The INFJ type is believed to be very rare (less than 1 percent of the population) and it has an unusual set of traits. Even though their presence can be described as very quiet, INFJ personalities usually have many strong opinions, especially when it comes to issues they consider really important in life. If an INFJ is fighting for something, this is because they believe in the idea itself, not because of some selfish reasons.
INFJ personalities are drawn towards helping those in need – they may rush to the place of a major disaster, participate in rescue efforts, do charity work etc. INFJs see this as their duty and their purpose in life – people with this personality type firmly believe that nothing else would help the world as much as getting rid of all the tyrants. Karma and similar concepts are very attractive to INFJs.
These tendencies are also strengthened by the fact that INFJ personalities have a unique combination of idealism and decisiveness – this means that their creativity and imagination can be directed towards a specific goal. Few other personality types have this trait and this is one of the most important reasons why many INFJs are able to eventually realize their dreams and make a lasting positive impact.
INFJs are masters of written communication, with a distinctively smooth and warm language. In addition, the sensitivity of INFJs allows them to connect to others quite easily. Their easy and pleasant communication can often mislead bystanders, who might think that the INFJ is actually an extrovert.
INFJs should be careful to avoid “overheating” as their zeal and determination can sometimes get out of hand. As introverts, INFJs need to have some “alone time” every once in a while or otherwise
Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.
their internal energy reserves will get depleted really quickly. If this happens, the INFJ may surprise everybody around them by withdrawing from all their activities for a while – and since other people usually see INFJs as extroverts, this can leave them both surprised and concerned.
INFJs take great care of other people’s feelings and expect others to return the favor. Unsurprisingly, people with this personality type are very sensitive and vulnerable to conflicts – even the most rational INFJs may find it quite difficult to not take criticism personally. This is the INFJ’s Achilles’ heel – if someone with an INFJ personality cannot escape the conflict, they will do their best to deal with it head on, but this will result in a lot of stress and may also potentially lead to health problems or highly irrational behavior.
Keep reading:
Some famous INFJs:
- Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter
- Goethe
- Mel Gibson
- Mother Teresa
- Martin Luther King
- Nelson Mandela
- Nicole Kidman
- James Wilson from House M.D.
[...] I’ve taken many personality type tests, and I always come up with the same type: INFJ. You can check out more about this personality type here, but basically, it points to me being something of a loner. If you read about the characteristics [...]
if being a loner is what you interperate what is written about your personality type, you associate the text with yourself and automatically paint that image of a loner. If you are an infj and you are critisizing yourself, you are not going to enjoy your own company and your escape time becomes poisonous to your health and well being. start from the top read it again because i’m sure you have more to offer than being a loner. in fact if you are an infj you would be pretty awesome.
Now I know why I have always felt like an awkward child, why I hate conflict and why I need to be alone sometimes. It all makes sense now.
Hey… This is really interesting.. Yup i agree.. That explains everything about myself… 1%?? thats pretty neat…
[...] you would be able to find many eloquent people among them. In fact, certain introverted types (e.g. INFJ or INFP) are often more sociable than most extroverted types. In Western societies, extroverts [...]
I am so happy being among you my INFJ frinds!we are rare but we exist!Thanks to Dr .yung ,that is the first time a test can truly describe my personality !
I’ve never felt this special about myself before…. less than 1%, interesting. All of the materials listed here describe my personality. I indeed do hate conflict! And can get extremely heated if not careful about my feelings..
This test is creepily accurate. lol… By the way what does INFJ stand for?
INFJ stands for introversion, intuition, feeling, and judging.
The word ‘introverted’ is used as an adjective term for introvert and it describes a person who is always indulge in his own thoughts and seldom care about what is going on in the present surroundings.
Uh… I don;t think that introverts ‘do not care’ about what is going on in their surroundings as much as being motivated by their interior life versus being distracted by transient, external influences. Also, there is the “energy” thing: Extroverts become energized by their contacts with others, where introverts tend to get worn down… If for example MLK was an INFJ as stated here, then obviously he did care about what was going on in the world.. ditto for Mother Theresa. But the navigation, so to speak, was from interior processing, not exterior ones. Does that make any sense? Perhaps because of the “draining” aspect, perhaps Introverts pick and choose their battles carefully. I would never say so much that it was from a lack of caring. However, I would definitely agree that extroverts seem more “reactive” to external stimuli.
