[INFP] How Rare are INFPs?

[One Day]

There was only one other person that I think was an INFP back in high school though I never really talked to him. INTPs seemed more common actually.

 

[seamaid]

In real life, besides myself, I know 2 other INFPs for sure. My dad and this guy who worked in a documentary studio with me. Both remarkably nice people. I'm sure there were INFPs at my art school and elsewhere that I could identify as one, but even so, unless they themselves made a connection with me, I'd be hard pressed to remember one as definitely an INFP because they were too invisible and unknowable in "public" for me to ascertain any traits to them.

 

[nolla]

I know one. Well, I'm not certain, but it is highly probable.

 

[Lauren]

I'm not sure I've known another INFP. A good female friend is an INFJ. A male friend is, I believe, an INFJ, or an INFP--I've not met a man like him. He acts based on his feelings, rather than his head. Very kind. He's smart, but I don't see T as the primary function. If he's an INFP (and he could be--he likes things open-ended, it seems), he's the first man I've known who is one.

I've heard the 1 percent figure.

I can relate to paying bills by magic, or by telepathy.

I think we're extraordinarily useful, in our own mystical, magical way

 

[neptunesnet]

I love the "Yeah, I know an INFP... I think?" responses.
They're all gradually confirming the theory I have in my head about this.

I agree with OrangeAppled. The 1% and the 4% "debate" may exist because of the frequent mistyping of INFPs. It happens so often. People associate us with niceniceness or with emo whininess, of which we are neither (a few bad apples, so to speak). Plus, surveys can be misleading as well. Depending on the environment, the survey may be skrewed in that there may be a disproportionate or an underrepresented (?) amount of INFPs and the percentages are off.

But I'll concede a little. I certainly don't think we make up 4-5% of the US population but maybe not exactly 1%.
2-3% even would seem more accurate than 4-5%, especially since in the exact same statistics they give ESTP the same 4-5 percentage.

 

[The Outsider]

I don't know any.

 

[proteanmix]

All you have to do is go to google type in "mbti population statistics" or something like that and up pops this amazing document!

http://www.capt.org/products/examples/20025HO.pdf

 

[Amargith]

I know two, three if I include myself. One's male, the other female.

 

[Riva]

They are rarer than friendly INTJs.

Or happy INTPs.

 

[OrangeAppled]

But I'll concede a little. I certainly don't think we make up 4-5% of the US population but maybe not exactly 1%.
2-3% even would seem more accurate than 4-5%, especially since in the exact same statistics they give ESTP the same 4-5 percentage.

Yep...I agree. 1% is probably not the case either.

I do realize that INFPs are probably quieter and less visible than ESTPs, but ESTPs seem like they are eveywhere....

I think a lot of INFPs feel "out of place" compared to people around them, so it's hard to believe there are 4 more INFPs out of every 100 people. It's still pointless to look at your personal experience because that's merely anecdotal. So I know 2 INFPs (including myself) and someone else knows 5, well, that doesn't really say anything at all.

I've never met another INFP. As for the practical comment...yeah don't ever ask me how I pay my bills. Magic possibly.

Magic is how I accomplish everything.

...Oh whatever!
Come on you all, get it together! I'm beginning to think I'm not INFP after all.

Maybe you're not.

 

[Amargith]

Magic is how I accomplish everything.

Stick with what you're naturally gifted at

(I sooo want a witchy-emoticon with a bubbling cauldon now! :steam

 

[neptunesnet]

It's still pointless to look at your personal experience because that's merely anecdotal. So I know 2 INFPs (including myself) and someone else knows 5, well, that doesn't really say anything at all.

True.
But it's still much more likely for someone to have known three (arbitrary number) or less INFPs than five or more.

 

[the state i am in]

do you people seriously know under 100 people? counting off the top of my head right now, i know at least 18 infps. i think i know 8 infjs not counting myself. but i always do take classes where i would meet other infps, and i generally hang out at the same places/ participate in the same social activities. i find it much more difficult to meet nt types than nf types.

