INFJ
Portrait of the Counselor (iNFj)
Copyrighted © 1996-9 Prometheus Nemesis Book Company.

The Counselor Idealists are abstract thought and speech,
cooperative in reaching their goals, and directive and introverted in their
interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of
ethical values, and come easily to decisions. The small number of this type
(little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since iNFjs have an unusually
strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping
their companions. Although iNFjs tend to be private, sensitive people, and are
not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those
close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their
families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality;
they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues
and people.
Counselors can be hard to get to know. They have an
unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their
reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, iNFjs
are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the
positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative. Indeed,
because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others,
iNFjs can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one
reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human
contact. At the same time, friends who have known an iNFj for years may find
sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; iNFjs
value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious
personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.
Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become
aware of another's emotions or intentions-good or evil-even before that person
is conscious of them. This "mind-reading" can take the form of feeling
the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for
other types to comprehend. Even iNFjs can seldom tell how they came to penetrate
others' feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the iNFj is most likely of all the
types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have
visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well
be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection.
Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the iNFj, and can extend to
people, things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of
foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as
well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.
Mohandas Gandhi is an example of a Counselor Idealist (INFJ).
Full descriptions of the Counselor and the Idealists are in
Please Understand Me or Please Understand Me II
An INFJ interest group is at http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/old/720/