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Can an INFJ be a teacher? (5 reasons INFJs can)

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Page last updated: 09/01/2022 | Next review date: 09/01/2024
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This blog post aims to answer the question, “Can an INFJ be a teacher?” and explore the various dimensions of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type named INFJ that will help understand the answer. 

Can an INFJ be a teacher?

Yes, an INFJ can be a teacher. An INFJ can become a teacher because of the following 5 reasons –

  • INFJs are patient.
  • INFJs pay attention.
  • INFJs want to make a difference.
  • INFJs are good listeners and deep conversationalists.
  • INFJs are intelligent. 

These 5 reasons why an INFJ can be a teacher will be discussed in further detail below after taking a deeper look at what INFJ means. 

Who is an INFJ?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) inventors Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers established sixteen personality types. INFJ is one of them. Introversion, intuition, feeling, and judgement (INFJ) are four key personality traits based on psychologist C.G. Jung’s work.

Each of the four letters in the INFJ code represents a significant personality feature associated with the INFJ personality type. 

INFJs prefer to be planned and organised rather than spontaneous and flexible because they are energised by time alone (introverted), focus on ideas and concepts rather than facts and details (intuitive), make decisions based on feelings and values (feeling), and prefer to be planned and organised rather than spontaneous and flexible (Judging).

Because of their inclination to be idealistic, sympathetic, and sensitive, the INFJ personality type is also known as the “Counselor.” The INFJ is also known by the following nicknames:

  • The Insightful Visionary (MBTI)
  • The Advocate (16Personalities)

INFJs are nurturers who are creative and nurturing, with a strong sense of personal integrity and a desire to help others reach their full potential. INFJs have a knack for coming up with unique answers to people’s problems, and they are both creative and dedicated.

The Counselor (INFJ) has a unique ability to sense other people’s emotions and intentions, and will frequently know how they are feeling before they do. INFJs have faith in their capacity to read others and trust their perceptions of others. 

The INFJ is a secretive type who is choosy about communicating inner thoughts and feelings. INFJs are sensitive, yet they are also guarded.

INFJ Personality Type Characteristics.

  • INFJs can be soft-spoken and empathic due to their high sense of intuition and emotional understanding. This does not, however, imply that they are cowards. INFJs have strong convictions and the capacity to act aggressively to achieve their goals.
  • Despite their introversion, persons with the INFJ personality type may develop deep, lasting relationships with others. INFJs appreciate assisting others, but they also require rest and relaxation.
  • The INFJ is distinguished by their ability to put their ideals into action. INFJs don’t merely want a better world; they make it happen.
  • People with the INFJ personality type enjoy taking charge by planning, organising, and making choices as soon as feasible.
  • INFJs prioritise their emotions above objective facts when making judgments. This does not, however, imply that they view the world through rose-coloured glasses. INFJs have an excellent understanding of the world, including the good and the terrible, and aim to improve it.

What are these 5 reasons why an INFJ can be a teacher?

INFJs are patient.

INFJs have the ability to be extremely patient with their students, which helps them feel protected. They have a knack for truly putting themselves in their shoes, thus they don’t want to hurry anyone. 

While some instructors may be tough and rigid in their approach to teaching, the INFJ is unlikely to be one of them.

Instead, they recognise that each kid will study at their own speed and that they may require a little more patience and understanding at times. The INFJ is great at taking the time to get to know each student as an individual, rather than merely the class as a whole.

They genuinely care about providing kids with a feeling of purpose and want to devote time to assist them in their development. Outside of their pupils or other people, the INFJ may lack patience, but when they care about assisting others, they may be exceedingly understanding.

They understand when to give people space and when to intervene. This makes them excellent teachers since they will not push their kids when the moment is not appropriate.

INFJs pay attention.

While some teachers may miss little changes or characteristics in their kids, the INFJ teacher does. They excel at paying great attention to and studying each student’s individual demands and behaviours.

They want to be able to inspire their pupils with the way they teach, and they are quite enthusiastic when they try to share something with them. The INFJ is able to discern when someone truly requires their assistance and can intervene to help.

