Hello I m Darren Magee and the topic for today s video comes from a question asking if I would
discuss the Myers Briggs personality type known as the INFJ. Now this is the rarest of the sixteen
Myers Briggs personality types, apparently occuring in only 2% of the population. And it
is quite a complex personality type, so I'm going to look at just some of the common characteristics
associated with being an INFJ, and I'm going to look at some of the strengths and struggles
associated with those characteristics. So the acronym INFJ stands for introversion, intuitive,
feeling and judging. This personality type is often referred to as the counsellor. And people
with this personality type tend to be serious, logical, compassionate. They are loyal and
they are hard working. They have a strong moral compass and tend to make decisions based on both
logic and emotion. So let's look closer at some of those common characteristics. First of all,
they are genuinely interested in others. They can see potential in others and often try to bring it
out in them. They can be quite encouraging. They value close connections with others, but
they are introverted so can only really be truly emotionally intimate with those that they love,
those who love them, such as soul mates, family members, really close friends. They are also very
considerate and highly skilled at reading people, reading their moods, their motivations and can be
quite tuned into other people's needs. But they're also quite intuitive. They recognise that not
everyone has the same compassion they have. They often recognise when others are only being nice.
They can also be sensitive. They feel hurt easily so they can be cautious with others. Secondly,
they re private people. They can be difficult to get to know. Because they do hurt easily. They
can find it difficult to feel vulnerable with others. Many INFJ s tend to be independent,
self-sufficient. So they rarely ask for advice, help or support. They tend not to share more
about themselves than they have to with others. So they may show concern and interest in others,
but not necessarily share their own difficulties. Being introverted they have a tendency to close
themselves off from others at times. For example maybe at social gathering with little or no
explanation they might just leave. As much as they care about others, they also value their
own time in their own space. Sometimes they feel emotionally drained and so they value, they need
that time to recharge. Thirdly they are authentic with their feelings. When they feel passionately
about something, they will pour their all into it. When they fall for someone they will be both
loyal and devoted. They generally don't exaggerate for attention or pretend something just to fit in,
to be accepted. If they are not interested in something, then they are not interested.
Now they can still be polite. For instance, if someone is feeling really excited about something
that they have no interest in, well, they'll be happy for that person, but they're not going to
pretend to feel excited as well. So there is both honesty and authenticity. Number four,
they dislike conflict. They can lack assertiveness and are not aggressive,
so they tend to avoid conflict whenever they can. They can feel devalued very easily,
especially if they're being criticised harshly. If they are insulted, or if they're interrupted,
they tend to just stay quiet. Where there is contention they tend to prefer the role
of peacemaker rather than adversary. That being said, they do have a strong sense of integrity and
can assert themselves, engage in conflict if they have to stand up for something important to them,
such as a cause they re passionate about or their values or their beliefs. And when they stand up
for themselves they tend to use evidence and strong logic to back up their position. They
don't resort to insults and threats. Number five, at work they can be very well organised and quite
driven. They go can also be very competitive and enjoy projects which prove to be challenging. They
re also very creative by nature so are good at finding solutions. They re conscientious
and good at implementing ideas. They can also be perfectionists. Now they are gracious winners,
but if things don't work out well for them, if they fail at something or someone beats them,
they aren't necessarily sore losers, but they're really hard on themselves. They can judge
themselves quite harshly. Number six, INFJ s are idealistic, but they don't just day dream, they
are doers. They practise what they preach. They re guided by personal values and ethics, and are
more interested in the greater good than personal gain. They are motivated by positive action and
sometimes they get involved in organisations or causes that aim to improve things for others.
They see success as being a force for good in the world. They are articulate, good listeners
and can debate with others quite well. They can see both sides of an argument and try to reason
with them. Unfortunately if they re involved in a cause or a group or of movement that attracts
extremist types, those who just want to dominate for personal gain or just want to burn the world
down, it's their voices that are often drowned out. Lastly number seven, being idealistic and
action oriented, having a balance of both emotion and logic they are purposeful and often solution
focused. But as much as they re introverted, they do appreciate and enjoy collaboration
and teamwork. INFJ s can be resourceful and thrive in areas where they get to be creative,
especially areas that align with their values. But not liking conflict or criticism and sometimes
lacking assertiveness, they don't do well where their ideas are stifled or where there is envy
and sabotage from others. So to summarise, INFJ S are warm, supportive and considerate. They are
good communicators. They have integrity and value honesty. They re both caring and compassionate.
But they can be sensitive to criticism, lack assertiveness. They have high standards,
to the point of being perfectionists and tend to judge themselves quite harshly. They tend to be
more forgiving of others than of themselves. They can take a while to get to know someone,
or for someone to get to know them but whenever they do, they are honest and genuine. They don't
do so well in workplaces that are chaotic, badly organised and full of conflict. But they do like
careers where they get to help others, bring out the best in others, such as coaching, teaching,
nursing, mental health and so on. They take their relationships seriously. They are loyal
and they work hard at them. They are tuned into and pay attention to the needs of their partners,
their children, those they care about deeply and often put their well-being before their own.
They seek partners who are honest, have insight and integrity. They thrive in relationships
where they can grow as individuals and as a couple, as a family unit. So that's a brief
outline of the INFJ personality type known as the counsellor, according to Myers Briggs. Now
as always please feel free to use the comment box to add anything I might have missed. There
are always some interesting conversations start around these videos. But if you found this video
interesting please consider subscribing to my channel and until next time, Thanks for watching.
Now whether or not you agree with the Myers Briggs personality types, just in case anybody's curious,
when I was researching this, I took an online test to see what my personality
type would be. Apparently I'm and INFP-T. Now that stands for introversion, intuition,
feeling and perception. The T stands for turbulent And this personality is known as the mediator,
and I find that kind of curious because I used to be a mediator. I used to work in mediation,
working in conflict resolution many years ago. So who knows, maybe there's something in it?