January 30, 2006
INFP Introverts: The 64-Color Box
“Think of it this way—if your house were to catch fire, would you want the firefighters to: (a) ignore the flames and gather in the middle of the street to talk about how cool all the equipment on the firetruck is? (b) refuse to put out the fire because it’s just too damned hot and too much work?—“and didn’t we just put out a fire yesterday?” or (c) high-tail it off the truck and do whatever it takes to extinguish it?”
Besides busting some stereotypes, one of my goals with this blog was/is to leave a lit candle for those who’re still wandering in the dark a few yards back.
For better or for worse, most “like-minded” groups are fused together by common interests, common traits, or common experiences.
INFPs are no different.
The commonality? Lots of heart—“feelings…whoa, whoa, whoa…feelings”—and the desire to see a different/better world. But often unseen are the broad differences and divergent paths that defy typecasting.
Same as in the extroverted majority, some are willing to leave their comfort zones and become active players in the creation of that different/better world—and others are cynically-content with sitting on the sidelines and restricting their level of participation to grumbling about the existing one.
Hearts.
Instead of “Waiting on the World to Change,” some use theirs to reach out and change it themselves. Conversely, some become glacial, harden theirs—“I suck. You suck. Life sucks. The world sucks. The entire !@#$%^& universe SUCKS!!”—and throw in the towel. (If that’s your general take, this may be the read you want to kick things off with.) Some wear theirs on their sleeves and quietly, but powerfully, move millions via song or the written word. Some act as plant and animal guardians and spokespersons. And some nudge those who’ve forgotten or deny that they have one into remembering and acknowledging that, yes, indeed they do.
This site is open to all (and there’s content here that speaks to all) but is geared primarily to those who innately and routinely see, feel, think and act differently and deeper than the status quo.
There are many INFP (and general introversion) sites that offer consolatory back-pats and woe-is-me support but the “application over theory” aim and attitude here are markedly different.
Think of it this way—if your house were to catch fire, would you want the firefighters to: (a) ignore the flames and gather in the street to talk about how cool all the equipment on the firetruck is? (b) refuse to put out the fire because it’s just too damned hot and too much work?—“and didn’t we just put out a fire yesterday?” or (c) high-tail it off the truck and do whatever it takes to extinguish it?
Same deal with the MBTI. You can stand around talking about all the tricked-out bells and whistles—or all of the “woe-is-me-isms” associated with being an INFP/Introvert—or you can put your gifts and differences to work. You may not save the world but, even in the smallest of ways, you can make it a kinder, gentler place—even if kinder, gentler is a blip on the timeline that lasts no longer than one week, one day, one hour, or one minute.
