Short Descriptions:

       "Theme is foresight. Use their insights to deal with complexity in issues and people, often with a strong sense of "knowing" before others know themselves. Talents lie in developing and guiding people. Trust their inspirations and visions, using them to help others. Thrive on helping others resolve deep personal and ethical dilemmas. Private and complex, they bring a quiet enthusiasm and industry to projects that are part of their vision." ³

       "Full of enthusiasm and loyalties, but seldom talk of these until they know you well. Care about learning ideas, language, and independent projects of their own. Tend to undertake too much, then somehow get it done. Friendly, but often too absorbed in what they are doing to be sociable. Little concerned with possessions or physical surroundings."⁴

       "INFPs take their energy from the inner world of thoughts and ideas. They prefer dealing with patterns and possibilities, especially for people, and prefers to make decisions on the basis of personal values. Their life is flexible, following new insights and possibilities as they arise. They is quiet and adaptable (up to a point - when their values are violated the normally adaptable INFPs can surprise people with their stance). They will seem to be very interested in ideas, and they may sometimes make very creative contributions. They has a hidden warmth for people and a desire to see self and others grow and develop. They prefers to undertake work that has a meaningful purpose.
       INFPs focus deeply on their values, and they devote their lives to pursuing the ideal. They often draw people together around a common purpose and work to find a place for each person within the group. They are creative, and they seek new ideas and possibilities. They quietly push for what is important to them, and they rarely give up. While they have a gentleness about them and a delightful sense of humor, they may be somewhat difficult to get to know and may be overlooked by others. They are at their best making their world more in line with their internal vision of perfection."⁵

       "For INFPs the dominant quality in their lives is a deep-felt caring and idealism about people. They experience this intense caring most often in their relationships with others, but they may also experience it around ideas, projects, or any involvement they see as important. INFPs are often skilled communicators, and they are naturally drawn to ideas that embody a concern for human potential. INFPs live in the inner world of values and ideals, but what people often first encounter with the INFP in the outer world is their adaptability and concern for possibilities."⁶

       "INFPs direct their energy towards the inner world of thoughts and emotions. They give importance to particular ideas or beliefs, focusing on those things that they belief in most strongly. They prefer dealing with patterns and possibilities, especially for people. They prefer to undertake work that has a meaningful purpose."⁷

       "The theme is supporting. They support anything that allows the unfolding of the person, encouraging growth and development with a quiet enthusiasm. Peacekeepers. Undertake a great deal. Absorbed in projects. Deeply caring and idea oriented."⁸

       "Idealistic with deep yet private passions. Creative and imaginative. Initially hesitant and cautious. Original, even funky dressers. Tips for communicating with INFP: Share genuine beliefs and values to establish rapport. Respect their slower warm time and need for privacy. Emphasize the ways ideas will benefit others." ⁹

The Negative Side of INFP

       "You have a tendency to be led by lofty aspirations to an easy life. You often complain about your emotional and physical state. Eventually you can cause people to tire of you and even doubt your honesty concerning your well being. Sometimes you waste lots of time on small talk and fruitless dreaming instead of realistic activity. You have difficulty forcing yourself to do uninteresting, everyday chores, especially if finances and household economy are involved. You often cannot resist buying something that catches your eye sometimes causing you to exceed your budget." ¹⁰

INFP Under STRESS

       "INFPs feel internal turmoil when they find themselves in situations in which there is conflict between their inner code of ethics and their relationships with others. They feel caught between pleasing others and maintaining their own integrity. Their natural tendency to identify with others, compounded with their self-sacrificial dispositions, tends to leave them confused as to who they really are. Their quiet personalities further feeds their feelings of depersonalization. The INFP's quest for self-identity then seems even more alluring but increasingly impossible to attain.
       As with all NFs, the INFP will feel lost and perplexed at stressful times. As stress builds, INFPs become disconnected from their own personality and perceived place in life. They will lose sight of who they are in relation to time and place. They may not make basic observations, while instead they will focus on the more abstract and symbolic meanings of a particular interaction. This can sometimes baffle those who expect more direct communication and a fairly concrete relationship." ¹¹

       "Under great stress, INFPs may begin seriously doubting their own competence and that of others, becoming overly critcial and judgemental."¹²

Stress Management for INFP (Feeding the Fourth)

       Do activities that require you to apply logic and order, or ask, "What's wrong with this? How can I perfect it?" in an objective, meditative manner, such as One, Two, Three, Four...