ISFJ

工作

这种人忠心耿耿、一心一意、富有同情心,喜欢助人为乐。由于 这种人有很强的职业道德,一旦觉得自己的行动确有帮助,他们便会担起重担。

最令他们满意的工作是,需要细心观察和精确性要求极高的工作 。他们需要通过不声不响地在背后工作以表达自己的感情投入,但个人贡献要能得到承认。  


仁慈、忠诚、体谅他人、善良,不怕麻烦帮助需要帮助的人。喜欢充当后盾,提供支持和鼓励。

对组织的贡献
Ø 考虑组织中每个人的实际需要
Ø 采用坚持到底的工作方式实现组织的目标
Ø 对细节和日常惯例非常耐心,甚至不辞辛苦,责任感强
Ø 付出努力自愿为他人提供服务
Ø 做事力求完美

领导模式
Ø 开始可能不愿担任领导,但当需要承担领导任务时,会接受
Ø 希望自己和他人服从组织的需要
Ø 以个人的影响力作为后盾
Ø 认真遵守传统程序和规则
Ø 观察细节以获得现实的结果

学习模式
Ø 花费充足的时间以结构化的方式,安静地记忆材料
Ø 注重实用性,关注做什么可以为人们提供帮助

倾向性顺序
(1)感觉,(2)情感,(3)思维,(4)直觉

解决问题模式
Ø 喜欢完全依据事实,尤其是当应用于人和准则方面时
Ø 为获得理想结果,需退一步思考问题的逻辑,然后寻找更多的可能性和其它含义

工作环境倾向性
Ø 喜欢与认真、从事组织性任务的人共事
Ø 能提供安全性和预测性的工作环境
Ø 组织结构明晰的环境
Ø 能保持安静、有一些个人空间的环境
Ø 做事坚持到底的环境
Ø 充满个人化、友好、体谅氛围的环境
Ø 服务型定向的环境

潜在的缺点
Ø 过于谨慎小心,尤其是对待未来发展
Ø 向他人表明自己观点时,显得意志不太坚定
Ø 因安静、忘却自我的特性而低估自己
Ø 过度依赖自己的经验,不能根据环境和其它需要灵活调整

发展建议
Ø 工作中需要估计风险,以积极、全面的观点看待未来
Ø 需发展更多的自信和直率
Ø 学会宣扬自己的成就
Ø 对其它形式的做事方式需保持开放态度

ISFJ:人事管理人员、簿记员、电脑操作员、顾客服务代表、 信 贷顾问、零售业主、房地产代理或经纪人、艺术人员、室内装潢师、 商品规划师、语言病理学者。   

生活

对ISFJ类型的人来说,最重要的是能平静安稳地生活,并从实处帮助别人。ISFJ人最首要的品质是为人民服务的强烈愿望。

在工作、家庭生活和娱乐活动中,ISFJ人经常是个未获赏识的角色。具有讽刺意义的是,由于他们一次次地说明自己是诚实和慷慨并可以被依赖的,周边的人竟也信以为真。

在工作岗位上,ISFJ人是守纪律、严谨的工人。他们一般有很好的记性和惊人的分析能力;由于他们耐心、真诚并富有同情心,所以在小团体中他们能与别人相处得很好。ISFJ人是很好相处、很可靠的合作伙伴,是个模范好雇员,但当作监工监察别人时,他们会觉得很不舒服。

ISFJ人适合的传统职业有:教书,社工,宗教活动,护理,医药(通常只是实务),神职活动,各行各业的秘书以及某些行政部门。

ISFJ人很注重职业道德,家庭是他们生活的中心。他们对家人很热心,很坦率,同时爱他们的人也这样待他们。

同大多数IS人一样,ISFJ人只有少数几个亲密的朋友。他们非常忠诚于这些朋友,乐于随时给他们物质上和精神上的帮助。友谊越深厚,他们越珍惜。

对ISFJ人的描述:
小心谨慎,温柔体贴;只有非常了解一个人后,才会去关心和挚爱;话语不多,熟知物质世界;在个人标准上不易妥协,容易生气;勤奋尽责,做事果断、有条理。

