The ISFP personality lives in the here and now, its impulses yearn to be free, and they are often unleashed when others least expect it. The ISFP that continually represses these urges feels “dead inside” and can eventually cut and run.
They can be quite charming and ingratiating on first contact, flowing with compliments that may (or may not) deserve. At other times, the same individual may be distant, some ISFP men are fiercely competitive, especially in sports or board games, and may have great difficulty losing. This competitive nature, which is also seen in other types of SP, sometimes fosters feelings of “luck,” “gut”, and willingness to take risks.
Organized education is difficult for most ISFPs, and many drop out before finishing high school. Their interest can best be maintained through experiential learning , in which many excel. ISFPs will practice playing an instrument or honing a favorite skill for hours on end, not so much in practice as in the joy of the experience.
Index
What is the ISFP personality?
ISFPs live in the world of sensation possibilities, are highly attuned to the look, taste, sound, feel, and smell of things, have a strong aesthetic appreciation for art, and are likely to be artists of somehow, because they have an unusual talent for creating and composing things that will strongly affect the senses, they have a strong set of values, which they strive to consistently fulfill in their lives. They need to feel that they are living their lives in accordance with what they believe to be the right thing to do, and will rebel against anything that conflicts with that goal, they are likely to choose jobs and careers that allow them the freedom to work towards the realization of your personal value-oriented goals.
ISFPs tend to be quiet and reserved, and difficult to get to know well, they retain their ideas and opinions, except from those to whom they are closest, they are likely to be kind, gentle and sensitive in their dealings with others. They are interested in contributing to people’s sense of well-being and happiness, and they will put a great deal of effort and energy into the tasks they believe in.
ISFPs have a strong affinity for aesthetics and beauty, they are likely to be animal lovers, have a true appreciation for the beauties of nature, are original and independent, and need personal space. They value people who take the time to understand ISFP, and who support them in achieving their goals in a unique way, people who don’t know them well may see their unique lifestyle as a sign of carefree unconcern, but the ISFP really takes life very seriously, constantly collecting specific information and scrolling it through its value systems, searching for clarification and underlying meaning.
They are action-oriented individuals, they are “doers” and generally not comfortable with theoretical concepts and ideas, unless they see practical application, they learn best in a “hands-on” environment, and may get bored as a result. easily with traditional teaching methods, which emphasize abstract thinking . They do not like impersonal analysis, and are uncomfortable with the idea of making decisions based strictly on logic, their strong value systems require that decisions be evaluated against their subjective beliefs, rather than against some objective rules or laws.
They are extremely perceptive and aware of others, constantly gathering specific information about people and trying to figure out what it means, usually penetratingly accurate in their perceptions of others. They are warm and understanding, They genuinely care about people and are strongly service oriented in their desire to please.
Functional analysis of the ISFP personality
Introverted feeling
The dominant function of ISFP is introverted feeling, compared to extraverted feeling, the introvert is more intensive, individualized and idiosyncratic, as judgments are formed independently of collective feelings, ISFPs can distrust judgments and expressions that, from the perspective of introverted feeling, may seem generic, false or artificial.
Sentiment, unbridled by the external forces of society and substance, is the dominant function. ISFPs spontaneously develop their own codes and creeds, about which they are quite sober and intense, they are seekers, driven to find the pure and ideal, as personally and individually defined, the feeling may temporarily turn outward, but cannot be sustained beyond your cloistered home.
If the individual has values higher than it, the feeling can be expressed in courageous acts of altruism, however, turned into itself, it becomes an unscrupulous and capricious enigma, even capable of heinous acts of deception and betrayal.
Extraverted detection
Extraverted sensing serves as an auxiliary function of ISFP, attuning to concrete sensory details of the external world through the five senses (i.e., sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste). Often, guys can be found scanning the environment for interesting sensory novelties, noting details that other guys might miss, displaying strong visual recall, or what is sometimes called a “photographic” memory .
