INFJs are among the rarest of the sixteen personality types, constituting only 1-3% of the general population. Unlike INTJs, in which males predominate, there is greater gender parity among INFJs, with nearly equal numbers of males and females.
It is difficult to broadly classify INFJs as either right-brained or left-brained since they utilize both sides of the brain with equal adeptness. INFJs are both creative and responsible, artistic and logical, spiritual and scientific, intuitive and analytic.
INFJs grow up feeling “different” from their peers. The more pronounced their Introversion and Intuition, the more estranged they are likely to feel. Young INFJs also feel misunderstood by their elders, who can be quick to ignore or dismiss their precocious insights and observations. If given unsympathetic circumstances, INFJs may come to feel isolated or rejected rather early in life.
INFJs are “old souls.” They grow up feeling far wiser than would be predicted by their chronological age. Some may experience themselves as wiser than their teachers or parents. They may take on the role of counseling and advising their friends and siblings, or even their adult family members, from an extraordinarily young age.
Having discovered the benefits of their Introverted Intuition (Ni) quite early in life, INFJs grow to trust its judgments and insights. Their Ni often works through dreams or premonitions that turn out to be startlingly prescient. While others may at first be skeptical of INFJ’s powers of insight or foresight, many will come to see them as psychic or prophetic, or at least highly perceptive.
Because of their strong powers of intuition, many INFJs report feeling like aliens in the world. One INFJ described her experience as almost a constant feeling of deja vu, since her Ni is constantly foreseeing the future before it unfolds. Other INFJs report feelings of disembodiment, as though their body is independently moving through space while they watch from without. The fact is that many INFJs experience the world and their bodies in radically different ways than other types. It is therefore not uncommon for INFJs or others to question their sanity.
INFJs see two people in everyone. They see the public persona, the outer shell, that everyone else sees. But they don’t stop there. Their Se and Fe functions pick up subtle non-verbal cues which are then synthesized and interpreted by their Ni. This provides them with information about an individual’s inner world that is completely missed by other types. Because of their keen perceptiveness, INFJs are rarely fooled by facades or fakery. They can readily see beyond appearances and apprehend an individual’s deeper motives and intentions, including any underlying ego issues. In fact, INFJs can often see the truth about people more clearly than those people can see it in themselves. It is no wonder that many INFJs can make a decent living by hanging a “Psychic” sign on their front door.
Growing out of their distrust of first-blush appearances, INFJs are reluctant to trust majority opinion. They are often the last to read a bestseller, feeling that if everyone else (i.e., the majority of whom are prone to being fooled by appearances) thinks it is good, it probably is not worth their time. Like INTs, however, INFJs can be suckers for a good conspiracy theory, appealing to their sense that “most things are not what they seem.”
A misconception about INFJs is that because they prefer Feeling they are less likely to be interested in intellectual endeavors. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, some of the most intellectually-inclined people I know are INFJs. They rival and resemble INTs in their level of openness and hunger for new ideas and perspectives. In some regards, they may actually eclipse INTs with regard to intellectual openness, readily appreciating both science and literature, fiction and nonfiction, poetry and prose.
While INFJs are deeply theoretical, they are less impressed by theories built by a mere assemblage of facts or data. Rather than being “fact” oriented, INFJs concern themselves with forging new connections and reconciling opposites by way of their Intuition. They feel that everything is somehow connected to everything else, forming a vast and interconnected web. For INFJs, discovering truth involves getting a better handle on the nature of this connectedness and the holographic patterns of the universe. In fact, this happens to be one of the signature strengths of their Ni, which subconsciously processes and synthesizes copious amounts of information, wraps it up in the form of a symbol or metaphor, and proceeds to upload into the INFJ’s consciousness.
More than any other type, INFJs tend to feel that much of their intellectual work is being done for them, the product of which can feel like nothing less than a divinely bestowed gift. Consequently, INFJs do not feel the need to consult outside sources when it comes to discerning truth. Nor do they rely on a preexisting method or framework as other types might. They trust their Ni to provide whatever information is necessary to understand a given problem or situation.
