The INFJ personality type is one of the twelve personality types and is the rarest in the world, making up only 2% of the world population. The acronym INFJ stands for Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging, which makes these people possess a unique set of traits that even if they may seem to be contradicting, they actually complement each other.
It is hard to spot an INFJ person out in the open because they do not wish to expose themselves too much and always come with a reserve. However, if you are an INFJ or you know one, you will agree that INFJs are fiercely loyal, empathetic and organized, and always aim for causes greater than themselves. (1)
This makes INFJ exceptionally precious for this world, and although a rare snowflake, these people are the change this world needs.
INFJ Meaning
The INFJ personality type stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling Judging, and it’s also referred to in the literature as The Idealist, or The Advocate.
Why advocates and idealists? How does that come together? – you may think to yourself.
INFJ people feel like they cannot rest until they reach their ideals and definition of success, often leading to burnout and emotional exhaustion. On the other hand, they are warm conversationalists, protective of their family, sensitive to the environment and the people surrounding them, and whatever they do, they do it with the best intentions.
Precisely because they are sensitive and emotional and their thoughts are pure, they cannot cope well with criticism, even if it is constructive.
INFJ Personality
INFJs are one of the rarest personality types. They may be hard to comprehend at times because of their firm moral compass and strive to always do the right thing. Helping others is their fuel, their purpose in life.
INFJs have highly developed communicative skills and are usually good at expressing themselves. These people are very eloquent and born orators with a refined talent for public speaking and counseling. (2)
They are fierce, fair, and zealous leaders because they have a firm core values system. But even when they don’t take up that leadership spotlight, they are doing a great job behind the scenes.
They hate seeing other people suffer, and they hate injustice. In a way, we can say they are empaths because they understand pain and are willing to make that extra step – help, lend an ear, or give good-hearted advice.
INFJs are quite generous people and one of the reasons they are called advocates is because they are fierce in fighting against injustice and unfairness and the moment someone attacks their loved ones, they turn into hungry lions defending their friends and family.
The hardship of society troubles them and they have a vision to fix everything that’s rotten and subversive. INFJ people have colorful imagination, multi-layered creativity, and believe that karma exists.
People with this personality type are somewhat of control freaks that tend to establish order in their lives through careful planning and meticulous organizing; they hate not knowing what’s awaiting them the next day, let alone the next month, which is why they like to be in control and plan everything in advance.
Adhering to a schedule gives them a sense of security and stability.
Though introverted by nature, INFJs are eternal dreamers of a better, brighter tomorrow, they are strong and enduring – like the connections they want to form with other people.
People with this type of personality enjoy helping others, but they also need time and space to recharge because they take up a lot of the energies and griefs of the world.
Evil, corrupted, conniving people, inequality, prejudice, criticism tend to frustrate and put them down, and they need time to channel their disappointment. Because their intentions are good, they find it hard to believe that bad people exist.
INFJ Relationships
It may take time for INFJ personality type of people to find a compatible partner because of their moral principles and beliefs, however, these people do not have unrealistic expectations, nor are they too picky, or hard to please.
Rather, they are simple and reasonable. It’s just that they are not willing to settle down for anyone if they are not absolutely certain it’s going to be the love of their life.
In romantic relationships, INFJs tend to give chances and forgive as long as they feel loved and appreciated.
INFJ Cognitive Functions
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was created by Isabel Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs in the 1940s based on Carl Jung’s personality theory.
Jung believed that the ego represents the conscious mind comprising thoughts, memories, and emotions we ARE aware of and he came up with 4 personality types:
- Extraversion vs. introversion.
- Sensation vs. intuition.
- Thinking vs. feeling.
- Judging vs. perceiving.
Isabel and Katherine took the cognitive functions, i.e., the essentials that make up a personality type; did a little mix and match of their own, and ended up expanding Carl’s theory. It’s how these so-called ingredients combine and interact that create a personality type.
Nowadays, the MBTI is the leading personality type model widely used in the corporate world.
As for INFJs specifically, they tend to rely more on four primary cognitive functions:
Dominant: Introverted Intuition
- Internal insights and thinking are put to the fore
- Strong adherence to intuition
- Sharp and unyieldingly focus on personal dreams, visions, and goals.
Supplementary: Extraverted Feeling
- Awareness of what others are feeling; negligence of personal emotions and necessities
- Not knowing how to say no
- Not wanting to hurt others – doing everything to prevent others from getting hurt
- Understanding/Feeling other people’s pain and suffering.
Tertiary: Introverted Thinking
- Decision making based on emotions and personal insights
- Relying on emotions when making decisions, especially if it means pleasing other people (particularly true for stressful situations).
Inferior: Extraverted Sensing
- Paying attention to the world and the surrounding people; constant awareness and regard for how others may feel.
- Highly developed sense of empathy.
INFJ Strengths And Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Creative
- Insightful
- Organized
- Principled
- Ethical
- Honest
- Intuitive
- Dedicated
- Strong
- Passionate
- Altruistic
Weaknesses:
- Perfectionistic
- Sensitive to criticism
- Reluctant to show emotions/open up
- Prone to burnout/frustration/disappointment
INFJ Characteristics:
1. A feeling of being “different” and lonely
And indeed, with the low number in which they appear among people, they are different, as their special set of traits is not something many are able to comprehend. This sense of being different makes them feel lonely, as they cannot associate fully with the people around them.
2. Radiating with a warmth that makes everyone around feel comfortable
Their strong empathy and intuitive character make people around them feel comfortable enough to disclose their greatest secrets and fears even if they have known them for only an hour. They are great listeners and they are true to their values, and you can see this by simply looking at their face. It is like they shine with a sense of security and understanding that seem to be lost in a world of fake people.