INFJs are also fantastic at adapting to change and various individuals since they have a keen awareness of what others desire or feel. The capacity to empathise makes the INFJ a fantastic teacher, especially when they put their heart and soul into their work.

The more time and effort an INFJ devotes to their teaching profession, the more they will be able to see it bear fruit.

INFJs want to make a difference.

INFJs have a natural urge to make a difference in the world, which is difficult for them to overcome. They frequently believe that they were born to perform great things with their lives and to serve a greater cause than themselves.

If they aren’t doing something satisfying or significant in their professions, the INFJ is likely to feel dissatisfied. This is why any office job is unlikely to make the INFJ happy and might cause them to feel quite disconnected from their work.

Working as a teacher will provide them with a feeling of purpose, especially if they can see the impact they have on their children. Those occasions when a pupil expresses their gratitude or returns years later to share something special with their INFJ instructor.

For the INFJ, these events are incredibly satisfying and make them understand how much of a difference they are genuinely making in the world. It doesn’t have to be something big; simply knowing they’ve made a difference in someone’s life is enough for them.

INFJs are good listeners and deep conversationalists. 

INFJs are frequently perceived as nice, kind, and easy to talk to. INFJs are a safe place to share from the other person’s viewpoint since they come across as caring, nonjudgmental, and willing to truly listen.

Some individuals think INFJs are so evasive that they don’t want to bother finding out what the “deeper meaning” underneath their words is.

Others view INFJs’ decision to suppress their genuine sentiments in order to avoid conflict with others differently. INFJs induce confusion instead of preventing harm. 

Others can’t tell if an INFJ likes them or are perplexed by an INFJ who appears pleasant but then departs. An INFJ who is overly indirect might come out as passive-aggressive and/or take delight in how difficult they are to grasp.

INFJs are intelligent.

INFJs have a tendency to make people believe they are intelligent. The INFJ personality has strong emotional intelligence and, because they enjoy studying and figuring things out, they also have a lot of head knowledge.

An INFJ’s ability to talk intelligently about a wide range of issues, some of which are fairly in-depth, is not uncommon. Others consider INFJs to be wise beyond their years. 

Some may regard their intuition as a “superpower” since their pattern-recognition abilities allow them to make educated guesses about the bigger picture. 

In addition, combining their pattern-recognizing Intuition with their interpersonal Feeling side allows them to rapidly understand what others are attempting to say. Other types recognise and appreciate this quality.

Conclusion – 

This blog post aimed to answer the question, “Can an INFJ be a teacher?” and reviewed the features and functions of this introverted Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type named INFJ to help determine whether an INFJ can be a teacher. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments you may have.

References –

Stafford, S. INFJ Teachers: How INFJs Respond to Being Teachers. (2020, February 12). Retrieved from https://personalitygrowth.com/infj-teachers-how-infjs-respond-to-being-teachers/#:~:text=INFJs%20can%20certainly%20make%20for,extroverted%20job%20in%20their%20minds.

Do INFJs make good teachers? Quora. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Do-INFJs-make-good-teachers

Whalen, L. What It’s Like Being an INFJ Teacher. (2018, May 21). Retrieved from https://introvertdear.com/news/infj-teacher-what-its-like/

Are any of you INFJs teachers? I’m considering teaching elementary, would like to hear other’s advice or experiences. Reddit. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/infj/comments/6o1jak/are_any_of_you_infjs_teachers_im_considering/

INFJ teachers: your strengths and weaknesses (INFJ’s preferred). Personality Cafe. (2013, March 4). Retrieved from https://www.personalitycafe.com/threads/infj-teachers-your-strengths-and-weaknesses-infjs-preferred.137915/

Owens, M. INFJ, THE COUNSELOR. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.truity.com/personality-type/INFJ/careers

4 Reasons that INFJs are the Best Teachers. (2021, November 30). Retrieved from https://www.blog.infjwoman.com/post/4-reasons-that-infjs-are-the-best-teachers

You don’t have to be INFJ to be an effective teacher, but it helps! What kind of personality makes a good teacher? Spoiler alert: all of them! How She Teaches. (2020, July 12). Retrieved from https://howsheteaches.com/2020/07/12/what-kind-of-personality-makes-a-good-teacher-spoiler-alert-all-of-them/