What Is an INFJ?

The INFJ’s Cognitive Functions

Dominant Function: Introverted Intuition

One of the greatest strengths of the INFJ is their ability to forecast future events with only a small amount of sensory data. Their dominant or “hero” function is called Introverted Intuition, or Ni for short. Ni focuses on finding intangible or abstract connections between the unconscious world and the outer world. People who value Ni are always on a quest to find the underlying meaning, significance, and purpose behind everything. They are always trying to peer behind the scenes to find out what’s hidden and what the “dance of the universe” really is.

The goal for Mystics is to find positive meaning and move themselves towards that meaning by all means necessary. In some cases, they absorb some negative experiences in order to get to the positive outcome they want. For example, they may work themselves to exhaustion if they believe that their goal of achieving a more humane society is worthwhile.

To the INFJ everything has many layers of meaning, and their goal is to get to the deepest, most innermost, secret layer.

Mystics are extremely future-focused. In fact, they can get so caught up in thinking about the future that they lose sight of the present moment. As intuitives, they are always trying to decipher what will happen someday and how events will play out. While most of the time their predictions and epiphanies appear “out of the blue,” they can also be the result of tremendous research, analysis, and synthesizing. Up until recently nobody really knew how or why the INFJ’s intuitions occurred, but neuroscientist Dario Nardi has made some progress in understanding Introverted Intuition.

According to Nardi, INFJs enter a “zen-like” brain state when they are tasked to envision the future or solve a complex problem. Nardi conducted EEG brain-wave tests that showed that INFJs, when presented with a novel or complex problem, would harness all neocortex regions in order to “realize” an answer. This zen state or realization might happen quickly or result in a sudden epiphany of insight. Usually, these insights will occur when they are in a relaxed, calm state and not distracted by a lot of noise and sensory data. You can find out more about this brain state by reading Dario Nardi’s book, The Neuroscience of Personality.

The epiphanies that Mystic’s get may be confusing even to them. They might get a sudden feeling that someone they love is in trouble or a symbolic vision in their mind might inexplicably explain something about the future. This is a quality that many people tend to disbelieve or laugh at, so INFJs are often very protective of their inner selves and are usually very guarded about sharing their intuitions. Even so, these sudden feelings and “hunches” follow them throughout most of their life. If they accept this part of their personality and embrace it they can learn to differentiate the accurate insights from what is just paranoia or worry. If they try to repress their intuition they can get their insights and a sense of paranoia mixed up and have a hard time discerning which insights are meaningful and accurate and which are just feelings of worry, apprehension, or fear.

Find out more about this personality type in The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic

Intuition in Speech and Writing

INFJs tend to think in images and symbols much of the time, and as a result, their language is filled with metaphor, symbolism, and abstract word usage. They tend to be on the quiet side, but if someone takes the time to truly listen to them they can talk a great deal and simultaneously use very little concrete data in their speech. They often pay great attention to their dreams, because they are so intrinsically connected to their unconscious. In fact, according to Building Blocks of Personality Type, Introverted Intuition “Is the only perception process that is independent of the conscious mind” and “is the only process that does not need any external stimulus.”

You can see the symbolism and language of the Mystic in the writings of Dante Alighieri, who many typologists believe to be an INFJ.

“I wept not, so to stone within I grew.”

“As one who sees in dreams and wakes to find the emotional impression of his vision still powerful while its parts fade from his mind – Just such am I, having lost nearly all the vision itself, while in my heart I feel the sweetness of it yet distill and fall.”

Auxiliary: Extraverted Feeling

INFJs will always be most at home with their intuitions and perceptions, but their second-preferred mental process is called Extraverted Feeling (Fe). Fe is all about understanding the emotions and moods of other people and maintaining morale. INFJs are keenly aware of the emotional “atmosphere” of a room can pick up on minor variations in mood and can sense when people feel uncomfortable, awkward, sad, or happy, even with very little data to go on. For some INFJs, this strength is extremely pronounced and they can have a difficult time differentiating other people’s emotions from their own. They might suddenly feel sad or afraid or angry only to realize that they were picking up on someone else’s mood, even complete strangers.

“INFJs who use intuition and extraverted feeling often report that they can “feel” someone else’s mood as if it is their own. Many INFJs report experiences of being in a building full of strangers (a grocery store, mall, etc,.) and “feeling” the sadness, fear, or anxiety of a total stranger within close proximity. Their extreme attention to the moods of others and their ability to empathize so strongly means that sometimes they can confuse other people’s moods for their own.”
– The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic

Other Mystics prefer the internal world of intuition and suppress feeling; these INFJs can appear less empathetic and warm than usual, and may appear highly reclusive. In fact, they often mistype as INTJs or INTPs.

