Perceiver personality types can be a lot of fun to spend time around. They’re playful and good at adapting to new situations with ease. They’re innately curious and always following the next exciting project, and they thrive without too many guidelines or structures, finding success on their own terms and in their own ways.
INFPs, the compassionate, idealistic, “healers” of the Myers and Briggs personality system, have many positive traits that make us great friends, employees, and colleagues. We’re good at tuning into others’ feelings and putting ourselves in their shoes. We pick up on subtle cues others miss, and we’re creative and imaginative.
For many Introverts, this unusual time of lockdowns and social distancing has been business as usual. After all, staying home and spending lots of time alone is the Introvert’s comfort zone. But INFJs are also struggling right now. The lack of face-to-face interaction, racial injustices, and all this strange uncertainty has left many INFJs feeling disconnected, dissatisfied and disheartened.
Have you ever felt deeply misunderstood in a conversation? As if the person you’re talking to doesn’t recognize what you’re feeling, and is unable to put themselves in your shoes? Well, that’s a common situation when you’re dealing with someone with lower emotional intelligence than you.
Some would say that INFJ personalities are generous to a fault. Motivated by boundless empathy, they devote their time and energy to helping others. There is no calculation or self-interest involved; they give of themselves because it feels good and because they believe it’s the right thing to do.
Personality isn’t something we change; it’s something we embrace. It’s a tricky proposition though, if we let the stereotypes of others define us instead of using our own personal understanding of ourselves to remind us who we are.
From the joy of a sweetheart’s embrace after weeks of being apart to the familiar smile of a long-time friend, INTP personalities deeply cherish true love. We may have the reputation for being relationship-shy and emotionally indifferent but actually, INTPs take their relationships very seriously. It’s just that we prefer long-term, monogamous relationships masquerading as a friendship over the flashy types of romance that other types may prefer.
Everyone knows an ENTJ at work. They’re the ones who ooze competence and authority. While the rest of us get sweaty-palmed and twitchy when we’re asked to try something new, Commanders step up and tackle the challenge head on. They’re the last people you would expect to be afraid – which is one of the reasons why they’re so successful in the workplace.
Picture the scene: a relaxed Sunday morning, the sun glinting through the cracks between the curtains. An ENFJ rolls over in bed, checks the time and begins to stretch. They have a whole list of plans for the day and they’re ready to get up and out.
The DISC personality assessment is all over the working world. Companies use it to test person-team and person-organization fit. Managers take it to figure out their leadership style. It’s so well-known as a business tool, it’s easy to overlook how useful it can be in figuring out relationships.
I made the connection when I first took the DISC assessment last year, and it explained so much about how I interact within my social circles.