The rarest personality in the world is the INFJ, a complex, intricate type that less than one percent of people have. INFJ is a personality acronym created by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers for the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) test and it stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. When combined, they paint the INFJ as an introverted, sensitive, innovative, emotional, and structured free spirit. Yet, there’s more to these fascinating people than those traits alone. In fact, there are eight telltale signs that someone is an INFJ, which are listed below.
You’re empathetic
INFJs know how someone feels by being in her presence. They can pick up on subtle emotions and mirror them, enabling them to understand what that person feels, whether sorrow, anger, or amusement. They use it to solve problems and bring understanding and comfort to the sufferer, allowing for a deeper connection. Their empathy allows them to get to the root of the problem and it helps them analyze what is happening in an efficient way. This is why INFJs enjoy listening rather than talking in conversations. It lets them pick up any distress cues and helps them determine how to fix them.
You’re intuitive
INFJs rely on their intuition to understand situations and analyze patterns. This intuition guides them through life and helps them answer questions about themselves or others. According to Dr. A.J. Drenth on INFJs and intuition, “Having discovered the value of their Introverted Intuition (Ni) quite early in life, INFJs grow to trust its judgments and insights.” Their mental environment is alive with symbols, expressions, and ideas, letting them make decisions with confidence. This intuition helps them figure out answers to problems, especially regarding people’s woes.
You love to help others
INFJs jump at any opportunity to help someone, whether a friend or a stranger who genuinely needs assistance. This makes them wonderful nurses, therapists, clerics, and religious advocates, allowing them to use their people skills to take care of troubling problems. They enjoy the feeling they get when they successfully help someone with an issue, and it energizes them to do more good for others. They help unconditionally and don’t ask for anything in return.
You feel “different”
INFJs often feel “different” or “weird.” Their ways of living and their personality clash with norms, making them natural outcasts and loners. This usually brings a sense of feeling alone, misunderstood, or out of place in the world. According to Prelude Character Analysis, “The problem is that INFJs are so complex, individualistic and un-forthcoming, that the other person may not realize that some value or deeply held belief has been transgressed and be quite surprised how sharply the INFJ can react and how outspoken, assertive and stubborn they can suddenly and uncharacteristically become.” Yet feeling different isn’t a bad trait. In fact, this uniqueness is one of the biggest reasons why INFJs are rare in the first place.
You’re a perfectionist
INFJs make sure that things are perfect, often analyzing what they’ve done over and over to meet their expectations. Whether it’s revising an email or a letter four or five times to check for grammar or it’s doing an action until it’s been honed to the highest level, INFJs want it to be right. According to a University of Saskatchewan study of INFJs, “They generally have a focus on continuous improvement and may question whether they are in the right place in their lives or whether they are living up to their potential.” If things go sour, the INFJ ruminates over them, analyzing what can be done to patch them up.
You overthink a lot
INFJs tend to overthink about anything, be it the state of the world or their own personal problems. The “what ifs,” worries, and imperfections keep them up at night, their ruminations almost sounding insane to others. Their perfectionistic mindset can cause them more harm than good when they’re alone, making them think they didn’t do enough or that they failed to do something. Even a small setback makes their brain churn for hours, turning their emotions inside out and affecting their self-esteem. They desire things to work out and be in harmony. However, when they aren’t, it causes a lot of stress.
You’re a walking contradiction
INFJs are quintessential walking contradictions, which is one of the reasons why they’re so misunderstood. INFJs are warm people-lovers, yet they enjoy being in solitary more than they enjoy having a conversation. INFJs are idealistic, but they can also be brutally realistic. Most of all, INFJs enjoy forging connections with others, but they’re secretive about their personal feelings and don’t trust easily, which makes people think they’re hypocrites. An INFJ weathers a constant battle inside their hearts, pushing and pulling and sometimes never feeling peace with themselves.
You have a way with words
INFJs know how to describe things in colorful detail, which is why so many of them are drawn to the written word. Sometimes they have trouble giving their thoughts coherence, but writing helps them open all mental avenues. Since writing is a solitary activity that gives them creative energy, INFJs are eager to allow their ideas and vision to flow through written words. They live in a constant state of stimuli, whether inherent or extrinsic, and writing is like a sanctuary for them to clear their minds.
Sources:
https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/Products-and-Services/Myers-Briggs (official MBTI assessment)
https://personalityjunkie.com/the-infj/
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/INFJ.html
https://preludecharacteranalysis.com/types/infj/characteristics
https://students.usask.ca/documents/secc/INFJ.pdf
https://www.idrlabs.com/infj-description.php
