24 Signs That You’re an INFP, the “Dreamer” Personality Type
Ever wondered if you were REALLY an INFP? Do you ever worry that you’ve been mistyped by an inaccurate online test? Do you ever feel like Myers-Briggs is just plain confusing?
I’m here to help!
Take a look at these 24 experiences or feelings that INFPs relate to! How many do you relate to? Let us know in the comments!
Not sure what your personality type is? Take our new personality questionnaire here. Or you can take the official MBTI® here.
24 Signs That You’re an INFP
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You’re Guided By Your Moral Compass
More than anything, you want to stick to what you believe is right and good for you personally. Living in accordance with your values and ethics is of the utmost importance to you.
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Authenticity Means Everything to You
You’re only human so you feel peer pressure like anyone else does. At the same time, it makes you cringe to think of pretending for the sake of your peers. To you, being real is essential to your sense of integrity. You want your friends to love you for who you REALLY are, and not for some underhanded manipulation.
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You’re a Misfit and That’s Okay With You
You like being different. You enjoy all the quirks that make people unique, and you have no desire to be a cliché or a copycat of the most popular person you know. You don’t mind going against the grain of society if you believe you’re showing your best self.
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You’re a Daydreamer
INFP author Edgar Allan Poe once said, “Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.” As an INFP you relate to this quote wholeheartedly. Your imagination is the one place where you can be totally free. There are no locks, boundaries, rules, or regulations. You don’t need to buy a plane ticket to go somewhere new. You don’t need to conform to societal expectations. For all these reasons and more, you’re the quintessential daydreamer.
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You Sense the Rightness or Wrongness of Something in Your Gut
Sometimes you don’t even know what your values are until you get a gut feeling that something is wrong or right. You may experiment with something only to feel a wrenching sensation in your stomach that warns you that what you’re doing doesn’t match up with the REAL you inside. Over the years you’ve learned to trust these instincts and follow their guidance.
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On the Outside You’re Flexible. On the Inside, You’re Stubborn.
When you’re around a group of friends you might seem easy-going and up for anything. But on the inside, you’re deeply tied to your beliefs, ethics, dreams, and ideals. When it comes to your core values you’re impenetrable. Like Joan of Arc, a real-life INFP, you’ll go down fighting for the causes that matter to you.
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You Crave Deep One-on-One Relationships
You may hide from large social gatherings and raucous parties, but this doesn’t mean you’re completely anti-social. You thrive when you can get into deep, meaningful conversations with people one-on-one. Sharing dreams, discussing possibilities, and exploring what life is really all about are all things that give you a sense of pure joy and contentment.
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You Underestimate Your Effect On Others
You tend to have a live-and-let-live mentality (unless someone is being a bully, then you’ll step in quickly). Because you’re so independent in nature you tend to be blind to the influence you have on others. People are drawn to you for your integrity and willingness to be true to yourself. You often inspire people to be more authentic, genuine, and imaginative.
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You Just Know When People Are With You or Against You
You have an innate sense of who can or can’t be trusted. You don’t need everything in life spelled out to you. Your intuition is powerful and you can usually intuit when someone has underhanded motives or ulterior motives, even when they seem nothing but friendly to your face.
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You Empathize with the Underdogs
You have an urgent need to stand up for people or animals that have been dismissed, rejected, or bullied. While you may seem easy-going to many people at first glance, you’ll stand up with a fiery determination and dauntless energy in defense of the persecuted.
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You Can Sense Other People’s Feelings Easily
From an early age, you learned to put yourself in other people’s shoes. “How would this feel if it were me?” is a question you often ask yourself in order to get a sense of someone’s emotional condition. Because this is so natural to you, you can often sense other people’s emotions, even when they’re trying to hide them. Sometimes you need to get extra time alone because you over-empathize and burn yourself out in the process.
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You Hate Being Labeled
You believe that everyone is complex and one-of-a-kind. Everyone’s experience of something is totally unique. Because of this belief in the exclusivity of each individual, you hate being labeled or labeling others. When people try to sum you up you always feel like they are ignoring a thousand things that make you you. It feels like a betrayal of your individuality.
