Had a conversation with my INFp friend. We had difficulties because once again, I couldn’t understand what he was saying. During his attempts to translate from INFp to ENFp (gotta give him credit for patience and effort!!!), we got into how it is that I understand information given to me...or something like that. So, I had to go home and think about it some to see if I could make it easier for him. Here’s my notes on my thoughts. Please remember that this is not about problem solving, nor my natural mode of functioning. This is about putting in effort to understand something foreign to me. A summary in plainer english is located at the very end. Comments welcome, as usual.

Blocks and Forms of Information
* I prefer blocks of information I can pull out of “known” previous experiences.
* if no previous experience with a noun/concept, then meaning is derived from any known relational predicates.
* if no previous experience with a predicate, then a noun-predicate block is created and meaning derived from further known blocks.
* if there are too many unknown blocks then the information is incomprehensible and/or I’m unable to internalize it.
* Example: Getting through school, I was able to memorize a form or the location of a block (in the book or on my notes), but since much of it could not be internalized, it was soon forgotten. This is how I was capable of being an honor roll student without actually having learned anything.

Qualifying Information
After information has been placed into a form, cross-check for quality of info.
* Cross-check between this form and other possible known forms.
* Cross-check between this instance and other possible known instances.
* Cross-check premises with other possible premises.
* Cross-check conclusion with other possible conclusions.
Thus producing a continuous stream of “or”.
Example: Person says X + Y = A.
I ask What about X + Y = A or B? (or X + Y can = B too.)
Why not X + Y + Z? etc.

The Need to Know
The more internalized blocks, the more one knows, and the more one is capable of knowing. The great thing is that we don’t have to experience all instances and all forms ourselves. We are capable of seeing a form in the expressed instance of others and also extract blocks of experiences. The more often the block occurs, the stronger the internalization, thus increasing our knowledge base.
In English: The experiences of one individual are generally fairly limited in content. So limiting ourselves to our own experiences limits our knowledge base. Seeking out the stories of others and extracting experiences from them and questioning them about their experiences, thoughts, and feelings increases our knowledge base. Reciprocating with our own stories of experiences, thoughts, and feelings is done in the hopes of offering info that may increase the knowledge base of others.