#rereading this again and it's extremely long winded and disorganized. it's just rambling

[cootcutebatkat]

Ford MBTI: INTP or INTJ?

This has been the fucking crutch of my existence for a while as I still desperately trying to understand Ford completely. Rather than do my very important homework, I wanna explore Ford’s MBTI type as it is all I can think about. Who is this man? How exactly does he operate? Can people, including fictional characters who feel so damn real to me, be sorted into personality categories so easily? Am I overthinking this? And, something that I haven’t even considered, is he another type altogether?

Well, I can start with what we do know about Ford.

He relies far more on logical reasoning and decision-making over emotional ones. While both types do feel emotions, obviously, feeling functions are decision makers that value morals, beliefs, and feelings over logic. The difference between INTJ and INTP is how such decision functions operate. And before I bother explaining them, I would rather observe Ford some more. Or, more accurately, write about him to get a clearer picture.

He’s heavily introverted, preferring his own company over others, and is even a bit anti-social, considering his disdain for the general populations, such as the people of his hometown and of Gravity Falls. He believed them to be very small minded, simpletons even, and either needlessly stupid, cruel, or both. While we have seen him attempting to branch out and desire socializing, the results aren’t usually pleasant, thus encouraging isolation. Still, the quantity of them is considerable, such as the lightbulb for the family (requiring him to notice its absence and to consider solving the problem, even if it doesn’t affect him in the basement), coaxing Stan to join a game of DD&MD, and even his ruminations about talking to girls if he succeeds in building the portal.

He’s extremely inventive, often taking unusual paths such as using fire to shave his face or concluding that Gravity Falls’ weirdness concentration is the result of something outside of their dimension. 

The more I write, the more certain I feel that Ford is an INTP and I will explore why. I might explore him as an INTJ but not now. Not when the former is more fitting. I should also explore how Ford depicts an unhealthy INTP and is often in a Ti-Si loop. Not to mention, we’ve seen him the most in stressful situations, such as the fights between him and Stanley, the reopening of the portal, getting kidnapped for nefarious reasons twice (Probabilitor and the Security Drones), and Weirdmaggedon. Considering that MBTI is all about tendencies and preferences, it makes it difficult to consider Ford’s functions. But as I’ve explored his character, I am still confident.

Dominant Introverted Thinking: Accuracy, Logic, and a Wealth of Knowledge

Relies on multiple premises before finalizing on a decision. This one is seen best in The Book of Bill with Ford’s pro-con list about calling Stan to him. Whereas Extraverted Thinking (Te) is more about efficiency and heuristics (general statements), Introverted Thinking (Ti) opens up to possibilities, preferring to not assume right away what the answer is. Just because it has happened several times before doesn’t mean that it’s likely to happen again. There is always the risk of inaccuracy, something that Te isn’t entirely opposed to as it is more flexible. This is why Ti is often associated with extraverted perceiving functions, which are more adaptable. However, such reasoning in this function stack only applies to logic, not ethics and morals. Another way to overcome this rigidity, however, is to move past the binary… by creating more categories! Hey, it’s better than the all-or-nothing approach!

Those who use Introverted Thinking are often very precise with their words, which is seen in Ford’s writing and use of abstract language (“Sometimes the strangest things are right under our noses… And our feet in this particular instance!”) and his corrections on grammar (that Weirdmaggedon scene still feels more out of pettiness rather than a true desire for correct grammar to me, though. …Eh).

Ti Users are also prone to literal thinking, looking past context, or assuming that their conclusions are truly accurate and/or shared by the common populace. Not only did we see this when Ford comically assumed that “Batch out for Will!” was absolute nonsense (who is Will? And batch isn’t a verb, it’s a noun!), but also, tragically, when he assumed Stan’s actions at the Science Fair were intentional. 

Over all, Ford’s most natural function is his judgment of probability, accuracy, and reasoning, desiring above all else to understand the world and beyond.

Auxiliary Extraverted Intuition: There’s an infinite amount of possibilities and they’re all valid!

