Are you an INFP who struggles with efficiency, practicality, and logical consistency?
Do you find it difficult to stick to one goal or make decisions based on external facts?
If so, you may need to develop your inferior function, Extraverted Thinking (Te).
While it may not come naturally to INFPs, developing Te can greatly improve your ability to optimize systems, differentiate between sources of information, and fulfill your Fi desires.
In this article, we’ll explore practical tips and activities to help you strengthen your Te and become a more well-rounded INFP.
So let’s dive in and discover how to develop Te as an INFP!
How To Develop Te INFP
1. Practice Te-focused activities
One of the best ways to develop your Te is to engage in Te-focused activities. This can include things like doing sudokus, learning a programming language, watching the news, or studying architecture, engineering, science, business, anthropology, archaeology, geology, or history as a hobby.
By engaging in these activities, you’ll be able to practice thinking logically, being efficient, and thinking ahead. You’ll also learn how to plan things out and use a dry erase board to map things out.
2. Make plans and lists
INFPs tend to wing things and go with the flow, but developing your Te requires more structure and planning. Start making plans and lists for your goals and stick to them as much as possible.
This may be difficult at first, but with practice, you’ll become more comfortable with planning and sticking to a schedule.
3. Talk to new people and try new things
To develop your Te in a healthy way, you need to have a strong Ne (Extraverted Intuition). This means going out of your comfort zone and talking to new people, trying new things, and having more experiences in life.
Confront the things that make you uncomfortable or scared because that’s often where our biggest growth lies.
4. Focus on your strengths
While it’s important to work on your weaknesses, it’s equally important to focus on your strengths. Identify what you’re good at and delegate tasks that are your weaknesses to other people where they are their strengths.
This will allow you to focus on what you’re good at while still improving your overall efficiency and productivity.
5. Celebrate your wins
Don’t forget to celebrate your “small” wins along the way. This will give you more motivation and confidence in your abilities.
Remember that developing your Te is a process that takes time and effort, so be patient with yourself and celebrate each step along the way.
Understanding Te In INFPs
INFPs have Extraverted Thinking (Te) as their inferior function, which can make it challenging for them to access and control it. They may prefer to rely on Introverted Feeling (Fi) and Extraverted Intuition (Ne) when making decisions, which can lead to struggles with objectivity and focusing on facts.
However, Te can be a valuable tool for INFPs when properly developed. It can help them manage daily tasks, approach things practically, and put things in perspective. Developing Te involves becoming more aware of methods of efficiency, being more resourceful and practical, and developing logical consistency based on external facts or data.
With a strong Te, INFPs can differentiate between relevant and useful information, optimize systems to make them more productive, and understand how much work is necessary to complete a task. They can also develop ways to fulfill their Fi desires by understanding the logical consistency of external circumstances.
Developing Te requires stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, practicing Te-focused activities, making plans and lists, talking to new people and trying new things, focusing on strengths, and celebrating wins along the way. It’s important to remember that developing Te is a process that takes time and effort, but with patience and dedication, INFPs can improve their Te skills and become more efficient and productive individuals.
Identifying The Challenges Of Underdeveloped Te
One of the biggest challenges for INFPs with underdeveloped Te is difficulty with organizing their thoughts, setting goals, and planning out activities. This can lead to a lack of structure in their lives and a feeling of being unstable or insecure.
Another challenge is the tendency to be imprisoned by negative feelings and misguided value judgments, which can hinder their ability to be effective in reducing suffering. INFPs may also struggle with aversion to perceived loss of integrity and individuality, as they fear losing themselves if they do not follow their feelings.
However, by integrating Te into their lives, INFPs can overcome these challenges. This involves being open to remedying distortions of subjective feeling judgments in order to be more effective in reducing suffering. By practicing Te-focused activities, making plans and lists, trying new things, focusing on their strengths, and celebrating their wins along the way, INFPs can develop their Te and become more efficient and productive individuals.
The Benefits Of Developing Te For INFPs
Developing Te can have many benefits for INFPs, despite it being their inferior function. By strengthening their Te, INFPs can become more efficient, productive, and objective in their decision-making processes.
