MBTI: For all INFJ's
Just recently, I made a post on FB asking if people would be willing to share their Meyers Briggs types and their Strength Finder’s top 5, to see if there was a strong correlation between the two. Not to my surprise, there was strong congruence with almost every person that shared. But TO my surprise, there was such a LARGE response from those who had the type “INFJ”. (I almost called you the INFJ community hahaha).
Why is this surprising/interesting?
-According to the Meyer’s Briggs foundation, INFJ is the RAREST types of the 16 types, and statically show up between 1%-3% of the general population.
-INFJ’s have a STRONG DESIRE to not only learn more about themselves but to actually help others understand themselves better. No surprise that they would flock to this FB post like bees flock to nectar. LOL.
-This type is HIGHLY REPRESENTED in the Church world. As some of the deepest thinkers yet ones who have a high-capacity for empathy, its no surprise that we gravitate towards the avenue of ministry.
How are INFJ’s Wired?
1. Intuition (internal) = “Perspectives” - Maturity of Grown Adult
2. Feeler (external) = “Harmony” - Maturity of Grown Adult
3. Thinker (internal) = “Accuracy” - Maturity of Young Teenager
4. Sensor (external) = “Sensation” - Maturity of Little Baby
-Last thing I’ll share, INFJ’s are INCREDIBLY COMPLEX people, so much so that a majority of them don’t fully understand themselves. But I believe, and from experience, with the right coaching and walk-through, this type has the potential to SHAKE THE WORLD.
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What would I want to say to INFJ’s
As stated above, INFJ’s are very “INTERNALLY COMPLEX”. My guess would be most of the time you even feel like you don’t understand yourself. Why is that? Well it may be for a variety of reasons, but one thing that I have found is that your dominant function is your “internal intuition”. What does this mean? It means that you live your life constantly trying to gain perspective about almost “everything”. This is your gift, but it can also be your curse because sometimes we are trying to get perspective of ourselves only to get lost in that internal space. Sound familiar?
Coaching Tip: Would be to learn how to get outside of yourself by externalizing your process = journaling, speaking, podcasting etc. Getting it out will actually help it make more sense.
INFJ’s are what we call “SELF-PERFECTIONIST”. This isn't a right or wrong thing, this is just a “what is” thing. But why is this important to understand? Often times INFJ’s can be hyper idealists, but not in the typical sense. Most INFJ’s live with a high idealism that aligns with their internal value of what should be and their external world of what isn't. A lot of the times, this creates dissonance and even a sense of frustration and/or anxiety. Does this also sound familiar? The first step of breakthrough is to recognize the patterns so that we are cognizant of them.
Coaching Tip: Would be to again “get outside of yourself” and learn to share openly and vulnerably with people. Yes, opening up for an INFJ, can actually be one of the greatest pathways for breakthrough and growth. Often times what we will realize is that our “idealism” was rooted in good things, but were producing anxious fruit. Let open and vulnerable sharing allow you to recalibrate.
INFJ’s have a strong desire to “CHANGE THE WORLD”. They often have a strong desire to see the “wrongs” in the world and “correct and/or improve them”. In short, its a desire to “fix things” and theres nothing wrong with that. I believe the innate desire in INFJ’s to want to live for something greater than themselves is actually a powerful and beautiful thing. However, I think where most of us (I'll throw myself in here), get caught up is that we can get caught up in our “internal idealism” so much so that it can inhibit us from action. What do I mean by this? Sometimes what happens is that we become “locked in” inside of our own selves to the point we become “paralyzed”. Sometimes when things don't go our way, it seems to “freeze us up”. And we have the tendency to fall into the pit of “screw it all”. Does anybody know what I’m saying?
Coaching Tip: here would be to learn how to map out your desires and plans. Take time to methodically think through all of the things that are inside of you and extrapolate them in an external way. As you see the vision or the plan of what it is your going after, allow yourselves to make baby steps towards them while also giving grace for “failure”.
INFJ’s “tertiary function” is called “ACCURACY”. Its actually an internal thinking function that asks the question, “WHAT IS TRUE”. For most INFJ’s this is a teenage function, meaning its not something that we go to right away. Often times, this question of what is true, is in the back burner of our minds until something shakes us and forces us to ask this question in a state of high stress or chaos. So how does this question play out? Imagine being in a high stress situation. What is the first thing that seems to “go off” with you? My guess would be you actually feel “pain or stress in your body” and your trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Often times what has just happened is that now you have been high jacked by your external sense of feeling, so much so that all you can see now is “red”. Your sense of “accurate thinking” has gone out the window and now we have hit what we call “red alert”. Hahahaha.
Coaching Tip: I would say often times, INFJ’s really need to learn how to take a step back even when they are feeling mild stress to ask themselves a very honest question. “WHAT IS ACTUALLY BOTHERING ME NOW”. Identify it. Don't gloss it over. Don't try to excuse it or make excuses for people for it. What is bothering you. Once you are able to identify this thing, give it a name and pinpoint. (example) “actually whats bothering me right now is the way that ______ just totally disregarded what I had to say in the meeting”. The healthy route here is going to be once you've identified that thing, now we can act on it. Often times, INFJ’s have such a high sense of HARMONY with people that they will deny their own internal feelings and only realize them once the “ISH hits the FAN”. I know I’m talking to somebody today. God bless you. :)
INFJ’s have the ability to be what I believe to be the “HIGHEST PERFORMING PERSON”. I really don't say this lightly. I often joke with some of my friends but I think of INFJ’s like Jean Grey in X-Men. (if you don't know what I’m talking about... well.. help them Father). Jean Grey is a gifted mutant under Professor X. She has abilities to perceive things with her mind and she can move things with Telekenisis. Whats crazy is though, one day something is rumbling on the inside of her and she breaks out in this explosion of power and she becomes “PHOENIX”. Now obviously Phoenix is this out of control somewhat evil being, but you get the analogy. There is a strong “phoenix” living inside of the INFJ. I really believe that. Often times, INFJ’s are MORE than Ok being the number 2, or even number 31. They don't need the lime light nor do they really care for it. One thing that I have seen though, is that through the proper self-awareness journey, personal growth, and God breakthrough, the INFJ becomes a true force to be reckoned with. One who can THINK at an incredibly deep level along with the “NT”s of the world. They have the ability to FEEL for people and connect just like most of the “SF” types in the world. They also have the ability to be a force for GOOD, and be this driving engine behind some of the worlds most powerful causes.
Coaching Tip: Go on this self-awareness journey but please don't go at it alone. You need people, and people are only going to help strengthen and bolster you. Please don't allow yourself to get trapped inside of the cage of your own “idealism” and may I even dare to say “self-protection”. You’re a gift, and so is everyone else. We need you and we need one another.
Thank you guys for taking the time to read this. Please let me know what spoke to you. To all my INFJ’s out there in the world I just want to quote the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
“You are not alone”.
Andy