FELV, EVLF, LEVF, or something else?
Hello all! For a while, I thought I was FELV, but apparently that doesn’t make too much sense with the rest of my typology - I also don’t relate very much to the idea of 1F, even if ELV is relatable. I was wondering if anyone has any insight? I’ve answered the questionnaire if that helps.
LOGIC:
Do you find that truth and understanding of systems in life are an important aspect that should be highly valued? How do you usually go about learning and forming an understanding of a concept?
I think so? In some sense, anyways - I don’t feel the need to learn everything about everything (I like the idea of it, but I am too lazy) but if I am going to take the time to learn something, I like to know it intimately. I’ll do extra research outside of the necessary for projects at school to make sure my understanding is well rounded, for example, and like to learn enough that I feel I could teach someone else about my interests (and would love to do so, but most people aren’t interested unfortunately lol).
It often takes me some time to get into a topic - by the time I’m interested, I usually already know some things about it, usually by osmosis from an adjacent community or common factors from similar concepts. From there, I will delve in as deep as I can to get a well rounded, detailed yet holistic understanding. I enjoy this process when I’m not too lazy to do it. If it’s something I must learn, and I am not just doing it for fun, but because someone is depending on me/their view of me is dependent on my performance, sloth is less of a factor and I will ensure my understanding is very accurate. I do not want my lack of understanding to impact the world negatively, but don’t care as much if they do so for me.
How easily do you find yourself changing opinions or viewpoints? What sorts of things can influence your views the most/least?
This is difficult to answer. If I’m blatantly wrong, I will change my viewpoint with little resistance (I read a journal and realize I had a fact wrong, I assume something about someone and they reveal I was off base, etc.) but if it’s anything subjective, I have a more difficult time changing views. I also have a more difficult time committing in the first place if it is a subjective matter, and usually wait to decide firmly on an opinion until it’s something that will be true regardless of changing/uncertain factors. That said, I am usually leaning one way or another based on intuition and preliminary reasoning, and will sometimes half-heartedly argue the point for the sake of discussion and/or to have something to say on the basis of that intuition/uncertain logic. Most of the time I’m uncomfortable enough in argument, regardless of stability of opinion, that I will give in to the other person, even if I know that I am right, and either plan to look into the other person’s points more later if they’ve swayed me at all or pretend I’ve changed sides and remain quiet about my actual thoughts. It’s hard when I don’t know someone, because, again, even if I know I’m right, a lot of people are very insecure, and I don’t want to come off as too aggressive/mean or hurt them with further argument. If it’s something I’m wholly confident in, and I am comfortable around the other party, though, I’ve been described as “the most stubborn person I’ve ever met” and have been called black and white thinking in certain respects.
Are you more likely to assume that you’re right or wrong about an issue? Is it important for you to always be right? How easy is it for you to admit it when you’re wrong?
I guess wrong, but sometimes right? It truly depends on how familiar I am with it. If I’m very familiar, then I’m more likely to assume I’m right, because I’ve taken the time to research and think it through and I know all facets of the issue well enough to be nuanced. If I don’t know it well enough to know all the facets, and am called wrong, I will usually assume there is something I missed and try to find out more. Sometimes I get frustrated because this quality can make me gullible, has wasted my time, and has reduced my credibility when I assume someone else is right because they’re confident, look into it more later to confirm, and find out I was actually the correct one. I hate being wrong, and feel a compulsive need to be unequivocally correct. It’s not always easy for me to admit when I’m wrong, but I absolutely will for the sake of being mature and fair to those around me.
How do you react when someone disagrees with you during a logical debate? How do you go about defending your beliefs, if at all? Do these types of situations make you doubt your views easily?
If it’s not, like, my nuclear family or my absolute closest friends, my blood runs cold and I go into a fight or flight response. I have a choice to either backtrack and pretend I agree to avoid the conflict, or argue against the other party and put myself into a situation where I have to debate while feeling like I’m in danger (which will inevitably cause me to feel stupid and lose). I usually backtrack and pretend I agree when I don’t, and might shake up my beliefs to make it more convincing, only to put them back together via logic and research when I’m alone again. I have a hard time thinking when people are looking at me lol - they only make me doubt my beliefs in the moment, and my confidence in my opinions will usually return to me after I’ve recovered. If I do feel comfortable, throw all of that out the window because I like the debate and think it’s a fun way to flesh out topics! It doesn’t make me doubt my views easily, but I am receptive to new information and will change when appropriate.
