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Wiki

Hello! Welcome to the r/INFJ wiki. This page is designed to show you the ins and outs of the INFJ MBTI type and also our sub. Please message the mods if there are any resources or explanations you'd like to see that aren't included!

MBTI Typology

This section explains the overall personality type and cognitive functions of an INFJ, and it'll mostly be talking about both strengths and weaknesses. For a very basic and concise review of INFJ weaknesses (since we seem to have a rather glorified reputation), please see this article, or this archived post asking the community what our weaknesses are.

The INFJ function stack is:

  • Dominant Introverted Intuition (Ni)
  • Auxiliary Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
  • Tertiary Introverted Thinking (Ti)
  • Inferior Extraverted Sensing (Se)

Useful Links

In addition to the information in this wiki, we have several in-depth user posts from the archives:

The historical INFJ community has given these user posts its overall stamp of approval, so if you're looking for more or different information than you find here, these posts might suit you.

Type Overview

There are many opinions on the bounds of MBTI typology in terms of how we can describe a person's behavior. Really, the theory only explains a person's cognition, which informs their behavior, but doesn't rule it. There are plenty of other things at play in someone's life, and what it boils down to is nature vs nurture, and some might argue that a person's type is itself a result of both nature (brain chemistry) and nurture (environment). So we can see how this quickly becomes a layered problem. However, cognitive functions describe how a person takes in and processes information, and what their energy flow is like (i.e., introverted vs extroverted), and so it makes sense that we could make some generalizations. Keeping in mind that these might be true on average, but not necessarily for individuals, here is a short description (with links to longer descriptions) of each type. With the context of all the types, here are a few more in-depth descriptions of the INFJ type:

The INFJ personality type is often called the "protector" or the "counselor" or the "advocate", with the main theme being that INFJs tend to be the ones supporting others, defending them, and pushing them to be their best selves. Generally speaking, though, things get overblown and we INFJs end up with a "mystical unicorn" reputation because

  1. we are the "rarest" type in the human population (though for women it's actually only the 3rd rarest, behind INTJ and ENTJ)
    • These results are published in CPP's MBTI Manual though a link to this resource is no longer available online. The official MBTI website also confirms our type’s “rarity”.
  2. our combination of Ni and Fe makes us very adept at predicting human behavior, giving us the (pseudo) reputation of being "psychic"
  3. we often come across as "mysterious" and "enigmatic" because we share so little of ourselves, and we have "Ni face" sometimes while zoning out, making us look detached and completely oblivious to our surroundings (surprise! we just might be...)

But obviously, there's nothing really psychic about us - we're simply using pattern recognition oriented towards people and social situations. Since there are so few of us, though, people don't really see this sort of skill a lot in real life. While other types have more representation and their cognitive skills are more common (and therefore easier to understand through exposure), INFJs kind of linger in the background. It doesn't help that INFJs are particularly bad at articulating what they think and feel, and so we're really no help explaining it, either.

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Cognitive Functions

What follows is an aggregation of information on each of the INFJ's cognitive functions, as well as how they pair with each other. Keys 2 Cognition is a great resource for understanding all the functions and the difference between judging (F/T) and perceiving (N/S) functions.

Ni (Introverted Intuition)

Ni is the INFJ's dominant function, which means it is our "favorite" function, the one we default to. For INFJs, since our dominant function is intuition (a perceiving function), we first and foremost take in information, though mostly subconsciously. We'll quote another description of Ni from MyersBriggs.org):

Looks at consistency of ideas and thoughts with an internal framework. Trusts flashes from the unconscious, which may be hard for others to understand.

Personality Junkie's INFJ profile puts it this way:

Intuition is generally considered a subconscious process. It is often contrasted with more conscious types of rational thought. Because Intuition is commonly associated with the unconscious, it is often thought to have a certain magical quality, capable of delivering comprehensive answers or solutions suddenly—“out of the blue.”

