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[MBTI General] INFJ's, is this you?

B

beyondaurora

Guest
Hello. I have just had a true "Eureka!" moment. With all appreciation to those who recently helped me determine my type, I have not felt comfortable with my type description at all.

I was browsing INFJ or INFP? a closer look and read this:

"INFJs, on the other hand, are drawn to categorizing. They display a knack for systematizing and can do it quickly. They typically define terms, or ask others to define theirs. They expend a great deal of effort finding precisely the right word to express what they want to say, sometimes rewriting emails many times over until they are succinct, hopefully pithy, and all the words seem exactly right (like not saying "invoke" when you mean "evoke" or "conscience" when you really mean "conscious" or "wretch" when you mean "retch"). They often behave like English teachers, and frequently get asked to proofread others' writing for errors. They can be highly sensitive to misspellings or it's/its mistakes on public signage. They strive for clarity and precision, and often contribute these gifts to a conversation. They attempt to articulate things unspoken, and name aloud any problem or peculiar dynamic. They may enjoy methods of organizing, such as the systematic "Color Me Beautiful" approach to fashion-dressing, or database designing, and of course, Personality Types. Some of them are professional organizers or financial planners thanks to their tertiary. It is the INFJ who will relentlessly re-take a personality test to grasp the categories better in order to figure out which category they really belong to, and become irritated if the results change each time. The INFJ cares more than the INFP does about people being "mis-filed" with the wrong type code, and I know an INFJ who got disgusted when her Step II inaccurately reported her as an INTJ. They are unwilling to settle for INFx (I confess: that designation makes me crazy). These are common ways that Ti will manifest in the INFJ type code."

I literally shrieked when I read this! THIS is me! All the way up to the "Color Me Beautiful" reference.

But before I get too excited, please tell me, INFJ's...does this ring true for you? Feel free to check the link above for greater context.

Thanks!
 

cloakofsnow

New member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
152
MBTI Type
INFx
I'm a lot like this, particularly about finding the perfect words to express myself, and writing and re-writing my emails. I don't know whether I'm really an INFJ or INFP though, and have no problems settling with INFx.

Probably not a very helpful answer, LOL.
 
B

beyondaurora

Guest
I'm a lot like this, particularly about finding the perfect words to express myself, and writing and re-writing my emails. I don't know whether I'm really an INFJ or INFP though, and have no problems settling with INFx.

Probably not a very helpful answer, LOL.

I used to drive my ex-husband nuts because I'd take an hour to send a 4-line email! It's hard for me to just type something and send it off. Hitting the "send" button is like deploying a nuclear bomb!
 

Kyrielle

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,294
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5

I used to drive my ex-husband nuts because I'd take an hour to send a 4-line email! It's hard for me to just type something and send it off. Hitting the "send" button is like deploying a nuclear bomb!

:D You said it.

But yes, I suppose your OP does ring true for me in places. Though it just looks like the explanation of Ti in INFJs rather than INFJs as a whole package. I do like that website though. I may go back and reread it sometime as the information was interesting. (And it seems Ti in INFJs looks a lot like "librarianism"...which might be why we seem to be called that a lot.)
 

cloakofsnow

New member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
152
MBTI Type
INFx
(And it seems Ti in INFJs looks a lot like "librarianism"...which might be why we seem to be called that a lot.)


:holy: I get called that a lot! I guess it's partly because I'm a bookworm and partly because I wear little round spectacles :glasses:. I've also been accused before of being a word nazi. It didn't occur to me that this is related to INFJ, though.
 

SuperFob

New member
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
264
MBTI Type
INFJ
They can be highly sensitive to misspellings or it's/its mistakes on public signage. They strive for clarity and precision, and often contribute these gifts to a conversation. They attempt to articulate things unspoken, and name aloud any problem or peculiar dynamic.
I have to disagree with some of this. The thing about me is that I'm a lot better at writing things down than I am at saying them. It takes me a long time some times to articulate my thoughts, and I can do that pretty well if I can sit in a comfy chair and sort the ideas out into words.

When it comes to actual conversation, though, that doesn't hold up. I pause a lot, talk slow, make a lot of "ums" and "uhs" while I'm trying to find the right words, and sometimes flat out don't bother trying to say something because I know it won't come out right (which happens a lot, and it pisses me off more each time I have to settle for doing it).

Whenever it comes to talking to other people, I have a constant desire to open up but I don't have a clue how to do it because my mind is so hard to describe in words. I've learned that it's better to shut up about everything because, quite frankly, no one's ever gonna understand what the hell I try to talk about. I've grown tired of the "WTF" stares I get all the time.
 

redacted

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
4,223
That whole thing applies to me except for the color me beautiful reference which I don't get.
 
B

beyondaurora

Guest
Though it just looks like the explanation of Ti in INFJs rather than INFJs as a whole package.

