16 Personalities: Writing an INFJ Character

I apologize for the lateness of this post. Some family issues have been keeping me busy, so I may be a little slow on getting these out for a bit. But, here we are, with the sixth of our Writing Personalities posts, highlighting the INFJ! Known as the rarest personality type overall (the INTJ is the rarest among women; INFJ for both men and men and women combined) this personality does get some attention among the MBTI community. As always, if you are this type and see that I’ve gotten anything wrong, please comment it below!

And the disclaimer! Every person is a unique and different, therefore the things I post in here may not, and probably will not apply to ever single human or character. These are the vague generalities of which the people with this type seem to generally have, but it does not apply to everyone. That is the most important thing to recall. These are not a formula to force a person or character in, as each person (and therefore character) is and must be unique to themselves.

Regardless, I hope some of these facts today help you to write your INFJ character!

General Overview:

INFJs are known for their insightfulness, desiring to understand people’s real needs and motivations, and then meet them the best they can. They have strong values and don’t like to succeed at another’s expense or take advantage of them. They are often idealistic, with a desire to make the world a better place, and yearn for a sense of purpose, often embracing creativity, looking for opportunities to express themselves. 

However, INFJs can be too idealistic and perfectionistic in their ways, focusing on the negatives rather than positives, and when someone challenges their values, they can get defensive, dismissive, or angry. They sometimes have a hard time breaking down their large ideas into smaller, doable tasks, and can be very private, hindering their relationships by not opening up to others and being honest about their struggles. This can lead to burnout, if they do not take time to rest themselves between helping others and trying to make their world more perfect. 

In romantic relationships, INFJs look for depth and meaning, and seek to establish genuine connections with their partner. They are not for the uncommitted or shallow, as they value honest communication. They can be some of the best partners, as they are warm, caring, and insightful, working to meet the needs of those they love. However, they can have unrealistic expectations due to their ideals, but when they balance their ideals with realism, they can find a great partner. 

INFJs typically have fewer friends, but that is because they crave authentic, meaningful friendships. They have high expectations on a friendship, including desiring honesty in the relationship. That makes it hard for them to respect someone who wears a mask or acts fake—or who they have to act fake around. They have astute first impressions of people, but sometimes may miss someone who would make them a great friend by misinterpreting something in their first impression of the person. 

A note for those familiar with the Four Temperaments personality types: INFJ is the equivalent of Melancholy Phlegmatic. 

Words that Can Describe INFJs:

• Insightful 
• Sensitive
• Authentic
• Have high expectations
• Perfectionistic
• Honest
• Prone to burnout
• Reserved
• Idealistic

Writing INFJs as Characters:

First, as always, I advise not creating a character solely because you want an INFJ character. Like I said above, every single person is different, therefore creating a character and shoving them into the box is not a wise thing to do. Each person is different, and the character should fit the role in the story first and foremost. And if the character happens to be an INFJ, awesome!

For example, maybe your INFJ character is selfish. Or maybe she understands the value of her own health, both mentally and physically, and takes care of herself first, even when she wants to help others. Maybe your INFJ is more logical, and he isn’t as sensitive as one might expect. Or maybe he wears a mask, hiding his real self for some reason.

In all, the above things are vague generalities, and will not apply to every single INFJ. They are guidelines, not a box one must be forced into.

Character Roles for INFJs:

INFJs are another typical protagonist personality, due to their sensitivity and kindness, as well as their idealism. However, there are plenty of other roles which an INFJ character can play.

INFJ Mentor: An INFJ would make a great mentor. Not only would they be able to have a meaningful relationship with their student, they could also pour all the values and things they’re passionate about into the student, and watch as they take up the banner for the cause of which the INFJ is passionate.

INFJ Love Interest: INFJs make great partners, and their loyalty and support would encourage any protagonist to continue on their journey to the end. And who knows? Some of the INFJ’s ideals and ideas may give the protagonist just what she needs to defeat the baddie and come home safe.

INFJ Villain: Can you imagine an INFJ villain? Maybe this character takes their ideals too far, or their ideal world is one vastly different from the current world, and requires unintentionally hurting others to bring about this ideal world. Maybe they’re just too reserved and refuse to open up to someone who they need to talk to, or give important information to, inadvertently making them a villain. There are many ways to play with this!

Common Misconceptions about INFJs:

Here are a few common misconceptions about INFJs to avoid when writing your INFJ character!

• Can’t use logic
• Too weird to “fit in”
• Endearingly selfless
• Extremely sensitive
• Weak and timid
• Sad and depressed
• Naive and simple
• Shy

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Are you an INFJ? Do you have any INFJ characters? What type are you? Let me know in the comments below! ~ Kay Adelin