INFP Communication Skills

An INFP's perception of the world is defined by such notions as just/unjust and right/wrong. They feel best when they do what they believe to be right and just.

Few can rival an INFP in their ability to deeply empathize with the other party's emotions and the struggle in their lives. They are capable of seeing deep into the other party's motives and sensing what the other party is concerned about the most. INFPs are capable of inspiring people to develop their abilities and talents. They are capable of providing effective support to the other party so that the latter may better understand their spiritual side and the way they relate to others.

INFPs can be emotional in their communication with other people, although they always treat everyone with respect.

INFPs are able to speak with people of various personality types in their “language”, and on a variety of topics. However, at times INFPs can come across as distant and reserved. Those are the periods when they reflect on their views of the world and people.

INFPs tend to have a wide circle of acquaintances — however, their inner circle of people they constantly communicate with is much more limited (it consists of close friends and like-minded individuals for the most part).

INFPs tend to have a large number of business contacts, and their communication routine can be rather intense. Their colleagues (or others who work in the same field) are often reliant on, or interested in, their expert opinion of counsel on professional subjects. An INFP is capable of maintaining an eventful business communication agenda involving an exchange of ideas, opinions, and advice. Some INFPs are capable of having ideas of such great depth and importance that they become shared by a large number of people. In such cases, the number of those who wish to communicate with such a person grows enormously, so this INFP will have to communicate through a media, being unable to establish personal contact with everyone.

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INFP: Strategies for Successful Communication

INFPs find it easy to establish a common ground with people of the similar mindset, i.e. with the representatives of intuitive/feeling types (NF) including ENFJ, INFJ, ENFP, and INFP personality types. INFPs are open to active communication with these types. They have a similar way of perceiving the world, which is why an INFP finds it easy to share his or her feelings and views with them, and is also likely to comprehend their feelings and views.

In their interaction with the representatives of intuitive/thinking types (NT), including ENTJ, INTJ, ENTP, and INTP personality types, INFPs should rely on conceptual and logical communication. An INFP’s communication with people from this group can involve a variety of topics and is often seen as beneficial by both parties.

In their communication with the representatives of sensing/feeling types (SF), including ESFJ, ISFJ, ESFP, and ISFP personality types, INFPs should try to orient their manner of communication toward feelings, facts, and concrete sensations. INFPs often establish friendly relationships with people of this type based on their common feeling-dominated (F) disposition to the world. However, INFPs with their strong tendency and ability for deep understanding of human feelings and behavior, can encounter challenges to establish close contacts with people of the SF type, because they may sometimes find INFPs' ideas to be too abstract.

INFPs may encounter difficulties in communicating with the representatives of sensing/thinking types (ST), including ESTJ, ISTJ, ESTP, and ISTP personality types. INFPs should strive to confine their communication with people of the sensing/thinking types to facts and their direct implications. However, some of the manifestly feeling (F) representatives of the INFP type may find it taxing to maintain this sort of communication. In order to establish a level of discussion that both parties will find acceptable, an INFP has to tune into the communicative style compatible with the ST group in advance. On the other hand, many ST people manage to establish very close relationships with INFPs. The reason is that these people sometimes require a confidant, and they find someone willing to hear out their confessions in an INFP.

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What helps successful communication for an INFP:

• the discussion touches on the finer feelings of the soul
• the discussion is of a conceptual nature
• there is ample time to ponder the topic
• the discussion calls for a creative approach

What hinders successful communication for an INFP:

• the discussion is of a wholly practical and mundane nature
• the matter of discussion requires fast and active action
• prolonged business communication with people from the ST group

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