10 Intuition Hacks for INFJs and INTJs

In everyday life, it’s very difficult to come across people using introverted intuition in an obvious way. While many people mistype as INJs, most of them are actually ISJs who thrive on proven facts and personal experience over flashes of insight and symbolism. Intuition is a very mysterious function and many times when INJs (or ENJs) use it in real life they are met with confusion or resistance from a largely sensing culture. As a result, many intuitives have to rely on their less-preferred functions to try to explain themselves to the outer world. INJs find that they have to rely on either Te (extraverted thinking) or Fe (extraverted feeling) in the outer world, and many wind up relying on inferior sensing to try to navigate a world that is tailored much more to sensing types.

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10 Intuition Hacks for #INFJs and #INTJs

10 Intuition Hacks for INFJs and INTJs

What is Introverted Intuition?

Introverted intuition is a perceiving (information-gathering) function. Carl Jung called the perceiving functions “irrational” and that’s because they aren’t decision-making functions. Introverted intuitives focus on the subjective, internal world of the unconscious to find abstract and symbolic connections and relationships between the unconscious and the environment. Ni-users see intrinsic patterns and connections everywhere and examine them internally to find their significance. They know how to shift perspectives to see things from many different angles and points of view simultaneously.

Gary Hartzler, one of the founding board of directors for The Association for Psychological Type said of Introverted Intuition “It is first and foremost an awareness of abstract ideas, images, and/or conceptualizations….It focuses our energy on visions and images of the future.” He also states that Ni-users see ideas simultaneously from many different perspectives. This may be why typologists like Antonia Dodge and Joel Mark Witt from Personality Hacker call Introverted Intuition “Perspectives”.

Why INJs Should Develop Intuition

Because intuition is your dominant function if you’re an INJ, you might think you don’t even need to try to develop it, that it will just come naturally. While intuition will naturally play a dominant role in your personality if it’s stifled or repressed it can develop in an unhealthy, inaccurate, or imbalanced way. Even INJs (like myself) can have incorrect and unhealthy intuition, so it’s important for us to take the time to really try to gain a deeper understanding of it and develop it in a healthy way.

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Why These Hacks Might Sound Crazy

Because the vast majority of people who type as INJs are actually not INJs, most of these intuition hacks will seem a little “woo woo” to them. If you don’t relate to these ideas or think they’re just too “out there” and crazy, then you might want to consider the possibility that you relate better to a different type (which is okay! those other types are amazing too!).

#1 – Embrace Solitude

Find a time every day that you can isolate yourself from outer stimulation. Introverted intuition works best when one draws into oneself and isn’t affected by the external world. Turn off the lights and any music you might have. Let your mind wander without any real purpose or direction and just allow yourself to daydream. Write down any thoughts, symbols, or images that come to mind.

#2 – Break Down Boundaries in Your Imagination

What would your life be like without constraints, rules, or limits? Write down your thoughts.

#3 – Practice Perspective-Shifting

Think of a person that’s important to you. Imagine the different ways a variety of people see that person. Try seeing their perceptions yourself and glimpsing their point of view. You can practice this same exercise with a movie, a book, or an activity that you enjoy or dislike. Practice shifting perspectives to see how other people feel about the same thing.

#4 – Drive Without a Direction

On a day when you don’t have a lot of plans, just get in your car and drive without having a destination or itinerary. Practice just going wherever your intuition tells you to go. Ask yourself where you should stop, turn, and just let it be an adventure that could lead anywhere!

#5 – Practice Future Projection

Imagine your life 5, 10, or 20 years into the future. What images come to mind? What do you see for yourself? Draw a picture or write down what your vision contains.

#6 – Find the Symbolic Meaning in Artistic Expression

Go to an art museum, listen to a song, read a book, or watch a movie. Afterward think about the meaning of the song, artwork, or movie. Is there anything symbolic that stood out to you? Were there any hidden meanings or metaphors that were significant?

#7 – Find Hidden Intentions

Your spouse is telling you a story. Your child is telling you a story. Your boss is speaking to you. Listen and try to understand the motives and core desires of the person telling the story. What is he or she hoping to attain? Are there any hidden motives?

#8 – Write Down  Your Dreams

Introverted intuition is intrinsically tied to the unconscious. As a result, many Ni-users have very vivid, symbolic dreams. After you’ve had a dream try to write it down or draw a picture of it. Try to remember everything as clearly as possible. Is there any symbolism in your dream? Could it have any hidden meaning?

#9 – Embrace Your Goals

Is there a goal you’re currently aiming for? Envision reaching that goal and then work backward to see what steps you took to get there. Is there a way you could reach that goal more quickly?

#10 – Write Down Your Ideas

Any time you have an idea or sudden image that pops into your head, write it down, or draw it. Is there any symbolic connection to that idea and your unconscious? Is the image meaningful in any way? Can you make this idea a reality? If it’s a negative image, what do you think you might learn from it?

 

What Are Your Thoughts?

Do you have any intuition hacks to share? Let us know in the comments!

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic,  The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer, and The INTJ – Understanding the Strategist. You can also connect with me via FacebookInstagram, or Twitter!

Other Articles You Might Enjoy:

The Magic and Mystery of Introverted Intuition

10 Signs That You Might Be an Introverted Intuitive

The Weak Spot of Every Myers-Briggs® Personality Type (and How to Strengthen It!)

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28 Comments

  1. Thanks for this amazing article! I love and practice #6 and #7. However, #4 (Driving) would scare me to pieces! I need to know in advance where I’m going and where to park my car once I’m there 😄

  2. U all should follow this no matter what u r it will eventually make u surpass yourself faster …

  3. Most of these come naturally to me however 7 got me into a lot of troubles as a child. In the heat of the moment I will always blurt out the other persons intentions and how I felt about it and they always felt I was weird and it earned me few friends but time always proved me right. I discovered number 1 when all my children left home for boarding school. Prior to that, I was stressed out, depressed and falling ill all the time and realized I magically bounced back after I went on leave from work one of those times my kids were in school and I was alone. I discovered the power of meditation and I have been using it as much as I can. Listening to soft music helps me gather my thoughts and pop music brings me out of depression.

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