IRVINE VALLEY COLLEGE

MYERS-BRIGGS PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

INFJ

In general, INFJs are future oriented, and direct their insight and inspiration toward the
understanding of themselves and thereby human nature. Their work mirrors their integrity, and it needs to
reelect their inner ideals. Solitude and an opportunity to concentrate thoroughly on what counts most is
important to them. INFJs prefer to quietly exert their influence. They have deeply felt compassion, and
they desire harmony with others. INFJs understand the complexities existing within people and among
them. They do not call a great of attention to themselves, preferring that their contributions speak for
them. They are at their best concentrating on their ideas, ideals, and inspirations.

Living:

INFJ children have two sides. They can be gregarious and very much involved in the world of people, as
well as quiet, imaginative, and in their own world. INFJ children are gentle and often abhor violence,
especially in their childhood games.

As teenagers, INFJs for a small group of people who understand and appreciate them. Without this
support, they can feel isolated from others. INFJs who not find a supportive social group may find the
teen years to be somewhat difficult for them because of peer pressure to be “popular” and activity
oriented. They are not likely to enjoy large parties, but prefer intimate groups of close and long-standing
friends. They may participate and even lead in such things as academic activities, yearbook and
newspaper, because these activities allow them to express outwardly their regard for others and enable
them to exercise their creativity.

Many INFJs who have the opportunity gravitate toward higher education, where they often find their
niche and “place in the sun”. With their intellectual bent, they are led to endeavors that allow them to deal
with theory and complexity. Professors often spot their intellectual inclination and encourage it.

INFJs often settle early into a career choice and diligently apply themselves to the careers’ requirements.
This same diligent pattern applies when selecting other important things in their lives, such as where to
live, who to marry, and what activities are worthy of their dedication.

INFJs have an internal picture of how they would like their work to contribute to the general good.

INFJs are committed more to their ideas than to any individual organization. One INFJ knew early on that
her “mission” was writing. It took her many years to find a subject matter-home health-care that
warranted her time and energy. When she did find one she started her own newsletter relating to it.

If they are in an appropriate career area, INFJs may reap the rewards of their insight and hard work.
Because of their future-focus, their people orientation, and their push toward task completion, they may
rise to positions of responsibly.
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Learning:

INFJs have a strong love of learning, and they tend to do well academically. Their desire to please their
teachers and elders, along with their natural inquisitiveness and ability to grasp concepts and relationship,
produces a strong student work ethic. Through persistence, diligence, and conscientiousness, they
complete their assignments on time. They are likely to enjoy research and will go to great lengths to find
answers.

INFJs do well if material is presented to them as a vehicle by which to further their ideals. They
particularly enjoy investigating the possibilities and meanings beyond the actual facts and realities.
Reading holds a particular fascination for them because it allows them to have quiet reflection time and
engages their imagination. They also like the written word (and rely on it more than the spoken word)
since it is usually better structured and more coherent, with a ready- made framework.

INFJs write and communicate will because they want to formulate their ideas clearly. They seem almost
obsessed in their desire to be clear. They place high regard on their reader and audience. INFJs seek to
communicate their ideals to others. When their ideals need to be championed, they speak up in an
enthusiastic and impassioned way. They may make a point of bringing their idealism into any and all
conversations. Whether appropriate or not, off they go in their crusade.

As students, INFJs prefer learning from teachers whom they both like and admire, and who give them
personal attention. INFJs are often “model” students. They are quiet and orderly, reflective and
thoughtful, and sincerely want to please their teachers and learn the right thing. They learn best from
others but want time to assimilate material by themselves.

INFJs will go beyond what has been presented and often mull materials over in their minds. Occasionally
they will discuss their ruminations with others in order to learn even more. They particularly like the more
conceptual and theoretical classes; therefore, higher education is comfortable for them.

Laboring:

INFJs tend to be devoted to what they believe in and seek work where their needs, values, and ideals can
be deeply engaged. They move on the wave of their inspirations and are determined to see that their
values are worked out in their lives. They will work toward their goals individually and, when needed,
will put together a team of other highly dedicated people like themselves. They are personable with
others, working with integrity and consistency, and they follow through on their commitments. INFJs,
while concentrating on what is important to them, may ignore the political ramifications of their actions.
They can be surprised by the necessity of being political and usually resent that aspect of organization
life. Being able to talk honestly and comfortably to people at work is much more important to them than
“playing games”.