One of the main benefits of developing Te is the ability to break down big ideas into specific tangible steps. This can help INFPs to focus on the practical aspects of their goals and create a plan of action to achieve them.
Another benefit is the ability to evaluate personal situations objectively and logically. INFPs tend to rely heavily on their values and emotions when making decisions, but developing their Te can help them to see things from a more objective perspective.
By giving negative feedback constructively, INFPs can also improve their communication skills and become more assertive in expressing their opinions. This can be especially helpful in professional settings where clear communication is essential.
Lastly, developing Te can help INFPs follow through on their inspirations and ideas. By creating a plan of action and sticking to it, INFPs can turn their ideas into reality and achieve their goals more efficiently.
Practical Tips For Developing Te
Here are some practical tips for developing your Te as an INFP:
1. Gain real-world experience
To learn what is realistically possible for you, gain real-world experience by volunteering somewhere, getting a part-time job, learning a new skill, or dabbling in hobbies with real-world potential. This will allow you to use your Ne function to explore new possibilities and discover your strengths and interests.
2. Think long-term
Start thinking long-term by considering where you want to be in a year or five years from now. Is your current reality the one you want to carry on living in permanently? If not, focus on how to move forward by researching your options and narrowing them down based on your objective criteria.
3. Come up with objective criteria
Use your Te function to come up with objective criteria with which to judge your options against. Determine which of your options are actually plausible and fulfill your required criteria. Your goal is to form a goal, so ask someone for advice who knows you well and is reasonably successful in the real world if it’ll help.
4. Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly can help you develop persistence and get you in the habit of pushing yourself, which is helpful since Te is a function that can be very exhausting for INFPs when used extensively.
5. Get out of your head
Stop avoiding via distracting yourself with unrealistic dreams or fantasies (Fi-Ne) by gaining real-world experience (Ne) and thinking long-term (Si). Come up with objective criteria (Te) with which to judge your options against and exercise regularly to develop persistence.
By following these practical tips, you’ll be well on your way to developing your Te as an INFP and achieving greater success in all areas of your life.
Incorporating Te Into Daily Life As An INFP
As an INFP, incorporating Te into your daily life can be a challenge. However, with some effort and dedication, it is possible to develop your Te function and become more efficient and productive.
One way to incorporate Te into your daily life is by making lists and plans. While this may feel tedious or restrictive at first, it can help you stay organized and on track with your goals. Consider using a system like GTD or ZTD to help you manage your tasks and projects.
Another way to develop your Te is by practicing Te-focused activities. This can include things like doing puzzles or learning a new skill, such as programming or architecture. By engaging in these activities, you’ll be able to practice logical thinking and problem-solving skills.
It’s also important to focus on your strengths while still working on your weaknesses. Identify what you’re good at and delegate tasks that are your weaknesses to others who excel in those areas. This will allow you to focus on what you’re good at while still improving overall efficiency.
Finally, celebrate your wins along the way. Developing your Te is a process that takes time and effort, so it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate each step along the way. This will help keep you motivated and confident in your abilities.
Incorporating Te into your daily life may be challenging at first, but with practice and dedication, it can become a natural part of your routine. Remember to focus on your strengths, make plans and lists, practice Te-focused activities, and celebrate your wins along the way.
Balancing Te With Your Dominant Fi Function
As an INFP, your dominant function is Introverted Feeling (Fi), which means that you rely heavily on your personal values and emotions when making decisions. However, to develop your Te, you need to find a balance between your dominant Fi function and your inferior Te function.
One way to balance these functions is to use your Fi to guide your Te. When making decisions, start by considering your values and emotions, but then use your Te to objectively evaluate the situation and come up with a plan of action. This will help you make more efficient and effective decisions while still staying true to your personal values.
Another way to balance your Fi and Te is to practice active listening. This means listening to others’ opinions and ideas without immediately dismissing them based on your own values or emotions. Instead, try to objectively evaluate their ideas and consider how they fit into the bigger picture.
Finally, it’s important to remember that developing your Te is a process that takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if it feels difficult or uncomfortable at first. Keep practicing and finding ways to balance your dominant Fi function with your inferior Te function, and you’ll eventually find a healthy balance between the two.