How do you feel about debating logical chains and evidence? (Can discussions and debates help you sort your thoughts out, or are you more likely to see them as unnecessary? Do you find debates more stressful or fun?)
Very fun and informative when I’m comfortable with the other party, terrifying when I’m not. Kind of explained in the previous question lol
Do you feel the need to explain your own logical understanding to others? Do you feel the need to have others explain their understandings to you?
Yes on both accounts. I don’t just take things as fact from anyone usually (with some exceptions - usually folk who know a lot about a subject I know very little about, but even that was more true when I was younger than it is now) and enjoy detailing and justifying my thought process! A conversation feels incomplete without reason as background.
VOLITION:
Do you consider yourself to be a naturally motivated person? What helps motivate you? Do you need others to motivate you and/or provide incentives for you to work?
No. I am very lazy - unless it’s something that will impact others, or impact how they view me, I will not do it. For example: my room is a mess and I don’t care in the slightest (I barely even see the mess, really) but I will always clean if I have someone coming over. I will also never clutter shared living spaces. My grades have always been very good for this reason too (rapport with teachers and other students). I have been diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, and motivation usually comes in short bursts for very specific things, because I never feel rewarded after I complete something, just happy it’s over. External incentives also don’t really work for me? I can promise myself something, but if it only impacts me, not others, whether positive or negative, then I usually don’t care. Deadlines and similar inherent obligations are usually the thing to get me into gear if social factors aren’t a thing.
Are you someone who has a clear sense of direction and purpose? Is this something that matters to you? What do you gain a sense of meaning from?
Kind of? Not really? Sort of? I know what sort of life I want to live, and I know what continent I want to live in, probably even what country and environment, but my career is dubious. I know I want to help people and to make a difference, and I know I want to make enough money to support my basic needs, I want to move away from the US, and have a general plan at the moment of how to get there, but I’m not confident enough in my ability to motivate myself to have faith it will happen. If I could, I’d love to do biotech and get into epidemiology (I like biology and epidemiology a lot, and I think it could really make a difference to work in the field), but I’m not sure how realistic that is given my other necessary parameters (being paid enough money, moving away from the US to Europe, being motivated enough to actually do any of this, etc.). I can dream I suppose, and I think I’ll eventually get there maybe? It just might take way longer than it needs to lol 😅
How is your relationship with goals? Do you often share them with others (or help others with their goals)? Are you self-assured in what you set out to do, or are you more indecisive and/or easily persuaded by what others around you want?
I love helping other people with their goals, much more than I like doing my own stuff! It gives me motivation and purpose, and I like it when people give me assignments. It makes me feel useful, happy and engaged. I’m pretty easily persuaded usually as well, kind of? Kind of like in logic, I will sometimes pretend to be persuaded to keep the peace/make people feel good even if I am not actually convinced. Sometimes I will actually be persuaded, though I don’t think it happens as often. I don’t like group projects because it’s hard to strike the balance between being compromising and actually getting the group where we need to go. Often I’ll very halfheartedly go after people for not doing their work, and try to get them to pull their weight, but inevitably pick up the slack myself so our project comes out well when they don’t listen or do it to my standard. It is exhausting and I’d much rather have just done the whole thing myself in the first place than try to strike the balance between gentle and overbearing. I usually also have a particular way I think it should be done, and others may or may not agree - I will compromise if I think their idea is worse, and I will get over it and find a way around it to make sure it turns out good anyways. For things that don’t matter to me, I don’t care (I never care what restaurant we go to, for example, and am more than happy to let other people choose). Little things I don’t usually have an opinion on in general - I have certain standards and requirements that I may or may not enforce, but am open to whatever other people want beyond that.
Are you bothered by failures and setbacks? How do you deal with them when they come up?
Very bothered. I feel awful when I fail, and often feel like imperfection is a sign I should just give up completely. I often say I will give up, stop for 1-5 minutes, then get back at it until it’s done. Unless I don’t do that, in which case I will never return to it (unless there is a deadline).