爱情

让人依靠的照顾者型(ISFJ)

若你是一个照顾者型

你是成为完美父母的最佳人选。你最大的欲望就是用你体贴、温柔、乐于付出的方式去照顾他人,这样的特质让其他人感受到安全、温暖及受到呵护。

你的最高指标是建立一个家庭,对你而言这比事业或其他兴趣更为重要。虽然你的工作或许很顺利,但在你的生命中,却没有什么比照顾小孩和另一半更让你感到快乐的事情了。

当你恋爱时

作为一个照顾者型,你相信爱情象征着安全感、责任、付出和结婚生子。这些话也许会吓坏某些恋爱类型,但对你而言,这些正是你所期许的爱情。

和其他追求安全者一样,你在一段感情开始时总是小心翼翼。你要确认未来伴侣是一个忠心和可靠的配偶和父母。

一旦你决定了你的伴侣,你会对他维持一种不会动摇的奉献。即使那段感情很糟糕,也不愿放弃,因为你把对另一半的付出看得非常重要。

有些时候,你会因为遵守传统的规定而受苦。你也许会身处于一段很差劲的感情中而无法抽身,即使你应该离开。

你的最佳恋爱类型

若你是一个女性照顾者型

你可以和男性照顾者型(IDFJ)、公务员型(ISTJ)或主人型(ESFJ)建立长久的感情关系。

男性照顾者型是一个温柔的伴侣,他可以配合你体贴的方式和想照顾别人的欲望,尤其是对家人。

一个主人型可以帮很大的忙,他可以帮你处理一切无法避开的应酬事宜。他外向的个性和你较保守的人格恰好形成绝妙的互补。

若你是一个男性照顾者型

你和女性照顾者型或公务员型(ISTJ)可以发展良好的关系。公务员型冷静、稳健的特质,可以在事情烦乱或你开始失去冷静思考时,帮助你保持正确的洞察力。

若你的理想情人是一个照顾者型

在哪里可以遇到一个照顾者型情人?

你可以试试以下这些照顾者型最喜欢的地方、事件或活动:

*烹饪班

*手工艺品店和展览

*社区赞助的野餐和乔迁庆宴

*婚礼接待处

*马术表演和社团

*儿童商店、活动和娱乐中心:照顾者型也许是单亲妈妈或父亲,又或许他们可能喜欢和他们认识且疼爱的小孩共度美好时光。

*家教协会(家长教师协会)会议:单亲父母通常会出席。

*编织班

*宠物俱乐部和表演

*男女混合垒球队

*保龄球俱乐部

*农产品展览会

*游乐场

*教会的野餐和社交活动

除了上述各点,任何迎合家庭、孩子、宠物和有助于保持健康快乐家庭状态的地方和活动,你都可以试一试。

如何与一个照顾者型情人约会?

牵小狗散步,若有必要,你可以去借一只—同时在照顾者型出现的地方对小狗表现无限的疼爱(希望你真的喜欢那只小狗)。照顾者型最爱的动物包括可爱的小狗和小猫。

若你不喜欢小狗,你可以在你的照顾者型注意的时候和一只小猫玩耍。若你没有宠物,也无法借到一只,你可以夸奖他们的宠物。

贝蒂,一个离了婚,有4个小孩的单亲母亲,就是以讨好她的爱人汉斯,一个照顾者型的人而赢得他的爱的。

“汉斯家和我家只有两栋楼之遥,但是我却无法找到一种认识他的方法。他是一个温暖、关爱的男人,他对人总是好言好语,但他经常都是一个人独处。

“我发现了关于他的一件事情:他很喜欢动物。汉斯经常把流浪或受伤的动物带回家中,医治和照顾它们,并让它们恢复健康。

“基于我的观察及和认识他的人聊天,我确定汉斯是一个照顾者型。大部分的时间里,他都喜欢一个人独处(内向的),对于家居之类的事情非常巧手(感受的),对人和动物很关心(感觉的),同时还非常的有计划、有组织(果断的)。他彻彻底底就是我要的那种男人。

