The INFJ Personality: The Rarest of the Them All

The INFJ personality has gained great popularity in recent years. Let's see what it is, where it comes from and what are its characteristics.

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Elena Sanz.

Written by Josberth Johan Benitez Colmenares

Last update: 18 October, 2023

The theory of the 16 personalities is very popular both in psychology and in popular culture. There are several tests that are responsible for cataloging which type corresponds to each person, among which the Myers-Briggs indicator stands out. But when it comes to the 16 personality theory, there’s one that stands out for its uniqueness: the INFJ personality.

Whether you’re familiar with the world of psychology or not, surely you have heard of it. We also know it as the idealist personality. In any case, it has characteristics that allow it to be distinguished from other personality types. In fact, the Center for Applications of Psychological Types estimates that only 1 to 3% of the population manifests this personality.

What is the INFJ personality?

As we mentioned, the INFJ personality is one of the 16 personalities in the Myers-Briggs indicator. This is a test whose purpose is to determine the personality type of an individual. It’s very useful in the work environment, as it measures how a human being performs in it and how he/she makes decisions.

This indicator was developed based on the ideas of Carl Gustav Jung, specifically on those set out in his book Psychological Types (1921). Among the entire catalog of personalities in this indicator, the INFJ personality has always been the most popular to research and areas about.

There are two reasons for this: first, it is the least common of all, and second, because it brings together qualities that are generally thought to be incompatible. In very simple terms, the INFJ personality describes individuals as introverted, intuitive, sensitive, and judgmental.

From these four qualities the INFJ category is derived, only the acronym is constructed from the English terms (Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, and Judging).

INFJ personality characteristics

Many myths have been created around the INFJ personality. Some of these exaggerate its qualities; others simply misrepresent them completely. What is certain is that we can determine the following characteristics of this introverted personality:

• They’re compassionate: INFJs are very compassionate, which in turn translates into a high sense of empathy. They’re not afraid to demonstrate these qualities when necessary, although intuition always mediates. Furthermore, they practice compassion based on their beliefs and their values and always from their perspectives.
• They combine emotion with logic: INFJs are often very sentimental. However, this is a half-truth, as their emotions are always conditioned by their reasoning. They have an objective perception of good and bad, and on the basis of this, they hope to transform it. Yes, they are emotional, but they never completely abandon their logic.
• Likewise, they’re willing to help: People with INFJ personalities are always willing to help. After they have forged a connection with another person, which can take time, they don’t hesitate to help them. They do this from their own space, as they can tire and demand solitude after a while.
• Also, they often have idealistic thoughts. In fact, if we have to highlight a characteristic of the INFJ personality, this would be idealism. However, it’s a type of idealism that will always strive for action. These people are not passive dreamers, but really do look for ways to translate those dreams into reality.
• They’re organized. In addition to all of the above, they are highly organized. Not only that, but they’re planners and when they exercise control, they do so on the basis of it. This doesn’t prevent them from making quick decisions when they must, although whenever possible they will try to be more methodical.

The strengths and weaknesses of this personality type

As you have seen, the particularity of this personality is not accidental. It brings together a bit of all the qualities and even those that conflict with each other. Remember at all times that INFJs are introverts and have the following strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths

• They often have a capacity associated with creativity or art.
• They value close or deep relationships.
• Furthermore, they have a reserved nature. This manifests itself more strongly in front of strangers.
• They’re always looking for ways to change their environment through action.
• They know how to live with loneliness, although this does not prevent them from actively sharing with a group.
• Not only that, but they are sensitive and use this with their sense of reason to interpret the world.

Weaknesses

• They get tired easily when spending too much time around others.
• They tend to avoid confrontation and may not know how to control it adequately.
• Their idealism can lead them to have very high expectations.
• They may establish rigid boundaries that make it difficult to know them completely.
• In some things, they can be stubborn.
• In certain contexts, they can be very emotional.

The INFJ personality corresponds to several attributes of the cognitive functions established by Jung and the Myers-Briggs indicator: thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition.

The dominant function is their introverted intuition, which can work against them by causing them to be a bit stubborn. The auxiliary function in their extroverted feeling, so that they are aware of the emotions of others.

As a complement, and although with less prominence than the previous functions, we find as a tertiary character introverted thinking. Finally, they have a lower function of extroverted feeling. This last function, although not as developed, is what makes INFJs stay connected to reality.

To give you an idea, some say that the likes of Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey share enough characteristics to be INFJs. As you have been able to corroborate, this is a very complex personality, which in turn categorizes it as uncommon.

In conclusion

Finally, we’d like to remind you that this and other personality types are only indicative. If your answers indicate you’re an INFJ person on a test, you should not condition your actions or thoughts to the above criteria. Above all, you should strive to just be yourself and never anchor who you are to a test that can’t measure what you feel, think or do with certainty.