Any INFJ personality type here?

[Anonymous]

I’m an INFJ, too! Well, I was in 1999. I had to take the Myers-Briggs again for some women’s leadership thingy in 2018, and seem to be wandering over towards INFP. I guess these things aren’t static, which is interesting.

I identify with many of these comments - I’m silent and awkward in large groups and a chatterbox is small groups, and have the procrastination/perfectionism/anxiety trifecta. I do a lot of teaching and love mentoring. Unfortunately, I am overly sensitive to criticism. I used to hate making decisions, but I’m a pathologist, so I had to get over that!

[Anonymous]

Huh, I saw this thread the other day and thought "oh I can never remember which one I'm supposed to be."

And then I just took the MB to get my mind off of something else and the result was INFJ (the "Advocate") and I realized this is what I always get. Though I don't think I knew it was the rarest one.

I am a librarian. Married with one kid. I work remotely and did pre-Covid, which is what I prefer. Though ideally I would be working at my local library or coffee shop for some portion of every day because while I don't like working in an office, I do like being around people I don't have any obligation to talk to. I love observing people to an almost unhealthy degree. I've often thought I would make a great detective in another life. For now I use my investigatory skills for good tracking down information for people as a library researcher.

The hardest things about INFJ for me are the perfectionism and the sensitivity to criticism. The reason I was taking a personality quiz was because I'm so stressed about doing a task (reading feedback from my writing group on a piece I submitted) that I will do anything to avoid it. I stayed up late tonight specifically to do this and yet I can't bring myself to do so because I am so fearful of what people though. And yet I continue with this group and writing stories and submitting work. I feel like a big part of my personality is doing things that scare me but in the most stressful way possible. I look before I leap, and then leap, and then spend the entire time I'm in air thinking "oh my god why did I do this I'm going to die." And then I do it again. Sigh.

Anyway, fun to read everyone's posts here. I love how many intelligence analysts there are here! I was going to do that but decided last minute to go to library school instead because I struggle with organizations that have strict rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an INFJ, too! Well, I was in 1999. I had to take the Myers-Briggs again for some women’s leadership thingy in 2018, and seem to be wandering over towards INFP. I guess these things aren’t static, which is interesting.

I identify with many of these comments - I’m silent and awkward in large groups and a chatterbox is small groups, and have the procrastination/perfectionism/anxiety trifecta. I do a lot of teaching and love mentoring. Unfortunately, I am overly sensitive to criticism. I used to hate making decisions, but I’m a pathologist, so I had to get over that!

I posted earlier but these describe me, too. My perfectionism is better now than it used to be. I work through my procrastination by making lists and checking off things that I am procrastinating. Taking action helps my anxiety because it helps to stop the rumination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh, I saw this thread the other day and thought "oh I can never remember which one I'm supposed to be."

And then I just took the MB to get my mind off of something else and the result was INFJ (the "Advocate") and I realized this is what I always get. Though I don't think I knew it was the rarest one.

I am a librarian. Married with one kid. I work remotely and did pre-Covid, which is what I prefer. Though ideally I would be working at my local library or coffee shop for some portion of every day because while I don't like working in an office, I do like being around people I don't have any obligation to talk to. I love observing people to an almost unhealthy degree. I've often thought I would make a great detective in another life. For now I use my investigatory skills for good tracking down information for people as a library researcher.

The hardest things about INFJ for me are the perfectionism and the sensitivity to criticism. The reason I was taking a personality quiz was because I'm so stressed about doing a task (reading feedback from my writing group on a piece I submitted) that I will do anything to avoid it. I stayed up late tonight specifically to do this and yet I can't bring myself to do so because I am so fearful of what people though. And yet I continue with this group and writing stories and submitting work. I feel like a big part of my personality is doing things that scare me but in the most stressful way possible. I look before I leap, and then leap, and then spend the entire time I'm in air thinking "oh my god why did I do this I'm going to die." And then I do it again. Sigh.

Anyway, fun to read everyone's posts here. I love how many intelligence analysts there are here! I was going to do that but decided last minute to go to library school instead because I struggle with organizations that have strict rules.

