[INFP] INFP: Sense of Purpose?

[Abhaya]

Sometimes I feel that I lack motivation because I lack a sense of purpose. I am searching for one and feel that it is something that I require to be fulfilled. I mistakenly have tried to make a relationship that purpose but that was foolish. I want to help others and make a difference in this world but have yet to find the avenue for me.

Do other INFPs feel this way?
Do you have a life purpose?
Do you have a mission here on earth?
Also what motivates you to get out of your head and put some of that idealism to use?

 

[DigitalMethod]

From BlueWing's "INFP Profile". A quote.

"There is something missing in my life, and it has to do with my need to understand what I must do, what I must know-except, of course, that a certain amount of knowledge is presupposed in every action. I need to understand my purpose in life, to see what God wants me to do, and this means that I must find a truth which is true for me, that I must find that Idea for which I can live and die."

-Soren Kierkegaard

 

[scantilyclad]

I often feel this way.
I think i do have a life purpose, but i'm not exactly sure what it is yet, although like you, i want to help people.
I think my mission here on Earth is to try to make the world a better place, one person at a time.
It is really hard for me to get out of my head, and the reason i haven't been able to fulfill my dreams and purpose is because i can't seem to wake up. When you know how to get this motivation, please tell me.

 

[Abhaya]

From BlueWing's "INFP Profile". A quote.

"There is something missing in my life, and it has to do with my need to understand what I must do, what I must know-except, of course, that a certain amount of knowledge is presupposed in every action. I need to understand my purpose in life, to see what God wants me to do, and this means that I must find a truth which is true for me, that I must find that Idea for which I can live and die."

-Soren Kierkegaard

Well that sums it up very well.

 

[Abhaya]

When you know how to get this motivation, please tell me.

I most certainly will

 

[Brutus01]

I feel like that everyday

 

[jungie]

In my quieter 'I' moments I searched for that sense of purpose...

When I was a child and alienated from the other kids and their seeming lack of purpose, I made up a little story that explained it all for me.

I was an alien and long time ago my alien comrades dropped me off on earth with a MISSION. VERY, very important mission.
I was made to look, sound and behave like a little girl to...
I was sent here to... well problem is you see upon landing something happened and I forgot what that mission was!
So there I was frustrated beyond belief, not able to remember my mission and worse, not doing what it is I was meant to do!

And one day the aliens will come back for me and then I'm sure as soon as I see them it will all come back. The purpose for me being here.

He he I even picked my home star - where my planet is.

 

[Abhaya]

In my quieter 'I' moments I searched for that sense of purpose...

When I was a child and alienated from the other kids and their seeming lack of purpose, I made up a little story that explained it all for me.

I was an alien and long time ago my alien comrades dropped me off on earth with a MISSION. VERY, very important mission.
I was made to look, sound and behave like a little girl to...
I was sent here to... well problem is you see upon landing something happened and I forgot what that mission was!
So there I was frustrated beyond belief, not able to remember my mission and worse, not doing what it is I was meant to do!

And one day the aliens will come back for me and then I'm sure as soon as I see them it will all come back. The purpose for me being here.

He he I even picked my home star - where my planet is.

You know I have had that same thought when I was a kid and even today I am constantly studying UFOs/Aliens and all that stuff. Hmmmmmm....

 

[SolitaryWalker]

Sometimes I feel that I lack motivation because I lack a sense of purpose. I am searching for one and feel that it is something that I require to be fulfilled. I mistakenly have tried to make a relationship that purpose but that was foolish. I want to help others and make a difference in this world but have yet to find the avenue for me.

Do other INFPs feel this way?
Do you have a life purpose?
Do you have a mission here on earth?
Also what motivates you to get out of your head and put some of that idealism to use?

INFPs, as Introverted Judging types tend to seek an internal purpose in life, one that transcends all activities of the external world. One may easily refer to such a quest as one in pursuit of a higher purpose.

This is the ultimate goal of introverted judgment. INTPs are also much preoccupied with this, though their interests tend to be impersonal, as opposed to the INFP whose pursuit of a higher purpose shall be profoundly personal.

INTPs often find such a quest in activities that tend to actualize their natural talents. This is the case because Introverted Judgment focuses the attention of the individual strictly on the subject or the self. Since the nature of the Introverted Judging type, especially an INP is abstract, it simply follows that he would be wishing to embark on such a quest. If for the INTP the search for the higher purpose consists in pursuit of truth, for the INFP it may well be the pursuit of true authenticity and depth of Feeling. This path has served INFPs like Augustine, Virgil and Kierkegaard supremely well.

 

[heart]

Also what motivates you to get out of your head and put some of that idealism to use?

This question supposes that the world is correct in telling us we must get out of our heads.

Here is an interesting quote, reported to come from Jung, but I have not verfied it as such:

Lightmind Extract 006

Quote:
tom.guerry 8.30.04

....
From the Jung forum:

Jung to Johnson :

“You have been claimed for an inner life,” Dr. Jung declared. “If you will remain loyal to the inner world, it will take care of you. That is what you are good for in this life. I must tell you at the outset that you should never join anything.”

