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INFP for sho

Milo

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I found out finally that I really am an INFP. Under stress I use my Te, and I found that I usually come onto this forum when I am feeling stressed about life. It makes sense that I concluded love to be the answer for my life as well as my ability to empathize with others extremely easily which also accounts for why I could identify myself with pretty much every introverted and perceiving type.

I think I'm gonna stick around though. I enjoy hearing other people's perspectives. :)
 

snafupants

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Yeah that explains your avatar and stubbornness sans vindicating data. It's all feeling. :smoker:
 

Milo

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It totally does. Haha. It's all from my experiences and me trying to cope for my intense Fi.
 

snafupants

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It totally does. Haha. It's all from my experiences and me trying to cope for my intense Fi.

@Milo

Cool. Yeah it's not really a foible - it's simply something I picked up on. The rebuttals you gave seemed judging (Fi-dom) but not in the typical Ti way. Anyway, I'd definitely prefer an "uncool" personality (e.g., XNFP) that was tailored to me rather than some "hip" personality (e.g., ENTP) whose functions weren't personally applicable.
 

GREYGREY

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Funny enough I'm the opposite....
Feelings only come out under stress...
Like can only finish design work or creative stuff on crunchtime.

...Interesting.
I wonder how many other people swop their T/F function under stress.
 

snafupants

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Funny enough I'm the opposite....
Feelings only come out under stress...
Like can only finish design work or creative stuff on crunchtime.

...Interesting.
I wonder how many other people swop their T/F function under stress.

The inferior function (Fe for INTP) comes out sometimes during stress.

An INFP under stress might act like an ESTJ because of inferior Te in the INFP.
 

TriflinThomas

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I'm kinda in the same boat (as you can tell by my signature). This forum is the most interesting and laid-back of all I've been to.
 

DreamMancer

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I recently re-tested myself for the first time in years. I remember early on in high school I scored as an INFP, with the spread between F and T being very small (Feeling winning out by a few percentage points). Eventually this transitioned to INTP , which seems to be where I remain.
 

Milo

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I recently re-tested myself for the first time in years. I remember early on in high school I scored as an INFP, with the spread between F and T being very small (Feeling winning out by a few percentage points). Eventually this transitioned to INTP , which seems to be where I remain.

See, as a child I was so overwhelmed with emotions. I had so much love to give but I also took criticism to heart and it made me feel really bad about myself. After this happened again and again, I eventually started coping by hiding my feelings by creating barriers in my psyche. This probably caused me to score as an INTP the first few times I tested.

It also makes sense that I have to actively be writing something or walking around in order to get my best ideas since my intuition and thinking are extroverted. Which may be why a lot of you have already thought of the ideas I came up with in your heads while my thinking takes place as I am writing them. I just really can't think in my head unless I am moving in some way.
 

RubberDucky451

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See, as a child I was so overwhelmed with emotions. I had so much love to give but I also took criticism to heart and it made me feel really bad about myself. After this happened again and again, I eventually started coping by hiding my feelings by creating barriers in my psyche. This probably caused me to score as an INTP the first few times I tested.

It also makes sense that I have to actively be writing something or walking around in order to get my best ideas since my intuition and thinking are extroverted. Which may be why a lot of you have already thought of the ideas I came up with in your heads while my thinking takes place as I am writing them. I just really can't think in my head unless I am moving in some way.

Mmmm, this sounds a lot like me. I'll go for walks in the middle of the night just to think about life. Do you keep a journal? I've noticed if anything was personally bugging me I'd hide my feelings (some sort of internal denial?). Until I wrote my thoughts down, or talk to a friend about them, I felt unbearably anxious.
 

The Gopher

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Yay more INFP's! *hug* I'm an INFP! (on personalitycafe rofl) But seriously... glad you found out.
 

Polaris

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This thread is putting a lot of doubts in my head about being NT. Particularly expressing thoughts and ideas through writing.

I was thinking about this last night as I was having this bombardment of ideas again, and these ideas are now completely elusive to me because I didn't write them down. It is almost as if I have some sort of extreme lack of focus which makes it very difficult to follow a linear progression of thoughts....if I write, I am able to follow logically from one point to another, but is is very difficult without writing. Periods of extreme anxiety does not help.

