INFP Personality Type | The Dreamer | INFP A | INFP T
INFPs are often seen as dreamers who thrive in their inner world of ideas and emotions. They usually enjoy their own company and find it enriching to delve into their thoughts and feelings. With a strong intuitive sense, they are naturally inclined towards exploring abstract concepts and theories, sometimes even creating their own.
They’re often open-minded, appreciating the value of different experiences and viewpoints. This openness works hand-in-hand with a special skill for creative thinking. You might find an INFP effortlessly connecting unrelated ideas or concepts in a way that makes you see the world differently. They’re also good at picking up subtle cues in symbols, art, or even human behavior.
INFPs often have a knack for understanding their own feelings deeply, using this intropersonal intelligence to navigate their emotional landscape. They’re often the friends who listen attentively and can get to the heart of what you’re feeling, even if you can’t put it into words yourself.
However, this inclination towards intuition and feeling also presents challenges. While they are good at exploring theoretical possibilities, INFPs can find it tough to translate these ideas into actionable plans. Their love for possibilities and openness can make it hard for them to follow through with tasks in a systematic way or stick to long-term goals. Also, their reflective nature might make them hesitate in situations requiring quick, on-the-spot decisions or actions.
Practical, everyday tasks that require attention to detail and organization can sometimes overwhelm them. Their focus on the emotional and theoretical can mean they overlook concrete facts or logistical considerations.
In summary, INFPs are the kind of people who can make you see the emotional and creative dimensions of life in a new light. However, they may struggle with the more structured, fast-paced aspects of daily life. While they excel in introspection and imagination, they might find it challenging to apply these strengths in a practical, consistent way. Each INFP will exhibit these traits to varying degrees, but this gives you a general idea of their common characteristics.
The Eight Functions of the INFP
Introverted Feeling
You can think of your Introverted Feeling as slow-paced, cautious, and focused exploration of identity, values, dreams, and questions of meaning and significance. I therefore tend to describe it as an INFPs tendency towards introspection, listening, interpretation, and authentication. The Introverted Feeling function is discerning and focused on confirming value and meaning in things.
In the INFP, this function is the key to achieving a flow state. INFPs feel inherently fulfilled by the goal of finding meaning in anything that happens in the world. Their goal is to see the symbolic significance of anything that happens. This type sees meaning in everything, in every action we take, and every choice we make. When this type is able to find meaning and purpose in actions, they are energized and they become emboldened. If they can authenticate and understand the significance of a person, action, or event, they become more confident, and feel more passion.
Extroverted iNtuition
Extroverted iNtuition is the main quest of the INFP personality type. This type is a genuine dreamer, oriented by the thought of realizing an opportunity or manifesting an idea in the real world. However, the INFP is also terrified by this prospect. INFPs tend to feel scared of sharing their ideas and taking steps in the real world to realize their ideas, and their iNtuition can therefore stay in the hypothetical stage. Many INFPs, but not all, are highly creative. Or they want to be. They just haven’t figured out how yet.
Introverted Sensing
The INFP takes comfort in having a comfortable routine. This can be their safe space, which helps them unwind. Many INFPs work in jobs that prioritize their Introverted Sensing. This can be a job that requires higher attention to detail, more structure, and more organization. While INFPs don’t personally find this meaningful, they tend to do well in such positions. It gives them a comfortable routine and it helps them stay energized. At home, their place can be a complete mess, at work, they have everything in neat order.
Extroverted Thinking
INFPs tend to become more stressed the more this function takes over. This function can represent outer demands that can paralyze this type. But it can also represent an important function for this type to master. After all, many INFPs dream of being able to express themselves in the real world. Extroverted Thinking can provide a healthy stressor and challenge to push this type to the next level.
Extroverted Feeling
INFPs tend to have an inspirational relationship to Extroverted Feeling. This function can be like candy to this personality type, as it gives them a fun and stimulating environment where they can express their personal identity and values. INFPs have the goal of translating their relationships and experiences to themselves and their personal situation, and engaging in interpersonal relationships and communication with other people, can help this type learn more about themselves and who they are.
Introverted iNtuition
INFPs tend to engage recreationally in Introverted iNtuition. Philosophy and existential exploration is a carefree and fun activity for this personality type. It allows a safe space to explore general ideas and theories and provides energy and rest for this type. It can distract you from thinking about yourself for a minute, and give you a break when you need it.
Extroverted Sensing
This function represents your general sense of judgment and ability to push through stress and uncertainty and to make up your mind. It is part of the reason why many INFPs find it hard to share themselves with the outer world. Putting yourself out there is a scary and overwhelming thought to the INFP, who fears opening up and putting themselves on a stage. But it can be a necessary stressor and a fear to work through in your life. It can also be important afterwards to forgive yourself and to employ a sense of humor to manage this function, to forgive yourself for embarrassing situations you may have experienced when using this function.
Introverted Thinking
This function represents your ability to self-manage. To discipline yourself to do something regardless of how you feel. It is common to use the auto-pilot to manage this cognitive function. We often engage in this function in a calm and relaxed and inattentive manner. Using this function too much can also put us into a state of autopilot. It takes conscious energy to use and so it tends to require will-power to channel consciously. This will-power diminishes the longer you use.
Subtypes
INFPs may change many times throughout their life. There are INFPs that are more or less introverted, and iNtuitive, Feeling.
The Dominant Subtype
The dominant subtype INFP is known for their strong Introverted Feeling use. They have a high sense of trust in themselves and their personal identity. They fight to realize their passion and values in the real world. They stand up for themselves, even if it is stressful for them to do so. They are often in a state of confrontation with the world, which they perceive as an obstacle to overcome.
The Creative Subtype
The creative subtype is known for a stronger than normal use of their Extroverted iNtuition function. They are better at managing uncertainty and overwhelm than the average INFP. They try new things and keep things open, and treat life as an experiment to learn from. The goal is that these experiences will teach them who they are. These INFPs are therefore very much seekers who are looking for their own identity and to learn who they could be, what their potential is.
The Balanced Subtype
The balanced subtype INFP is known for their higher than average Introverted Sensing use. This type is more focused on creating a healthy and comfortable routine for themselves, focusing on employing habit-building, consistency, and security in their life. The goal is that this will create a harmonious space for them to express themselves and who they are.
The Turbulent Subtype
The turbulent subtype INFP has a higher than average Extroverted Thinking. This creates a more conscientious, cautious approach than what is normal for the INFP. This type is more focused on fitting themselves according to objective and external standards. You may be concerned with how people look at you and how successful you are. This causes you to become stressed. You may feel a desire to compromise yourself to adhere to what the world expects from you, or you may focus on easier parts of yourself that fit more with what the world wants from you, hiding other parts from the world.
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Hi Eric !
I love the way you describing Introverted Feeling. Easy to understand for someone who her English isn’t the first language.
Love your YT channel about INFP. Very informative. Keep the good job !