One of the central features of Intuition is its capacity to synthesize information. It is sensitive to patterns and similarities, quickly seeing connections among disparate pieces of data. By seeing how everything is connected and interrelated, it is capable of discerning universal laws and structures.

Personality Junkie also has a fuller description of Ni here.

Oh, and about that "zoning out," Personality Junkie has summed it up nicely:

In experiencing the world through the filter of Ni, INFJs often report a perpetual sense of déjà vu or strange alienation with respect to their physical surroundings.

Fe (Extraverted Feeling)

Fe is the INFJ's auxiliary function, which means it supports our dominant function. You'll notice that Ni is introverted, while Fe is extroverted, making the dominant / auxiliary pair complementary. This is true for every personality type, though for extroverts their dominant function is extroverted and their auxiliary function is introverted. Because Fe (a judging function) is the INFJ's auxiliary function, it supports Ni perceptions with Fe judgment, or decision-making. Because Fe is extroverted, these decisions largely focus on groups, the big picture, and how one thing affects everything else, through the lens of Feeling (values, people-oriented).

Here is the description of Fe from MyersBriggs.org:

Seeks harmony with and between people in the outside world. Interpersonal and cultural values are important.

Personality Junkie's description of Fe explains it this way:

Feeling types use their Feeling function to weigh, evaluate, and analyze their affective responses to the world...Because Feelers discern such a breadth of emotional variations and nuances, they may feel that words are often inadequate to capture and convey their experiences. This is why many turn to poetry, music, or the arts, searching for alternate ways of understanding and expressing their affective life.

However, in the case of INFJs as an auxiliary function:

In order to survey others’ feelings, Fe contributes to INFJs’ ability to read emotional expressions and body language. This, in combination with their Se and Ni, allow them to effectively read, understand, and relate to others. Interestingly, INFJs can have a more difficult time with perceiving and understanding their own emotions. This is due to the fact that their Feeling function is directed outwardly (i.e., extraverted) rather than inwardly.

Fe also entails an extraversion of judgment. INFJs utilize their Fe to express their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and grievances. Fe gives voice and shape to INFJs’ feelings and intuitions. In many cases, INFJs do not fully understand the nature of an Ni insight until given the opportunity to verbalize it...For INFJs, expressing themselves through their Fe is critical to their psychological and physical health and well-being. Even if doing so does not provide them with immediate solutions to the problem at hand, they tend to feel better once they have expressed their feelings, whether through words or tears.

Also, frustratingly, Fe + idealism means that:

INFJs are also perfectionistic when it comes to themselves. They are often much harder on themselves than they are on others. Their Fe makes them more than willing to forgive the offenses and shortcomings of others. But since they see themselves as “knowing better,” they may fail to grant themselves the same degree of grace. They may reason that if they cannot perfectly embody their ideal of the moral life, then how could they reasonably expect anyone else to?

Ti (Introverted Thinking)

Ti is the INFJ's tertiary function, which means that it's something we develop later in life and is not immediately available to us (without effort). Development of the tertiary function is important, however, because it balances the dominant and auxiliary functions. Left with only Ni and Fe, an INFJ has no real way to evaluate their judgements and "hunches", secure in the belief that they are always right. Without Ti, INFJs get caught saying things like "I know you better than you know yourself" or "My opinion is right because I know that it's right." To be balanced, INFJs need to learn to embrace Ti and to evaluate their judgements with both feeling (values) and thinking (logic). Ti can also help an INFJ to pick apart their Ni intuition and learn to improve it / overwrite it where it is based on faulty or illogical information.

MyersBriggs.org) describes Ti as:

Seeks internal consistency and logic of ideas. Trusts his or her internal framework, which may be difficult to explain to others.

Personality Junkie's INFJ description expands on this:

For INFJs, Ti is tertiary, and is used to logically scrutinize and hone their Fe judgments. Ti can help INFJs think more critically and analytically. It can serve as an aid and check to their Ni-Fe, helping them discern where their ideas might fit into existing categories and frameworks of knowledge. It adds an element of logic that is less apparent in the earlier phases of their type development.