“我在知道汉斯很爱小狗后,决定要好好表现我在动物身上的爱心。我牵着我的圣伯纳犬布兰地,在汉斯遛狗的时间内散步经过他家。汉斯总是规律地在每天早上7点钟牵着他的吉米散步。

“当汉斯看见我带着布兰地走过时,他立刻和我打招呼,我们于是展开了一席关于小狗的对话。我们喜欢有对方做伴的感觉,于是之后的每一天我们都一起遛狗。

“然后,在我们第一次正式约会时,我们带着布兰地和吉米,在一家允许宠物入店的餐厅用晚餐。我们度过了一个愉快的晚上,同时我们进展得很顺利。我们不仅对彼此着迷,布兰地和吉米似乎也很喜欢对方。一切都非常顺利。”

除了动物之外,照顾者型也很喜欢任何和儿童有关的事物。你可以邀请照顾者型的朋友和你一同逛玩具店,并帮你选礼物给你的侄子们。如果你没有任何年幼的亲戚,可以买一件玩具给邻居的小孩。

谨记:照顾者看重体贴并且懂得关心的人,若你表现出对儿童、动物和年老病弱者的关怀,会给他们留下深刻的印象。

*约会锦囊:表达善意和温柔,找个人介绍你们认识。

经常保持微笑。照顾者型对温暖和关怀的人们有很好的回应。但别着急,慢慢来,和其他追求安全者一样,照顾者型重视安全和传统—当陌生人在没有经过正式介绍的状况下靠近他们,他们很容易受到惊吓。如果可以让某人为你们做介绍(最好是照顾者型的亲戚或亲近的朋友),可能会有一个比较好的开始。

如何赢得照顾者型情人的爱?

表现出关怀、温柔和尊重。虽然你可能平日就是如此,照顾者型尤其会对一个善良,敏感的人感兴趣。

当你和一个照顾者型约会时,尽量表现出你温柔、家居的一面。你可以谈谈你的家人或你,也可以谈谈你对家庭的重视。

你也可以利用古老的追求方式向你的照顾者型示爱:送花朵和糖果,在海边漫步。如果你可以在约会中加入些许的浪漫和柔情,敏感的照顾者型就是属于你的了。

作为一个追求安全者,照顾者型在作有关感情的决定时都很小心谨慎,且需要一些时间。可是一旦他们作了决定,他们倾向于坚守自己的选择。

最好是沉得住气、耐心等待,同时像一个标准的淑女或绅士般对待他们,你就可以期待一段长长久久,且充满关爱的感情。

如何和照顾者型情人拥有美好的性关系?

作为一个爱人,照顾者型是很温柔和顺的;虽然不太有经验,但他们很乐意取悦他们的伴侣。未婚女性照顾者型在进行性活动时也许会觉得尴尬或有犯罪感,尤其是当她们来自传统或保守的家庭时。

有一点很重要:当你在和一位照顾者型谈恋爱时,不要急着进入性阶段。照顾者型有兴趣先了解你,然后决定你是否符合他们长期的婚姻计划。

事实上,大部分照顾者型在想要和你上床之前就先希望感情进入接近婚姻状态。一个照顾者型也许会希望先去拜会你的父母亲(同时带你去见他或她的父母亲),然后才考虑发生关系。

当然,也有例外,有些照顾者型(或是说任何恋爱类型)的热情也许会让你大吃一惊。然而,大部分的情况下,照顾者型需要一些时间,把你当作潜在结婚对象来认识你,并且要确定你就是那个“特别的人”,然后才可能和你发生性关系。

在他们的感情发展之初,保罗情不自禁想要赶快和他的女朋友,26岁的美女希瑟发生性关系。

保罗有一头金发,长得又帅,是一个年轻有为的企业家,拥有5家连锁快餐店,有很多女人主动靠近他。他晓得若他要她,希瑟一定会屈服于他的魅力。

但是希瑟有一点与别人不同的特质。不光是她的美丽,而是她独特的个性。她很有爱心、很温柔也很善良,同时,她也是他的理想恋爱类型:照顾者型。

虽然他必须自我挣扎,但保罗知道关于他和希瑟的性关系,他必须慢慢来。结果他和希瑟同意了一项政策:在婚前不做过度的爱抚或*。希瑟希望维持处女之身直到结婚那天,保罗也尊重她的愿望。

在9个月的追求后,保罗提出了求婚,希瑟接受了。他们现在正在等待一对双胞胎的来临,也享受着美好的婚姻生活,而且双方都很满意他们的性生活。他很高兴他们等到结婚后才有性关系。

如何和照顾者型情人维持一段长久的关系?