Hmmmm....

:storks:
 

Solitaire U.

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See, as a child I was so overwhelmed with emotions. I had so much love to give but I also took criticism to heart and it made me feel really bad about myself.

Ewww gross! Sticky, gooey feeler-ness.

Seriously though, I can't even imagine what it would feel like to be 'overwhelmed with emotions'. Can you describe this condition in greater detail?
 

Milo

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Mmmm, this sounds a lot like me. I'll go for walks in the middle of the night just to think about life. Do you keep a journal? I've noticed if anything was personally bugging me I'd hide my feelings (some sort of internal denial?). Until I wrote my thoughts down, or talk to a friend about them, I felt unbearably anxious.

I actually do have a journal for me to sort through my thoughts. I haven't written in it for a while though since I've been writing them on here mostly.

This thread is putting a lot of doubts in my head about being NT. Particularly expressing thoughts and ideas through writing.

I was thinking about this last night as I was having this bombardment of ideas again, and these ideas are now completely elusive to me because I didn't write them down. It is almost as if I have some sort of extreme lack of focus which makes it very difficult to follow a linear progression of thoughts....if I write, I am able to follow logically from one point to another, but is is very difficult without writing. Periods of extreme anxiety does not help.

Hmmmm....

:storks:

I'm not sure I have high anxiety so much as just being extremely uncertain. It does really help to write things down for me as well otherwise I'll forget what I was thinking about.

Ewww gross! Sticky, gooey feeler-ness.

Seriously though, I can't even imagine what it would feel like to be 'overwhelmed with emotions'. Can you describe this condition in greater detail?

Like, I will see someone become hurt or saddened and I can feel their emotional pain like it is my own. It can sometimes make me become speechless. It can also happen when someone has really struck a nerve by criticizing something about me that in a way defines me. I would become extremely embarrassed and not know what to say or do even if that person might have been joking.

It can also happen by watching a really sad movie. I feel the emotional pain that others feel, and it can be extremely real to me.
 

Polaris

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I'm not sure I have high anxiety so much as just being extremely uncertain. It does really help to write things down for me as well otherwise I'll forget what I was thinking about.

The anxiety is a hindrance for me, it interrupts my thinking and interferes with my memory. If I am anxious, I find it nearly impossible to learn. I started having these anxiety attacks around 11-12, and the first thing I noticed was that I had to re-read sentences and go back pages in books because I had suddenly lost my focus. I had never had this problem before, and I started reading when I was three. I guess I could describe this anxiety as a form of pathological doubt. It is all-pervasive, and has caused me grief during periods when I really needed to concentrate on my studies. Luckily I learn better by listening, so going to lectures is very helpful and serves as a distraction from the noise in my head.



Milo said:
Like, I will see someone become hurt or saddened and I can feel their emotional pain like it is my own. It can sometimes make me become speechless. It can also happen when someone has really struck a nerve by criticizing something about me that in a way defines me. I would become extremely embarrassed and not know what to say or do even if that person might have been joking.

It can also happen by watching a really sad movie. I feel the emotional pain that others feel, and it can be extremely real to me.

I feel like that when I am under stress, I seem to be more emotionally receptive to other people's pain, as if they mirror something I feel. It does not even have to be related, but I suspect is is a form of selfish expression through others, like an emotion-cuckoo. It is embarrassing for me to go to classical music performances because I often get extremely choked up during certain passages, and I worry that people around me can tell that I'm struggling. :phear:

However, I change quite radically when I am more content and anxiety free. I seem to revert to this over-confident machine that can seemingly do anything, and I become less concerned with people around me while I get entirely focused on the things I am interested in. When I'm in this mode, I have been accused of being distant, cold, obsessive and unaffectionate.

