INTJ and INFJ (A Complete Guide)

In this article we can learn about the interaction and relation of INTJ and INFJ. Personality traits are different for every individual person.

The difference in our traits makes them who we are. Individual differences are measured in terms of different traits. Katherine Briggs and Myers created 16 different types of personalities.

We can look around us and see different types of personalities with different traits. Some of us are more outgoing, others are shy, some of us are argumentative while others are consensus oriented.

Some of us are dreamers others are doers. A human being’s personality is a combination of different traits like extroversion or introversion and dreamers or doers.

Two of the 16 personalities by Katherine Briggs and Myers are INTJ and INFJ.

You should know about the different strengths and weaknesses and other characteristics related to INTJ and INFJ. 

INTJ

They really want to improve the system and processes which are running the system.

They are more likely to see possibilities for improvement in any scenario which is related to different places like home, school or even in themselves.

They are known to be intellectual because they value logic and complex problem-solving. They are mostly involved in the thoughtful study about their surroundings.

They are drawn to logical systems and they are not comfortable with the unpredictable nature of people and the emotions of people around them.

They tend to connect with people who are stimulating for them. 

What does INTJ stand for?

In simpler terms, INTJ is one of the sixteen personality types created by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs. INTJ stands for

• I: Introverted (They are always energized by their time alone and not in crowds)
• N: iNtuitive (They are more focused on concepts and ideas and not on fact and details)
• T: Thinking (Their decisions are based on reason and logic)
• J: Judging (They are more planned and organized rather than being flexible and spontaneous)

They are also known as ‘mastermind’ personalities as they are logical and strategic way of thinking. 

How prevalent is the INTJ personality type?

It is known to be the third rarest personality type in the population and the rarest among women.

They make 2% of the general population with 3% of men and only 1% of women in the total population. 

Some of the Famous INTJ Personalities

• Sir Isaac Newton
• Hillary Clinton
• Cormac McCarthy
• Al Gore
• Lewis Carroll
• Bill Gates
• Stephen Hawking
• Isaac Asimov
• Dwight Eisenhower
• Ayn Rand, Alan Greenspan
• John Maynard
• Ulysses S. Grant

The above mentioned people are a few famous personalities who were INTJs.

Characteristics of INTJ

INTJs have many characteristics which make them who they are. Some of the commonly found characteristics of INTJs are given below.

• They are known introverts and they are more likely to work alone rather than in a team.
• They want to have control over their life and the events around them so they can plan well and plan in advance for the events happening in their life.
• They are not emotional beings, that’s why they are more logical and objective rather than being subjectively emotional. 
• They tend to look at abstract information and to look at a bigger picture than concrete details of the subject matter. 

Strengths of INTJs

The INTJs have many qualities which make them better and smarter than other personalities.

Let’s take a look at the strengths of INTJs.

• They are confident as well as hard-working.
• They tend to have higher expectations and in turn they work hard to achieve those expectations and goals.
• They are good listeners.
• They enjoy working with theoretical and abstract ideas.
• They can also take criticism exceptionally well. 

Weaknesses of INTJs

Some of the areas of improvement for INTJs are given below.

• They tend to be perfectionists which causes them to be overly critical of everything around them.
• Sometimes they can be judgmental and analytical.
• They can be really insensitive or callous.
• They don’t like talking about emotions or it can be disturbing for them to see something emotional.

Cognitive Functions of INTJ

The four dimensions of INTJ are Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking and Judging so the dominant, auxiliary, tertiary and inferior cognitive functions for INTJ are given below. 

• Dominant: Introverted Intuition (Good at reading between the lines)
• Auxiliary: Extraverted Thinking (Decision making based on logic and reasoning)
• Tertiary: Introverted Feeling (Attention to values and feelings)
• Inferior: Extraverted Sensing (They are not energized by the world around them)

INFJ

The INFJs are known as advocate personalities and also known as the rarest personalities among Briggs and Myers sixteen personalities.