The inner world of INFJs in many ways resembles the outer world of ENFPs. It is playful, colorful, mischievous, and daring. Because their Ni is dominant rather than auxiliary, INFJs tend to be more subversive in their ideation than ENFJs. Once they begin to develop their tertiary function (Ti), INFJs may become even more open-minded and subversive in their thinking.
INFJs often think by way of images. The visual nature of their minds is germane to their creativity, ingenuity, and ability to generate and wield metaphors. While other types are thinking in words or concepts, INFJs understand through “seeing.” Their Ni functions as a proverbial bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind. And since the subconscious is filled with primitive images, INFJs swim in a sea of vivid dreams and imagery.
INFJs also tend to be purists and classicists. Many enjoy collecting antiques, historical artifacts, old first edition books, rare art, or anything that satisfies their thirst for what they perceive as pure or classic works. For similar reasons, they may find themselves captivated by a certain period in history, a specific genre of music, or a handpicked selection of actors or writers. In selecting a novel, would far prefer a known classic to a new bestseller. Similarly, if they are going to wear shoes (which according to recent research, most INFJs do), they want the shoes to be of high quality and a classic, rather than trendy style. If selecting artwork for display in their home, they most would opt for an original over a print.
Despite their refined tastes, INFJs are typically not pretentious or excessively serious individuals. They regularly enjoy spending time with other people, listening to music, and watching movies (especially “classics”). Perhaps more than anything, INFJs love spending time engrossed in meaningful conversation. Because of their verbosity and enjoyment of others’ company, they can easily be mistaken for Extraverts.
Many INFJs struggle with bouts of depression, which may relate to any number of things. They may, for instance, get depressed when they feel their creative inspiration has left them. Or, because of their otherworldliness, they may struggle with feeling deeply alone and misunderstood. Depression may also stem from feeling dissatisfied in their careers or relationships. They may dream of having a beautiful home adorned with beautiful things, but feel stuck in a low-paying job that they are reluctant to quit because of a poor economy.
Now I’m feeling a bit embarrassed and even more quirky & different than I already am. It seems that so many INFP descriptions describe me so closely, but there were a few points that didn’t line up very well or were missing from the equation, which made me wonder if I was right in my assumption.
I felt for certain INFP must be my personality instead of the INFJ results that the Keirsey Temperament II Sorter Test gave me originally. The initial description of an INFJ on the test site was so very lacking & the little that was written didn’t seem like me at all. However, I took your personality test & it ALSO came up very strongly that I’m an INFJ . Those were the only letters I got & all came to a total of 3 each. So I started reading your write up on an INFJ & others besides the initial test report and found it all enlightening.
The pieces of the puzzle are coming together and explaining the strange blend of being right & left brained. What you wrote here below perhaps explains the confusion I felt between being an INFJ vs. INFP:
“As they develop and utilize their lower functions, INFJs may look and function more like Perceivers, appearing more open, flexible, and relaxed.”
Not to mention that they are both in the Idealist category. Anyway, I’ve been really enjoying coming to a better understanding of all these different personalities. Keep up the great work!
Hello, The more I read the more I also think I am an INFJ… I have struggled severely between right and left brain and always felt something was missing with either INTP or INFP… I am leaning very strongly towards actually being an INFJ… I went from computer science and working in IT, to working in not for profits and doing humanitarian aid, to now wanting to try to write/literary journalism. Definitely has been a struggle finding my place in the world. I think writing would be an absolute match, but the problem is paying the bills. The INFJ personality type definitely explains a lot… The clash between aesthetics yet strong feelings against the rich or people who take it for granted and other things in the write up were intriguing for sure. Glad I kept stumbling through this site and I still believe the write ups on here are the absolute best on the internet.
Heya i?m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out much. I hope to offer one thing back and help others like you helped me.
Sounds great! Thanks for your comment. AJ
Thank you for this website, AJ. We INPs tend to break our thoughts down into models with our introverted judging functions; this is easy for me to digest. Not only did your comparisons of Fi,Ti, and Ni express my own thoughts in different words, they also helped me affirm that my own type is INFP and not an INFJ.
