How rare are INFPs? (5 reasons)

This blog post aims to answer the question, “How rare are INFPs?” and explore the various dimensions of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type named INFP that will help understand the answer. 

How rare are INFPs?

INFPs are the 8th rarest personality type. INFPs make up –  

• 4% of the general population.
• 5% of the female population.
• 4% of the male population.

INFPs are so rare because of the following 5 reasons – 

• Leadership. 
• Decision Making.
• Money.
• Equality.
• Risky Behaviours.

These 5 reasons why INFPs are so rare will be discussed in further detail below after taking a deeper look at what INFP means and how rare female and male INFPs are respectively. 

Who is an INFP?

The INFP personality type was developed by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers, the authors of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®). INFP stands for Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, and Perceiving, which are four key personality qualities based on C.G. Jung’s work.

Each of the four letters of the INFP code represents a significant personality feature of the INFP personality type. 

INFPs are stimulated by alone time (Introverted), focus on ideas and concepts rather than facts and specifics (iNtuitive), base their decisions on feelings and values (Feeling), and like to be spontaneous and flexible rather than planned and structured (Perceiving).

Because of their empathetic idealism and gentle concern for others, the INFP personality type is often known as the “Healer.” The INFP is also known by the following nicknames:

• The Thoughtful Idealist (MBTI)
• The Mediator (16Personalities)

An INFP prefers an unstructured and free-spirited lifestyle. INFP is an introverted and ultra-creative Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type. The INFP is sensitive, creative, and loyal to their values.

INFPs are creative idealists who are guided by their primary ideals and beliefs. A Healer who is preoccupied with possibilities; the actuality of the time is merely a fleeting concern. INFPs see the possibility of a brighter future and seek truth and purpose in their own unique way.

INFPs are sensitive, loving, and compassionate people who are highly concerned with their own and others’ personal progress. INFPs are individualistic and nonjudgmental, believing that each person must forge their own path. 

INFPs like spending time investigating their own ideas and ideals, and they gently encourage others to do the same. INFPs are creative and frequently artistic; they like discovering new ways to express themselves.   

INFP Personality Type Characteristics Are –

• INFPs are introverts who are quiet and reserved. INFPs find that being in social situations depletes their energy, thus they prefer to connect with a small number of close pals. While they like being alone, this should not be mistaken for timidity. Rather, it simply implies that INFPs get energy from alone time. INFPs must, on the other hand, devote energy to social circumstances.

• INFPs rely on intuition and are more concerned with the overall picture than the finer points of a situation. INFPs can be quite thorough about things that are important to them or tasks they are working on, yet they tend to overlook little or insignificant details.

• INFPs value personal sentiments above everything else and their actions are affected more by these concerns than by objective data.

• INFPs prefer to keep their choices open when it comes to making decisions. INFPs frequently put off making key judgments in case the circumstance changes. The majority of judgments are made based on personal ideals rather than reasoning.

How rare are Female INFPs?

Female INFPs frequently feel as though they don’t quite fit in. They are very aware of how differently they think compared to many other people because of their social skills and sensitivity, and they can be rather awkward at times.

Female INFPs, although experiencing everything so profoundly, might come out as distant and unemotional since they prefer to keep their feelings to themselves.

How rare are Male INFPs?

Because they are sensitive and kind, male INFPs are sometimes misinterpreted, as their personality qualities contradict the conventional macho attributes of today’s culture.

Male INFPs may strive to suppress their strong emotions, which might have bad repercussions. INFP guys who are raised to recognise and appreciate their distinct personality features grow up to be sympathetic, open-minded, and courageous.

INFPs are a unique and uncommon group of people. They account for only 2-5 per cent of the population in the United States. Male INFPs are much more uncommon, accounting for only 1-1.5 per cent of the population.

In a culture and society that fosters the assumption that guys are often dominant, forceful, and forthright, the male INFP may believe that there is something fundamentally wrong with them or that they are undesirable to others. This appears to be a global problem.

What are these 5 reasons why INFPs are so rare?

Leadership. 

Because they are quiet and seldom initiate discussion in social circumstances, these warm shy people are labelled as socially incompetent. That is not correct.

Talk about something important if you want to talk to an introvert. They aren’t interested in or skilled at small talk. Louder, more boisterous extroverts tend to outperform INFPs not only in social circumstances but also in business.

They are frequently disregarded as prospective leaders, which is problematic for both the company and coworkers. INFPs are sophisticated abstract thinkers who analyse the benefits and drawbacks of both sides of a difficult scenario.

INFPs make excellent leaders because their approach is centred on what is best for everyone involved. This is a really unusual quality.

Decision Making.

INFPs make judgments based on their gut sentiments about what is best for mankind rather than reasoning. 

Needless to say, this technique is uncommon in today’s environment. Traditional-type personalities that prioritise tangible particular facts continue to make the majority of decisions.