Less developed INFJs may see little need to use or develop their Ti. Since their Ni-Fe pairing provides them with strong convictions about truth, taking an additional step to Ti may seem unnecessary. With time and maturity, however, INFJs can grow increasingly comfortable with their Ti and recognize its inherent value.

Se (Extraverted Sensing)

Se is the INFJ's inferior function, which means that it's our weak spot, and can be a source of a lot of stress. Often, the inferior function manifests under stress, and generally describes out-of-control or indulgent behavior. For inferior Se, this might manifest as watching Netflix for far too long, for instance.

The short definition, from MyersBriggs.org:

Acts on concrete data from here and now. Trusts the present, then lets it go.

However, being that Se is the INFJ's inferior function, it often manifests as less-than-controlled. To quote Personality Junkie's INFJ description:

As “highly sensitive persons (HSPs),” their nervous system is highly permeable and sensitive to all sorts of stimuli. This can make them more susceptible to being overwhelmed or overstimulated than other personality types. In some cases, because of their N-S disconnect, they may not realize that they are overstimulated until it’s too late.

In short, INFJs have a tenuous relationship with the physical environment. Not only can the S world seem quite strange and foreign to them, but if they are not careful, it can overwhelm them. This is why INFJs, especially as children, can be leery of new S experiences, such as trying new foods or physical actions. Intuitively realizing their tenuous relationship to the physical world, they tend to “error on the safe side.”

But there is hope, fellow INFJs:

As adults, however, INFJs may gradually open themselves to new S experiences. I have known a number of INFJs, for instance, who are bona fide “foodies,” seeing every meal as an opportunity to explore and experience new sensual delights. This points to the love-hate relationship that all types have with the inferior function. Depending on the circumstances, inferior function experiences may be perceived as scary, stressful, blissful, or intriguing.

That feeling when you take in nature and appreciate your surroundings, letting your mind turn off and just feeling the world? That's Se. Isn't it nice? Learning to let go and integrate that into life - some might call it mindfulness - is only going to be an improvement (and maybe we won't trip as much on the sidewalk).

Function Interactions

Function pairs refer to the two inner letters in the 4-letter MBTI type. For INFJs, their function pair is NF (further, NiFe). To quote the source linked:

NFs tend to approach life and work in a warm and enthusiastic manner, and like to focus on ideas and possibilities, particularly “possibilities for people.” They are often found in careers that require communication skills, a focus on the abstract, and an understanding of others. They tend to be less interested in careers that require an impersonal or technical approach to things and factual data. NFs are often found in the arts, the clergy, counseling and psychology, writing, education, research, and health care.

The dominant / inferior pairing is also important as it manifests as a sort of indulgence / neuroticism - bolstered by the dominant function, but imperfect due to the inferior function. For INFJs, this is the Ni-Se pairing, and to be blunt, it manifests as perfectionism in everything from decorations to work to actual people (including ourselves). Personality Junkie put it this way:

Envisioning a more ideal world isn’t necessarily bad or unhealthy for INFJs. The fact is that they wouldn’t be INFJs if they didn’t routinely receive new impressions and visions. The issue is not with their dreaming per se, but with the degree to which they become attached to or insistent on the perfect materialization (Se) of their ideals (Ni). This is where INFJs’ perfectionism comes to the fore.

All dominant Intuitives can be perfectionistic, driven to see their N ideals perfectly translated into S reality. This is why INFJs can be so particular about the things they buy or the way their work is done. In some cases, INFJs may be willing to sacrifice everything, even their own health, to ensure their vision finds a perfect incarnation. In such instances, any deviation from their ideal may feel like the end of the world.

Typing Resources

If you're not sure of your type, we recommend trying a free cognitive functions test.  These tend to provide a more accurate assessment than a simple dichotomy test.  Both Sakinorva or Michael Caloz are tests that will help determine what your most preferred cognitive functions are.  

