Official MBTI INFJ Profile

P

Paladin-X

Permanent Fixture
MBTI
XXXX
At Their Best

People with INFJ preferences have a gift for intuitively understanding complex meanings and human relationships. They have faith in their insights and find that they often empathically understand the feelings and motivations of people before the others themselves are aware of them. They combine this empathic understanding with the drive and organization to implement global plans for enhancing people's lives.

INFJs have a visionary grasp of human relationships and possibilities, which, when articulated, can elevate and inspire others.


Characteristics of INFJs

INFJs seek meaning and connection in their lives and have little use for details unless they fit with their inner vision. They use their Intuition primarily internally, where they develop complex pictures and understandings. INFJs are likely to be:

  • Insightful, creative, and visionary
  • Conceptual, symbolic, and metaphysical
  • Idealistic, complex, and deep

INFJs apply personal values and empathize to understand others and make decisions. They are loyal to people and institutions that exemplify their values, but have little interest in those that do not. INFJs prefer to lead persuasively by sharing their vision. They are likely to be:

  • Sensitive, compassionate, and empathic
  • Deeply committed to their values

INFJs want meaning and purpose in their work, their relationships, even their material possessions. They are invested in growth and development for themselves and significant others and are willing to consider unconventional paths to achieve these. They value the depth and complexity of their insights and creative gifts as well as those of others. They want to see these insights realized in the world.


How Others May See Them

INFJs readily show compassion and caring for others, but they share their internal intuitions only with those they trust. Because they keep this most valued, important part private, others may find them difficult to know. When they try to communicate their internal sense of "knowing," they often express it metaphorically and with complexity. They especially value authenticity and commitment in relationships.

Though INFJs are usually reserved, they don't hesitate to assert themselves when their values are violated. They they can be persistent and insistent. Others usually experience INFJs as:

  • Private, even mysterious
  • Intense and individualistic

Potential Areas for Growth

Sometimes life circumstances have not supported INFJs in the development and expression of their Feeling and Intuitive preferences:

  • If they have not developed their Feeling, INFJs may not have reliable ways of making decisions and accomplishing their goals. Then, their valuable insights and creativity stay locked inside.
  • If they have not developed their Intuition, they may not take in enough information or take in only what fits with their internal pictures. Then they will make ill-founded decisions based on distorted or limited information.

If INFJs do not find a place where they can use their gifts and be appreciated for their contributions, they usually feel frustrated and may:

  • Not give others the information they used to arrive at a decision, and thus seem arbitrary.
  • Base their judgments on little data, on a sense of "knowing" that has little basis in reality
  • Withdraw their energy and insight
  • Become resentful and critical

It is natural for INFJs to give less attention to their non-preferred Sensing and Thinking parts. If they neglect these too much, however, they may:

  • Be unable to verbalize their inner insights in a way that others can understand.
  • Fail to check their insights against reason and practicality, and end up following a vision that has little possibility of being realized.
  • Become single minded in pursuit of a vision.

Under great stress, INFJs may become obsessed with data they normally would consider irrelevant or over-indulge in Sensing activities such as watching TV reruns, overeating, or buying things that have little meaning for them.
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Taken from Introduction to Type - A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator by Isabel Briggs Myers.
 
That's cool, brah.
 
Paladin-X said:
Taken from Introduction to Type - A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator by Isabel Briggs Myers....etc.....
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Did you transcribe that from the actual book or is it available online somewhere?

And is there an INFP profile from the same source?

I'd like to compare the two profiles without buying the book, if possible.
 
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wonkavision said:
Did you transcribe that from the actual book or is it available online somewhere?

And is there an INFP profile from the same source?

I'd like to compare the two profiles without buying the book, if possible.
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I don't think it's available online, but I'm not sure. I was given a booklet when I did the MBTI a while ago. I also bought the official MBTI manual. I will type up the INFP one for you if you like.
 
INFP

At Their Best

People with INFP preferences have an inner core of values that guides their interactions and decisions. They want to be involved in work that contributes to both their own growth and inner development and those of others -- to have a purpose beyond their paycheck. They make a priority of clarifying their values and living in congruence with them.

INFPs recognize and honor the emotional and psychological needs of others, even when others may not have recognized or expressed their own needs.


