INFP strengths
- Passionate and energetic. INFPs tend to be very energetic when it comes to causes they believe in and are willing to fight for. They may be quiet and even shy in public, but their passion should not be underestimated.
- Very creative. INFP personalities find it easy to interpret signs and hidden meanings – furthermore, their well-developed intuition has no difficulties connecting the dots and coming up with interesting, unusual ideas.
- Open-minded and flexible. INFPs dislike being constrained by rules and do not seek to impose them on others. They tend to be fairly liberal, open-minded individuals, as long as their principles and ideas are not being challenged.
- Idealistic. INFPs are perhaps the most idealistic of all personality types, believing that people are inherently good and everyone should do their best to fight evil and injustice in the world.
- Seek and value harmony. INFPs do not want to dominate and work hard to ensure that everyone’s opinion is valued and heard.
- Can be very dedicated and hard-working. As mentioned above, INFP personalities are both very passionate and idealistic. Not surprisingly, they can also be unbelievably dedicated to their chosen cause or an organization. It is unlikely that an INFP will give up simply because everyone else has abandoned the cause or it is getting difficult to keep going.
INFP weaknesses
- Too altruistic. INFPs may be so focused on doing good things and helping other people that they may neglect their own needs. Alternatively, they may fight for their chosen cause ignoring everything else in life.
- Dislike dealing with data. INFP personalities are very much in tune with emotions and morality, but they are likely to have difficulties when it comes to dealing with facts and data, e.g. analyzing connections or finding discrepancies.
- Difficult to get to know. People with the INFP personality type tend to be private, reserved individuals. They are also likely to be quite self-conscious.
- Take many things personally. INFPs cherish their ideals and find it very difficult to accept criticism, taking such comments very personally. They also tend to avoid conflict situations, always looking for a solution that satisfies everybody.
- May be too idealistic. INFP personalities are prone to being too dreamy and idealistic, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. They may idealize – or even idolize – their partner, forgetting that no one is perfect.
- Impractical. INFPs do not really see practical things as important. They may even forget to eat and drink if they are doing something that excites and motivates them.
Do you agree or disagree with these points? Please share your opinion in the comments!
You may also be interested in our INFP Personal Development Guide – it gives specific practical advice on how to leverage your strengths and address your weaknesses.
Keep reading:
INFP personality
strength: can have exceptional focus and ablity to achieve, with minimal effort
weakness: can lead utterly meaningless life if overwhelmed by other peoples emotions and does not allow time to centre and process and seperate the feelings of self from others
perfect!
Wow, I am impressed.
Strength: immense amount of patience with others
Weakness: tendency to lack patience with themselves
… At least this is true for me as an INFP. I find that I have an endless amount of patience for other people, but I get irritated with myself when I can’t complete a task a quickly as I want to.
This makes me sound like a sissy :/
Lol, Miss. I don’t think it makes you sound like a sissy. I think western cultures tend to over-emphasise values and qualities near antithetical to those of the infp’s. To quote from the film Detachment: “It’s so easy to be callous, it takes courage and character to care.” I don’t think I need to say how much better this world would be if everyone showed they cared once in a damn while.
Christine- you made me realize something. The strengths that INFP’s posses are so profound but undervalued by the society were living in so we feel like we dont have many strengths and were sissies who are too much about people. But doesn’t that take the most strength of all? Its hard to be idealistic, loyal, ethical, optimistic, loving and kind in the face of the harsh world were living in. Our society may not value this very mcuh but it really is the biggest strength. If the world had more people like who tried to live with these characteristic it would definitely be a better place.
I found out that I am an INFP, Everything here is blatantly me. I care for these people and I want to be there for them however they don’t understand me and how I see the world so they are put off by me and start to ignore me. (Cliche metaphor) Life is really just a stream circumnavigating pools of emotion. Sometimes there are obstacles that block off the stream and force it into these pools. I have always found myself in a pool of depression because I just want to people to know me for who I really am. Sorry for this rant, its just that with all these years of isolation from true understanding and acceptance is tearing me apart.
Don’t worry, there are others like you (soo many) and just remember that today may be rough but there is ALWAYS sun after the rain and that this too shall pass. It really will. Give it to God & stop allowing yourself to suffer.
thank you! what you wrote as a reply made me smile. INFPs unite! haha
Slippytoad I know the feeling exactly. coming across this last night during one of my depression bouts made it better but worse at the same time. *gives hug*
I have been researching about INFP personality type for the past few hours, and I definitely think I have it. I mean it explains a whole lot. People who are said to have the INFP are highly discouraged to have anything to do with the business world, which is a rough truth for me because I frustratingly chase the corporate life… well, parents’ dream. I guess that’s the reason why I never really did well on my previous college degree which is Statistics. I think I am more of a creative person than a logical one; more of a dreamer than a doer. I would rather stay at home, read or write or create something beautiful than actually go to school and abide with the routine of learning methodical and scientific theories I wouldn’t be able to marvel on. But I’m too driven to finish college because I care for my family too much. It puts people off, especially people who are at stake in my schooling. They think I waste a lot of time writing and reading than actually getting some work done. That’s the thing with me, I dislike to do something I do not have passion for, but once I get to do what I love, I happen to really excel on it.
