Simple Way to Tell Between Fe and Fi

FIXED IT! A quite consistent (yet potentially tricky) difference between Fi vs. Fe users.

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[shahjmir]

The struggle of being an FE user is sometimes THINKING I'm happy when I'm actually not due to not knowing how I'm really feeling at times. So I may appear very happy and project that outwards but don't actually know that I'm really unhappy on the inside.

[liz]

As an INFP watching you is weird its like watching myself

[lauracello]

Very interesting. I’m an Fi user. My therapist noticed how I would laugh or giggle when I was describing something that was unpleasant.

[infpmadness]

This! My husband is an Fe user of some sort so he looks for (almost needs) outwardly expressed "tells" for a person's mood. He will look at me in quiet moments and NEED me to "show" him I am happy or in a good mood or that I am ok. We have been together for 35 years so I am kinda mostly used to this, but sometimes it still drives me bonkers, lol! I have often made the comment, "what do you want me to do to prove to you I am happy, jump up and down and have a celebration? I can't be jovial all of the time." Then it makes me wonder how my demeanor comes across that he thinks I am sad or unhappy... And then beyond that what must other onlookers think of me? I actually am pretty happy most of the time, other than when I am struggling with anxiety - but he needs me to be expressive and to me that can be exhausting, lol. Also, I have this habit of laughing in the middle of being really mad and it makes even me question my sanity! Like, I know I am angry, where is this laughter coming from (when I was younger it was crying, I would ball when I was mad)...

[LacrimaeMatris]

One thing I’ve noticed about Fi is easier to understand when you think about Ti.
Ti love logic for logic’s sake, and challenges other’s logical frameworks to check its own integrity.

Fi finds beauty in emotion, even emotions that are not considered positive culturally. It also likes to challenge other’s values and decisions in order to be sure of its own integrity, much like Ti. It is interested in distinguishing between similar yet specific emotions in order to express itself in more interesting and specific ways.

[phillipmckinnon]

INFJ. My emotions are written all over my face and body language before I say a word

[angeline]

wtf your description of Fi is SO TRUE 😭I always thought something was wrong with me for not being able to express my emotions well (as well as others). :( And its caused problems in rerlationships too, when I've tried to express that I'm angry, hurt, or sad about something and people would say that its hard to tell if i'm being serious or not 😭😭

[TK-kfzc]

ISFP here. Dead on. I will verbally communicate a feeling but am highly unlikely to to display it except under extreme circumstances. It really is introverted.

[EducationSoc]

@CasualCognition, Sometimes the Fi struggles to be taken seriously by others when they’re annoyed. So the Fi says things, yet unless the audience knows them well, the audience might not really think the Fi really is that fussed by the issue. I say this because sometimes there is a need to act out and let people know that you’re annoyed, pushing the Fi into Fe. When this happens I’m annoyed about having to show I’m annoyed (on top of the initial trigger for being annoyed). It’s a bit like anger squared!

[Vicariouslyyy]

Mostly true though I would like to mention that fe sometimes will “match” the group and not realize or be in touch with their emotions in that they won’t realize the negative emotions until later after the fact when they are alone and not emotionally absorbing the energy of the group. Saying this from my own experience as an infj

[rainsara]

3:25 same im a FE and I always used to laugh or have a smile when I told my therapist about difficult things. I couldn't help it

[rachelthehomosapiens]

I'm definitely a typical Fi user in this regard, as my emotional display is often really flat when I talk about times when I've felt happy or sad. Because of that, I've been told by a couple of people that I come across as very stoic and even emotionless. I also get random spikes of emotion that occur spontaneously, and after I've felt a certain way, I literally can't bring that emotion back into my mind to communicate it with others. I just can't "make" myself feel a way that I am not currently feeling.

[jennkarol]

This made SO much sense. Helps me to understand my obviously fi daughter so much better. Thank you!!

