INFJ or INTJ: Thinking Type Interests and Careers

INFJ or INTJ: Thinking Type Interests and Careers led_time13-8262013-300x168 INFJ & MBTI The notion that science and technology interests are more common for thinking types then feelers is widely know. In many cases this is very much true but concerning INFJs I think this is a misconception. In many case INFJs can be even more interested in these kinds of subjects then thinking types and even more then our thinking type equivalent INTJs. 

Looking at my my own interests they would definitely qualify for belonging to a thinking type even though I am an INFJ. I love science, biology, astronomy, programming, gadgets, technology, non fiction reading and much more. As a kid I used to screw apart electronics and other machines just to put them together again and figure out how they worked. I  drew schematics and created inventions of my own. When I became older I studied programming and electrical engineering in high school, and I specifically excelled in programming which I was among the best in my school. Even beating the more theoretic and mathematical oriented students (math is good for programming) even though I sucked at math in itself. Still the arts always interested me the most and even though I am good at technical things, I ended up picking a creative job in graphics for my profession. 


The notion that these kind of subjects only interests thinking types I think is very wrong. Thinking types tend to be more rational and logical in their thinking and therefore find things with these types of outcomes more appealing since they make sense for them. Thinking types of course have feeling functions as well to some regard, just as feeler types have thinking functions. When it comes to INFJs we have introverted intuition as our primary function which can also act rational and logical in it’s way of navigating and finding solutions to things. The difference is that instead of seeing just the logical solution like thinking types, we get to see it from all the other angles as well.   

When it comes to picking your profession I think as an INFJ you should not turn away from thinking type professions just because you are primarily a feeler. In many ways it is only better because then you bring a whole set of different skills to the table that others do not, and you can also understand the rational and logical parts as needed. Being   introverted intuition dominants we function on many different levels and we easily comprehend others systems since we are system builders at the core. This is one reason why people say that INFJs can seem to have multiple personalities and not just one, we adapt and learn because we approach everything at it’s core, and not only through an rational and logical lens. We are fluid learners.

Comments

  1. Darrian says

    Oh my, the laptops with me.
    And I’ve recently learned I am a INFJ-T, so I gotta lot to give myself insight to in which I haven’t already.
    Thank you!

  2. PowerMechGuy says

    This describes me perfectly. In fact, I was disappointed at first when I discovered I was INFJ. I love the thrill of understanding machines or being able to turn a mental process into some lines of code. In many cases, I was more interested than my peers. I think if there is anything that I have learned about personality typing, it is that it is supposed to give a glimpse into how your mind works. I seemed to have taken it too seriously in the beginning thinking that eventually fit the form that is INFJ. But now I see that is just another way to describe my person. I am most certainly a tech enthusiast. It’s just that my motivations are turned in a different direction.

    Thank you for this post. This was like a mental reset.

  3. Abigail says

    Thank you for saying so! I’m an INFJ, and I am entirely interested in maths and sciences. If I weren’t majoring in elementary education, I would be a maths and sciences major. I’m not necessarily good at them, but I find calculus, astronomy (especially astrophysics), physics, chemistry, technology, and programming to be utterly fascinating. I think it’s because it brings me closer to the “big picture” that I’m looking for.

  4. says

    Thank you for this article! I have been wondering if I am the only INFJ in the planet who finds programming (especially learning about different programming languages) interesting. I used to screw apart things too, like my Gameboy Advance. You are right, we seem to have multiple personalities.and we can learn anything we want, because we learn things at its core, thanks to our introverted intuition (Ni). I am doing a major in software engineering. Programming or coding too much exhaust me over time, so I am thinking of becoming an educational software consultant, as I love helping other (particularly my friends in university) and I know most programming languages at its core.

    • Alex says

      Thanks for sharing Danyal, cool to hear about others who are so similar. To much of anything is not good, even the things we enjoy. Balance is key I’ve learnt the hard way. I’ve been mentoring students and other colleagues in what I do and I find that I enjoy this even more at times then the work itself. It’s funny how people oriented we are even though we are introverts.

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