@Jose
I = Introvert: you need to spend time alone to recharge your batteries although do not confuse this with being antisocial.
N = iNtuitive: you often see the bigger picture and prefer not focus on details.
F = Feeling: you prefer to make decisions based on other people’s feelings as opposed to using cold hard logic and facts.
J = Judging: you like closure and to have a certain degree of control over the various aspects of your life. Judging types often ‘work first, play later’.
People often say I am different and it has annoyed me for me years. I think we all ultimately want the same things. But reading this I think I finally understand what they mean. This is me to a t and I doubt I’ve ever met another INFJ irl. I’m no Martin Luther King but I do feel a powerful draw to activism, I want very much foster a positive change in the world. It is the focus of my life really, though I don’t think I’d ever tell anyone around me that. We all deserve and owe each other better. Hmm. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with being different. Maybe it just is.
Everyone bragging about being a super rare INFJ is a liar. INFJs also limit emotional expression except with their closest friends i.e. no emoticons. Being a special snowflake doesn’t mean you have some world-defining altruistic destiny, it means it’s harder to find someone who will understand you.
A rarity…I doubt it. INFJs may have been thought to be rare because they don’t have that supposedly strong urge to be recognized by the people they tend to. People just might not want to step under the lime light. Oh, they’re out there, keeping their voices to themselves and lending their arms to others.
What is everyone a liar about? Did your second sentence have a point?
I’m quite sure that no one is equating themselves with King or Mandela, nor do many people have such lofty goals. It is nice to know that perhaps the INFJ personality type is conducive to creating social change on some scale, especially considering that social change is often a passion of INFJ.
The entirety of your comment seems to be attempting to take INFJs “down a peg”. The problem with your criticism is that limiting emotional expression and being difficult to understand aren’t necessarily bad things. Please stop being so petulant.
Pretty harsh words for someone who may just be jealous of us “liars” and that special snowflake. What’s funny is that I don’t consider myself as a liar as you say we are. Everything listed here describes me. Maybe jealous because of our awesome qualities? At least we’re able to look within ourselves to try to better understand who we are. Maybe it’s something you need to do as well.
I am very glad to find out my personality trait. This is so so true about me 100%. I always tell my mom that I hate when people push up themselves to be my friend which they do often. It’s not that I’m being mean is just that I only like to have a few friends. I keep telling my best friend a loot of people find me to be their best friend but I don’t. I also hurt very deep and for this past week I find myself wanting to withdraw from everyone. I kept feeling like I wanted to lock off everyone in 2013. Now I know why. I’ve read this type in 4 sites and they all say the same thing we are rare. And that’s so strange because I had told the lord I guess the world(those I love the most) will never appreciate my true value. Anyone who would like to contact me my email is itriplea@live.co.uk. it would be nice to have friends who understand me to a T
sounds about right ish…
It’s comforting to know there is a forum for those who experience the world through the lens of an INFJ. Tested for the first time last year, and felt a bit more isolated when I saw the results. I don’t mind being different, but it’s not easy. I tested again today…since I thought maybe life has changed me. Still an INFJ. I’ve actually been working on being less introverted, but it is draining.
I find strength and clarity in my meditation practice… which enables me to take on any extroverted activities that are necessary.
It regenerates me.
Not only do I do daily meditation… but every six months, I spend a couple weeks in silent meditation… and when I return to the world of agitation, I am so filled up that I am on fire for weeks. And no one really knows what a true introvert I am.
Do you practice Vipassana?
A question…what do you do for a living and do you find it fulfilling? I’m really struggling to decide myself to commit to an artistic career or to become an activist (human rights, education, interfaith dialogue)…I’ve always felt I was born to do something here and to have a real impact but cannot discern what my “calling” is. Instead I keep on being very lost and when I see the state of the world I am not so sure that it’s through my writing or trying to make my way through the ultra competitive film-making industry, that I’m going to inspire whosoever…
Is it an abbreviation for something INFJ??