Are you someone who easily competes for things you truly desire? How do you feel about others telling you what to do, or trying to insert their desires into yours?
No, I don’t like competing. It’s nice when in good fun, but, as soon as it gets serious, it’s awful. I don’t like working with or against others in general - I like working around other people, and really enjoy working under them as a helper if they’re appreciative, but I generally like to do stuff on my own if I’m going to do stuff at all. It takes the pressure off and allows me to do what I actually think is best, not just what I think they’ll be most okay with. I’m happy with other people telling me what to do - usually they’re doing so because we share a common goal. So long as that goal is something I support, they aren’t looking down on me, and it’s something I can do, I will be incredibly happy to support them and the cause. I don’t like it when others don’t show appreciation(/monetary compensation if it’s a job) for those efforts, though, or think I’m working for my own sake when I’m working for theirs. “Don’t criticize my work when I’m doing it for you for free”, you know? Alternatively, on the off chance I do care about something, I resent it when other people try to control that. “I go with what you want when it’s something you care about, why can’t you do the same for me?” That sort of thought line. It’s frustrating at times, because I know it’s not a super healthy perspective, but it’s one I have a hard time releasing. I wish I cared more in general - or just had a better balance between defending my desires and giving them up completely.
How do you tend to act when you are part of a team? Are you more of a leader or a follower (or neither)? Do you have an easy time working cooperatively with others?
I try to be a follower, and succeed most of the time, but occasionally automatically end up in a leadership position. Usually this happens because no one else steps up - most of the time, someone will automatically take on a leadership role, and I will just go in line with them and try to assert my few needs and ideas without backing down or instigating conflict. Depending on the quality of leadership, I may or may not be disappointed because I know I could lead and get a better end result, but know that it’s too late to step up (and that I still probably wouldn’t given the opportunity, and shut myself up because at least they’re taking initiative, that’s kind of them, and I should be appreciative). Occasionally, though, you’re assigned a project and there’s very little preliminary conversation about that project, and it’s obvious no one wants to take charge. In these cases, I will usually automatically be elected leader because I try to instigate the conversation and start delegating tasks. I have a very easy time maintaining peace and good vibes when leading, making it a collaborative experience regarding everything I don’t care about (which is, again, usually a lot - I have a few, specific visions, and everything else is often up for discussion), and getting people to the place they want to be, but have a very hard time pushing people to do more than what they are, meaning I usually end up doing extra work.
Do you consider yourself to be someone with a firm sense of identity? How do you feel when other people assert their ideas about who you are?
Absolutely not, I have a very poor concept of who I am as a person that is influenced heavily by who I am around. I like it when people tell me who they think I am because that tells me how they see me, and it gives me clues as to who I might be. It’s part of the reason I like typology so much.
PHYSICS:
How important are factors such as clothing, hygiene, and appearance to your everyday life? Do you feel confident in your body and tastes? Are you often swayed by trends and the opinions of others in terms of fashion and aesthetics?
Less important than they should be. I only clean up when it matters to other people - if I’m by myself in my room for a day or two, I’m a little embarrassed to admit I don’t really pay attention to hygiene at all, and certainly don’t care for appearance. I have enough decency to shower before I go out, but even then I’ll wear pajamas anywhere I think people won’t judge me for (which is more places than average where I live). I’ll dress up a bit if I know everyone else is because I don’t want to stick out, and I’ll dress up if it’s a place I usually dress up for as not to draw attention, but I’ll still usually do the minimum. I feel confident in my body/appearance and tastes though - I think a lot of styles are beautiful, but that we place far too much importance on looks, and I hate how people equate beauty with morality, regardless of how I feel about myself. I’m not often swayed by trends - I don’t usually pay attention and just wear what I think is comfortable/looks nice. A part of the reason why I dress down is to make other people comfortable - if I look a little worse than them, or just generally really sloppy, they might feel more confident, or more comfortable being themselves/won’t think I’m judging them for not having it all together. It’s a really easy way to lower the bar and get people to lower their guard - plus, it’s a good way to indicate my politics without having to discuss them, which can also make people more comfortable.
How do you handle your senses being disturbed? Are you sensitive to problems like discomfort, sickness, and pain? (Or are you unaware/able to push past them/etc..)
