People of this type tend to be: quiet, reserved, and kind; deeply passionate, sensitive, and easily hurt; loving and dedicated to those close to them; creative, original and imaginative; curious and flexible in small matters; nonconforming.The most important thing to INFPs is their is their deeply held beliefs and living in harmony with their values.
Great Careers for INFPs:
+ Actor
+ Aeronautical Engineer
+ Artist
+ Art Director
+ Architect
+ Career Counselor
+ Church Worker
+ College Professor: Humanities/Art
+ Counselor
+ Crisis Counselor
+ Diversity Manager
+ Editor
+ Educational Consultant
+ Employment Development Specialist
+ English Teacher
+ Fashion Designer
+ Fine Arts Teacher
+ Human Resources Development Specialist
+ Holistic Health Practitioner
+ Journalist
+ Legal Mediator
+ Librarian
+ Minister/Priest
+ Missionary
+ Musician
+ Novelist
+ Psychodrama Therapist
+ Physical Therapist
+ Psychiatry
+ Psychologist
+ Public Health Nurse
+ Poet
+ Religious Educator
+ Researcher
+ Social Scientist
+ Social Worker
+ Speech Pathologist
+ Writer: Poet/Novelist
+ Youth Counselor
How to love an INFP:
+ Appreciate my uniqueness and sensitivity
+ Be patient and supportive listener
+ Respect my privacy and my need for emotional intimacy
+ Be reassuring and gentle in your words and actions
+ Try not to force decisions too quickly, or bug me about being messy.
+ Respect my feelings and never demand that I compromise my values
How to spot INFPs:
+ Idealistic with deep yet private passions
+ Creative and imaginative
+ Intially hesitant and cautious
+ Original, even funky dressers
How to communicate with INFPs:
+ Share genuine beliefs and values to establish rapport
+ Respect their slower warm time and need for privacy
+ Emphasize the ways ideas will benefit others
Parenting INFPs:
They are idealistic, committed, and deeply passionate, but tend to idealize relationships, and are easily hurt and tend to hold grudges. Spontaneous and highly original, they also tend be quite disorganized and become overwhelmed by details.
+ Encourage them to talk about their ideas; listen quietly and give them your undivided attention
+ Allow them to watch from the sidelines: give them plenty of time to play alone or day dream
+ Respect the intensity of their feelings; appeal to their desire for harmony in times of conflict
STRENGHTS:
1. They can do a good job of blending production with compassion for the work force. They enjoy giving freedom for each to develop according to their own personality and are willing to give commendation and have a listening ear for new ideas. They are able to communicate well with others on a one to one basis.
2. They are intellectually astute, competent, and enriched with idealism.
3. They have a high need to be of service of others. They enjoy working towards causes they believe in.
4. They work well alone, and are faithful to their duties and obligations.
WEAKNESSES:
1. When the workplace becomes negative, they may become restless. They can have mood swings between stubbornness and criticism. This is uncharacteristic of their nature and is an indicator of stress.
2. They are perfectionists. They may be self-critical. They feel there is never enough time to do the job right. They must recognize when to quit, and live with a less than perfect product. They also must realize that others will never fully meet up to their expectations.
3. They may become dicouraged if their work is not geared toward something they believe in. They want control of their project, and if they lose control they can lose interest.
4. They may have trouble working in a competitive environment.
5. They may become unrealistic when planning a project. They may becme infelxible when requested to change some of their ideas.
INFPs are found in only 1 percent of the general population, although, at times, their idealism leaves them feeling even more isolated from the rest of humanity. Their extreme depth of feeling is often hidden, even from themselves, until circumstances evoke an impassioned response. In everday matters they are tolerant, open-minded, understanding, flexible, and adaptable. But if their inner loyalties are threatened, they will not give an inch.
INFPs are curious about new ideas and tend to have insight and long-range vision. Many are intrested in books, movies, language and are likely to have a gift of expression; with talent they may be excellent writers. They can be ingenious and persuasive ob the subject of their enthusiasms, which are quiet but deep-rooted. They are often attracted to counseling, teaching, literature, art, science or psychology. Some INFPs have a gift for taking technical information and putting it into layman’s terms.
Except for their work’s sake, INFPs have little wish to impress or dominate. The people they prize the most are those who take the time to understand their values an the goals they are working toward.
Their main intrest lies in seeing the possibilities beyond what is present, obvious, or known. They are twice as good when working at a job they believe in, since their feeling puts addec energy behind their efforts. They want their work to contribute to something that matters to them — human understanding, happiness, or health. They want to have a purpose beyond their paycheck, no matter how big the check. They are perfectionists whwnever they care deeply about something.
