INFP

Recent demographic data suggests INFPs constitute approximately 4-5% of the population, outnumbering INFJs at a pace of three to one. INFPs are idealistic, humane, creative, imaginative, random, quirky, and individualistic.

INFPs possess a strong moral and humanitarian bent. They generally see themselves as special individuals, equipped with a unique blend of skills and abilities that they hope to use to make a difference in the world. Many feel, however, that they don’t know themselves well enough and have yet to find their proper place in the world. They feel that increasing their self-knowledge will allow them to act with greater confidence and commitment.

INFPs may opt to apply their gifts and abilities in any number of venues—religious, artistic, social, academic, or otherwise. They serve as change agents in ministry, health care, psychotherapy, non-profit organizations, and other human service domains. Those with a more artistic or academic bent may opt to explore and express their values and ideals in the arts, social sciences, or humanities.

Many INFPs emphasize the ways they are special and different from others. This is generally founded on a peculiar blend of feelings of rejection and uniqueness. This is somewhat ironic in light of the stress they place on the equality of all human beings. It’s as though they want to have it both ways, on the one hand, endorsing our shared humanity, while on the other, seeking special recognition for their status as extraordinary and unique individuals. INFPs want to help and be close with others, but not to the point of losing themselves.

In expressing their felt uniqueness, some INFPs assume an eccentric appearance. They may pepper themselves with tattoos, experiment with unusual or variegated hairstyles, or sport numerous body piercings. Other INFPs will vie for a plainer or unkempt appearance, expressing themselves through a reduction of effort rather than through bizarre embellishments. Female INFPs, for instance, may forgo what they see as the unnecessary hassle of applying of make-up, managing longer hair, or other stereotypical feminine practices. Many are aptly described as “earthy,” both in appearance and lifestyle. INFPs often opt for rather meager or Bohemian living arrangements flanked with second-hand furniture and decor. They are willing to forego Se luxuries for the sake of their ideals. Frequent sex, fine meals, and extravagant vacations are generally lower on their list of needs.

Although body types do not always closely correspond to personality types (especially in females), there is sufficient evidence to suggest that INFPs are naturally more disposed to an ectomorphic build. If mesomorphs are envisioned as square and chiseled and endomorphs as rounder in shape, ectomorphs can be pictured as more linear and lanky. While it is not all that unusual, at least in the Western world, to encounter INFPs who have taken on a rounder shape, rarely are they heavily muscled. ISFPs are more prone to mesomorphy than are INFPs.

Like ENFPs, the mind of an INFP can move at a frenetic pace. They can be restless, anxious, moody, and plagued by erratic sleeping patterns. And while they may complain about having a restless mind, the fact is that they often don’t feel comfortable when their inner waters are too still. Many INFPs depend on and come to expect a certain level of emotional intensity. For better or worse, they feel they are not fully alive without a stiff emotional cocktail in hand. They may seek out, even if largely unconsciously, experiences that arouse or intensify feelings of passion or inspiration. They may turn to drugs, relationships, novels, poetry, music, or movies–whatever it takes to jump-start their emotions and achieve their desired level of intensity.

When feeling inspired, INFPs may disappear for hours on end, immersing themselves in painting, writing poetry, composing music, and so on. If they had their druthers, they wouldn’t function according to calendar or clock, but would have complete freedom to follow their own cycles. INFPs feel most alive when they can pursue their passion without regard to time or obligations. Because of the structured nature of modern society, however, doing so is not always easy or feasible. This can be a frustrating reality for INFPs, especially for those who fail to structure their lives in a way that provides sufficient time for uninterrupted time alone.

Since their Feeling is introverted in direction, INFPs may not even look like Feeling types when viewed from without. They express their judgments through their Thinking function (Te) and can sometimes seem cold and aloof. Despite the introversion of their Feeling, it is generally no secret to others when they are being moody or touchy. They may sulk without ever giving reasons why.

When functioning in Ne mode, INFPs can be surprisingly witty and chatty. If feeling inspired or otherwise in good spirits, they may even be mistaken for Extraverts. If you’re lucky, you might catch an INFP breaking out into song and playing air guitar in his or her pajamas. Such displays exemplify their innocent, childlike side, a feature they share with INTPs.

