INFJ personality types and INFP personality types frequently are labeled as too “woo-woo,” by non-intuitive types. Because of this, many of us feel like we are too weird to fit in, or like our ideas are too radical for the mainstream. INFJs and INFPs are frequently interested in subjects like astrology, the tarot, energy work, healing with crystals, and other fringe ideas. To us, these subjects are intriguing and can help us understand the world in a deeper way, but they may be threatening to friends and family members.
Introverts, INFJs, and INFPs
INFJ personality types and INFP personality types are two of the most intuitive personality types in the MBTI personality type system. Many people believe that the intuition of INFJ personality types and INFP personality types comes from both types being very observant, and subconsciously picking up on physical cues. While this is partly true, there is more to the intuition of INFJ personality types and INFP personality types than information that comes through only the five senses.
INFJ personality types and INFP personality types are often drawn to the metaphysical side of life. This is because we are highly intuitive, and able to see the “reality behind the reality.” INFJs and INFPs see how all things are interconnected in an infinite web, and from an early age we are drawn to learning about magic, the supernatural, powers of the mind, powers of the spirit, one’s life design and one’s life blueprint.
INFJs and INFPs are also drawn to this type of subject matter because intuitive personality types have a primarily right-brained approach to life, although we live in a society that is heavily skewed toward a left-brained approach to life. Our culture places a high value on logic, linear thinking, facts, concrete reality, and information that can be gleaned through the five senses. INFJ personality types and INFP personality types can decently navigate left-brained activities and learning strategies, but we also need to engage in right-brained activities in order to thrive.
INFJ personality types and INFP personality types often struggle with fitting into society because we hold different values than most of the mainstream population. Mainstream society tends to value competition and aggression, and also tends to focus on scarcity, winning, domination, and right vs. wrong.
INFJ personality types and INFP personality types are natural healers and hold the values of healer consciousness, which is focused on compassion, harmony, seeing all sides of a situation, and holding opinions lightly, so as to allow room for movement and change. These kinds of values and this kind of focus can feel threatening and confusing to many people in mainstream society.
INFJ personality types and INFP personality types both have the common fear of being seen by others. Both INFJ personality types and INFP personality types also crave being seen by others. We most often experience a fear of being seen because on some level we know that to be seen is also to be “mis-seen,” which means that other people will attach their stories and projections onto us.
Because INFJ personality types and INFP personality types tend to be internalizers (meaning we internalize most things and blame ourselves for most things) we also tend to take responsibility for the projections of others. If someone misunderstands us, or judges us unfairly, we feel this very acutely, and we also feel the need to fix it, or to correct their judgment. When we take our place in the spotlight, it become impossible to make sure that every single person sees us accurately and does not project anything onto us.