ISFPs keep the pulse here and now, they are more adept at doing than acting, more than reflecting, proving than wondering, like most SPs, ISFPs keenly perceive color, sound, texture and movement. It is not unusual for ISFPs to excel in sensory, motor, or kinesthetic skills. They appreciate their impulses, some of the most beautiful, elegant and artistic performances are the result of this drive for physical and sensory expression.
It differs from extroverted intuition in that it is not a highly verbal function, while INFPs enjoy discussing ideas, ISFPs often prefer to be “doing” something, while INFPs love to play with words or abstractions, ISFPs can be drawn away for sports, performance, cooking, etc.
Despite these abstract and concrete differences, both ISFPs and INFPs are often considered “artistic”, unlike IJs, who express their Perception function , this can make IPs appear more creative or artistic, with respect to the creative expression, INFPs are inclined towards writing or poetry, while ISFPs are often better suited for painting, sculpting, or various types of performance.
Introverted Intuition
Like ISTPs, ISFPs use Introverted Intuition as their tertiary function, which may lead them to develop a degree of interest in abstract or theoretical topics. After all, intuition and feeling are the two introverted functions employed by INTJs, which are among the most theoretical of all types. Like other types of SP, ISFPs gain most of their insights through lived experience rather than through bursts of intuitive knowledge.
Extraverted thinking
As in other types, ISFPs can easily become blinded to the extent that their inferior role affects their decisions and behavior, without sufficient awareness and integration of their inferiors, ISFPs will continue to feel incomplete and prone to making reckless decisions in their careers. and relationships, therefore, ISFPs must work to understand the ways in which their lower function, extraverted thinking, manifests itself in their personality .
For both ISFPs and INFPs, the role pair implies a tension between individuality and subjectivity, on the one hand, and standardized ways of doing things, on the other. Consciously, ISFPs tend to emphasize, uphold the unique values and preferences of the individual. Unconsciously, they are drawn to “objective” truths and more standardized ways of doing things.
The ISFP can use extraverted thinking in external situations that require closure, as in the case of lower functions, such Thinking behaves totally or nil, therefore, as with other types of FP, the Extraverted Thinking of the ISFP runs the risk of lacking context and proportion. In most cases, people of this type enjoy greater ease of functioning in the open sensing style, which implies the opinion of feeling values in the indirect mode characteristic of introverted functions.
ISFP personality development
Phase I (Young people up to 20 years old)
This phase of development is characterized by the appearance of introverted feeling as a dominant function of the personality of ISFPs, they are quick to make judgments, even if they keep most of their opinions and feelings to themselves. ISFPs are also prone to seeing things in terms of black and white at this stage of their type’s development.
Phase II (late adolescents up to 30 years)
While the lower function is not completely inactive or inert in Phase I, the epic tug of war between the dominant and the inferior does not come to the fore until Phase II, once the dominant sentiment of the ISFPs reaches some strength and Domain, its lower function, Thought, begins to assert itself and play a more significant role, this can be somewhat confusing as it is not next on the list of the ISFP functional stack, but can be understood as derived from its relationship bipolar with your dominant feeling.
Phase II ISFPs also show increasing use and development of their auxiliary function, extraverted sensing, forcing them to seek new sensations, interests, and experiences. As a function of perception, it also facilitates the opening of your judgments to see if they pass the test of lived experience. Phase II ISFPs can also begin to leverage their tertiary function, Introverted Intuition, as it can subconsciously help ISFPs to tie their experiences together into a clearer and more coherent view of the world.
Phase III (From 30 years, 40 years, and more)
If all goes well and they are lucky enough to enter Phase III, ISFPs become increasingly aware of the insidious forms of their lower thinking, as they become more aware of their inferiority and learn to function more authentically. As ISFPs, they will be able to experience greater balance, as well as a long-awaited sense of peace and wholeness.
Hello, how are you? My name is Georgia Tarrant, and I am a clinical psychologist. In everyday life, professional obligations seem to predominate over our personal life. It's as if work takes up more and more of the time we'd love to devote to our love life, our family, or even a moment of leisure.