Which makes me anxious and insecure, and there goes the cycle again...I don't know if anyone else can relate to this. I just don't feel like I fit in anywhere anymore....
 

redbaron

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I feel like that when I am under stress, I seem to be more emotionally receptive to other people's pain, as if they mirror something I feel. It does not even have to be related, but I suspect is is a form of selfish expression through others, like an emotion-cuckoo. It is embarrassing for me to go to classical music performances because I often get extremely choked up during certain passages, and I worry that people around me can tell that I'm struggling. :phear:

However, I change quite radically when I am more content and anxiety free. I seem to revert to this over-confident machine that can seemingly do anything, and I become less concerned with people around me while I get entirely focused on the things I am interested in. When I'm in this mode, I have been accused of being distant, cold, obsessive and unaffectionate.

Which makes me anxious and insecure, and there goes the cycle again...I don't know if anyone else can relate to this. I just don't feel like I fit in anywhere anymore....

I sometimes avoid sad movies for the same reason. I can get pretty choked up sometimes, but it's seemingly random.

Same with the 'over-confident' machine. I think this part though is really the natural state of an INTP who is aware of their own mental prowess. I value intelligence and knowledge, and I enjoy exploring and applying my own. When I am put in situations that allow me to fully use it, I've been accused of the same things.

I don't feel bad about any of them though. You shouldn't feel bad about doing things that you want to do, and I really believe that since I've realised this I'm a lot more productive and see things with much greater clarity than I used to. I think you need to develop some real resilience, and brush aside the comments of being cold or distant. Certainly process them, but don't ever feel as though you need to stop doing the things that you want to because of it.

It's a learning process, it takes time to learn the necessary tact to both pursue your own goals with freedom, without alienating the people around you. But one thing I believe wholeheartedly is that you should never lose that confidence because of what other people say.

Whenever I have a doubt about something, whether because of what someone says or out of my own thoughts, I process it like so:

- Is it true? What can I do about it if it is true? Is it worth going to the effort to do something about it?

If I feel like the answer is 'yes' to those three questions, I make a conscious effort to improve myself long-term. It's not about changing who I am, it's simply about me knowing that there are things I can work on for the future.

If I answer 'no' to any of these, I disregard the doubt entirely on the grounds that even if true, it's not something I can change or the benefit of changing will outweigh the effort required to change, and if it's not true, then it really doesn't matter if someone thinks it.

I don't feel like this really connected to what you said the way I wanted it to, but believe me I relate to what you're saying exactly. My only advice is that you should trust your own judgement, not others'. There's no reason you should ever feel bad about pursuing the things you enjoy.

I'm really not sure how else to put it, I feel a little frustrated that you have to endure a cycle like that. I know what it feels like to be in a state of contentedness, where you're pursuing goals and you're really enjoying being motivated and solving problems - only to be told that you're being a jerk.
 

Polaris

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I sometimes avoid sad movies for the same reason. I can get pretty choked up sometimes, but it's seemingly random.

Same with the 'over-confident' machine. I think this part though is really the natural state of an INTP who is aware of their own mental prowess. I value intelligence and knowledge, and I enjoy exploring and applying my own. When I am put in situations that allow me to fully use it, I've been accused of the same things.

I don't feel bad about any of them though. You shouldn't feel bad about doing things that you want to do, and I really believe that since I've realised this I'm a lot more productive and see things with much greater clarity than I used to. I think you need to develop some real resilience, and brush aside the comments of being cold or distant. Certainly process them, but don't ever feel as though you need to stop doing the things that you want to because of it.

It's a learning process, it takes time to learn the necessary tact to both pursue your own goals with freedom, without alienating the people around you. But one thing I believe wholeheartedly is that you should never lose that confidence because of what other people say.

Whenever I have a doubt about something, whether because of what someone says or out of my own thoughts, I process it like so:

- Is it true? What can I do about it if it is true? Is it worth going to the effort to do something about it?

If I feel like the answer is 'yes' to those three questions, I make a conscious effort to improve myself long-term. It's not about changing who I am, it's simply about me knowing that there are things I can work on for the future.

If I answer 'no' to any of these, I disregard the doubt entirely on the grounds that even if true, it's not something I can change or the benefit of changing will outweigh the effort required to change, and if it's not true, then it really doesn't matter if someone thinks it.

I don't feel like this really connected to what you said the way I wanted it to, but believe me I relate to what you're saying exactly. My only advice is that you should trust your own judgement, not others'. There's no reason you should ever feel bad about pursuing the things you enjoy.