“You must learn to accept that whatever you need will turn up for you,” he continued. “Even if you never produce anything of social value, your relationship with the collective unconscious will justify your reason for being on the face of the earth.”

“Please remember, it is what you are that heals, not what you know. In the beginning of my career I knew nothing, actually less than nothing. But still it worked. And do you know what? It was because of who I was.”

 

[heart]

Something along the same lines:

Carl Jung: Wounded Healer of Soul

 

[Abhaya]

This question supposes that the world is correct in telling us we must get out of our heads.

That is definitely something to think about! I also do not mean getting out of our heads for good, but maybe every now and then coming out and letting a little of that idealism manifest. Maybe just being who we are is enough, but I can't shake the feeling that although I might have some good ideas they won't do much unless acted upon.

I like that quote though... Do you have any thoughts on the other questions?

 

[Abhaya]

Inner work... I do plenty of that. That is what I do most, but I strive for balance.

 

[heart]

That is definitely something to think about! I also do not mean getting out of our heads for good, but maybe every now and then coming out and letting a little of that idealism manifest. Maybe just being who we are is enough, but I can't shake the feeling that although I might have some good ideas they won't do much unless acted upon.

I like that quote though... Do you have any thoughts on the other questions?

Scantily says it very well:

I think my mission here on Earth is to try to make the world a better place, one person at a time.

Inner work... I do plenty of that. That is what I do most, but I strive for balance.

I don't strive for any kind of balance, I let my inner judgment lead me for the most part and I give outwards as I am moved to, but no longer strive. I used to do this striving for balance but I feel it led me into a lost place where I was not in touch with what is best in me. We all have to give to the outside world in our obligations to those closest to us and to make our way, to surivive, to me this seems enough, it is most natural for me to be inward in my seeking.

 

[Abhaya]

I agree also with Scantily. That seems to be a good motivation for anyone.

As far as striving goes, it might have to do with where I am in my life. I do realize that I have striven towards things based on what I was indoctrinated to believe where valuable traits. Some of them just weren't me and I crashed and burned in these attempts. But balance and harmony are still important to me and I want to recognize my strengths but also learn to improve upon my weaknesses. But maybe I am being too idealistic.

 

[heart]

Further thoughts of mine:

I also do not mean getting out of our heads for good, but maybe every now and then coming out and letting a little of that idealism manifest. Maybe just being who we are is enough, but I can't shake the feeling that although I might have some good ideas they won't do much unless acted upon.

It is hard to do much with the external world. Working with the external world usually means joining groups and groups are plagued by the undeveloped nature of the majority of their members. A billion zeros add still add up to zero.Jung has some very interesting things to say about that.

I agree with BlueWing here:

... If for the INTP the search for the higher purpose consists in pursuit of truth, for the INFP it may well be the pursuit of true authenticity and depth of Feeling. This path has served INFPs like Augustine, Virgil and Kierkegaard supremely well.

Their works remain available to anyone who choses to partake of them, but then that is just the thing, we cannot help those who don't want it and forced changes never last (see Jung's reasoning above). So they have helped as best suited their natures, they introspected and wrote about it and it is provided out there for those who seek it.

A very good essay on why internal authenticity of thought and belief and values do not just remain inside us, but affect the whole world through our individual influence as members of this world.

 

[GZA]

I've always kind of had this purpose type of feeling pushing me, like something in my future was going to blow-up, go somewhere, and that I needed to make that happen.

This isn't the same as having a "mission". I don't feel as if I have some kind of... assignment to complete, or some kind of criteria to fufill. I think I was just born to do something and do it really, really well. Or a few things, I'm not sure.

I think one thing I feel I am somewhat forced to do by my own needs is master communication through music. I want to study music untill I really understand exactly how it works so I can use it to make songs that communicate something very well with both the music and words accompanying it. It's mostly selfish though, just a way for me to express myself. If I could get inside the music and inside myself and make them work together... that would help me sleep at night, we'll say that. Its not a mission though, its more like a quest, because its searching for something. I don't know if I have some "higher purpose", but thats what I'd like to do with my life, or its one thing I'd like to do with my self at some point.

How do I stay motivated with the music? Well, I love playing music and thinking about it, so it's quite easy. Its also a lot of hard work to actually learn how to play music -scales, chords, and how they interact, theres a lot to learn and think about. I like hard work though when its about something I love. One of my favourite lines from a song ever is "I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death", from Nas' New York State of Mind. I take this to mean I never stop working to make something happen, to make thoughts reality, because if I do it would be like death, it would be stagnant.

I don't know what I'll do for a career though...

 

[SquirrelTao]

I hesitate to completely embrace the word "purpose", since it seems so final and all-encompassing a concept. But I have always wanted my outer life to match my inner life better. And I do have a strong wish to creatively manifest my daydreams and inner life. I've always wanted to live as authentically as my favorite writers and artists.

