INFP (Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) is the MBTI personality type of all the rebels… with a cause. People with these personality preferences are open-minded and they steer clear of anything they see as conformism. They are in a constant quest for originality and pride themselves on being different and not following the flock.
That is not to say that they actively dislike and confront people who enjoy being part of the group. Much the contrary. They are accepting of everyone’s preferences and do not try to impose their own values and points of view on others.
In fact, they are usually referred to as “the Mediators” precisely because of their desire to live in harmony and create a world where everyone is free to be themselves and choose what they want, even if what they want is to belong to a homogenous group.
People with an INFP personality type have a clear preference for the intuitive and feeling traits. This means that they tend to analyze any situation or information by generating abstract possibilities and “reading between the lines”, instead of focusing on the hard facts. Likewise, they are likely to make a decision solely based on their intuition and/or system of values, even if there are no facts to back it up.
This combination of traits makes INFPs more spiritual and less worldly-focused. They enjoy exploring new ideas and meanings and give less importance to facts and practical things. In some ways, this spiritual connection makes them idealists. They want to change the world and turn it into a better place for everyone. They look around and wonder “What is my role? What can I do?”. Once they find their call and set their target, they become hard-working perfectionists completely loyal to the cause.
Mediators are open-minded and accepting of others and their differences. In fact, they appreciate differences as they make each person unique. They do not want to conform to a norm and prefer to be unconventional and original. Being faithful to who they are is more important to them than being socially integrated into a larger group.
In what concerns social interactions, INFPs are introverts. This means that they tend to feel their energies being drained in social contexts. They prefer to have fewer but more intense relationships and they are warm and caring for those within their inner circle.
Despite their proactive nature and willingness to change the world for the better, they are normally very reserved. They only share their true feelings, doubts, insecurities, and ideas with those who are closest to them.
Mediators are knowledge-inviting. They are receptive to new ideas and points of view and can put themselves in the other person’s shoes to understand where their ideas come from. This in turn makes them very flexible as it gives them the ability to adapt and adjust their goals and their approach much more efficiently.
People with this personality type are curious and they enjoy learning about other cultures, life experiences, perspectives, and ideas. Nevertheless, this openness is not synonymous with acceptance. They question these ideas and formulate their own conclusions.
Mediators do not follow traditions or what others say blindly. They prefer to take in the information and trail their own path to discover the world.
When INFPs believe in a cause and are genuinely interested in it, they commit to it. They become hard workers who will stop at nothing to achieve their targets.
Even if they do not enjoy plans and schedules, they can overcome their dislike if it means achieving their goals.
Mediators are normally in tune with their own and other people’s feelings. They can easily pick up the potential of others and their needs and are willing to help them whenever possible.
They are also very aware of their own emotions. This is part of the reason why they are idealists. They understand that a better world is a world where everyone is happy, and that includes themselves.
In this sense, INFPs tend to have a perfect balance between altruism and egotism.
As introverts, Mediators draw energy from within while social interactions can quickly exhaust them.
Nevertheless, when they set their minds on a goal they will work towards it no matter what. Even if they feel tired by working together with others, they will overlook their own exhaustion if it means getting closer to their targets.
They also work well alone and their devotion to the cause ensures that they can keep their focus at all times all the while maintaining higher levels of energy.
Although Mediators can be very hard working when they are committed to a cause, they still tend to ignore important details if these are not deemed interesting enough.
Due to their spiritual nature, if they consider something mundane, they tend to dismiss it as not important or not relevant for the cause they are pursuing. This in turn can make them overlook important information that could potentially be beneficial to achieve the goals they are working towards.
People with an INFP personality type like to follow their own path and do not conform to the norm. This in turn has the potential to make them very defensive when it comes to their values and lifestyle.
Although they enjoy questioning other people’s perspectives, when they see their own ideas and values being questioned they often take it as a personal attack. They see it as an attempt to change their personality and to try to make them conform to the norm.
Mediators prefer the factor perceiving in the MBTI personality typology. This means that they prefer open-ended situations that allow them the flexibility to keep pursuing a certain idea or topic.
As such, INFPs tend to avoid decision-making situations as they represent a closure on a given subject. They often keep postponing a decision as much as possible. When they are forced to take it, however, their feeling preference gives them the tendency to make a decision based on emotions and not only on logic.