What do those four letters mean?
An INFJ one of the 16 personality types, based on the theories of Carl Jung and, later on, the work of Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.
INFJs:
- Are the rarest personality type, making up only 1-3 percent of the population.
- Feel like they don’t fit in. Many report feeling like aliens dropped into this world from another planet.
- Are called counselors or protectors.
- Are often mistaken for extroverts, because they care about people so much. Yet they are true introverts, who, by definition, need time alone to recharge.
- Can be perfectionists.
- Are abstract, deep thinkers who like to ponder the fate of humanity and where society is headed.
- Love language, metaphor, and symbolism.
- Like harmony, and can get physically ill when conflict arises.
- Are independent in thought and spirit, but still like to please others.
- Can easily perceive other people’s emotions, states of mind, and motivations.
- Love to analyze people’s behavior (including their own!), and peer into the “why” behind actions, words, feelings, and events.
- Are idealists, concerned about making the world a better place. But they don’t just dream — they do, too. They have a rare combination of vision and the skills necessary to carry out those visions.
Our partner site, Personality Hacker, offers a lot more resources for INFJs.
Of course, not every INFJ will think and act exactly the same. We are all individuals, and different experiences and circumstances shape who we are. Four letters alone cannot tell a person’s complete story.
Yet we will have things in common, and some of the articles on this site explore and celebrate what we share. You’re welcome to leave comments on this site about your own experiences as an introvert and/or INFJ, whether they are the same as the author’s, or different.
Know yourself to improve yourself. Auguste Comte