[borderedge]

INTP here. I find that this and other vid’s from this YouTuber are excellent in describing and dealing with certain aspects of cognitive functions. For ex her vid on the similarities of all 4 introverted functions is second to none, IMO.
However, as to the most likely underlying reason for why sometimes Fi dom’s don’t emote their actual feelings, in addition to the points here, I believe this other thing is perhaps more pertinent:
Fi users are known for normally expressing their feelings accurately without much apparent thought to the external environment, giving them their infamous reputation of seeming oh so comfortable with hanging on to negative emotions for a long time (you go INFP/ISFPs!) However, at certain specific moments with, usually, more intense, negative emotions, they will make this 180 degree switch to emote markedly different feelings to what is actually going on inside of them. Why? I believe it is primarily because Fi is a highly personalized and in a way potentially ‘sensitive’ function, as notions driven by Fi can to the Fi dom be among those things they hold the closest to their ‘heart/soul’.
Now, normally, since the Fi dom usually is not looking for/ needing anybody to validate or ‘approve’ their emotions and thoughts, they will have no issue expressing or talking out their positions freely. That is, until they no longer feel emotionally safe doing so, based on what they perceive, accurately or not, how the particular audience they are interacting with at that specific moment NOT being understanding to their points. In this particular case, when the Fi dom believes that their emotion will likely be questioned, maybe ridiculed, and/or they haven’t ruminated enough / come to full terms with their feelings on the particular issue at hand and be ready to explain it, if, and that could be only in theory, they will be challenged, they will then become overly protective about this position / emotion and it will feel so incredibly personal to them, so the final effect is that they will react in a way that protects them from any outsiders / audience’ input altogether by putting up a wall of false emotions, in order to keep ‘the intruders’ away and not even give them a chance to question or challenge the Fi dom’s feelings. To be sure, this scenario would typically only occur for issues of deep importance to the Fi dom (and to their Fi).
Thing is, as an INTP I experience this EXACT phenomenon, only with thought-assessments: I normally will talk very freely and openly, even brazenly, about my positions. Until, that is, the moment I think that the audience likely will NOT at all understand my logic (often while their eager attempts at doing so leaves lots to be desired), and the issue is highly important to me and close to my heart. In that case I will simply abruptly shut up or very deliberately and awkwardly change the subject, usually to the audience’s incessant protests.
I believe I have this from Antonia Dodge at Personality Hacker: at that point my Ti sort of ‘takes over’ my behavior because it intensely does not TRUST the audience with the personal content matter.

[jqwgvkp]

My teacher yelled at us while applying lipstick and smiling once. It was scary.

[david_oliveira]

A bundled-up INFP - almost couldn't get more Fi, or Fx in general (Fe&Fi) ^^

Lovely to watch a video from you and hear your voice again, Calipso(and even remember your name)! 🙂😊
Quite in-depth analysis also, actually.

(Beautiful and beautifully white fingernails btw)
Take care -INFJ

[claytonia]

I have Fe third and I find that I can feel sad out with other people but I have to switch it off because I don't want to ruin the vibe. and after a while I forget I'm sad. but then I keep having flashes or quiet moments of introspection. But if someone talks to me I'm back in Fe mode and have to switch my sadness off again. its unhealthy because people always come to me with problems which is fine and I'm happy to help and support people. But I struggle with offloading my own emotions because I don't want to put my negativity on to others. it never seems appropriate.

[chadherbert]

Nice! I was making a mind map to try to improve my teaching techniques to help me reach more students, so was trying to define the data types of the functions and it occurred to me that Feelings would be different from Fi and Fe because they express internal state, but care about different things, so my conclusion was that, Fi related to desire, disgust, passion, shame, authenticity, personal resonance, while Se related to love, hate, empathy, guilt, approval, social connection. I imagine the other functions would also have “expressions”, like feelings, that would help indicate internal state, but that’s a fun exploration for another day! 😊

[inesvarhol]

Your drawing is great ! I feel I'm going to need it to explain Fe vs Fi so thanks a lot because explaining functions to others is actually the hardest and most interesting in mbti

[larissasoares]

that helped me a whole lot one thing everyone that knows me can agree about it's how funny is when a tell a story that angered me, bc while I tell them what happened, I gradually return to the "pissed off" state, and when the story done, my anger ends as well