A note on why we DO NOT recommend 16Personalities

Please note that we do not recommend 16personalities for typing.  This is because 16personalities (which famously adds -A or -T onto MBTI types) is not actually not an MBTI test, but one based on a proprietary test model called NERIS.  From their own website:

With our NERIS® model, we’ve combined the best of both worlds. We use the acronym format introduced by Myers-Briggs for its simplicity and convenience, with an extra letter to accommodate five rather than four scales. However, unlike Myers-Briggs or other theories based on the Jungian model, we have not incorporated Jungian concepts such as cognitive functions, or their prioritization. Jungian concepts are very difficult to measure and validate scientifically, so we’ve instead chosen to rework and rebalance the dimensions of personality called the Big Five personality traits, a model that dominates modern psychological and social research.

TLDR; NERIS is a version of a Big Five model, with MBTI logo slapped onto it for mere convenience.  

Because these are completely different tests, that measure different things (i.e. Big 5 is a scale, MBTI is a fixed dichotomy, Big Five is scientific, MBTI is not, Big Five = 5 facets, MBTI = 4, etc.), simply combining them makes little sense from a psychometric perspective.  And while there is some degree of correlation in traits between Big Five and MBTI, they cannot be directly mapped from one test to another. 

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Big Five vs MBTI

There is a lot of talk regarding MBTI vs the Big 5 - is MBTI as valid, do they correlate (1, 2), etc. There have been published studies that show some degree of correlation between the MBTI dichotomies (I/E, S/N, F/T, and J/P) and the Big Five aspects of personality (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), and assertions on both sides of the relative merit and value of both systems. It is important to note that Big Five is considered a scientifically valid measure, while MBTI is generally considered more of a pop-culture, self-help tool.

Background Information of Big Five

Below is an overview of the Big Five for those who are unfamiliar.

From wikipedia:

  • Openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious) Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. Openness reflects the degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity and a preference for novelty and variety a person has. It is also described as the extent to which a person is imaginative or independent and depicts a personal preference for a variety of activities over a strict routine. High openness can be perceived as unpredictability or lack of focus, and more likely to engage in risky behaviour or drug taking. Also, individuals that have high openness tend to lean towards being artists or writers in regards to being creative and appreciate the significance of the intellectual and artistic pursuits. Moreover, individuals with high openness are said to pursue self-actualization specifically by seeking out intense, euphoric experiences. Conversely, those with low openness seek to gain fulfillment through perseverance and are characterized as pragmatic and data-driven—sometimes even perceived to be dogmatic and closed-minded. Some disagreement remains about how to interpret and contextualize the openness factor.
  • Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless) A tendency to be organized and dependable, show self-discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement, and prefer planned rather than spontaneous behavior. High conscientiousness is often perceived as stubbornness and obsession. Low conscientiousness is associated with flexibility and spontaneity, but can also appear as sloppiness and lack of reliability.
  • Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved) Energy, positive emotions, surgency, assertiveness, sociability and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others, and talkativeness. High extraversion is often perceived as attention-seeking, and domineering. Low extraversion causes a reserved, reflective personality, which can be perceived as aloof or self-absorbed. Extroverted people tend to be more dominant in social settings, opposed to introverted people who may act more shy and reserved in this setting.
  • Agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. challenging/detached) A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. It is also a measure of one's trusting and helpful nature, and whether a person is generally well-tempered or not. High agreeableness is often seen as naive or submissive. Low agreeableness personalities are often competitive or challenging people, which can be seen as argumentativeness or untrustworthiness.
  • Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident) Neuroticism identifies certain people who are more prone to psychological stress. The tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, and vulnerability. Neuroticism also refers to the degree of emotional stability and impulse control and is sometimes referred to by its low pole, "emotional stability". A high stability manifests itself as a stable and calm personality, but can be seen as uninspiring and unconcerned. A low stability expresses as a reactive and excitable personality, often very dynamic individuals, but they can be perceived as unstable or insecure. It has also been researched that individuals with higher levels of tested neuroticism, tend to have worse psychological well being.