This has seriously enlightened me as to why I am always frustrated with things, up to the point I feel depressed about how I fail so much in life. I used to tell my old man that forcing me into Statistics is like forcing a tone-deaf person to excel in singing. It’s just not me, period. Here I am at 4am in my house, researching and writing about INFP while everyone is sound asleep, and I couldn’t feel happier. I feel like discovering this personality type has just spread some light on who I really am. And I agree with the comments above that people who have INFP personality are very undervalued. The world could use more idealistic people.
I did a degree in Economics and underachieved in Statistics. I have avoided the corporate world despite pressure from parents and I am in the research world where I get to write my ideas down in a non-purerly Scientific and Economics way. In that, I get to exercise my INFP qualities of creativity, individuality and idealism. I got to write what I really cared about for my Master’s thesis, with all my ideals – I was fortunate. So you can finish your degree in Stats. After all, a bachelor’s degree serves to sharpen the mind and really(merely)prepares you to tackle the real world.
This is totally me.
Strength: Incredible creativity and imagination.
Weakness: Tendency to not set realistic goals, and not being very well-organized.
I hate statistics but enjoy using STATA, which is really programming and problem solving. Data in itself is not appealing but once you see patterns emerging, some hidden links being discovered, then data becomes useful. That’s me as an INFP with regards the value of data.
Slippytoad I know the the feeling also. Th exact same thing is going on with me now. I feel detatched from the world. I’ve always wanted people to know me for how I am, and I often sink into depression. Although no matter how deep I sink into depression, no matter suicidal thoughts run through my head, I have stayed strong. It feels good to know that I am unique with others at my side. I like who I am now, and I can only hope that people will someday find out who I really am.
I have trouble finishing the last 10 to 20% of almost any task??? Often wondered how to deal with this.
i am 17 years old and in 11th grade. i have a keen intuition towards people i easly see what motivates them. there are a few people ive come across as unreadable,my interest in them becomes overwelming so i will myself to talk to them if i dont know them. this one girl i was so nervous to talk to her i ended up just writing her a note, she wrote back and she found me passionate but odd. she and i havent actually talked yet and she is a good friend. my other friends i am really laid back with them so much that they always ask if im high lol, i tell them that drugs are for people that need clarity and cannot accept their misery, which is not a problem for me. i often suprise them by asking questions like “what do you value/desire most?” one of my friends critisizes christians alot(which i am no such of) i scold him telling him that people have religion to find purpose this is essential, you should only critsize those with weak conviction,the person could beleive that neil patrick harris saved the world riding a giraffe,as long as they put their true faith into it, its cool. i often confuse my interest in unreadable people with love, that one girl i write to i often have her on my mind in many ways, i enjoy all these thoughts except the sexual ones, i burn those out of mind i respect her too much to want to think of her that way.
So am I,I can intuitively “read” people’s feelings & thoughts,often with incredible accuracy!
but there is this girl,she is funny, dedicated student, however I feel that she’s hiding herself & I can get no further!tried to open her up but no success (so far). I though that I love her, but the signs show it isn’t love! I was very confused, now I know, tks u so much!!! 
our intuition is really cool!!!
“evil does not triumph when good people do nothing but when people dont do good things not because they arent good people but because its the right thing “
CAS, your paragraph is really beautifully written and it stood out to me. When I was a teenager in high school I was very similar. Seeing others in a very intuitive way and empathizing with those hurting or seeking answers. Feeling as though you can help open their awareness. You should really be proud of yourself for embracing those qualities at such a young age. I read many other INFP’s thoughts about how they thought of themselves as “weak” or “incapable.” The power of the INFP doesn’t come from the world, but from within. We certainly see the world in a different light, and our compassion for others allows us to spread that light. I think you must be very clever for your age. You must feel a spiritual and intuitive connection with nature and the spirit of the earth. There is an inherent knowing of the beauty and sadness in the world, which is also very beautiful. You see love as something sacred, and the sexual aspect as tainting that love. I definitely relate to that and have all my life. I guess as dreamers INFP’s do this often.
