Why Are INFJs So Popular? (5 Renowned Reasons)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality types have grown very much in popularity over the past few years.

Looking at the online MBTI discussions, the INFJ personality type seems to be the most popular at this moment.

The INFJ is one of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types, making up roughly 1-2 percent of the population.

“INFJ” is an acronym which stands for Introversion (I), Intuition (N), Feeling (F) and Judging (J).

These four core characteristics describe the cognitive functions INFJs use the most to navigate through life.

What is it exactly about the INFJ that makes it so that the internet can’t stop talking about it?

Let’s dive into 5 plausible explanations for the INFJ’s massive popularity!

5 Renowned Reasons Why INFJs Are So Popular

1. INFJs are so popular, because their traits are seen as the ideal

Anyone who’s been reading about MBTI on the different internet forums soon noticed that the INFJ personality is widely celebrated online.

INFJs are often very much praised for their nurturing empathy, generous sociability, boundless patience, ironclad integrity, unwavering loyalty, beautiful creativity, strong sense of justice, ample humility, and tireless devotion to love, life and philanthropy.

By being curious, intelligent and very much focussed on self-improvement, INFJs relentlessly strive to grow.

Their strong intuition and keen observational skills enable them to distill a significant amount of wisdom from intuitive insights and experiences.

The INFJ’s heightened sensitivity can also function as their portal into spirituality.

Now, what do we see when we look at all these traits the proverbial INFJ seems to possess?

We see most of the highest virtues a human can strive for.

We get a glimpse of the ideal. It’s therefore to no surprise that INFJs are so popular and are put on a pedestal by many.

A divine pedestal at that, since the praise and idealization of the INFJ personality on the internet is reminiscent of worship.

Many people with other MBTI personality types even try to imitate or become an INFJ!

The INFJ in all its glory is often regarded as an enlightened being.

A sage personality on a holy mission to spread light and heal the world.

A very noble picture. However, it is often overlooked that this general image of the INFJ is an ideal.

It ignores the fact that not every INFJ embodies all those virtues.

By being so obsessed with the light side of the INFJ, the dark side of the INFJ is also often ignored.

Nonetheless, this collective idealized image of the INFJ naturally makes this personality very popular worldwide.

2. INFJs are so popular, because they’re seen as tortured souls

What stands in stark contrast with the aforementioned light side of the INFJ, is their dark side.

Luckily, there are people who recognize the universal plight of the INFJ.

Yes, the INFJ’s virtuous traits like empathy, integrity and altruism are wonderful.

However, a lot of INFJs also struggle with depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, arrested development and unresolved trauma.

A huge part of their torment is caused by not being able to shine their light in a substantial amount in society.

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Because, a life that would be conducive to a healthy INFJ’s development is hard to attain.

Their need for freedom, creative expression, autonomy, and meaningful work is very hard to meet in the mainstream 9 to 5 day job paradigm which mostly focuses on obedience and profitable productivity.

Being often misunderstood by others, because INFJs are very rare (around 1% of the population), can also erode their self-esteem over time or hamper finding compatible candidates for meaningful relationships.

Fortunately, many people on the internet take interest in the INFJ’s poignant fate.

They may be fascinated by the light side and the dark side of the INFJ which are a gift and a curse at the same time.

3. INFJs are so popular, because they’re seen as rebels

Due to the pain INFJs experience through unmet needs and not fitting into society, they are forced to find alternative ways to maintain a healthy and meaningful existence.

Consequently, they are automatically cast in the role of the rebel out of necessity.

Many times you’ll see INFJs try to start their own business to fulfill their need for autonomy.

Or express their creative skills via a side hustle or overgrown hobby.

They may only work part-time at a certain day job and don’t care to just barely make ends meet as long as they can have more free time to do as they please.

You’ll see that they usually don’t care about keeping up with the Joneses, nor do they sheepishly follow the expected path of settling down and raising a family.

They are prone to think critically for themselves and follow their heart.

INFJs may choose a life of traveling around or moving to another country to discover different cultures, meet new interesting people and to be in nature.

INFJs are popular, because as quiet rebels they go against societal expectations in the name of meaning, freedom, beauty and creativity.

An honorable spiritual fight initially fought for themselves out of necessity, but later on also fought for the sake of humanity.

A romantic and courageous resolve many people find irresistible and secretly admire.

4. INFJs are so popular, because they’re paradoxical

A huge part of what makes INFJs so intriguing is that of all the MBTI personality types they are possibly the most self-contradictory.

For example, they are very introverted and reclusive, and yet can be extremely charming and sociable.

They tend to have a rich inner world full of pulsating emotions, vivid images and chaotically associative thought strings, and yet operate in a very calm, structured, strategic and efficient manner.

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They tend to be very open minded and left leaning politically, and yet are conservative in holding on to traditional meaningful values like integrity, discipline, truth, responsibility, solidarity and morality.

They tend to be very creative, lovers of aesthetics and beauty, and yet intellectual, and drawn to abstract theories and science.

They tend to be intuitive, carry a deep innate wisdom and have an affinity with spirituality, and yet also show a strong interest in science and methodological research.

They tend to be very empathic, warm and accommodating, and yet can be cold, distant and very private.

They tend to be idealistic dreamers, and yet practice a stern discipline and dedication to accomplish their dreams and life goals.

The INFJ is a mysterious shapeshifter, a multi-level walking lustrous paradox attracting a huge audience.

It’s exactly this exotic paradoxical nature that many people are captivated by and drawn to.

Which makes the INFJ the talk of the town and perhaps the most popular personality type on the internet!

5. INFJs are so popular, because they’re rare

By making up roughly 1-2% of the population INFJs are in fact the rarest personality type!

Rareness is usually equated with specialness of some sort, and this logically makes INFJs popular.

Many people go on a digital safari to learn about this special unicorn everyone’s talking about.

Intrigued, and eager to find out what makes them so rare.

Individuals might wonder if they know INFJs or if they are one themselves.

Rare objects, people or situations naturally trigger people’s curiosity and the enigmatic INFJ personality type surely knows how to do that on a large scale!