4 Types That Mistype As The INFP

Any personality type that claims both introversion and intuition is often perceived as highly desirable. In other words, if someone takes a personality test and manages to achieve one of the INXX types as their result, they are usually quite pleased. These types typically get described as rare, abstract, imaginative, creative, curious, big picture thinkers, innovative, and so forth. The INFP specifically is, in addition to the aforementioned traits, typically described as empathetic, idealistic, authentic, and deeply thoughtful. Of course, while every personality type is subject to mistypes, it’s not hard to imagine why someone would want to mistype as an INFP.

Of course, it’s not necessarily being done on purpose, hence my desire to write this article. Below, I’m going to list off the most common personalities that mistype as the INFP, give a brief overview as to why, and provide links under each section to further elaborate on the mistype. If you or someone you know is reconsidering being an INFP, I hope this article can provide some clarity, or guidance as to which path to explore next. I’ll make sure to include each type’s cognitive function stack in each section so that you can easily reference and compare it to the INFP’s stack, in order to understand the differences that I’ll be explaining.

The 4 INFP (Fi-Ne-Si-Te) Mistypes

Any Depressed Type

Did I say 4 mistypes? Well, I guess that was kind of a lie. While there are 4 specific personality types that commonly mistype as INFPs, there’s actually one other issue that can cause just about any other type to mistype as one. Namely, INFPs are often prone to bouts of melancholy, which gets conflated with depression. I don’t want to dive deeply into why here… Suffice it to say that INFPs tend to have high, idealistic standards for themselves and others, which can lead to frequent disappoint. Furthermore, INFPs typically process their feelings by deeply introspecting on them, which can lead to them being somewhat melancholic, at least at times.

Now, let’s think about someone who is depressed. What does depression often lead people to do? Well, many retreat inside their minds, go into isolation (hyper-introversion), get far more emotional than they would otherwise be, stop caring about their surroundings or their physical state, etc. Someone taking a personality test in this frame of mind could easily score as an Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceiver. They’d then check out the INFP descriptions and easily find ways to relate to it. You see what I’m saying? That’s why it’s incredibly important to take into account your current mental state when trying to type yourself. If this is not a healthy state for you, think back to a time when you were healthy and consider the personality implications for that period in your life.

ENFP (Ne-Fi-Te-Si)

One of the most common types to mistype as the INFP is the ENFP. I don’t imagine that is much of a surprise to you. After all, the ENFP has the exact same cognitive functions as the INFP, only in slightly different orders. They both even have the same overall preferences (Ne > Si and Fi >Te). The issue here usually lies within the realm of introversion versus extraversion, in the dichotomy sense.

The ENFP that mistypes as an INFP typically sees themselves as socially introverted, and struggles to see themselves as extraverted in the way extraversion typically gets described. However, cognitive extraversion and social extraversion are two different things. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly assume that the one must include the other. Nevertheless, you can be a cognitive extravert who is socially introverted, and vice versa. An ENFP does not have to identify as a social extravert; Ne just has to be their main focus in life, their main driver.

Of course, an ENFP can be very conscious of their Fi, which may be another reason why they consider being a Fi dominant. After all, Fi is auxiliary (or second position) for them; it should be a cognitive function that they can readily use to support their dominant.

(To explore this mistype further, check out Typing 101: Introversion vs. Extraversion, Extraversion in Typology, and 5 Differences Between ENFPs and INFPs.)

ISFP (Fi-Se-Ni-Te)

The ISFP may be the most common type to mistype as an INFP. Maybe I’m wrong about that, but I have seen it a lot. This mistype typically happens because, while the ISFP is able to correctly identify as an IXFP type, they feel like an intuitive.

The issue here has two facets. (1) Stereotypes about intuition (in the typology sense) conflate any kind of abstract thinking, creativity, or imagination with being intuitive. It’s important to realize, though, that these things are not exclusive to intuitives, and even if they were, everyone has an intuition function in their cognitive function stack, allowing them to at least occasionally tap into intuitive traits. (2) ISFPs have a tertiary intuition function. Those with a tertiary intuition function often feel more intuitive, regardless of whether or not they are. Tertiary Ni essentially can make ISFPs very conscious of their abstract side, regardless of how well or frequently they utilize it. This is also why ISFPs are prone to mistyping as INFJs.

(To explore this mistype further, check out IXTP/IXFP: Am I an Ne or Se User?)

ISTJ (Si-Te-Fi-Ne)

You may think this is an oddball one, but I’ve seen it happen, although mostly with women. This mistype is usually because the ISTJ is more in touch with their feeling function, and has done some research into the cognitive functions. They correctly identify their function stack as having Si/Ne and Fi/Te, but they fail to discern the correct placement.

See, the ISTJ is basically at the bottom of the food chain in typology, from a reputation standpoint. People frequently describe them as boring, overly conventional, rule followers that lack creativity or a mind of their own. (Bear in mind, these are stereotypes, and not what I actually think.) As such, many ISTJs fail to actually identify themselves as one. In the scenario of an ISTJ to INFP mistype, the individual feels a heightened awareness of their Fi, possibly due to some culture or family influences, and sees themselves as more intuitive than the ISTJ descriptions relay. Perhaps they see themselves as more creative, more imaginative, or less rigid than people believe an ISTJ should be. In these cases, the individual might believe their stack to be almost the complete opposite of what it is, and mistype as an INFP.

(To explore this mistype further, check out Am I an INFP or an ISTJ?)

ISFJ (Si-Fe-Ti-Ne)

This mistype is actually extremely similar to the above, but probably doesn’t seem as odd because both are feeling types. Like the ISTJ, the ISFJ personality type gets undervalued. The stereotypes are largely the same, only the ISFJ stereotypes have a feeler, or more specifically, an extraverted feeling (Fe) slant to them. In other words, ISFJs are boring, overly conventional, rule-followers who live to make others happy by baking them pies and such. The ISFJ who’s either more unconventional or feels in touch with their creative and/or abstract side will often (understandably) mistake themselves as an intuitive type. The ones who correctly identify themselves as Si/Ne users or feel more like disorganized perceivers often claim to be INFPs. Of course, this mistake is not only the result of misleading stereotypes, but also due to misunderstanding the differences between Fi and Fe.

(To explore this mistype further, check out 8 Differences Between Fi and Fe and 5 Similarities Between Fi and Fe.)