I think we are the same person.
Also, I am a people observer, too, but I always thought it was for a different reason.

[Anonymous]

Ok, here's a question..groups and cliques

Where are you? I'm not an outcast, or loner, but I am never in "the clique." I have friends, but if a group forms, that's it for me, even if it's not my choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, here's a question..groups and cliques

Where are you? I'm not an outcast, or loner, but I am never in "the clique." I have friends, but if a group forms, that's it for me, even if it's not my choice.

I'm not in the clique either. I'm friendly, but sometimes a bit aloof. I don't find it very easy to make friends. I have a close group of friends that I've had for years. I'm crap at and not interested in small talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, here's a question..groups and cliques

Where are you? I'm not an outcast, or loner, but I am never in "the clique." I have friends, but if a group forms, that's it for me, even if it's not my choice.

Interesting question. I've actually been a part of a number of groups, some of which could be considered a clique. But I'm always the weird one. Always. Usually the reason I'm in the group is that I have one, maybe two, close friends who are in the group and they keep inviting me to everything because they are very committed to group culture. And I go because I want to please my friend and I really, really try to just fit in and be normal. And it NEVER works. People don't hate me, they just think I'm weird.

Well, that's not totally true. On one occasion a couple people in the group did decide that they hated me, and it was a terrible experience. Nothing quite like being ostracized from a group you never really meant to join in the first place. That was actually traumatic for me in a social/mental sense because outright rejection is really, really hard for me to take. It took me years to get over and even now, when I'm reminded of it, I have this deep sense of shame and misery that can take a bit to shake off. I guess that's my perfectionism and sensitivity to criticism coming out.

But usually I just feel sort of awkward and eventually fade out gently. A big reason I leave groups is because sometime people are really into how offbeat I am and they get excited about me being their "weird" friend. This is a really awful dynamic because it's basically someone who has assigned you a role as like their tertiary friend. When that happens I get out fast because I'm not set dressing in someone's personal drama.

[Anonymous]

Are we all night owls, too? I posted at around 11:30, and figured that was the last entry for the night; however, it looks like lots of INFJ people are still up. I love nighttime - I can be alone, my family is asleep, and I can just lay in bed and listen to music or work without interruption.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we all night owls, too? I posted at around 11:30, and figured that was the last entry for the night; however, it looks like lots of INFJ people are still up. I love nighttime - I can be alone, my family is asleep, and I can just lay in bed and listen to music or work without interruption.

Always have been! I'm the most creative at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, here's a question..groups and cliques

Where are you? I'm not an outcast, or loner, but I am never in "the clique." I have friends, but if a group forms, that's it for me, even if it's not my choice.

Interesting question. I've actually been a part of a number of groups, some of which could be considered a clique. But I'm always the weird one. Always. Usually the reason I'm in the group is that I have one, maybe two, close friends who are in the group and they keep inviting me to everything because they are very committed to group culture. And I go because I want to please my friend and I really, really try to just fit in and be normal. And it NEVER works. People don't hate me, they just think I'm weird.

Well, that's not totally true. On one occasion a couple people in the group did decide that they hated me, and it was a terrible experience. Nothing quite like being ostracized from a group you never really meant to join in the first place. That was actually traumatic for me in a social/mental sense because outright rejection is really, really hard for me to take. It took me years to get over and even now, when I'm reminded of it, I have this deep sense of shame and misery that can take a bit to shake off. I guess that's my perfectionism and sensitivity to criticism coming out.

But usually I just feel sort of awkward and eventually fade out gently. A big reason I leave groups is because sometime people are really into how offbeat I am and they get excited about me being their "weird" friend. This is a really awful dynamic because it's basically someone who has assigned you a role as like their tertiary friend. When that happens I get out fast because I'm not set dressing in someone's personal drama.

I think group think in anything, or however it happens, is an issue for an INFJ. Everything is eclectic...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an INFJ, too! Well, I was in 1999. I had to take the Myers-Briggs again for some women’s leadership thingy in 2018, and seem to be wandering over towards INFP. I guess these things aren’t static, which is interesting.

