[MBTI General] INFJ's, is this you?

[quietgirl]

:

"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."

Very much so, but I slack in the proofreading occasionally (however I am the queen of finding spelling errors in writing other than mine). I also categorize people - friends from college, friends from work, etc. I tend to introduce people that way as well..."Hey, this is Mary, my friend from work."

 

[Penda]

I tend to spend a great deal of time making lists and planning for the future, and far less time actually following through on those ideas. I do like placing things in categories. For instance, I have all of the music on my computer categorized by genre.

 

[StoryOfMyLife]

Holy cow... I continuously had my doubts about being an INFJ, however, reading this-- oh yes, this is SO true for me!

I've retaken the type test several times, convinced I've been typed wrong. Any test that categorizes me as one thing, I have to retake in order to be completely certain- especially if I'm unsatisfied with the results. The irritation with misspellings is true, so is being asked to check over papers for errors. In High School...I lost count of how many times I had been asked to do such a thing. English was my best subject...

In any case, oh yes. Yes. Definitely yes.
I'm very happy I came across this thread... <--- see?

 

[edcoaching]

Each person is like every other person of their type and like no other person of their type...

I can't spot a typo or financial error to save my life without careful techniques (like proofreading at 3 am when I'm too tired for my Ni to start playing with the ideas again...).

But...I can edit for structure, flow, audience reaction, omissions, etc.

Some INFJs correlate more strongly with Conventional on the Strong INterest INventory and some with Artistic. The latter describes me.

 

[StoryOfMyLife]

I tend to spend a great deal of time making lists and planning for the future, and far less time actually following through on those ideas. I do like placing things in categories. For instance, I have all of the music on my computer categorized by genre.

I almost gave up with making future plans because I'm so unlikely to follow through with them.

My music is done by genres, too, if I can help it...and alphabetized..as is my anime collection. [my books used to be, however, after moving so many times, I just said screw it and kept at least book series together rather than go by genre and series ]


What do these numbers mean [when I see something like 3w2 or 5w4 in signatures and such?] and how does one find out what they are?

 

[Sarcasticus]

What do these numbers mean [when I see something like 3w2 or 5w4 in signatures and such?] and how does one find out what they are?

It's a reference to the Enneagram, another personality typing system.

You can take an unofficial, online version of the test here (among other places):

Advanced Enneagram Personality Test

3w2 = enneagram type 3 with a 2 "wing" (wing = dominant sub-type)

5w4 = enneagram type 5 with a 4 wing

 

[StoryOfMyLife]

It's a reference to the Enneagram, another personality typing system.

You can take an unofficial, online version of the test here (among other places):

Advanced Enneagram Personality Test

3w2 = enneagram type 3 with a 2 "wing" (wing = dominant sub-type)

5w4 = enneagram type 5 with a 4 wing

Thanks for that-- I think I should take that test and find out what I've got [....that made me seem as though I've got some kind of disease... ]

 

[wedekit]

Yes. I am always praised by teachers and others about how clear and precise my writing is. However, I do admit that sometimes it takes longer for me to write something than it should. I have spent lots of time on this forum in the past carefully writing posts and whatnot, which can be pretty time-consuming after a while. If I am going to write it, I insist on writing it well.

I have always assumed that it came from Ti as well. I start off by assuming my audience knows nothing about the topic I am writing on, and then go from there.

My verbal communication is not bad at all, but I find that I get all the points I want to get across more easily if given time to write it in an e-mail rather than talking about it in a conversation.

I'm also the #1 person to go to for proofreading. Whether that's a bad or good thing is left up to interpretation.

ENFJs do that too

I feel compelled to argue that ENFJ's are better at verbal communication (though not bad at written; just better at verbal).

 

[Travo7]

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.

I have ADD. I am INFJ.

I have the inattentive type, which is what they called it back when I was diagnosed. I don't know what they call it now. I think all but 1 of my close friends didn't have it.

 

[Travo7]

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.

I definitely have this in common with you. For example, the bit on some INFJs being financial planners or professional organizers. I see some (emphasis on some) evidence of this in my life, traces of it. I could never commit to being either of those professionally speaking. Nor would I want to. There seems to be things more worthy of my time and energy.
I wonder if I understood you correctly.

 

[wedekit]

It's debatable whether ADHD (No such thing as just "ADD" for the record) actually exists or not. My little brother is classified as "ADHD, predominately hyperactive-impulsive type", but I don't think medicine (which I know not all people with ADHD take) truly helps him.

My opinion of his particular case is that he is just highly (and annoyingly) extraverted and requires more stimulation than sitting in a desk and listening to a teacher has to offer him. Because he can't conform to the school's expectations, they told my mom he can't come to school anymore unless he takes his adderall. Heaven forbid they try and tailor their teaching methods to his learning style!

Sorry, that was my ADHD rant. I feel bad for the guy because his intelligence is never reflected in his grades because of the lack of hands-on learning. Plus he gets in trouble a lot for getting out of his seat.

It's interesting because all the people I know with ADHD tend to be more on the extraverted side, but I assumed that there are introverts diagnosed as well. I wonder if introverts tend to fall more along the lines of "ADHD predominately inattentive type"?

 

[Travo7]

It's debatable whether ADHD (No such thing as just "ADD" for the record) actually exists or not. My little brother is classified as "ADHD, predominately hyperactive-impulsive type", but I don't think medicine (which I know not all people with ADHD take) truly helps him.