To bypass the rigidity of Ti, extraverted perception functions come in to give counter arguments, to encourage exploration. In Extraverted Intuition (Ne), this type of thinking is very divergent, exploding with a million ideas that almost appear random, even though they truly aren’t. Rather, via the use of Introverted Sensing (which we’ll get to), Ne is constantly inspired and eager to explore the unconventional and improbable, no matter how illogical they seem to be. While both Intuition Functions connect things on an abstract, metaphysical level (such as word play or analogies), Ne doesn’t settle on only a handful of ideas the way Ni does. Ni is more profound yet narrow-minded while Ne is more explorative but flaky. 

Ford’s Ne is best seen in his twelve PhDs. While a PhD is more about depth of insight in a subject, like Ni, the sheer amount of them lends to Ford’s need to explore all the ideas, especially things that are statistically improbable and, therefore, challenging his Ti. He adapted to the weirdness of Gravity Falls quite easily and, in a childhood flashback, Ford offered strange and wonderful ideas about ghostly pirates or mesoamerican gold in a shipwreck he and his brother founded. Not to mention his own quirks and rather out-there behaviors, like he switched from one thought to another. This is also seen best in his journals, full of rather unorganized ideas and observations and jokes, and in his hobbies such as DD&MD (it’s full of risk and imagination!)

Tertiary Introverted Sensing: The Details and The Past

A perceiving, learning function, introverted sensing (Si) is all about reviewing past experiences and comparing them to the present, favoring the tried and true over the unconventional (unless you’re an intuitive type). INTPs use this function as a way to support their frameworks and decisions, to play, to balance things out, and to correct what their more natural functions have noticed or created. This function is best seen in nostalgia, noticing fine sensory details and changes to the environment, recognizing physical patterns, perceiving bodily sensations, history, yoga and similar exercises. Unhealthy Si can often manifest as obsessive and perfectionist, or alternatively, extremely absent-minded or difficulty holding onto information on seemingly minute details. It’s no wonder that ENxPs are often associated with ADHD.

Unlike Extraverted Sensing (Se) which is in the moment, flexible, and adaptive, Si is less so as it keeps an internal record, hence why those with strong Si often have good episodic and visually detailed memory and consistent schedules. In fact, Si users tend to navigate through life via nostalgia as each and every sensory experience reminds them of previous ones, another reason as to why they favor the past and the familiar. Si users are also quite good at drawing on detailed connections between sensory inputs, such as comparing how the red of an apple is like the red of a shirt their old friend wears or how it’s not as red as the other apples they’ve eaten so far or as juicy. 

Nostalgia is seen in every type, but is valued and expressed differently. And, as someone who personally lacks in my top four function stack, I have difficulty understanding it myself, hence why I had written so much about it.

That’s why Ford’s examples are starting here, so hopefully you, dear reader, aren’t too lost. Ford’s Si is best seen in, again, his journals, helping to reorganize information to later review upon and ruminate, but also in his tendency to hold grudges (aside from his Inferior Fe, which we will get to, I promise). Ford also exhibited this in his exercise routines, use of yoga and meditation, and rather quick recovery of injuries. He didn’t seem all too opposed to having a metal plate installed in his head nor tattoos, both of which sound rather uncomfortable. Not to mention how he was willing to hand over his body to Bill during their friendship. It’s clear it wasn’t always this way as he was much clumsier and unathletic as a child, but as he grew older, he developed his tertiary function (quite typical in mbti typology!) and became comfortable with the sensory world, although not fully wisened to it the way more expert Si users are. His loathing of sleep and absent-minded tendencies best exhibit this. In essence, Ford gradually became more like Mabel as he grew.

