INFJ What is it, Are you one?

I know some of you have been reading my blog for awhile and have seen me mention that I am an INFJ but may or may not know what that means. I know I promised to answer this awhile back (for Amanda) but forgot and have been busy with other things, but I have remembered and found time so here goes!

The Famous Psychiatrist Carl Jung did studies of his patients and believed that people fell into certain personality or psychological types. His research was studied by two woman a mother and daughter Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers and they helped to refine this to what is know know as THE personality test. To find out your personality type you would take the Myers-Briggs test or commonly known as the MBTI. There are free ones available on the internet and more intensive ones that will take you much longer and you will receive a more detailed assessment for a fee.

There are basically four things you are 'graded' on and it regards how you think, are around other people, take in information, act on that information and make decisions.

You will fall into one of 16 'personality types'. These are designated by four letters, such as mine, an INFJ. Most likely if you have applied for any kind of employment above a fast food job you probably have taken a version of this test, if recently on a computer during an interview. This is used to help employers decide if you are best qualified to do the job you are applying for and how you can be best used to the advantage of the companies needs.

For instance in my case my first letter is 'I', this first letter indicates if the person is an introvert or an extrovert. I think everyone knows what that means so I won't go into that except to say that it has to do with our energy levels not just being shy or outgoing. When you take certain tests it will grade you on each letter as to how strongly you are in that category. I am a high level Introvert, If I remember correctly it was in the 70% area. This does not mean I don't like people but that I am extremely shy around someone until I get to know them and I keep a lot to myself which is influenced by some of my other 'letters' but it also means I prefer to work alone and can accomplish much more when doing so, I gather my energy inwardly not so much from outward influences. :)

The second letter is based on how you take in information and is catagorized by if you do so with your senses or intuition (I call these the inner senses). My second letter is an 'N' for iNtuition (so as not to repeat the first 'I' for introvert).

The Third letter is based on how we take that information and make descisions. Either by thinking or feeling. Thinking types go by past experiences, using logic and objective thinking, the feeling type goes by what could be termed a gut instinct combined with our personal value system. Mine is the latter.

And the final Letter is based on our basic day to day habits and lifestyle. This is how we deal with others and the outside world. Do we prefer organization, schedules, order, this would put us into the Judging category, or are we spur of the moment, seat of the pants, go with the flow types that don't need as much structure in our environments? I am the former. :)

So now you know a bit about what the INFJ stands for! So if you'd like more information you can check out this link to read a quick summary of the infj personality type. If you'd like to find out what type you are there are numerous tests out there and it is recommended to take more than one at different times to get a better, more accurate reading but you can start with this one here.

As you will read if you check that link about the INFJ, you will find that Infj's are very rare, we only comprise 1% of the population, so if you aren't an infj chances are you may have never met one or have and because you didn't understand them because they aren't of more familiar types not gotten to know them which is sad because we are very loving and caring people, not to mention many are very artistic. And that is what I am hoping to do with this post, 1, to inform others so they can understand me a bit more but my ultimate goal is to hopefully find other infj's that are artists. Thankfully through talking about this casually through my internet connections I have found three so far which without the internet I think I never in a lifetime would have run across and they are all wonderful! So if you decide to take the test or already have and are an Infj, I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment here or write me privately at organicodysseys@gmail.com. I would so love to hear from you even if you aren't an infj but have an intuitive type. I am starting a group for artists only in any medium of all personality types that are compatible with infj's as well as a special spot for infj's to discuss our uniqueness and to help and support each other so let me know!

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