ISFJ - Mediator

Ego Block

ISFJs have Si and Fe in their ego, which means that they are extremely attuned to the internal atmosphere of their bodies, and the external atmosphere around them in daily lives. This in effect means that an ISFJ knows when to use Fe to raise the mood of a group or an individual on account of their ability to sense physical states of people and groups gifted by Si. This pairing makes them especially skilled with interpersonal relationships.

1. Si: Introverted Sensing

ISFJs have a strong connection to and ability to recognize internal physical states in themselves and others. They understand how these states are reached and are able to easily recreate or avoid them if desired. They are innately drawn to situations that satisfy their inner physical needs and experience. They are usually skilled at the art of recreation, enjoyment, and positive aesthetic experience.

ISFJs often feel that they are in a rush, both mentally and physically. Therefore, they can sometimes feel like they need to get everything done at once (which can be explained by the ISFJs base and role functions). When an ISFJ starts a personal project, they often have the tendency to try to get concrete results in the shortest amount of time, which can lead to rushing and carelessness. This could lead to the ISFJ becoming stressed and overworked.

Often unable to express their feelings well using words, the ISFJ will instead create "art" (artwork, food, writing, or any other aesthetic situations) to illustrate the comfort or discomfort that they are experiencing internally.

ISFJs try to make their living space comforting and appealing to the senses and strive to improve the lives of those they are close to.

2. Fe: Extraverted Ethics

ISFJs are sensitive to the emotional atmosphere around them, either from an individual, a group, or even from inanimate objects and their physical environment. A positive emotional atmosphere is essential to their sense of well being and inner peace, and they either try to create that atmosphere by directly influencing their surrounding, or by simply removing themselves from the situation or people that in their view is the cause of a negative emotional environment. In the former case they often use humor to lighten the atmosphere by cracking jokes and lighthearted teasing.

A ISFJ can also take the role of a "clown" of sorts to ensure all people are emotionally light and comfortable. ISFJs are also capable of creating an intimate open atmosphere where others can be comfortable sharing their emotions or talking about their problems. ISFJs also tend to mirror and heighten the emotions experienced by the group dynamically.

ISFJs are generally unable to conceal their feelings because their faces are so emotionally expressive. They display their comfort and discomfort vividly, and can often be seen wearing the widest smiles or the longest frowns.

Super-Ego Block

ISFJs have Ni, Te in their super-ego. This means that they have trouble consolidating the idea of future concerns and "reliability" together. He does not believe that these concerns have any pertinence in his day-to-day life. Therefore,the day-to day nature of his existence outweigh ideas and objects that do not have a "here and now" or tangible outcome. ISFJs don't focus on a process in action, or what the process is accomplishing, favoring a much more concrete approach to life.

3. Ni: Introverted Intuition

ISFJs are able to turn their attention to longer-term implications and personal imagination but only for brief periods; their natural preference is to concentrate on the immediate surroundings and sensations, or on the job at hand. If poorly developed, this function can lead him to extensively plan his future while failing to evaluate his reasons for doing so.

Strangely, Albert Einstein (Supposed to be ENTP) mirrored the sentiments of his dual in a famous quote: "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough." This correlates with the ISFJ viewpoint of the world. The ISFJ feels no need for planning, because he plans for the present, on a day-to-day basis while also realizing the immediacy of the future.

Long term plans are often perceived as just as real as the surrounding world for the ISFJ. This can get the ISFJ into trouble when things don't work out as planned, leaving the ISFJ bewildered as to how things turned out how they did.

4. Te: Extraverted Logic

ISFJs can be skeptical of beliefs, arguments, and actions that are based on external sources of information or oppose the ISFJ's values system. Therefore, an ISFJ could come off as stubborn or rigidly set in their ways. They put more trust in the expertise of someone who seems to have hands-on experience, even if limited, than of someone who demonstrates having read many books on the same subject.