照顾者型是“标准母亲”的缩影;不论他们是男性或女性,他们都特别有兴趣照顾他们的伴侣和小孩。

由于他们有非常强烈的责任感,照顾者型常会固守一段出轨的婚姻。一旦他们对某人付出过,照顾者型会觉得离开是最终的背叛,这是他们永远无法做到的事。

男性照顾者型会是一个完美、顾家的丈夫。他是那种很爱小孩,同时对婴儿尿布和对扳手机械一样灵巧的男人。

霍利是一个35岁的药品销售员,当她在其中一次家教协会活动中遇见37岁照顾者型的戴维—一位小学教师,她不相信自己有这么好的运气。

作为一个企图心强的生意人,同时是两个小孩的母亲,霍利几乎没有时间参与家庭的活动,但家教协会的聚会是例外。

她的出席不仅仅是为了她的两个女儿,同时,霍利也希望通过这样的机会,找到所谓稀有品种的男性照顾者型。

在家教协会见到那些男老师之前,霍利总是怀疑到底那种体贴的、有爱心的、会为家庭奉献的男人是否存在。当她遇到戴维—一个英俊的鳏夫时,她所有的疑虑都得到了解答。

戴维比霍利认识的许多妈妈更加热爱小孩及家庭生活。在他的妻子过世后,他独自抚养一个男孩,同时还继续他在学校艰辛的工作和担任义工。

在家教协会会议中段休息的时候,霍利和戴维开始谈论着他们的小孩多么的相似,紧接着谈到他们两人许多的共同点。

他们以一杯咖啡开始他们的感情之路,在3个月后以一场感人的婚礼为他们的感情正名。

如今戴维很满足能留在家中照顾他们的两个小孩,而霍利则继续她的事业,每年赚更多钱来养家活儿。他们对如此的安排很满意:霍利找到了她要的事业成就感,而戴维享受着照顾第二个家庭的乐趣。

若能有足够的运气和一位适当的照顾者型结婚,你将会拥有一位奉献的、有爱心的伴侣,陪伴你共度余生。

你会和一位完美的父亲或母亲结合,他或她将是一个永不言累的好帮手,可以把脏乱的屋子变成一个温馨的家,把生活变成一个愉悦的存在。

综述

The Nurturer

As an ISFJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you takes things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system.

ISFJs live in a world that is concrete and kind. They are truly warm and kind-hearted, and want to believe the best of people. They value harmony and cooperation, and are likely to be very sensitive to other people's feelings. People value the ISFJ for their consideration and awareness, and their ability to bring out the best in others by their firm desire to believe the best.

ISFJs have a rich inner world that is not usually obvious to observers. They constantly take in information about people and situations that is personally important to them, and store it away. This tremendous store of information is usually startlingly accurate, because the ISFJ has an exceptional memory about things that are important to their value systems. It would not be uncommon for the ISFJ to remember a particular facial expression or conversation in precise detail years after the event occured, if the situation made an impression on the ISFJ.

ISFJs have a very clear idea of the way things should be, which they strive to attain. They value security and kindness, and respect traditions and laws. They tend to believe that existing systems are there because they work. Therefore, they're not likely to buy into doing things in a new way, unless they're shown in a concrete way why its better than the established method.

ISFJs learn best by doing, rather than by reading about something in a book, or applying theory. For this reason, they are not likely to be found in fields which require a lot of conceptual analysis or theory. They value practical application. Traditional methods of higher education, which require a lot of theorizing and abstraction, are likely to be a chore for the ISFJ. The ISFJ learns a task best by being shown its practical application. Once the task is learned, and its practical importance is understood, the ISFJ will faithfully and tirelessly carry through the task to completion. The ISFJ is extremely dependable.