PERSONALITY PROFILES
INFPs-live their lives focusing on their values. They know what is important to them and protect this at all cost. Their values focus on the optimistic verses the pessimistic although they are often conscience of the negative. To understand the INFP is to understand their cause. They can work tirelessly toward a cause that seems worthy. They will quietly to others to know what is important to them, and rarely will they give up on their purpose. They will go along the crowd, sometimes even letting decisions be made for them, until someone violates their value system. Then they will dig their heels into the ground and will speak up for their feelings, insisting their values be followed.
INFPs are withdrawn and are sometimes hard to get to know. Some may view them as shy. But those that take the time get to know them will find them warm and gentle, with surprising sense of humor. They care deeply for those they consider special friends. Putting forth-unusual sacrifices to help such individuals.
INFPs are creative and are constantly seeking out new possibilities. They have a gift with language and usually will express this by means of writing. Their intuitive preference supplies the imagination and their feeling preference giving them the need to communicate. They are gifted at interpreting symbols - being drawn to metaphors and similes. Because of these gifts they ofter write lyric fashion.
INFPs work must be more than just a paycheck, it must be fun and must contribute to something that is important to their values. To be the most produtive they need a sense of purpose behind their job. They often have to look at the large picture in order to see how specific program fits in. They are adaptable to changes and new ideas. They work well with others being conscience of others feelings and relating with most, though not always vocally. They like to work with others who are cooperative and who share their same set of values. They are strive for harmony and dislike conflict.
INFPs treasure their privacy and may keep a lot to themselves. They need time and space for reflection. Others usually get along well with them, although they may not know them intimately. INFPs may not always be organized. They may tend to lose things or forget appointments. Only when they see the importance of organization in a task will they strive to work at it in an organized way to get it done. They can be extremely patient with complicated issues, but may be impatient with routine or details.
INFPs strive for perfection, and this is especially the case when using their feeling preference. They may have trouble finishing a project, because they never find it is good enough. Even when the project must be finished, they may feel the need to go back and improve on it later.
Reluctantly INFPs may accept leadership roles. They lead with their values being their guide. They do not aggressively lead people, but rather work with people to develop their talents and to independently achieve their goals. They have a hard time criticizing others, but will try to motivate them by their appreciation and praise. When conflict arise, they avoid directly approaching the situation, but would rather wait for the others to work out the sitution themselves.
INFPs view leisure activity as very important. However they may have difficulty separating it from work. If they have a special skill they use at work, they may use this skill in their leisure time to help friends, family or those in need. When they are intrested in pursuing a new leisure activity, they may spend a great deal of time researching this activity. Many INFPs enjoy activities that are done alone such as reading, listening to music or gardening. This gives them the opportunity for reflection and meditation. They may also enjoy social activities with those they feel close to. When they want to be social they can be outgoing, charming and quit funny, making them a pleasure to have around.
INFPs present calm and pleasant face to the world around them. Because they are reserved, they may be over looked. But to those that know them they have a view into warmth and concern and their deep commitments to their values.
Careers for INFP
INFPs generally have the following traits:
* Strong value systems
* Warmly intrested in people
* Service-oriented, usually putting the needs of others above their own
* Loyal and devoted to people and causes
* Future-oriented
* Growth-oriented; always want to be growing in a positive direction
* Creative and inspirational
* Felxible, tolerant and open-minded - until one of their values is violated!
* Sensitive and complex
* Dislike dealing with details and routine work
* Original and individualistic - “out of the mainstream”
* Excellent written communication skills
* Prefer to work alone, and may have problems working on teams
* Value deep and authentic relationships
* Want to be seen and appreciated for who they are
The INFP is a special, sensitive individual who needs a career which is more than a job. The INFP needs to feel that everything they do in their lives in accordance with their strongly-felt value systems, and is moving them and/or others in a positive, growth-oriented direction. They are driven to do something meaningful and purposeful with their lives. The INFP will be happiest in careers which allow them to live their daily lives in accordance with their values, and which work towards the greater good of humanity. It’s worth mentioning that nearly all of the truly great writers in the world have been INFPs.
Things to watch out for…
INFP’s feel internal turmoil when they find themselves in situations in which there is conflict between their inner code of ethics and their relationships with others. They feel caught between pleasing others and maintaining their own integrity. Their natural tendency to identify with others, compounded with their self-sacrifical dispositions, tends to leave them confused as who they really are. Their quiet personalities further feeds their feelings of depersonalization. The INFP’s quest for self-identify then seems even more alluring - but increasingly impossible to attain.