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You Crave Freedom, Affirmation, and Acceptance
Autonomy is crucial to your well-being, and you’ll go to great lengths to secure your independence. You hate the idea of being confined in the bounds of someone else’s rules. You often get a thrill from being on the open road or traveling to a new place you’ve never been to before. You enjoy following your intuition, your imagination, and your ideals wherever they might take you. You just want people to accept you for the free-spirit that you are, and affirm the core values that are so central to your personality.
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You Have a Personal Space “Bubble”
Sometimes you want to wear a shirt that says “Please, no hugs.” While you might welcome affection from certain close friends or a significant other, you feel irritable around physically intrusive people. You need physical and emotional space and struggle in chaotic, high-sensory, or physically crowded spaces.
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You Could Never Do Something Just Because Someone Else Wanted You To Do It
Unless something aligns with your values, you’ll be hard-pressed to do it just because someone else is pressuring you to do it. The more authoritarian people get with you, the more you’re likely to rebel against them completely.
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You Love the Rush of Finding a New Idea
Playing with innovation and creativity is something that gives you a rush of pure joy. When you get a spark of inspiration you can’t wait to chase it down the rabbit hole to see where it leads. In your friendships you enjoy sparking ideas and inspiration in your friends (and getting the same in return!).
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You Believe That Not Daring to Risk is Failure
A safe, traditional life is devoid of meaning to you. You know that to chase after your dreams you’ll have to be non-conformist in many ways. You can’t play it safe and expect to change the world or live up to your ideals. Sure, mistakes might happen, but at least you’ll know that you’ve lived a full, meaningful life in the end.
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You See Random Connections That Other People Miss
As you go through your everyday life, you’re often struck by the random connections that connect all things. These connections span across past, present, and future. Trying to explain these connections can be daunting, and many people don’t have the patience to listen to your profound thoughts. That said, you can quickly notice connections between data points, and you often “connect the dots” and understand the evolution of various events and situations.
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Creativity is the Air You Live and Breathe
A life without creativity and tinkering would be a mighty dull one indeed. You probably have a collection of half-finished projects scattered across your room, and you probably can’t pass by an object without seeing half-a-dozen ways it could be used to make something beautiful or fascinating.
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When You’re Stressed, You Stop Being “Mr. Nice Guy”
In cases of extreme stress, you’re often overcome by a sense of all the problems and inefficiencies in the world around you. You become more sarcastic, cynical, and quick to point out errors in judgment. You’re thinking side goes into overdrive, but you feel disconnected from your feeling side. This is usually very confusing for you. You can find out more about this here: Dealing with Emotional Overwhelm as an INFP
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Your Favorite Songs Feel Deeply Personal to You
The songs you’ve grown to love are so connected to your values, emotions, and experiences, that you can feel almost vulnerable playing them for other people. It’s like revealing some of your deepest secrets without them even realizing it.
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You Hate Conforming
When you were a child, you were probably told to do a lot of things simply because it was expected of you. “Go talk to Uncle Bob,” “Don’t mention that in front of your grandmother!” “Share your favorite toys” “Don’t wear that shirt with those pants!” While you want to be kind and considerate to others, you hate doing so at the expense of your freedom and values. So what if you wear a striped shirt with a floral printed skirt?
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You’re Nostalgic
You have a deep fondness for childhood favorites: Favorite movies, books, songs, places, and experiences. When you’re stressed, sometimes you can calm yourself down by re-reading a favorite book or looking at photos from one of your favorite memories. While you’re drawn towards new and novel things, you also feel an inexplicable tie to the past and the magic of all those beautiful experiences you’ve treasured over the years.
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You Distrust Showy, Ostentatious People
There’s something about especially loud, arrogant people that puts you on edge. Sure, a lot of people struggle with these types. But you especially have difficulty knowing whether you can trust anything they say. You’re often surprised by an irresistible urge to knock their ego down a peg or two.
Other Articles About INFPs:
Dealing With Emotional Overwhelm as an INFP
The Powerful Imagination of INFPs and INFJs
10 Things That Excite the INFP Personality Type
What Are Your Thoughts?
Did you enjoy this article? How many of these things did you relate to? Let us know in the comments! Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type, The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
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I always thought that I was an INFP, but recent exploration revealed that I’m probably an INFJ. When I try to test between the two, it’s usually a toss up. The INFJ resonated with me, but then I just read this, and it’s me except I love hugs. I feel like I’m both… an INFX… but I realize the cognitive functions of both are opposite of each other. Color me confused.