In contrast to INFPs, who use their feeling (F) qualities to explore choices and make tentative conclusions, the more conventional decision-making technique is employed to gather data, follow prior precedents, and adopt unwritten norms.

In a 2010 research on the personality traits of INFPs done by Murie, the findings validated the decision-making process of INFPs, which was characterised as “to understand others, value connections and harmony, and analyse a situation by its influence on others.”

The INFP’s positive personality features include mutual respect among coworkers and a more creative ‘what if’ work atmosphere.

According to Murie (2010), this sort of environment encourages coworkers to exchange ideas, which might “lead to improved social and global coherence connected to the group’s shared intuitiveness.”

Another unusual skill of INFPs is the ability to persuade people to share their particular ideas and thoughts in the workplace.

Money.

INFPs are not greedy, which is a rare trait in today’s environment. Today’s society is preoccupied with money. INFPs are uninterested in accumulating wealth. INFPs see money as a means of assisting others.

INFPs with unrestricted money make big monetary and time gifts to their causes because it is part of their value system, not merely a tax break. INFPs with modest incomes make monetary and time contributions based on their ability.

INFPs with little financial resources contribute their time to charitable organisations. The majority of individuals associate success with their income. INFPs measure their success by how much they serve others.

Equality.

INFPs think that everyone is equal and that societal hierarchies do not exist. When it comes to their causes, they feel that everyone’s input is equally valuable. The participation of a leader is no more crucial than that of a front-line worker.

INFPs are modest and are equally at ease working at the top or the bottom of a hierarchy. They do not seek praise, appreciation, or any other form of recognition, which is an unusual trait.

Risky Behaviours.

INFPs are so passionate about their causes that they frequently prioritise helping others over themselves and, at times, their families, putting personal relationships in danger.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Their passion for their causes necessitates a tremendous amount of energy. INFPs frequently experience physical and emotional exhaustion. Another harmful INFP behaviour is seeing a need, such as an epidemic, and rushing in to aid without concern for their own health.

While INFPs’ emotions are their downfall, their convictions are their saving grace. INFPs will not, under any circumstances, sacrifice their principles.  

Despite the fact that INFPs’ feelings are readily hurt, their devotion to their goal precludes others from discouraging, manipulating, or destroying their spirit.

Conclusion – 

This blog post aimed to answer the question, “How rare are INFPs?” and reviewed the features and functions of the introverted and incredibly inventive Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type named INFP to help determine how rare INFPs are. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments you may have.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How rare are INFPs?

Is INFP the rarest personality?

Anyone with the INFP or “Mediator” personality is extremely concerned about others. INFPs are similarly uncommon, accounting for about 4 to 5% of the population.

Is INFP female rare?

INFP Women Are Caring Idealists. They have rigorous principles that help guide their judgments, yet they are empathetic and empathic enough to understand why others disagree with them. INFP is an uncommon Myers-Briggs personality type, and INFP women will remind you of it.

Are INFPs gifted?

INFP was the most often indicated personality type among brilliant people. Patterns gradually developed, and by 2007, there was data from over 300 families with brilliant children.

Can INFPs be popular?

INFPs are unconcerned about popularity and would rather develop genuine connections. INFPs can be social and are frequently well-liked by those around them. They have wonderful senses of humour, which may go a long way with others.

What is the 2nd rarest personality type?

The ENFJ is the second most common MBTI type. ENFJs are the second-most uncommon personality type, accounting for only 2.2 per cent of the population. These perceptive, persuasive individuals have a knack for knowing just which buttons to press in order to drive others to achieve their objectives.

What is the rarest female personality type?

The INTJ personality type is the most uncommon in women. In fact, with only approximately 0.5 per cent of the population, INTJ women may be the most uncommon of any gender/type combination (perhaps only rivalled by INFJ men).

References-

INFP, The Healer. Truity. (n.d.).  Retrieved from https://www.truity.com/personality-type/INFP#:~:text=How%20rare%20is%20the%20INFP,4%25%20of%20the%20general%20population

Granneman, J. 12 Secrets of the INFP Personality Type. Introvert, Dear. (2018, January 14). Retrieved from https://introvertdear.com/news/10-type-secrets-of-the-infp/

Why are INFPs so rare? Are they the rarest of the MBTI? Quora. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Why-are-INFPs-so-rare-Are-they-the-rarest-of-the-MBTI

Robinson, M. T. How Rare Is Your Personality Type? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.careerplanner.com/MB2/TypeInPopulation.cfm

Storm, S. The Rare INFP Male. Psychology Junkie. (2017, July 22). Retrieved from https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/2017/07/22/rare-infp-male/

Daniel. Why Are INFs So Rare? Personality Club. (2016, February 6). Retrieved from https://www.personalityclub.com/blog/why-are-infs-so-rare/

Distribution of Personality Types in Percentages. Personality Max. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://personalitymax.com/personality-types/population-gender/

INFP: So Unique. So Syncd. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sosyncd.com/personality-type-guide/infp/