You're absolutely right. It's a depiction of tertiary Ti in INFJ's. So I suppose this could be very true for ISFJ's as well...
 

edcoaching

New member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
752
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
7
This seems more like INFJ Enneagram 3, where the driving force is to succeed. I on the other hand am E7 where the driving force is optimism. While I loosely use a few systems to keep from descending into chaos I never reach perfection in them and usually in fact am unwilling to take enough time to implement them thoroughly.
 

lane777

nevermore
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
635
I have to disagree with some of this. The thing about me is that I'm a lot better at writing things down than I am at saying them. It takes me a long time some times to articulate my thoughts, and I can do that pretty well if I can sit in a comfy chair and sort the ideas out into words.

When it comes to actual conversation, though, that doesn't hold up. I pause a lot, talk slow, make a lot of "ums" and "uhs" while I'm trying to find the right words, and sometimes flat out don't bother trying to say something because I know it won't come out right (which happens a lot, and it pisses me off more each time I have to settle for doing it).

Whenever it comes to talking to other people, I have a constant desire to open up but I don't have a clue how to do it because my mind is so hard to describe in words. I've learned that it's better to shut up about everything because, quite frankly, no one's ever gonna understand what the hell I try to talk about. I've grown tired of the "WTF" stares I get all the time.

AGREED. I blank out so much when it comes to speaking, and can never find the right word to describe something. I feel much more comfortable writing, when I'm not pressured for quick replies or fearing an interruption. But I do spend FOREVER writing emails and spell checking (also often asked to proof read stuff even by much older folk than me), as well as condensing my work into as short a message as humanely possible.

And yep re-read profiles and taken stacks of tests and have been P.O.'d by the lack of consistency.

Other than that, I can't relate to much else to beyondaurora's post.
 
S

Sniffles

Guest
Yes the OP applies to me very much. I'm constantly on the search for the right words to say. Often that's not possible on my own, so I call on the aid of others to help explain what I'm thinking - hence my bad habit of citing others. So I have the odd paradox of having my own thoughts, but using other peoples' words to explain them to others.

Ahhh paradox....you just can't get more INFJ than that! :D
 

cascadeco

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
9,083
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
9w1
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Ugghh..I hate that website. But I don't want to get into that here. :)

I agree the blurb is citing some examples of Ti behavior that could be present in an INFJ, but I think the same behaviors/Ti-traits could be present in other personality types, as has already been mentioned.

The description overall doesn't resonate with me. When reading it, I wasn't like, 'Oh, that's SO me!' But yeah, I do think I can excel at organizing things, and do value organization and categorizing things. And clarity in communication - both written and verbal - is also very important to me. But I don't think I obsess about nitty gritty details.
 
S

Sniffles

Guest
Ugghh..I hate that website. But I don't want to get into that here. :)

I'd be interested in a concise summary of why you don't care for it.


The description overall doesn't resonate with me. When reading it, I wasn't like, 'Oh, that's SO me!' But yeah, I do think I can excel at organizing things, and do value organization and categorizing things. And clarity in communication - both written and verbal - is also very important to me. But I don't think I obsess about nitty gritty details.

I agree it was a bit hyperbolic, that's kinda why I laughed when reading it.
 

cascadeco

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
9,083
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
9w1
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I'd be interested in a concise summary of why you don't care for it.

While I think there is a lot of good information on the site, and a lot of attempts on her part to clear up stereotypes and misconceptions, I think there's an equal amount of ridiculously silly examples that she utilizes.

I also don't think all of the various mbti theories link together neatly, and you also have to consider there is disagreement within the typing community itself on what one should focus on in order to find ones 'best fit type', and then the whole cognitive function order is another can of worms. The very fact that it's next to impossible for some people to determine their type, or for professional or armchair typers to easily figure out a clients' type tells me there are many conflicting theories out there. So all of those various methods of typing...lumped onto one site...can feed to the confusion in my opinion.

And a personal reason for why I dislike it (and I have interacted with others who have experienced the same thing from it) -- I can't tell you how many times when she posed two reactions/behaviors, and you were supposed to choose whether you were X or Y, I would answer, 'Both', or 'It depends on the circumstance.' Or I would answer INFP half the time, and INFJ the other half.

That's as concise as I get on this topic. :)
 
S

Sniffles

Guest
Thank you, and I fully agree with you. One example I'll give is how INFPs supposedly are more likely to be diagnosed as ADD, but INFJs never are. Well I'm clearly an example of the opposite, and a few other INFJs here have mentioned being diagnosed as well.

It's not hard to imagine really, when you consult much of the literature on both ADD and INFJs.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
While I think there is a lot of good information on the site, and a lot of attempts on her part to clear up stereotypes and misconceptions, I think there's an equal amount of ridiculously silly examples that she utilizes.

I also don't think all of the various mbti theories link together neatly, and you also have to consider there is disagreement within the typing community itself on what one should focus on in order to find ones 'best fit type', and then the whole cognitive function order is another can of worms. The very fact that it's next to impossible for some people to determine their type, or for professional or armchair typers to easily figure out a clients' type tells me there are many conflicting theories out there. So all of those various methods of typing...lumped onto one site...can feed to the confusion in my opinion.