 Work Setting: INFJs prefer a quiet and organized work setting that allows them time and
space for reflection, yet on in which it is possible to interact freely with others. Their
offices may have a personal feel and be filled with mementoes or photos involving
persons or causes important to them. INFJs like to be around people who are strongly
 focuses on making a difference to overall human well- being. They want opportunities to
be creative.

MYERS-BRIGGS PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION: INFJ 2

 Organizing Style: INFJs orient themselves toward their goals using a personal, values-
based framework. They do not “advertise” their values and priorities because they believe
in harmony and positive relationships. However, one would do well not to underestimate
the amount of perseverance, energy and time to INFJs give to their priorities. What they
do, they do with an almost religious intensity.

The INFJ external environment may be only partially organized. For example, INFJs may
lose their glasses or misplace their car keys because they do not pay enough attention to
organizing mundane, everyday things. Their internal environment by contrast is anything
but haphazard. Their ideas need to fit into a coherent whole that has the pieces in place.
Organization of the internal world takes precedence over organization of the external
world. The external work will become organized if it is important to the INFJs interval
vision, if there is room for it, or if important people request it. One INFJ explained, “ I
feel the urge to dream up a plan, even if it cannot be put into action right then.”

 Occupations: INFJ prefer occupations that focus on the big picture, involve conceptual
awareness and lead to a better understanding of the spiritual, emotional or future needs of
people. They want their work to have impact and meaning and for it to bring them
admiration and respect.

While INFJs can and do enter all occupations, some are more appealing to them than others. According
to available research, some occupations( in alphabetical order) seem to be especially attractive to INFJs:
clergy, education consultant, English teacher, fine arts teacher, librarian, marketer, psychiatrist,
psychologist, scientist, social worker, and other occupations that allow INFJs an opportunity to make their
own creative contribution. The occupations are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but serve to illustrate
some areas as INFJ might enjoy.

Leading:

INFJ lead through their quiet yet persistent and determined effort toward long-range goals for themselves,
others, and their organizations. In working toward their, visions they win cooperation rather than demand
it. INFJs work to make their insights real and are able to inspire others with their ideals. They use a low-
key, soft, yet intense and determined course of action. When they do not directly lead others, they may
still act as facilitators between people. In meetings, they focus on both people and new ideas. INFJs may
lead by becoming champions for ideas or causes.

Leisure:

Leisure- time pursuits for INFJs are often solitary or involve the company of others who are particularly
important to them. Sitting around with dear friend discussing feelings can be very special to INFJs.
INFJs are likely to have friends of long standing rather than make new acquaintances. They may meet
with their friends fairly consistently to share what is happening in their lives. It is sometimes difficult for
others to break into this circle. These deep friendships are important, even though INFJs may not share
much about themselves.
MYERS-BRIGGS PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION: INFJ 3

Loving:

For INFJs, “still waters run deep”. They tend to become attracted to someone special and prefer this one
deep relationship over many superficial ones. The depth of involvement and feeling that the INFJ has
toward loved ones is only partially communicated. At times, when alone, the INFJs become truly in
touch with the depth of the love t hey have for their partner. They may not openly demonstrate or even
verbalize their intense feelings. INFJs often have an ideal standard of what love is. They hold to their
ideal and are disappointed when, inevitably, their relationship and/ or their mate reveals flaws.

INFJs enjoy sharing activities like a regular “date”, revisiting the place where they first met their mates,
or doing other symbolic things that help to continue and confirm the existence of the bond that they feel
for their partner.

INFJs want to give love and be loved. They enter into relationships just to be cared for, even when the
person is not right for them and they suspect it. However, when they meet that special person, they are
quick to get into the relationship and make it serious one. They will end their other relationships in order
to pursue their loved one. They become very focused, intense, and direct in that pursuit.

