INTJ vs. INFJ Jumper

If you're unsure of your type and have been throwing glances at what Objective Personality calls an INFJ Jumper, chances are you've also considered being an INTJ. And kudos to you if you have! Because comparing the INFJ to the INTJ is exactly the kind of comparison you should be making, seeing as the types actually have a functional axis in common: Ni (Introverted Intuition)/Se (Extraverted Sensing). Comparing the INFJ to, for example, the INFP based solely on the letters common to the acronyms would've been plain wrong (and this is why).

But never mind that, this isn't your normal type comparison anyway... we will be focusing on Thinking. 

Because that's why we're here right? We're here because we're thinking ourselves right out of the INFJ box. We need to move. Either we move down into the finer grains of the OP concepts (i.e. INFJ Jumper), or sideways into the entirely different box of INTJ.

So... why is the comparison between the INFJ Jumper and the (regular/standard) INTJ even more legitimate than a comparison between a regular INFJ and a regular INTJ? Well, from one perspective both types are INTJs. 

I Ni Ti J (NiTiFeSe) vs. I Ni Te J (NiTeFiSe)

What perspective, you ask? The INFJ doesn't have Ti (Introverted Thinking) second. What are we playing at? 

It's true. The second function of the INFJ Jumper is technically still Fe (Extraverted Feeling). The order of the functions hasn't changed. What has changed, though, is whether we respect the function or not. To the INFJ Jumper Fe is not a Savior, it's a Demon - a function we don't respect. 

Everyone has two Savior- and two Demon functions. In the standard versions of each type the Savior functions are the top two functions, one Extraverted and one Introverted. The Jumpers, on the other hand, respect their first and third functions - two functions of the same orientation - making them either double Extroverts or double Introverts. The point is that respect in this case is a kind of order. Even if the order with respect to "strength" hasn't changed, the order with respect to... errr... respect has.

Strength

NiFeTiSe (INFJ Jumper) vs. NiTeFiSe (INTJ)

Respect

NiTiFeSe (INFJ Jumper) vs. NiTeFiSe (INTJ)

This doesn't necessarily mean that the effectiveness of the Thinking function of an INFJ Jumper equals that of an INTJ. It's my firm belief that the amount of brain power dedicated to a function is greater the higher up in the stack it's located. But it does mean that the INFJ Jumper will use her Thinking function as much as the INTJ (standard) uses hers... and that's got to count for something.

Comparison

Ok, let's get comparing... In what flavors do these "INTJs" come? What unites them? What sets them apart?

Let's begin by picturing the function stack as a set of factories ordered - top down - from largest to smallest, working on either an internal or the external dataset depending on orientation:

INFJ Jumper

INTJ

Similarities

Saviors

As we've already established, the "goto"-functions of the two "INTJs" are the same (orientation of Thinking-functions exempted). We're all familiar with the expression "To a hammer, everything looks like a nail". Well, to the "INTJs" every problem looks like something that could be solved using Introverted Intuition and Thinking. In that order. But together. You get it.

And if that doesn't work, who do we blame? You guessed it: Extraverted Sensing and Feeling.

It’s all a matter of…

Respect

We respect our Saviors. And the order in which these two “INTJs” respect their functions (decider orientation exempted) is the same. 

Our first Savior function, the primary vantage point from which all of us perceive our world, is the same for both "INTJs". We will always, first and foremost, try to simplify the abstract world into its simplest constituent parts using the subconscious, often future oriented, pattern detector that is Introverted Intuition. 

Introverted Intuition, as opposed to its gathering counterpart Extroverted Intuition, organizes patterns into an ever growing, internal, subjective system of “true” patterns which subsequently can help the INxJ make sense of the world.

Then comes the Thinking. Our second Savior function. Whether it be the outwards facing, broad spectrum Te or the inwards facing, deep delving Ti - Thinking is the Robin to our Batman. Whatever soup of abstract nonsense(?) we've managed to concoct, Thinking will always be there to spice it up with a dash of logic.

Time

Malcolm Gladwell suggests that anyone can reach proficiency with 10.000 hours of practice. That's pretty far from accurate, but in some sense, practice still makes perfect. And the INFJ Jumper gets a lot of practice Thinking. In fact they get just as much practice as does the INTJ. The new order of respected functions in the Jumper will greatly affect the amount of time clocked in different functions and, resulting skill level aside, make a huge difference to the behavior and perception of a type. 

Differences

Strength

What first hits us when comparing the stacks above is probably the size difference of the Thinking-factories. Undeniably, the INTJ is the more well endowed. The second function is the larger muscle, that's just the way things are. The effectiveness and comparative accessibility of the INTJ Thinking function gives them a clear edge in this battle of wits.

But is size really everything? Isn't this the moment when someone steps in to defense of the INFJ Jumper and claims it's not size, but "how you use it" that really counts? Well... yes... it does count. At least for something. We'll get to that.

Orientation

Every function has an orientation. Either it's Introverted or it's Extraverted. The fact that this orientation is tied to the function and not the person itself is what, we believe, causes all the confusion. Because there is a lot of confusion surrounding the subject of Introversion vs. Extraversion. 

Thinking isn't just Thinking. Either it's inwards facing (Ti) or it's outwards facing (Te). Either it's tied to our identity or it's not (more on this in a moment). 

