INFJ meaning (A comprehensive guide)

This blog is an in-depth analysis and interpretation of the meaning of the INFJ personality acronym. It will elaborate on the INFJ lifestyle and the impressions that INFJs leave on people. It will discuss the strengths, weaknesses, INFJ leadership style, and top INFJ careers. Lastly, it will elaborate on the characteristics of the INFJ personality type. 

What does INFJ mean?

INFJ is an acronym that stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging and is one of the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). 

The following is a breakdown of the INFJ acronym:

Introversion (I)

The INFJ is an introvert and this is a personality trait characterized by a focus on internal feelings rather than on external sources of stimulation.

Introverts are characteristically quiet, reserved, and introspective. 

Unlike extroverts who are driven to be social and outgoing, the introvert has little desire to interact and socialize with people and they hate crowded events and areas.

This is because introverts expend energy in social situations and often feel drained and tired. After attending a party or spending time with a large group of people, introverts rest and recharge by spending time alone.

Intuitive (N)

The intuitive function drives the INFJ to be future-oriented and immersed in the world of possibilities. 

They tend to look at the bigger picture and process information by creating patterns and impressions. 

Intuitive people value inspiration and imagination and as such, they are overflowing with ideas and innovation. 

Intuitive people are typically inventive, imaginative, deep, abstract, idealistic, and theoretical.

Feeling (F)

The INFJ is a Feeler which makes them subjective and biased towards the things that they feel good towards. They make decisions based on principles and values. 

They are ruled by their heart instead of their head. Feeling people judge situations and others based on feelings and the prior knowledge they have about them. 

They seek to please others and want to be appreciated as this makes them feel nice. They also value harmony and empathy which they promote among their friends and families.

Feelers dislike conflict, are very passionate and gentle, easily get hurt, and are warm people who care for others.

Judging (J)

The INFJ is a judge and as such, they like to plan, predict and organize events in their lives. People with the Judging (J) personality trait feel most comfortable when the course ahead is well-marked. 

They never wing it and come up with plans and prepare for the future and deal with events as they come. 

Preferring to consider their options ahead of time, personality types with this trait prefer clarity and closure, sticking with the plan rather than going with the flow. 

Judging individuals tend to have a strong work ethic, putting their duties and responsibilities above everything else. Rules, laws, and standards are the keys to success for the Judge. 

They resultantly fail to use their initiative or come up with original ideas and just stick to what has already been established. They embrace traditions and resist changes.

The INFJ lifestyle

The INFJ leads a very quiet and reclusive lifestyle. Because they are introverts they spend most of their time at home whenever they are not working or doing anything else.

They often spend time alone immersed in their hobbies which are mainly artistic. These may include reading, writing, singing, playing an instrument, gardening, drawing, or watching their favorite TV shows.

INFJs are very routine-oriented people who often have schedules and work plans. They have specific times when they will wake up, eat, rest or work every single day. 

They rarely do anything without planning and get easily inconvenienced by out-of-the-blue events and plans. They are also highly resistant to change.

INFJs are very idealistic and as such, they spend a lot of time, effort, and money to live by those ideals. They can never deviate from them as they would stop being true to themselves.

The impressions INFJs make on people

People are usually left with the following impressions about the INFJ:

• People with INFJ personalities come across as creative, gentle, and caring.  They are usually at the forefront of giving people advice and listening to the problems of people.

• INFJs also come across as reserved and quiet people. They do not speak much especially when they are around strangers. 

• They have a deep sense of idealism and integrity and most people look up to them as role models.

• They can easily motivate and influence people as they speak with great passion and conviction, especially when standing up for their ideals. 

The strengths of an INFJ

The following are the strengths of an INFJ:

• They are good at listening to people’s problems ad stories which makes them valuable friends and partners.

• They have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• They are warm, affirming and encouraging to those around them.

• They honor all their commitments and keep their promises to people at all costs.

• They are very insightful which makes them great problem-solvers

• They have very strong intuition

The Weaknesses of an INFJ

The following are the weaknesses of the INFJ:

• They have trouble with resolving conflicts with people and being confronted.

• They face difficulties receiving criticism and often end up getting hurt.

• They can become withdrawn and not see or interact with people for a long time which negatively their emotional growth.

• They tend to hold back their input and opinions which are often very insightful and extremely helpful.

• They tend to overthink situations and create scenarios in their heads that hurt their feelings.

• They are perfectionists which makes them have very high and unrealistic standards which can be difficult to live up to.

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.

The INFJ as a leader

In leadership positions, INFJs motivate others by sharing a positive vision. Counselor leaders are often quiet and unassuming, but win other’s dedication through hard work, strong principles, inspiring ideas, and leading by example. 

They are good at guiding a team to commit to a common vision and create organizational goals that benefit people. They are insightful and creative and bring a sense of confidence and commitment to projects they believe in.

They encourage their subordinates to be creative and to use their initiative when necessary. They are more influential than authoritative kind of leaders.

INFJ best careers

In line with their personality traits, INFJs usually pursue helping professions and careers that ensure they fulfill their goal of doing humanitarian works. 

These mainly include the following professions:

• Psychologist

• Doctor

• Social worker

• Counselor

• Physical Therapist

• Public Health Educator

• Family Physician

• Occupational Therapist

• Clergy

• Translator

• Editor

• Technical Writer

• Writer

• Graphic Designer

• Animator

• Interior Designer

The characteristics of an INFJ

The following are the characteristics of an INFJ:

•  INFJs are generally idealistic

• They are very loyal to their values and beliefs

• They are very devoted to their loved ones.

• Desire strongly for their lives to align with their values.

• INFJs are naturally curious

• They have a knack for seeing possibilities

• Are good at supporting others in their projects

• Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential

• They are adaptable and flexible

• They are usually accommodating as long as their values are not threatened

• They search for the underlying meaning of information

• They have a habit of expressing themselves through metaphors

• They are constantly working on improving themselves

• They always the quality and standard of their lives 

• The INFJ is a good balance of organization and flexibility

Conclusion

This blog was an in-depth analysis and interpretation of the meaning of the INFJ personality acronym. It elaborated on the INFJ lifestyle and the impressions that INFJs leave on people. It discussed the strengths, weaknesses, INFJ leadership style, and top careers of the INFJ. Lastly, it outlined the characteristics of the INFJ personality type.

INFJ is an acronym that stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging and is one of the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). 

Thank you for reading this blog, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Frequently Asked Questions: INFJ meaning

References

Isabel   Briggs Myers, (2015), Introduction to Type, CPP. PDF

Lewin K, (1935), A Dynamic Theory of Personality, McGraw-Hill; New York, NY, USA. PDF

Rajagopalan & Guruswami, (2015), “Relationship between Personality Traits and the Psychological Biases of Retail Investors – An Empirical Study”, Vidyasagar University Journal of Commerce, Vol. 20. PDF

Raya A. Jones, (2013), ‘Jung’s “Psychology with the Psyche” and the Behavioral Sciences’, Behavioral Science (Basel).  Published online 18/07/2013. doi: 10.3390/bs3030408