[INFJ] Aren't INFJs supposed to be a very rare type?

[Liesl]

Being INFJ sucks big time sometimes. It's not an easy internal world to grapple with (not that the same can't be said for other types. I suppose we each have our unique battles). I don't exactly wish it upon anybody. It's eased up with age, but for sure in my teens and 20's I was for the most part one unhappy/dissatisfied camper.

This is very true. Being an INFJ does not seem easy. The INFJ I know seems to experience a lot of negative emotions. But I sure am glad to have you guys around. You do a lot of good things for the rest of us.

You lie!!
j/k, ENFP's are kinda cool, I guess..

Kinda cool? You guess? Mr. Mondo, I will be asking you for an explanation later.

 

[entropie]

INFJ is a rare type. But you know how it is with rare things, everyone wants em

 

[21%]

INXXs are 'rare' at parties and social gatherings but very common on the internet

 

[Xellotath]

I've traveled a lot and met lots of people in my life. From my experience, yes they are rare, as are INTJs. Can only count meeting about a handful of either type.

But I hope I'm wrong, that I've just been unlucky and that they are not rare - this world would be all the poorer if they were truly so statistically insignificant in comparison to other types.

 

[SilkRoad]

I know where the OP is coming from. I am about as sure as I can be that I’m an INFJ, as compared to the other types. I took the MBTI without knowing the slightest thing about it – my manager at work just asked us all to take the test. I had always been sceptical of personality tests, but when I read the INFJ description, I was shocked at how accurate it seemed – even some things I was vaguely aware of but had trouble articulating. When I later looked more into the other types, there were none that I identified with nearly as much – except to a certain extent with ISFJ and INFP.

I think INFJ is supposed to have a bit of a “glamour” about it though, as it’s “special” and “rare” and all this. I think a lot of “real” INFJs would tell you that it’s not necessarily a highly desirable thing to be, not more so than other types, anyway. It’s rather exhausting actually…

Certainly online, in forums such as these, there is a pro-N bias and anti-S, and it certainly makes sense that more introverted N types would be on these forums than extroverted S types, or even introverted S types.

It does also seem that the vast majority of “real” or “professed” INFJs on the internet claim to have more of a lean toward an NT type such as INTJ or INTP (still "rare" and "special") than toward, say, ISFJ. With the possible exception of INFP, I know for a fact that the closest second type for me would be ISFJ. I know (and am not ashamed!) that I am a fairly “S” INFJ. However, the descriptions for INFJ make far, far more sense for me than ISFJ, and I quite consistently type as INFJ in any tests I have taken – occasionally I get other results, but not that often. (I seem to have fairly close splits/be fairly balanced. F seems to remain consistent over T.)

Just rambling, sorry, and I probably didn’t add anything of great interest that others didn’t say already!

 

[Mondo]

Kinda cool? You guess? Mr. Mondo, I will be asking you for an explanation later.

Ms. Liesl, I might have guessed incorrectly.

 

[Sailboat]

I have found, so far, that I am related to three other INFJ's.

I don't fret though, I know I am a ~speshul snowflake~*.

 

[KDude]

I know an ENFJ and ISFJs.. I think that area somewhere in between is someone I've never met. I wouldn't doubt that many ISFJs could be mistyped as INFJ though. Some people might think they lack depth, but they simply do not. It all depends on their upbringing perhaps, which might make some seem as well rounded as N. There's an ISFJ I know who's a far better artist than I will ever be, grew up very cultured, educated, and multilingual, moving back and forth between Singapore and France, has a literal noble family actually.. but, our disgreements almost seemed to come down to Se/Si. As much as she experienced, she'd still get alarmed and shell up at some new or unsual things. And it was hard to tap into my own "Ni" view on things to bring it to something that'd make sense to her.. so I actually kind of just resolved things on an F level (I guess! For lack of a better way of putting it). The ENFJ, otoh, never is like this though..she can put herself in many situations. We can see eye to eye in our perceptions many times. My only disagreements with her are.. to do with her flighty Fe or something. I'm totally immune to ENFJ charisma

Anyways.. not sure what my point is. If it's supposed to be a rare type, and some ISFJs might be INFJs, they definitely shouldn't feel commonplace about it. That comes down to their experience, not their type. Some people might really need to examine whether they identify with Ni though. I don't think it's that simple.

 

[SilkRoad]

I have found, so far, that I am related to three other INFJ's.

I don't fret though, I know I am a ~speshul snowflake~*.

Bwahahahaha

 

[guesswho]

I have never met an INFJ. I still have about 40-60 years to do that.

Wish me luck!