I have an INFP or INFJ test if you’re interested in taking it! That might help! The link is here: https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/2015/10/05/mbti-mistypes-infp-or-infj-knowing-the-difference/
Same here, I reckon I am probably 40% Judging and 60% Perceiving or prospecting or whatever (P). I do mostly relate to being an INFP but I still sometimes feel like an INFJ
Do you have something like this for INTJ?
I’ll be creating one for each personality type! Right now I only have INFP and ESTP out, but if you stay tuned, one will be released for each type 🙂
Great article. I’m wondering how an INTP differs from this. I’ve tested out as both.
I am so glad I found your site! I’m a psychology junkie, too. I tested INFP back in the 90’s, and no matter how many times or moods I take that test, I’m always INFP. I agreed it was me, but it didn’t ‘feel’ exactly like me > At the end of a 20 year marriage to a very unhealthy ESTP, I was so empty and depleted, and I just wanted to die. But as I started healing, I kept saying, “It feels like I’m 9 years’s old again..” My whole life Ive joked that 1979 was my best year. And now after the divorce, I’m getting her back ❤️ .I am getting that independent streak, the confidence and freedom and authenticity that preceded puberty! ????.
All that to say, I love the way you explain INFP is so accurate, and has really helped me understand myself at a time I’m rebuilding my life and sense of self. So good timing and very helpful. – None of the times I took it in my past has the explaining of it been so on target. Great work.
My ex-husband of 12 yrs was an ESTP and nearly took my entire life from me. I never should’ve gotten in a relationship with him. He exploited the hell out of me. Glad that I finally pulled it together by the glory of The Heavenly Father bc I was on a road to no recovery if I’d stayed any longer. I’m glad your getting yourself back together as in I’m on that road as well. Best wishes on your journey, sincerely an INFP
ESTJ. My ex-husband is ESTJ. typo ????????♀️
Spot on. Good to know it’s not just me. Thank you for this. God bless.
I will admit that a lot of the time it is really hard to distinguish between an INFP and ISFP. I consider myself INFP, and the article about the 24 ISFP signs can also match up with INFPs as well, which further adds to the confusion. However, the points here about the daydreaming and the nostalgia are very reassuring, and I can be very stubborn when it comes to my habits and beliefs (though I don’t like to cause arguments). I also like the thought of coming up with new things and try to connect 2 things that either get people confused or annoyed (eg “that has nothing to do with this!”) This helps clears things up for me a bit and also reminds me that there are a lot of overlaps between the various personality types (especially the INFP and ISFP as mentioned).
Im all of them
I know myself a little bit more. i like to being INFP and i can relate to all the signs . Yeah that me an INFP aka dreamers
100% accurate for me, reassuring because I finally came to see I could not continue in my career and retired very early to renovate a neglected farm and farmhouse. I had, and have, no exact plan for this but instead daily allow my wild vision to unfold and explode. It has become a wild, unconventional paradise. I live in a blighted rural area (destroyed by poor agricultural practices and mining) so resources are limited and costs are low. The constant challenge of bringing the place back to life gives me life in a way that my education, my jobs and my eventual career never did. I feel now that i live in a kind of Narnia, or Oz, my own magical bubble, or a space capsule where the last bits of beautiful life on Earth flourish. Yesterday, newly-hatched tadpoles, a Polyphemus moth, and a double rainbow: My heart sings. I used to wonder what was wrong with me. I was glad when I finally found a name for it. Just another dream-intoxicated INFP! My excuse for never quite finding a “box” to live in and for walking away from all that I worked for in the “real” world. Hah. Not going back!
Thank you Susan. Until I took the BMI personality test a month ago I had no idea there were 16 types. I was INFP. I was suspicious until I read the analysis, which is very much like yours. It couldn’t have described me any better, it was freaky. I’ve been an empath as long as I can remember. At an early age I began delving into self-knowledge and positive thinking in hopes of gaining the upper power over negatives and quashing them if and when they entered my realm. It has helped, I have a huge problem with negatives and many not have learned how to deal with them. Like conflict, not good. An interesting revelation to me was why I couldn’t stay with any job for more than 3.5 years, I got bored, there had to be something better where I could do some good and make a difference. I’ve done a lot of writing, even wrote a children’s book for my daughter, got the copyright, but haven’t taken the next steps. I’ve always known I’m different. I used to think something was wrong with me. Now I know.
