someone's question about INTJs vs. INTPs below. It seems to me that there's a BIG difference between them. For example, I have a difficult time formulating ideas in ways that other people find clear and logical. I would say I'm intuitively logical. Would any INTPs say that about themselves? For INTJs, I think we often know what we mean, but have a potentially difficult time explaining it to others...especially if we are not in proper balance with our Te (that was supposed to be funny, a little). It's easiest for an INTJ to spend time sorting his or her thought and distilling them to their essence (which I have clearly NOT done here). That takes time, at least for me, but that way, there's little babbling. INTPs seem less concerned with the organization, or perhaps their thoughts are just generally more logical and less connected, and they don't have as much trouble with lack of clarity or their ideas already coming out organized. I think on-the-spot thinking can be, therefore, more difficult for the INTJ. Any thoughts on this?
And as for Jungian functions, there seems to be something there, from my point of view. A little confused, poorly defined and simplistic perhaps but relates to brain "quadrispheric" function (right and left, front and back), quite sensibly somehow. Some guy named Hermann came up with a test to determine one's dominant brain "quadrisphere" (that may or may not be a word, I invented it just now), and there is quite a bit of information written on the correlations between Hermann's test and the MBTI.
Actually, when I think about it, I don't really know why I'm flapping away right now. I guess I will know by the number of responses I get whether anyone cares or not.
: Gather round, everyone. I'm feeling unusually introspective and melancholic this morning and I need to work it out of my system if I'm going to be up for some Saturday night fun.
: So, I read the other day a statement that I haven't been able to shake from my mind:
: INTJ- cold on the outside, warm on the inside
: INTP- warm on the outside, cold on the inside
: I've read enough to understand they are talking about Ti/Ne vs. Ni/Te but the technicalities of that are not what I'm interested in. Personally, do you find this to be true. If so, how does it affect your life?
: Me? INTP. I come off as being very friendly, the few emotions I have (they are very few) I wear on my sleeve... when I'm angry everyone knows it, I focus on others... am generally accommodating and easy-going. BUT my internal world is absolutely ruled by logic. I think when people really get to know me, they are surprised to find out what a cold-hearted person I truly am. A lot of people... I suppose the Feeling types mostly... seem to think that is in some way wrong or even less human. I wonder.