The ISFJ has an extremely well-developed sense of space, function, and aesthetic appeal. For that reason, they're likely to have beautifully furnished, functional homes. They make extremely good interior decorators. This special ability, combined with their sensitivity to other's feelings and desires, makes them very likely to be great gift-givers - finding the right gift which will be truly appreciated by the recipient.

More so than other types, ISFJs are extremely aware of their own internal feelings, as well as other people's feelings. They do not usually express their own feelings, keeping things inside. If they are negative feelings, they may build up inside the ISFJ until they turn into firm judgments against individuals which are difficult to unseed, once set. Many ISFJs learn to express themselves, and find outlets for their powerful emotions.

Just as the ISFJ is not likely to express their feelings, they are also not likely to let on that they know how others are feeling. However, they will speak up when they feel another individual really needs help, and in such cases they can truly help others become aware of their feelings.

The ISFJ feels a strong sense of responsibility and duty. They take their responsibilities very seriously, and can be counted on to follow through. For this reason, people naturally tend to rely on them. The ISFJ has a difficult time saying "no" when asked to do something, and may become over-burdened. In such cases, the ISFJ does not usually express their difficulties to others, because they intensely dislike conflict, and because they tend to place other people's needs over their own. The ISFJ needs to learn to identify, value, and express their own needs, if they wish to avoid becoming over-worked and taken for granted.

ISFJs need positive feedback from others. In the absence of positive feedback, or in the face of criticism, the ISFJ gets discouraged, and may even become depressed. When down on themselves or under great stress, the ISFJ begins to imagine all of the things that might go critically wrong in their life. They have strong feelings of inadequacy, and become convinced that "everything is all wrong", or "I can't do anything right".

The ISFJ is warm, generous, and dependable. They have many special gifts to offer, in their sensitivity to others, and their strong ability to keep things running smoothly. They need to remember to not be overly critical of themselves, and to give themselves some of the warmth and love which they freely dispense to others.

成长

What does Success mean to an ISFJ?

ISFJs are the homemakers, carers and facilitators of the world. Their strong sense of duty, hard-working tendencies and ability to respond quickly to what is suitable to a particular situation are great assets. With a dominant function that quickly grasps the qualities inherent within the external world, and a secondary function that weighs such perceptions against their value within this world, the ISFJ has a great talent for discovering the aesthetic and essential qualities compatible with and relevant to a particular real world situation. This means that, not only within the world of objects, but also in their relationships with people, ISFJs are gifted with the ability to recognize and understand the comfort and surroundings suitable to a secure and pleasing existence. And they can do this with a decisiveness which might make others wonder if the ISFJ was not in fact getting their answers from some form of intuitive understanding rather than what is really a vast library of carefully related memory images and value judgments. An ISFJ will always feel best when their world a place of quality and reassurance, both for themselves and others. Success for an ISFJ means being able to fulfil a role providing value for others and ordering their world in a way in which safety and security is balanced against a genuine respect for the aesthetic and positive qualities of life.

Allowing Your ISFJ Strengths to Flourish

As an ISFJ, you have gifts that are specific to your personality type that aren't natural strengths for other types. By recognizing your special gifts and encouraging their growth and development, you will more readily see your place in the world, and how you can better use your talents to achieve your dreams.

Nearly all ISFJs will recognize the following characteristics in themselves. They should embrace and nourish these strengths:
 
  • You are adept at seeing the right balance, the best way to make the world look and feel good. This talent enables you to make your world reflect your inner self and become a place of security and growth in which others can feel at ease too.
  • You have a gift for knowing what will make another person feel better about the world and themselves. Your valuable input to their world comes back to you in ways which aid your own personal development.
  • You see clearly what is right and wrong, what grates on yourself and others, what works for harmony and what does not. Your clear recognition of these things gains you the confidence and respect of others.
  • You have a great memory for things, places and events, their curious details and the relationships between them. More than this, you also remember what was both good and bad about these things. These skills show in your ability to give no nonsense advice and aid to others.
  • Within yourself you know, even if others do not realise it, that for as long as they are trying to do their best, you will hold the line with them to the very end. You see this as simply doing the right thing, but in fact it is a special virtue and makes you one of the most worthy of partners and friends when the chips are down.
  • You work hard to get the job done, and you can be counted on the stay with it till it is finished.
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    ISFJs who have a strongly express Extraverted Feeling function will find they also enjoy these special gifts:
     
