ISFJ vs INFJ (A Comprehensive Guide)

Personality has been studied for decades by psychologists and sociologists to develop better understanding about the nature of human beings.

Sixteen personality types were discovered by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers and two of those personality types were ISFJ and INFJ. There are many dimensions to these personalities.

We’ll discuss the characteristics of these two personalities. Moreover, how they are similar and different from each other (ISFJ vs INFJ) will also be discussed in detail in the article given below. 

Before we go into details of the comparison of ISFJ vs INFJ we should first discuss the characteristics of both personalities separately.

Therefore, we’ll discuss characteristics of ISFJ first and then characteristics of INFJ and then we shall throw light on the comparison of ISFJ vs INFJ.

ISFJ

Most of the qualities of ISFJs defy the definition of their individual characteristics that’s why the ISFJ is a unique personality type.

The ISFJ are considered as sensitive but their analytical skills are exceptional.

They tend to be reserved but also they have built their skills of interacting with people and social relationships as we.

Although they are usually a conservative kind, these people can easily adopt new ideas and changes. With so many other things, the ISFJ people are much of the sum of their traits.

This is the reason why they use their strength areas which define them actually.

There is probably no type better than them which is present in such a huge ratio. The ISFJs make up 13% of the total global population.

These people make the blend of best possible traditions and have a will to do good things.

You will find the people with ISFJ personality type in the front lines of duty with a strong background, such as in the field of medicines, academia and social organizations. 

Some specific personality traits of ISFJs are mostly showing great attention to the details to an extent of perfectionism.

Although they can delay sometimes but despite this they can trusted about getting the job done within a given time frame.

The people with ISFJ personality type take their responsibilities personally, constantly making progress by leaps and bounds, doing anything they are capable of doing to meet the expectations at their home and work to please other people. 

The people with ISFJ personality type want to ensure that their work does not go unnoticed. They have the capability to do their tasks under some restraints.

And as they get the respect for their kindness the people with malign intents and selfishness will take the benefit of their commitment and their humbleness by putting more burden on them and when the job is done they will take all the credit for it.

The people with ISFJ personality type should be aware of the situations in which to refuse and take a stand for themselves if they want to sustain their enthusiasm and confidence.

Strengths of ISFJs

1. Supportive

The people with ISFJ personality type are considered as helping beings.

They tend to share what they learn, experience, energy and time with those who need them and most importantly with their family and friends. 

2. Reliable and Patient

The people with ISTJ personality type show diligence and care about adopting a steady approach and twisting themselves according to the demands of the situation to an extent that they are able to accomplish their goals rather than being sporadic and excited which leave things in the middle.

3. Imaginative and Observant

The people with ISFJ personality type 

 Defenders are very imaginative, and use this quality as an accessory to empathy, observing others’ emotional states and seeing things from their perspective.

With their feet firmly planted on the ground, it is a very practical imagination, though they do find things quite fascinating and inspiring.

Weaknesses of ISFJs

1. Humble and Shy

The meek shall inherit the earth, but is a lengthy ride if they do not get any acknowledgement.

This probably is a massive hurdle because they show too much concern with the feelings of other people that they neglect to let others know their thoughts or to ask for the die acknowledgement or credit for the contributions they have made.

The people with ISFJ have set the standards for themselves so high that despite having the understanding that they can do a little less important task efficiently, they mostly will downplay their success. 

2. Repress Their Feelings

The people with ISFJ personality types prefer to be private and they are not insensitive. Also, they tend to internalize their feelings.

Most of the time in a way that ISFJ people will be protecting the feelings of other people instead they should take care of their feelings and lack of this healthier emotional expression may drive them to go through a lot of frustration and stress.

3. Overload Themselves

The ISFJ people have a stronger sense of duty and perfectionism blended with the aversion to emotional conflict to produce such situations where they find it easier to burden making themselves overloaded or other people can make them overloaded too. 

These people strive quietly in order to fulfil the expectations of everyone and their own in particular.

INFJ

People of this personality type are considered to be complex, gentle, caring and intuitive. INFJs have creative minds and they are artistic.

These people find shelter in the universe of hidden possibilities and meanings.

The INFJ personality type is thought to be the rare type among all other types as only one percent of the total global population has the INFJ personality.

These people give significance to being disciplined and take things in order in their personal and professional life.

They tend to put their full potential to identify the suitable systems to get things done and they consistently keep on defining and redefining their to-do list.

On either side, these people mostly rely on their intuitions which are entirely instant.

They can perceive intuitively without giving any solid reasons for them and any comprehensive explanation of the subject at hand. Mostly, these people are right and are aware of it.

Resultantly, people with this personality type have strong belief in their intuitions and their instincts.

