Thursday 19 February 2015

I've moved to Wordpress. Again.

I'll be posting regularly again on Wordpress, link to it is here:

https://inexplicablyinsane.wordpress.com/

This is because the amount of views to followers on here is problematic. Every month, I seem to average 300 views when posting consistently but I never receive followers and that's the important part of running a blog.

I hope to see you over there!

Friday 13 February 2015

INFJ and ENFJ: Relationships, Emotions and Love

Left: INFJ/ Right: ENFJ
As you can see above, there is an INFJ and an ENFJ. A Protector and a Giver.

I'm the guy on the left. I've chosen to write a self-exploration of our relationship to help others who seek the guidance for this pairing. 

If you've found this page, you're either fresh to the Myers Briggs personality theorem or you're an expert and this may be something you've needed to read. I'll try not to disappoint.  

I'll start with what our types are and mean. 

INFJ                     

I: Introverted          
N: Intuitive           
F: Feeling              
J: Judgement

Functions: Introverted Intuition, Extroverted Feeling, Introverted Thinking and Extroverted Sensing. If confused, please research Myers Briggs functions. All types have their own unique set on how we process information.

Introversion dictates how we recover our human energy. Introverts have a very wide open dopamine canal. Which means we react to things a lot more than Extroverts would. For example, I wouldn't be able to socialise as long in a social setting which inhabits a crowd of over, let's say, 6 people. The giant influx of information a human being exhausts, which I'm sure you know, can be taxing when you're receiving that information for a long sustained time. Introverts recharge their batteries by letting themselves recover in solitude or with a small group of very close friends.

Intuition is how we create threads of information in our head. It can be described as a sixth sense, a gut feeling. They present a concept and THEN go into the details of it. Idea creators are the core definition of what intuition ultimately is. Very imaginative, Intuitive's lead with a fresh instinct, almost like gambling but for every life situation. This may be difficult to understand. Please research if you wish to know more.

Feeling is what it says on the tin. It can means two different things if it's introverted feeling or extroverted. INFJ's and ENFJ's have extroverted feeling so I'll describe that. It can be described as empathy. Being able to absorb others emotions. You feel what they feel and it effects you as it effects them. Extroverted feelers tend to be more sensitive than introverted feelers due to being aware of the effects of their actions. They tip-toe around tough topics and tend to work out the easiest way to approach an emotionally taxing situation in the carefullest way possible, for themselves and for others. Introverted Feeling can also be researched if you want something to compare this description with. My short summary of introverted feeling is the ability to know yourself, putting yourself first over others. Contrary to popular belief, it's not as 'evil' as it sounds. 

Thinking is the processing of information. Many different thinkers can either process the information inside their heads or write information down in highly structural methods i.e. graphs, lists etc. People find it hard to identify the difference between intuition and thinking. The difference is intuitive's create information, thinkers organise information.

Judgement is the way we guide ourselves through life. J's tend to be more organised with their decisions, being less spontaneous with their choices. Note: judgement isn't identified by how clean someone's desk is. Usually, morality is a good indicator as J's tend to stick to their guns if they either like something or don't like something.

With the ENFJ, the above descriptions will suffice to describe the letters. I'll still cover the E so it's clear.

ENFJ                     

E: Extroverted          
N: Intuitive           
F: Feeling              
J: Judgement

Functions: Extroverted Feeling, Introverted Intuition, Extroverted Sensing and Introverted Thinking

Extroversion, like said above, is how energy is expended. Remember the dopamine line? With E's, imagine that the dopamine is being sifted through a funnel. They expend it VERY slowly. This is why you see the majority of extroverts in clubs and at parties, surrounded by people. They're trying to expend it. Staying inside for them can be explained in a description. Imagine your brain is creating dopamine all the time and it keeps filling your head, you're full of energy. You'd go out all the time if you wished to avoid that headache. 

Comparison

The main difference here is the E and the I. One letter change in a type can create very different personalities and very similar ones. Remembering the note after explaining the INFJ letters, every type has functions that help us process information. INFJ and ENFJ have the same functions BUT they're in a different order. Thinking that a change in the order of functions isn't much? Guess again.

