[INFP] Questions for and about INFPs.

[mortabunt]

You just did. Hard to beleive that this thread is still alive. Most bungie threads die after three days.

 

[Udog]

Well, the OP really is INFP bait of the classic variety. And since INFPs never seem to check how old threads are before replying (as if the topic was created yesterday), this thread will never die! MWA HA HA HA!

 

[OrangeAppled]

Well, the OP really is INFP bait of the classic variety. And since INFPs never seem to check how old threads are before replying (as if the topic was created yesterday), this thread will never die! MWA HA HA HA!

I check, I just don't care

 

[ragashree]

^ Silly people, the purpose of this thread is for INFPs to talk about themselves, with a handy template provided to facillitate those tricky moments when one has to decide what to say next, if the thing you thought of is worth writing down, if you might come up with something better later by thinking some more, etc. Whether anyone actually reads the posts is largely irrelevant

 

[Udog]

I check, I just don't care

Whoa... that's like deep and stuff. Well said, Descartes!

^ Silly people, the purpose of this thread is for INFPs to talk about themselves, with a handy template provided to facillitate those tricky moments when one has to decide what to say next, if the thing you thought of is worth writing down, if you might come up with something better later by thinking some more, etc. Whether anyone actually reads the posts is largely irrelevant

Seriously - yeah, you've hit on the truth. Questions like those in the OP are fun to answer and give us a chance to think about, and perhaps better understand, ourselves.

 

[CrystalViolet]

Na, I just like talking about myself

 

[BlackCat]

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive? For me authority has it's place, and I tend to respect PEOPLE and not just a position. If my boss proves to be a good boss, he gets my utmost support and dedication. If my boss is terrible then I will lose a lot of respect. Seems pretty normal. If you question authority and don't go by it then when you are working you won't really get much of anywhere.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you? I talk down to them, question why they are even doing it and ask the purpose, generally just make them look like an idiot for doing it.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with? I am very emotionally reactive, but I only really show this to people I'm comfortable with.

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships? Yes.

Are you really sarcastic? Mhmm.

Are you silly? Yep.

Were you shy as a child? Not really.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness? I am only reserved toward people I'm not interested in associating with, so yes they probably do mistake it for aloofness (that's the intent).

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally? Yeah sometimes.

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers? No, I've always felt older.

Are you a talented writer? I've never shown anyone stuff I've written.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)? Counselor/Shrink, Marriage counselor, mediator, personnel manager for a company, basically anything to express my expertise in the area of people.

 

[metaphours]

haha i saw this and noticed that it was from 2 years ago but thought, what the hell. ANYWAYS

If you are an INFP:

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?
When I was a little kid I was extremely submissive, I always told the truth, and did every and any favor that anyone (e.g. friends, parents, sister) asked me to do. However, now, I feel like I'm more rebellious, however on the outside I still somewhat retain my once more extremely submissive side.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?
LOL, I just laugh it off, walk away, and listen to some music, which normally calms me down. Only if I'm really stressed out will I react.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?
Eh, I really don't open up to people unless I really feel comfortable with them or other sometimes circumstances (e.g. drunk, hahah).

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Are you really sarcastic?
When I'm around someone who appreciates sarcastic humor, then I can be VERY sarcastic, verging on sardonic sometimes. Otherwise, I normally don't say anything that could be interpreted as offensive (e.g. sarcastic humor)

Are you silly?
Haha, I definitely am when I'm around the right people. Sometimes I can act REALLY stupid and just not care what the people/person I'm with think/s, but thats normally around people who I REALLY, REALLY click with, which is a bit rare, haha.

Were you shy as a child?
Not really, I became shyer as I grew up.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?
Haha, yeah I think they do. My friends refer to me as being aloof as a joke sometimes, so I guess that might be a general consensus, lol.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?
YES, if I'm around a group of people/person I don't know well/don't click with well. And sometimes I just freeze up and stutter everything when someone I don't know well asks me a question (e.g. most girls, haha.)