Characteristics of INFPs

INFPs primarily use their Feeling preference internally where they make decisions based on their values of self-understanding, individuality, and growth. Living by moral commitments to what they believe in is crucial to INFPs. They are likely to be:

  • Sensitive, concerned, and caring.
  • Idealistic and loyal to their ideas.

INFPs enjoy reading, discussing, and reflecting on possibilities for positive change in the future. They are curious about ideas and quick to see connections and meanings. INFPs are likely to:

  • Be curious and creative.
  • Have long-range vision.

INFPs are usually fascinated by opportunities to explore the complexities of human personality -- their own and others'. They tend to work in bursts of energy and are capable of great concentration and output when fully engaged in a project. They are generally faithful in fulfilling obligations related to people, work, or ideas to which they are committed, but they can have difficulty performing routine work that has little meaning for them.


How Others May See Them

INFPs find structures and rules confining and prefer to work autonomously. They are adaptable and flexible until something violates their inner values. Then they stop adapting. The resulting expression of value judgments can emerge with an intensity that is surprising to others.

INFPs tend to be reserved and selective about sharing their most deeply held values and feelings. They value relationships based on depth, authenticity, true connection, and mutual growth. INFPs prize most those who take time to understand their values and goals. Others usually see INFPs as:

  • Sensitive, introspective, and complex.
  • Original and individual
  • Sometimes difficult to understand


Potential Areas for Growth

Sometimes life circumstances have not supported INFPs in the development and expression of their Intuitive and Feeling preferences:

  • If they have not developed their Intuition, INFPs may not have reliable ways to take in information and may fail to notice the realities of situations. Then they may make decisions based solely on personal values and find it difficult to translate their values into action.
  • If they have not developed their Feeling, they may not take time for the inner valuing process by which they make their best decisions, instead going from one exciting possibility to another and achieving little.

If INFPs do not find a place where they can use their gifts and be appreciated for thir contributions, they usually feel frustrated and may:

  • Have uncharacteristic difficulty expressing themselves verbally.
  • Withdraw from people and situations.
  • Not give enough information to others, especially about important values.

It is natural for INFPs to give less attention to their non-preferred Thinking and Sensing parts. If they neglect these too much, however, they may:

  • Become easily discouraged about the contrast between their ideals and accomplishments.
  • Reject logical reasoning even in situations that require it, asserting the supremacy of their internal viewpoint.
  • Be impractical and have difficulty estimating the resources required to reach a desired goal.

Under great stress, INFPs may begin seriously doubting their own competence and that of others, becoming overly critical and judgmental.
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[MENTION=6017]wonkavision[/MENTION], here are some more distinguishing notes between INFJs and INFPs from the same book:

IxxJ: Decisive Introverts -- When changes are proposed, they check them out against their internal perceptions (data or big pictures). If the changes "fit," they move quickly to implement them. If the changes don't fit, they dig in their heels and become unmovable opponents.

IxxP: Adaptable Introverts -- When changes are proposed, they are curious and seek information. Then they assess the information with their internal judgment (values or logical principles). Their information seeking appears adaptable, but they move ahead only in their own time -- after they have decided.

xxFJ: Values-Based Decision Makers -- Warm, decisive leaders. Make decisions based on their personal values and empathy with others. Strive for harmony, consensus, and a supportive environment, are expressive and often inspiring. Loyal followers if the leader honors their values.

xxFP: Supportive Coaches -- Warm, flexible, and encouraging leaders. Support individual work styles and like to involve others in decisions. Prefer collegial relationships, shared rewards, and consensus in decisions. Energetic followers if treated with respect.
 
INFPs:
They are generally faithful in fulfilling obligations related to people, work, or ideas to which they are committed, but they can have difficulty performing routine work that has little meaning for them.
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so true, so true
 
Vanixaria said:
I've also used this page for some of it's description: http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html
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I've used that one too and personally, I really like the more in-depth one at http://personalityjunkie.com/the-infj/

There are some odd misconceptions out there though, so I wanted to share what the originator's description was; whose theory of which all these other descriptions are based from (Isabel Briggs Myers & Katherine Briggs; who based all of their theory off of Carl Jung's)
 
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