The order of functions play a big part. The one that we start with, in my case, introverted intuition, is the main one I use, it's the one I've used since I was a child and probably the only one I used at all. Other functions come in later on in life. So I live primary in my head, seeing the world with red strings connecting everything. now ENFJ's, they lead with extroverted feeling. Take that in for a second... done? Ok. 

Extroverted Feeling is my second function but I'm extremely familiar with it. All these intense emotions, all the time. But I'm lucky enough that the feelings I feel have to go through the intuition, like a filter, so I usually internalise my feelings before I send them out into the world. It can be seen as unhealthy due to repressing it all but it's something we naturally do. ENFJ's don't have a filter. It's emotion all the time. They've been reading people and taking in emotions since they were kids and they remember everything that ever effected them in a huge way, it shapes their personalities. The contrast here is that they show their feelings and THEN they put it through their intuition. Put yourself in an ENFJ's shoes and imagine you've effected someone in a negative way by exerting your feelings. Then imagine thinking about it once you've done it. It's not easy for the ENFJ, I'll admit. 

Let's Get Personal

I'm 23 and my ENFJ is 20. We've been together for just under 2 and a half years. We met at University and within two weeks, we became boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm unusually confident for an INFJ due to my best friend being an ESTP, whose functions are a direct mirror of mine. I still feel anxiety heavily but through my best friends subliminal and subconscious hints, I worked out that I could use it as a motivator. This results in a motivated INFJ. 

Now when I first saw my ENFJ, something clicked in my head. The intuitive gut feeling told me that this girl is interesting. A rarity for me. Initially, she was closed off and stand offish but with the power of the INFJ insight and some knowledge of Carl Jung's teachings, I knew she was hiding her true self due to the new environment we were both in. Note: Sounds creepy to know this much, I know, but this is how strong an INFJ's intuition and feeling is. 

We became closer. Eventually, she invited herself over to my place after, she told me, she realised that trying to get a WiFi connection by sitting near her door could be rectified by just visiting me at my dorm. I agreed. We chilled well into the night watching DVD's and eventually fell asleep. 

The rest is history. Now we're living together and we're soon to be finishing our final year at University.

The Dynamics of our Relationship: INFJ and ENFJ

Note: I'll be speaking in third person to not single out my ENFJ. I'll be giving insight about INFJ's also.

As brief as can possibly be, with the INFJ, you have an intense and quiet partner who loves extremely deeply. With the ENFJ, you have a partner who requires emotional validation and loyalty who also loves extremely deeply. 

INFJ's absorb feelings so if you wish to enter a relationship with an ENFJ, I recommend that you be EMOTIONALLY STABLE. You have to be emotionally tough as ENFJ's will show intense emotion at regular intervals, good and bad emotions. ENFJ's, I recommend that you take your INFJ's silence not as neglect but that INFJ's need their space to get back on form now and again.

INFJ's and ENFJ's will both see aspects of themselves within each other. You are essentially viewing your own personality in a different order. This can prove to be an advantage in developing yourself, the INFJ can teach how to maintain your emotions and ENFJ's can teach how to be more open with interacting with the world and organisation skills. The second advantage is they're the same functions so you don't have to worry that you're progressing down the wrong route as you will eventually develop the functions of your partner, with patience and drive behind you.

If you go ahead with a relationship with an INFJ/ENFJ, be prepared for a very intense and intelligent relationship. The ability of an NFJ is that emotional intelligence is mandatory to being one. Expect to be loved like you've never been loved before and if you have been loved like that, they will find another way to love you. It will take more effort than the usual relationship as it requires you to put in the effort to nurture each other and understand one another. The payout will be a great one. As the effort you put in will produce a very rewarding and happy relationship. But bare in mind that there will be the odd problem that will come out of nowhere. But if you work through it, you will find happiness.

If you're seeking or are in an INFJ/ENFJ relationship, comment with your own experience on your relationship and add another perspective!

NOTE: I WOULD LOVE FOR AN ENFJ IN AN ENFJ/INFJ RELATIONSHIP TO ADD THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE. PLEASE COMMENT IF YOU WISH TO ADD MORE!

Super Smash Bros. Wii U - Amiibos, Pokemon and Assists

Copyright: Nintendo


As I'm sitting here, watching my Link Amiibo, Sparda, wreck shop on 8 player Smash, 99 stock at level 50 as he collects items I lack the drive to acquire myself, let's take a look back at the immaculate concept of what actually is Smash Brothers.