They can tend to tune out lengthy text-book explanations and information that requires especially concise explanations or language that they might have a relatively vague understanding or impression of. The reason for this is because the ISFJ always feels that "there is much more" to dry facts and statistics.

People who are bossy and critical are disliked by the ISFJ because ISFJs usually believe in taking action only when it is prudent for them. They are also prone to avoiding people who demand perfection because that can lead to feelings of inadequacy for the job at hand.

Super-Id Block

The Ne, Ti in the super-id means that an ISFJ derives great enjoyment from ideas and concepts that stimulate his or her intellectual curiosity along with a great thirst for knowledge that builds upon the ISFJ's ideals. Any concept that seems new and novel gains an enormous amount of attention from an ISFJ.

5. Ne: Extraverted Intuition

ISFJs have great respect and admiration for people who are always pursuing something new and different and are not tied down to material things. ISFJs much appreciate people who believe in their potential, praise them for their unique skills, and offer them new opportunities in line with their interests. They themselves typically have difficulty drumming up new opportunities and establishing and maintaining far-reaching and useful contacts on their own. Also, they may often be unsure of how their talents and skills stack up to those of others, along with the difficulty identifying what unique talents he has.

The mind of the ISFJ is most comfortable dealing with present difficulties, and people who are able to move his or her mind into future opportunities and goals are intensely appreciated.

6. Ti: Introverted Logic

ISFJs seek clarity in their system of beliefs and understanding. This can lead to them compulsively questioning or simply having a thirst for gaining knowledge. They are able to read much information on subjects relating to their daily lives, and if questioned on why they read, they would say something akin to "knowledge is power". With this knowledge, the ISFJ is able to build/edit his/her personal world.

ISFJs enjoy entertaining new concepts and being included in philosophical discussions where new concepts and systems of thought are introduced and developed. ISFJs are aware that they are somehow limited in discovering knowledge on their own, so they search for catalysts to help them gain it. Finding these modes of learning and communication clarify what the ISFJ believes in, and fulfills their inner desire.

Id Block

7. Se: Extraverted Sensing

ISFJs prefer to guide others by providing individual rewards and helping satisfy the needs of specific people that hold meaning in their lives rather than through direct leadership or issuing directives. They avoid confrontation, but become fierce and unbending for brief periods of time when they are fully unavoidable.

He does not resonate well with the idea of beating the competition, preferring instead to listen to their internal desires and care for their own physical, emotional, and psychological well-being rather than doing what the outside world seems to demand or require of them.

ISFJs are adept at perceiving fights over power of a confrontational nature around them and are able to resist them or even actively participate in them if that is seen as unavoidable. However they see no point in giving these power struggles priority over their own sense of comfort and well-being. Participation in violent physical activities where such fights may take place, as in some sports, are motivated not by those fights themselves but by the stimulating sensations those activities generate, such as the release of adrenaline.

8. Fi: Introverted Ethics

ISFJs are quite adept at understanding the interactions in personal bonds between two individuals, even in the absence of an obvious external emotional expression; but they are inclined to regard them as of lesser importance, and less interesting, than the broader emotional interactions in the context of a larger group. Moreover, those personal bonds are perceived as situational and dynamic rather than static. Also, conventional morality often ties in with Te or being right and wrong. Being a mediator of sorts, the ISFJ shies away from such judgements.

At times, the ISFJ can be angered at a lack of social competence exhibited by one who the ISFJ knows. Using his ego functions, the ISFJ is able to see how lack of this function can be detrimental to interpersonal bonds between the two individuals. Seeing problems such as this is irksome to the ISFJ, and he attempts to correct the situation with all deliberate speed, ignoring his ego at times.

Common social roles

1. The person who always lightens things up, smooths the rough edges and sharp words of group communication and discussion, making people laugh, relax, and take things less seriously.
2. The lazy hedonist with a short attention span who loves to consume movies, music, shows, food, and drink and sees no reason to strain himself in life.
3. The aesthetic connoisseur who demonstrates incredible taste in art, in cuisine, or in fashion and lives for aesthetic pleasure.

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