I’m new to all this..
Well INFJ stands for:
I = Introverted – Which means in my own words that while extroverts recharge there batteries through interaction with others. Introverts recharge there batteries through time alone.
N = Intuition – Which tends to mean you focus on the big picture rather then small details.
F = Feeeling – We tend to have strong emotional responses and make decisions keeping other peoples feelings in mind.
J = Judging – We like to have things settled and not left in the air. We often like to get important things done first then relax.
Hope this helped!
Its been 20 years since I first took the Briggs Myers test… so I retook it…thinking that maturity may have changed my personality. It didn’t. I’m still an INFJ… just an older, more mature INFJ.
INFJ’s are the true 1%!
This is awesome i really felt like the oddball at times and as if i was crazy for liking to be alone and thinking to myself 50% of the time. But don’t get me wrong i like to socialize a lot as well. But it makes perfect sense as to why i want to make a difference in the world. Nice to know im different and not just crazy..haha. And the work first play later is definately me, i rather not have work on my mind while im doing something relaxing. yayay go INFJ’s haha
This test makes me think about what I want to do in life, what I really care about and why it is so hard for me to.. Be me. Over the past few years of high school I’ve tossed from group to group, trying to figure out a group of people that I fit with, or belong with. I really like socalizing, but if its not with someone close to me then I just end up getting fed up with the person, and ignoring them. Its been hard for me to relate to others, and it really makes sense why some people may just not like me; because when I get emotional I kind of overload. I can’t help but to stand up for what I believe in, but sometimes I just don’t have the guts to exert myself out infront of everyone to voice it. Life has been hard for me, my best friend recently died and I think with this I can maybe actually find someone that I can talk to. I hope for the better, and although I may not make a huge impact on this world, I will try my best. I hope the same goes for all of you INFJ’s, we are destined for great things. Lets use our power for the better. Best of luck through your life, and if you feel like there is nobody to talk to, through me an email. Kevinsuryan@hotmail.com
Honestly, I would have expected more people to have this personality. Lately the people I’ve seen only care about how they sleep at night, and that’s exactly the outlook I have when making decisions. I found most if not all of the questions to be about picking your battles, or simply lending a hand. If there’s only one percent of people out there like that then I can now understand why the introverted sense is there. Everything else about the personality is outgoing in a passionate sense, until it comes to stepping out and actually relating to others. I’m actually quite surprised.
It’s really great to read all these comments as I find myself nodding along to every word ! The way there are so many people here (even though we are apparently the rarest type!) offering advice and help is good to see and I’m proud to be a part of it. I have also always wondered why I love being with my family and close friends, and am usually outgoing, funny and happy, but when we go out and meet new people I have nothing to say. As someone else has said here also, I’ve tried to be more extroverted but it is definitely draining. However I have become happier within myself and more accepting as I have met more accepting and non judgemental people. I hope we can all make the world a better place, and I am not comparing us to fellow INFJs Mandela or King (although I am humbled to be grouped with them!) but as kind people who really do want to help others.
Just found out today that I am an INFJ. My counsellor asked me if I was comfortable taking the personality test. I did. When the result came up, he had me read them aloud to him. I had to stop half way through, I started crying. I have never felt so understood. It finally felt as though someone told me it was ok to be me. I have always been confused by my conflicted actions, and inner turmoil. It’s just amazing to know there are others like me out there.
I just read about this today… my husband told me we see what we want to see, however I feel that at last i can understand who i am, or at least i am starting to have an idea, mainly knowing that are more people like me out there… i understand why i have always felt that something was missing… i used to feel guilty for not feeling completely happy or content about my life, my career, my job… i am in the wrong career.,. i felt i was rubbish at what i was/am doing, i was meant to be good at my job and i struggle to stay where i am which is not a bad place, quite good, but it cause me so much unhappiness and headaches and stress and health problems… I still don’t know exactly what is my career or dream job, but i know that in the path i currently am is not the right one, it is good money but money is not everything and i hope to have enough strength to take an action and make this big change and be happy.