As with all NFs, the INFP will feel lost and perplexed at stressful times. As stress builds, INFPs become disconnected from their own personality and perceived place in life. They will lose sight of who they are in realtion to time and place. They may not make basic observations, while instead they will focus on the more abstract and symbolic meanings of a particular interaction. This can sometimes baffle those who expect more more direct communication and a fairly concrete relationship. Other concerns to watch for:
* Becoming too perfectionistic, almost to a fault
* Getting discouraget if contributions are perceived as being unappreciated
* Being unrealistic in planning work schedules and making mistakes in fact
* Becoming exhausted from competition
* Not making effort to organizr projects that aren’t original
* In the heat of anger, throwing out fact after (often inaccurate) fact in an emotional outbrust
How to speak “INFP”
* INFPs are very sensitive to criticism and view everything personally. However, they may never come out and tell you that you’ve hurt their feelings. If in doubt, stay away from or tread lightly with topics you think they may be sensitive about.
* Be very careful not to dismiss, discount, or make light of the things they consider important. If you do, you run the risk of damaging your relationship permanently.
* If possible, find out how your idea, suggestion, or proposal fits in with on of their passions, and try to link the two, or point out commonalities.
* Give them plenty of time to consider your ideas. Be prepared to discuss the impact they will have on others, including the future implications.
* If relevant, convey your sincere belief in the values of what you are proposing. If you are not genuine, it will be obvious to them, and they will immediately, and perhaps permanently, reject your idea or proposal.
* Respect their style of decision making, which usually requires time and privacy to mull things over. Consider alternatives all along the way, change plans as new information is discovered, perhaps even start all over if the central mission or concept is corrupted by too much external influence.
* Remember that INFPs are process people. Build time for revision, modification, and reflection into any schedule
Writing Strengths & Challenges
* Often find wonderful, unique phrasing to paint a picture with words.
* Excellent writers on themes with human interest.
* Good at building bridges between different work groups.
* Writing tend to be lengthy and they fall in love with words.
* May assume readers know more than they do or agree with theses.
* Because they emphasize so strongly with others, may soften the message too much.
* They can always find a more clever phrasing, so may have trouble letting go.
Famous INFPs
Isabel Briggs Myers (MBTI)
Carl Jung
William Shakespeare
Mia Farrow (Actress)
Annie Dillard (Tilgrim Tinker Creek)
Helen Keller (Deaf and Blinf Author)
Henry Wadworth Longfellow
A. A. Milne (Winnie The Pooh)
Carl Rogers
Princess Diana
Julia Roberts (Actress)
Dick Clark
Donna Reed
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Neil Diamond
Tom Brokaw
James Herriot
James Taylor
Scott Bakula
Terri Gross
Amy Tan
Lisa Kudrow (Actress)
Fred Savage
Ten most chosen careers:
Fine Artist
Psychiatrists
Psychologist
Architect
Editor and Reporter
?Research Assistant
Entertainer
Journalist
General Counselor
Religious Educator
Ten least chosen careers:
Police Officer
Fire Manager
Computer Operator
Management Consultant
Purchasing Agent
Corrections Sergeants
School Bus Driver
Manager
Coal Miner
Pollution Control
TYPE HUMOUR
How many INFPs does it take to change a light bulb?
A: I think it only takes one, but the question is how long will the task be put off? After all, do I really *need* that light bulb? Think of all the possibilities in working around the need for that light bulb! And then, when the impossibility of the possibilities is too obvious to pretend not to see, the bulb gets changed.
A: …come to think of it, I need to change a light bulb …the one on my front porch, so its a pretty important one …its been that way for, oh, a while now …
A: How many INFP’s does it take to change a light bulb? Apparently, this whole listfull, to listen to me ramble about my need to change my light bulb and give me encouragment and support to reassure me that eventually I’ll “find my inner light bulb” and it will all be OK!
A: The light bulb doesn’t need to change! Just because it’s different from other light bulbs, doesn’t mean that it isn’t just as good… besides it may hurt its feeligs…
A: Why change it, it might just be exploring its shadow side.
A: Some possible answers:
1. Never get around to changing it at all, because hey, next time you’re in a bad mood and walk under it, it will go out again anyway.
2. The light bulb isn’t really burnt out; its just you.
3. How many does it take? I’ll tell you later when I feel sure I’ve got the right answer.
4. I couldn’t think of a fourth good answer, but figured there should be at least four options
A: What light bulb?
ISTJ: I Save Things Judiciously
ISTP: I See The Problem
ESTP: Everyone Seems Too Proper
ESTJ: Execution Saves The Job
ISFJ: I Serve Family Joyfully
ISFP: I Seek Fun & Pleasure
ESFP: Extra Special Friendly Person
ESFJ: Extra Special Friendly Joiner
INFJ: Inner Nuances Foster Journeys
INFP: I Never Find Perfection, I Never Follow Plans, I Never Finish Projects,
It’s Not Fun Procrastinating
ENFP: Everyday, New Fantastic Possibilites
ENFJ: Everyone Needs Fulfillment & Joy
INTJ: It’s Not Thoroughly Justified
INTP: It’s Not Theorectically Possible
ENTP: Each New Though Propels
ENTJ: Executives Need Tough Jobs
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