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?
NO, I've always felt like I was a bit older mentally and emotionally than other people, and as a little kid I often had to explain everything to kids my age, because none of them understood me.

Are you a talented writer?
LOL yeah. That may sound prick-ish of me to say, but many people have told me that my writing is fantastic, and that I should become a writer and stuff, and honestly I think its just my main talent. I'm just good with words pretty much, whether it be stories, poetry, lyrics, essays, etc. But - don't think that I'm a prick for saying that, haha.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?
Anything that has to do with being creative really. As a kid and even now, my peers would scoff at my fantastical dream-esque ideas that just flow naturally out of my brain. So yeah. Hahah. Mainly I see myself having some sort of career that has to do with writing (see above). Being a screenwriter would be cool and in fact many of my stories are written as if they were films. I also play 4 instruments so being a musician could be a possibility as well. I'm a pretty decent artist as well, and I like to draw, so who knows.

 

[rainoneventide]

If you are an INFP:

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?

I'm not a rebel without a cause, but I'm not going to follow someone around like a docile lamb, either.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?

Agh, I want to say that I stand and slap 'em in the face, but in reality I normally just suffer in silence and pretend their behavior doesn't bother me.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?

I am very emotionally reactive, but I try to hide it with everyone, even those I'm comfortable with. For some reason, expressing my emotions is really embarrassing.

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?

Not a whole lot, I like to have my own space. But I need reminders that, without obligation, someone accepts and loves me. Otherwise, I'd wilt.

Are you really sarcastic?

Nah, I try not to be anyway. Makes me feel like an ass.

Are you silly?

Extremely.

Were you shy as a child?

I was very, very, very shy.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?

I'm not sure, but people that don't know me probably do. Nothing I can do about it.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?

Yeees. I think things over way too much.

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?

No, I always feel a lot older.

Are you a talented writer?

I'd like to think so, but I'm never content enough with my writing.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?

I really don't know right now. I know that I'd love to write with some photography on the side. And I know that I need to be helping humanity in some way in order to feel happy and content with my career. Anything else would be a waste of life.

 

[JoyfulRandom]

(wow. I am new. Never expected this thread to still be going when I started reading it...)

If you are an INFP:

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?

Depends on the authority. I tend to respect most authority, but only to a point.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?

I get annoyed. Sometimes I'm amused.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?

Yes, I fear that I am, mostly in my private face (my public face is pretty good at keeping a stiff upper lip). And in answer to an earlier thread that said that Fi/Fi romantic relationships can be emotionally messy, I'd have to agree. Major mess potential

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?

Yes. I really wish that I didn't.

Are you really sarcastic?

Yes. I often keep it to myself, though.

Are you silly?

Very (but I try to limit it to friends who understand or in when private and/or surrounded by strangers who honestly don't care

Were you shy as a child?

Very early on, I wasn't, but then became very shy. Still am.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?

I don't think so, but I often feel that I'm not well understood at first.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?

No, but I don't always feel understood, especially by S types. I feel that I need to get better at expressing things in ways that are more concrete.

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?

No. As a child, I felt older. Lately, I've been feeling younger.

Are you a talented writer?

I want to be. I don't know whether I am. Have had some positive feedback, but still much to learn.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?

Everything?

Seriously, though, I'd love to be a published fiction/creative nonfiction author someday.

 

[Asterion]

I'm some sort of INFP/ENTP hybrid , so I'll give this a go:
How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?
I try to break their ice, I dislike seriousness and any sort of rules involved. I value my own sense of freedom, I won't do what others think is best for me, I'll do what I think is best for me at the time (and often regret it). Occasionally, I'll do some things just to grate against the system.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?
It seriously irks me (as it should), I try to convince this someone that their view is irrational, and often point out that they are being a hypocrite.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?
Definitely not, some of my friends were literally telling me to cry away my troubles. I really don't need to, but maybe it's because I don't really care much about the troubles... nah, it hurts pretty bad, I just choose not to react.

