Why are INFJ and ENFJ Men So Rare?

Research tells us that just 2.8 percent of all men are either INFJs or ENFJs. This is a super-low percentage, revealing that the NFJ set of personality characteristics is only rarely measured among men who take the Myers-Briggs personality typing system test.

Why is this percentage so low, you may be asking? Some of it is related to genetics. Since there are so few INFJ or ENFJ men, and not all that many more INFJ or ENFJ women, the genes that code for these personalities (to whatever extent genes actually code for such things) are simply not being passed on to the next generation all that often.

But research has found that genetics account for only about half of a person’s personality. Environment is responsible for the other half, and environmental influences may have something to do with the apparent scarcity of the two NFJ combinations among the general population.

Personality types are genetically determined—or so it is said

If personality types were determined entirely by genetic factors, INFJs and ENFJs would carry their identities as a birthright. No social, cultural or familial force would be enough to stop them from developing in the expected direction. Their Myers-Briggs test results would confirm their NFJ identities every time.

In fact, the conventional view in the Myers-Briggs system is that personality types are biologically and psychologically predetermined. No matter your background or experiences, if you’ve tested as an INFJ or ENFJ, it means you were born that way.

Nevertheless, a genetic predisposition by itself may not be enough to determine a final personality. 

Traits associated with any personality type will require cultivation and encouragement, either of a direct or indirect kind. Should a person's natural predisposition be out of sync with the socializing factors in their life, traits they had the potential to possess may never be fully developed. They may remain latent or hidden in the background, exerting their influence more subtly than might have been expected.

Consequently, a person born to be an INFJ or ENFJ, or any other personality type for that matter, may not seem like one to observers, even those who know them the best. They may have developed traits or preferences that are unusual for an INFJ or ENFJ in response to the expectations and behaviors of their caregivers or the assumptions of their society or culture. If they take the Myers-Briggs test, evaluating their own personality traits as best they can, the final results may identify them as a different personality type altogether.

Those variant test results might not be correct in a cosmic sense. But in a more grounded “this is who I think I am or who I’ve chosen to be” sense, they might seem entirely accurate.

This may be one important reason why INFJ and ENFJ males are so rare—or more correctly, why the percentages of men who test as one of the two NFJ categories is so rare.

Why NFJ men have been held back

A closer look at the INFJ/ENFJ personality profiles may reveal why their characteristics haven’t always been appreciated or nurtured in men.

People who fit into these two personality categories are invariably described as being:

• Kind
• Compassionate
• Empathetic
• Sensitive
• Caring
• Emotionally intelligent
• Nurturing
• Supportive
• Warm-hearted
• Sentimental

Unfortunately, these characteristics have traditionally been seen as more feminine than masculine. Such a viewpoint may be outdated and based on discredited prejudices. But, these assumptions have a powerful influence on the way boys and girls think about themselves. In general, women are expected to demonstrate tender, sensitive and caring traits, while men are expected to display a more tough-minded, action-oriented, assertive and independent personality. Parents, teachers, movies, television shows and the culture as a whole often validate cliches about the differences between the genders, whether they mean to or not. 

Because of various socializing factors, many men who were born to be ENFJs or INFJs may have ended up with personalities that seemed to fit the more traditional model of what a man was supposed to be. It is entirely possible that some men who’ve tested as ESTJs or ISTJs (the two most common personality types in men) are actually ENFJs or INFJs who failed to answer the test questions in a manner that would reflect their true identities—which they themselves have been actively suppressing based on certain ingrained ideas about how a man should think and behave.

Fortunately, the old assumptions about what it means to be a man are rapidly evolving, with sensitivity becoming more acceptable. In the years ahead it will be fascinating to see if the number of men who test as INFJs or ENFJs spikes upward as a result.

The amazing and unusual Intuitive Judgers

The four least common personality types among men are INFJ, ENFJ, INTJ and ENTJ. Not coincidentally, these are also the four least common types among all people, and if you look closely you’ll notice they all have something in common.

Each feature both the Intuitive (N) and Judging (J) dimensions, which is the rarest combination among all personality types as a whole. Only 7.9 percent of all humans display both of these traits. 

So why are Intuitive Judgers so unusual? Their uniqueness seems to derive from the fact that all NJ types possess a highly developed form of Introverted Intuition (Ni), which is the dominant function for INFJs and the auxiliary function for ENFJs. 

Introverted Intuition is an extraordinary characteristic, as it can seem to give those who possess it the powers of a psychic or prophet. People who lead with Introverted Intuition (as INFJs do) or who use it as an auxiliary function (as ENFJs do) have an instinctive ability to recognize patterns in society, culture, nature and in their own lives or the lives of their loved ones. This helps them discern trends and predict coming developments with an extraordinary level of accuracy. Their uncanny insights will repeatedly impress and amaze their friends, family members and co-workers, as they can perceive the consequences of life choices much better than most people.

This type of ability is legitimately rare. This is no doubt in part because few people are born with the potential to develop powerful Ni characteristics. But another factor is that Ni traits aren’t well understood and often go completely unacknowledged. They therefore aren’t encouraged or supported as much as they should be, by families or in society.

This is likely to be true with respect to men in particular, who have traditionally been conditioned to rely on facts and logic rather than intuition to get at the truth. If Introverted Intuition is repressed, denied or allowed to remain latent, men who could be using it to guide their choices may not feel its presence. Once again, their answers on the Myers-Briggs personality typing test may be skewed or inaccurate as a result, leading to further underrepresentation of the INFJ and ENFJ male types.

Rare but highly coveted and appreciated

Could it be that there are more INFJ and ENFJ men out there than statistics have revealed? Are there some men who don’t register as NFJs because they don’t answer all the questions accurately, despite their sincere attempts to do so?

This could be impacting the statistics to some extent. But regardless of any adjustments we might try to make to account for such factors, or any other environmental influences, in the end, ENFJ and INFJ men are likely to remain a rare commodity. Nature isn’t producing a lot of them and likely never will.

However, the ENFJ and INFJ men who do exist can take comfort in knowing that their unique set of caring and nurturing traits are needed badly everywhere. Their divine qualities are deeply appreciated in their families, among their network of friends, in their workplaces and in their communities.