 

[Sailboat]

I have never met an INFJ. I still have about 40-60 years to do that.

Wish me luck!

We're usually in this position:

If you spot one, don't sneak up too fast, you don't want to scare them.

 

[kccrush]

I don't understand why anyone would choose to be an INFJ? Sure it's fun sometimes, but interacting with the world is toughest for the INFJ. Not exactly an INFJ-friendly universe out there...I'm just saying, if you had to fake it, you should go for ENTP or something strong and deliberate and in-your-face. The INFJ ways, I think, are too unappreciated to be highly desired by others.

ps, Sailboat....very funny!!

 

[WinterWriter]

I'm actually shocked anybody would want to be one!

What he said. Why would anyone want the mind twisting combo of Ni Fe Ti Se?
I know I'm an INFJ. I've never met another INFJ, which is why I enjoy reading these threads so much. I often find myself feeling like I'm looking in a mirror.

WinterWriter

 

[Seymour]

I did introduce the two male, gay INFJs I know to one another—they had long reminded me of each other. One described the experience as "kind of like seeing an actor portray you on TV." In this case I think they had more in common than is typical for people of the same type, but was still fun to observe.

 

[Paisley]

In church and the music scene INFJ's are everywhere, lots of guys even (1% of the human population), which is kind of obvious, given the power of IN EF in understanding people. It's just that the world is 70% SENSE type, and INFJ's have little Introverted Feeling to assert themselves, unless they're a weak J at the margin, as INFP is dominant IF. I don't think of the 8 combinations...

Myers-Briggs Personality Types Development Dynamics: Myers, Briggs & Carl Jung

...so much in terms of highest to lowest, but moreso, in what capacity, meaning, how much of the auxiliary traits can we utilize, and how can we develop our strengths. Introverted Intuition's the most powerful trait of the 16, in my opinion. I can only speak for myself, but I find my bosses, ask me for advice and objective criticism very easily over other more seasoned peers at work, and I attribute that to my INFJness in being a good listener and being approachable to give advice and council to others. Carl Jung, the creator of this entire typology is an INFJ, for who else would make such leaps in judgment about the mind but the author-protector-cousellor, INFJ-type?

Counselor (role variant) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good company to be in, in my opinion, just difficult considering there are so few of us.

 

[Aleksei]

INFJs are supposed to be... what? A type that is held by as little as 1% - 2% of people? If this is in fact true, why does it seem to me that there in fact an huge abundance of people who claim to be this type?

INFJs are quite disproportionately common on internet discussion boards. It's a much more comfortable and impersonal way to communicate for an introvert, and it would logically seem to me that INFJs actually like people (being Fe types and all), but are overwhelmed by direct social contact (being Fe types and all). This kind of community is a nice proxy.

 

[Paisley]

INFJs are quite disproportionately common on internet discussion boards. It's a much more comfortable and impersonal way to communicate for an introvert, and it would logically seem to me that INFJs actually like people (being Fe types and all), but are overwhelmed by direct social contact (being Fe types and all). This kind of community is a nice proxy.

...and because of our natural ability to write.

INFJ Careers

 

[coconut]

Don't those statistics come from online tests? Meaning, people go online, take the tests, and 1-2 percent of them come out with an INFJ result? Even if they were largely mistyped, we're still talking about 1-2 percent who think they're INFJ. Of everybody I've ever known who has taken the test, I don't know any who tried to skew their result or wished to be a type they weren't. I do know one person who took the test quickly, saw a famous name of someone who shared that type, and immediately decided she liked that type and would keep it based on the famous person whose type she now shared. But she wasn't INFJ, she was a more common type.

I think INFJ's are rare - I only know of one in real life - and I don't know of any who are trying to pass as INFJ. But they probably, for whatever reason, are disproportionately represented on MBTI forums.

 

[Aquarelle]

INFJs are quite disproportionately common on internet discussion boards. It's a much more comfortable and impersonal way to communicate for an introvert, and it would logically seem to me that INFJs actually like people (being Fe types and all), but are overwhelmed by direct social contact (being Fe types and all). This kind of community is a nice proxy.

Exactly. It is my experience that the internet, as well as certain interests such as the music scene, as one poster pointed out. I've met several fellow INFJs on the Ren Faire circuit as well (but still not more than 5 or 6).

 

[scortia]

My stance has always been that INFJs are probably the most obsessed with what makes up our personalities... what makes us unique, how we tick, and how we can improve ourselves. So, logically, we'd be the group that gravitates to this board. Just look at the lack of SF and ST on the board despite being like 75%+ of the populace. It isn't a drive in their lives.