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?
Probably, the more contact time the better.

Are you really sarcastic?
naturally, I do it extremely well, without even putting in any effort. It's hilarious when people don't catch on to it

Are you silly?
I'm as silly as it gets, I've often been called childish... I suppose naive? I think about things that most people probably wouldn't bother with or perhaps conceive, I don't know why, but that seems to have a childish sense to it

Were you shy as a child?
Most certainly, I don't think I had any sort of security, nobody was on my team, nobody guided me. I taught myself everything, and for that, I should score extra points for being so incredibly sextastic (*word stolen from an ENTP i know, such hilarity )

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?
??? I'm not sure if people consider me reserved yet, they haven't said so. I think I am aloof...

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?
Quite often, I find it hard to explain my ideas without pictures... as I proved to the police about an hour ago ... they seriously thought I was up to something, but they're just like that, I struggled to explain wtf I was doing, I could give details, but they were all out of order and a bit random... gimme a pencil and I'll draw what I did, lol Well, when speaking to others, what I want to say, is actually quite insane and ridiculous, it's not easy to make it, you know, work...

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?
Obviously not ... I feel much more childish than those that are younger than I am, I don't like coming off that way to most people, so I hide myself under a sheet of quiet... arrogance? If I don't say anything, I'll look much smarter... that sounds like another dose of enneagram 3...

Are you a talented writer?
, although you'd never be able to comprehend the story. Shakespeare did it, why can't I?

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?
Successful, as long as it's successful, that's what I want to be. I had this ideal in my head ever since I was about 10 (that's as far back as I could remember it), for me, it's been the sciences, and I've probably chosen that because of my Dad, he has a fair bit of intelligence, and a great wise bank of knowledge to draw it from. I was under the impression that being intelligent was the most respectable thing I could achieve, although I always sort of fell short of his expectations. Well, right now, I'd pass for intelligent in most conversations, although my childish ways take over frequently. I'm going to be a chemist or a physicist, whichever I feel like doing more. Physics has an allure to it, despite how boring it tends to be... I'm not so sure if I like it or not...

 

[Prototype]

1. Do they ever talk too much or too little?
I've seen both. They usually come alive if you get them one-on-one with someone they actually know, otherwise they hold back a bit, not wanting to accidentally offend.

Do they seem stuck up?
They can seem stuck up, if they are feeling uncomfortable. Basically, they won't talk at all, then talk to someone they know well who walks in and seem like a completely different person -- and this could get read by a stranger as them not WANTING to talk to the other people because they aren't good enough. And the fact that many INFPs are moralistic (strong internalized viewpoints) and can seem very "good" on the outside could sometimes put up a wall between them and people who are "not as good."

Do they seem aloof or just quiet and reserved?
Either, depending on context.

Do you think they come off as emotionally unstable?
Ummm... only when they wave that knife in the air...?

In general, how would you profile a male INFP?
In general, how would you profile a female INFP?

Some traits that help me guess INFP:

• Low-key, sometimes even reserved; hates to intrude; soft-spoken.
• Very careful with their words; comments about others are usually as kind as possible, even when the situation doesn't seem to warrant it. Corollary: Often apologies profusely for being negative, when everyone else only heard a minor criticism. (!)
• Often loves talking about their dreams, morals, visions, values in life, what's meaningful.
• Often has a creative streak in some genre... or at least aspires.
• Can talk in personal conceptual terms easily.
• Easily articulates the essence of people, in casual conversation
• Usually likes fiction, also enjoys a lot of books of conceptual broad knowledge (history, culture, religion, philosophy, literature)

There are more, but those are just some obvious ones that help. (Note: Readings are always based on context and many features working in conjunction, not just on a few isolated points.)

What do you think of INFPs as coworkers, subordinates, or authority figures?

INFPs shine at respecting other people's "voices" -- they take great care, usually, that all people are treated with dignity, are listened to and considered, and go out of their way to not offend others. They also seem to be very good at seeing people in positive lights.

