INFJ

The INFJ Male Stereotype

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Kathryn asked: I definitely would type myself as an INFJ, and I relate the best to that type. My problem is, almost all INFJs, as portrayed by movies, are male, and none of them ever get married. Why are INFJs always portrayed as single guys when really INFJs are mostly female and extremely relational? – also, What movies portray an INFJ female?

Men who are feeling, are frequently associated with femininity, and our modern societies look down on femininity. As a result, boys get taught at a young age that they should not express their feelings and that it’s shameful to do so (I think this problem is actually bigger in America than it is in the UK because a lot of Americans have commented to me that they think British men are more in touch with their “feminine sides,” however that’s another issue for another day). Continue reading →

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Let’s be Real: One INFJ to the Rest of Mankind

Arvid Walton 3 Comments

Guest post by Heather, INFJ

I’d like not only to dispel some of the myth and mist surrounding the INFJ legend today, but to cast some light and provide some entertainment as well. There are some frequently repeated assumptions (aka stereotypes) regarding INFJs that have been circulating internet-land for years. These legends affect non-INFJs, it’s true, but they also have a tendency to inform INFJs’ opinions of themselves. It’s the power of suggestion. Particularly when there is a grain of truth to a stereotype, it is both easy and agreeable to say, “oh yes, that’s me,” so long as the stereotype is positive or comical or gives us an excuse for our bad habits.

One of these assumptions that INFJs love to claim for their own is being psychic, otherworldly narwhalicorns. It’s kind of an attractive idea to have about oneself. Particularly when one has felt like something of an alien amongst other humans for most of one’s life, and when one is actually quite clever at reading people. So, let’s be real: INFJs very often know a substantial amount of information about you that they don’t let on to, because first and foremost, they want you to be comfortable with them. No one feels very comfortable if they think you’re aware of their motivations and inner life. So then, where did this mysterious cache of information come from, you may ask. First, INFJs are simply very attuned to people in general. Se is our inferior function, but it is still a function. Because we are sort of ‘set’ to the people wavelength, that is the information we tend to pick up a lot of. This information is fed into our Ni (dominant function), which recognizes patterns and themes and can extrapolate accurate readings based on very little data. Add to this that I at least (sorry guys, I don’t know any INFJs in real life besides myself) amuse myself by studying personality theory, graphology, and Chinese face reading so that I can know even more about every specimen that crosses my path unsuspectingly. Continue reading →

Can INFJs use Ti more than Fe?

Arvid Walton 3 Comments

Kerissa asked: Is this situation possible, or am I misreading myself? I think that I’m an INFJ, but that I rely on my Ti more than my Fe. I’m still fairly young and I read somewhere that Fe develops later than some other functions. All the tests type me as an INTJ, but I’m almost positive I use Ti and Fe. According to function stacks, I can’t use Ni as my dominant function and Ti as my second one, but that’s how I would think I think.

Always trust your self knowledge before you trust the test.

What you’re describing is a function loop, where you get stuck using either your two introverted functions or your two extraverted functions and neglect the other two. Stop doing that. It’s not good for you.

The best way to get out of it is to focus on using the two functions that you’re not using as much more often. This will help bring you into a more balanced state.

INFJ: How I Write

Arvid Walton 9 Comments

Guest post by annesophie, INFJ

writer-waiting-for-ideas-inspiration-writing-animated-gif

As a budding novelist, I spend a lot of time thinking about my characters’ minds and how they work. It seems fitting that I also take the time to look at my own mind and ask myself, with regard to the cognitive functions, how it goes about creating stories. This is my take on how being an INFJ influences my writing.

Being an INFJ, I find that my preferred method of communication (for my sake and for everyone else’s) is of the written sort. Give me a pencil, paper, and some time and I can organize my thoughts in an eloquent fashion, and even perhaps at a rapid pace. Ask me to speak in front of more than two people and…well, results may vary.

Mix this with a preference for fictional friends Continue reading →

J.K. Rowling: INFJ

Arvid Walton 2 Comments

Guest post by Danielle, INTJ

Factors to Keep in Mind: Clinical Depression

J.K. Rowling INFJ | Harry Potter #MBTI #INFJ

Ni: With a passion for folklore and imagination, Rowling aspired to be a writer since she was 5 or 6 years old. She has scores of stories in mind, willing to wait years to write all of them. She mentions that once an idea pops into her head it floods her mind. In her account of creating Harry Potter while on a train, she described it as “an explosion of color, and… could see lots of detail about the world.” She hates small talk, preferring to learn about others’ differing opinions and fee Continue reading →

Canonical INxJ Friendships

Arvid Walton 13 Comments

Anonymouslemer asked: “Are there any canonical examples of an INTJ/INFJ friendship?”

Look no further than House M.D. House and Wilson are a perfect example of a relationship between unhealthy INxJs. Let’s just say they’re the type of friend-pair that will feel perfectly comfortable sitting and problem solving in a room with a random comatose grandpa that they’ve never met. They both toss around Ni, understanding each other’s deepest motivations and secrets without having to ask. Both of them are gifted at figuring out other people’s deepest secrets, but House does i Continue reading →

Charles Xavier: INFJ

Arvid Walton 7 Comments

Guest Post by Shubham, ENTP

X-Men

Charles Xavier INFJ | X-Men #MBTI #INFJ

Introverted Intuition (Ni): Charles is a mutant who has the power of telepathy (and to some extent telekinesis), but can also recognize what is going on in the minds of others very easily without having to read their minds. Thus many times when he is asked, “so did you read my mind,” he responds, “I didn’t have to.” Charles is extremely focused towards a long term goal (to make the society accept the mutants) and all of his actions are directed towards achieving it. Towards this goal, he has a very visionary, idealistic approach. His being the most powerful brain on the planet also gives him the a fair idea of ‘what comes next’ as that kind of thought requires a calm and detailed analysis (Ni) than a quick and some-what impractical response (Ne). This gives him a bit of a mystic charm. Like Magneto, he has a very specific approach to problem solving, a fact which is often the root stressor of their disagreements. Continue reading →