Yes, I am Some Sort of Freak

About a year and a half ago, I was doing some serious soul searching with regard to career and why the heck I can’t ever seem to find my place in life. Wanting to define myself in some kind of scientific terms, I decided I ought to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

What I learned is that I am somewhat of a freak.

Yes, a freak of nature. As an INFP, my particular type represents only 4 percent of the total population. OK, so it’s not that uncommon since there are several other types with similar representation, but it’s in the bottom half of the types as far as frequency.

Let’s take a look at the analysis:

• INFPs are idealistic and may be perfectionists.
• They have an inner core of values that guides all their interactions and decisions.
• They are loyal to their values and want to live their life in a way that is congruent with those values.
• They are often good at expressing themselves in writing.
• The people they appreciate most are those who take the time to understand their values and the goals they are working toward.
• They tend to work in bursts of energy and are capable of great concentration and output when fully engaged in a project.
• They may have difficulty performing routine tasks or doing work that has little meaning for them.

Potential blind spots for INFPs

• They may spend their time dreaming of the impossible and accomplish very little.
• INFPs may feel such a contrast between their ideals and their accomplishments that they burden themselves with a sense of inadequacy. They may then become overly sensitive and vulnerable, with dwindling confidence in themselves.

Dear Lord, are these people stalking me? They seem to know everything about me!

You might say reading your personality type is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, maybe like reading your horoscope. It could be completely wrong but leaves it open enough so you can interpret it however you’d like. But in this case, I think the description is pretty dead on. Now to work on those blind spots.