MBTI: Weaknesses and Opposites- SJ and NF
We’ve all got’em, and we all hate’em. No matter who you are, whatever your weakness is, it’s embarrassing (or at least it should be), and it’ll never fully go away no matter how much you’d like to think it’s not an issue.
But a major misconception about our weaknesses for many is that they’re problems others have to deal with as a result of not being able to “handle” us. We like to think that the annoying ways we externalize our problems are a lot more uh, badass than they actually are.
Well, I’m here to tell you- that ain’t the case, kids.
Let’s use Walter White of Breaking Bad, for example. White, an INTJ, forces his function of Se at the beginning of the show by only doing what’s helpful in the moment, something that’s unnatural to his type. An ISTJ could perform Walt’s routine regularly and may or may not find something wrong with it but Walt is clearly unhappy in this lifestyle but continues to let it play out.
Until he discovers he has cancer.
“Use me as an example kids. A great example of a terrible human being.”
He then creates his Heisenberg persona and becomes the biggest and one of the most dangerous men in the southwest, if not even further than that. He certainly lives up to the “Mastermind” namesake, even though he’s doing terrible things with his money and power.
So while he was living a decent life in the beginning, what he was doing was unnatural to his type; no plans, no creativity, no future past what his wife mapped out for him that day. But as Heisenberg, he was using all of his natural gifts but in an immoral way.
“Have you seen me? Walter Wh- I mean, uh, Heisenberg. Yeah. That’s it.”
See the difference? It’s not natural to kill for power or money but doing so doesn’t mean that one is in a stressed state, as we’re talking about today.
What we do not do in our weakened state is revert to an “evil” version of our opposite’s head functions. Keep in mind, these are our weak points and weak points don’t mean borrowing someone else’ strong point. For example, when an INTJ is stressed, they will not use Se wisely as an ESFP could do in their healthy state, but rather poorly; they are stressed, after all.
These below are what you do when you’re stressing your inferior function.
“‘Where does it hurt?’ Oh, I don’t know, doc- maybe where all the tiny people are playing and working.”
ISTJ- Forced Function: Extroverted Intuition
While normally logical, level headed and precise in their areas of expertise, the ISTJ in a stressed state only sees all of the ways things can go wrong. They can find no answer that satisfies them because once they’ve become this way, they only see the endless possibilities in whatever given situation.
While that would be a positive for dominant Ne types, this is not the ISTJ strong suit and they only see the possibilities for the negative. Normally, they’re inclined to size up a problem, compare it with what they already know, and narrow down to a solution due to dominant Introverted Sensing.
ESFJ- Forced Function: Introverted Thinking
As a dominant Fe user, the ESFJ will generally care for those around them and people in general, but stressing their inferior function of Ti will have the ESFJ deconstructing the world around them in a way that leaves no room for anything positive and everyone is evil. The good they usually see is now filled people they can’t trust. This may lead to them thinking the changing of others behavior is what would solve their problem.
Of course that’s not the truth, but stressing their Ti function will cause their minds to go into overdrive when it’s usually their feelings that do all the work. Not emotions necessarily, but feelings.
ESTJ- Forced Function: Introverted Feeling
While the ESTJ normally operates free of “feelings” in the way we often think of them, a stressed ESTJ will force their Fi and be completely unsure of what they’re feeling. Hard decisions usually made with efficiency are then met with an exasperated “I don’t know” and an indecisiveness that’s uncommon otherwise. While their opposite, the INFP, runs off of their principles and possibilities, the ESTJ goes by rules and hacking away at possibilities to get to the most streamlined, constructive result they can.
In summation, feelings and understanding them are not the strength of the ESTJ and once pushed to that point, they become lost in a city they’re not familiar with, acting off of uncertain emotions to no positive effect.
ISFJ- Forced Function: Extroverted Intuition
When it comes to SJs and possibilities, they prefer for there to be as few as possible. Not in every aspect of life mind you, but when it comes to making a decision that has to be made. This is of course, the case with the ISFJ as well as the ISTJ. Not knowing what to do for the ISFJ can be especially frustrating for the type runs of off their schedule, even if their schedule is to sit around watching TV all day.
When the possibilities of what could go wrong are present, or there is no decision that won’t end with somebody pissed off, the ISFJ gets stuck in a rut, forcing their inferior Ne and making them think of all the things that could go wrong.
INFP- Forced Function: Extroverted Thinking
Being that the inferior function is Te, a stressed out INFP will display the negative side of an ESTJ- bossy, rigid, and no fun to be around. Normally INFPs are enjoyable to be with from their attitude to their views on life, but in their negative state, they’ll just ignore their empathetic side in favor of controlling every situation they’re in.
But unlike the strong side of the ESTJ, who runs off of a sort of social hierarchy, the weakened INFP will attempt to control for petty reasons and any momentary goals they achieve will have been unfruitful and directionless.
ENFJ- Forced Function: Introverted Thinking
Similar to the ESFJ in terms of weak points, the ENFJ that forces their Ti will become a person of scattered rigidity, refusing to see any other side than the negative one they’ve chosen to temporarily take up. The ISTP they are the opposite of, thinks logically and other their toes using Ti and Se but the ENFJ may become stagnant in the logic that doesn’t go anywhere.
It’s not that thinking things through can’t be done, but in moments of anxiety, the ENFJ sees choices it normally doesn’t bother with and this makes them throw their hands up, believing every choice is the wrong one.
INFJ- Forced Function- Extroverted Sensing
The INFJ is naturally one to see things adding up in the long run, and people are often a part of their bigger plan in one way or another. But stressed? Decisions and things are said in the moment that don’t need to be done. And by that, it’s not meant to say that standing up for what they believe as much as it is making decisions that are soon regretted. This could mean something as simple as giving off a vibe that’s plainly rude.
Acting in the moment can be done by any type but for some, it only becomes their first instinct when they’re in a negative state, causing the said actions to be ill-timed and misguided.
ENFP- Forced Function: Introverted Sensing
While the ENFP may be the most extroverted of all types, their forced state of Si may cause them to focus too much on the details to the point of a mental/emotional standstill. Normally a bigger picture person, the stressed ENFP will get caught up in the smaller, trivial problems.
Their thinking cousin, the ENTP has a similar issue, but the ENFP’s problems result in attempting to blame others for their issues, with ill-conceived logic to back up their argument. From all this, no problems can actually be solved.
Zombies Ruin Everything 
Discuss!