Its funny how other people perceive me, as other comment how gregarious, fun loving all the time and all want to be my friend. But I see myself as someone totally different, with solitude, introspection, wanting to close issues and alone, and this test kind of hit it on the head. What was more interesting was my feeling on ways I deal with my surroundings. I don’t think I am going to change, but during social events I’ll try to interact hard to interact a bit more.
Strength of individual traits: I – 32%, N – 40%, F – 42%, J – 4%.
Explains some things
Chat me up on Facebook, would love to connect with resonating souls <3
Anyone else feel like they can ebb and flow from I to E and J to P?
this is sooo me!..joining myself to the club!
INFJ girls are my favorite people in the world. I’m an ENFP.
I feel misunderstood, I’d rather put my feelings to words, I like my alone time, I contemplate what’s wrong with the world, I ‘know’ how to fix the world, I feel spiritual, I see connections in everything, I love music and art, I hate criticism, I sense duplicity in people, I know when people are in pain or hurt, people can say one sentence and I can assign a small novel to what it means, at work I need to make sense of how my job helps others, I have to always find the ‘right’ words for letters, emails and memos, I dislike hypocrisy immensely, I cry easily, I don’t show my emotions to people I don’t know, I trust few but like many, I appear cool to people who don’t know me well, I have high expectations of others and the closer you are the higher the expectations, I withdraw from people without warning, people ‘think’ I’m so outgoing, I’m called a good actor, I compartmentalize everybody, My understanding of the universe can change in a blink of an eye when given new information, I have high ideals, tyranny and greed are curses, people are abused by those in power, I see myself as a shaman at times, people tell me deep secrets without warning… I think I might be an INFJ. LOL
Although on the outside I come off as extraverted and sociable, I’ve always been a secretly introverted person. I’ve always wondered why I was so “different” and saw meaning in life and meaning through other’s actions that other people didn’t. Well this explains everything…. I always thought I was weird and that I had to lower my values to the standards of today’s society because that is just what is accepted today. Now I know that I am not the only person in the world that looks at things and feels things differently. It’s good to not feel completely alone. It’s a little sad the people like this are so rare so I might never actually meet another one, but hopefully one day I can find someone more like me.
Is that why i love to spend sometime daily in darkness, searching within.
Tks u all for being here at this time, I’m so glad I’m not the only one in the world!!!
I’ve never really “normal” in my whole life (15 yrs so far)!!
))
I’m grateful for the abilities I’ve, the love, just everything, just so perfect now!! Tks u all again
INFJ sounds like flake to me.
I just found out today that I’m an INFJ. It kinda surprises me to know that my personality is rare (very?). I mean I think many people think the way I think. In school, some of my classmates hated me because I stand up to what is right and now I know why I can’t stay silent about all the inequities and stuff and I must admit that it is my dream to change the way my school community lives. Hahaha! This whole personality test thingy is accurate. I guess I’m a passionate INFJ.
What a relief….after reading this i feel i am not from a different planet…i use to wonder why people don’t think the way i do…especially my partner, he thinks i am too stubborn…but now that i know that a creature like me has a type and there are people like me in the world ….. it feel awesom to say that ‘i am an INFJian’….:D
wow!!! hOW AWESOME to discover this INFJ test result finally makes perfect sense to me why im different to like everyone else I have ever known. Such an amazing discovery 1% on this world wow! but can’t say ive not allows known that ive never felt like one of them or fited in anywhere much at least for long. My mind has always triped me out now it makes sense why lool Be glad finding new INFJ friends on facebook INTROVERT-44% INTUITIVE38% FEELING-25% JUDGING-11% mAKEs sense why I feel anger at the worlds state and never understood why we care so much and avoid conflict where ever we can… I guess my 11% judging make true why I feel against the world or simply not like im a part of the world at most times. Glad to know theres others out there like us! Coolest class INFJ rarest anyhow. Well ive said my peace.