5 Signs You’re A True INFP, The Most Misunderstood Personality Type

People with the INFP personality type are imaginative, compassionate, introspective individuals. Unfortunately, in their complexity, they may also tend to feel misunderstood. 

If you are questioning whether you are an INFP, or simply wish to understand yourself better or help your loved ones understand you better, you may want to look into these key characteristics.

Here are 5 signs that you are a true INFP, perhaps the most misunderstood personality type. 

1. A true idealist

The INFP is sometimes described as the “idealist” among all of the personality types. If you are an INFP, you might also be a hopeless romantic, with a dreamed-up idea of what your life should be like. This may affect your relationships, if you, for instance, hold too-high expectations of an idealized partner or friends in your mind. It might be difficult for you to accept that different aspects of your relationships, your own life, and the world around you aren’t the way you hope they could be. 

But thankfully, even as you learn that the world may never be perfect, you continue to care deeply about making it a better place in however way you can, and feel strongly about consistently doing the right thing (16Personalities, n.d.; Cherry, 2021).

2. Quiet introversion

Just as the “I” in “INFP” indicates, you may be quite introverted. Contrary to common belief, not all introverts are quiet and reserved, but this tends to be the case for INFPs. 

You might enjoy certain social situations while in the moment, but these can drain your energy – especially if these involve larger crowds. You may instead tend to prefer to bond with a close group of friends whom you love and trust. You might also often need time to be alone to regain your energy.

Do you usually feel reluctant to share your thoughts and feelings with others? Do you perhaps suspect that you might be difficult to get to know? But as an INFP, you might still long for deep, meaningful relationships, and this contradiction can leave you feeling lonely or invisible at times. However, the people you do choose to be close to are ones that you feel deeply bonded to and connect with on a profound level (16Personalities, n.d.; Cherry, 2021; Sussex Publishers, n.d.; Truity, n.d.).

3. Exceptionally creative and imaginative

Are you a creative person? Creativity is one of the characteristic traits of INFPs. What other people may not realize is that underneath your often quiet and unassuming exterior lies a deep well of imagination and creativity, as well as a profound understanding of art, music, and nature.

If you are an INFP, you may often lose yourself in your own daydreams, from potential conversations to inventive fantasies. You would flourish in environments where your creativity can thrive. You are likely drawn to writing and the arts, and are adept at expressing yourself through these (16Personalities, n.d.; Cherry, 2021).

4. Passionate about your values

Being reserved and quiet doesn’t mean that you don’t feel strongly about things. On the contrary, you are more likely to care deeply about your principles and beliefs. You likely are rather passionate about your values, and advocate for these in your own way.

In fact, you may even form your decisions around your values, such as your career choices, and the people you choose to surround yourself with. If you are an INFP, you may also have an unwavering loyalty to your beliefs, and will not compromise them even under difficult circumstances (16Personalities, n.d.; Cherry, 2021; Truity, n.d.).

5. Highly sensitive

As an INFP, you may tend to be sensitive in general, and may be easily affected by what others say, to the point of taking a lot of things personally. This may, at times, get in the way of your relationships and growth. 

However, you are likely to also be sensitive to the world, from art and nature in their surroundings, to the people around you. You may be deeply empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others, as well as able to deeply appreciate all of the beauty around you (Cherry, 2021; Truity, n.d.).

If you relate to these signs, you might be an INFP. And whether or not people may sometimes misunderstand you doesn’t detract from all of the good qualities that make you special. 

References

All about the INFP personality type. Truity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.truity.com/personality-type/INFP

Cherry, K. (2021, July 23). INFP personality profile and characteristics. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/infp-a-profile-of-the-idealist-personality-type-2795987

Mediator personality. 16Personalities. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/infp-personality

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Close to tragic: Unconsidered personality. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/attention-training/201408/close-tragic-unconsidered-personality-1