“You Hate Being Labeled” My INFP friends tend to have a hard time with the MBTI because of this, they don’t always understand that for me, a system to understand people is a big help, even if I’m careful not to reduce people to stereotypes.
Maybe 19, if it is not something wrong in my thinking. My type really is INFJ?
I was amazed at how this short questionnaire revealed to me what I sensed about myself all along. It is an affirmation to me and spot on that I am an INFP. It will help me going forward as I won’t be so hard on myself.
I love this article! It’s spot on. Thank you 😊
Out of 24, 23 facts are about me. I am just so INFP and love being one.
Loved this article. Found it very insightful! Enjoyed the quiz and as an INFP found 23 of the 24 signs in alignment with my perceptions of me! Fun to read!
Very interesting. My imagination is my resting place. No adverts, politicians or idiots waging wars for petty bull##it. Has been a struggle for a long time but I never quit being my own style of Odd lol. 💜
Only one of the 24 list does not apply, I am not nostalgic about my childhood. It was traumatic to put it mildly
21/24 – Pretty spot on
Hi there, just love your insightful writing. Thanknyou dearly for this 💕 for me it’s about 22 of 24, but that’s just me and the way I grew up. I totally get, how other INFPs might even be a total 24. Never doubted, though, that I am the dreamer-type. It makes perfect sense~ & once I read my tests evluation I felt 100% understood. Lot’s of love to all out there, who struggle to be accepted the way they are and still want to be themselves. You’re great ❤️
Wow, .24\24 I’m a true blue!! To the T.! Thank u for that article. I did know but confirmation is a good thing.😆
I have 23/24. And it all resonates really strong. Currently undergoing a depression and a lot of stress, i got to experience point #20 a lot, which had me doubting all kinds of things i thought i knew about myself. Reading back that this might actually be a part of my personality as well, helped me understand that (and more importantly.. come to peace with it) a whole lot better. So a very warm thank you, from me
I took the Myer Briggs years ago. INFP
I haven’t looked at the personality characteristics in years. Now at age 74 it is so interesting to me how my personality type has shaped the decisions and career choices of my life. It explains so much. Extremely valuable information.
Exactly me to an end.
I can relate to all of these !
Thankyou for this
Crazy, almost like I was reading what someone wrote about me. I took the test several years and today I wanted to take it again to see if I’ve changed any. Well I’m 50 and I’m still an INFP and wouldn’t change that for anything.
I appreciate all you do to help us find some peace within our lives.
I can relate to most likely all of them too and yea thank you
All these are exactly how I am.
“Wow…this explains a LOT. I’m not just going crazy. This is ME and I’m kinda in shock if this is really my personality type!! Glad I came across this….again.”
Amanda Renee’ Honrud
they/them
Uhm I’m not entirely Sure… Some applied to me, but there were also some that didn’t feel accurate.. I’ll redo the test some other time, thank you
Most of the above have been fiercely important to me since I can remember. I remember as a child looking out of a bus window at all the people walking to work, in the city, and thinking how they all looked the same, like ants, and with relief, knowing that I would never be like them. I feel I am an INFP and that there is work for me to do to unlock creativity that was stifled in childhood. This has helped me so much. Thank you.
Very true of us INFPs. As to the “Hobbit house”, it irks me to be told what kind of house I want. I’ve dreamed about designing my own house from the foundation to the roofing forever. It won’t conform to any particular style, although “storybook” comes closest. Yes, I’m an INFP and my imagination and creativity are all mine.
This is spot on for me!
Always has been..always will be. I do not subject myself to the rules of society. It means nothing to me. To be recognised as a dreamer is a perfect fit me. I see with my heart..not my eyes.
I see many things easily that others miss. I do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow does not exist today.
There is only this moment in time..
Yeah I am in between an INFP and INFJ. I think this says a lot about me but I also think INFJ also says a lot about me. I am mixed INFJ and INFP. The test says I am an INFP.
Everything here pertains to me.
Compounded by the fact that I am a Piscean.
My intuition is my greatest gift.
I can see the outcome of any situation.
I can hear a single tear drop.
This is bang on for me!