I identify with many of these comments - I’m silent and awkward in large groups and a chatterbox is small groups, and have the procrastination/perfectionism/anxiety trifecta. I do a lot of teaching and love mentoring. Unfortunately, I am overly sensitive to criticism. I used to hate making decisions, but I’m a pathologist, so I had to get over that!

I posted earlier but these describe me, too. My perfectionism is better now than it used to be. I work through my procrastination by making lists and checking off things that I am procrastinating. Taking action helps my anxiety because it helps to stop the rumination.

This describes me to a T. Wow never heard it described like this....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am strong INFJ. Oddly enough, I'm an engineer. Married, 2 young kids.

Similar to a PP, I am an introvert, but social provided it is a small group.

Funny to read these bc I'm a teacher turned engineer. Married with 2 kids, that's about all I think I can handle with my introverted tendencies. I'm what you call an extroverted introvert. Meaning around family and close friends I can be the loud one but in a large group of strangers will be the quietest. I also know how to turn into my "public" self like a switch which is not really like my personal self. I'm very down to earth and get get fatigued by other people's aggressive energy- either verbal or floating around them.

Wow that is exactly me. I am a switch. My family and friend personality is different than being with a large group of strangers. Always front and center with family but never with strangers. Aggressive energy do you mean the loud extroverted type?

Yes, loud extroverts with aggressive personalities exhaust me and deplete my energy. I try to avoid them at all cost. lol I identify with so much of what everyone has mentioned in this post. I am also super analytical and love to detect patterns and think about big topics in life such as purpose, afterlife, etc....

[Anonymous]

Where can we take the test for free?

[Anonymous]

For a long time, I always got INFJ, but in recent years, I’ve gotten INFP. I identify strongly with aspects of both personality type, but I think the main thing that’s shifted me to INFP is that I’ve become an increasingly spontaneous person over the years.

[Anonymous]

I am, as an INFJ

Very intuitive. This doesn't mean that I can see the future, or have extra sensory perception. It means that I am super observational and see patterns quickly. I do sense a bad thing coming, though, but what that thing is isn't always clear. I have an enormous sense of dread.

I can size a person up very quickly. If they are fake, I know it.

I do have a lot of empathy, which exhausts me.

I need my alone time. Maybe even a nap to shut myself off.

I do care about first impressions, too much about my own. I am afraid of mistakes..which is why I'm not in the medical field. It would traumatize me to make a mistake and hurt someone. Also, I would worry about it constantly. I appreciate people who have the confidence to do those things.

I am not a big risk taker, but I'm not afraid of change. I like new things, creative things, but I'm not going to bungee jump or drop acid.

I overthink way too much.

I love art, abstract art, creative art, film, writing, books, music. Dark sense of humor.

I procrastinate, but (!) I will get it done. If it means all night the night before, it will be done. My procrastination is stupid. Really stupid.

I'm better at accepting criticism now. Nope, didn't like it when I was younger. Or now, but I'm older.

I'm organized. But, in a project, it won't look that way.

I can read a room in seconds.

I am up late. Every night. It's my time.

I want to read everything. The smart phone is the best and definitely the worst thing for me.

I live outside of organized groups- religion, clubs, cliques, career ladders. I find the sociology of people fascinating.

I love my family, very protective . It was hard to be an empty nester, but I did ok. I miss my family, though.

I love animals, and I "get" them. Even ones I don't like really...snakes, reptiles, fish.

I can feel fear in others. People who are angry are often fearful.

I am warm and open , but if someone reveals their true colors, I'm not going to engage further. And, that means I knew who they were before, but they had a chance to prove otherwise.

I am, however, a loyal friend.
I have a hard time holding up all the balls in friend relationships, especially when my kids were small, I was working, too much going on. Constantly beating myself up if I don't call or engage for a period of time. It's much easier now.

I'm doing ok in this pandemic. I miss everyone, things, but I can live with myself for a long time. Lots of stuff in my head. I am never bored.

I won't engage in open conflict. I will just shut the door.

Some people say this Myers Briggs is BS. I've found it to be helpful, actually, in many ways. Of course, there are exceptions to everything.