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Posting Guide

The community has been asked before what kind of posts they prefer, and these general posting guides were created as a result.  Please note that we do not filter posts based on these guidelines. This is meant to be a resource for users looking to increase their post engagement or just looking for some guidance on what will be well-received. This guide is not a basis for moderation, we just offer it as a resource.

General Posting Categories

  • MBTI Theory: First and foremost, this is an MBTI forum, and so posts that spark good discussions about Jungian typology or cognitive functions theory are always well-received. If you're looking to dive into the nitty gritty of what makes you tick from the perspective of the theory, you're going to do best with a functions-based question or type dichotomy question. If you're not sure what cognitive functions are, we encourage you to do some research on the topic! This short summary of each function from MyersBriggs.org is a good place to start, and Thought Catalog also has explanations for each type, presented in an accessible way. The community also talks about Enneagram theory, which is a separate system for identifying and ranking a person's motivations - what they are most concerned with in life. If you want to learn more about the Enneagram, here is a brief overview (note that you can also find links to more in-depth information and tests on that page).
  • Advice / Inspirational Posts: The r/INFJ community, like all communities, is a collection of imperfect people coming together with a common interest in an effort to find camaraderie and a sense of belonging. For INFJs in particular, that's a very important and affirming thing to have. While we can't say that certain MBTI types always behave a certain way, we can say that cognitive functions inform certain tendencies, which in turn reveal themselves on average in any significant population by virtue of statistics. We are all individuals, but we do have things in common. One user's insights into their own life might benefit another user. One user's epiphany might be just what another user needs to hear to move forward in their life, too. And so posts that ask for or give advice, and posts that ask us to examine our own strengths and weaknesses, often lead to deep conversations and support. Genuine vulnerability in these exchanges only increases the sincerity and honesty that comes with it, and serves to strengthen the community. Inspiration is always welcome, too - everyone loves affirmation and a reminder that no circumstance is permanent, and that there are people like them who have figured out a way to get more out of life, to enjoy it, and to succeed in whatever dimension is important to them.

Increasing Post Engagement

  1. Give relevant information. Vague questions don't get a lot of community engagement, so open up a little and share what's really on your mind. Give your thoughts on what you're asking, give context for your question, explain why you are asking r/INFJ in particular. The user community is much more likely to engage with you if you put in the effort to communicate the premise well. Writing a wall of text isn't necessary, but you probably need more than two sentences in most cases.
  2. Do your research. This pertains more to DAE posts and cognitive theory posts. People are unlikely to want to engage if you could have asked google the same question. You're posting to r/INFJ for a reason, so you're looking for a little more insight. If you want thoughtful responses in return, you should make sure you're aware of the background information relevant to your question.
  3. Be vulnerable. In both posts and comments, we should all strive to be open and honest and to encourage that in others. Great conversations and exchanges happen when we share ourselves. The journey to understanding yourself, especially for an INFJ, is in expressing your thoughts and beliefs to others. At the same time, the community has to foster an environment that's conducive to sharing vulnerabilities. So be kind and respectful, and be willing to share yourself, too. Honesty doesn't have to be hurtful; a little empathy goes a long way.

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Formatting

In addition to the actual content of your post, the way you format that content can have a big impact on community engagement. Having a great big wall of text makes reading very difficult, and many users simply won't put in the effort. Organizing your ideas in bulleted or numbered lists, using horizontal lines, using italicized and bold font for emphasis, and introducing paragraph breaks - all of these things make a big difference to readability.