3. “Knowing” things as they are, without putting too much effort in it
INFJs have a strong intuition which allows them to simply “know” the things without any logical reasoning behind. Being also judging, they always analyze their intuitive messages, and this allows them to formulate a perception of the reality around them that many are unable to grasp even in part.
4. Understanding people on a super deep level
INFJs can scan you with a simple glance, and they will immediately know a lot of things about your personality. This makes them very tolerant to those who are fighting their demons, and they understand and forgive people’s mistakes like nobody else. They can trace the root of the behavior of others and they can see your traumas and insecurities. However, this ability also allows them to quickly dismiss fakes and manipulators.
5. Seeking truth and meaning in everything
These people cannot swallow statements because “they are like that.” They want to see how things connect and understand the truth that binds everything together. They are the masters of connecting the dots and they have their judging character, their intuition, their deeper understanding of the mind, and their empathy to thank for that.
It seems that these four characteristics allow them to fully connect the whole picture and all underlying elements to understand the genuine truth that stands behind everything.
6. They are loners
INFJs may be good at connecting with people, but this does not make them feel like they can be friends with everyone. In fact, they have a very small circle of people they can truly call friends. They value the meaning of friendship highly and if they are ready to call someone their friends, then they mean it for life. They like being surrounded with like-minded people, and this makes it very hard for them, as people who share their worldview are rare.
7. They have the strength to confront the crowd
Being introverts, INFJs like their solitude and their self-reflection. However, this does not make them shy away from crowds. They have the courage and the strength to confront any social situation, after which they will prefer to get back inside and recharge.
They are the type of people who prefer quiet and relaxed places to crowded and loud ones. They are eloquent and they will be able to charm thousands with their verbal abilities, but they will afterward prefer to stay away from mingling with that crowd as they are not fans of crowds.
8. Possessing high moral values and a feeling of a higher purpose
INFJs are people who set strong moral values and high standards that lead them through life. They live by the ideals of a better world and they believe that they are one of those who should try to make a change.
These high values come in all aspects of their lives, be it relationships, work, society, family, you name it, and they will uphold their beliefs to the maximum. If they see that any aspect of their lives makes them change those values, they do not think twice before disregarding it and leaving it to the dust.
9. They are visionaries and they can always see the big picture
You will never see an INFJ doing something without having it put as a part of a much greater plan. Not only do they function for a purpose they have set in their mind, but they can always predict the outcomes that a deed can produce.
They are fully aware of the big picture in every situation and you can never fool them if you have set your mind on something and you are hiding that goal from them. They will eventually trace your behavior and understand where you are going.
10. They are always there for those who need help
INFJs are ‘fixers’. When they see that someone is struggling, they will do everything in their power to help them out and set them on the right path, from where they can go on by themselves. However, some people, even though weak, tend to abuse this trait and try to toss their responsibilities on the INFJ.
One can say that this makes INFJs people pleasers, but the difference is that they focus so much on the deep nature of these people that they tend to justify their actions on the surface. When they notice the abuse, they leave the parasites for good.
11. They are very creative
INFJs are highly creative individuals and their hobbies are usually tied to some kind of creative work. Whether it is writing, drawing/painting, sculpting, composing, singing, you name it, an INFJ will always focus on doing something that will help them express their innermost feelings, thoughts, and their vivid perception of reality.
INFJ Empath
INDJs are highly attuned to the emotions of others, they are careful when entering a room of people; careful with their actions and words because hurting someone even unintentionally is one of their biggest dreads.
Perhaps not all INFJs are empaths, but surely, many are.
You may be wondering why of course.
Well, it’s rather obvious: they are both the THINKERS and the FEELERS of the universe. That makes them take everything into consideration before they do or say something.
INFJs absorb every single vibration, every intuition, every energy, and because of it, they need to be aware of burnouts and frustration.
If you are an INFJ yourself, dedicate some time to yourself and listen to your inner voice.
Just take a moment and breathe. Just breathe.
Listen to your heart. What does it tell you?
Do you need some rest? Do you need more time? Do you need a day off? Stop being so restless; stop thinking that you can do everything in one breath.
Yes, maybe you can, but you certainly don’t have to!
Recharge your batteries by doing… WHATEVER it takes to refresh your soul and come back as new and revitalized again!
Careers For INFJ
Scoring for an INFJ means you are a good leader, good at counseling or helping people get through tough times in a kind and supportive way, and it means you are empathetic and righteous.
Hence, doing a job that accentuates your qualities will really strengthen your life’s purpose (and we all know how much you love having one! :))
For INFJs the best career options would be:
- Psychologist
- Counselor
- Professor
- Writer
- Lawyer
- Recruiter (anything related to human resources)
- Public speaker
INFJ Famous People
It is true that INJFs are rare gems, but you’ll be surprised to learn how many famous people actually have the INFJ personality type. Among the ones we sectioned out were:
- Martin Luther King
- Nelson Mandela
- Carl Jung
- Noam Chomsky
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Oprah Winfrey
- Nicole Kidman
- Taylor Swift
- Tom Selleck
- Jamie Foxx
- Adam Sandler
- Shirley Temple
INFJs are truly a rare snowflake and the world needs more of them. Their personality is a mix of wonderfully combined traits that allow them to live a life that many can look up to.
They are protective, honest, dedicated, and driven.
If you are an INFJ, stay wonderful, because the world is already a better place because of YOU.
Not sure if you are a true advocate at heart? Make an INFJ personality test, and learn to slow down your overflowing empath by focusing a bit… on YOU!!!
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.