When I was younger, I felt a kind of burden to be special, as if it was imperative for me to be extraordinary to make up for my inadequacies. I've outgrown that feeling, and I've also developed a jaundiced view toward the whole concept of a "career". But the need to become self-actualized remains, and the need for my self-actualization to be meaningful by benefiting the world also remains.

I don't have trouble being creatively productive if the world will just leave me alone to be obsessive for a while, but that seems it will never happen. People seem to resentful or suspicious of anybody taking a large chunk of time not to either be with people or to do something practical. I can't just burn through something creative for several hours without fear of neglecting something that somebody else expects of me. Except in the wee hours of the morning or very late at night. Oh how I wish I could just have a week to sleep in every day and stay up all night every night, doing nothing but create.

I've always identified with the story about the unfinished Coleridge poem about Kubla Khan. Coleridge woke from an opium dream to write the poem, but then when he was interrupted by a visitor, he forgot the rest of his dream.

That's not to say that there is no place for more conventional type goal setting and time management. I think there is, it's just situational. I don't care much for motivational type books (such as Stephen Covey's), but I have found the book, Wishcraft, to be of value. It's different from most such books, in that it really brings your imagination into play.

 

[luminous beam]

Sometimes I feel that I lack motivation because I lack a sense of purpose. I am searching for one and feel that it is something that I require to be fulfilled. I mistakenly have tried to make a relationship that purpose but that was foolish.

Also what motivates you to get out of your head and put some of that idealism to use?

i also let my life revolve a relationship once...that definitely backfired once it ended. i grew attached and it was very hard to overcome.

what motivates me to get out of my head is the fact that life time does not stand still and the longer we don't dwell the most likely we'll never do anything w/our lives. it's possible to be doing something, anything you want, while you figure out your purpose or meaning. i just think it's better not to sit around and let life pass one by.

I often feel this way.
I think my mission here on Earth is to try to make the world a better place, one person at a time.

i believe in this also. not sure if it's my "purpose" per se, but it's something that i strive for. i never want to hurt anyone or make their lives worse. i just hope that i somehow influence or inspire something positive in the people i come across with throughout my life.

When I was a child and alienated from the other kids and their seeming lack of purpose, I made up a little story that explained it all for me.

I was an alien and long time ago my alien comrades dropped me off on earth with a MISSION. VERY, very important mission.
I was made to look, sound and behave like a little girl to...
I was sent here to... well problem is you see upon landing something happened and I forgot what that mission was!
So there I was frustrated beyond belief, not able to remember my mission and worse, not doing what it is I was meant to do!

And one day the aliens will come back for me and then I'm sure as soon as I see them it will all come back. The purpose for me being here.

He he I even picked my home star - where my planet is.

this just reminded me of a freudian slip i had not to long ago while having a conversation with a friend of mine. we were talking about how some people stand up for a cause when they're young and as they age they don't anymore. i told her that those are the type of people who mainly just got along with the crowd and follow the trends...except when i said that i referred to people as "you humans"...and that totally made me feel like an extraterrestial lol.

INFPs, as Introverted Judging types tend to seek an internal purpose in life, one that transcends all activities of the external world. One may easily refer to such a quest as one in pursuit of a higher purpose.

This is the ultimate goal of introverted judgment. INTPs are also much preoccupied with this, though their interests tend to be impersonal, as opposed to the INFP whose pursuit of a higher purpose shall be profoundly personal.

that makes a lot of sense, thanks bluewing.

Inner work... I do plenty of that. That is what I do most, but I strive for balance.

i strive for balance as well, i crave self actualization. i have this silly idea that the better i become the more i would have to offer and i want to give as much as i can to those in need.

I love playing music and thinking about it, so it's quite easy. Its also a lot of hard work to actually learn how to play music -scales, chords, and how they interact, theres a lot to learn and think about.

music is the equivalent to air and necessary for my soul to survive. i think that you could touch people's lives and therefore make them better through music and expression if they can identify and are able to feel something through it. learning about theory and technique is more like a labor of love in that regard

I don't have trouble being creatively productive if the world will just leave me alone to be obsessive for a while, but that seems it will never happen. People seem to resentful or suspicious of anybody taking a large chunk of time not to either be with people or to do something practical. I can't just burn through something creative for several hours without fear of neglecting something that somebody else expects of me. Except in the wee hours of the morning or very late at night. Oh how I wish I could just have a week to sleep in every day and stay up all night every night, doing nothing but create.

i can truly identify with this. i just hope that one day i can get away from all that's expected of me and to just be. just let me dream, imagine, create...give me my space and time and instruments, pen and paper. i will pour my heart and soul to you. it's little things like responsibilities and duties that really throw me off and kill the mood and what could've been some of my best material while captured in the moment...one day...one day...haha but then again, this is why i strive for balance. i may not be able to relinquish daily tasks and responsibilities yet i long for achieving my goal of becoming one with music. i will figure out a way.

 

[skoko]

I think you answered your X in IXFP. You don't sound very S to me. But what do I know?