This raises conflict between the outer and inner world which can render them to be more disorganized that any other types of personality.

We can observe some indications of disarray in an otherwise orderly tendency, such as a consistently messy desk.

People of this type have a mysterious understanding of situations and the people. These people easily understand the thinking and intuitions about things.

For instance, few people of this personality type have reported experiencing a psychic nature, for example having a stronger sense of feeling that something is going wrong with the people they love and later on getting to know that those people met an accident.

These sorts of signs from these people may be strongly rejected by the people of other types and even INJFs do not exactly know that their intuitions are at a point  which can be communicated.

Resultantly, mostly people who belong to the INFJ personality type show vigilance about their inner selves by only communicating what they select to communicate it.

These people are complex to understand, deep, tend to be quite in their personal space and mostly hard to understand.

These people hold back part of themselves, and may tend to avoid communication. 

Strengths of INFJs

1. Practical insight

Some of these people tend to be visionaries and other people tend to become grounded, solving complex problems.

These people can maintain a balance among their identities and generally get to be successful.

These people think deeply and observe the settings and people efficiently also they find it interesting to develop practical methods for taking actions. 

2. Compassion

Compassion is a type of feeling which might be expected from the INJFs to demonstrate but their actual strong side is to show empathy which arises with an acute intuitive benefit.

These people are fast at recognizing the worries and unhappiness in close ones even at times when there are no apparent signals of distress.

These people have a unique capability of understanding uncommunicative and unaccepted sufferings.

3. Keeping the peace

Being a mediator for resolving disputes is a tough thing to do but people with this personality type have a surprising capability of helping to defuse tensions between the rivals. These people are good at intuition.

These people have intuitive senses of actual suffering that agony can be caused if not attended.

Also, they are good at listening so they become effective at being helpful for resolving the disputes between rival parties which will satisfy all their requirements.

Weaknesses of INJFs

1. Overlooking details

It does not matter if they are practical, these people have capability to get deeply involved in over thinking and making things complicated for them to understand and they fail to recognise key elements which are capable of separating failure and success.

These people are not always focused about minor details which are useful.

2. Intensely private

In spite of the fact that they have a sensitive and loving nature they are bent to separate from the world around and do not allow the other to get to know about their qualities they have.

Even if they have good relationships with their family members and close acquaintances they can be mysterious.

When being frustrated or introspective they can give up on their social contacts without providing an explanation which can repel others away.

ISFJ vs INFJ:

Here is the comparison between two personality types that is ISFJ vs INFJ.

ISFJ vs INFJ Dynamics with each other:

When ISFJs and INFJs get to know each other they share some common characteristics that become apparent after ISFJ and INFJ meet.

An ISFJ meeting with INFJ will keep all the possible issues in front while getting to know them. 

ISFJ and INFJ can feel difficulties while communicating with each other as any two people can face them.

Keeping in mind these problems which may create when ISFJ and INFJ tend to engage in conversation with each other one can easily understand how to create an understanding rapidly.

ISFJ and INFJ will be able to search something in common in their values but some differences will always be there about what you like the most.

But, having an understanding of how ISFJs will proceed towards values in contrast with their INFJ will be helpful to minimize the differences between both ISFJ and INFJ personality types.

Personality Characteristics ISFJ vs INFJ:

Here is a comparison of personality characteristics of ISFJ vs INFJ.

Work Behavior ISFJ vs INFJ:

Let’s take a look of how ISFJ vs INFJ deal with work related problems and how they contribute in the team efforts:

Conflict ISFJ vs INFJ:

Conflict dealing of ISFJ vs INFJ is as follow:

When these people are exposed to a conflict the INFJs and ISFJs must be aware of how they both feel during crisis being relaxed and compassionate towards other people.

In order to avoid stress the INFJ and ISFJ people should be working harder to resolve the problems on time and INFJs should not express themselves through hypothetical and ISFJs should not get too much involved in minor details of the situation that has been evolved.

Personal Relationship ISFJ vs INFJ:

Here is the comparison of ISFJ vs INFJ behavioral pattern in relationship:

The people with INFJ and ISFJ personality types have extroverted feelings and introverted thinking as their additional which is the reason that they are able to create an understanding and an effective communication between them in many ways.

Though, issues can take place owing to main diversities among their dominant functions. 

FAQs about ISFJ and INFJ

References

truity.com/type-relationship-advisor/I/S/F/J/I/N/F/J

16personalities.com/isfj-personality

16personalities.com/isfj-strengths-and-weaknesses

psychologia.co/isfj-vs-infj/

personalitypage.com/html/INFJ.html

truity.com/personality-type/INFJ/strengths-weaknesses