  • Work is never a chore to you, but a gift you offer to the world.
  • In your relationships you are able to clearly show others how you feel about them.
  • Others will always feel at ease in your home and presence.
  • Your efforts always seem to be appreciated by those around you.
  • You will try to find pleasing ways to settle differences and to find the most satisfying solutions to both your own and others' difficulties.
  • More often than not, you will know exactly the right thing to do, say, buy or create to make things better or move things toward a valid human solution to a problem.
  • You will clearly see the conditions underlying a situation and their effects on the persons within it, enabling you to see ways of changing things for the better. In this sense, you may be a powerful agent for social justice.
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    Potential Problem Areas

    With any gift of strength, there is an associated weakness. The strong expression of any function can overshadow others, whilst at the same time its own associated and unexpressed inferior function can mine the unconscious mind and throw up annoying resistances and unsettling emotions. We value our strengths, but we often curse and - even more limiting to our potential development - ignore our weaknesses. To grow as a person and get what we want out of life, we must not only capitalize upon our strengths, but also face our weaknesses and deal with them. That means taking a hard look at our personality type's potential problem areas.

    ISFJs are kind, steady and responsible beings with many special gifts. I would like for the ISFJ to keep in mind some of the many positive things associated with being an ISFJ as they read some of this more negative material. Also remember that the weaknesses associated with being an ISFJ are natural to your type. Although it may be depressing to read about your type's weaknesses, please remember that we offer this information to enact positive change. We want people to grow into their own potential, and to live happy and successful lives.

    Many of the weaker characteristics that are found in ISFJs are due to their dominant and Introverted Sensing function overshadowing the rest of their personality. This generally results in two notable effects: their Extraverted Feeling function is unable to balance their sharply rendered inner perceptions with a sense of human value, whilst at the same time these very perceptions often hint at strange associations and consequences which seem always to hover darkly in the background of the world

    In such cases, an ISFJ may show some or all of the following weaknesses in varying degrees:

  • May find difficulty expressing their feelings without fear or anger.
  • May be unable to correctly judge what really is for the best
  • May wrongly suspect others of having hidden motives or agendas
  • May be unable to shrug off feelings impending disaster
  • May be unable to acknowledge or hear anything that goes against their certainty about the "correct" or "right" way to do things
  • May have a tendency to blame particular persons for disturbing or upsetting "their world" by simply being who they are
  • May come across to others as cold and insensitive to anything but another's ability to fit in with and support their own judgments
  • May be unnecessarily harsh or strict about appropriate social behaviour
  • May be oblivious to what others think about them
  • May come across as rigid, inflexible or even cold and uncaring to others, without being aware of it
  • May be unable to understand verbal logic, and quickly cut off other's explanations
  • May value their own certainties about the world and its problems far above others
  • May be quite falsely certain of their influence upon, and understandingof others
  • May be extremely vulnerable to tricks, con men, false hopes, religious cults and conspiracy theories
  • May react with anger or distress when someone expresses disagreement with their view of the world, or disapproval of their judgements
  • May favour their judgements to the degree that they are unable to notice the pain or difficulty such judgements might cause others
  • Under great stress, are likely to make outrageously harsh and uncaringly selfish survival oriented decisions
  • Explanation of Problems

    Nearly all of the problematic characteristics described above can be attributed in various degrees to the ISFJs internally mapped and abstract view of the world not being successfully coupled to an appropriate level of Extroverted feeling. Without this rational external balance, the ISFJs opposing unconscious functions can wreak havoc upon the order and sense of the ISFJs perceptions and ideas. ISFJs are usually stable, certain, reliable and deft in their approach to life. But if unbalanced, they are likely to treat any point of view other than their own with a kind of cold dismay, and if pressed hard will tend to shut out the existence of problems caused by others differing attitudes and opinions. If the ISFJ does not learn how to deal with the wide range of differing world views they come into contact with, they can find themselves closed into a lonely little corner of the world in which only their own feelings of safety and certainty are maintained. This is a natural survival technique for the extreme ISFJ personality.

