Have any of you INFP's been in a relationship with an ESTP? How did that go?

I am an INFP and have been in a relationship with an ESTP for 3 years. It's true, we are very opposite in many things, not only interests, but the way we process our world and express ourselves. It's a good first step to be on this sub and understand the different personality types. Make sure that your ESTP also understands the different ways YOU function. I find that my boyfriend will say things that I consider hurtful but he doesn't understand why I would take it so seriously or personally, when he is only stating his opinion/facts. Meanwhile, instead of being upfront and blunt about my feelings, INFPs like myself tend to hold it in in an effort to keep harmony and it bubbles out later, not in the clear manner that an ESTP would use. So it can be difficult to relate. Having knowledge about the ways you both process and communicate will help.

But I also can see why it's popular to say opposites attract. We admire in each other the qualities we do not have. I love that he has a huge store of knowledge that he's eager to share and he enjoys my thoughts on them from a creative/introspective perspective instead of the logic that is his natural thought process. He likes to talk and I like to listen.

Our relationship certainly has flaws, but I can not say if they are personal or by the nature of our personality types. None the less, your personality types can help or hinder your relationship, but it wont make or break it. You and your SO will - just make an effort to be real with each other, and communicate effectively by understanding each other.

Perhaps the largest flaw most evident to me at the moment is that I have chosen to minimize my meat intake because I empathize with the livestock being wrongfully treated in the agriculture industry, and he feels no compassion or empathy for them, laughing when I choose a vegetarian option over another. We live in different worlds, but that topic makes it very evident to me.

Also, I would like more displays of affection, but he feels as though spending all of his time with me is enough that his feelings for me should be evident. Yes, that is quite logical, I just want to hear it sometimes.

It's not gonna be easy, but I hardly think it's impossible.

/r/infp Thread Parent