By spending a good amount of time in introspection-mode, the INFJ is
quite familiar with the ins-and-outs of their internal complex. However,
like for most people, their everyday mental patterns become so second nature that they
stop being a focal point of their observation. So, what exactly are
these undesirable mental habits of the INFJ type and how do they affect their day to day?
Welcome or welcome back PSYCH-Os! Before we get into it, we’d love it if you liked and subscribe
to our channel, as well as to click the post notification bell so you never miss a video!
Alright, let’s get right into the video starting with..
Number 1: Silent anxiety
Considered one of the highly-sensitive personality types, the INFJ can easily become overwhelmed by
their external stimuli. And while they’re not so keen on labeling themselves as experiencing
a form of ‘high-functioning anxiety’ and may not even realize that others don’t experience
the same feeling, INFJs are often met with a slight underlying feeling of anxiousness in new
or over stimulating environments. Although this is considered normal for some introverted types,
overstimulating surroundings can be slightly more consuming for the INFJ. This is because
of their inferior extrovert sensing function that causes them to focus on their surroundings.
The difficulty with utilizing this often under-developed function is that since they’re
so used to remaining fixed inside their inner minds, having to depend on this inferior function
can feel extremely foreign. This is especially true for the INFJ who grew up in a rather
comfortable environment, one in which they weren’t encouraged to develop their social development.
Number 2: The ‘shoulds’ and ‘shouldn’ts’ The inherent fault-finding self perception
of the INFJ is considered one of their biggest weaknesses. INFJs live with a constant need for
self-improvement in one way or another. Usually this comes in the form of analyzing what it is
they’re currently doing that they shouldn’t be doing, or what it is they’re not doing that they
should be. And while this type of self-reflection doesn’t seem so bad in the grand scheme of things,
the INFJ can easily fall into a loop of self-blame and guilt caused by this cognitive distortion.
This personal and internal battle makes the INFJ seem highly ambitious, self disciplined,
and confident on the outside when in reality, they’re never quite satisfied with where
they’re at in their never ending self-improving journey. An example of this could be an INFJ
seeing completely confident in their skin when deep down they’re constantly telling themselves
that they shouldn’t have eaten that dessert, or they should really start exercising more. Or,
they may be honestly happy at a job but feel as if they should be doing more with their lives,
or that they shouldn’t be giving their time for the sake of someone else’s success.
Number 3: Safeguarding their feelings
Whether INFJs notice it or not, much of their reluctance to ‘open up’ has to do with their
deep fear of having their feelings hurt. Due to their actively empathetic nature, INFJs know they
can easily get swooped into feeling obligated to help other people. And while that’s not the
aspect of their fierce empathy that bothers them necessarily, it’s the fact that most INFJ live
in constant worry that their invested feelings are being taken advantage of. Unfortunately,
the only way for this personality type to put a halt on these suspicions is to be proven wrong.
So, while they’re already considered introverted creatures, INFJs have an added layer of hesitancy
when it comes to sharing their personal thoughts and feelings. Not only that, but INFJs are also
used to feeling misunderstood for the way they see the world which makes them quite closed
off to judgements that make them feel as if they need to explain themselves in a defensive manner.
Number 4: They hold back a lot of what they want to say
The introspective INFJ personality type is constantly analyzing and picking up
on the nuances of the world around them. In fact it’s fair to say that most personality
types don’t come close to doing the same amount of analyzing as the INFJ, therefore,
the INFJ seems to notice the things that others would normally completely overlook.
This introspective, yet outwardly observant type knows things that others don’t know. At times,
this subconscious habit can make situations feel tense and uncomfortable as they find themselves in
a position of feeling stuck between communicating their findings and risking being misunderstood for
their intentions, or holding back and allowing the situation to work itself out. And because of
their hallmark empathy towards others, they usually prefer to keep their lips sealed to
ensure they don’t hurt any feelings or stir a pot that may need to just sit and boil on its own.
Number 5: Imagining who someone is before getting to know them
INFJs have a wild and imaginative fantasy land that they like to relish in from time to time.
Considering their at-times antisocial nature, they may even use this imaginative approach
when meeting a new acquaintance. Now, because of their extroverted feeling and sensing function,
it’s not that the INFJ relies solely on their own assumptions of an individual. Rather, they tend
to absorb the minute and often overlooked details they observe of an individual to play off of using
their dominant introverted intuitive function. While this can be a harmless mental pattern at
times, it can cause the INFJ to end up ruminating on the thought of who someone is before or in
exchange of actually getting to know them. In fact, this can lead to the INFJ giving someone the
benefit of the doubt when it hasn’t been earned honestly. In these cases, the INFJ may even end
up disappointed at the fact that the reality of an individual doesn’t compare to the fantasized ideal
that they’ve made up in their own heads. Number 6: Round-the-clock reflection
If the INFJ personality type were to be summed up into only a handful of words, quiet,
introspective and reflective would certainly come up as a few of the most accurate. With introverted
intuition and extroverted feeling at the root of their cognitive functions, it’s fair to say that
this personality type can’t help but to absorb, review and later apply the findings of the details
of their life to future scenarios. In fact, of all personality types, the two dominantly introverted
intuitive types being the INFJ and INTJ are most known for their pattern-forming skills.
Even though the INFJ is known for their ‘gut-feeling’ approach to their decision
making and advice-giving, their thought processes behind this gut-feeling actually have much more
to do with the reflection they’ve given on the lessons they’ve been served previously. They’re
deep thinkers who never miss a beat when it comes to contemplating, considering and evaluating the
thoughts, behaviors, motivations and desires of not only themselves but others around them.
Number 7: Personalization
Deep down, INFJs intrinsically know that people’s emotions, moods and reactions to
their outer environment usually have nothing to do with the INFJ themselves. However, because
of their reflective and self-analyzing mental habits, sometimes this personality type can’t help
but to wonder if they’ve played a role in some way. Personalization is all about believing or
questioning if something is their fault, despite the little evidence presented. For example,
if someone seems a little grumpy at work by giving the INFJ short replies and less enthusiasm than
usual, this type may automatically assume their coworker is upset with them directly. Regardless
of their internal knowledge that they haven’t done anything to intentionally upset this individual,
the INFJ may begin ruminating about the days or hours leading up to this emotional withdrawal.
Not only does this mean they reflect and absorb the shallow energy being emitted,
but they can actually end up convincing themselves of a false story about how
they may have had something to do with the difficulty their coworker is having.
Lastly, and on a more positive note.. Number 8: Optimism
The INFJ type has an interesting contrast of both feeling and logic that they apply
to different scenarios when most appropriate. While some personality types tend to lean more
towards one or the other, the INFJ is known to be equally rational as they are intuitive. Yet,
no matter which side they resonate with most at any given moment, it’s almost always met
with an underlying notion of optimism. It’s as if they can logically see that the cup
can be considered half filled and half empty, but they much prefer to see it as being half
full. Despite the obvious details, facts, and confusion being presented to them in regards to
a potential outcome of a particular scenario, the INFJ’s future-focused hope can rationalize
the fact that everything will probably work out just fine. This mental pattern is deeper than
their surface-level need for perfectionism and more related to their intuitive knowledge of it
being very possible that everything happens for a reason in the larger picture of life.
Well PSYCH-Os, that’s it for today.. So, would you say you experience these mental patterns
as an INFJ? Let us know in the comments below! Also, make sure to leave us a like,
share with your friends and also subscribe to our channel so that you never miss a video!