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Other People Wanting to be Like You?

[INFP] 
4K views 18 replies 17 participants last post by  nfgreenage 
#1 ·
I've been looking into famous INFPs a lot and I've noticed that a lot of other types get their inspiration from INFPs. It's silly of me, but I get attached because I see aspects of them in myself. For example the girls at my school were obsessed with Charlie from Perks of Being a Wallflower and they would label themselves as wallflowers and say how much they wanted a friend like Charlie. Note: they travel in packs and are part of the popular crowd. It kind of bothers me that people want to be like INFPs yet they don't know about it. They don't know the darkness, the depression, the perfectionism, the pain, the isolation, the loneliness, how it feels to feel everybody else's pain, to know everyone's secrets. Then again they also may never know the brilliance, the optimism, the beauty of life, the imagination, and idealism that comes with being an INFP. If you never know the dark, blackest night, how will you know the light and joy of the sunrise and there intertwined they lay two equal forces that depend on each other, grief and laughter. Sorry for the fluffiness and if I insulted you, please don't feel bad!:blushed:
 
#3 ·
Want to be like a INFP? Hmm well i can imagine girls wanting to be INFP, definitely. Sensitive girls are super attractive. :proud: Can't imagine any GUYS wanting to be INFP though. Well, unless i can be Johnny Depp of course. Hehe.
 
#5 ·
People don't want to be like ME personally I don't think. Hell people don't even always wanna be AROUND me because I'm so emotionally whacked out and my personality is shaky at best on a good day because half the time I change it within the hour and it freaks people out.

I think people might be fascinated by a healthy looking INFP and probably want to be like that...especially those who are trying to be something they think is cool... like those girls you mentioned are probably just like OMFG LOGAN LERMAN (isn't that his name?) and that's all they associate with the personality. They don't REALLY want to be an INFP because, in my experience, being dreamy and idealistic isn't always a compliment when it's coming from those kinds of people.

I personally think that INFP is the most mysterious and fascinating personality type... but then again I'm biased sooo... hahaha!
 
#6 ·
If I am honest, then yes, I have experienced this. This is not to say I was nor am "popular" in any setting nor openly celebrated or even referenced directly (no one says they want to be like me)... but people copy me & will admit to getting the idea from me. Most of the time my general style is copied, often my style of dress or general sense of aesthetics, but even sometimes my techniques, for lack of a better word. Because I missed the memo in life & tend to approach things in a novel way (simply due to not knowing the typical way), people will see this as creative & will copy it if it seems to work well. Since I did well academically, people would sometimes ask me about my study habits, but this never works well for others since I have no study habits :p. As an adult, sometimes people resent my work style as it's not very orderly but proves to work for me; I think a part of them wishes they could figure out how I work around the system so much.

When I was teen, even the so-called popular types commented in a complimentary way that I had an original style. However, I get a sense that people admire the authentic creativity of some INFPs, but we're not necessarily desirable as a whole (or at least, I am not charismatic & never hold an enviable social position). And no, people don't realize the cost of this at time (ie. the alienation), and they hilariously copy you to be "original" themselves.

I don't experience myself as very original either, as I always know my source of inspiration, but I guess I apply things more conceptually so it's hard for others to tell how derivative it is.

Strangely enough, an INFP friend of mine has taken to copying me. She's an e9 & I think it's some kind of merging thing, but my mom also mentioned that she is unsure of external boundaries (ie. appropriateness) and is looking to me to for it, which is hilarious because I am not aware of them either. But being e4, I carry a kind of confidence in doing my own thing, and I suppose this is appealing to 9s who can struggle to assert themselves more.

As for INFP celebrities, I do notice how iconic they become, often celebrated for being very original individuals.
 
#7 ·
I've been told multiple times that I inspire people and that they wish they were as motivated as me, but that doesn't necessarily mean they want to be like me.

I've also noticed this when I was working in direct sales. Many of my coworkers liked my style and took notes from me. I've also heard friends say they wish they were as talented as me when it comes to music and writing. Most shockingly was when I heard this from other guitar players who I really admired and even viewed as competition.

Honestly though, I'm not sure most people would want to be this intense, not to mention the emotional volatility.
 
