As a Friend:
- Empathy and Support: INFJs are known for their deep empathy and emotional intelligence. As friends, they are excellent listeners and are genuinely interested in understanding their friends' feelings and experiences. They offer a safe and non-judgmental space for their friends to express themselves.
- Understanding and Non-Critical: INFJs are accepting of their friends' flaws and imperfections. They tend to be non-critical and focus on the positive aspects of their friends' personalities.
- Insightful Advice: INFJs have a knack for understanding complex situations and providing insightful advice. They often offer guidance that aligns with their friends' values and aspirations.
- Emotional Connection: INFJs seek deep and meaningful connections in their friendships. They may prefer a few close friends rather than a large social circle.
- Integrity and Loyalty: INFJs value trust and loyalty in their friendships. They are dependable friends who stick around during challenging times and remain loyal to their friends.
Befriending Yourself (Self-Friendship):
- Self-Reflection: INFJs are introspective individuals, and when it comes to self-friendship, they invest time in self-reflection and understanding their own emotions, thoughts, and motivations.
- Self-Compassion: INFJs can be highly self-critical, but they also understand the importance of self-compassion. They work on being kinder to themselves and acknowledging their own worth.
- Boundaries: In self-friendship, INFJs learn to set healthy boundaries to protect their emotional well-being and prevent burnout from excessive people-pleasing or overextending themselves.
- Authenticity: INFJs aim to be authentic in their self-friendship, embracing their true selves and not trying to conform to others' expectations.
- Self-Care: INFJs recognize the significance of self-care and prioritize activities that nourish their mind, body, and soul.
Differences and Oddities: INFJs might find that befriending themselves comes with its own set of challenges and oddities:
- While INFJs are often patient and understanding with their friends, they may be more critical and hard on themselves, setting high standards that can be difficult to meet.
- They might struggle with giving themselves the same level of compassion and empathy they readily offer to others.
- INFJs might find it challenging to open up to themselves fully, as they tend to be private individuals even with their own emotions.
- As natural problem-solvers, INFJs might be tempted to overanalyze their own thoughts and feelings, which can lead to feelings of self-doubt or confusion.
In self-friendship, just as in friendships with others, INFJs benefit from cultivating self-acceptance, patience, and understanding. Being kind to themselves and acknowledging their own strengths and growth areas can lead to a healthier and more fulfilling self-relationship. Additionally, incorporating self-care practices and giving themselves permission to recharge will help them maintain balance and overall well-being.