"INFJs look for hidden meaning everywhere and their communication is full of hints and layers."
intjforum.com
"I READ THIS INTERVIEW WITH THIS AMERICAN THEATRE DIRECTOR (HE’S AN INFJ) I LOVED IT AND HE’S SO SAD AND MELANCHOLIC AND HE SAYS AT ONE POINT “BUT I’M JUST A CLOWN AT HEART” AND IT REMINDED ME SO MUCH OF YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THAT GUY IS A CLOWN AT HEART AND HE REALLY BELIEVES THAT HE JUST DOESN’T SHOW IT AS OFTEN. I THINK INFJ’S ARE REALLY SILLY LIKE Ne SILLY. I THINK INFJ SILLYNESS THAT RESEMBLES Ne COMES FROM YOUR Fe! BECAUSE YOU GUYS USE HUMOR ETC TO PLEASE PEOPLE IN A WAY TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD, THE ATMOSPHERE ETC"
Milena
"In your experience, how would you explain intuition, and at what moments does it run the best for you?" - Anonymous
Intuition is knowing something beyond the five senses. I may encounter a person and think, “oh they’re sad today” but it’s not because I registered that they have a frown on their face, it’s something more along the lines of energy. Intuition differs from feeling in the aspect that intuition is sort of something that “clicks” in your mind, and quite literally the feeling at that. Feeling is more of relating your current state and emotions to your environment, so some people might say “I have a bad feeling about this” when walking into a party, because their body may feel uncomfortable. That is also a basic level of intuition, physical intuition, but I’m assuming that’s not what you’re talking about here. I’m guessing what you’re addressing is more of the spiritual/mental intuition.
Intuition works for me when my mind is clear. This means I am not stressed, overemotional, in the slumps, sleep-deprived, etc. If I’m depressed, anxious, stuck in my own mind, whatever it may be, it doesn’t work. I become stuck in patterns of the past, and I become self-absorbed in what I need. Intuition is global. Intuition works best when it’s natural, when it’s not pushed. My intuition is both past and future oriented, meaning that I sort of see life as a circle, and time is a circle. You can’t really pinpoint where the past and future are. If you’ve studied Jungian theory, introverted intuition is my dominant function of the cognitive functions stack. Introverted intuition is based on images, some weird psychic ability, focuses on transformation, deriving meaning, etc. Filtering through introverted intuition means that I process everything rather quickly, so I gain a grasp of my environment pretty quickly, but it might not be to my conscious knowledge. It’s convergent, meaning everything i process is to ultimately understand something, that something? I’m not sure what it is, but it’s some goal stirring in my mind. You ever hear that term “the force”? Yes, us intuits love that sort of thing. It’s very visual-based. It’s hard to describe intuition, that’s why there’s such few studies on it. Basically for me, intuition encompasses everything. Intuition recognizes that A does not lead to B, but that A and B are intertwined, and how can you distinguish A from B? So an image I have correlates with a feeling, an idea, an action, a past event, a future outcome, a metaphor. Intuition connects. What this means is that A leading to B is a linear line, it dilutes other possibilities, whereas intuition considers all possibilities. it’s like a vast web and coming down to the center, so I start from this big picture (this big web) and I break it down to understand its root (meaning). So if we’re talking about letters, I see the whole alphabet, and my mind starts breaking down what each 26 of the letters mean, and then I understand the connection between each letter(s) and come to an overall conclusion. Does this make sense?
Intuition is all about connecting patterns, that’s why entrepreneurs and mystics are so often placed in this category. Whereas entrepreneurs are foreseeing patterns needed for their business to be successful, mystics are foreseeing patterns in people. One is environment based whereas the other is social based. Intuition is knowing something without knowing why you know it. Ever rest at a stoplight and you just KNOW the person parked next to you is glaring at you? That’s what intuition is.
"ISFPs are my favorite sensors."
Rita
"Ooooh what's your big dream? Lol you got everything right! There is no big picture to me because everything's a picture to me, there isn't one overall picture, but many pictures surrounding you that you want to explore. It's exhausting definitely but fun too! Everything's interesting in its own special way. I feel and agree with you :)" - Anonymous
Hahaha yes. Ne’s path is that there is no path but life is just one big adventure, so why hone down on anything? A lot of Ne’s have told me to look at the big picture but I find that the big picture is just an open meadow with vast possibilities to explore but one doesn’t know where the meadow begins or ends or what day it is or if it will still be sunny later. It’s just all about engaging in the moment free of worry. And that sounds marvelous and fun but there is direction in life and it is important to plan ahead. It is more than possible to be a planner and be spontaneous at the same time. People fancy in being directionless because it allows room to not have responsibility without being anxious, but it’s important to know what the meadow stands for as well. Maybe it’s a landmark with historical significance and not just some field that you find enjoyable. Ne has taught me to explore possibilities without assigning labels and has taught me how to live that free bird life, and I’ve learned to integrate a lot of Ne/ENFPness in my INFJness. This is all metaphors I hope it all makes sense! Haha
Life is a storybook, but sometimes it’s good to know which page you’re on and who the author is.
