Introverted Feeling (Fi) and Extraverted Feeling (Fe) are cognitive functions that help make up the building blocks for the 16 personality types. Introverted feeling and extraverted feeling are, more specifically, judging functions, but with opposite orientations (introverted vs. extraverted). Introverted feeling is the dominant (first) function for the ISFP and INFP, the auxiliary (second) function for the ENFP and ESFP, the tertiary (third) function for the ISTJ and INTJ, and the inferior (fourth) function for the ESTJ and ENTJ. On the other hand, extraverted feeling is the dominant (first) function for the ESFJ and ENFJ, the auxiliary (second) function for the INFJ and ISFJ, the tertiary (third) function for the ESTP and ENTP, and the inferior (fourth) function for the ISTP and INTP.
Introverted Feeling (Fi) focuses on personal inner feelings
Introverted feelers focus on how the external world, people, or situations make them feel personally. Based on these feelings, they develop their own internal value system of what they have deemed to be good or bad. Every piece of information fed to them by their perceiving functions (Ne, Ni, Se or Si) is then judged against this value system. It is then accepted or discarded based on how it measures up. Anything contrary to their value system is contrary to their own feelings and thus must be rejected. Because of this internal focus, their self-worth becomes wrapped up in whether or not they are remaining true to themselves. Doing anything against their own value system will stir up negative internal emotions. However, Fi users are constantly analyzing their own feelings, and values in order to determine their own identity. If need be, their values may be adapted, but only if they deem it to be in accordance with their true self. This inward emotion focus can lead to them projecting their own emotions onto others. (IE: assuming if I feel this way about X, everyone else must feel this same way.) However, Fi users do have a great capacity for empathy, if they have personally experienced something that someone else is going through.
Extraverted Feeling (Fe) focuses on feelings in the external world
Extraverted feelers are specifically geared toward recognizing emotions in others. While some people are prone to projecting their own emotions onto another person, an Fe user is less likely to do this. (However, please remember that no one channeling their feeling function is completely exempt from projecting their own emotions onto someone else, whether Fe or Fi.) This tendency to focus on other people’s emotions rather then their own is why Fe is considered to be a more “objective” form of feeling. However, this does not mean that Fe users are naturally more empathetic, as many type descriptions say. Empathy requires one to personally identify with the feeling or be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. What an Fe user does is more akin to sympathy or attempted empathy. An Fe user doesn’t have to personally identify with a situation someone else is going through to, in a sense, ‘share’ that emotion with them. Instead, they recognize the feeling in someone else, and due to their ‘sensitivity’ to extraverted emotion, they will mirror the emotion. In other words, if the other person in the room is happy, the Fe user will feel happy. If the other person in the room is sad, the Fe user will feel sad… and etc. As a result, an Fe user’s self-worth and identity may become wrapped up in other people’s perspective of them, since they are putting a higher priority on the emotional responses of others.