However, they are usually not good at wielding power and/or asserting their leadership, because they hate to push people. They would rather encourage and motivate in order to get others to act autonomously. Again, this is part of making everyone "have a voice."

They can sometimes be passive-aggressive in their behavior. They don't want to have direct open conflict but will drag their feet or make things difficult by just not doing what is expected of them. The two working extremes seem to be "fluffy" versus "productive." Those who focus on Ne don't get much done but they have wonderful imaginations and love to discuss their values and dreams. Those who have developed Te often go into "work" mode and are very productive but can also become very nitpicking, critical, and anal if under too much stress-- the perfectionist tendencies definitely come out.

What do I personally think? Usually people I would aspire to be like, they tend to be "that good" (i.e., a good moral example!) However, I usually do not like being led by them where they have to give orders; unless they've worked on their inferior Te function, they can often be wishy-washy, non-authoritative, and sometimes don't see the negatives of a situation or person.

How do you view INFPs in romantic relationships?
I wish I could help you, but I've never been in one with an INFP. Sorry.

Wow... Are you stalking me?...LOL

 

[mrgorbachev]

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?
With a sense of suspicion. If what they're asking seems reasonable then I'll gladly go along-- but when it seems arbitrary I stop going along.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?
Don't respond in kind-- let them keep talking to me the same way, but respond in a way that would make it plainly obvious that I'm not an idiot.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?
Fairly? "Emotionally reactive" is a weird, slippery kind of phrase. But going along with what I said earlier, around people I am comfortable with.

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?
A bit. It is very easy for me to take things personally, so.

Are you really sarcastic?
Yes, I am. Yeah I am.

Are you silly?
With my friends I allow my mind to wander wildly, and I don't always keep it in.

Were you shy as a child?
Extremely, but it was sort of giggly shyness so people found it endearing.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?
Even I mistake it for aloofness.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?
I tend to hee and haw a bit when I talk, and can trail off very easily. So not really-- if I am making a speech with an outline I can fill in the blanks wonderfully. Just plain extemporizing is difficult for me.

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?
When I was younger everyone told me I was very mature for my age. These days I feel like I am younger than I really am.

Are you a talented writer?
Maybe. My English teachers always told me I had a real gift for writing, but I don't always feel good at it.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?
It changes every day. Probably either librarian or translator or speech language pathologist?

 

[beautiful.disaster]

Coming from an INFP but I have quite a bit of E in me..

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?
If they are doing something against my values and try to make me do it, seem insincere then yes I will question them. e.g having told I need to lie to customers. Then I question them. Otherwise I'm pretty submissive if I agree with their goals, their attitudes, the companes ideals.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?
It depends.. If this is expected then I remain silent replying back with short answers to show I am annoyed. If I did not see it coming I'll be assessing the situation, silent in shock.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?
Ah hard question to answer. I'm generally quite relaxed, do show a bit of emotion (laughing), however if people I'm around really offend me, and have done other things in the past which have built up then I may be emotionally reactive. Like threads I have read in other forums, I'm like a fuzzy bear with claws that tend to come out after things have been bottled up for awhile. or maybe a hippy who'll agree saying "yeah, sweeet" until you offend them by saying something insensitive// against their morals and they say "THAT'S NOT COOL, MANNNN."

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?
In relationships, yes. Normally in friendships I avoid attention and I let others have the attention but seems to be the opposite with relationships. If they ignore me and not pay enough attention, I tend to think they must have more important things than me, I shrug it off but it slowly gets to me more and more.

Are you really sarcastic?
Haha yes ,also quite self-deprecating and cynical if I'm in a bad mood which people for some weird reason seem to find funny. If I'm in a upbeat I'm not so sarcastic.

Are you silly?
Haha teehee teehee.. as in immature I can be , like any person hanging with friends but I guess people can think I'm "silly" inthe daydreaming sense.