The NFP preference can be associated with the right cerebral hemisphere, which is oriented to people, the body, emotions, and the natural world. The “right brain” is attuned to non-verbal communication—facial expressions, body language, and verbal intonation. It tracks the emotional subtext of communication, screening for discrepancies between what is said and what is physically expressed. This allows INFPs to accurately perceive and decode nonverbal communication—to “read” people—and adapt themselves accordingly. INFPs read people quickly and instinctively, while naturally modifying their tone, body language, and verbiage in response. Through this instinctual reading of others, INFPs get a sense of whether an individual is authentic and trustworthy. More than anything else, INFPs dislike pretense and disingenuous, since this runs directly against their penchant for authenticity.

INFPs have a sort of chameleon-like quality that allows them to blend and find commonality with others. People generally find INFPs non-threatening and easy to be around. This somewhat belies the nature of their inner world, which is constantly evaluating “likes” and “dislikes.” When one of their core values is threatened, however, INFPs can be quick and firm extraverting their judgment, showing others a rarely seen side of themselves.

INFPs can also be good facilitators of conversation. They are not showy storytellers or entertainers, but display a genuine interest in knowing and understanding people at a deep and personal level. Toward this end, they instinctively ask questions that prompt others to dig beneath the surface, to consider things they might not otherwise consider. An INFP friend of mine, for instance, prefers to forgo the customary “How are you?” in favor of “Are you happy?”

Because of they of their genuine interest in and easy way with people, others may suddenly find themselves disclosing a wealth of personal intimacies to the INFP. Hence, INFPs may serve as a veritable dumping grounds for others’ emotional problems, even those of complete strangers. Forced to carry the weight of others’ emotions, as well as their own, some INFPs can have a tragic or melancholic air about them.

Many INFPs place high value on religion or spirituality. While some may feel at home within the more conventional religious communities (assuming they are not overly exclusive or intolerant), others are compelled to look beyond traditional mainstays, seeking the divine on their own terms and in their own unique fashion.

Of all types, INFPs are among those most explicitly concerned with achieving a holistic balance of mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Toward this end, they may attend any number of self-help, “human potential,” or bodywork seminars.  Such holistic practices may also serve as attractive and viable career paths for many INFPs. They may find their niche in alternative or complementary medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, Reiki, etc. Others might opt to study psychology, nursing, or ecology.

INFPs are also drawn to all sorts of creative endeavors—poetry, music, dance, drama, creative writing, the fine arts, even architecture. Creative expression is in many ways the lifeblood of artistic INFPs. Creative work not only provides INFPs an enjoyable sense of absorption, but an opportunity for self-discovery and self-expression. For many INFPs, aesthetics is less important than authentic expression of their inner world (something they often struggle to do with words). For this reason, outsiders who equate art with traditional conceptions of beauty may too quickly overlook the value and message of the less conventional works of INFPs.

INFPs can struggle when it comes to balancing work and family. I personally know a couple of INFP stay-at-home mothers who enjoy designing and hand-crafting items and selling them on the Internet. Both have high energy levels, at times staying up much of the night working on their designs or websites. When viewed from without, their lives can appear quite frenetic and chaotic. Both would say, however, that their creative work is what keeps them relatively sane, even if depriving them of much desired sleep.

Overview of INFPs’ Functional Stack & Type Development

INFPs’ functional stack is composed of the following functions:

Dominant: Introverted Feeling (Fi)

Auxiliary: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)

Tertiary: Introverted Sensing (Si)

Inferior: Extraverted Thinking (Te)

INFPs’ type development can be roughly divided into three phases. These phases unfold in accordance with the differentiation and development of their functional stack: Phase I (convergence; Fi), Phase II (divergence; Ne), and Phase III (reconvergence; Si/Te).

Phase I (teens-20s)

Early in life, INFPs tend to be highly, even naivly, idealistic and quick to judge (even if keeping most of their opinions to themselves). In this phase, they have yet to grasp the bigger picture of reality. While their Fi confers a strong sense of right and wrong, their moral sensibilities have yet to be fully enlightened by the larger picture of the world that comes from the use and development of their Ne. Unfortunately, INFPs who have yet to move out of this first phase are not immune to outside pressures regarding career or relational decision-making. Like INTPs, they are susceptible to naively signing up for relationships or careers that they later come to regret.