I have a weird relationship with pain. On one hand, I’m pretty sensitive to it in some ways? If I notice pain is there, I have a hard time grappling with it, and can be sensitive. On the other hand, I may or may not notice it. I can get very, very absorbed in what I’m doing, or be numbing out to my phone, and not realize what’s happening. Sometimes if I’m less engaged, I’ll have a general sense that something is uncomfortable, but I won’t necessarily know what it is until I take the time to actually look and pay attention. Sometimes I have a hard time telling the difference between emotion/anxiety and physical pain, because my reaction to them can be similar. I should also probably mention here that I have health OCD and am a huge hypochondriac, which has a taken up a good portion of my life for all of my life - don’t know if there was anywhere else to put it, but it seems important
How is your relationship with physical activity? Are you someone who naturally desires a more comfortable and inert lifestyle, or do you have a hard time staying still? Do you find external encouragement and incentives for taking care of your body useful?
I generally desire more comfortable and inert states, but I do really love pacing and thinking. I also enjoy very specific physical activities sometimes, like roller skating, hiking/climbing, Ariel silks, and Brazilian Ju Jitsu the couple times I tried it. I don’t find external incentives useful, though, and don’t get myself up to do this stuff that often - I’m not a fan of eating (feels tedious and overwhelming and unrewarding most of the time) and very few things feel good enough that make doing something unpleasant worth it. If I do something, usually it’s because I enjoy the activity, not because there’s a reward at the end.
Do you enjoy pushing yourself to try new foods, activities, or styles? How picky are you regarding these things, and what helps you decide what you want to explore?
Not super picky? I don’t know. I usually just stick with whatever is most convenient, but sometimes I’ll have strong opinions on things. Usually I’m more indifferent (or negative regarding physical activity in particular - I like certain things, the stuff I described above and things like it, but others are not up my alley, and I hate working out for the sake of it). I’ll usually explore opportunistically, but otherwise won’t seek new physical experiences out.
How is your relationship with your physical environment? Are you usually attuned to your surroundings? Is being organized something that matters to you and/or comes naturally? How do you feel when another person enters your space and tries to help you with it? (e.g. by cleaning)
I’m pretty messy, not gonna lie, and not very attuned to my surroundings. I can be pretty clumsy/oblivious and don’t care/see it if my room is messy. Being organized only matters to me to the extent it impacts others. I hate it when people come into my space and move my things, though - it feels like an invasion of privacy, and then I don’t know where my stuff is when I need it. It also feels like I’ve been a burden.
How do you handle your finances and possessions? Is this an area of ease in your life, or do you find yourself becoming overly reckless or stingy? Do you consider yourself to be a materialistic person?
I get kinda stingy and hoard-y. I would prefer to get a lower quality product for cheaper than a higher quality product for more, I don’t buy things often, and naturally live cheaply. That said, I like to hold on to what I do have because I don’t want to get rid of it and then need it later and have to buy it again. I wouldn’t consider myself materialistic, and primarily entertain myself through non-material or limited-material means (books, my imagination/introspection, drawing, writing, videogames, sometimes knitting and more physical crafts, etc.)
How do you react to criticism or advice regarding how you handle any of the above things?
I feel fine about it, but might not listen. I know I need better hygiene, but I also feel like it’s not impacting anyone else, so there’s no reason they should care? I’m fine with how I look, so I don’t care what people think about it much, and I think attaching value to it is harmful on principle, which only exacerbates the “eh” feeling. People have a lot of opinions on how I should live my life physically, and usually they’re right, but it’s also just not something I care enough about to act on most of the time. I’m happy to report I have been getting better at hygiene for its own sake lately, though!
EMOTIONS:
Does self-expression come naturally to you? What emotions do you find easier or harder to express? What goals do you have when dealing with your levels of emotional expression, if any?