Were you shy as a child?
quite a bit until about 7 or 8?then acted quite immature

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?
Haha sometimes but I cant blame them.. i am aloof alot of the time.Sometimes I am quite reserved if it is an issue im not so sure about or is not my place to talk about.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?
Yea, I guess I do. I find myself saying the perfect words in my head but cant get them out.

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?
Exactly like the thread before me "When I was younger everyone told me I was very mature for my age. These days I feel like I am younger than I really am. "

Are you a talented writer?
Hmm my parents think I have a real gift for it when I am writing for sometime I truly care about but I wasnt known at highschool as an especially talented writer. Teachers saw there was potential though.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?
hard to say. It changes. am currently doing a Bachelor of Arts In Psychology thinking of becoming a psychologist..but could master in social work then become a social worker for mentally ill(that may not be the word)? Ive thought about becoming a nurse.. social worker.. writer (in theologian studies)..psychologist.. or a position involving the use of ethics

 

[Ione]

Reply:

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?
As a kid I didn't question authority at all, but as a teenager i did. If the authority figure was an idiot, anyway, and I had a keen eye for picking out those ones.

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?
Shut down, clench fists, squeeze eyes shut, count to ten as if I could ever blow up anyway. oh, and walk away.
Unless I happen to have an unusually witty response to said put down. I'll say it quietly and then walk away.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?
Emotionally reactive? Yes, with people I'm comfortable with. Even in public.

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?
Eh...yeah. Well, on second thought, not really. It's more that I need confirmation that I'm wanted? Does that make sense?

Are you really sarcastic?
Only if I feel that the person I'm talking to won't take it the wrong way. Or if the situation begs for sarcasm(like a drama queen unloading her sob story "and then he dumped me!")

Are you silly?
When I'm extremely comfortable with someone.

Were you shy as a child?
Entirely. I'm pretty sure I didn't even talk to anyone until Kindergarten.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?
Um, sometimes. It's only when I speak to someone who I've heard put down someone else, slam their friends, be over all cruel, etc--and then they try to talk to me. I try to stay away from them, and the result is that I seem aloof or stilted.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?
Totally. In elementary school I was a social pariah, because it seemed the every word spilling from my young and naive mouth was stupid, socially retarded, or just not "normal".

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?
Never, actually. I've always felt leagues past my peers when it comes to maturity levels. In high school I suffered through every single one of my peers showing themselve

Are you a talented writer?
Um, going to have to go with a yes. I, like all INFP's, felt a sublime urge for communication, and the subtle gift of writing was an outlet. In high school I finished/published my first book,(The Colprac War) and I always seem to get good scores for written communication and creativity

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?
Lots O things, actually. Marine Biologist, Writer, Psychologist, Engineer.

 

[CzeCze]

Do they ever talk too much or too little?
INFPs, I think like most (extreme) introverts are very very quiet unless you engage them 1 on 1 and/or they feel comfortable around you.

Do they seem stuck up?
Not stuck up, generally. I know though that some people consider being reserved and quiet and being stuck up as the same thing.

Do they seem aloof or just quiet and reserved?
Usually they seem reserved or quiet in a shy way. Thats a big distinction from quiet and confident or quiet and gruff. INFPs can be considered 'awkward' in their quiet.

Do you think they come off as emotionally unstable?
I know at least on INFP who is emotionally unstable but as a rule? No. Tendency towards emo? Yes. Sometimes makes decisions and do things that seem logical to them but make no sense to me? Yes.

In general, how would you profile a male INFP?
Hmmm...don't have enough personal knowledge to say.

In general, how would you profile a female INFP?
Extremely sensitive, still waters run deep, very emotional, emotions constantly changing. Prone to think they have done something wrong and can really beat themselves up over it. Care a lot about living correctly, being a good person, being fair to others, etc. Tendency towards artistry. Can be very quirky and original. Self awareness is a huge factor in how a INFP comes off.

What do you think of INFPs as coworkers, subordinates, or authority figures?