I'm really not sure how else to put it, I feel a little frustrated that you have to endure a cycle like that. I know what it feels like to be in a state of contentedness, where you're pursuing goals and you're really enjoying being motivated and solving problems - only to be told that you're being a jerk.

Thank you for your reply, @redbaron.

Now I'm all self-conscious....:o

I agree with you, intelligence and knowledge is something I appreciate greatly in other people, it seems to spark some sort of enthusiasm in me.

I'm spoilering all this, conscious of slight derail....this thread is not about me, gah...:kilroy:

I guess I have had some bad luck throughout my upbringing, which is something I still battle from time to time. As I mentioned, when I'm under stress this becomes the default mode as much as I try to be conscious of the fact that these are old scars well and truly in the past. It's getting better as I am getting older, I seem to have regained some clarity over the issue through the discovery of personality systems, and being typed myself. Although to begin with I was very apprehensive as I was typed in a business setting where the Sanguines were the preferred type...I felt like such a target when the business management consultant pointed me out and tried to "guide me in the direction" of what kind of traits I should be emphasising in my role. That was essentially suppressing my introverted traits; "be more upbeat" and "to smile more".

Now, if there's one thing that will make Polaris see red, it is that particular phrase....:beatyou:

I remember sitting there boiling inside and at the same time feeling very much like the misfit, but I disregarded the result and buried myself in work to forget about the humiliating experience. I was actually one of the few people in the business who generated considerable more clients through my own approach, so I was quite angry.

Many years later I was tested again through a uni course, and this time I became rather curious as the description I read was much better than the first and seemed to trigger some sort of reassuring feeling in me. So....there were other people like me out there....since I was a very little girl I have been told that I was too introverted, shy, antisocial, awkward, etc by family and so-called friends. But the worst is probably when someone like a partner that you admire or care for starts attacking you for the same things, over and over. It is like that final iteration that pushes you right up against the limit...and all the old crap comes back in all its glory.

Yet, through all this I have persisted with some kind of robotic stubbornness towards my goals. I never let people or my anxiety stop me, it just...slowed me down somewhat. I may have felt like crap, but I wasn't going to let it beat me, or show anyone how I really felt. I have left relationships to pursue life as I want to live it. I simply refuse to live someone else's life.

Traditionalists don't understand females who follow the paths that were traditionally beaten by men, and perhaps they fear the change, it is alien. I guess I ended up with some pretty traditionalist types in my younger years, married one....big mistake. I got out after 8 years, realising I wasn't going to make this person very happy, going about life as if I had no husband. I was loyal, don't get me wrong, just not too concerned with us being apart a lot and that seemed to upset matters considerably...

I have made the decision that I'm better off alone. Things have improved greatly, I have made very good friends who appreciate what I'm about.

That hasn't put a stopper to the old anxiety, it will always be there. At least now I am aware that I have no reason to be ashamed of myself. That's not a bad start....to like oneself.

I do appreciate your input, and I am glad someone can relate :)
 

redbaron

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Thank you for your reply, @redbaron.

Now I'm all self-conscious....:o

I agree with you, intelligence and knowledge is something I appreciate greatly in other people, it seems to spark some sort of enthusiasm in me.

I'm spoilering all this, conscious of slight derail....this thread is not about me, gah...:kilroy:

I guess I have had some bad luck throughout my upbringing, which is something I still battle from time to time. As I mentioned, when I'm under stress this becomes the default mode as much as I try to be conscious of the fact that these are old scars well and truly in the past. It's getting better as I am getting older, I seem to have regained some clarity over the issue through the discovery of personality systems, and being typed myself. Although to begin with I was very apprehensive as I was typed in a business setting where the Sanguines were the preferred type...I felt like such a target when the business management consultant pointed me out and tried to "guide me in the direction" of what kind of traits I should be emphasising in my role. That was essentially suppressing my introverted traits; "be more upbeat" and "to smile more".

