well, after i went through all that trouble trying to explain my feelings about feelings, i find this.

http://the16types.info/articles.php?article_id=5

i don't know about the quality of this description, but it does describe what i've been trying to say as is relevant to the topic.

specifically, this is what i mean when i said i know what others feel, but i don't feel what they feel.

"If the Analyst cannot find a way to express or stir his emotions, then he will become more and more depressed. By 'expressing' or 'stirring', this is not a simple matter of laughing more. It is genuinely feeling empathy with someone. The Analyst can put himself in other's shoes due to his Ne, but frequently cannot put himself in their heart."

and this is the paradox i've been trying to describe - both of wanting Fe but disliking to display it.

"Feeling emotions is a liberating experience for an The Analyst. However, feeling emotion exhausts him. It is liberating but exhausting at the same time. Unfortunately, genuinely feeling emotion is, for the Analyst, difficult, and he is also afraid of feeling emotions."

on empathy (or seeming empathy),

"His Ti is not very good at emotionally helping others. However, the Analyst appears polite and thus seems to be a good listener. He is a good listener, but prefers not to be burdened by the problems of others that he can do nothing about. The Analyst, since he wishes to use his Fi is a socially accepted fashion, means that he is somewhat unassertive and thus cannot dismiss these people who come to him with problems."


would have saved me a lot of trouble framing a description if i'd simply found this in the first place. and i wonder why there isn't one on the Critic. or any other type. oh well. anyway, more things to think about. and more digging to be done.