The INFJ personality type is known as an Advocate. It is someone who has introverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging personality traits. These people tend to be quite quiet and approach life with imagination and thoughtfulness. Their vision, personal values, and principles all link to humanism which guides them in their decisions. This personality type tends to focus on the values displayed in the quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”.
The advocate personality type is perhaps the rarest mbti type of all. They tend to leave a mark on the world with their ideals and principled actions. Usually, they will not coast through life but will stand up and make a difference. Advocates focus more on fulfillment through helping others and the world around them rather than on money or status.
Seeking Purpose
Due to the fact that this personality type is so rare, Advocates usually carry around with them a sense of being different from those people around them. They lead rich inner lives with a desire to find a purpose for their life. This is not to say that advocates cannot have a rich social life, full of friends and acceptance. Though it is not unusual for them to feel misunderstood or at odds with the world.
This sense of not being able to fit in does not diminish their commitment to making the world a nicer and better place to live. Advocates are consistently troubled by injustice and will seek out altruistic activities rather than focus on personal gain. They do this through their creativity, imagination, and sensitivity and use these skills to lift others up and spread compassion.
Connecting With Others
Advocates tend to be more introverted but that does not mean that they do not create relationships with others. Advocates look to make a true connection with another person. Meaningful conversations are much more prevalent in these relationships rather than small talk. Advocated would prefer to communicate in a way that is warm and sensitive with emotional honesty and an insight that can make a real difference to those people around them.
Advocates tend to be thoughtful and compassionate. They will pour a lot of energy and effort into their relationships. This does not mean that they always feel appreciated for all of their efforts. They will act with great care but can feel deep frustration when other people do not recognize and reciprocate their efforts. Because of this, criticism will not be well received by advocates even if it is constructive.
Advocates
There is a reason why this is perhaps the rarest personality type. Significant people from history have stood out with it. People tend to think of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Marie Kondo, and Mother Teresa as advocates. That is because they are people who actively try to help others at a cost to themselves. It is something that everyone should strive for.