Infj Personality ("The Advocate")
Infj Personality ("The Advocate")
Infj Personality ("The Advocate")
The INFJ personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but
they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. As Diplomats (NF), they have an inborn sense of
idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is the accompanying Judging (J) trait INFJs are
not idle dreamers, but people capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a
lasting positive impact.
INFJs tend to see helping others as their purpose in life, but while people with this personality
type can be found engaging rescue efforts and doing charity work, their real passion is to get to
the heart of the issue so that people need not be rescued at all.
INFJ Weaknesses
open up, even to close friends. Trusting a new friend can be even more
challenging for INFJs.
Perfectionistic INFJs are all but defined by their pursuit of ideals.
While this is a wonderful quality in many ways, an ideal situation is not
always possible in politics, in business, in romance and INFJs too
often drop or ignore healthy and productive situations and relationships,
always believing there might be a better option down the road.
Always Need to Have a Cause INFJs get so caught up in the
passion of their pursuits that any of the cumbersome administrative or
maintenance work that comes between them and the ideal they see on
the horizon is deeply unwelcome. INFJs like to know that they are taking
concrete steps towards their goals, and if routine tasks feel like they are
getting in the way, or worse yet, there is no goal at all, they will feel
restless and disappointed.
Can Burn Out Easily Their passion, poor patience for routine
maintenance, tendency to present themselves as an ideal, and extreme
privacy tend to leave INFJs with few options for letting off steam. People
with this personality type are likely to exhaust themselves in short order
if they dont find a way to balance their ideals with the realities of day-today living.
INFJ RELATIONSHIPS
When it comes to romantic relationships, INFJs take the process of finding a
partner seriously. Not ones for casual encounters, people with the INFJ
personality type instead look for depth and meaning in their relationships.
INFJs will take the time necessary to find someone they truly connect with
once theyve found that someone, their relationships will reach a level of depth
and sincerity that most people can only dream of.
Getting to that point can sometimes be
a challenge for potential partners,
especially if they are the impatient
type, as INFJs are often perfectionistic
and picky. People with this personality
type arent easily talked into something
they dont want, and if someone
doesnt pick up on that, its a trespass
that is unlikely to be forgiven,
particularly in the early stages of
INFJ FRIENDS
There is a running theme with INFJs, and that is a yearning for authenticity
and sincerity in their activities, their romantic relationships, and their
friendships. People with the INFJ personality type are unlikely to go for
friendships of circumstance, like workplace social circles or chatting up their
local baristas, where the only thing they really have in common is a day-to-day
familiarity. Rather, INFJs seek out people who share their passions, interests
and ideologies, people with whom they can explore philosophies and subjects
that they believe are truly meaningful.
share more of what lies beneath the surface, and if those ideas and motives
are mutual, its the sort of friendship that will transcend time and distance,
lasting a lifetime. INFJs dont require a great deal of day-to-day attention for
them, quality trumps quantity every time, and over the years they will likely
end up with just a few true friendships, built on a richness of mutual
understanding that forges an indelible link between them.
INFJ PARENTS
As parents INFJs, much as in their friendships, will tend to look at their
relationships with their children as opportunities to learn and grow with
someone they care about, while working to achieve a distinctly separate but
important goal raising someone to be an independent, responsible and
principled adult. People with the INFJ personality type are unflinching in their
devotion to their children, willing to grin and bear any burden without
hesitation. While warm and compassionate throughout the parenting
relationship, what INFJs are really looking forward to is being able to
communicate and relate to the person they helped to raise, as equals.
Ultimately though, INFJ parents will realize that these conflicting beliefs arent
a sign of their failure, but of their success in raising someone who did indeed
learn to form their own ideals. As they mature, INFJs children will also come
to appreciate the combination of independence and personal responsibility
they were raised with. So long as their child grows up with a firm
understanding of the difference between right and wrong and is able to fight
for a cause they believe in, striving to be the best they can be, INFJ parents
will be satisfied with what theyve accomplished together with their child.
INFJ CAREERS
INFJs are likely to find that most corporate career paths are not designed for
them, but for those focused on status and material gain. This doesnt mean
that people with the INFJ personality type struggle to see viable options
though. In fact, they are likely to face the opposite problem many INFJs
struggle to begin a career early on because they see ten wildly different paths
forward, each with its own intrinsic rewards, alluring but also heartbreaking,
because each means abandoning so much else.
These needs are hard to meet in a corporate structure, where INFJs will be
forced to manage someone elses policies alongside their own. For this
reason, people with the INFJ personality type are more likely to, despite their
aversion to controlling others, establish their independence by either finding a
leadership position, or simply starting their own practice. As independents,
sole proprietors in the parlance of business, INFJs are free to follow their
hearts, applying their personal touch, creativity and altruism to everything they
do.
This is the most rewarding option for INFJs, as they will step out of the overly
humble supporting and noncompetitive roles they are often drawn to, and into
positions where they can grow and make a difference. INFJs often pursue
expressive careers such as writing, elegant communicators that they are, and
author many popular blogs, stories and screenplays. Music, photography,
design and art are viable options too, and they all can focus on deeper
themes of personal growth, morality and spirituality.