My dream is to be a life coach :) None of that psychologist/researcher crap will do for me. Hahaha being a life coach will allow me to learn about so so many aspects in life that I can integrate into my studying. For example, buddhist therapy, art therapy, mind-body approaches, various forms of meditation, music therapy, neuroscience, social motivation, etc. So much more! Mini dreams may include but are not limited to: traveling the world, living in Seattle or Portland, spending a summer in Boston or New York, creating a website, publishing my poems, drawing/painting, learning modern dance, learning how to play a xylophone, taking singing classes, create pottery, become a master at interior design, create a reading nook, brew my own tea, open an antique shop/cafe, etc.
I have a lot of dreams. I’m considering taking a healing class with an intuitive this January for 3 months on Wednesday evenings. Life has a lot of possibilities and I want to explore them all :) but I know what I ultimately want, and it will all integrate to my future dream career.
"It's probs an NF thing haha. That sounds really amazing! What kind of dreams do you have? I can't choose just one, Ne provides too many possibilities and I want to do just about everything! There are so many paths to live life and I can't choose ever. I just want to do as much as I possibly can while attempting to make the world a better place. I'll try that, thanks. :D" - Anonymous
I have a lot of mini-dreams but I have ultimately one big dream and I actually just came to that realization a few days ago. I know what Ne is like, you’re so deeply interested in everything and you want to go out and buy the materials NOW or find a way to be known NOW and you practice motivational speeches for when you are famous telling people who are struggling to keep struggling until they find their dream but to never fall into the pits of society. I’ve learned with Ne that the big picture is that there is no big picture, but to live and to dream. It’s a constant state of inspiration that it’s awfully draining, because then you fall out of that desire to do whatever it is that you want to do and it seems you’re back at square one not knowing what your future entitles. I just go with whatever I want, what grabs my attention will, what sustains my attention will :) And I try my best and not get pulled down by the idea that I am let down by my own ideals. Sometimes I get so pumped about something and it’s as if I psyche myself out or run out of enthusiasm, but I know that in the long-run, something that truly captures my heart will continue to do so. Or maybe what I want right now just isn’t the right time but will come around another time. It’s a cha-cha between patience and timing :) And along the way you might learn some swing dancing and ballet or even create your own dance!
(Psst, isn’t that the point of life? To create your own dance?)
If an INFx likes you, they will have already written about you or created something that symbolizes you (such as a painting).
A quiet, hidden in the shadows, but a roaring, beaming love.
(that or they’re not a real INFx :p)
I’ve realized that all INFJs are strongly against Kindles (as we should be, and I highly suggest that everybody else feels the same because it will make the world a better place if they did not exist)
- Anonymous
this is a brilliant question! i’ve kept this in my inbox for a few days now because i wanted to stir up an informative answer (at least based on my subjective observations and connections!) infjs and infps are often hard to distinguish, and it’s interesting because they may come off as the opposite of what they are. infjs come off as more spontaneous whereas infps come as more rigid. infjs’ outer life tends to be organized in a spontaneous way, whereas infps’ outer life tends to be a mess in an orderly fashion (does this wording make sense?) i might’ve mentioned this in a question about a year back, where the infps’ minds are very much scattered and they try to compensate that by organizing their outer world. however, infjs’ minds tend to be uncluttered when it comes to tasks needed to be completed in a day, so they spontaneously, and subconsciously finish all what is needed to be done in a day without exerting too much cognitive effort or outward stress (note that i am talking about J/P towards behaviors, and not their actual thinking process towards all other matters, such as opinions, goals, dreams, etc)
we’ll start to look at similarities that they both have. both are artistic, both are writers, and both view life incredibly extraordinarily. they are infatuated with the divine, which gives rise to the fact that they are enthralled with psychology, philosophy, cultures, religions, spiritual practices, etc. they generally have the same goal, but it is how they reach it that differs. here are some notable differences that i’ve seen in both personalities that may provide some useful insight! this is not to say that what one observation i’ve seen in one personality lacks in the other, however, just that that personality veers more towards that aspect compared to the other (man that was wordy).
infj: interested in people and the universe
infp: interested in animals and nature
infj: more understanding of one’s perspective (ie: “why do you feel that way?”)
infp: more empathetic of one’s emotions (ie: “i know how you feel”)
infj: more interested in science, the mental/cognitive aspect, may go into the sciences for their undergrad
infp: more interested in healing, the mind/body connection, may go into feminist studies, anthropology, art history for their undergrad
infj: assertive
infp: passive
infj: more interested in non-fiction books
infp: more interested in fantasy books
infj: detached
infp: distant
infj: bubbly and energetic (bursts of energy)
infp: peaceful and calm (a constant lower energy)
infj: because their feeling function is Fe, may be upset if connections with others start to fade or if others are unappreciative of what they stand for in their friendship
infp: because their feeling function is Fi, may be upset if others don’t respect them as they should under their ideals or if people are jumping to conclusions based on how they live their life (Fi is basically personal integrity, their own personal integrity may jeopardize peacefulness in close relationships because they regard being true to self much more important than the friendships around them)
infj: more likely to be verbally harsh
infp: more likely to be selfish through actions
infj: confident in what they believe in
infp: (unless their Si is developed) wishy-washy, uncertain, may need proof of what they feel and think
infj: feeling misunderstood by the patterns they see
infp: feeling misunderstood by the ideals they have
infj: because of their Ni/Se, outwardly expressive of their individuality (fashion, decorations in their house) it is the idea of “i am a representation of … “
infp: retain uniqueness in the way they view life and feel the individualism in environments, objects, people, writings, etc., it is the idea of “i think, therefore i am”
feel free to provide any input or if you have any disagreements, i am open to any of them!