I think INFPs who are on their tertiary Te work mode are good coworkers. As suborbinates I could see how it could be difficult to communicate with them.

How do you view INFPs in romantic relationships?
Oh boy, this one's a doozy. I think I got the batch of really emotional, intensely self-focused, immature INFPs when it comes to dating. So my answer is very biased. Ive decided that for me, dating an INFP is rough and too unpredictable. There always seems to be an internal battle going on with an INFP, a very big part of them is always closed off. Actions and words are way too inconsistent and unpredictable for me and things get too intense too fast. I cant/couldn't trust the INFPs I dated. Things can be volatile.

There's just too much Fi action going with ENFP+INFP? Bah.

 

[Kaveri]

They can seem stuck up, if they are feeling uncomfortable. Basically, they won't talk at all, then talk to someone they know well who walks in and seem like a completely different person -- and this could get read by a stranger as them not WANTING to talk to the other people because they aren't good enough. And the fact that many INFPs are moralistic (strong internalized viewpoints) and can seem very "good" on the outside could sometimes put up a wall between them and people who are "not as good."

Wow. This is exactly what other people have sometimes accused me of-- being stuck-up because I don't talk to people but when a friend of mine walks in, I smile at my friend and start blabbering. I don't think it's impolite at all. I honestly don't know how to talk to strangers like that, and besides, often people are talking about such boring subjects that I just can't help but doze off... It doesn't mean that I dislike them or think I'm "above" them. Quite the opposite. Only recently have I learned to appreciate myself even though I'm not like everyone else.

Also, at a temporary workplace I didn't try to make contact with other people (I was kind of depressed at that time so I didn't have energy for small talk), but instead read books on coffee breaks, which energised and inspired me. Soon the others were talking about how I was "stuck-up" because I didn't talk to them. My only friend (an INFJ) at that workplace told me about how my behaviour affected others. I'd had no idea. It seemed that my friend didn't understand me, either. It seemed that he was not on my side. He said that I should talk to other people more because I seem impolite. Later, when I didn't work there anymore, he once told that a woman in that workplace had talked shit about me behind my back-- she had said that I hadn't done my work properly, which is untrue. I asked my friend: "Well, what did you say?" And he replied that he hadn't said anything. I'm still secretly mad at him for being such a sissy that he couldn't stand up for me, just criticised me. (Which is one of the reasons why I don't want to see him often any more, which he in turn has no idea about.)

My boss at that workplace seemed like an INFP. He gave me an excellent evaluation in which he wrote that I handled conflicts in a socially constructive way. Which was true, except that I couldn't have handled the conflicts for much longer.

 

[Kaveri]

In general, how would you profile a female INFP?
Extremely sensitive, still waters run deep, very emotional, emotions constantly changing. Prone to think they have done something wrong and can really beat themselves up over it. Care a lot about living correctly, being a good person, being fair to others, etc. Tendency towards artistry. Can be very quirky and original. Self awareness is a huge factor in how a INFP comes off.

"Still waters run deep" is my favourite English saying! I feel that it describes many introverts very well.

 

[Oeufa]

I only know 1 male INFP, so my answers here are extremely biased, based on my one example.

Do they ever talk too much or too little?
Depends on how well they know you. The one I know doesn't really talk much around new people/people he's no interest in. Once you know him though, and get talking about something it can be hard to shut him up . In a good way though.

Do they seem stuck up?
No, never.

Do they seem aloof or just quiet and reserved?

Usually they seem reserved or quiet in a shy way. Thats a big distinction from quiet and confident or quiet and gruff. INFPs can be considered 'awkward' in their quiet.

That summed it up perfectly for me. The INFP I know is reserved/quiet and can seem awkward when he is.

Do you think they come off as emotionally unstable?
Not in general, but while I was in a brief romantic relationship with one I found he could be (at least I perceived him as such). Perhaps that was more to do with him needing more reassurance/emotional support from me than I was able to deal with.