Oh my goodness, this is so on point with me. I greatly appreciated 😌 the read here. This test and the results was great affirmation of self-awareness. Thank you.
Yes…this is almost completely me!!!
First time i took this test o
I got ISFP, which i thought mostly hit the nail on the head, particularly with the career suggestions. Second time, I got INFP, which I feel also totally fits with me. The only statement i didn’t relate to was the ‘bubble’. I’ve always been a hugger:) Thanks! I really enjoy these articles! When I’m emotionally overwhelmed, it helps to think of these almost as a guide to what might be at the heart of my mental/ emotional turmoil. Plus, they’re just fun:)
I got infp the dreamer.. And yeah can’t deny that it do fit..
I love it I got INFP describes me exactly
Almost everything seems accurate, but I don’t really have such personal space bubble since I’m rather touch starved… Sure, I want most hugs from people I love and/or I care for, but I actually don’t mind some from random person either
Thank you. All this resonates. I took a number of these MBTI tests multiple times and got the same result. However, after having associated with some Infps I am certain that I might be overlapping with some other type. It’s not something easy to explain. I feel it has something to do with my life path number. In fact after viewing some videos from a certain expert in the field, a few questions that were beyond my understanding were answered.
My ennaegram is also a very odd one for an infp. its 1w9. (as opposed to 9w1). But it rated me infp. I tried gathering more info on this and found a few websites that said 1w9 can also fall under infp. Everything that is written in your article matches. Yet when I am with infp people, I get a feeling that they are more infp than I could ever be. When in a group, we are still agreeable and share a lot in common. Except that I find myself more strict and sometimes confrontational when pushed.
First i appreciate the person who made this website. First time i take this test and i got intj/ 2nd time i got infp / 3rd time i got infp & i think i belongs to that personality type. I’m so happy finally, i have some time to being alone.🦋✨🎶
Thank you.
This was amazing to read! Just the other day I made the remark that I have always been a non-conformist. Lol. Something I’ve felt about myself from very young. Always have felt different from others and now I’m older have felt like maybe I have some mental illness because of the deep feelings of awareness for nature, others and myself that I have and are sometimes crazy. I took a course on the science of wellbeing. Focusing on meditation which has helped with overwhelming stress. Spent a lot of time lately in audio books listening to Eckhart Tolle and it feels so natural to me. Having the opportunity to take your test was a real blessing for me in the journey to becoming a whole person. Very Grateful for your help.
I’m was borderline with a lot of the answers so I was a bit sceptical and perhaps a little annoyed at the label 😆. However…..the only ones I didn’t answer with a ‘yep’ is 14 but I hug those like hugs and really don’t like crowded places and you don’t invade my desk space!!!! Haha the other one was 19….but I guess I like to rearrange my 6 yrs old lego display quite often.
As my name is Andrew, I get Andrew and Andy and when asked which one I prefer, I say it’s depends on the person saying it. There are Andy people and Andrew people… Useless info but one person thought it was beautiful. Perhaps it sums up this personality type tho!
Every one of those
I am all of these. Years ago I miss typed, but this one one taking the test officially and reading the articles comparing. INFP and INFJ, this made more sense though sometimes there does feel like an overlapping side. Problem-solving, in a weird fashion where people jump to false conclusions, assuming you’re paranoid. Calling you too judge mental when you find out someone’s bad intentions. Then the person comes to apologize because they were ignorant to the bad intentions of the other individual and all you were trying to do was help them by not directly saying it. Not telling them what to do but to try to form a third eye and keep it opened. Underdogs? Absolutely. Reading this creeped me out, but in a good way. Way too detailed to the point of accuracy and put me in shock. Nostalgia only with grandparents it’s not worth remembering a narcissistic mother.
All of these. A few years ago I miss typed as. INFJ. I can see where these might overlap, as well as a couple of other ones. I did take your differentiating test between these two. INFP. This is so accurate that it’s creepy. Underdogs? Absolutely. Random things which put a puzzle together? They don’t seem relevant in comparison to one another but they are. I might be messing up this quote, but it was from a detective on one of the many true crime documentaries installed on my iPhone. He said something along the lines of. There is more than two sides to each story. Stories are three dimensional because you have the criminal the victim, and it’s up to us to form a conclusion. I agree with his statement. Sort of how I function. I could do without the gory details of the crime, though.☺️