#8 ·
I have noticed this a lot as a kid but I think it was just because I've always had a strong defined personality while all the others kids were constantly being influenced by the world around them. Now I noticed that my personality constantly influences my group of friends. The inside jokes and shared likes seem to revolve around me more and more as time goes by(which can make me feel pretty awkward when half of our jokes are quoting things I said or trying to get me to say them exactly the way I did before).
 
#9 ·
Now I noticed that my personality constantly influences my group of friends. The inside jokes and shared likes seem to revolve around me more and more as time goes by(which can make me feel pretty awkward when half of our jokes are quoting things I said or trying to get me to say them exactly the way I did before).
Interesting.. Ever had friends fight over you in some childish way because of this?
 
#11 ·
Maybe not just like me. Though I would have lots of dedication to things like crafting and music that made people want to be as good as me when I was younger. Some people are also awed about how unique I am and my original style. Though I don't think they follow me or anything like that but the open minded found me very interesting and thought if they were like me they would be too weird. I don't think many people really will ever follow me except for on a skill maybe.
 
#12 ·
One of the most surprising things I ever got was a yearbook dedication from a friend who sort of got distant halfway through high school. I wouldn't say she "wants to be like me", but the way she wrote it sounds like she sort of admires me (?). I dunno, I was really surprised. Partly because I thought that, if she actually still liked me, why didn't she hang out with me? (;__;)
 
#13 ·
I've been told by all sorts of people (curiously, none of them INFP) that they wanted to be like me. My life has been very similar to what @OrangeAppled described in her post. I'm always surprised when people not only copy me, but tell me to my face that they're doing it because they consider me "extraordinary", because I'm always so much in my own head that I consider myself a regular joe, nothing special. However, when people express admiration and jealousy, it only has to do with creative expression & certain aspects of my personality (sense of humor, compassion, ability to see many pov, non judgment towards others, etc), people would never envy my social position, social status, and I've never been envied for my political views & activism. Quite the contrary; all is wonderful when it comes to creative expression, unless I'm working on a banner for an anti-consumerism campaign, then I'm labeled a demon by those same people who were worshipping me a minute ago. The thing is, they don't envy/like me as a person, they just wish to integrate certain traits into themselves that they think they lack (and I bet they don't, they're just blocking them). So you're right, these people are only thinking about certain positive attributes they desire for themselves, totally forgetting that we have those traits most probably because our "darkness" complements/feeds it. Like I'd never be able to be as compassionate as I am nowadays if I hadn't been a total bitch in the past, you know. I'm so creative because I've worked super hard in the past to unleash the flow and keep it going, and sorted out all my blocks -that society, peers, parents, etc forced me to build up in the first place, and as an adult I had to unlearn all my conditioning which said that my INFP traits were unacceptable.
 
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#15 ·
Haha, it is my dream in life that people will be inspired by me and want to be like me, and it will never ever happen, because as far as likeability in humans goes, I'm pretty near the bottom of the ranking. Also I'm the opposite. I want to be like everyone else because I'm naturally defective, so I try to study people and see what makes them happy or popular or successful, but it never works out for me.
 
#16 ·
I dont think I've ever noticed anyone that ever attempted to be more like me. If there had been, it must have been a pretty terrible imitation.

I'm usually the one adapting to the other person's personality. If they attempt to imitate me, they will unknowingly be imitating my imitation of them self, which would be pretty ironic, and not recommended..lol but then again maybe my imitation of them is an improvement on the original. :p

but in terms of dress, yes I have met a few people that started to dress like me. I don't wear anything fancy or trendy even, but I put together some odd combinations coupled with necklaces and bracelets. The accessories I wear reflect my spiritual nature, so I do find it kind of odd when someone starts wearing it as a fashion statement after revealing they thought it looked nice on me. To each their own I guess.
 
#17 ·
Hmmm, I think people find INFPs to be mysterious which perhaps draws them in? I was told once that I was mysterious because I did not easily open up to people, was quiet in high school, nice, and was okay with being alone. They liked that I was an idealist because I was the more optimistic of my friends when it came to everyone else's problems. I was always the friend telling everyone that it would get better and to keep trying. Maybe that has something to do with it?
 
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