Inferior Extraverted Feeling: The Needs of the Many (Can’t Stand People, Can’t Be Without Them)

Inferior functions are so damn hilarious if they didn’t sabotage us at nearly every turn. Many times, such functions are likened to that of a toddler. We love them, but we also hate them and are extremely annoyed by them. We hate the specific function within us, within others no matter their position, the general concept of it, but occasionally, it will bat its big, wet eyes at us and coo in its most enticing, adorable lisp ever. We let our guard down and wham, we’re burned out again. But unlike a toddler that needs an adult, we need the inferior function. This results in constantly repressing the function like a spring, until stress demands our attention and distracts us, causing the spring to be let loose and bounce all over the place, inwardly and externally.

Feeling functions, as I’ve said before, is best associated with how we decide upon moral or ethical decisions. Introverted Feeling (Fi) is similar to Ti in that it prefers accuracy and consistency, but it is directed to the self and to what is felt right. As an introverted function, it is also narrower but deeper, less flexible but more withstanding, and is a very loyal function, refusing to compromise or back down in the face of opposition. In short, Fi is about long-term satisfaction with the self and the heart, not wanting to live with regrets because they sacrificed their morality for something.

Extraverted Feeling (Fe), on the other hand, is more adaptive than Fi, willing to conform to social norms for the sake of harmony. Relying on heuristics of the introverted perceiving functions, Fe will approach people with a general attitude (typically, people want to be treated this way), unlike Fi which prefers a “treat people how you want to be treated” ideal. As you can see, both are actually quite fair and empathetic.

Fe users also tend to value belonging the most, often defining themselves by an external role such as a job or relationship title (ie. husband, student, teacher, etc). And while it’s a judgment function and not a perceiving one, Fe users are often easily influenced by others when it comes to emotions, resulting in a difficulty to understand their own unless it’s laid out externally. This is where Ford’s journaling and outbursts come in. (note, this is a general observation in mbti typology!)

For inferior Fe in Ford and emotional regulation, it’s best seen in two clips; when Stan interrupts Ford’s game with Dipper and when Ford tries to reason with Dipper who is panicking about his past association with Bill. In both, Ford is visibly attempting, and struggling, to keep calm while his emotions are reaching their tipping point. He yells at both Stan and Dipper and then attempts to gather himself for both his own and the other’s sake, trying to keep a calm atmosphere in the room. 

As for his desire for independence from Stanley, it may be due to how emotionally loud he is, overriding Ford’s Fe radar and muddying his own feelings. Not only that, but as an intuitive with no Se in the top four and a tertiary Si, Ford could only read himself through his bodily cues, something that had to be accrued over time to fully understand. This may also explain his need for isolation as well.

But the biggest crux of them all, the most withstanding theory on Fe, is Ford’s prioritization of humanity and others over the few/the self and his high concern with his image. Both of which he flip-flops between and struggles to find a middle ground. 

For his self-image, Ford has been well aware since day one that he is not like the others, that he is a freak. While an Fi user in his situation would also feel incredibly alone, they would also relish in their uniqueness, making it a point of pride and feel at ease within their own authenticity and consistency. Rather than being understood, what’d they rather have is validation and acceptance for who they are, even if no one gets them. For Ford, an Fe user, he truly does want to be understood and, more importantly, belong. He has often wondered if there is a place where weirdos like him fit in, not something an Fi user would really desire. But as this function is the lowest of the bunch, and Ford has also been bullied and ostracized since day one, Ford holds an incredibly low opinion of humanity, defying logic for the sake of pure, nonsensical conformity. 

And yet, he still puts in a huge amount of effort to polish his self-image, making it accurate to himself and his best qualities, but also palatable to outsiders. This has more than likely resulted in Ford’s obsession with being worthy enough to become part of the patron of sciences, just like Nikola Tesla and Einstein. And his obsession with burying his journals instead of ridding them entirely (as well as his Ti demanding that such knowledge must stay preserved no matter what).

It’s late and I want this posted. So I might edit this later or better yet, reblog it with some editions. Or create a separate post as a continuation. I ain’t gonna proofread this because I’ve planning and putting this concept for a longggg time and I wanna kick that habit rn. Fuck it we ball!!! Sorry if it's not organized well