My opinion of his particular case is that he is just highly (and annoyingly) extraverted and requires more stimulation than sitting in a desk and listening to a teacher has to offer him. Because he can't conform to the school's expectations, they told my mom he can't come to school anymore unless he takes his adderall. Heaven forbid they try and tailor their teaching methods to his learning style!

Sorry, that was my ADHD rant. I feel bad for the guy because his intelligence is never reflected in his grades because of the lack of hands-on learning. Plus he gets in trouble a lot for getting out of his seat.

It's interesting because all the people I know with ADHD tend to be more on the extraverted side, but I assumed that there are introverts diagnosed as well. I wonder if introverts tend to fall more along the lines of "ADHD predominately inattentive type"?

Well, back when I was diagnosed (circa 1994), ADD was what it was called, and I had the inattentive type. Not all people with AD/HD have hyperactivity. If I'm not mistaken, I think that is why they have the slash, no?

 

[SuperFob]

I used to think I have ADD, but now I know that my problems concentrating/focusing came with depression.

 

[Ivy]

Well, back when I was diagnosed (circa 1994), ADD was what it was called, and I had the inattentive type. Not all people with AD/HD have hyperactivity. If I'm not mistaken, I think that is why they have the slash, no?

It's still called ADD, inattentive type. I have it too. I was only diagnosed about three years ago. ADHD is a whole 'nother bag of chips.

 

[Travo7]

ADD...what was I going to say?

Oh well...

I read somewhere that anxiety disorders can accompany ADD, which is true in my case. Although I've gotten a lot better at dealing with anxiety, it still gets me every now and then.

Can anyone else here relate to that?

Ivy: I was in high school when "they" thought something was "wrong" with me. How was it for you?

 

[wedekit]

ADD...what was I going to say?

Oh well...

I read somewhere that anxiety disorders can accompany ADD, which is true in my case. Although I've gotten a lot better at dealing with anxiety, it still gets me every now and then.

Can anyone else here relate to that?

Ivy: I was in high school when "they" thought something was "wrong" with me. How was it for you?

This is interesting. When I was "diagnosed" with OCD the first thing my psychiatrist prescribed me was adderall. >___>

It helped in some instances, but was hell in others. I started doing things like alphabetizing my books while taking an inventory of them, and other crazy tasks like that.

 

[Apollanaut]

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!

I came across this description some years ago, and it was a big help in helping me understand how my own tertiary Ti operates. As a forensic scientist, I spend a great deal of time using my Ti for analysis, categorisation, writing witness statements and for peerchecking the work of my colleagues. I have been praised for my precision and accuracy at work. However, I sometimes pay a heavy price for overusing my tertiary function.

According to the function/archetype theory of type (which I subscribe to), the tertiary function is governed by the "Eternal Child" archetype. As the name implies, this function is quite childlike in nature. Positively expressed, it is creative, playful and likes to "help"; negatively expressed, it can be evasive, unsettling and hypersensitive. The Eternal Child sees things in black-and-white, all-or-nothing terms, and its associated type function is subject to over- or under-inflation.

When my own Ti gets overinflated, I find I can't switch the damn thing off, and it begins to manically categorise and analyse everything.

It has a loud internal voice, which it uses to constantly "explain" reality for me:

"This is a spoon, that's a fork, they are both items of cutlery. Cutlery can be made of metal or plastic. Oriental cultures use plastic or wooden chopsticks instead of cutlery.....bla, bla bla...." ad nausem.

Sometimes this is very useful, but it is slightly annoying at 4am when I am desperately trying to get some sleep!

The flip-side of underinflation happens when I get too tired from all of this, or if - heaven forbid! - some unenlightened soul (usually my ENTP partner) dares to criticise my "helpful" categorisations: "For God's sake, stop analysing everything to death!".

My Eternal Child will then go on a major sulk, which can last for hours or even days. This is just as frustrating for me, as I can no longer categorise effectively and tend to get stuck in "analysis paralysis" loops of chronic indecision. This makes me very inefficient at my job, highly distractible, and generally useless at detail work. At this stage it's important for me to take a break and allow my Ti to recharge, but I don't always recognise this need, especially if I tip over into my inferior Extravertd Sensing function.

Anyone else relate?

 

[Travo7]

This is interesting. When I was "diagnosed" with OCD the first thing my psychiatrist prescribed me was adderall. >___>

It helped in some instances, but was hell in others. I started doing things like alphabetizing my books while taking an inventory of them, and other crazy tasks like that.

Yeah, they gave me prozac. (prozac heyday) lol
I quit taking it though. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever really took it properly.

 

[the state i am in]

apollanaut,
do you consider Ti or your Eternal Child to basically involve taking things apart and then possibly (if you get around to it), putting them back together? understanding how things work. curiosity for the connections between things?

i'm still not sure how to engage this productively, and what the difference between healthy and unhealthy is for this function. i think mine is overdeveloped and i turn into an absent-minded professor who bores even me. how does this function balance your NiFe, or has it surpassed Fe for you as well?

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

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

really? i'm new to personality typing, but am intrigued about this. i was diagnosed with add as a child, but don't find it a problem now (nor did i find it a problem then).

can you tell me more about the correlation between these two entities? are people diagnosed with add more likely to be infj?