INFP Flow

Question 1

you are a world renowned researcher on meyers-briggs. An INFP comes to you asking you to explain his thought process when he is healthy, moderately stressed and very stressed to point of invoking his inferior process. Explain to him using the stacking of functions how he pulls in information and makes a decision. He is a very visual learner so using as many visual aids will help him understand.

Question 2

Understanding the INFP’s Thought Process Through Cognitive Function Stacking
An INFP’s personality type is defined by their cognitive function stack:

Dominant: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
Auxiliary: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
Tertiary: Introverted Sensing (Si)
Inferior: Extraverted Thinking (Te)
This stack explains how you, as an INFP, process information and make decisions, depending on your mental and emotional state.

Answer 2

Fi-Si Loop

Question 3

Healthy State (Balanced Cognitive Function Use)
In this state, your dominant and auxiliary functions (Fi and Ne) work in harmony:

1. Dominant Function: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
   How you decide:
   Fi is deeply personal and values-driven. You process situations by asking, Does this align with my inner values and authentic self?
   Key traits:
   High empathy and connection to personal ethics.
   Strong sense of identity and meaning.

Question 4

2. Auxiliary Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
   How you gather information:
   Ne explores possibilities. It generates ideas, sees patterns, and connects seemingly unrelated concepts.
   Key traits:
   Creativity and curiosity.
   Love for brainstorming and open-ended exploration.

Answer 4

Visual Metaphor:
Imagine a tree:

Roots (Fi): Deeply buried, grounding you in your values.
Branches (Ne): Reaching outward, exploring every direction for new possibilities.

Question 5

Moderately Stressed State (Overuse of Fi and Ne)
When under moderate stress, you may become overwhelmed by your dominant and auxiliary functions.

What happens:
Fi becomes too internalized: You overanalyze your feelings, questioning if you’re living authentically or making the right choices.
Ne becomes scattered: You get lost in endless “what ifs” and alternative possibilities without reaching a conclusion.

How it feels:
Emotional overwhelm and indecision.
Difficulty prioritizing tasks or focusing.

Answer 5

Visual Metaphor:
Your tree’s branches (Ne) grow wildly, but the roots (Fi) struggle to provide direction, leaving you feeling untethered and confused.

Question 6

Very Stressed State (Inferior Function Takes Over)
In extreme stress, your inferior function, Extraverted Thinking (Te), hijacks your thought process.

What happens:
Te takes control in a blunt, overly critical way.
You focus on external efficiency, rules, and quick fixes but lack nuance and empathy.
This is completely out of character for an INFP, which can make you feel alienated from yourself.
How it manifests:
Snap judgments and rigid decisions.
Harsh self-criticism or projecting frustrations onto others.
Tunnel vision: You may try to impose order on chaos without considering your deeper values.
Visual Metaphor:
Your tree (Fi-Ne) is caught in a storm. Instead of relying on the natural flow of roots and branches, you try to build a rigid, artificial scaffold (Te) around the tree, which feels unnatural and restrictive.

Answer 6

You may try to impose order on chaos without considering your deeper values.