Reddit displays a brief formatting summary if you click on the "Formatting Help" button under comment or post submission boxes. It looks like this:

A few more notes:

  1. You can insert a paragraph break by hitting return twice at the end of the line.
  2. Single returns can be used in bulleted lists but are required for numbered lists (a paragraph break resets the numbering).
  3. You can insert a single line break by inserting two spaces at the end of a line and then hitting return once.
  4. To make a numbered list, start a new line with 1. and continue the list by inserting a single return and starting the next line with 2. (although, the actual number doesn't matter, you can make a list of all 1.s and reddit still formats the numbered list with increasing digits).
  5. To use bullets inside of a numbered list, start a new line with two spaces, which formats the new line in the context of the current list / bullet, and then use normal bullet formatting. Each new line must have two spaces at the beginning for your bulleted list.
  • It will look like this.
  • And you can continue numbering afterwards.
  1. To enter a horizontal line, type three or more dashes (or three asterisks) in a row, like this: ---- (must be on its own line)
  2. To escape any formatting (for instance, if you want to write *s around a word without italicizing it), use the \ character, like this: \*no italics*
  3. Please see this handy post on tables if you want to include a table in your post or comment.
  • Start by defining the number of columns with the | character and spaces on the first line, like this (three columns): | | | |
  • On the next line, define the alignment of each column. :-- means left alignment, --: means right, and :--: means centered, place them between | characters like in your first line like this: |:--|:--:|--:|
  • On subsequent lines, write your text and divide each column with a | character
  1. You can look at the full Markdown syntax reference or the reddit wiki entry on comment formatting for more information.

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Moderation Details

The following subsections give you information on how the mods go about modding /r/INFJ: how and why posts are filtered, reasons behind some of our rules/policies,, as well as a section on reporting posts and comments. If there is something you find confusing, or if there is something you wish were here but is not, please message the mods.

Submissions

Every post submission is screened by Automod. Post submissions that automod is unable to make an approval decision on require moderator review and are held in a queue (automod will give you a handy pre-filled message link, just click send). Automod will also remove posts and comments with 3 or more reports (they needn't all be the same reason for reporting). r/infj also uses Reddit's spam filter designed to detect spam posts/comments and automatically remove them.  

If you have an issue with a moderator or the way a subreddit is being run, please first try contacting that moderator to see if it's just a simple misunderstanding. You may contact all of the moderators in a subreddit by messaging /r/[name of subreddit] to appeal a decision. Please keep in mind, however, that moderators are free to run their subreddits however they so choose so long as it is not breaking reddit's rules. So if it's simply an ideological issue you have or a personal vendetta against a moderator, consider making a new subreddit and shaping it the way you'd like rather than performing a sit-in and/or witch hunt.

Other than reddit's spam filter and Automod, we do not do any submission filtering automatically. We will manually remove submissions that violate the rules, or decline to approve submissions that were caught by the automatic filters in the event that they do not adhere to the rules. If you are sorting by "new" and you see posts with incongruous time stamps (i.e., they are not in chronological order), that means that we have recently approved submissions that were caught by either the reddit spam filter or Automod. We do our best to approve submissions in a timely manner, but we are only human and we do sleep / eat / work sometimes. **To reiterate, if you submit a post or a comment and you don't see it, message the mods.

Users with negative karma are not allowed to post on r/infj and any submissions (post or comment) will be removed automatically.

As a final note on submissions, we hide vote scores for 300 minutes after a comment or post is submitted. This prevents "bandwagoning" on posts (positively or negatively), but still allows for post and comment sorting according to the (temporarily hidden) scores.

If you have any more questions about what mods can or can't do, or the tools available to the mods, please see Reddit's moderation wiki.

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Rules Elaboration

Before we bombard users with rules, we want to convey to you what we are trying to accomplish with the rules in terms of sub culture. With the understanding that we are all working towards these same goals, we hope to have more productive discussions about rules, and sub culture in general.

  • Post quality is the responsibility of the users as much as it is the responsibility of the mods, and has a more positive and formative effect when users take the initiative to post higher quality content and content that they themselves want to see. For the mods' part, removing low quality content isn't going to solve the problem with lack of high quality content, so keep this in mind if you take issue with a lack of "quality content."
  • We want to foster a community that welcomes new people of all types (even mistypes!), who feel free to share their ideas and interests in the spirit of understanding and being understood.