"She’s a shape shifter of emotions."
Me
"prezi(dotcom)/k4wxbtqr0fkz/in-the-brain-of-an-infj/" - Anonymous
YES YES AND YES. i disagree with the bad side and the insecurity thing though, at least for me, but that may be because of my buddhist views that i’ve adopted and may have nothing to do with infj-ness entirely. how i am different from infjs may also be due to that i’ve met an enfp who has balanced out my infjness. however, before then, i would say that that is how i was for numerous years. everything else is spot on. i wish they included something about how we are anxious about the world and people, but not necessarily anxious of ourselves (ie: people who are self-conscious or socially awkward) because that includes a lot of our thought process. i completely resonated with the inxj thing, although i don’t believe i fit the intj criteria, i just think i’m a very rational person despite occasional emotional outbursts, but everyone has those once in a while :) i also agree that i think in a thought process rather than an emotional process, or more so that i am able to convert emotions into words so that what i am feeling is not just a jumblewumble of a mess.
thank you so much for sharing this! i’ll be sure to pass this on :)
My response to a question found on this blog in regards to how INFJs understand the world at the introverted intuitive (Ni) level and how the processing through Ni leads (or does it?) to profound insight and conclusions that others may not readily see at the surface:
“I think it means that INFJs view the world in terms of a large spiderweb. Everything is connected in a meaningful way, and very little is random. Somehow we sense this on an intuitive level, even if we don’t understand it. We take the facts that people give us and find those invisible connections, recognize those hidden patterns, forming a picture in our heads of the way their theory works. The lingering question: are we seeing reality when we do this - are we getting the true picture - or just one that appeals/makes sense to us? What do you think?”
“i find that i do this often too. when i interact with people and my intuition is at a high point, i form metaphorical images of them. for example, one of my friend’s images in a neighborhood, and he visits all the other houses, but his own house is his little quiet space where no one can enter - not in a bad way, but just in a private, serene way. at the time i had not known what this image meant to me, and my image soon zoomed in into something not quite so pleasant that represented something of his life. there was a tug of war in the backyard that didn’t involve him and was unwillingly taking part in his backyard. i soon confronted him with this image and he completely dissected the image and wondered how i was so insightful. i think this is very insightful of Ni - infjs particularly. we are able to synthesize all this into an image, into a sentence, or a visual image, and it’s almost as if we have to backtrack to understand sometimes because our unconscious works faster than our conscious. i frequently feel like a recipient of insight, i don’t believe that i am creating insight, nor do i believe i create meaning (such as Ne’s might) rather i believe meaning already exists, and i am just uncovering it, seeing the patterns and connectivity and how it contributes to the whole. i’ve often thought of whether i create my own reality, say a utopia, or i am seeing life and people and patterns for what they really are. and i’ve generally come to the conclusion that i do see life for what it is. a lot of people have noted that i talk in observations (opposed to creating what i want to see, or saying what they want to hear), and they say this in a tone that my interpretation is in a way, not even my interpretation, but the truth of a matter. and while i often questioned the validity of my intuition, others have brought into clarity my intuition and seen it for its truth. i find that with Fe, i am able to engage in my own friendly world, and show people how much they mean to me, how lovely they are, so the connections i do create with people and what they mean are in accordance to me and my reality, but i often think that Ni is rather truthful, because we are able to uncover multiple realities and join it into one reality. i hope this has made some sense…i’m sure it does, since you are an infj :)”
-
thelifeofaninfj-deactivated2013
aldkjfskj i read your message before i looked at who sent it to me and i was thinking “what quotes?” and “i’m mentally drooling because this person is talking in metaphors” and now i am glad to know of your blog :)
and yes it’s rather amazing! i don’t even think infjs initially come off as “weird” or “different” because we have such strong Fe, compared to intjs who come off as socially detached, so most people don’t even realize the depth of what happens in our minds, compared to an entp who isn’t afraid to express their beliefs, dreams, thoughts, etc. and i think most infjs may come off as either enfjs, xsfjs, enfps, or intps upon what i’ve observed. but i love the way infjs describe themselves, it’s so fascinating to me and resonates with each and every infj!
"I think it means that INFJs view the world in terms of a large spiderweb. Everything is connected in a meaningful way, and very little is random. Somehow we sense this on an intuitive level, even if we don’t understand it. We take the facts that people give us and find those invisible connections, recognize those hidden patterns, forming a picture in our heads of the way their theory works."
Meridian
