Comments on: What being an INFP doesn't tell you

By: ockhamdesign

ockhamdesign — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:49:43 +0000

I think our outside the box behavior comes from our Self Ideal. If our Self Ideal has behavior outside the box then eventually as we work to become that Ideal, we start taking actions outside the behavioral preferences of “typical” INFP.

I’m always interested to see the Personality Self-Portrait scores of INFPs. Some score very high on the Adventurous personality type and some are mid-range (relative to their other scores), but I’ve never run across any who are low on the Adventurous personality type.

By: Catherine Vibert

Catherine Vibert — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:49:10 +0000

Of course I think this is completely true, we are fluid beings and the typology can help us see some of the benefits and pitfalls of our type, but it doesn’t define us. I made a mistake at the beginning of knowing what typology was, and that was that I was like other INFPs. And in many ways there is a continuity, but what a stupid mistake to assume the other INFPs were the same as me. Now that I understand it, I see that I’ve had MANY romantic relationships with other INFPs, I think we were drawn to each other by that very sameness, but again, those similarities DO NOT mean you will actually like or get along with those other folks. I learned quickly tho, and now don’t do that rut anymore. However, I’m also a risk taker. Not always, I do have to confront that nagging ‘I’ that often undercuts the visions I have of wanting to go out and do more extreme stuff, generally getting into trouble out there. But I find it is the ‘P’ that is the part that identifies someone who is driven to cross boundaries. I took a typology seminar for therapists, to help them learn to identify the functions without testing, so as to better help their patients. We spent a lot of time on the ‘J’ v ‘P’ confusion, and it can be very confusing. The test often pins people into the wrong category here, and the words are confusing and don’t really explain much. Essentially it came down to those who prefer systems, boundaries, rules, ‘J’ to those who prefer to explore the world outside the box ‘P’. That P explains how someone like me who is basically shy and often tongue tied (but man can she write) would end up on the stage singing opera in front of thousands, or dragging a suitcase full of audio and video equipment all alone through S.E. Asia and India in order to do documentary work. Count on people with a ‘P’ in their string to be the most adventurous. Or so I learned in the seminar, but it does seem to fit my particular outlook on INF’P’.

By: ruby

ruby — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:19:16 +0000

hi. infp here too. it’s quite odd to know that i like rock climbing, bungee jumping and all those extreme stuffs and i’m infp too. also, regarding the social stuff, i do like to be social and i’m very social when i’m with friends. is it mere coincidence for INFPs to be like these. my 2 sisters are INFPs too and we’re pretty same in so many ways. I guess the ‘values’ section can probable be based loosely on the kind of environment we are on and not on our preferences but i can say that we have really strong values that despite of external events, we pretty much hold on tight to our values and have not swayed since.

also, i like the words idealist and dreamer associated with me as an INFP. i guess our INFP-ness depends on the percentage we have for each of the preferences? just a thought.

By: Forrest

Forrest — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:23:46 +0000

The MBTI doess a good job at telling who you are and how you behave when you are comfortable. For me, I like to sometimes put myself in stressful situations when I’m comfortable. I like to have adventures and be outgoing in public. But after I do those I go back to being comfortable and charge myself back up. Then When I’m charged up, i’ll go back to having adventures and stuff. Somedays i’ll be a social butterfly, but the next day i’ll be by myself, because of the exhaustion that being social brings on me.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:29:41 +0000

LOL, trust an INFP to get all worried over values rather than behaviours.

One of the thinks I struggle with is a complete incapability of understanding people without values, or people who’s values are flexible. I get so frustrated when behaviours don’t align with values, and noone other than me seems to care.

By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:24:16 +0000

I agree with pretty much everything you say. I also tested INFP. Which seems to generally fit me. Ive been looking into the types alot lately especially mine and i think ive been getting too into it. Ive been kinda trying to do what an infp would do instead of doing what i like to do. Indeed i really do alot of the things and act the way an infp would supposedly do in a general way but, its almost like ive been trying to force an exact form (on myself) of what on infp should be. Ive been kinda neglecting what i usually would do just because of the thought that “thats not what an infp would do”.

This is a good blog post. : )

By: Karita

Karita — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:10:15 +0000

The MBTI Step II test is interesting because it shows you where you are “out of preference”, for example, being an introvert does not stop you being sociable.

Just found your blog today, I’m very interest so far.