Skylights, I understand your perspective, and do not disagree with the main points. I was simply pointing out that the technique used to make your point is often not very successful with an INFP. Obviously, some here liked it, but often such a message makes me dig my heels in, and I've heard other INFPs express the same sentiment.
I also find that it's fighting negativity with negativity, and it's kind of irrelevant to the real emotional issue. Instead of pointing out that others have it worse, it helps if someone points out the INFP's personal strengths. My "wealth" in life has nothing to do with me personally, and everything to do with the circumstances I was born into. It's not any reflection of my value as a human. The OP feels, essentially, worthless. If anything, his worthlessness may make him feel he deserves such wealth less than the 75% of the world in poverty. The real issue then, is making him aware of his worth, without having to compare him to someone else (ie. ENFPs, or whoever).
INFPs certainly don't have it worse than anyone else by default of their personality (and I think I said as much to the OP in another thread), but our strengths often aren't measured as other people's strengths are. It's the INFPs responsibility to learn how to communicate their strengths to the world, but it helps when others express their confidence in our ability to do it.
Somehow I'm reminded of this post in another "Woe is me"-type INFP Thread
http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21652&p=826457&viewfull=1#post826457
Edit : That whole thread is actually a quite interesting read. OA has several good posts.
That post by saxman is like gold...what happened to that dude?
I find most motivational messages galling and infuriating. They're cloying and insultingly oversimplifying of what are complex emotional issues that aren't necessarily in my power to easily change. The thing is I am genuinely committed to thinking more positively and motivating myself already (despite how hard things can be) but this does only so much to change my mood. Its like being on a hard-core exercise regime yet being unable to lose any significant weight then having someone tell me I need to exercise more.
But then I find most attempts to (as you said, OrangeAppled) comfort me, toughen me up, or wake me up are rather misguided and insulting. I don't know if there is something wrong with me; this stuff just doesn't work on me at all - in fact, it often has the opposite effect.
However this (anti-)motivational message always cheers me up:
Remember, when you're having a bad day and people are winding you up, it takes 42 muscles to frown, 28 to smile and only 4 to extend your arm and smack them in face
I feel better already
I think the wryness of that "anti-motivational" message works for some INFPs because 1) it sympathizes with their feeling instead of invalidating their feelings, but it also 2) puts the feeling in perspective. It shows the feeling is a bit ridiculous and dramatic, but not necessarily without
any valid cause. It's a bit negative also, but the humor adds a "lightness" that can lead to positive thinking.
I love Morrissey for that reason. In his lyrics, he mocks his own mawkishness; there is an intentional humor to it. It feels like he is sympathizing with every "weak" human emotion, yet shining light on how over-dramatic these feelings can be & the self-absorption they stem from. That makes me smile; that puts my problems in perspective. A dead baby joke might work just as well
.
Example:
Park the car at the side of the road
You should know
Time's tide will smother you
And I will too
When you laugh about people
who feel so very lonely
Their only desire is to die
Well, I'm afraid
It doesn't make me smile
I wish I could laugh
But that joke isn't funny anymore
It's too close to home
And it's too near the bone
It's too close to home
And it's too near the bone
More than you'll ever know ...
Kick them when they fall down
Kick them when they fall down
You kick them when they fall down
It was dark as I drove the point home
And on cold leather seats
Well, it suddenly struck me
I just might die with a smile on my face after all
I've seen this happen in other people's lives
And now it's happening in mine...