[brady]

So guess what, after 22 years of beating my head against a brick wall, I go see a therapist earlier this week and I fill in some bubbles. Turns out, I'm an INFP! Not crazy! So now I've read both Gifts Differing and Please Understand Me in under 48 hours, and I'm foaming at the mouth with excitement for the future. My relationship to the world now makes sense.

Indeed, the acute feelings of solitude and isolation which paralyzed me throughout my childhood have been given a constructive explanation, and my recent period of darkness can be attributed to the way I've been forcing myself to think and act more "normal." More like others.

Believe me, I had tried blending in, meds, religion, Spinoza, Schopenhauer, and most things in between (just not Jung). And although I learned a great deal from that march through psychohell, I've realized that my feelings of loneliness and despair were essentially brought about by the way I devalued myself and turned away from my true nature.

So now I've put the print of David's "Death of Socrates" back on my wall, I'm listening to Bob Dylan and the Band's "Basement Tapes", and I'm filling out an application to teach English in Bogota this fall.

I'm aware I'm probably overreacting just a smidgen, but has anyone else gone through this? I'd like to share my joy with others who've shared this phantom ailment.

Thanks!

Brady

 

[Corporal Atlas]

We all tend to be this exhilarated about finding out we're a personality type and not a mental disorder.

 

[crazitaco]

._.
i never considered myself crazy

 

[brady]

More of an anxiety than a belief, but a pervasive anxiety nonetheless.

 

[hercoffin]

Yay! Welcome to the INFP club! hehe .. I felt exactly the same way when I found out my personality type. (In fact, I wrote a blog about the experience, which you can find in my signature below if you're interested.)

 

[refugee]

What are you going to do with your newfound powers?

 

[brady]

I wouldn't say newfound as much as refound, but in any case I figure I will start by taking my own emotional experiences and use them to help a couple others I know who are going through a rough time. I'm a bit ashamed that I've yet to address a couple of situations that perhaps I have some insight into. From there we'll see. Thanks for asking.

 

[Spirisoul]

"I'm not crazy,
I'm just a little lost now."

Forgot what the song was called.

Yeah, I'm in my teen years right now. I was a bit overexcited to see that I'm not the only one trying to cram all of my emotions inside. It feels great to know that I'm not the only one going through some of the INFP drama, that we are going through it and we could relate to each other in one way or another.

It actually added to my sense of self identity too. MBTI ftw. ^^

 

[infpista]

3 pieces of advice
Don't be tempted to use INFP as a crutch. "Oh, I can't/won't do that I'm an INFP"
Pay attention to the INFP weaknesses and work on those.
Don't spend too much time reading INFP forum postings, you might become depressed.

 

[brady]

Duly noted.

 

[infpista]

lol no problem you induced me to come out of my lurker status

 

[perfectcircle]

awesome!! pursue your dreams!! you can only be you so might as well be as you as you can <3

 

[sleepingdragon83]

I'm not crazy! YOU'RE crazy!

Just kidding :crazy:

I just decided TONIGHT I'm an INFP too! Welcome to the club!

 

[Cellar_Door]

You know it's funny, and somewhat strangely coincidental I found out through my old therapist also,
The only reason I was there in the first place was,
seemingly the repercussions from my in-contentment were starting to show,
Because I couldn't define why and who I was, and why nobody around could relate
but I mean "There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in" - Leonard Cohen

It's strange and totally seems serendipitous to me, almost like a twisted fate,
That eventually I would inevitably establish something more to my perception, to my life,
Something more than that, that was right in front of me at the time.

But ever since I established I was an INFP,
my misunderstood self seemed to balance,
juxtaposed to normal life, and relating with this alternate world of 'dreamers' which felt where I naturally belonged,
And although I can't say i'm necessarily content with my life,
It was this ridiculous like amazing, liberating feeling to realize that I wasn't alone in it.
That other people could genuinely relate.
I guess now all I yearn for is other INFP's in my day to day life
..really...
an INFP girl...sigh
as ridiculous and idealistic as I might sound.

 

[kindaconfused]

Welcome to your life, Brady.

 

[niki]

First of all, congratulations and welcome to the club!
Second, I really like what you're saying about filling out application to teach English in Bogota
I think you've just given me some inspirations of potential "what to do" in my current 'confused' state right now...and thank you for that!

 

[JerseyDevil]

You know it's funny, and somewhat strangely coincidental I found out through my old therapist also,
The only reason I was there in the first place was,
seemingly the repercussions from my in-contentment were starting to show,
Because I couldn't define why and who I was, and why nobody around could relate
but I mean "There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in" - Leonard Cohen

It's strange and totally seems serendipitous to me, almost like a twisted fate,
That eventually I would inevitably establish something more to my perception, to my life,
Something more than that, that was right in front of me at the time.

But ever since I established I was an INFP,
my misunderstood self seemed to balance,
juxtaposed to normal life, and relating with this alternate world of 'dreamers' which felt where I naturally belonged,
And although I can't say i'm necessarily content with my life,
It was this ridiculous like amazing, liberating feeling to realize that I wasn't alone in it.
That other people could genuinely relate.
I guess now all I yearn for is other INFP's in my day to day life
..really...
an INFP girl...sigh
as ridiculous and idealistic as I might sound.

It isn't ridiculous. It is worth it when you find her :happy:

Also, welcome brady :happy:

 

[starflower]

Finding out I'm INFP and not alone in my way of feeling/thinking/being was one of the most wonderful things that ever happened to me. Welcome!