10 Things Every INFJ Personality Type Should Know
“INFJ” is one of the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator personality types, which experts believe to be an “adequately reliable self-report inventory.”
INFJ stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. As an introverted person, an INFJ often feels best when spending time alone. People with this personality type are intuitive, as they tend to focus more on ideas and concepts rather than facts and details. INFJs usually make decisions based on values and feelings. People with this personality are generally not spontaneous; instead, they like planning and staying organized. INFJ is among the rarest personality types of the 16 Myers–Briggs types. They can often be reserved and reflective.
INFJs are known to be motivated, creative, and imaginative. They generally do not like living a pretentious life and enjoy being accepted for who they are.
INFJs are most often soft-spoken, strong-willed, or highly opinionated, and they fight for what they believe is right. It is difficult for INFJ to use their strong-willed nature for their personal gain; rather, they prefer to use that energy to bring about balance in situations.
Common Traits Associated with INFJ Personality Types
INFJs Are Introverted And At The Same Time Extroverted
INFJs like to spend time alone and enjoy exclusivity. However, there are times when they want to be around people (although not typically for long periods of time, but this does depend on the individual and their relationship with those around them). In fact, most friends and acquaintances of INFJs know them as extroverted and sociable individuals. People in such friendships may sometimes feel confused because, at times, INFJs can become overwhelmed and withdraw from people. INFJs tend to be selective when it comes to choosing their genuine friends—similar to the INFP personality type, which is characterized by having a small, tight-knit group of friends.
INFJs Like Helping People
People with an INFJ personality often like helping others and making the world a better place. Although they can be strong-willed and decisive, INFJs do not use those qualities for personal gain. Instead, they are more inclined to use it to help others. When people are in trouble, INFJs like providing thoughtful advice rather than telling them what they should do. Many INFJs see helping other people as their main purpose in life. INFJs enjoy participating in charities and non-governmental organizations. They genuinely care about people's welfare.
INFJs Love Meaningful Conversations
INFJs dislike small talk and generally prefer deep, meaningful conversations. Although they can sometimes be extroverted, INFJs are largely introverted by nature. Engaging in small talk does not help one learn significant things about others, which is why INFJs don't favor this type of communication.
Rather, INFJs like to know about others’ inner worlds and talk about more significant life issues. They make great conversationalists and can easily read people; as a result, they can strongly feel others' feelings. They are very empathetic and can usually feel the pain or the joy that others feel. This leads them to "take on" the problems of the world in many cases. Some people who consider themselves INFJs may seek the help of a professional counselor who can assist them in meeting their own needs instead of constantly “people-pleasing.”
INFJs Are Creative
INFJs tend to be creative and imaginative. They enjoy finding solutions in all aspects of life, and their imagination can help them see a deeper meaning in many things. INFJs are passionate about using their creativity to help others too. Their intuitive nature allows them to express their creativity, especially in writing and the arts. They have an excellent ability to bring out their intuition to the external world, perhaps making them successful in careers as writers, artists, and counselors. INFJs are also good at offering advice to people because they can comfortably come up with different ways of solving the same problem.
INFJs Are Determined And Passionate
When INFJs believe that something is of value, they often pursue it with much conviction. They tend to be quiet but have an intense passion for anything that is important to them. Sometimes their conviction can be perceived as being stubborn. In these cases, their resolve does not always work to their advantage and instead may be a liability. In certain situations, such as in conflicts or when confronting troubling facts, an INFJ’s determination and passion may pose a challenge.
INFJs Enjoy Their Seclusion
There are days when INFJs just “shut off” and do not want to be disturbed. The reason for withdrawing is not that they are anti-social; rather, it is because they like recharging their energy by spending time by themselves. Time alone can help them clear their heads. It can be hard for a person with an INFJ personality to open up, even to their close friends. Although it is not hard for them to make friends, trusting new friends is often difficult.
INFJs Are Highly Intuitive
Their intuition is very strong, almost as if they have a sixth sense. This trait is a result of their ability to detect patterns in different scenarios and connect the dots to draw conclusions.
Those with INFJ personality traits can sometimes sense that something seems wrong, and in those circumstances may find it useful to listen to their inner voices. Because of strong intuitions, INFJ’s trust their instincts quite a bit and, as a result, they are likely to ignore the opinions of others, which may cause conflict.
Preferred INFJs Careers
INFJs are referred to as the advocate or the counselor. Because they are creative, intuitive, and empathetic, INFJs are often in careers well suited for introverts. They are dedicated workers, but they prefer working behind the scenes. However, when requested to lead, they do so successfully. INFJs prefer jobs that have a peaceful working environment. Most INFJ personality types are likely to be found in careers that contribute to the wellbeing of society. They are dedicated and helpful workers who can carry out complex projects in organizations focused on humanitarian causes.
INFJs may consider pursuing a career that is consistent with their values in the counseling or healthcare sector. Roles such as doctors, spiritual roles, counselors, and psychologists are attractive options. Their creative minds help them in the engineering and science fields too. People with this personality type may change their career many times until they find the path that best accommodates their values.
INFJs Like To Plan Ahead And Are Organized
INFJs tend to dislike spontaneity and enjoy when things are well planned and organized. INFJs are highly organized people and likely to use day planners to guide their activities and tasks. INFJs can be idealists and place much significance on the future. When an INFJ decides to do something, they can generally be counted on to complete the job. A tendency to plan everything helps INFJs track their progress in achieving goals.
INFJs Have a Strong Sense of Emotions
People with an INFJ personality type have a strong sense of emotions. They are often empathetic toward others, and, at times, can neglect their own feelings. INFJs have the natural ability to understand others’ emotions and they can sometimes sense the feelings of those around them. They can notice even the slightest change in other people's moods, and are likely to know when something is wrong.
People with an INFJ personality type can handle intense emotions quite well without getting frustrated. However, INFJs are likely to become people-pleasers, and selfish individuals may misuse them.
Beyond INFJ: Therapy Can Help You Learn About Yourself
Do you have an INFJ personality type? If you can relate to most of the above traits, then there's a good chance that you are an INFJ. To find out more about your personality type and how it impacts your relationships with others, you may consider speaking with a therapist.
Therapy has been proven to help patients work through self-esteem, self-worth, and relationship challenges as well as other life experiences, and new research finds that internet-delivered therapy is an effective option. It can also help you better understand yourself.
A BetterHelp therapist can help you explore your feelings and work toward healthy habits to build strong relationships. BetterHelp's network of licensed counselors is available to you by phone or videoconference, or you can communicate with your counselor by email or text. Moreover, online therapy tends to be more affordable and convenient than in-person therapy.
Below are some reviews of BetterHelp counselors from people like you.
“Our connection was immediate... My personality can be a lot: she supports me for me being me and it's important to me how comfortable I feel to just be myself!”
“Tamara Nixon is the first therapist that I feel really took interest in me, on a deeper level. Other therapists I went to were focused mainly on my problems, but not at all on my personal interests and hobbies and I feel this is really important in them understanding my personality and my likes/dislikes. Also, I appreciate that she is proactive and she sends me things to read and worksheets to work on. I really feel safe with telling her about my issues.”
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