Now, if there's one thing that will make Polaris see red, it is that particular phrase....:beatyou:

I remember sitting there boiling inside and at the same time feeling very much like the misfit, but I disregarded the result and buried myself in work to forget about the humiliating experience. I was actually one of the few people in the business who generated considerable more clients through my own approach, so I was quite angry.

Many years later I was tested again through a uni course, and this time I became rather curious as the description I read was much better than the first and seemed to trigger some sort of reassuring feeling in me. So....there were other people like me out there....since I was a very little girl I have been told that I was too introverted, shy, antisocial, awkward, etc by family and so-called friends. But the worst is probably when someone like a partner that you admire or care for starts attacking you for the same things, over and over. It is like that final iteration that pushes you right up against the limit...and all the old crap comes back in all its glory.

Yet, through all this I have persisted with some kind of robotic stubbornness towards my goals. I never let people or my anxiety stop me, it just...slowed me down somewhat. I may have felt like crap, but I wasn't going to let it beat me, or show anyone how I really felt. I have left relationships to pursue life as I want to live it. I simply refuse to live someone else's life.

Traditionalists don't understand females who follow the paths that were traditionally beaten by men, and perhaps they fear the change, it is alien. I guess I ended up with some pretty traditionalist types in my younger years, married one....big mistake. I got out after 8 years, realising I wasn't going to make this person very happy, going about life as if I had no husband. I was loyal, don't get me wrong, just not too concerned with us being apart a lot and that seemed to upset matters considerably...

I have made the decision that I'm better off alone. Things have improved greatly, I have made very good friends who appreciate what I'm about.

That hasn't put a stopper to the old anxiety, it will always be there. At least now I am aware that I have no reason to be ashamed of myself. That's not a bad start....to like oneself.

I do appreciate your input, and I am glad someone can relate :)

@Polaris I think spoilers are a good idea (please spare me from bandom, oh wise and merciful Fukyo! :kilroy:)

Ah supervisor woes. I've been called negative and confrontational by superiors before, and it drove me crazy. I know that feeling, when you achieve better results than the rest of the team, using methods that you devised for yourself, only to be told that you need to change your attitude if you want to get results. I don't really have to worry about it now, seeing as I'm a very senior member of the company, but it definitely put me through the cycles you describe that just infuriated me. I often had no other response as well, other than to dive into more work. It always embarrassed me to hear things like this and it was probably the one thing that infuriated me at work more than anything else, that my abilities and outstanding results seemed to be overlooked in lieu of the fact that, 'Oh, he doesn't smile a great deal.' ARGH! :mad:

I admire and (I think) share your persistence. It feels nice to know that someone is in the same boat. I would often feel bad about myself after a slightly heated debate over my attitude at work. I always felt gutted after criticism like that. The depreciation of my personality, based on a completely unfair and incorrect assessment. Even though I consistently achieved outstanding results, apparently it still wasn't good enough and, being more upbeat would improve them even more! I figured the opposite, that maybe the reason I had outstanding results, is that I DIDN'T go around asking people about unrelated social matters and the latest Lady Gaga song.

It seemed that there was absolutely no acceptable way to express that fact. I would either be told that I'm unfairly labelling my peers or that I'm unreceptive to change and being stubborn. I found those comments hurtful because I was one of the only people in the workplace who didn't bitch about other workers, and when supervisors wanted to implement a policy change, I never complained. Really frustrating.

I think maybe your being female has made it harder for you than me though. I can see how if I was female, all these criticisms would be even more exaggerated and common. Being male, it seems no one has any problem with me being results and business driven. I guess it would be just as frustrating to have family and 'friends' telling you that you shouldn't be doing what you enjoy. How maddening :mad:

I am a little sad that you came to the decision that you're better off alone. Given how much your feelings and thoughts seem to mirror my own, it seems I might end up in the same boat (I already am in a way). I have had a few relationships, albeit the longest was only 1 year, but I can relate to how my inaction seems to cause more problems than my actions. I cherish my close friends, and I enjoy relationships where I've made the conscious decision that it is platonic. It seems that both parties get more out of it this way. If only I could find someone who was okay with me brooding majority of the day and who understands that when I want to be alone, it really is about me and not them, and no, there is nothing wrong and I'm not unhappy in the relationship.