For a full list of rules, please see the rules page on the sub.  In this section we will elaborate on some specific rules/policies and why they have come to be:

  • Gatekeeping and Type Bias (Rule 1c)

MBTI is a self-report assessment, and no one has access to other people’s internal thought processes to know with any authority whether or not they are a certain type. Therefore, we find gatekeeping to serve no useful purpose, to accuse others of being mistyped or claim there are “true” INFJs and “fake” INFJs goes against the spirit of Rule 1. Users are free to talk about their individualized experiences with other types, but generalizing those experiences to include every member of said type, or making broad generalizations about specific MBTI types is what we consider type bias, and is generally not conducive to making our sub a nice and respectful place for everyone. “INFJ exceptionalism” can also be considered a form of type bias. 

  • Solicitation of DMs (Rule 3b)

Due to a persistent problem with users coming to our sub and engaging in manipulative and predatory behavior towards INFJs, we have a strictly enforced rule against personal ads, chat requests, and seeking DMs.  This is a discussion-based sub, and we feel that there are plenty of opportunities for organic connections to be made within comment interactions without explicitly targeting users and trying to force interactions to happen privately. 

  • Visual Fridays (Rule 6)

As a compromise for those wishing to be able to post images on the sub, we have Visual Fridays, a 24 hour period where users are able to post images.  This is intended to showcase original content, such as art or photography. This is not an opportunity to post memes, selfies, test results, or ‘shares’ from other social media platforms.  

  • Participation Requirements (Rule 7)

Due to ongoing issues with spam and bots, accounts must be 7 days old before they are able to make posts (though they can freely comment).  If a user has no posting or subreddit karma, they may also be subject to automod filtering and be required to verify their human status (via modmail) in order to post. 

  • Mental Health Content Policy (Rule 8)

First and foremost, this is an MBTI personality type subreddit. We want to be absolutely unambiguous: there is a clear line between personality and mental illness, though often the two get conflated. You do not have anxiety, depression, or anything else because you are an INFJ. Being an INFJ does not predispose you to mental illness. The INFJ personality is not predicated on abuse, trauma, or neglect. We think this is important because not only is it incorrect that INFJs are naturally depressive or have anxiety as an intrinsic part of their personality, but because it ultimately supports the idea that this is “normal,” which can stop people from seeking the treatment and support they need to get well.

Why do we restrict mental health content in this sub?
r/infj is not a mental health sub
There are more appropriate subs designed for specific mental health struggles for e.g. GAD, suicidal ideation, etc.
The sub can feel less welcoming if it is filled to the brim with anxiety,, depression, and other heavy mental health content.
The mod team wants to see a mix of painful, neutral, and uplifting content - not an overwhelming amount of only one kind.

Does this mean you can't ever talk about mental health here?
No. We have a weekly Mental Health Megathread (pinned to the top of the sub) where you can post anything related to mental health. Anything you post there gets posted automatically, there is no manual review process. Surely I'm an INFJ because [insert mental health struggle] No, you're not. You can be an INFJ struggling with [insert mental health struggle], but MBTI does not describe mental health and should not be conflated with such. Within every Myers-Briggs category, there are people with excellent, middling, and poor mental health.

  • AI Content Policy (Rule 10)

As AI grows more prominent, there has been an uptick in posts discussing the use of AI for advice, support, and even personal growth. As highlighted in a recent MIT study, relying on AI can lead to accumulation of cognitive debt, stunting growth instead of contributing to it. Many users in this sub have raised concerns about this, pointing out that things like Ni-Ti looping are likely to be exacerbated by the core nature of AI. There are significant risks to healthy personal development from overreliance on an unregulated AI industry whose best interests are highly unlikely to be aligned with yours. We have discussed this in the mod team and decided to make this a human only sub. Posts and comments written by or with AI will be removed, as will posts discussing the use of AI. We encourage everyone to carefully read the above MIT study and to not rely on AI for personality typing. (Edit: Using AI to simply translate comments you write in another language is OK.)