They make only 1% of the total population. They are known to be one of a kind and born with a deep sense of idealism and optimism but instead they are not just dreamers who wish to just sit and daydream.

They are likely to work for the achievement of their goals and take a concrete step which is an exceptional combination to find.

They are also altruistic, imaginative, creative and they tend to work with conviction and confidence. 

What does INFJ stand for?

INFJ is an acronym for one of the sixteen personality types by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs. The abbreviation for INFJ is given below:

• I: Introversion (They are energized by spending time alone instead of being in a crowd)
• N: iNtuitive (Their focus is on concepts and ideas rather than on details and facts)
• F: Feeling (They make decisions based on feelings and values)
• J: Judging (They are not spontaneous and flexible rather they are organized and planned)

How prevalent is the INTJ personality type?

It is one of the rarest types of the sixteen personalities of Briggs and Myers.

It is one of the least found traits in men and third least found trait in women (INTJ and ENTJ are rarest).

It makes 2% of the general population with 2% being women and 1% of this population being men. 

Who are some of the Famous INFJ personalities?

Here is a list of some of the famous INFJ personalities who stood out among the crowd. 

• Shirley MacLaine
• Mohandas Gandhi
• Edward Snowden
• Carl Jung
• Jimmy Carter
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Emily Bronte
• Florence Nightingale
• Taylor Swift
• Oprah Winfrey
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Atticus Finch

Characteristics of INFJ

Some of the most important characteristics of INFJs are given below.

INTJ and INFJ both have very strong senses of intuition and have deeper emotional understanding.

INFJs are empathetic and soft-spoken. 

• INTJ and INFJ both have introverted nature and they are able to connect with people on a meaningful level.
• Even though INFJs are characterized by idealism still they can see and understand the world and try to make this a better place to live in.
• They make emotional decisions and are not objective. 

Strengths of INFJs

• INTJ and INFJ are both sensitive to the needs of others.
• They are artistic.
• They are highly creative.
• They keep their focus on the future.
• INFJs are known to be more idealistic than realistic.
• They like to think about the meaning of life.
• They are reserved in nature.
• They tend to value deeper relationships.

Weaknesses of INFJs

• They can be difficult when it comes to get to know people.
• Known as stubborn.
• They don’t like confrontational discussions.
• They can be overly sensitive at times.
• They can have exceptionally higher expectations. 

Cognitive Functions of INFJ

The four dimensions of INFJ are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Judging so the dominant, auxiliary, tertiary and inferior cognitive functions on which INFJs rely upon are given below. 

• Dominant: Introverted Intuition (Hyper focused on intrinsic insight)
• Auxiliary: Extraverted Feeling (Highly aware of other people’s feelings)
• Tertiary: Introverted Thinking (their decisions are based on ideas and theories that they form based on their own insights)
• Inferior: Extraverted Sensing (It does not affect much of the personality of an INFJ)

INTJ and INFJ Relationships

INTJ and INFJ are known to have an instant spark when they meet each other.

However, this is known to be one of the rarest pairings in personality types. An instant spark between INTJ and INFJ is due to their dominant function which is introverted intuition.

They are known to be dynamic duos because they are both introverts, both judging type and both have inferior extraverted sensing.

Moreover, both INTJ and INFJ are skeptical, both are independent and both of these are goal oriented. They find each other mutually supporting and they have very much in common.

However, they have different emotional expressions, different ways of making decisions and different thinking processes which can be a problem in a relationship. 

FAQ about INTJ and INFJ

References 

quora.com/How-compatible-are-INTJs-and-INFJs

psychologyjunkie.com/2018/07/11/your-guide-to-the-infj-and-intj-relationship/

truity.com/personality-type/INFJ

verywellmind.com/intj-introverted-intuitive-thinking-judging-2795988

verywellmind.com/infj-introverted-intuitive-feeling-judging-2795978