Extraverted Thinking botanizes the broad spectrum of thoughts, not afraid to discard one for another, if a better one appears in the great external dataset of the Outer world. Introverted Thinking, on the other hand, tries to find whichever thought fits their inner system of subjective logic best and then takes a dive, exploring it to the ends of their Inner world. 

These orientation-related dichotomies of breadth vs. depth and Outer world vs. Inner world leads us right on to our next keyword...

Speed

The Extraverted functions have a need for speed. All functions strive for accuracy, naturally, but there is a difference between what's accurate given the current external data set of the present moment (E) and what's accurate all (subjectively known) things considered (I). Extraverted functions are more or less anchored to the here and now. They're built to act. 

Introverted functions, on the other hand, can take their sweet time. New information cannot be considered in isolation, it needs to be accepted and incorporated into the inner system and considered from every possible angle before any decision can be made.

Needless to say these differing strategies place different demands on the Thinking styles of Te and Ti. Te needs to be able to collect all available external data in as short a time as possible and perform any necessary calculations in the moment. Ti on the other hand will try to take as comprehensive mental notes as possible and bring them to the “library” to study in detail. Use of calculator is allowed. 

It has actually been suggested that, compared to Extraverts, Introverts have worse working memory and use a physically longer mental pathway when processing information. 

Identity

Introverted functions are tied to our identity. Whatever perceptions we’re organising (Ni/Si) and whatever decisions we’re making (Ti/Fi) with our inwards facing functions they all become part of some inner system, part of our self. 

INFJ Jumper - Ti

If you criticize my thoughts you criticize me. A reason is valid if it fits my inner system and then it’s my reason.

INTJ - Te

You don’t like my idea? Ok, whatever, here’s another one. A reason is valid if the tribe* says it's valid.

*The tribe can be many things here: family, friends, colleagues, a community, an encyclopedia, an authority on a subject, scientific consensus etc...

For the INTJ one of the Savior functions is tied to identity (Introverted Intuition) and the other (Extraverted Thinking) relies on tribe validation. For the INFJ Jumper both Savior functions are tied to identity, which makes for a somewhat more “closed off” individual. We would go as far as to say that the INFJ Jumper might actually have a kind of information aversion. When Ni and Ti together create a joined inner system, any new information can be thought of (but mustn’t) as a threat to the system itself. It is very important to feed the system new and more accurate information, to rebuild it, in part or in its entirety if necessary. Only then can it constitute a strength.

No such inner system is necessary when the Extraverted functions consider external facts/truths. If the "truths" can be proven in the external world, even if they seem to stand in conflict with some other fact/truth, it's fine. The INTJ, thus, is likely more open to new information.

Objectivity vs. Subjectivity

This is an interesting one. It would seem that one is all good and one is all bad here, but we don't think that's the case at all. The word objective has very positive connotation, and being objective is almost always a strength, but in this context it might some times be a weakness. We use the word objective here, because Te tends to use information that's been verified in some way in the external world (leaning towards the objective) while Ti wouldn't necessarily need external validation to judge something as true (leaning towards the subjective). 

But let's take Newton's law of universal gravitation as an example. At one point it was accepted as "true". In so far as something actually can be accepted as scientifically true. It had been proven to predict accurately for all situations in which it had been tested. It hadn't been disproven yet. Accepting Newton's laws as fact would probably serve a Te-user very well under most circumstances, but it isn't actually true and having a strong inner, subjective Ti-system that has been thoroughly vetted against reality would possibly help in figuring this out. Which was probably exactly what Einstein (Ti-Savior) did in the beginning of the last century. This, of course, doesn't mean that the Te-user couldn't also come to the same conclusion, but, as we see it, Te leans more towards a inductive reasoning style, while Ti leans more towards a deductive reasoning style.

Neighboring Functions

No function is an island. It’s always hard to to describe a function in isolation, because we never use them in isolation. According to OP we couple them together into behaviors called “Animals”: 

“Sleep”, “Play”, “Blast” and “Consume”. 

For the INTJ, the two Savior functions (Ni + Te) together make the Animal called Blast (e.g. Teaching, Controlling, Starting, Bragging). For the INFJ Jumper, instead, this first Animal (combining Ni and Ti) is Sleep (e.g. Preserving energy, Processing, Introspecting). This, in itself, makes for quite a big difference - the INFJ Jumper will probably be perceived as more quiet and thoughtful, while the INTJ might have an easier time communicating thoughts to the tribe. But what's even more interesting is that, due to the actual order of the INFJ Jumper functions, her Thinking function will always be somewhat "tainted" (or enhanced 😎) by the Feeling function. Even if the Feeling function isn't respected, information will still need to pass through it in order to make its way down to Thinking. This is especially obvious in social settings where close bonds to attendants are yet to be formed. And this, we believe, might also be the main reason as to why the INTJs often have a greater love for systems in and of themselves, while INFJs usually want them to relate to something they care about - most often involving people - like philosophy, politics, psychology or ideas in general. 

In Summation

An INFJ Jumper can be thought of as a kind of INTJ. Both types clock an equal amount of time in their respective Thinking functions, but the INTJ has the better hardware. The software, the Thinking styles of the two types, differ on a number of levels:

• Te is quick where Ti is thorough.
• Te is objective where Ti is subjective.
• Te is inductive where Ti is deductive.
• Te seeks tribe validation, while Ti is tied to identity. 
• The Thinking function of the INFJ Jumper is flavored by Extraverted Feeling (most noticeably in social settings).

Thanks for listening.

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