Where INFJs fall flat is in work focusing on impersonal concerns, mundanity,
and high-profile conflict. Accounting and auditing, data analysis and routine
work will leave people with the INFJ personality type fidgety and unfulfilled,
and they will simply wilt under the scrutiny, criticism and pressure of
courtroom prosecution and defense, corporate politics and cold-call sales.
INFJs are clever, and can function in any of these fields, but to be truly happy,
they need to be able to exercise their insightfulness and independence, learn
and grow alongside the people they are helping, and contribute to the wellbeing of humanity on a personal level.
INFJ Subordinates
As subordinates, INFJs are likely to chafe under hardline rules, formal
hierarchies and routine tasks. People with the INFJ personality type value
diplomacy and sensitivity, and the more democratic and personal their
managers style is, and the more they feel their independence and input are
valued, the happier theyll be. INFJs act on their convictions, so when they do
something, its something that has meaning to them if those actions come
under criticism, even justified complaints, but especially unwarranted ones,
their morale is likely to tank spectacularly.
A managers values need to be naturally aligned with their INFJ subordinates
for both parties to be most effective. Though usually idealistic, if they feel in
conflict, INFJs can lose touch with that sense and end up all too bitter. But if
its a balance they can handle, with a little encouragement every now and
then, INFJs will be hardworking, trustworthy, and more than capable of
handling their responsibilities and professional relationships.
INFJ Colleagues
As colleagues, INFJs are likely to become quite popular, being seen as
positive, eloquent and capable friends, identifying others motives and
defusing conflicts and tension before anyone else even senses a disturbance.
INFJs are likely to prioritize harmony and cooperation over ruthless efficiency,
encouraging a good, hardworking atmosphere and helping others when
needed. While this is usually a strength, there is a risk that others will take
advantage of INFJs commitment to their responsibilities by simply shifting
their burdens onto their more dedicated INFJ colleagues desks.
It should also be remembered that at the end of the day, INFJs are still
Introverts (I), and their popularity isnt always welcome they will need to step
back and act the lone wolf from time to time, pursuing their own goals in their
own ways. An unhealthy version of this tendency may pop up if INFJs sense
that their values are being compromised by a more ethically relaxed
colleague.
INFJ Managers
As managers, INFJs are often reluctant in exercising their authority, preferring
to see their subordinates as equals, coordinating and supervising people,
leaving the technical systems and factual details to more capable hands, and
working hard to inspire and motivate, not to crack the whip. Thats not to say
that people with the INFJ personality type have lax standards far from it as
INFJs sense of equality means that they expect their subordinates to be as
competent, motivated and reliable as the INFJs themselves.
Though sensitive, understanding, principled and just, able to appreciate
individual styles and to make accurate judgments about others motivations, if
a subordinates actions or attitude undermines INFJs ethics or values, they
will find little comfort in these qualities. INFJs have no tolerance for lapses in
reliability or morality. But, so long as no such lapse occurs, INFJs will work
tirelessly to ensure that their subordinates feel valued and happy.
CONCLUSION
Few personality types are as sensitive and mysterious as INFJs. Your
imagination and empathy make you someone who not only cherishes their
integrity and deeply held principles but, unlike many other idealistic types, is
also capable of turning those ideals into plans, and executing them.
Yet, as an INFJ, you are likely to be easily tripped up in areas where idealism
and determination are more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is
navigating interpersonal conflicts, confronting unpleasant facts, pursuing selfrealization, or finding a career path that aligns well with your intricate inner
core, you may face numerous challenges that at times can even make you
question who you really are.
The sections you have read so far are just the introduction to each chapter in
our discussion about the complex enigma that is the INFJ personality type.
You may have muttered to yourself, "wow, this is so accurate it's a little
creepy" or "finally, someone understands me!" You may have even asked
"how do they know more about me than the people I'm closest to?"
This was not a trick. You felt understood because you were. We've studied
how INFJs think, what motivates and troubles them, and what they need to
reach their full potential. Many of the challenges you've faced and will face in
the future have been overcome by other INFJs. We are all unique, but we can
also learn from each others experiences and use that knowledge to better
understand ourselves. Our comment sections are a great venue for that,
giving you a unique chance to be a part of this ongoing effort.
Maybe you changed majors again and again in college maybe you went to
college, dropped out, went back maybe you bounced from one job, one
career, to another and to another, never quite happy where you were. Maybe
youve been called indecisive, when all along you knew that what you wanted
was simply something you hadnt found yet.
Theres an old story that applies very well to the situation you have probably
found yourself in:
Once, a man found an eagles egg and decided to place it into the nest of a prairie
chicken. Eventually, the egg hatched along with the rest of the chickens eggs, and the
mother chicken began raising the baby eagle as her own.
For years, the young eagle, convinced it was a prairie chicken, did exactly as its
siblings did. He scratched in the dirt for worms; he copied their clucking; he never flew
more than a few feet off the ground.