    The main driver to the ISFJ personality is Introverted Sensing, whose function is to define the properties of and locate and recognise the sometimes abstract and innate qualities of and between the objects of the outer world. If an ISFJ's picture of the world is threatened by external influences, the ISFJ generally tries to shut such new information out of their lives. This is totally natural, and works well to protect the individual psyche from getting hurt. However, the ISFJ who exercises this type of self-protection regularly will become closed within a small and ever decreasing circle of those family and friends who do not actively disturb their increasingly narrow and rigid world view. They will always find justification for their own inappropriate behaviours, and will always find fault with the outside world for problems that they have in their lives. It will be difficult for them to maintain close personal relationships because they will have a negatively polarised and therefore limited ability to communicate outside of the box of their own security needs.

    It is not an uncommon tendency for the ISFJ to support their ideas and values by using only the value judgements they make about the world and other peoples behaviour. However, if this tendency is given free reign, the resulting ISFJ personality is too self-centred to be happy or successful. Since the ISFJ's dominant function is Introverted Sensing, they must balance this with an auxiliary Extraverted Feeling function. If the ISFJ uses Extraverted Feeling only to serve the purposes of Introverted Sensing, then the ISFJ is not using Extraversion effectively at all. As a result, the ISFJ does not sufficiently recognise and sympathise with the way feelings effect the behaviour of others in the world to have a good sense of why things happen as they do. They see nothing but their own perspective, and deal with the world only so far as they need to in order to support their perspective. These individuals usually come across as somewhat judgemental and full of fixed and often rather ambiguously polarised ideas about the world. Other people are often surprised by the vehemence of their ideas and are usually unable to understand how they came by them.

    Solutions

    To grow as an individual, the ISFJ needs to focus on opening their perspective to include a more accurate picture of the feelings and value judgements of others. In order to be in a position in which the ISFJ is able to perceive and consider data that is foreign to their internal value system, the ISFJ needs to recognise that their world view is not threatened by the new information. The ISFJ must consciously tell himself/herself that emotional affects in others are not unrelated to reality; that the feelings of others are also just and valid within a wider and less rigorous vision of the world.

    The ISFJ who is concerned with personal growth will pay close attention to their motivation for deciding what is good and bad, right and wrong. Do they try to find the feeling values of others in a situation? Or, do they value only those feelings which support a personal idea or cause? At the moment when something is felt, is the ISFJ only concerned with whether that feeling supports something they recognise as correct? Or is she/he concerned with becoming truly empathetic? To achieve a better understanding of others and the world in which they live, the ISFJ should try to put themselves into the minds of others, to locate and recognise how they have come to feel the way they do, before making judgements. They should consciously be aware of their tendency to discard anything that doesn't agree with their carefully ordered concepts, and work towards lessening this tendency. They should try to feel the way others would feel in situations, without making personal judgments about the actual situations. In general, they should work on exercising their Feeling in a truly extraverted sense. In other words, they should use Feeling to locate the their true connections to and relationship with others for the sake of gaining a wider perspective, rather than only allowing such feeling values to support their own conclusions. The ISFJ who successfully feels things objectively may be quite a powerful force for positive change.

