Which of the 4 subtypes to do most resonate with?

I'm 38. In my 20s I was creative. Then I went through a period of normalizing--I got married, had kids, and worked a steady job throughout my late 20s and early 30s, a very normalizing job that I still have to this day, but one which inspires passion, commitment, and continued development. In my mid 30s I got divorced and had to regroup and pick up the pieces. I determined that I did not know enough about myself, nor others. I didn't truly understand, so I started seeking to understand. And so began my interest in typology and a growing focus on others. The way they communicate, their motivations, behavior, intent, speech patterns, body language--it all became so fascinating to me. Turning inward, I decided what I truly wanted for myself was wisdom, and I set off after it. I figured I should work on my inferior function since that's what people do at my age, so I did, and started a personal business that remains a wonderful hobby and modest source of income to this day. But Te wasn't the end. Something was pulling me towards Si, and Ni. I'm a 9w1 btw. Somewhere along the way I decided it was important to begin expressing my empathy outwards. I noticed when I opened up to others, people began to open up to me as well, and they started coming to me for advice and listening. Whenever they talk I often enter a flow state where they have my complete attention in the moment. And all of this set me on the harmonizing path that I am on now. It's like a whole new peaceful world. Si becomes much more important for self-care, and I find myself devoting a larger amount of my free alone time towards continued research and knowledge seeking into the understanding of the human condition. In this way, Si has become empowered as it assists Fi. In the past when I battled depression FI + Si would mostly ruminate on negative experiences, but now it is optimistic and proving to be the way forward for me. Meanwhile, Ne is dulled a bit. I no longer feel a great urge to use it towards creative endeavors so much as it is now used more as an observational tool to provide insight and often accurate understandings of other's motivations and desires. What is crazy is that I am finally beginning to feel a sense of peace, wisdom, and internal balance as a harmonizer. I think back and wonder what life would have been like if I had access to these skills in my 20s and early 30s. Ni is next on my list to work on, but to be honest, I think Ni has already begun to establish itself as it has brought me to this incredible place that I am at right now. I'm starting to get it. Thanks!

What a great video! Thank you. As an INFP, I wanted to be a teacher, however, at that time, there was an overabundance of teachers. About 25 years later my daughter was diagnosed with cancer as a teenager, We did traditional Chemo & Radiation. Not long after, I was introduced to Naturopathic Healing & Therapies. I knew it was right for me and attended a school for 5 years. Now in my 70s, people are really beginning to realize that prevention is the best medicine, to stay healthy and create longevity. It was a perfect career choice for an INFP! I'm teaching people how to use prevention & how to stay healthy, naturally.

To become a librarian you need a masters (?) degree in library science. This is needed for most librarian positions but if I remember correctly you don’t need it to work in a school library.

I'm a harmonizer INFP. I don't really enjoy my job, but I write, draw, paint, and compose ambient/dream pop music. I wish I could find a way out of my day job so I can do what I love to do, but I can't seem to make it out.

As an INFP stuck in a creative career in their 50s, I feel lost and aimless. I wake up everyday with a desire to quit my job and find an environment that is truly nurturing and allows me to be me…but I don’t know where to look. I am driven, but feeling directionless and possibly sidelined at my work day-by-day.

Careers, as a topic, is always hard for me. It’s always a stark reminder that I will never be valuable, or bring anything unique to the world. And yet, still, I wish it so.

As an INFP, I went down the normalizer path in my twenties. I focused on education and got my BA in psychology and went for my Masters. However, I have always had a free spirited bent (e.g., got tattoos as soon as I could to everyone’s shock because I never spoke about doing such things 😊) and felt like my freedom was being stripped away. I kept feeling the urge to create something. I would ignore it or dabble in some artistic medium but went back to my studies. Anyway, as I was working on my graduate degree, something broke and I found myself looking for something more. Eventually, I discovered tapestry weaving and fell in love with the medium. It filled me with so much energy and life. I never felt that way with anything before. I dropped out of graduate school. So, I am guessing my flavor is now creative. I have also tried many types of jobs from customer service, behavioral tutor working with special needs, data entry, veterinary/kennel assistance, and custodian.

Lol, i think i used to force myself to be the dominant INFP but once i was honest and forgiving with myself it became very obvious I am the Creative style. Now I'm literally an actor, writer, and yoga instructor and, outside of guiding, i have no desire to manage other people in any strict capacity. Literally enrolled to take a language course this year and plan to learn to make bread. Just be doing sh*t 😂

Most librarians I’ve encountered are INFJs.

I am a harmoniser INFP (later in life) however was a normaliser when younger. My career of choice, Occupational Therapy, was just right for me as an INFP due to the capacity to carve out individual niches and explore various areas as I gained life experience. It is also a career where listening skills are important and honed over time and practitioners are exposed to a great diversity in the human experience.

Dominant -

I am somehow all of these. I've done multiple tests since school, and I come up as infp-a. I have dropped out of college twice, and been back in community college for a year towards marketing and advertising. Languages are my big thing. I can study them all day. From the language itself to etymology and full histories.

I wish this podcast had been available to me while I was coming of age. I was born into a small, hyper SJ society. There weren't many career options besides what was already available, and any form of artistic endeavour as a career paid in trinkets. I was very likely a lost Creative for a few years, until I decided to sell out and Normalise.

Okay I'm going to be the one on the library pedestal/soapbox right now haha. It is sooo much more involved than just knowing the decimal system and plucking a book off a shelf for someone. Someone may come in and want help finding a grave of an ancestor, the next moment someone wants to know book series specifically for a 3rd grader that involves detectives, then the next moment someone needs help using a computer who has no knowledge of that, etc. it's complex. Aside from direct patron needs, it involves constantly building the collection for your diverse population, knowing what to buy and what to get rid of continuously as well as cataloging all of those books into a database, and creating highly specific records within that database for each individual item. It's a whole complex system. You have to know about databases, how to research, how to curate, you have to know about every genre, all the current hot topics and authors, aside from dealing with psychosocial issues you come across when dealing with certain members of the public since libraries are often safe spaces for transient individuals. Also fundraising, marketing, and social media content creation. Not to mention designing and running events and programming. It is definitely a career you dedicate yourself to, not a "job."

I'm 42 so not that old, lol but I feel like Im the harmonious INFP. Especially when she said a downfall to it is feeling like youre going to die with all this good stuff in your head. Lol

I used to think the "librarian" career path suggestion was hokey, but in the data and analytics world, a new job to add to these lists would be data steward. Beyond the term, I now see the goal as keeping things organized to help others find what they need where they expect. For INFPs, data and analytics is a great area to find fulfillment for your subtypes, like:

INFP, 5w4. I can see myself in all subtypes in different scenarios. The one's dominating my life the most have been the harmonizer and creative subtypes.

I sent this to a friend of mine and it has helped her alot. Based on this, I'd say I am the creative subtype, but have forced myself into normalizing roles. Have always worked 9 - 5s, saved up enough to take 6 months off and take unofficial "sabbaticals" b/c I need that break from "normal" society to allow my mind to work in the way it naturally "wants" to. I'd say someone with the creative subtype CAN thrive in normalizing roles, but if they don't devote extensive time to that "outlet" that let's creative subtypes thrive, they will go crazy. I have been there.

I found your podcast a few years ago and I don't even remember how. But I'm an INFP and I've tested this multiple times throughout my life. It resonates with me in ways I can't put into words (which sounds like that's not so uncommon with infp).