thank you, your right about alot of what you said, your wrong about the “sexual aspect” being tainting, it is a beautiful thing itself, its just easier to deal with people when you don’t think about people that way. the big overwhelming and inescapable problem of the earth is that people are sad and hurt because others wanted more. that’s the price you pay for a better life, allowing others to suffer or even inflicting it yourself. when i chastise my friend, i enjoy it, knowing that i can improve his understanding. but i start to make him angry and drive a wedge between us and i make him start to rethink his beliefs(which is a hard thing to go through). that is the way of the world, the price you pay. in order for something to be better , something must be inadequate. in order for great and good change to happen quickly there must be a great and horrible disaster. the “sadness of the earth” doesn’t belong to the earth it is with the people. please don’t project the people’s misery upon the earth, it makes you sound like you believe that melancholy was created without human vice or virtue.
as for the INFP believing themselves weak thats because they do not have as much arrogance as me (or others), im sorry but if i wasnt incredibly full of myself or as greedy(specifically personal gain {of anything} without spirituality) i wouldnt be as well rounded as i am. those who are arrogant like me and aren’t greedy and can become ‘broken’ and corrupted by their own pessimism and become fed up with the world and people. also the innate desire to change the world comes from within, but the world is where you get the ability to use it. imagine if the world was in your vision , with nothing needed to be fixed or changed, what would happen to your inherent desire? changing something that is good is a bad thing, so where does our place become? where is your purpose when there is nothing you can do to satisfy your want for change? I am conflicted between coveting what i have and gaining what i want, because that is the price i would have to pay.i love what i covet so right now, the big and near impossible goal is thinking of a way to pay a different price.
your right that i can see the beauty of the earth and the sadness of the people(thats the peoples doing), but thats just the aspects we(not me) WANT to see. it’s easy to see light when it’s the only thing you give time to, but when your eyes embrace the darkness, the ugly and shameful parts, and you try to look back at the light, that is true clairvoyance. When your eyes are trained to see darkness clearly, not only does the light look brighter, but the shadows start to look elegant as well.
I am actually guilty of forgetting to eat because something was interesting….
I rather enjoy “analyzing connections or finding discrepancies.”
You must definatly be a die-hard Sherlock Holmes fan.
Someone help please? How can I be a ISFP and INFP and they seem to be opposites?
Ok so I took the test again and it’s a 1% difference between S and N so I guess I AM both
Ann: Me too, I don’t know what I am :/ confusing
I have taken this test some times now and INFP has been the result every time, however I do not think it is completely right.
The parts about being shy, often idealistic, really compassionate and bound to few people and taking things rather personal, all seem to bee right.
The problem is that I am not energetic, very creative or goal-oriented. In fact I am rather cynical (really Cynical) and do not see the «good» in most people, and I like facts, information and logic to. This all makes me rather confused about the result. Someone else with the same confusion?
Yeah me too, it’s like I’m part of everything.
True to most extent. cant stop being me!!!
Very true, I think hypotheticals are far more important than reality (though, oddly enough, I’m great at math and sciences and avidly follow advances in physics)—and I’m good at noticing details as well as overall themes.
I do feel society is immensely complicated—we accept a predetermined system of rules, calendars, and rituals, and to an extent I think this is necessary: (you guys should check the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rouseau, I think it would ring with you) if we really thought about our place in the world we may explode in a realization of self-pity and futility, and civilization prevents us from thinking too hard. We should quit all the political garglemesh and strive toward the pursuit of knowledge, for years our society has remained relatively stagnant and day-to-day oriented. (Whereas the Cold War, which was awesome because no one except one unfortunate pilot died, and it still had all the ironic benefits of war—the undeniable benefits of uniting a nation under a war-time economy allowed the development of nuclear fusion as well as the moon landing, and competing with the Russians inspired nationalism and social reform. Oh, and it made the Internet,)
I don’t know what I meant to write there… Just rambled a bit. In case anyone wonders about the guest name, it’s for green phosphor CRT monochrome monitors—I’m the rare 15-year-old girl obsessed with retro videogames and obsolete technology, and for that matter, the rare human who knows how to use em dashes. Hyphens are for compound words, ems for pauses, and en dashes for time intervals. You guys remember that. Punctuation is important.
I got chills when I read your comments! Finally, I find that I’m not the only one in the world who’s like that. I do have incredible intuition and a very oddly passionate way of relating to people, to the extent that T types get a little overwhelmed/confused by me. Oh and as for those who got INFP but don’t agree with a number of the points, it could be because your traits aren’t that strongly expressed (maybe some of them are low in % e.g. 10% expressed). Personally, my I and P traits are only slightly preferred over E and J, so I kinda swing both ways, haha. Glad to read this site, keep it up!
Too dreamy ):
Interesting . . . except for the part that says INFPs don’t like dealing with data. I *like* dealing with data.