“INFJ’s (Introverted – iNtuition – Feeling – Judging): Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.”
What do you think? Does that personality type sum me up pretty well?
If you’re not sure, join the club.
The other possible option reads thus: “INTJ’s (Thinking vs. Feeling): Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.”
Skeptical and independent, check. Original mind, see post on Walter Mitty. I trace patterns across stories, books, and people. And high standards of competence and performance? That’s a nice way of saying “overachieving snob.” Which, let’s be honest, is a great assessment of my more noticeable issues.
But then I look back at the first one. Meaning and connection, conscientious and committed. I can see that. I got a bit tripped up when it came to material possessions, and I was pondering the meaning of this in great depth as I was painting a mural on my wall. Then I stopped and realized what I was doing – physically connecting the room I live in with my ideas, relationships, and motivations. So, apparently that one fits.
And I have always wanted to understand what motivates people. (In fact, if you wanted to reply to this post with a general statement about what motivates you in life, you’d make my day.)
But if I choose the first, that makes me a Feeler, not a Thinker. That doesn’t mean I don’t think, of course. It just means that I make decisions based on my feelings and the feelings of others, rather than on rational, logical, defendable reasons. This is confusing because I pride myself on being able to reason and rationalize, helping people be efficient and make decisions on a practical level (see “overachieving snob.”)
But when I make decisions for myself, for my heart, for my own insides’ well-being and balance, I weigh my values and ideals with the effect on the people around me, and logic-be-hanged.
This makes me a Feeler. It makes me a fluffy, people-centered, gut-driven, F.
Perhaps another day I’ll tell you how this revolutionized my life. But for today I’m going to go get in touch with my feelings.
References:
H. Willman & L. Howerth. (2013). An Informal Interpretation of Your Personality. Friendship Press, Pendleton, IN.
Myers & Briggs Foundation. (2003). The 16 MBTI Types. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp#ISFJ.
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