All I can say is that from what I can tell, the best thing I ever did was to stop guilt-tripping myself over things other people said. It kind of came to a point where I decided that: No, I'm right about this. I don't care if I'm the only one who thinks it, I know I'm right about this. If I can't convince them either for lack of their intelligence or for lack of my ability to convey it effectively, then there's no point in belabouring the issue.

I made an internal conviction that for good or ill, I was going to go with my own intuition. Even if I might end up wrong in the end, I can accept that. The constant internal back-and-forth though, is sapping my time and energy and it needs to stop.

Since making this conviction, even I'm amazed at just how much more productive I am at work (and all areas of my life really), getting things organized and completed in less than half the time expected of me, and everyone who I now supervise has increased in productivity and job satisfaction as well.

It feels so weird to say this to someone on an online forum, but until now I really wasn't convinced anyone could ever mirror my own personality. I felt relieved when reading your posts, as though I'd finally found someone who I can actually relate to so uh...thank you :o
 

7even

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The anxiety is a hindrance for me, it interrupts my thinking and interferes with my memory. If I am anxious, I find it nearly impossible to learn. I started having these anxiety attacks around 11-12, and the first thing I noticed was that I had to re-read sentences and go back pages in books because I had suddenly lost my focus. I had never had this problem before, and I started reading when I was three. I guess I could describe this anxiety as a form of pathological doubt. It is all-pervasive, and has caused me grief during periods when I really needed to concentrate on my studies. Luckily I learn better by listening, so going to lectures is very helpful and serves as a distraction from the noise in my head.

@Polaris

Can relate to this completely. I blank out so often, especially during my studies, and hence, my grades fall short.


However, I change quite radically when I am more content and anxiety free. I seem to revert to this over-confident machine that can seemingly do anything, and I become less concerned with people around me while I get entirely focused on the things I am interested in. When I'm in this mode, I have been accused of being distant, cold, obsessive and unaffectionate.

I undergo this as well - I quite like this stage (over-confident machine), and realize I sustain it when I'm working out and eating healthy. I revert back to the anxious, insecure, and unfocused state when I stop taking care of myself (i.e. intoxicants + frequent socializing/partying). The irony is I also enjoy the latter, as it allows me to relax, have fun by being carefree, and become apathetic to some degree. So I'm usually fiddling around with the two states.

Are you aware of any factors subjective to you that give rise to this change?
 

Polaris

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It feels so weird to say this to someone on an online forum, but until now I really wasn't convinced anyone could ever mirror my own personality. I felt relieved when reading your posts, as though I'd finally found someone who I can actually relate to so uh...thank you :o

@redbaron I won't comment on your points here...I might send you a PM when I have had a little more time to ponder...it's quite strange, the notion that people can relate to me. I'm kind of feeling a little chirpier since reading your response, it is funny how a few words can make all the difference sometimes. I'm glad all my moaning struck a chord somewhere out there...

:)

Can relate to this completely. I blank out so often, especially during my studies, and hence, my grades fall short.

@7even I wish there was a solution for issues like these....when you know you have the ability, but lacking the focus. I have sometimes wondered if I may have ADD...but I never had this problem when I was really young. This is why I put it down to anxiety. Just trying to identify some correlation between events in my life at the time and the change in my focus. It has driven me up the wall at times...

I do hope you can find some solution to your concentration issues...


I undergo this as well - I quite like this stage (over-confident machine), and realize I sustain it when I'm working out and eating healthy. I revert back to the anxious, insecure, and unfocused state when I stop taking care of myself (i.e. intoxicants + frequent socializing/partying). The irony is I also enjoy the latter, as it allows me to relax, have fun by being carefree, and become apathetic to some degree. So I'm usually fiddling around with the two states.

Are you aware of any factors subjective to you that give rise to this change?
I definitely think a healthy diet and exercise helps my overall mood, hence improving focus, but when anxiety hits I stop eating and my sleeping patterns change. I then go through periods of insomnia, which affects me if it continues over several days or weeks. It seems to be cyclic, I can feel like crap for 1-3 months sometimes, only to suddenly snap out of it and feel on top of the world.

