ESFJ and ENFJ: Ti Inferior (Introverted Thinking)

The fourth function in your cognitive stack is known as the Inferior function. This function tends to be an area where we store our insecurities, but it is also an opportunity for growth and a vacation from ourselves. In this episode, we talk about how Introverted Thinking (Ti) presents in the fourth position (For the ESFJ and the ENFJ). We also cover topics like projections, insecurities, and blind spots. These patterns of mental processes can manifest in a variety of ways that can hinder our ability to be our best selves and impact our relationships.

Resources for ESFJ:

Resources for ENFJ:

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We're also on Discord - come talk to us with user ID: typecastheroes 2186​ (Note: This is not a discord server )

Sources (among others):

Beebe, J. (2016). Energies and patterns in psychological type: The reservoir of consciousness. New York, NY: Routledge.
Berens, L. V. (2000). Dynamics of personality type: Understanding and applying Jung's cognitive processes. Huntington Beach, Calif, CA: Telos Pub.
Franz, M. V.; Hillman, J. (1971). Lectures on Jung's typology. New York, NY: Spring Publications.
Hunziker, M. (2016). Depth Typology: C.G. Jung, Isabel Myers, John Beebe and the Guide Map to Becoming Who We Are. n.p.: Write Way Publishing Company, LLC.
Jung, C. G. (1971). Psychological Types. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Sharp, D. (1998). Jungian psychology unplugged: My life as an elephant. Ontario, Canada: Inner City Books.

[elliottcomer]

"The best way to take care of them is to take care of yourself." Well, damn. I've been seen. - ENFJ

[candydavis]

Just found you guys. I am an ENFJ and I don't really care what people think about me BUT I care so very much about how people feel about me.
Learning the difference between the two has helped me immensely.

[suneelrana]

20-30 mins of silent sit down and watching / observing your inner thoughts as the witness will help with this function greatly.

[graysonherbert]

I would disagree on society's value of thinking in general to a degree. Society has a very high value on extroverted thinking, but as an INTP, a lot of the stuff I love and think about is not valued because it doesn't necessarily push towards a goal.

[michaelkrull]

Thank you for this. My enfj mom keeps sending me pseudohistorical TikToks, and I'm not sure how to tell her she isn't the best at picking out information. I'll start by sending her this video.

[basic-mbti]

Wow, this is some serious approach to MBTI. Just discovered your channel.

[btetschner]

Thank you for the video, it was very enjoyable.

[joiamed]

Maybe this will help me see if my father is ESFJ

[LelaBria]

Maybe if you phrase external validation as “ noticeable somehow respect for/looking up to what they do” lol the te heroes might get on board with the concept of external validation 😂🧐 *runs away before I get beaten by a Te hero 😆. Also question, what would external validation look like for let’s say an Se user. Asking as a probably ISTP/ESTP not sure which lol. I think I do need some form of this but I am wondering if us and te users maybe associate the phrase “external validation” with like a very words of praise type of love style which I certainly do not identify with. But external validation can be something other than this, and in that way I think u could be right about that external validation& external functions correlation🧐 💭

[Bahador_R]

Hmm.... So.... So enfj will excel in providing for a crowd what they want, and esfj excels in providing for a crowd what they need...

ExFJ -a host, good at taking care of their crowd. That is their strength, if I understand.

[AdamGentry]

Since everyone has 2 extroverted functions, wouldn't a person always "get hit twice" when someone insults their 4th role? I mean in its own way Te cares about what others think (reputation and all), Se cares about the experience it's creating for others (to the best of my knowledge). Don't have as firm of a grasp of Ne (yet), but with an extroverted function (which wants validation) either in the first or 2nd role, wouldn't that mean that "no matter what, everyone is taking a double hit when their 4th role gets criticized?" (no issue if I'm wrong, just seeking clarification)

[TurtleReefReal]

I'm fairly sure I'm an ExFJ, but I am extremely logical and realistic and have very high Ti. Is that possible?

[moonsharn]

Oh man, this is not correct at all. ESFJ and ENFJ don’t judge thinkers because they’re thinkers, we judge people that we perceive as selfish because of our high Fe. ESFJ is a bottom up Ne-Ti thinker who thinks constantly and is constantly learning new information from the outer world and formulating paradigms on the spot in all situations, being an introverted thinker doesn’t mean you have to introvert to think lol. The ESFJ has a very powerfully practical real world thinking process. The ENFJ is a top down thinker, who takes in the paradigm, turns it into an abstract concept to measure it against the past and future outcomes using Ni and then breaks it down into individual components using ti to determine accuracy of the information. If an ESFJ wants further info or needs to analyse the information further, they’ll tend to seek out knowledgeable people. If an ENFJ needs further information they tend to use research, data, and study in an introverted manner. The ENFJ has a very forward thinking, big picture planning thinking pattern. ESFJ’s are logically accurate in the present, ENFJ’s are logically accurate when predicting future outcomes. They make a great team when paired together. I have an iq of 133 and an EQ of 124, I’m ENFJ. My spouse is roughly the reverse of those figures, ESFJ. We do not ever doubt our intelligence nor feel insecure about our ability to think lol. Being 2 standard deviations above the mean intellectually, most people appear to not be thinkers to us, even the “thinking” types. For us, turning off the thoughts is more of a problem, because creating harmony in the world (ENFJ) and creating harmony in the family, and local community (ESFJ) takes a lot of problem solving. Our only real issue with the world is that most other people don’t care the way we do.
Whether a person feels less or more smart is generally to do with whether they are or not, in comparison to those around them, regardless of cognitive stack. All people think, all people formulate logic, the only difference is what is motivating that. With us it’s the need to make life better for others, whereas the t types generally do it for personal gain.