Extraverted Feeling naturally takes into consideration the needs of others whenever they make a decision. When tasked to decide something, Feeling-Judging types will first ask themselves “what do other people need?” “What will maintain harmony?” “How will this affect everyone involved?” “What are my values regarding this?” To most INFJs, maintaining harmony and ensuring the happiness of others is of extreme importance. Many people find this quality attractive because they feel so understood, affirmed, and nurtured with them..

Many INFJs are drawn to humanitarian fields because of the fact that they are so concerned for others’ feelings and values. Their intuition is the lens with which they take in everything around them, but their feeling function is what guides their decisions. Both processes together cause the INFJ to 1) Seek deeper meaning and significance in everything they see, and 2) Look for ways to use the meanings they decipher to help or improve the lives of others.

Because of their unique strengths, many Mystics are drawn to fields in counseling, social work, or religion. In fact, according to the MBTI® Manual, INFJs are overrepresented in the fields of psychology, the arts, and religion.

Tertiary: Introverted Thinking

The third-preferred mental process of the INFJ is called Introverted Thinking, or “Ti” for short. Ti is all about searching for accuracy, classifying data internally, and understanding the underlying principles of how everything works. INFJs don’t usually develop strong use of Ti until they are in their 20’s or 30’s, at which point it becomes highly relied upon. Ti becomes a source of creativity and relief, adding objective balance to their decisions and giving them a stronger desire to find accuracy in their perceptions and insights.

INFJs who are developing Ti tend to be very careful about word usage and they enjoy analyzing problems logically and categorizing information in their mind. When they have to make a decision that will affect others, their feeling side will be their guide, but internally they are far more analytical than people realize.

Many INFJs mention feeling torn between thinking and feeling when having to make a decision. On one hand, the harmony of others is supremely important to them, on the other hand, they usually are quite aware of the inaccuracies of other people’s decisions, so they can struggle with figuring out how to balance the two opposing views. Choosing tact and empathy over logic is more comfortable in the younger years, but as they grow and mature, they may find themselves more drawn to the logical approach.

Inferior: Extraverted Sensing

The least conscious mental process of the INFJ is called Extraverted Sensing, or “Se” for short. Se is focused on staying in tune with the present moment and noticing concrete details and realities. Se-users (ESPs and ISPs) are usually very tuned into the moment, very aware of details, and realistic and literal. INFJs, in contrast, tend to be more focused on the future than the moment, more focused on abstract impressions than concrete details, and more metaphorical than literal in their speech. Nonetheless, Se will still play a role in their life.

Se gives the Mystic an extreme fondness for beautiful surroundings and tranquil environments. When they tap into Se to find concrete data that would support a vision or insight, they can be highly detail-oriented and sharp-sighted in their perceptions. They can only stay highly “tuned in” to Se for a limited time, however, before they get over-stimulated. Since this is their inferior function they often find it overwhelming to focus on. Unlike ESPs, who can handle a lot of sensory stimulation, INFJs tend to feel easily over-stimulated and overwhelmed by bright lights, loud noises, and a lot of details. As children, they may have meltdowns when over-stimulated and as adults, they may dim the lights upon entering a room so that it’s easier for them to think. It can also be difficult for Mystics to be in new environments where they have to pay attention to a lot of concrete details. As an example, driving in new, unfamiliar cities might be stressful for them.

INFJs and Stress

When INFJs are stressed, they may fall into the grip of Extraverted Sensing. When this happens, they can seem like totally different people. They might become suddenly impulsive, reckless, and pleasure-seeking. They may try to overload their senses with stimulation; either through over-eating, drinking too much, binge-watching TV, or listening to extremely loud music. Some Mystics lash out at people or things in their environment without thought, which is highly unlike them because they usually are extremely tactful and considerate. Others want to spend all their money on a last-minute trip to somewhere they’ve never been. Typically cautious and thoughtful, they become adventurous, living for today and worrying less about the consequences than usual. You can find out more about the INFJ stress response here.

As INFJs enter their 50’s and 60’s they usually develop a more mature and balanced use of Extraverted Sensing. They tend to become more aware of details, more in tune with the present moment, and more resourceful in practical, realistic ways.