[INFP] What is the (Practical) Purpose of INFPs?

[Anew Leaf]

This made me tear up a little because, secretly, I'm one of the greatest artists.

I went to Wal-Mart before reading this, and I bought numerous art supplies. It occurred to me that I want make my own shirts/ clothing. Not the clothing itself, rather, I'd make a whole bunch of orginal t-shirts, like dozens or hundreds. So I bought various paints and dyes.

I wonder if this will just sit there like the kiln, which has sat there since last September.

I also have lots of paint, which only occasionally gets used. Like a few thousand dollars worth of oil and acrylic artist paint.

But, wow, I stop much quicker than 60 rejections. I need to take some vitamins or something.

That's awesome!! . I'm so glad you found a creative outlet. . And um.... Yeah I have a lot of art supplies myself. Oil paints and brushes, watercolor paints and brushes, canvases.... Book making supplies, handmade paper.... And yeah I shall stop there. I've thought about getting a kiln, haha!

 

[Ginkgo]

Cannon fodder

 

[mrcockburn]

Don't determine your level of "practicality" by your domestic quotient. I assure you, I am as undomestic as they come - I eat dried blocks of ramen for dinner, never separate my laundry (just jam them into the fucking washer), pay my roommate to iron my clothes and hire housekeepers. I EAT OFF OF PLASTIC PLATES AND SPORKS.

But in terms of what really matters, such as work and career, I'm pretty ace. Home stuff doesn't really matter, especially since you won't be there much anyway, if life's going well. Unless you want to be a housewife.

 

[sqnh]

I think the point here is - we are actually pretty good at anything we care deeply about. Is that practical? Well - it is if you find the right venue. For instance, some folks would say literary analysis isn't practical, but if its your passion, you would probably make a kick ass literature teacher. Teaching is practical; literary interpretation some what would think is important; some might not.

So - what causes do you care about more than anything in this world? INFPs are about our causes. Or, what do you really like to do for fun? What makes you happiest? Sure, we don't offer tangible skills like engineers, but we're still pretty darn effective when we find our niche. We're pretty fabulous with our behavioral analysis skills. We can do things like negotiate hostage situations, calm down crazy people, get people to share really privileged information that they should probably not be sharing with us. I think we're pretty slick in our practicality that way, actually.

 

[Elfboy]

INFPs fill several demands
- they are most imaginative of all the types (I don't need to verify this, it's self evident if one looks at the obscenely disproportionate number of INFP authors and writers. they make up at least half of the best writers in the world ) and the best at coming up with rich, entertaining fantasy worlds and stories to entertain people
- they're great at counselling people, or just for listening when you just need someone to vent to
- in a world were most people are shitty friends, INFPs usually are not
- INFPs are usually wonderful role models and great with children

 

[KDude]

I'm really good at useless things the world doesn't seem to care about.

Luckily, I can make it care. Sometimes. It might take an occassional bitchslap, but that's a minor detail. I'd say the most useless INFP would be the one who doesn't bitchslap. Then we're really screwed.

ahem: i do not speak for all infps.

 

[OrangeAppled]

It's been touched on a bit in the thread, but I've also thought about how many positive traits associated with INFPs are highly valued, but as a friend, a marriage mate, a parent, etc, not as a business person or employee. These things aren't "practical" in the sense that they don't make money; they are basically priceless & difficult to measure at all. I think that's what the joke on the first page is about, the idea that we are "ornamental", like a priceless piece of art. It certainly has value, depth, meaning, etc, but it's not actively making money. The owner of it probably feels pretty pleased to have it though. Not to equate INFPs to objects to be displayed either, but just further emphasizing the idea that not being natural business people or having marketable skills doesn't mean we don't have value or purpose in life, that we don't contribute anything significant. You just can't put a price on much of what we do. I mean, do you ever see "good listener" on a job description? I have yet to see it, but it's an important quality in any personal relationship....

 

[sqnh]

Applicable INFP jobs with the potential of making a lot of money:

intelligence officers (aka spies)
political analysts
psychiatrists/clinical psychologists
investigators
pretty much any management job ever in government or NGO work not dealing primarily with fiscal work
college professors

not so much money but fulfilling:
chaplaincy
counseling
any non-profit human service work
teaching
librarians

I can keep on...

 

[iris.moon]

If you find a work you like just keep working. If you don't find anything you feel good at, don't worry: believe in yourself, you can do everything. Working is only a part of life, you can be happy even if your work isn't the most paid/socially helpful/anything else. Maybe your purpose in this life is about family or something else.

 

[BAJ]

I like "Gifts Differing" which is a MBTI book written by an INFP, and in it are percentages from small sample groups for occupations is almost never zero. Thus, INFPs can be almost anything.

Further, it seemed that INFPs are rare. Thus some career that is "strong" for an INFP means that there might be 6% INFPs doing that job rather than 1.5%. So one could look at careers/ activities based on where the percentage of INFPs is higher than general population, but INFPs are likely to still be minority since they are rare, like unicorns.

 

[Sunshiney]

What's practical changes in each person you meet, so there isn't really a definite answer. But there are plenty of things that would normally be considered practical that INFPs can do/ apply themselves to. Common careers known for us are therapists, novelists, teachers (especially kindergarten); the insightful jobs. Just look at the INFP strengths and see where they could help society. And remember that just because a career/job isn't focused on the whole country or world (like a politician or government workers), doesn't mean it isn't practical. If it helps something or somebody, it is practical, thus it has purpose.

One more note: Yes, that even means artists have purpose; I mean of course they do! Their drawings and images fascinate the everyday body and on occasion, teach life lessons. In a metaphorical sense, they are the ENFP to a distraught INTJ.

 

[sqnh]

The difference between gov't work and non-gov't work is money - that is all (has nothing to do with practicality). In most cases I believe non-govt work is much more personally fulfilling to an INFP.

I suppose I was reading between the lines with the original post - that practical meant marketable, meaning something us INFPs could actually make enough money to pay off our student loans . That's where our career choices get a bit more difficult, IMO, especially since most of us are so idealistic we will chase a dream and not pay attention to how finance that dream practically.

....says the unemployed seminary student who formerly had a stable government career.

 

[wolfy]

INFP make good things to talk about on the internet. Why do you want to be practical? Are you really an isfp? Well? Are ya?

 

[William K]

INFPs are good for psychology practicals?

 

[Standuble]

INFP make good things to talk about on the internet. Why do you want to be practical? Are you really an isfp? Well? Are ya?

Suffering in a minimum wage job for many years with dim looking prospects in a job market ever watched and dominated by less than impressed SJ can drive a poor INFP to suicide.......or to want to become a bit more practical.

If we were practical we could perhaps work for ourselves and in doing so, make our own happiness. Being told what to do 40 hours a week when numerous rules and regulations seem to lack any notion of purpose or reason is such a drag.