u/TadpoleStraight2235

If you had asked me a few months ago, I was almost sure (for over 5 years) that I was an ENTP, but I didn’t fully understand MBTI and it was mostly based on stereotypes. Recently I’ve been trying to understand cognitive functions more deeply, and a few months ago I was completely unsure whether I was ENTP or INTP. Then, in a random moment, I had a huge insight and became sure I was INTP — and I believed that not because of stereotypes (which I don’t even fully relate to), but because I identified with the cognitive functions associated with INTP… although I have pretty developed Ne, I believed my Ti was dominant (NOTE: I ONLY THINK THIS, I’m not completely sure!).
And here comes the point I want to get into!!! WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Te AND Ti? Could I be confusing my Te with my developed Ne?
Because a few days ago I did a very detailed test with an AI (don’t judge me please), and I started thinking I could easily be an INTJ — not because of stereotypes (those ridiculous INTJ stereotypes from TikTok and some Reddit posts), but because I REALLY identified a lot with INTJ cognitive functions… I realized this after many long and deep conversations with ChatGPT (don’t judge me again, lol)…

If you had asked me a few months ago, I was almost sure (for over 5 years) that I was an ENTP, but I didn’t fully understand MBTI and it was mostly based on stereotypes. Recently I’ve been trying to understand cognitive functions more deeply, and a few months ago I was completely unsure whether I was ENTP or INTP. Then, in a random moment, I had a huge insight and became sure I was INTP — and I believed that not because of stereotypes (which I don’t even fully relate to), but because I identified with the cognitive functions associated with INTP… although I have pretty developed Ne, I believed my Ti was dominant (NOTE: I ONLY THINK THIS, I’m not completely sure!).
And here comes the point I want to get into!!! WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Te AND Ti? Could I be confusing my Te with my developed Ne?
Because a few days ago I did a very detailed test with an AI (don’t judge me please), and I started thinking I could easily be an INTJ — not because of stereotypes (those ridiculous INTJ stereotypes from TikTok and some Reddit posts), but because I REALLY identified a lot with INTJ cognitive functions… I realized this after many long and deep conversations with ChatGPT (don’t judge me again, lol)…

It’s so difficult to want to build a deep connection with someone, but not know how to do it... whether because I’m afraid the person won’t want that connection back, or because I simply don’t know how to create a connection with someone I genuinely want to get closer to...

Nowadays, my best relationships are with people I met in random and fun ways, where I simply wasn’t putting any pressure on myself while getting to know them, so in those situations I was able to slowly show little pieces of who I really was, and over time I built incredible connections...

But first of all, there are very few people with whom I have that level of closeness and comfort to truly be myself, and second, when I’m interested in someone — maybe in a more romantic sense — I simply can’t relax. Everything feels too intense, I overanalyze everything, and I get really self-conscious...

And that is TERRIBLE, because why the hell can’t I just be myself and create a connection with the exact boy I think is amazing, the one I genuinely want to know deeply and build a bond with?????? It makes me really upset! I almost start acting like an idiot around him, AND I HATE THAT FEELING!!!

Anyway, I don’t know if you relate to this, but that’s how it is for me...

"Sometimes, you'll stumble. Sometimes, you'll fall. But no matter how lost you feel, if you stay true to yourself, the path will always find you again."

t’s hard to explain. I’ve studied with him for 4 years, and since the middle of last year I had been “interested” in him, but it was something more subtle, you know? I could easily push the feeling aside... I don’t think I had ever really liked someone before, and at first I don’t even think I truly liked him; it was more like a feeling that probably appeared out of boredom. So honestly, it was something very manageable and easy to rationalize, if that makes sense. It was like: one week I was really into him, but the next week I would shut myself off and completely stop thinking about him.

That was before... Recently, I think I genuinely started liking him — the little details about him, his personality, the person he is. I really would like to know him more deeply.

And that’s where the issue begins. Like I said, we’ve been classmates for 4 years and we were always just that: classmates. So I never thought something more could happen between us. Especially because he’s not the type of person who dates around (he has never dated anyone), and neither am I. We’re both in our last year of school and completely focused on entrance exams and university applications... so it feels difficult for something to happen.

