I won't attempt to be exhaustive with this.
I believe having depth as an individual includes:
1. Contemplation of all things in search of understanding their emotional, mental, physical, or social importance beyond what is readily perceived.
2. Using that gathered understanding in a mode of expression that reflects our personal experience with what we have learned and observed. That expression may be to benefit others, or it may be an outgrowth of our understanding that is expressed to aid our own personal growth.
3. Searching for, recognizing, and creatively exploring the interconnectedness of life, between the animate and inanimate, the spiritual and the physical. (Personal example footnote given at the end)
4. Pursuing what is hidden and unearthing the core meaning.
5. Becoming completely honest with one's self. To wade through the many reactive and adopted behaviors and emotions we exhibit and experience, and become familiar with our needs, desires, and the meaning beneath what we are expressing. In full circle, once we recognize these needs and the meaning of expressions, we should seek to recognize this in others so that we can empathize and meet those needs.
Izzie's Questions:
"Do you think you're deep as an INFP? How?
My ego eggs me on to say that I am, but how can I know when I have crossed the threshold and entered the state of existence where I am now "deep?" So it is easier for me to say that instead of saying I am deep, I am in a process of digging deeper into inner and outer existence with a goal of doing so in relentless search of truth, while trying to keep myself from going off the deep end.
Has it helped you in life or otherwise?
I appreciate life more. My spiritual nature is enlivened and experiences more connection with the marvelous wisdom of whom I recognize as the Divine Creator. My intuition is more frequently sparked and I recognize the essence of other's needs and experiences with greater intensity so that I can connect with them and support them on more important levels.
(Footnote)By way of personal example of recognizing interconnectedness (#3), when in nature I have observed the birds, and have tried to understand their own world, and as I watch and listen, I begin to witness the emergence of their dispositions, motives, and expressions, and suddenly it becomes clear that their world mirrors ours very closely. There are the self-seeking birds with raspy voices that steal food and the eggs of other birds. There are the militaristic canadian geese that thrive on order and teamwork, trumpeting communication amongst the ranks. There is the cheery robin that greets the early dawn with an effervescent song and gets right to work, responsibly gathering food and tending to its family.
These behavioral patterns and the bird heirarchies are closely paralleled by the behavioral patterns and heirarchies of humans. But by observing the birds, I can see the more simplistic nature of the behaviors and their consequences more easily than in human confusion.
-By watching birds I can see that self-seeking, self-indulgence, and aggression leads to a life of quarrelsome strife, and their character is reflected by their ugly auditory emissions, and they become regarded as irritating and disdained. Have you heard a bird with a cheerful warble that is a pest bird?
-The canadian geese demonstrate to me that through steady communication and social order great distances can be covered. They look out for the good of the group, and by flying in a V formation, and continually rotating the ranks, 71 percent reduction in drag is achieved for each trailing bird.
-Robins show me that by getting an early start to the day with expressions of joy are a good preparation for a day of labor, and that putting in some toil to gather and build one's livelihood can help lead to a happy home. This, to me, is symbolized by what the robin produces: A light blue egg of a warm hue. Along with green, robin's egg blue is the most soothing color to the mind. The tireless work and dedication of the robin eventually results in an egg of peaceful blue that embraces the next generation.