tovlo
New member
- Joined
- May 2, 2007
- Messages
- 248
- MBTI Type
- INFJ
I'm curious which description of childhood experience INFP's and INFJ's relate to:
IFP children
INJ children
IFP children
INJ children
They're likely to hang back and watch before participating in a social situation
Very idealistic
Maybe a little idealistic
Take things seriously and personally
Yes
Quiet and gentle
Yes
Extremely sensitive
Yes
Shy and reserved with strangers
Yes
Enjoy reading
Yes - My sister and father were big influences there, so I was always reading from a very early age and usually material that would be suited for "adults" or "young adults" (as in reading comprehension level) even as a kid
Service-oriented, they want to please others
Want to please others - yes, service oriented - ?
They love animals and small babies
Cats, and rodents - yes, Babies and most other animals - No
Likely to be messy and unstructured
This one is a bit trickier, I've always "put stuff where I'm likely to be able to find it again" and there is some order to it, but it certainly appears as clutter to most. As a kid as well as now, I had a clutter threshold and once something passed that I would go into a cleaning frenzy and organize everything and tidy up but that can be months/seasons apart in doing so.
They need lots of love and affection
Yes
IFPs often are dreamy and imaginative children, and may seem to be off in their own world. They usually excel in the Humanities, such as English (Writing), Music, Art, and History. They will be interested in Science classes that have a clear human connection, such as Biology.
IFPs will resist doing tasks that seem impersonal, for which they can't see how it affects the human element. Presenting sheerly logical tasks within the framework of how performing the task helps humans will help the IFP face the task more willingly. Logic is still not their strong point, so patience learning these kinds of tasks will have to be shown. Since they're not naturally logical and they don't naturally see the value of sheer logic, the IFP is at a disadvantage with these kinds of lessons.
When giving constructive criticism or a poor grade to an IFP, also give some positive feedback so that the IFP is not frightened off from doing that type of task again in the future.
They have vivid imaginations
Yes
They're curious about everything, and are always asking "Why?"
Yes! - I think I was probably very annoying as a child because of that.
They enjoy spending time one-on-one with others, rather than in large groups
Yes
They're often off in their own world, and have a dreamlike quality
Yes
They enjoy art and music
Enjoy - yes, good at? - no
They love books, and especially enjoy fiction
Yes (as described above for IFP)
They're likely to hang back and watch before participating in a social situation
Yes
They're intensely private, and don't always share their thought and feelings
As a kid, that was very true, not so much as an adult.
They like structure and are unsettled by chaos or unplanned events
Overall, I think I have a small need/desire for structure, but I have a high tolerance for disorder and chaos so it takes a lot to push my limits there
They prefer sports that focus on individual performance rather than team sports
Yes - stuff like archery and fencing appealed to me a lot more than traditional athletic sports. I did try football and basketball as a young child, but it was all the rules you had to memorize that I couldn't stand, I kept getting penalties for offsides and garbage like that that eventually evolved (devolved?) into a hatred of team sports
They are perfectionists
Yes
They're serious and intense
Only about certain specific things, otherwise this is one area where I am much more "P" like.
They often seem older than they are, and may have older friends
Yup - for the most part, my friends were the friends of my older sister (many of which were also older than her)
They are original and independent, and value their uniqueness
Yes
They're not overly concerned with grades, but they want to completely understand a subject that interests them
Yes - This is much better description of me than the IFP notion of being sensitive to criticism in academics (I am sensitive to criticism about some things but not impersonal ideas). I don't know if I'd say I want to "completely" understand a subject, but I do want to feel that the understanding I have of the subject is sufficient to my standards and satisfies my curiosity of the subject and how it works
Yup, good description of me.INJs are extremely curious and intellectual children who need a wide variety of mental stimulation. When they are interested in a subject, they will naturally want to know everything about it. Teachers should be prepared to point INJ children towards sources where they can learn more about the subject.
Another good description that fits me.INJ children don't do well with tasks that require following prescribed steps in a plan or rote memorization. They find these kinds of things extremely boring, and they will resist doing them. They also don't like to do things repetitively. Once they have done something once, they are done with it and want to move on to the next thing. To keep things interesting for the INJ, teachers should give them the basic theory and the desired outcome, and let them figure out how to get there on their own.
I still tune out the environment a lot of the time if I'm absorbed in a task or exploring an idea in my mind.Teachers should realize the INJ's weakness of not always being aware of their environment, and recognize that if an INJ didn't hear the teacher, it doesn't necessarily mean that they weren't listening. Sometimes the INJ's private world overtakes the INJ to the point that they completely tune out their environment. As much patience as possible should be shown with this characteristic. INJs will develop some control over this as they grow older.
Sounds about right for me.INJs love to come up with ideas, and naturally want to put their ideas into some kind of structure or plan. They want to do this on their own, with little or no direction. They highly prize their ideas and their competence at performing their projects, and are threatened by someone giving them too much direction. This is almost an insult to the INJ, who bases a great deal of their self-esteem on their independence.
Yup, I hated group projects in school (even through college). I don't mind group stuff in a work environment as long as I have a specific well defined role in the group and can do my part my own way and the group leader then puts things together from that.INJs thrive doing independent projects that require creativity, such as science projects or writing projects. They will probably not enjoy group projects as much, although they are likely to be fine working with one partner on a project.
For the most part true, but I would add that if I don't see the point of a specific rule, I WILL question the rules and the reasoning behind them until I am at least satisfied that the person making the rules gave consideration to my concerns.Present the rules and expectations clearly and consistently. INJs naturally crave structure and order. Although they don't want to be told exactly how to do something, they need to understand any rules clearly.
Some of the INJ things fit, but the IFP one fit much more.