Personal Growth for Those with an INFP Personality Type

The INFP personality stands for intuition, feeling and perception. This personality type is introverted and those with this personality type make decisions based highly on their feelings. Your perfectionism and idealism are things that drive all aspects of your life, from your career to your relationships. You know that you are very intuitive and that your personality enjoys many strengths. However, when you are on a journey of personal growth, you must take the time to discover your weaknesses so that you can improve upon all of the aspects of your life by turning them into strengths. 

Take a look at the article, Personal Growth for the INFJ Personality Type

What is the INFP Personality?

If you are an INFP, the first thing you want to do is learn more about the common traits of this personality type. This gives you a chance to see what makes you tick. It will also explain why you do some of the things that you do. The following traits are common among those with an INFP personality type:

a)      You are typically reserved and shy, but can have a wild streak

b)      You are very in tune with the feelings of other people

c)      You tend to be a perfectionist in all aspects of your life.

d)     Figuring out the meaning of your life is your primary goal

e)      You have a very strong system of values

f)       You believe that logic and hard facts are ineffective

g)      You express yourself best via writing

h)      You do not often talk to people, but you are always listening to those around you

INFP Personality Strengths

One of the biggest strengths that you have as an INFP personality is that you have no desire to have power over or dominate over people. You prefer a more team-oriented approach to everything from work to your relationships. You are flexible and open-minded, making it easy to work with others, further playing into your preference of a team environment. You are very creative and this can help you to see other people's perspectives without an immense amount of effort. Other strengths of this personality type include:

a)      You are idealistic

b)      You value and seek harmony

c)      You are energetic and passionate

d)     You are hard-working and dedicated

INFP Personality Weaknesses

While an INFP's strengths outweigh their weaknesses, working toward greater personal growth means taking the time to learn about the weaknesses and identify those that affect your life. With the INFP personality, some of the weaknesses are actually the extreme of some of the strengths. For example, this personality type tends to be idealistic, but there are times when they are far too idealistic. For example, you may idolize your partner and see them as perfect instead of also recognizing their faults by seeing them in a more idealistic manner.

While INFPs enjoy a more team-oriented approach, it can be hard to get to know them. This is because they tend to be highly reserved, private and self-conscious. They then often experience guilt for not opening up to the people that they are closest to, resulting in a cycle that can be very difficult to break. Other weaknesses associated with the INFP include:

a)      Taking things too personally and not being openly accepting of constructive criticism

b)      Not liking to deal with data, especially when it goes against their ideals

c)      Being impractical by allowing their imagination to take over

d)     Being too altruistic

Strengthening the INFP Personality Weaknesses

Explore the INFP weaknesses and write down two that most apply to you. This gives you a starting point for working toward strengthening your weaknesses. For example, if you know that you take things too personally, take a step back when someone is offering constructive criticism, but do not over-analyze it. Look at the situation that triggered the constructive criticism and put yourself in the other person's shoes. This often allows you to change perspectives and see that the criticism is accurate and coming from a positive place.

When you are focusing on your strengths, you can accomplish just about anything that you set your mind to. However, taking a journey of personal growth to identify and improve upon your weaknesses will expand upon the opportunities that are available to you. This will allow you to do greater things and enhance your ability to become an effective leader. You will find that your relationships become more fulfilling and that you gain confidence so that you are able to take your career to new heights. 

- Rosemary Kitchen

Resources

Personality Page. (2014). Portrait of an INFP. Retrieved on March 9, 2015 from https://www.personalitypage.com/INFP.html