The INFJ's Unusually Rich Inner Life

[gloomy-optimist]

I'd have to say, judging by what I have read so far, that perhaps more than anything we are basically driven by the desire to understand and experience a deeper sort of...living, for better words for it (Then again, that's probably fundamentally already covered by the definition of INFJ, but it's really more interesting when you can see it for yourself in other people). It usually takes a lot for INFJs to really connect to another person on a deeper level, in comparison, so maybe that same basic concept is mirrored into our lives as a whole; it takes more for us to feel completed from the world than others, so "normal" doesn't cut it...

Of course, that's just a theory.

 

[gokartride]

It usually takes a lot for INFJs to really connect to another person on a deeper level, in comparison, so maybe that same basic concept is mirrored into our lives as a whole

That is interesting...I had not considered this. I perceive my primary experience (but not all) as the opposite: deeper reflections/inner life make getting to know someone a bit more of a process simply because ther is more info to share, but I could see where these could be two loops feeding back on each other in which a person one might be making connections with is percieved as something of a universe themselves. In the end that seems like a dignified approach that would take a person for who they are and for their inner construct without applying too many stereotypes or assumptions.

 

[HenRick]

Well I'm new here..

As an immigrant from Brazil I moved to the country in the US. I had trouble making friends. I was way to timid. I thought I couldn't make friends because of my race. I felt deppressed and lonely until highschool. I would sometimes have a huge brusts of love randomly. During these burst I would feel love for everything and every thing made sense (maybe this made up for me being depressed).

My dad insisted that every one should know how to swim so I joined a swim team. At first I enjoyed it. After two years I started getting muscles. I then started obsessed about not getting fat and having a perfect body (I was the buffest swimmer on the team). I had about eight months of school driven deppression and constantly not being statisfied about swimming. At the end of 9th grade I finally figured myself out and stopped tense about swimming and I found two really great close friends.

 

[sumone]

I'm so happy you found two close friends, that is quite a reward. Welcome to the forum! Do you still have random bursts of love? That's wonderful!

 

[ensign_m]

I totally understand the random bursts of love...when on random days you're so happy that you suddenly love everything and (almost) everyone and all's right with the world...ahhhh. How I miss those times! They've been fewer and further between lately. *Sigh*

 

[HenRick]

Yes I'm new here

I also watched Toy Story and started beleiving that toys did move when I wasn't around. I would always look back expecting something. I even thought that there might be a bunch of people or demons of some sort hiding every time I looked back.

 

[GenlDevora]

Hello,

I'm new here as well. My son spent two years in Brazil, Bahia, Salvador. He was on a work/study kind of thing. He worked really hard to learn the language. He also learned how to ride a bike. The Brazilians were so kind and loving to my son. I will always love them for that. I love to hear him speak Brazilian Portuguese. It sounds so different than the Portuguese my friend from the Azores speaks. Her version sounds very Italian. My son's Brazilian version is unique and quite beautiful.

I live inside my head. I was teaching a group of women at church one day and made that comment (it actually fit into the lesson somehow - I don't remember) and they laughed at me. One said that they knew this about me. We all had a good laugh.

 

[Kwistalline]

Hello,

I'm new here as well. My son spent two years in Brazil, Bahia, Salvador. He was on a work/study kind of thing. He worked really hard to learn the language. He also learned how to ride a bike. The Brazilians were so kind and loving to my son. I will always love them for that. I love to hear him speak Brazilian Portuguese. It sounds so different than the Portuguese my friend from the Azores speaks. Her version sounds very Italian. My son's Brazilian version is unique and quite beautiful.

I live inside my head. I was teaching a group of women at church one day and made that comment (it actually fit into the lesson somehow - I don't remember) and they laughed at me. One said that they knew this about me. We all had a good laugh.

Yeah, so true. I get so caught up in my inner world I space out . . . only my really good friends can tell, though~ lol.

 

[Entyqua]

Hello,

I'm new here as well. My son spent two years in Brazil, Bahia, Salvador. He was on a work/study kind of thing. He worked really hard to learn the language. He also learned how to ride a bike. The Brazilians were so kind and loving to my son. I will always love them for that. I love to hear him speak Brazilian Portuguese. It sounds so different than the Portuguese my friend from the Azores speaks. Her version sounds very Italian. My son's Brazilian version is unique and quite beautiful.

I live inside my head. I was teaching a group of women at church one day and made that comment (it actually fit into the lesson somehow - I don't remember) and they laughed at me. One said that they knew this about me. We all had a good laugh.

Yeah, so true. I get so caught up in my inner world I space out . . . only my really good friends can tell, though~ lol.

This is SOOO me too! I find myself coexisting and speaking as if everyone else knows my inner world lol

 

[gokartride]

I find myself coexisting and speaking as if everyone else knows my inner world lol

True.....I gave a talk once in which I tried to explain some basic principles of the inner life, and being very visual myself, began describing how I saw/experienced the whole thing. In spite of my preparation, I lost everybody!!!!! It bummed me out to some extent, but to this day I am still very convinced of what I was saying and the imagery I was using to explain it. Just wasn't the right audience I guess.

