If there's any one thing that could hinder the INFJ’s growth as a person, it would be
the underlying fear that all this chaos known as ‘life’ actually has no inherent meaning.
This haunting existential contemplation comes and goes, but what happens when the
INFJ find themselves stuck in this haunting crisis.. And are they able to shake it?
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Number 1: Becoming consumed in societal expectations
There’s nothing that makes the INFJ feel more on top of the world like
living a life they’ve created for themselves through their desires. As a matter of fact,
some may say the free-spirited INFJ must take the necessary steps to remove themselves
from the rat race and all the materialistic desires that come with it, in order to feel
as if they’ve really ‘made it’. However, this concept is a whole lot easier said than done.
And because of that, the INFJ type isn’t unfamiliar with feelings of discontent.
With a self-critical need to be a successful and useful member of society, they may fall into the
trap of following the crowd in hopes that they’ll find the fulfillment they’re looking for. Yet,
it’s not long before they become encompassed in the dull and meaningless energy surrounding the
goal of ‘working for the weekend’ that everyone is so quick to achieve. Yet, the ironic thing
is that they only come to this conclusion once they’ve gone through some type of existential
crisis. And through the realization that they need more in life, comes another existential
crisis of finding what it is they require to feel truly content..which brings us to..
Number 2: Becoming lost trying to find their purpose
Once an INFJ realizes that society's expectations and direction isn’t all it’s cut out to be,
they’re left to discover how they’re going to get the same usefulness from their life
as others get through their careers and positions in society. Now, in all honesty,
finding ‘purpose’ is the INFJs main goal in life. Deep down, because of their understanding of the
complexity of all life and earth has to offer, they know their existence isn’t by fluke. And so,
as a result, they tend to put a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves to ‘find their purpose.
This pressure gets even worse when they feel like time is running out, or as if they’ve spent all
their life moving in the ‘wrong’ direction. On a positive note, this is the existential crisis
that allows them to finally search for and experience that purpose they’ve been longing
for. On a not-so-positive note, this is THE existential crisis that could last weeks, months,
or even years before reaching a conclusion. If that's not bad enough, oftentimes this
personal catastrophe is accompanied by feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness and disconnection.
Number 3: They don’t find meaning in the things they thought they would
To elaborate on why this period of contemplation may take an unnerving
amount of time.. When the INFJ is on the journey to find themselves and their life’s purpose,
it can feel like a time consisting of trial and error experiences. It’s fair to say that it’s
already considerably difficult for the INFJ to put themselves out there while staying on the
road less traveled. Not only is this because of their independent and connection-reluctant nature,
but INFJs have fewer people to turn to when their ‘out-of-the-box’ approach to life
doesn’t go as planned. When you’re not moving with the crowd, you don’t have a neighbor or
friend of the same caliber to discuss the difficulties, challenges, and failures that
come with such a life. So, through their trial and error period of self-discovery,
they may find themselves up against existential crisis after existential crisis, leading them
to question whether or not following their intuition was the right decision. Luckily,
this is what makes finding something or someone that truly resonates all worth the while.
Number 4: Lack of physical movement
Now, although we wish we could tell you that a quick run or yoga class would provide that
‘meaning’ to an INFJs life the way they’re looking for it. However, rooted in their complex
cognitive function stack - in particular their extroverted feeling and sensing functions - the
INFJ requires more external input and output than they’d like to surrender to. This means
that although this introverted intuitive type requires ample alone time within their minds,
it’s also necessary for them to escape that rumination of thoughts and ideas on a daily
basis. Not only does too much mind-time cause the INFJ to go a little stir-crazy,
but when they spiral down a mental rabbit hole, they come up with questions like
“Is there even any meaning behind it all?” This is where having a physical
hobby allows them to find that balance between meaningless day-to-day routines and enjoyment.
Number 5: Their imaginations are filled with meaning
Speaking of taking a break from their internal world.. The daydreaming INFJ
often finds themselves comparing actual-reality to the imaginative-reality they hold so near and dear
to their heart. This is mostly because there is such a disconnection between what they hoped the
world would be like, and what it actually is. In fact, this realization alone can cause the inner
conflict most INFJs dread. Since their imaginative reality is rooted in their morals and values,
everything they allow into their inner temple must have meaning. And sometimes their challenge
is to find out what that meaning is. However, this is much easier when they're in their small
and controllable inner world in comparison to their uncontrollable outer realities.
This is what makes their existential crisis so consuming, because they can see a world
of overflowing meaningfulness, yet they can’t quite reach it.
Number 6: Helplessness
In order to be truly happy and content in life, INFJs require short-term goals and the hope to
back them up. However, with vivid and possibly far-fetched dreams of the world, INFJs may find
that a huge cause of their existential crisis is the fact that they feel so helpless and hopeless
for humanity as a whole. This hopelessness comes when the INFJ matures to the point of
understanding that they may not be able to put their problem-solving skills into action. When
the issues INFJs have with the world are on such a large scale, they can feel like these problems
require solutions larger than themselves. Even when they stop to make an attainable guide-line
for the things they feel confident in changing, INFJs are faced with the nitty-gritty details
that become all too much, leaving them feeling worse about the issue than when they started.
Number 7: A triggering event occurs
One of the main triggers of the existential crisis of the average person is through trauma. Traumatic
experiences can cause one to question not only their reality and the negative possibilities that
come with it, but also their faith. Whether it’s a sudden loss of an enjoyable job,
a one-sided divorce, a death in the family, or even something like bullying can cause someone
to wonder why they were put on this earth in the first place. For the introspective INFJ,
this is no different. When the trauma is related to personal identity such as a change in job or a
relationship, even the independent INFJ finds themselves questioning who they really are,
and which aspect of themselves was only created for their external environment.
This can send them into a whirl-wind of questioning who they are,
what their purpose is, and ultimately how much of themselves is really ‘them.’
Number 8: Existential crisis or existential re-evaluation?
When asked through an INFJ Reddit Forum whether or not INFJ’s themselves feel
they’re prone to feeling of existential crisis, one redditor stated “How about asking if I am
prone to having existential evaluations? Or, re-evaluations?.. Possibly on a daily basis.”
This viewpoint makes the term ‘existential crisis’ seem like no crisis at all. In fact, for the INFJ
personality type, it seems that having these times of existential dread and open-ended questioning is
crucial for their development. Every individual with this introspective personality type stops
and re-considers their purpose, their values, and even the simple brevity of life itself,
every-single-day. The naive INFJ will think that everyone contemplates life’s details in this
way. Yet as they mature, they’ll realize that a major aspect of their innate quirkiness comes
from their constant desire to dive into topics that are a little more complex than sports,
television and celebrity gossip. And with that, comes life’s bigger, unanswerable questions..
Well PSYCH-Os, that’s it for today.. So, as an INFJ, when’s the last time you’ve experienced
existential dread in life? Let us know in the comments below. Also, make sure to leave us a
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