INFJs, when scorned, take it personally and retreat inward. They may obsess about the relationship and
their role in its failure. INFJs may blame themselves and experience a period of mourning. If they do not
marshall their resources, externalize their feelings and take risks to move on, they may experience a long
period of self-examination.

Losing Out:

Each type has the potential to overuse or abuse its preferences. This is likely to happen when individuals
are under great stress or pressure. At these times, they may act in ways that are unlike their usual style.
The following paragraphs describe some of the ways INFJs may lose out, in addition to some strategies
that they can use to get back on track.

One way INFJs lose out is when they become blinded by the idealism of their visions or focus only on
their ideals. They hold on to those ideals, ignoring reality when it contradicts their views. Because of their
persistent and single-minded believe in their vision, they stay with a commitment beyond what the facts
would prudently seem to dictate and may not know when to cut their losses and move on. They may need
to relax, be more open to the present realities, and stop fruitlessly searching for the ideal.

Another way INFJs lose out is when they do not behave assertively and feel reluctant to intrude on others
with their ideas. As a result, they tend to keep many important things to themselves and find that they or
their ideas are overlooked or underestimated. Others who might have been able to help them achieve their
vision cannot because they were not included in the INFJs thinking processes.

As a strategy, INFJs may need to develop assertiveness and political savvy to champion their ideals. They
may need to involve others in the development and implementation of their visions.
INFJs may also lose out being forthright with criticism of others. They seem to believe, “If you can’t say
something nice, don’t say anything at all”. They hold their criticism inside longer than they should. When
it become too much, they can blow up. As a strategy, INFJs need to realize that feedback can lead to self-

MYERS-BRIGGS PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION: INFJ 3

correction. In presenting feedback to others, they can rely on their customary gentle style on focusing on
the overall concept behind the behavior and encourage others to see for themselves where they fall short.

Another way INFJs lose out is when they zero in on unimportant or incorrect details or focus on a fact
that is not relevant to the situation at hand. INFJs need to learn which details and routines are important
and which are not.

When INFJs are back on track, they are using their visionary strengths, their creativity for finding new
outlets for human expression, and their commitment to their values. They can be tireless in the pursuit of
a vision for people.

THE ABOVE TYPE DESCRIPTIONS IS ADAPTED FORM

LIFETYPES BY SANDRA HIRSCH AND JEAN KUMMEROW.
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Suggested Careers for INFJs

Art Therapist Museum Exhibit Designer

Book Editor Music Therapist
Casework Supervisor Naprapathist
Child Psychologist Naturopathic Physician
Clinical Psychologist News Editorial Writer
College Planning and Placement News Reporter
Counselor Newspaper Columnist
Costume Specialist Nursing Home Social Work Supervisor
Counseling Psychologist Nursing Home Recreational Therapist
Dance Therapist Nutritionist
Educational Consultant Occupational Therapist
Educational Psychologist Orientation and Mobility Instructor
Educational Therapist Penologist
Elementary School Teacher Personal Administrator
Employee- Welfare Manager Physical Education Instructor
Employment Counselor Physical Therapist
Employment Interviewer Physician (Internist)
Engineering Psychologist Political Scientist
Experimental Psychologist Prisoner- Classification Interviewer
Fashion Writer Psychiatric Social Worker
Financial Aid Counselor Psychic
Foreign Student Adviser Public Health Educator
General Medical Practitioner Recreation Leader
Geriatric Social Worker Recreational Therapist
Group Leader (Social Service) Residence Counselor
Guidance Counselor Retirement Officer
Hospital Personal Director School Media Specialist
Hypnotherapist School Social Worker
Industrial Occupational Analyst Secondary School Teacher
Industrial Organizational Psychologist Social Group Worker
Industrial Sociologist Social Psychologist
Industrial Technologist Sociologist
Internist Special Education Teacher
Job Analyst Teacher of Deaf
Judge Teacher of Visually handicapped
Lawyer Teachers Aid
Legal Assistant Theatre Arts Teacher (Coach)
Manual Arts Therapist
Medical Office Receptionist
Medical Technologist
Mental Health Technician
Modeling Instructor
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