In general, how would you profile a male INFP?
Quiet and reserved around new people or in big groups. Paranoid in the sense that if someone else isn't in a good mood it's their fault. Delicious senses of humour.

How do you view INFPs in romantic relationships?
While an interesting combination, it wasn't one I could personally maintain. I got asked questions frequently like, "Are we ok? Things are fine between us, right? Am I doing anything wrong?" which eventually drove me to distraction (though that could be saying something about me being emotionally underdeveloped and unresponsive, but I don't think I warranted quite so many questions). There were great aspects to it however - our shared Ne allowed us to have very long, daft, fascinating conversations that would last for hours; constantly bouncing ideas against each other. I value my INFP friend highly as a friend, and it's unfortunate things didn't work out romantically between us. That said, I don't think I will go for an INFP again.

 

[Parrish]

If you are an INFP:

Wow, some of these were hard to answer.

How do you respond to authority figures in your life? Do you generally question authority or are you pretty submissive?
Hmm, for those who are in direct contact with me I think I need to respect them to actually acknowledge them. In school it was pretty apparent which teachers I respected, because those were the ones I was willing to listen to and learn from. I enjoyed their subjects even if I didn`t have the best grades in comparisson to subjects I excelled at, but didn`t see the teacher as an authority figure, so I just did my own thing (but I wasn`t hateful towards them or make ruckus in class).

How do you respond to someone talking down to you?
Depends on who it is and what it`s about. I take constructive criticism seriously (even though it stings), but when someone just talks their mouth off thinking he/she is better than me/everyone else I`d stand up for myself, possibly say something sarcastic and then go away. I don`t like drama or screaming fights.

Are you very emotionally reactive? If so, are you emotionally reactive in public or just with those you are comfortable with?
Umm I guess I am? It depends on the company. I don`t cry in public or in front of people, it only happened a few times in front of someone very close (like my mom and close friend-and that was over the phone). I tend to laugh out loud when I think of/remember something funny unaware of the possibly inappropriate surroundings. My laughter can get histerical and loud when in the right company. I often wonder if I`m easily read or my face shows my emotions.

Do you need a lot of attention in relationships?
Not sure. In terms of romance I`ve never been in a real relationship, but I do wish for a partner that would understand me, if that helps. I don`t like being igored, but I also don`t like clinginess.

Are you really sarcastic?
Yes. Sometimes I keep the comments to myself, but when comfortable I let it all out. I like to tease. When I`m feeling disappointed or am in a bad mood I can be cynical.

Are you silly?
Yes, although I don`t always show it. I`m like a little kid when in the right company (using lots of sarcasm and weird associations) or I unintentionally amuse people with my comments/clumsiness.

Were you shy as a child?
I think I was, but my imagination covered it up and made me appear more open and extraverted.

Do people mistake your reservedness for aloofness?
? Don`t know.

Do you have a hard time expressing yourself verbally?
Sometimes. Either when I think about something that`s hard to describe with words unless you know what I`m talking about (like for example the smell of rain) or when I need time to think about it in my head before answering a question, stating my opinion.

Have you always felt as though you were at the same mental age as your chronological peers?
No. Maybe that`s why I didn`t feel like I had really close friends when I was a kid. I wasn`t a loner, I played with others and had "best friends", but there just wasn`t the kind of connection on the mental level I wished for. At social gatherings I liked the company of adults and always listened to their talks.

Are you a talented writer?
I think I can organise my thoughts clearer trough writing, because I can take my time and have it black on white, but I don`t think that makes me a talented writer. I write down some of my thoughs/ideas/feelings when I feel like it, but I never seriously though of writing a novel or sth. I like to draw to express myself and recently started painting.

What do you want to be when you grow up (career)?
Independent as soon as I can. Careerwise I don`t know. There are too many things I want to learn and do, but I don`t know what would make me feel fulfilled. I want a job I`d be happy doing, but would also help me support myself. I`m a student and said before if I could live like that that I`d be a student forever.


cheers