INFP Personality Type: Best Key Traits, 8 Strengths and Weaknesses

The INFP personality type is one of the 16 Myers-Briggs® personality types in the world and is also referred to as the “Dreamer,” “Mediator,” “Idealist,” and “Healer.” INFPs are characteristically driven by an inner code of values that guides their decisions and interactions with the world. The INFP personality is sensitive, loyal, caring, and idealistic in nature. They get fascinated with the complexities of human psychology and aspire to bring a positive change in the world by uplifting humanity.

What does INFP stand for?

I – Introverted, N – Intuitive, F – Feeling, P – Perceiving

INFP Personality Strengths and Weaknesses:

15 words that best describe the INFP Personality Type:

Creative

Idealistic

Passionate

Imaginative

Spontaneous

Visionary

Thoughtful

Principled

Authentic

Reserved

Caring

Sensitive

Calm

Modest

Reticent

INFP Personality Cognitive Functions:

The following table displays the whole cognitive function stack for the INFP personality type.

INFP Communication Style: 

Key Traits of INFP Communication style:

• INFPs yearn to be heard and understood. INFPs being the Fi heroes, carry a lot of deep intense feelings and emotions within them. They look towards expressing these feelings to someone they can trust. So while communicating with INFPs, make sure you listen to what they got to say.

• INFPs look for authenticity in expression. It’s much easier for an INFP to stay in tune with their emotions towards something. Therefore, they expect sincere and honest communication from others. 

• INFPs being the Fi heroes, thrive on morals and values. They strongly believe in what they believe to be true. In conversations, INFPs tend to discuss matters of profound interest to them. Understand where they are coming from and what they stand for.

• INFPs hate conflicts and criticism. They tend to take criticism very personally. Being the Te inferior, INFPs find it quite challenging to look at a perspective from an objective lens. If something threatens their values and belief systems, INFPs can get triggered.

• INFPs are great storytellers. Since they are Fi heroes, they love to interact with the world in terms of feelings and emotions. Therefore, INFPs have a deep love for fiction. If you are looking forward to convincing an INFP, it’s highly suggested to use characters, personal stories, and abstract analogies to communicate your message.

• INFPs don’t like the idea of enforcement, and they highly value individual freedom of expression. So please give them the space and freedom to express their will. Even if you’re politically and logically correct, never mistake forcing them to adhere to something. They will seldom oblige to it. 

INFP Learning Style:

Key Traits of INFP Learning style:

• INFPs are curious learners. Subjects that hold a great deal of interest for them are learned readily. Studies that deal with the humanities – philosophy, literature, history, religion, music, and art often lure INFPs to go deep into it. 
• INFPs learn best in flexible situations where they can brainstorm different possibilities and understand a specific concept from a multi-dimensional perspective. They are highly creative, and they use a unique approach to gain a better understanding of a concept. 
• INFPs learn best when the teacher takes a personal interest in them. They like to be acknowledged and appreciated for their efforts. They don’t resonate well with teachers who prefer absolute objectivity(Te) and are emotionally disconnected from their students. 

FAQs on INFP Learning Style:

INFP Leadership Style:

INFPs are generally reluctant to assume leadership, but they become great leaders when working for an important cause.

Key traits of INFP Leadership Style:

• The INFP leadership style is subtle, gentle, indirect, and inclusive. INFPs don’t prefer to confront people head-on but rather work with them to get the job done.
• They do not like following all the rules and regulations, but they are not overtly rebellious. Instead, they seek to get things done in their style.
• The INFP leader leads with their strong code of honor. They prefer a facilitative approach rather than a directive approach to achieving goals.
• They encourage others by appreciation and praise. Critiquing others does not come easily to them. 
• The INFP leadership follows a persistent approach rather than an aggressive one.

INFP Friendships Style:

Having an INFP as one of your close friends is a priceless gift for life. INFPs like to have a wide variety of friends, but when it comes to trusting someone closely, INFPs are pretty selective about it. INFPs find friendships with NF types quite rewarding. I am an INFJ, and from my personal experience, I can say it’s incredible to have an INFP friend by your side. 

Key traits of INFP Friendship Style:

• INFPs are excellent listeners. Your INFP friend would keenly listen to you and be genuinely interested in learning more about you. 
• INFPs are highly authentic individuals, and they don’t like to pretend to be someone else.
• They express their opinions freely without hurting your feelings.
• INFP friends are incredibly loyal. They will stand by your side and will genuinely care for you if you share a close connection with them.
• INFPs see potential in everyone. One of the best advantages of having an INFP friend is that INFPs are highly supportive and encourage their friends. They will become your true fans and cheerleaders. They will have your back and protect you even when you’re not around. 
• INFPs are introverts who need alone time to reflect and introspect. If you’re an extrovert, you need to allow some time and space for your INFP friend to recharge their batteries.  
• INFPs like to have friends who are honest and authentic to themselves. So they don’t want to be around fake and pretentious folks.

INFP Love and Relationships:

INFPs have a pretty clear idea of their requirements for love and relationships. However, they have an idealistic vision that may be far from reality. 

INFPs may have a calm and gentle demeanor, but they feel emotions very intensely. They have a deep longing for love and caring, and it’s not easy for most other personality types to match the emotional intensity of INFPs.

