Character Traits of an INFJ Personality Type

We are all a sum total of a set of traits or qualities that make us the people we are. Together they form our personality, and help us to either relate to others or differentiate ourselves from the rest of the pack. In this PsycholoGenie article, we focus on an INFJ’s personality traits.

One of a Kind!

People with the INFJ personality type are one of the rarest across the globe, constituting for only 1 – 2% of the total population.

Ever since humans were created, there has been a need to understand each other, and with that understanding also arises a number of questions regarding the wide spectrum of people and how they are different in their way of speech, mannerisms, ideals, and other qualities. The subject of psychology is aimed at trying to observe and understand these factors, amongst a vast number of other subjects, to better understand the working of the human mind. This was termed as “personality”, and numerous theories have emerged since, regarding this subject.

Taken from the understanding of these various theories was a test that was developed to find four defining pairs of personality traits, which formed combinations that helped classify people based on different shared characteristics. This PsycholoGenie article gives you the characteristics of the INFJ personality type, thus giving you a better understanding of such people.

INFJ Explained

INFJ is one of 16 personality types that was defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It was developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs, a mother-daughter duo. It is based on Carl Jung’s typology, one evolved from his cognitive function theories, which in turn were deduced through clinical research. The Briggs use the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (developed by David Keirsey) to group the personalities based on a test taken.

It stands for:

I – Introversion Preferred to Extraversion

People who are more introverted focus their energy and direction inwards, and are generally quiet and reserved. They enjoy privacy and solitude, and prefer small, tight-knit groups to large social gatherings.

N – Intuition Preferred to Sensing

They tend to act on intuition for which they have a great affinity, and incorporate abstract ideas while dealing with situations. They lean on the more creative and imaginative side.

F – Feeling Preferred to Thinking

They have a need to relate to and empathize with others, and their decisions are based on personal and emotional factors rather than logic or known facts. They refer to social implications while making a decision on any matter.

J – Judging Preferred over Perceiving

They are organized, focused, and decisive. They tend to follow through on their plans and projects.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFJ PERSONALITY TYPE

INFJ Strengths

They are perfectionists, so every task that they undertake is done with utmost dedication.
They are diplomatic, but are ready to fight for the values that they believe in.
They are service-oriented, strong-willed, and decisive.
Their idea of success is based on their accomplishments and conditions of personal relationships.
They are very insightful, with a strong sense of conviction and integrity.
They are able to work on all angles when assigned a task, and will always see a project through, and that focus is even more concentrated if it is related to something that they believe in.
They have firm values and are uncompromising with their ideals. They are conscientious and very warm, gentle, and caring towards others.
They are quiet leaders with egalitarian views, and are very protective of people, especially people with whom they share close bonds.
They are intelligent, focused, and fast learners.
They are creative and have a vivid imagination, along with good writing and communicating skills. They are also good listeners.
They take commitments very seriously and aim at forming lifelong bonds.
They constantly work on developing and perfecting their ideals, and try to find the best approach to deal with a situation.

INFJ Weaknesses

They are unaware or ignorant towards how they project themselves.
They are slightly non-flexible and are quick to dismiss input from others, particularly if it conflicts with their personal ideas or beliefs.
They are judgmental and quick to find fault in others.
They sometimes have unreasonable and unrealistic expectations from situations and other people.
They are intolerant towards others’ weaknesses, stubborn, and believe that they are always right.
They sometimes tend to become obsessed with or passionate towards certain details rather than focusing on the big picture.
They tend to have a quick temper, and are sometimes intense and sarcastic, with a tendency to hold grudges.
They are sometimes burdened by their ideals and the need to adhere to it, which causes tension, stress, and sometimes, depression.
They have a difficulty conveying inner thoughts and don’t enjoy sharing them, making them secretive, overly suspicious at times, and hard to gage, thus leading to miscommunication.
They tend to be extravagant and thus bad at handling money.
Their need to help and protect others can sometimes turn into vengeful fantasies to exact revenge on the wrong doer. It is not usually acted upon though.
They are impulsive at times and tend to ignore their intuition under stressful situations.

Now these factors are not to be looked down upon or exaggerated, because even with observation and research, these are only factors that need not necessarily emerge in every person with the INFJ personality. It is just a possibility or likelihood, and INFJs with a developed sense of “N” and “J” may find a way to work around these tendencies.

INFJ RELATIONSHIPS

INFJ as Friends

People with this personality tend to search for real and deep connections.
They prefer people who understand their values and beliefs, and who respect it. Thus, compatibility is a huge factor.
They are likely to avoid friends from work circles or other situations where the interactions are rudimentary and only based on day-to-day acknowledgment.
They are slow to share or trust, and take a long time to form a bond.
They avoid people who are drawn to them because of their mannerisms and eloquence.
They are valued by friends for their empathy, kindness, and warm nature, along with their ability to inspire.

INFJ as Lovers

They are warm, affirming, supportive, and encouraging towards their partners.
They are considerate and shower immense love on their other half. They also love receiving the same.
They view physical intimacy in spiritual terms, and are not the ones for flings or casual relationships. They look out for a long-term companion.
Their aim is to have a “perfect” relationship, which can sometimes frustrate partners who are unable to keep up with them.
They strive to keep their partner happy and their relationship healthy.
Their sense of secrecy tends to create a communication gap.
Once in a bad relationship, they find it hard to get out of it.
They are not into materialistic shows of affection, and prefer actions that go deeper than mere acts of love.
They are fiercely loyal and very trustworthy.
They are the most compatible with ENFP and ENTP personality types. Although the personality types of ISFP, INTP, INTJ, and ENFP are very different, they are highly compatible with the INFJs.
INFP, ISFJ, and ENFJ personality types have similar personalities and also make for good matches. They are not very compatible with the SJ type personalities.

INFJ as Parents

They are nurturing, caring, loving, and observant towards the growth and well-being of their child.
They encourage their children to become independent, decisive, and responsible.
They are patient and understanding.
They try to inculcate their own values while letting them develop their own, and guide them towards becoming better.
Their value systems lead them to have high expectations from their children, which can sometimes be seen as too demanding.
A child’s failure to adhere to rules, expectations, and values can lead to disappointment and frustration.
They are ready to sacrifice a lot for their children and form strong familial bonds.
They give equal treatment, love, and affection to all their children.
Their tendency to be protective is sometimes viewed as being too controlling by the child, which leads them to rebel.

Some Famous INFJ Personalities

Adam Sandler (Actor)
Cate Blanchett (Actress)
Al Pacino (Actor)
Jesus (Religious Figure)
Jimmy Carter (Political Figure)
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Writer)
Mufasa (Fictional Character)
Loki (Fictional Character)
George Harrison (Musician)
Thom Yorke (Musician)
Carl Jung (Psychologist)
Niels Bohr (Physicist)
Nicole Kidman (Actress)
Lisa Simpson (Fictional Character)
Plato (Philosopher)
Brian Wilson (Sportsperson)

INFJs are known as “counselors” and “protectors”, and they are rare and hard to come by, but when you do, you are sure to find someone who will protect you and inspire you, and ever so often shape your ideals and give you a new perspective to life.