And a personal reason for why I dislike it (and I have interacted with others who have experienced the same thing from it) -- I can't tell you how many times when she posed two reactions/behaviors, and you were supposed to choose whether you were X or Y, I would answer, 'Both', or 'It depends on the circumstance.' Or I would answer INFP half the time, and INFJ the other half.

That's as concise as I get on this topic. :)

I can totally relate... what totally solidified for me was by seeing how other supposed INFJs interacted on online forums.
 

INFJ*

New member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
128
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w3
I for one, DISLIKE any details of any practical kind, unless they're concerned with the human psychology. I never understood why the hell two professors would sit there and argue about something like, "do we place a coma after or before 'and' ?"

Now, I'm a Type 3w2 INFJ.....when I speak people find it hard to believe that I'm actually a professional writer. This is because it's hard for me to express myself clearly, or what I want to say smoothly with no self-interruptions or pauses. I lose words, sometimes I feel like I'm running out of words, or I don't have the right words to get the idea/message across. It seems as though my thoughts are raw and my words can't digest them. I say it, I rephrases it and I correct it. Sometimes I'm not so clear, sometimes I'm vague and sometimes I say what I don't mean, or say what I mean in a way I don't mean. It's ridiculous of me that I rely heavily on the non-verbal language and emotions to help me out. I understand people and get what they want to say and finish their sentences for them, so I'm probably expecting that level of understanding as well.

Well, when it comes to writing I think I do much much better. I can be so eloquent and clear on paper and so precise and expressive. When I worked as an editor they hated me, I payed attention to the smallest microscopic details. I can edit others work with extra attention without missing a tiny teeny thing, but not my own. I miss so much, even after I spend hours of editing my work.

So, what was the color beautiful deal? I don't get it.
 

edcoaching

New member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
752
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
7
So, what was the color beautiful deal? I don't get it.

20 years or so ago there was this popular book/seminar Color Me Beautiful. You chose the palate of colors you looked best in and determined whether you were Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. One of my friends has her "colors" with her on all shopping trips, a little string of pieces of cloth, and never buys anything that doesn't match those colors. I must say she always looks fabulous...
 

iwakar

crush the fences
Joined
May 2, 2007
Messages
4,877
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Hello. I have just had a true "Eureka!" moment. With all appreciation to those who recently helped me determine my type, I have not felt comfortable with my type description at all.

I was browsing INFJ or INFP? a closer look and read this:

"INFJs, on the other hand, are drawn to categorizing. They display a knack for systematizing and can do it quickly. They typically define terms, or ask others to define theirs. They expend a great deal of effort finding precisely the right word to express what they want to say, sometimes rewriting emails many times over until they are succinct, hopefully pithy, and all the words seem exactly right (like not saying "invoke" when you mean "evoke" or "conscience" when you really mean "conscious" or "wretch" when you mean "retch"). They often behave like English teachers, and frequently get asked to proofread others' writing for errors. They can be highly sensitive to misspellings or it's/its mistakes on public signage. They strive for clarity and precision, and often contribute these gifts to a conversation. They attempt to articulate things unspoken, and name aloud any problem or peculiar dynamic. They may enjoy methods of organizing, such as the systematic "Color Me Beautiful" approach to fashion-dressing, or database designing, and of course, Personality Types. Some of them are professional organizers or financial planners thanks to their tertiary. It is the INFJ who will relentlessly re-take a personality test to grasp the categories better in order to figure out which category they really belong to, and become irritated if the results change each time. The INFJ cares more than the INFP does about people being "mis-filed" with the wrong type code, and I know an INFJ who got disgusted when her Step II inaccurately reported her as an INTJ. They are unwilling to settle for INFx (I confess: that designation makes me crazy). These are common ways that Ti will manifest in the INFJ type code."

I literally shrieked when I read this! THIS is me! All the way up to the "Color Me Beautiful" reference.

But before I get too excited, please tell me, INFJ's...does this ring true for you? Feel free to check the link above for greater context.

Thanks!

Holy effing lord, that is me.

Then there is no hope for my meticulous ways! :cry:
 

IEE623

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
196
MBTI Type
NeXx

"INFJs, on the other hand, are drawn to categorizing. They display a knack for systematizing and can do it quickly. They typically define terms, or ask others to define theirs. They expend a great deal of effort finding precisely the right word to express what they want to say, sometimes rewriting emails many times over until they are succinct, hopefully pithy, and all the words seem exactly right (like not saying "invoke" when you mean "evoke" or "conscience" when you really mean "conscious" or "wretch" when you mean "retch"). They often behave like English teachers, and frequently get asked to proofread others' writing for errors. They can be highly sensitive to misspellings or it's/its mistakes on public signage. They strive for clarity and precision, and often contribute these gifts to a conversation. They attempt to articulate things unspoken, and name aloud any problem or peculiar dynamic.

ENFJs do that too
 
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