 

[Entyqua]

I find myself coexisting and speaking as if everyone else knows my inner world lol

True.....I gave a talk once in which I tried to explain some basic principles of the inner life, and being very visual myself, began describing how I saw/experienced the whole thing. In spite of my preparation, I lost everybody!!!!! It bummed me out to some extent, but to this day I am still very convinced of what I was saying and the imagery I was using to explain it. Just wasn't the right audience I guess.

Its that You know what i mean feeling where everyone shakes their heads NO! That is embarrassing I know!

 

[gokartride]

Yes, I have learned to interject the phrase "...is this making sense?" or "...do you understand what I'm trying to get at here?" into work discussions when necessary. Better to do a quick check than blast off into oblivion!!

 

[Entyqua]

Yes, I have learned to interject the phrase "...is this making sense?" or "...do you understand what I'm trying to get at here?" into work discussions when necessary. Better to do a quick check than blast off into oblivion!!

ROFLMAO Awe come on oblivion is fun!

 

[gokartride]

ROFLMAO Awe come on oblivion is fun!

I like it...I feel right at home!!!!

 

[HenRick]

Hello,

I'm new here as well. My son spent two years in Brazil, Bahia, Salvador. He was on a work/study kind of thing. He worked really hard to learn the language. He also learned how to ride a bike. The Brazilians were so kind and loving to my son. I will always love them for that. I love to hear him speak Brazilian Portuguese. It sounds so different than the Portuguese my friend from the Azores speaks. Her version sounds very Italian. My son's Brazilian version is unique and quite beautiful.

I live inside my head. I was teaching a group of women at church one day and made that comment (it actually fit into the lesson somehow - I don't remember) and they laughed at me. One said that they knew this about me. We all had a good laugh.

I'm just confused if he was doing a work study thing and was just learning to ride a bike? Is he an adult or did he just never learn to ride a bike?

 

[GenlDevora]

Hello HenRick,

My son was on a work/study thing. While there in Brazil and having fun, he admitted to not knowing how to ride a bike. The Brazilians with him tried to teach him. He fell off the bike while trying to learn to ride it. He was about 20 years old at the time. The Brazilians teased him and laughed because he had lived so long without learning to ride a bike. It's hard to know how much to post to keep the sense and spirit of what one is trying to say. I'm usually not so hard to follow.

 

[HenRick]

Hello HenRick,

My son was on a work/study thing. While there in Brazil and having fun, he admitted to not knowing how to ride a bike. The Brazilians with him tried to teach him. He fell off the bike while trying to learn to ride it. He was about 20 years old at the time. The Brazilians teased him and laughed because he had lived so long without learning to ride a bike. It's hard to know how much to post to keep the sense and spirit of what one is trying to say. I'm usually not so hard to follow.

I understood I was just making sure if it was what I thought (He visted brazil when he was young or he never learned to ride a bike).
Do both of yall (is this correct english Yall what other word should you use) know portuguese?
There's a spanish section in here so we could post in portuguese there.

 

[Motor Jax]

I often feel like life is some sort of dream.

Maybe the concept of "perception is not reality" is easiest for INFJs to understand.
I definitely have trouble with it and trust my observations (misguided or not) too much.

readng through this thread, i have just shook my head in agreement many times... this is one post i have to point out... so many times, i look down at my hands and spread my fingers, observing the front and back of my hands. and closing my fingers and continue lookng at my hands for moments at a time... i can't exact describe what i'm thinking, but it is as if another reality waits somewhere nearby, waiting to be found...

 

[Lurker]

Yes, I have learned to interject the phrase "...is this making sense?" or "...do you understand what I'm trying to get at here?" into work discussions when necessary. Better to do a quick check than blast off into oblivion!!

I’ve been told to stop asking "does that make sense" so I try not to do it much but I still constantly get the feeling that I'm losing the other person.

I often feel like life is some sort of dream.

Maybe the concept of "perception is not reality" is easiest for INFJs to understand.
I definitely have trouble with it and trust my observations (misguided or not) too much.

readng through this thread, i have just shook my head in agreement many times... this is one post i have to point out... so many times, i look down at my hands and spread my fingers, observing the front and back of my hands. and closing my fingers and continue lookng at my hands for moments at a time... i can't exact describe what i'm thinking, but it is as if another reality waits somewhere nearby, waiting to be found...

I really enjoy the concept of questioning reality. It’s limitless and indescribable at the same time.

 

[gokartride]

I really enjoy the concept of questioning reality. It’s limitless and indescribable at the same time.

I agree...it can also be dangerous as once the haze of illusion clears one must deal with the consequences. They can be wonderful and terrifying...but always, in the end, worthwhile.