The prophetic, intuitive INFJ personality type

INFJ is one of 16 personality types in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. INFJ stands for introverted (in constant contact with the inner world), intuitive (abstract-thinking), feeling ethical/values-focussed), and judging (more controlled/organised lifestyle than flexible).

Sign you may be INFJ: It is uncomfortable for you to do anything, big or small, that does not line up with a far-reaching vision of your life. Activities must have a predetermined purpose that fits in with your larger goals for life, otherwise, the “randomness” can overwhelm you.

Sign you may be INFJ: You have always been a “watcher” of your mind – seeing it from a third person perspective, and aware of all the discrepancies in your thoughts. It is not as if you are consciously creating your ideas, but you are always “watching your mind” formulate ideas.

Sign you may be INFJ: You are much more conscious/attuned to others’ emotions or expectations than your own emotions. Your own emotions may evade you, but you can read and react appropriately to others’ tone, body language, and what they are expecting from you.

Sign you may be INFJ: Your thinking style is intensely visual and symbolic. INFJs intuit reality as a set of fractal patterns – every event is part of a larger, often cosmically-scaled pattern. An INFJ undeterred by social expectations may be drawn to mystical symbolic imagery.

Sign you may NOT be INFJ: You are happy to have different “sides” of you or pursuits that have nothing to do with each other. An INFJ craves “synergy”– all pursuits are part of one purpose. They cannot remember or contend with disparate “facts,” everything must fit into one idea.

Sign you may NOT be INFJ: You don't see the world as a cosmic game between different primordial forces. An INFJ looks at the world and sees a dynamic game between light/evil; the individual/collective; masculine/feminine; or a host of other archetypes.

Sign you may NOT be INFJ: You have great memory for facts and details. An INFJ is often notorious for their poor memory for specific details and facts, and hence may struggle with articulating their ideas in a way that is readily accessible to people around them.

Sign you may NOT be INFJ: You quickly assimilate new logic and frames of thinking. An INFJ cannot grasp a new idea without having to completely dissect it and connect it to everything they already know and understand. If it cannot fit in the framework, it has to be discarded.

Bottom line:  INFJ types are characterised by a need to engage in deep contemplation to find a “holistic theory” that explains the universe. But it can be hard to type ourselves accurately, even after doing the MBTI test (we’re all biased). Patience and introspection are needed.