I have had a particularly difficult time in the last couple of years due to circumstantial crap. I've lived like a recluse....just work, study and nothing else. I have been reading The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse, and there is a passage in the book where the main character goes through some difficulty with his concentration and seeks advice from his mentor. The mentor tells a story about how he got too engrossed in his studies while neglecting his meditation exercises. As he tried harder and harder to discipline himself he just got more and more depressed and disenchanted with his studies. I can relate so much to this. I realise I have been burying myself more and more in my work, thinking that my learning alone would keep me contented. I have forgotten how to tune out and relax.

As you said, going out, socialising and messing around with intoxicants can leave you apathetic, but I also think it is important to let out steam this way now and then, especially if you are under a lot of pressure....and I think INTPs are very good at putting the pressure on themselves, having such high expectations of themselves. I think it is important to be wary of early signs of withdrawal, because after a while, the crap becomes the norm and when you have a better turn, it is quite astonishing to realise what a bleak existence you've actually endured for a while. You forget what it is like to be this "confident machine". And you start wondering which is more true to who you are....

...now that is depressing :phear:
 

Architect

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I have had a particularly difficult time in the last couple of years due to circumstantial crap. I've lived like a recluse....just work, study and nothing else. I have been reading The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse, and there is a passage in the book where the main character goes through some difficulty with his concentration and seeks advice from his mentor. The mentor tells a story about how he got too engrossed in his studies while neglecting his meditation exercises. As he tried harder and harder to discipline himself he just got more and more depressed and disenchanted with his studies. I can relate so much to this. I realise I have been burying myself more and more in my work, thinking that my learning alone would keep me contented. I have forgotten how to tune out and relax.
@Polaris

Hesse wrote about this topic - of overwork leading to mental breakdown - on more than one occasion. I'm not especially familiar with him but I did read Beneath the Wheel in High School, as my AP English teacher gave me a copy. In the story a young Hans Giebenrath takes up study to enter the seminary. Through various circumstances he pushes too hard, burns out, and ends up dead by the end of the book. This teacher gave us each a particular book which was his way of telling us something. At the time I was into music and pushed myself hard, all I did was music, and all I wanted to do was music. Eventually I burned out of music, but was luckily able to pick myself up and move on.

My point is that I think INTP's are prone to this. Because we're such weirdo's, there is a temptation to dive into a cave and work on our stuff and never come out. Our siren inferior Fe calls out to us that we need to accomplish great things, and since we're naturally reclusive an obvious course seems to become a shut in. I've learned that a critical aspect of me getting my work done is to remain a relatively normal person. Get out occasionally, socialize a bit, keep in contact with family and people. When I haven't done that I end up in a pit where I'm not getting anything done.

A common trait of INTP's is that we can think we are invincible, when it comes to our work at least. Unfortunately we also have a tendency to bail out of regular jobs and venues. THe advantage of those is that they can help keep us on a relatively even keel. The moral of the story is that I think an INTP can best live a happy and productive life by finding a balance between being a recluse and a socialite.

Personality page says the same thing differently ...

The INTP is happiest in situations in which they can use logic regularly in an effort to uncover Truths about the Entity. Their ability to be effective in these efforts, as well as their ability to deal with people and feel comfortable with their place in the world, will be in large part dependent on the development of Extraverted Intuition. Although they have more simple needs from interpersonal relationships than most other types have, it’s very important that they keep up their extraverted relationships, rather than going it alone. INTPs who isolate themselves rarely feel happy or successful. The INTP’s feeling of success depends upon their opportunities to exercise their active mind, their opportunities to seek and find Truth, and the condition of their relationships and extraverted life.
 

7even

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I definitely think a healthy diet and exercise helps my overall mood, hence improving focus, but when anxiety hits I stop eating and my sleeping patterns change. I then go through periods of insomnia, which affects me if it continues over several days or weeks. It seems to be cyclic, I can feel like crap for 1-3 months sometimes, only to suddenly snap out of it and feel on top of the world.

Ha, I've been going through the insomnia stage for the past few days, despite a healthy diet and exercise. Yup, I've also thought it be cyclic in nature. Perfect :storks:
 
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