But at the same time, even though we’re not extremely close, we’re still classmates, you know? We have a lot of inside jokes, we talk about class topics, questions, random things... Sometimes he understands things about me that not even some of my closest friends understand. And this “closeness” between us seems to have increased a lot over the last two months... Also, even though he’s very extroverted, he’s still VERY reserved. Most of his friends don’t truly know him either.

Another thing: I had never looked at it this way before, but two of my friends (who I became close with this year, but who already attended prep classes with me and this guy last year, and to whom I NEVER even mentioned him) asked me, at different moments, whether we were dating, because apparently we seemed to have a certain “chemistry” that he didn’t seem to have with anyone else. Lol, I was honestly shocked because I had never thought about it from that perspective before. I always assumed it was all in my head.

But the thing is, I have absolutely NO idea what he thinks about me. We’ve had many interactions over the past few months, and I overanalyzed every single one of them — and I still have no idea. And I just wish I could get an answer already. I wish I could simply stop liking him... it would be so much easier.

I can think of many reasons why he might not like me back: even though we seem to have this “chemistry,” we’re both still very focused on our studies and maybe this just isn’t the best time for something to happen; we have different religions, and that seems like the kind of thing that matters a lot to him; and in the past few years, one of his close friends liked me a lot and I didn’t feel the same way — although that friend is dating someone else now anyway. And there are many other reasons too...

If he actually liked me, even if he’s an ENTJ (which doesn’t necessarily mean much), I don’t think he would tell me, because he’s very reserved. Just like he probably has no idea whether I like him or not, since I don’t show it at all and I don’t have the courage to, because I’m afraid of rejection.

Anyway... what should I do?

It’s hard to explain. I’ve studied with him for 4 years, and since the middle of last year I had been “interested” in him, but it was something more subtle, you know? I could easily push the feeling aside... I don’t think I had ever really liked someone before, and at first I don’t even think I truly liked him; it was more like a feeling that probably appeared out of boredom. So honestly, it was something very manageable and easy to rationalize, if that makes sense. It was like: one week I was really into him, but the next week I would shut myself off and completely stop thinking about him.

That was before... Recently, I think I genuinely started liking him — the little details about him, his personality, the person he is. I really would like to know him more deeply.

And that’s where the issue begins. Like I said, we’ve been classmates for 4 years and we were always just that: classmates. So I never thought something more could happen between us. Especially because he’s not the type of person who dates around (he has never dated anyone), and neither am I. We’re both in our last year of school and completely focused on entrance exams and university applications... so it feels difficult for something to happen. But at the same time, even though we’re not extremely close, we’re still classmates, you know? We have a lot of inside jokes, we talk about class topics, questions, random things... Sometimes he understands things about me that not even some of my closest friends understand.

And this “closeness” between us seems to have increased a lot over the last two months... Also, even though he’s very extroverted, he’s still VERY reserved. Most of his friends don’t truly know him either.

Another thing: I had never looked at it this way before, but two of my friends (who I became close with this year, but who already attended prep classes with me and this guy last year, and to whom I NEVER even mentioned him) asked me, at different moments, whether we were dating, because apparently we seemed to have a certain “chemistry” that he didn’t seem to have with anyone else. Lol, I was honestly shocked because I had never thought about it from that perspective before. I always assumed it was all in my head.

But the thing is, I have absolutely NO idea what he thinks about me. We’ve had many interactions over the past few months, and I overanalyzed every single one of them — and I still have no idea. And I just wish I could get an answer already. I wish I could simply stop liking him... it would be so much easier.

I can think of many reasons why he might not like me back: even though we seem to have this “chemistry,” we’re both still very focused on our studies and maybe this just isn’t the best time for something to happen; we have different religions, and that seems like the kind of thing that matters a lot to him; and in the past few years, one of his close friends liked me a lot and I didn’t feel the same way — although that friend is dating someone else now anyway. And there are many other reasons too...

If he actually liked me, even if he’s an ENTJ (which doesn’t necessarily mean much), I don’t think he would tell me, because he’s very reserved. Just like he probably has no idea whether I like him or not, since I don’t show it at all and I don’t have the courage to, because I’m afraid of rejection.

Anyway... what should I do?