    Living Happily in our World as an ISFJ

    Some ISFJs have difficulty fitting into our society. Their problems are often a result of an inability to flow with what is, a too negative or correcting attitude which dismays others, or unrealistic ideals and ideas about the world. These issues mostly stem from using Extraverted Feeling in a diminished manner: the lack of a strong externally focused value system allowing an often ambiguous and yet strongly defended world view which has little relation to concrete reality to control the personality. An ISFJ who attempts to feel and value the feelings of others for the sake of understanding the world around them, rather than quickly deciding how they and they alone feel, will have a clearer, more objective understanding of how society is dependant not only upon structure and correct behaviour, but also how human values make it just what it is and not something else perhaps more desirable. He or she will also be more comfortable and less likely to demand that the world and the behaviour of others conform to some abstract code of being. Such well-adjusted ISFJs will fit happily into our society. Unless you really understand Psychological Type and the nuances of the various personality functions, it's a difficult task to suddenly start to use Feeling in an unambiguous and totally extraverted direction. It's difficult to even understand what that means, much less to incorporate that directive into your life. With that in mind, I am providing some specific suggestions that may help you to begin exercising your Extraverted Feeling more fully:

    • Take care to try and discover why others feel the way they do. Try to notice the connections between their feelings and the way they see the world. Don't immediately compare your own value judgements about the world to theirs; simply accept that for them this is a real and perfectly valid way of responding.
    • Think of those times and situations in your life when you felt misunderstood or disregarded by others. Now try to understand how one or two other people would see the situation. Don't try to assume they would judge as you do: "she would have to feel the same way if that happened to her", or "he would change his tune if he saw things from my point of view". Rather, try to understand how they would truly see the situation. Would it be seen as a problem, or as an opportunity? Would it be taken seriously or lightly? Try to determine their point of view without passing judgment or comparing it to your own.
    • When having a conversation with a friend or relative, dedicate at least half of your time to finding out how the other person feels about what they are describing. Concentrate on really sensing their emotional state. Tell them how you feel and compare. Ask questions about why they feel as they do.
    • Think of the people who are closest to you. As you think of each person, tell yourself "this person has their own life going on, and they are more concerned with their own life than they are with mine." Remember that this doesn't mean that they don't care about you. It's the natural order of things. Try to visualize what that person is feeling right now. What emotions are they enacting, what thoughts are they having? Don't pass judgment, or compare their situation to your own.
    • Try to identify the personality type of everyone that you come into contact with for any length of time.

    Ten Rules to Live By to Achieve ISFJ Success

    1.     Feed Your Strengths! Let your talent for recognising harmony and balance spill out into the world around you, show your gifts to the world. Allow yourself to take opportunities to design, reorganise and rebalance things to make your home and work environments better for yourself and others. Find work or a hobby which allows you to realise these strengths.

    2.     Face Your Weaknesses! Realize and accept that some things are never going to be how you would like them to be. Understand that other peoples feelings are sometimes more important than whether they are right or wrong. Facing and dealing with discord or differences in others doesn't mean that you have to change who you are; it means that you are giving yourself opportunities to grow. By facing your weaknesses, you honour your true self and that of others.

    3.     Discover the World of Others. Don't let yourself fall into the trap of thinking you always know what is right for others. Open your heart to the possibility of understanding that their true needs are something that must be discovered through relationship, and recognition that their world might be very different, yet just as valid as your own.

    4.     Don't be too hasty. Try to let things settle before you make a judgement, allowing others to discover the best for themselves while you feel your way into their way of seeing things.

    5.     Look Carefully at the World. Remember, things are not always what they seem on the surface. You might need to look deeper to discover the truth, particularly when it seems you are sure of your first quick judgement. There are layers of meaning and truth beneath everything.

    6.     Try to Let Others Take Some of the Load. By letting others help, you are not letting things get out of control, but are validating their own need to be a part of your life. Remember, it is better to guide another to see your point of view than keeping them out of the picture.

    7.     Be Accountable to Others. Remember that they need to understand you and your needs too. Express your feelings and reasons and let them become partners to your goals.

    8.     Don't Hem Yourself in. Staying in your comfort zone is self defeating in the end. Try to make every day one where you get out and discover a little something different about the world and others. This will broaden your horizons and bring new ideas and opportunities into focus.

    9.     Assume the Best and Seek for it. Don't wait for others to live up to your expectations. Every person has a goldmine of worth in them, just as every situation can be turned to some good. If you let yourself believe this, you will find yourself discovering ways to make it true for you.

    10. When in Doubt, Ask For Help! Don't let your sense of self sufficiency leave you on the horns of a dilemma or lead you into disaster. If you are uncertain of something or someone then get input from others you trust.