Usually. Anger specifically I find incredibly difficult to express, sometimes even to feel, although it comes up in sudden, intense bursts. Sometimes I feel incredibly numb and have a hard time summoning any emotion, and other times they feel out of control - anxiety in particular is difficult, as is guilt and shame. Self expression is usually easy. I’m really good at talking about and describing my emotions and experiences verbally, but not as good at knowing how to actually show them without hurting people/making them uncomfortable, and I automatically suppress them around people I don’t know very, very well. This is with the exception of anxiety/panic in certain circumstances, which I cannot always control in front of people, which is very embarrassing. I have a hard time crying sometimes, too, although recently it’s been a bit easier for some reason. I hope to continue to learn how to express and process my emotions healthily and appropriately without suppressing or intellectualizing them, because cutting them off completely in front of people doesn’t seem healthy (especially anger and boundaries-related stuff) but neither does going into a panic.
Are you someone who is in touch with their inner emotional world? Are you good at understanding how you feel about something and why? Do you find others’ insight into how you are/should be feeling beneficial?
I’d say so, yes, so long as the emotion isn’t anger. I’m in touch with anxiety and sadness, and generally, but not always, know why I’m feeling them when I do. Anger is more difficult, and I don’t always understand when I’m feeling it. Generally, if I know I’m angry, I know why, but I don’t always realize that I am. To be completely honest, I don’t find insight in this area beneficial. I appreciate other people going out of their way to try and help, but usually when people are trying to give insight, it’s something I’ve thought of before or someone else has pointed out before. If I don’t know why I’m feeling something, it’s very rare that someone else will be able to offer something new - and someone telling me how I should be feeling doesn’t change what I am feeling or help me cope. I’ll go to other people for advice anyways because the compulsion to is automatic, and I need the feeling of being supported/want to know how to stop feeling certain ways/like talking emotions through, but my mental health is complicated enough that verbal advice doesn’t usually help much. I’ve stopped going to people as often for this reason - if they can’t help, usually it just makes you both feel worse. I usually understand my own opinions as well, but sometimes talking with others about them helps me to flesh them out, so I enjoy it anyways.
How good are you at balancing your focus between your own emotions and the emotions of others? Are you more naturally attuned to others’ feelings and reactions, or to your own?
I’m good at it, I think? I like a conversation in the realm of emotions, and I’m good at holding space for other people to vent. I like giving advice as well, and I like sharing emotional states. Sometimes I have trouble not focusing solely on the other person, though, and sometimes I have trouble not focusing on myself too much if I’m having a particularly hard time or I’m asked/feeling disregarded. It depends on what’s needed in the conversation which direction I usually go, but I’m always tuned into the other person’s reaction.
How easily caught up on specific feelings do you become? Do you value being able to detach yourself from your emotions? (And is this something you’re good at?)
Depends on the feeling and the intensity. A lot of times I try to ignore feelings until they get to be too much and then they bubble over - anger is this way especially. I’m also generally good at pushing back sadness, and do so fairly automatically, but also sometimes intentionally sit with it - it’s fun and insightful, to some level, so long as I’m in a place I can handle it. I have an incredibly difficult time ignoring or disconnecting from anxiety, though, and depressive-episode type sadness/numbness/grief.
How do you normally react when someone shares their emotions with you? Do you enjoy handling situations like these?
I listen and give sympathy, support, and/or advice if I believe they’re wanted. Sometimes I will share my own experiences to try and connect/make them feel less alone, depending on how I feel the sharing will land. I enjoy handling these situations because I feel like I’m good at it and like how it makes me feel useful/trustworthy/insightful.
When others are speaking on topics regarding emotion, are you more inclined to express, engage, or pull away? Do you adjust to emotional atmospheres, or do you feel more separate from them? How comfortable are you with conversations focused on emotional vulnerability?
Engage or express, depending on how close I am! If I’m not comfortable expressing, and I don’t know the other person well, I will take a listening role, and offer my thoughts when appropriate to make them feel heard. When I am comfortable expressing, I like there to be a dialogue! I absolutely adjust to emotional atmospheres, although I don’t always get them 100% right, especially if the atmosphere is something totally opposite to what I’m experiencing (calm when I’m panicking or excited when I’m exhausted) or is super intense (I’m not good with any kind of super intense atmosphere, and often feel very awkward unless there’s some sort of specific role I can fall into - like a therapist, usually). I’m very comfortable with emotional vulnerability so long as I have some level of trust in the other person, and love discussing emotions and experiences, especially in a more disconnected/observatory/intellectual sense!
Thank you so much for reading through, and I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’d like to share
! I hope you’re having a wonderful day/night