Ni-Ti Loop: the Rational INFJ
As an INFJ I always see posts that talk about how empathetic we are, how much open we are to the next, but this hasn’t been my case. I’m not an INTJ or INTP, I use Feelings to interact with the world, but a lot of times I have been seen as cold, rational sometimes even apathetic, and I would like to share my thoughts, in case some INFJ may be in my situations, on why we may be perceived as that. If you have a hard time figuring out whether you are or not an INFJ, I recommend this article by Kris Gage.
INFJ is one of the sixteen types of personality belonging to the MBTI.
INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging. If we go a little bit more in-depth we can use the cognitive functions to define an INFJ as an individual who has this order of preference in using the cognitive functions:
- Introverted Intuition: it’s their first function and it’s pointed inward. Although this one is a little bit hard to define, we can say that it consists of synthesizing a lot of information in less information, sometimes even one information. It is focused on ideas and concepts and it’s usually focused on the future and planning. Normally Ni dominant types have this moment of pure mental clarity, that a lot of people call “Aha moment”.
- Extroverted Feeling: this one is used when INFJ interact with the outer world, it’s concerned in the understanding of other people feeling, not comparing them to the feeling of oneself, we simply feel it. It’s what we usually call empathy, the ability to understand someone’s point of view or emotions without having experienced them before.
- Introverted Thinking: It’s focused inward and it’s concerned with the logical organization of concepts and ideas. It’s often compared said that Ti is effective, however, Ti’s user uses their own logic to categorize the contents in their head.
- Extroverted Sensing: this one is the least developed function. It’s pointed outwards and it’s involved with the sensing world, and how we interact with the present environment through the sensation of it.
When INFJs become Rational?
INFJs use primarily their introverted intuition to interact with themselves and Extroverted Feeling to interact with the world. Although they may seem extroverted and outgoing thanks to this function, in some scenarios they may become more rational and cold because they’re introverts.
As introverts, they prefer to live in their head and focus more on their selves, but they do not only use Introverted Intuition to do that, they also use Introverted Thinking, which is based on logic, resulting in a cold and analytical view of the world.
This is more common when INFJs do not explore the outer world, if INFJs live in their heads all the time, if they do not express themselves, they slowly start to use more their third function and they start to suppress their Extroverted feelings. This is usually called the Ni-Ti loop. Usually, they start to analyze their seemingly unexplainable thought given to them by their Intuition and they start to analyze them, they may found some fallacies and think again using Ni, resulting in a continuous loop. If this goes on for some time they may start to use less and less their innate Extroverted feeling and until they start to use it again they may be perceived as a thinking type.
How to Exit a Ni-Ti loop?
This has been my experience, as an INFJ you do not feel so good in a Ni-Ti loop, you start to live in your own head, dismissing your thought, constantly creating new ones to dismiss them again, only to feel bad about it.
There are some ways to exit this loop. They are all involved in the interaction with the outer world, to start to use again the Fe function.
- Write: those thoughts have to find their way out of you, if they continue to live inside you, they may become unbearable. Due to their seemingly unrelated features, it’s hard to use Ti to analyze them. Write about them will let you see them differently, not only as a part of you but even as a part of the world, you do not have to hold them now, you can think about them more impartially, you do not have to hold them in your head, now they’re on the outer world.
- Talk: this one is one of the most obvious. You have to talk to someone regularly, otherwise, you may start to use less your Fe. By talking and listening to others, you will start to see different perspectives and your Fe will be thankful for that. Do not force yourself to be outgoing or empathetic, with time you will start to be like that again.
- Travel: I do not mean travel to another country, even going out in your local city, see your town, it’s feature everything. This can help whit using your Se function. As your last function, it’s the least developed of all, but by using it you also help the other Extroverted function, you Fe, and may smooth the compulsive use of your Introverted ones. y seeing places, focusing on their shapes, their color, how they interact whit each other creating the image of a church, a museum, a painting, or even a simple house you see during your walk. All of this may help you to live more in the present and by that, you start to use more your Extroverted functions.
After all of these thoughts, I would like to say that you do not lose your Ti or your Ni, they will remain as they are. With all the time you used them it’s difficult to lose them, you simply start to become more aware of them, and you will use them better, and your Ni and Ti will be mediated by your Fe.
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Thanks for your time and to the next article.