Thanks again and cheers!
-N
You’re very welcome Gingkgo! Take care! AJ
Very insightful, AJ . . you are good at this!
If you don’t mind, I would like to share a few recommendations for fellow INFJ’s . . .
a. actively, almost aggressively, seek and use metaphor and allegory. – Like a lighthouse, it will shine out a way to help you better understand the world. It will also shine in a way to help the world to better understand you.
b. purposefully have pragmatic “uniforms” or “costumes” to wear ie: go-to- work clothes, stay-at-home slippers, a golf hat, fishing jacket. I love my salty, boots (I actually baptised them in the salty ocean : ) I wear them when doing something “brave” hence the thought of going out with my boots on! – a uniform lends a foundation to your sense of empathy. It helps you become a part of your environment. I have learned to do this and it helps.
c. Keep your Personality type description to yourself. Learn from it. Use it to help understand yourself and find comfort in the recognition of familiar things for which you did not know there were even words. That is all. I recommend never telling or showing it to anyone else. If you do, it will lose it’s sincerity, and you will lose your ability to question it. It will become something outside of yourself to which you will feel compelled to conform. Be genuine.
Ok, AJ, there’s my 10 cents. Your report is very insightful, you found words that I did not know were even there.
Can’t wait to read your thoughts on INFJ Personal Growth.
Thank you so much Merrill. Those are great recommendations, very INFJ-like:) I once heard that Fred (aka “Mr.”) Rogers may have been an INFJ. He seemed to have the change of attire thing down. Have a wonderful holiday! AJ
Hello,
I’ve only recently discovered these personality types, through a friend. It’s been quite a revelation. Having spent most of my life thinking I’m a freak, now I know I’m just an infj and I’m not the only one.
Thanks,
Lizzie.
You’re very welcome Lizzie. I’m glad you found the article beneficial. AJ
This is the best INFJ description I have read, and I also like the INFJ description from PersonalityPage. When was the article written? Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge.
As for the famous INFJ list, I see greater parallels between Schopenhauer, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Alan Watts, Steve Jobs, Philip K. Dick, and Carl Jung, who might all be INTP. When thinking about INFJ, I think of someone like Natalie Portman, Pius Heinz, and maybe Carla Gugino.
After thinking about many people and their interests, I begin to suspect their might be a fifth dimension with one being a concern for the social realm (people, religion, society, culture etc.), and another for the physical realm (mechanics, technology, science, architecture), which would explain how one INTP, like Albert Einstein, could be interested in something very unlike that for Philip K. Dick. Thank you.
Thanks for your comments and encouragement Spark. I’m glad you enjoyed the INFJ profile. AJ
I hadn’t been exposed to ‘personality types’ before my friend recently forced me to take the Jung and Brigg-Meyers test, and so I didn’t really know what I was in for, but I can honestly say I was creeped out by the accuracy of this description of my type. Things that I’d always found a bit odd about myself, but didn’t realize made sense given my INFJ personality, kept popping up as I read the article and I can’t count the number of times I said aloud, ‘Oh my god, that’s me’. Thanks for the article, it’s given me quite the insight.
I also feel compelled to thank you for the last paragraph of your description; I’m a writer with a serious block, a need for perfection, and lack of inspiration, but the fact that my writing dreams aren’t totally crazy is encouraging.
Hello Theresa! I’m so glad the profile provided you insight and encouragement. Good luck with your writing and I hope you continue to find typology interesting and helpful. Stop back here anytime. AJ
Thank you for your article! These last few years I have had to climb some tall mountains. At points, some more significant than others of course, it became difficult to climb and those that cared about me tried to come to my “aide.t” They couldn’t, because they didn’t understand, nor did I for that matter. I literally thought I was going crazy.
Recently, someone suggested that I take a personality test. It turns out that I am an INFJ. Your article has truly helped me. I am finally able to “connect-the-dots.” I have a deeper understanding of myself, and more importantly, of how I am perceived. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to you for writing this article.
Thank you!
That’s great. I’m glad the INFJ profile was helpful. Good luck as you seek to better understand your personality type! AJ