 

[OrangeAppled]

do you people seriously know under 100 people? counting off the top of my head right now, i know at least 18 infps. i think i know 8 infjs not counting myself. but i always do take classes where i would meet other infps, and i generally hang out at the same places/ participate in the same social activities. i find it much more difficult to meet nt types than nf types.

I know hundreds and hundreds of people, of course. I have seriously only known one other INFP though. I'm sure I've encountered more, but I didn't know them well enough to type them.

When I first got into MBTI, I mistyped a few ISFPs and one ENFP as INFP though, but it became clear I was wrong as I learned more.

That's exactly what I mean by anecdotes meaning little; so you personally know a disproportionately large number of INFPs, well, that doesn't support or disprove any statistic. However, your experience seems to be pretty unusual, and you even say you tend to meet NFs more than anything in your environment.

 

[seamaid]

Actually I remember another INFP girl at the art school. Again, a beautiful person inside (and out). By contrast, I know 7 ENFPs, 5 INFJs, 2 INTPs, 3 INTJs, 1 ENTP, 1 ISFP, 2 ISTPs... I don't know that listing this really says anything! My observational skills are far from omnipotent and I'm picky about who I notice anyway...

 

[PeaceBaby]

i would say 1/25 (4%) for infps sounds about right. i know more infps than most other types. tho i rarely type sjs and sps bc historically i've had little interest in them and generally didn't care to know them.

in my work situation at a restaurant, i've met 1 entp, 4 enfps, 3 infps, 1 infj, 2 intjs, 1 entj, 2 enfj, and 1 intp. i've been blessed. 1 other person who claimed to be infp but is isfp.

I suppose you may only fraternize with intuitives, but you are telling me all these people, in such a close environment, are intuitives? I find it extremely improbable, if you just look at it from a statistical perspective.

People associate us with niceniceness or with emo whininess, of which we are neither.

Agreed.

i know at least 18 infps. i think i know 8 infjs not counting myself. but i always do take classes where i would meet other infps, and i generally hang out at the same places/ participate in the same social activities. i find it much more difficult to meet nt types than nf types.

Well you sure know a lot of INFP's, if that's accurate, but I am hugely skeptical. I myself know only one or two other people I would type as INFP. Now granted, in my work environment / chosen profession, there are many NT's.

But I do think lots of people think it is somehow "cooler" or "better" or "smarter" to be intuitive, and that likely leads to type confusion.

My personal opinion: more than 1%, less than 4%. I think I would be able to feel more of their resonance if they were 4 out of every 100 people I met. Although this is where enneagram results could refine further distinctions in the percentages.

And, nothing personal, but I find that INFJ's tend to take some weird pleasure in stating "INFP's are more common" thus asserting themselves as the rarest female type.

 

[nolla]

do you people seriously know under 100 people?

You know that many people well enough to type them? Wow... (I bet I don't know hundred people even well enough to remember their names)

 

[sleuthiness]

infps aren't rare at all. Use that peripheral vision, fellow introverts.

 

[Alassea]

I suppose you may only fraternize with intuitives, but you are telling me all these people, in such a close environment, are intuitives? I find it extremely improbable, if you just look at it from a statistical perspective.



Agreed.



Well you sure know a lot of INFP's, if that's accurate, but I am hugely skeptical. I myself know only one or two other people I would type as INFP. Now granted, in my work environment / chosen profession, there are many NT's.

But I do think lots of people think it is somehow "cooler" or "better" or "smarter" to be intuitive, and that likely leads to type confusion.

My personal opinion: more than 1%, less than 4%. I think I would be able to feel more of their resonance if they were 4 out of every 100 people I met. Although this is where enneagram results could refine further distinctions in the percentages.

And, nothing personal, but I find that INFJ's tend to take some weird pleasure in stating "INFP's are more common" thus asserting themselves as the rarest female type.

"And, nothing personal, but I find that INFJ's tend to take some weird pleasure in stating "INFP's are more common" thus asserting themselves as the rarest female type. "

Bingo! Aside from not being able to prove much and after being called out by us and not having anything else to reply to, they also love stealing INFP characters naming them as 'INFJs' and get mad when people don't agree with them.

 

[meowington]

1% of 7.5 billion is 75 million special snowflakes