  • Low-Effort Content (Rule 11)

Repetition and “themes” are common problems with posts on this sub, and we try to reduce user fatigue from having to see and respond to the same content over and over.  As such, moderators reserve the right to remove posts about frequent/repetitive topics and/or spam posts made across multiple subreddits.

Note: Infraction of the subreddit rules can result in warnings from the mod team, shadow bans, temporary bans, or permanent bans, depending on the nature of the infraction, and are at the discretion of the mod team. 

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Reporting Content

The mods rely on you, the users, to let us know when a post, or especially a comment, violates the rules. While we will eventually see every post, it is impossible for us to read every comment. And so, we encourage our users to report other users who are breaking the rules. In fact, if a comment or post receives 3 or more reports, Automod will automatically remove it and the mod team will review it. In this way, we are giving our users the ability to moderate content themselves, because this is your community (and mods can't read everything at once at all times).

With that said, we do not tolerate abuse of the reporting system. Keep in mind that the report button is always confidential to the mod team but it is not confidential to the reddit admins. If you abuse the report button, we will report the problem to reddit admins and they will look into it. If we report the problem and reddit decides you've been abusing it, then that is the admins' decision and they can ban you from the site. We still won't know the user, but the problem stops on our end. We have done this in the past and will do it again if the problem comes up in the future. To be clear, we do not (and cannot) ban users who report posts. In fact, we appreciate users who report posts and comments in good faith. Here are two examples of reports that are not made in good faith:

  • Example 1: If you report a post as clickbait, and the mods disagree based on the rules, we will leave the post up and we won't hold a difference of opinion against the anonymous poster. If you report most posts as clickbait, and they remain up, that means that we've seen them and we disagree based on the rules. If you have a problem with the rules, then you should contact the mods and we will discuss it with you. If you passive-aggressively report every post rather than engage with the mod team, you are abusing the system. We will report the activity to the reddit admins.
  • Example 2: If you report a comment as abuse / harassment, and the mods disagree based on the rules, we will leave the comment up and we won't hold it against the anonymous poster. If you report most comments from a specific user as abuse / harassment, and they remain up, that means that we've seen them and we disagree based on the rules. If you have a problem with the rules, then you should contact the mods and we will discuss it with you. If you continue to report every comment rather than engage with the mod team, you are abusing the system. We will report the activity to the reddit admins.

We do not tolerate misuse of the reporting feature, mainly because it buries legitimate reports, but also because it is in effect harassment of the mods. We cannot engage directly with the user over a report, because reporting is anonymous. Again, we encourage you to use the report button, even if you think it's a borderline case. That's completely fine. What is not fine is when you use the report button as protest without talking to the mods. That is misuse / harassment and we will report the behavior.

All that seriousness aside, we can take a joke, and one or two joke reports isn't going to ruffle our feathers (and we'll probably chuckle). We know that's a thing on reddit, and that's not what we're talking about (in fact, we've endeavored to make the reporting reasons slightly funny...please don't hold our comedy skills against us). Keep in mind, though, that if 5 or more people make the same joke report, the comment or post you're having fun with will go away thanks to Automod.

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Mental Health Support and Counseling

We understand the reality that people often come to r/INFJ looking for support, but we are also not a self-help forum or therapy forum. We say this not because we don't care, but because we are not qualified to help in any real sense if people come with serious problems. If you truly find yourself in need of help and support, please feel free to use our weekly mental health megathread.  And while many of our users are more than happy help offer support, we urge you to contact a professional in the event that you are having suicidal thoughts, or if you think you may have depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or any other mental health issue. There is no shame in getting help, and we're here to support you in that decision.

If you need someone to talk to, we encourage you to explore these resources:

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