Key Traits of INFP Relationship Style:

• An INFP initially takes time to trust someone, especially if they are strangers. Therefore, INFPs are pretty cautious at the beginning of a relationship. They will make their partner go through different sub-conscious tests to ensure they meet their ideals. However, they will remain fiercely loyal to their partners once they commit.
• One of the noticeable traits of INFPs is that they tend to idealize their partners. Even though their partners won’t be matching their lofty ideals, they will still assume the best in them and will hold them to high standards. The downside of it is that INFPs can be highly accommodating and can be manipulated by their partners without their knowledge.
• INFPs have Fi as their dominant function. So they stay in tune with their feelings. They express themselves well, and it truly helps them let their partners know what they want. But it also depends upon the situation. Even though they know to express their feelings precisely, they keep a lot of feelings bottled inside them to avoid running the risk of being misunderstood. 
• INFPs are generally supportive, encouraging, and nurturing in their close relationships. 
• INFPs appreciate the need for personal space and privacy. They would readily offer their partner time, space, and freedom to do whatsoever they want. And they don’t like anyone invading their private space either.
• INFPs immensely dislike conflict and criticism. But if one of their values and principles gets violated, they turn uncharacteristically harsh and rigid in such a situation. 
• INFPs face difficulties leaving a bad relationship. Therefore, they require some time and consistent, conscious efforts to come out of their past and start living in the present.

FAQs on INFP Love and Relationships:

INFP Intimacy Style:

When it comes to intimacy and sexual relationships, it’s all about how you make them feel. Emotional bonding matters to them more than the physical touch. Of course, they crave physical touch, but there has to be meaning in it.

It is why INFPs usually hate casual hookups. Lack of emotional connection turns them off.

Key Traits of INFP Intimacy Style:

• While getting intimate with INFPs, make sure you’re authentic about how you’re feeling at the moment. INFPs being the Fi dominants, can quickly spot emotional inconsistencies when you’re trying to pretend to be someone else. And it turns off an INFP from getting intimately closer to you.
• First impressions are crucial in determining your long-term intimacy with an INFP. So just be yourself and express your raw desires naturally to an INFP. If your sexual interests match with an INFP, you will certainly have great chemistry.
• Though INFPs love to try and experience new ideas and new activities, it’s difficult for them to change the core values and interests that they truly stand for. So don’t try to manipulate an INFP to do something they’re not into.
• INFPs are highly concerned about satisfying the needs of their partners. If you’re in a committed relationship with them, they will care for your needs and interests. In return, make sure you take care of their needs and don’t take them for granted.
• INFPs have their share of kinks and fetishes. If you happen to share the same obsessions, be prepared beforehand to plan for a long session. The deeper you go, the wider and wilder it gets. You won’t be able to make the most out of it.

INFP Careers:

When it comes to choosing the right career, INFP struggles the most to pick the right one. It is because INFPs like to work for something they genuinely believe in.

INFPs like to make the world a better place by holding on to their values and bringing a positive change with their efforts.

Here are the key attributes of an ideal INFP Career path:

1. Any work that’s related to a humanitarian cause.
2. An occupation that involves dealing with people and emotions.
3. Work roles where they can assess and measure the results of their efforts on a large scale.
4. Any career that allows them to learn, grow and expand their knowledge and expertise.
5. Professions that require creativity and unique perspectives to achieve the goals.
6. Any career that allows them freedom and space to try things in their own ways.
7. Low-stress environment.
8. Any work that requires less administration and fewer people management.
9. Work roles where individual contribution is of paramount importance.
10. Work environments that are conducive to creative expression and open communication.

Here are the best-proven career options for the INFP Personality Type:

1. Artist – Painter, Interior designer, Poets
2. Musician
3. Crafts
4. Architect
5. Writing – Fiction authors, Bloggers, Content Writers
6. Counseling – Social scientists, Social workers, Counsellors
7. Teaching – English teachers, Fine arts teachers, Professors
8. Clergy / Religious Workers
9. Psychologists
   

Famous INFP Personalities

Isabel Briggs Myers (creator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)

William Shakespeare

Søren Kierkegaard

Audrey Hepburn

Princess Diana

Johnny Deep

Nicolas Cage

Mother Teresa

Albert Schweitzer

Conclusion

In this post, we discussed the INFP personality type in detail. To sum up, INFPs are authentic, value-driven individuals who care about humanity and dream of creating a world filled with love and empathy.

If you know someone who is an INFP, make sure you get to know their values in life. Their values reflect who they are and who they want to be as a person.

They can sometimes be challenging to understand by the other personality types because they’re more original, complex, and sensitive individuals.

But if you spend some time with them and make efforts to understand them from an open and unbiased perspective, you will get to know their authentic self.

Never be condescending to them, be respectful, and allow them space to express themselves freely. You will be amazed by their depth and idealism.

Out of all the 16 personality types, the INFP personality type is the most emotionally intense.

Fun Facts About the INFP Personality Type:

The following data is taken from the MBTI® Manual – Third Edition

– The INFP personality type has a general advantage in foreign language learning.

– The occupational trends for the INFPs are identified as counseling, writing, and arts.

– The preferred academic subjects for the INFPs are Art, English, and Music.

– The most important features of an ideal job for the INFPs are creativity and originality.

– In the national sample, the INFP personality type was ranked among the top four types valuing “Autonomy” and “Creativity.”

Disturbing Facts About the INFP Personality Type:

The following data is taken from the MBTI® Manual – Third Edition

– INFP Males were found to be one of four types most common in a substance abuse program, and Female INFPs were overrepresented among a sample of female substance abusers.

– In the national sample, INFPs were ranked second highest in dissatisfaction with “Marriage/intimate relationship.

– INFPs showed the highest level of depression among the 16 personality types with chronic pain.

– INFPs are most likely of the 16 personality types to report suicidal thoughts in college.

– INFPs reported the second-highest level of anger and frustration among those suffering long-term pain.

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