OH MY GENTLE JESUS
Copyright: Nintendo

We all grew up at some point (surprising, ey?) and only now have the past couple of generations have been surrounded by technology that can be consumed and interacted with. This includes video games, obviously. A good few of us played the magic that is Super Mario Bros. on the NES. As we pressed buttons, we watched the burly red plumber jump and run at enemies and, occasionally, if you remember old game difficulty, fall down holes and slightly nudge Goombas which, somehow, result in a death that sends you into the air and off the very fabric of the world itself.



We grew a connection to that character and this was the start of such connections. The dots and vehicles that inhabited the screen had evolved into a personality with a name and a background. Everybody knows Mario because we were that collection of pixels on the screen since the very start of it all, being the reaper over the on screen persons life and death.



Well, apart from the green mushrooms that popped out of the question blocks. Don't get me started about the back story of Mario blocks, it's too.. what's the word.. manic?

Que the horror story music.
Copyright: Nintendo

But leading on from this, a wave of story driven games with personalities embraced our screens. We pressed those buttons and became the characters on the screen over and over again. A decade later when more Nintendo games came out in droves and captured our hearts, such as Donkey Kong, Kirby and the one series that has my time travelling bro' in it, Zelda, we were living adventures in our homes, an introverts paradise.



So this game came out of nowhere when consoles were starting to progress on the idea of 3 glorious dimensions. This game was the glorious birth of what can be simplified in a sentence. Brace for the swearing.



LET'S GET SOME NINTENDO CHARACTERS AND GET THEM TO FUCK EACH OTHER UP.

HNNNGGGGGGGG
Copyright: Nintendo

I mean, this idea was titanic in proportion, nobody even thought that other game characters could even perform in the same game together, let alone beat the crap out of one another.



Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 came out. Now I was a PS1 owner at the time and I had only heard that the N64 existed, let alone the games. I was introduced to it when I was hanging with a group of my cousin's friends. It blew my mind when I saw what was going on. I couldn't believe it, Mario getting smacked about by DK. It's a memory that hasn't left me!



Now, we can move on to the current day. 2 more games later, we have arrived at Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS. I only have the Wii U version so I'll avoid commenting about the 3DS version.



There was so much hype for this, after Melee and Brawl, what could they do next? Obvious answers would be to add more characters and stages. Which they did. Villager from Animal Crossing, Wii Fit Trainer from.. Wii.. Fit.. and others like Dark Pit from Icarus, Shulk from Valkyrie etc etc

"Now please enter the 'I'm kicking your ass' position"
Copyright: Nintendo


Now my favourite thing about these games isn't being Link and spamming projectiles from the other side of the stage (Sorry, I'M SORRY!), it was items. Items that introduce even MORE characters into the battle. More specifically, Pokemon and Assists.



I LOVE the Pokemon aspect, not only do you have the majesty of throwing a Pokeball directly into someone else's face and occasionally, crotch, it even unleashes the Pokemon inside. You could get the Legendary overkiller, Goldeen, who strikes fear in all or Arceus, WHO CREATED LIFE. It feels almost like the time somebody injected strawberry flavouring into ice cream, it tastes sooooo good! Assists are the same, I enjoy watching my girlfriend squeal when her favourite Nintendo character, Waluigi, comes out of nowhere and stomps me into the ground whilst yelling "WHAAAHAHAHAHA" to accompany the tears that slide out of my eyeholes.



But the best thing Nintendo ever did for the Wii U and Smash Bros was Amiibos. Cheapish, depending on your budget, quite accurate models with NFC codes attached onto them. You pop them into Smash and you train them. It feels personal and nice when you can take something physical and make it virtual. Sure, when you peel the skin from the satsuma, it's a model with a chip on the bottom but the overall feel and majesty of it is exciting, especially to small children and people who probably don't have that much knowledge when it comes to technology, it can be perceived as magic.



Plus, taking it to your friends house who doesn't have an Amiibo, betting money that they wont be able to beat it and them thinking "Can't be that hard" is deliciously malicious.



Have a favourite experience with Smash, Amiibos, the assists and Pokemon? Let me know in the comments!