Eventually, the eagle, now very old, saw a great bird flying far above him in the blue and
cloudless sky. Soaring with majesty and grace, the glorious bird had the eagle
spellbound.
The eagle turned to one of its siblings, scratching in the dirt nearby. What an amazing
bird! the eagle said. What is it?
The sibling clucked, An eagle, king of all the birds. But dont worry about it. He has
nothing to do with us. Just be happy where you are.
The eagle, believing his sibling to be wise, immediately put the majestic bird out of his
head, never thinking of it again for the rest of his days.
The eagle died, still thinking it was a prairie chicken.
quick-fix solutions that all too often fell apart soon after implementation why
the values of others were so different from their own.
In short, they felt like failed chickens, and though they knew, deep down, that
they were simply a different breed of bird, with no eagles around to look to for
guidance, how could they have expected anything else?
As an Advocate, you know yourself, but knowing how to navigate the world at
large, an eagle among chickens that part doesnt come as easily.
There are no roadmaps on lifes journey. But by learning from the successes
and failures of others, others who share our own inner selves, we can come
one step closer to making the most of our potential.
And thats just what our premium profile contains insights into the inner life
of an Advocate, gathered from interviews with hundreds of people who have
felt as you have felt, struggled as you have struggled. No matter where you
MichelleMinneapolis, United StatesAs I was reading through my premium profile last night it
was like looking in a mirror, only clearer. This report will be tool I will use over and over not only
as I look to making future plans, but also in the day to day. It is a great guide marker to know
when I am straying off of the path and moving away from who I am at the core.
JnsWinnipeg, CanadaI find it highly enlightening reading about personality and discovering
who you are, which is exactly what I found in this premium profile. What I found most useful was
learning how to constructively use what you may perceive as negative qualities, and also how to
avoid falling into your dark side or the negative side of your qualities.
HeidiSalt Lake City, United StatesI was voracious. I read, analyzed, read, thought, read,
considered, and did it some more. I couldnt sleep, my mind was reeling! As you mention, it was
kind of creepy. But it was so liberating at the same time! I feel like a door has been unlocked, a
door that I have been searching for for years. I feel like I can be me, and that is okay.
PyiBrisbane, AustraliaThe profile is great. It touches on all the key points that you might have
self doubt about and helps you understand that there are different types of people in the world.
RebeccaMontral, CanadaLearning about my personality has been one of the most helpful
subjects Ive come across in my entire life. This profile opened my eyes to things about my life
that I never fully understood before. I think everyone should learn about their personality in
order to make the best choices on careers and relationships and to better understand members
of their family whom they may have previously been baffled by.
INTJ
Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging
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INTJ Description
by Marina Margaret Heiss
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This selfconfidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very
specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most
INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can
have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and
if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what
they don't know.
INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes
their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of
perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion
"Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in
turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority,
convention, or sentiment for its own sake.
INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the
unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be
working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard
for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on
the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will
generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to
implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand,
they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that
have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even
notice.
In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices
are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and
incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management
positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them,
and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to
simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.
Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are
capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of
time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in
other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they
tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which
most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually
extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to
misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really
want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of
many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic
relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.
Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their
willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural
empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing
the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression.
This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and
support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with
an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.
(INTJ stands for Introvert, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging and represents individual's preferences in four
dimensions characterising personality type, according to Jung's and Briggs Myers' theories of
personality type.)
Because you appear to have marginal or no (1%) preference of Thinking over Feeling,
characteristics of more than one personality type may apply to you:
INTJ and INFJ.
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Introverted iNtuition
INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer
circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to
operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say
"Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these
intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously.
INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.
Extraverted Thinking
Thinking in this auxiliary role is a workhorse. Closure is the payoff for efforts expended. Evaluation
begs diagnosis; product drives process. As they come to light, Thinking tends, protects, affirms and
directs iNtuition's offspring, fully equipping them for fulfilling and useful lives. A faithful pedagogue,
Thinking argues not so much on its own behalf, but in defense of its charges. And through this
process these impressionable ideas take on the likeness of their master.
Introverted Feeling
Feeling has a modest inner room, two doors down from the Most Imminent iNtuition. It doesn't get
out much, but lends its influence on behalf of causes which are Good and Worthy and Humane. We
may catch a glimpse of it in the unspoken attitude of good will, or the gracious smile or nod. Some
question the existence of Feeling in this type, yet its unseen balance to Thinking is a cardinal
dimension in the full measure of the INTJ's soul.
Extraverted Sensing
Sensing serves with a good will, or not at all. As other inferior functions, it has only a rudimentary
awareness of context, amount or degree. Thus INTJs sweat the details or, at times, omit them. "I've
made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts" could well have been said by an INTJ on a
mission. Sensing's extraverted attitude is evident in this type's bent to savor sensations rather than
to merely categorize them. Indiscretions of indulgence are likely an expression of the unconscious
vengeance of the inferior.