According to Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, every person can be placed into one of 16 different categories of personalities. Based on his theory, the mother-daughter team of Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers paired together to create the Myers-Briggs Type Personality (MBTP) Indicator Test. As a result, one of the 16 personality types has been labeled the INFJ personality.
What is the INFJ Personality?
The INFJ personality is the label given to people who are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. They are advocates by nature. The rarest personality type of all.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe famously quoted, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” This quote sums up the INFJ personality philosophy.
INFJs want to stand up and make a difference in the world. In addition, they are highly principled and idealistic… so you won't find them going through the motions in life. Making money is rarely, if ever, their greatest motivation; rather, they find their success in being an advocate for good in the world and helping others. That is when they are the most fulfilled.
INFJs, like other personality types, are very concerned about integrity and aren't content with situations until they have done the right thing. They are conscientious and have a great and concise sense of values.
Furthermore, INFJs aim high, never wanting to lose sight of their goals, dreams, ambitions, and how they fit into the grand scheme of things (what truly matters in life). They tend to follow their own intuition and wisdom and not the conventional ways of society or other people.
With this personality type being so rare, these INFJ advocates feel they don't belong when around others, whether consciously or unconsciously. They don't always fit in because of their emotional need to search for their life's purpose.
In addition, INFJs usually feel misunderstood and at odds with others. However, it doesn't mean they don't enjoy close relationships or being accepted by others socially.
The advocates of this personality type stay committed to making the world better even though they feel out of place in it. They are disturbed by injustices in society and will advocate for change over personal gain. INFJs uplift and spread compassion to others. Many of them make it their mission in life to help others.
Unfortunately, this personality type can experience burnout and stress when advocating for others and focusing so intently on their missions. Consequently, they don't' take care of themselves as they should.
Lastly, INFJs are introverted by nature. They love to have meaningful conversations with others rather than engage in small talk. However, they also come across as insightful, honest, warm, and innocent.
INFJ Strengths and Weaknesses
7 Strengths of the INFJ Personality
1. Big hearted
People with the INFJ advocate personality type have big hearts. Rather than looking to find success at the expense of others, they are people who use their influences for the welfare of others. Moreover, they tend to be conscious of how their actions and decisions affect others around them. As they seek to make the world a better place, they look to start with the people closest to them.
2. Creative
INFJs aren't like others around them, and they recognize that fact. Therefore, they have no problem embracing out-of-the-box thinking, ideas, and creativity. As they are looking for opportunities to express themselves creatively, INFJs are intuitive to patterns, designs, and options that other personality types are not as keen on. Furthermore, they have an inner curiosity that leads to their success. They thrive in situations when they can spend time alone and drift into their own imaginations.
3. Astute
Advocates look beyond what they see to gaze upon the unknown. Because they know things seen may be misleading. Furthermore, they seek for a more profound truth in reality and don't get caught up in what is superficial. They have a knack for seeing past the façade that people put up and seeing a person's actual needs, motives, and feelings.
4. Ardent (Enthusiastic or Passionate)
INFJs are purpose-driven people who chase their own ideals and thoughts about life rather than follow after things others around them are doing. In other words, these advocates simply don't go with the flow. Furthermore, they get caught up in their own passions and visions for the future rather than having big lofty dreams; it is something they shy away from.
5. Strong values
When it comes to a matter of ethics, INFJs have solid values and beliefs. Therefore, they are a force to be reckoned with when sharing their heartfelt convictions with others. As a result, they can persuade skeptics, convicting and inspiring them. Moreover, they like to talk about topics close to their hearts.
6. Attentive
INFJs are attentive to others and are good listeners. They not only take the time to listen well to what you are sharing with them, but they will also begin thinking of ways they can help and find a solution to your problems. Advocates feel that “Listening is often the only thing needed to help someone.”
7. Sacrificing
INFJ advocates feel when they are actively making the lives of others better, they are achieving something great personally. Moreover, they don't seek rewards or pats on the back for helping others, and they could work at it for hours with no expectation of anything in return. They will not only sacrifice time but money as well to make sure others are done right.
7 Weaknesses of the INFJ Personality
1. Perfectionists
INFJ advocations can often be fixated on what is wrong or imperfect about a situation, making their lives miserable. Rather than enjoying a job, home, neighborhood, or other situation, they can become focused on what is wrong with them. So, they either consistently look to improve conditions or move on to greener pastures. They have to realize that the world is not a miserable place because the world can be messy, and they are not obligated to fix everything in the world that is wrong.
2. Turning their visions into reality
Advocates like to do extraordinary things in life. However, they struggle to put their goals into small manageable, and attainable steps. This makes it hard for some of them to make a reality out of their dreams. They must learn to make the process of achieving their objectives part of their daily routines and habits. Also, making a to-do list wouldn't hurt as well.
3. Thin-skinned when it comes to criticism
INFJs don't mind criticism unless they feel that their principles and core values are being attacked. Advocates of this personality type can be dismissive, defensive, and argumentative when defending their stance on issues close to their hearts.
4. Reserved and reluctant to open up to others
Not one to open up and be vulnerable, INFJs don't want to burden others with their problems. Even though they are honest and authentic people, they like keeping their personal lives private. Unfortunately, these advocates create rifts in relationships by being so distant and never asking for help, even when they need it the most.
5. Frequently burnout
Pouring into others and emptying themselves out is the way of the INFJs. However, having this personality causes them to often feel burned out over time. They have a hard time balancing the energy they put into others with the energy spent on self-care, getting rest, and improving themselves.
6. Easily discouraged
Discouraged, unmotivated, and withdrawn are how INFJs respond when they fail in attempts to achieve their goals and ambitions. They often set themselves up to fail because they set the bar of their expectations so high. Furthermore, they are so hard on themselves because the things they seek to achieve are part of their core moral values and closely held beliefs.
7. Avoids conflict
While it is a good trait for someone not to seek out conflict, sometimes, it takes a bit of friction to resolve a matter. INFJs are mitigators and peacemakers, seeking to resolve issues quickly without any conflict at all. However, sometimes a dispute can be escalated by letting both parties speak their piece before an agreement can be made. INFJs would rather squash things or sweep them under the rug than get to the bottom of a messy heated issue to get to a resolution.
Final Thoughts on the INFJ Personality
There is not a more selfless group of people on earth than advocates with the INFJ personality type. Simply put, they would give you the shirts off their backs to make sure you are taken care of.
We can actually learn a lot about love and relationships from this personality type… especially when it comes to being good listeners, caring, and big-hearted. So, let me ask you, does the INFJ personality type sound like your personality? Do you feel like you’re an advocate, a person who supports and fights for the causes that benefit others?
If so, you should go take the personality test! Within 10 minutes, you will see what the Myers-Briggs Type Personality (MBTP) Test reveals concerning you. Then visit some of our other articles to see some of the different personality types and famous people who may share the same personality as you.
Finally, if you want to identify YOUR personality type, then take one of these 11 personality tests to better understand what makes you tick.
