INFP Secrets: The Art of Identity Alchemy 

Indeed, a most befitting word! It's so lovely to watch your videos. I feel like you are one of the few people out there who is not an INFP but looks beyond the stereotypes. There is so much more to INFPs than just being emotional (which is something we rarely are outwardly) and just sad or depressed. They overlook the curiosity, that ability to stand our ground even through tough storms, the natural inclination towards learning, the willingness and capacity to help others, the open-mindedness that often leads to wisdom, the ability to get back up regardless what people throw at us, how bad we are hurt or how adverse the environment is. Yes, we move slowly through life but out achievements are built on strong foundation because we take our time. To others it might seen like we are almost standing still, stuck in one messy situation or another but in time we think, we feel, we learn and come out of it stronger. I think there are a lot of INFPs out there who think they are stuck, worthless, useless, incapable of doing or being anything of significance simply because we live in a world that would have us evaluate ourselves by the standards, progress and pace of others. In the long run, we prove to be stronger and more stable than most. I wish people would stop trying to shape us into their own image. We are fine the way we are, we don't need pity and if you give us enough time, we may even surpass you :D

"we have a compass that doesnt point north, but were not trying to find north are we..."

Lovely INFPs. How not to love such amazing people? My mom was one. She was actually a chemist. I have helped her craft her work plans for additional chemistry classes for those who want to get beyond the basics and suggested that she talk about alchemy. My mom was really receptive to ideas without labeling them as strange. It is a welcoming attitude especially if all you ever think/talk about is some idea(s) most people may become dismissive towards because those have not been fully explored and confirmed before. Oftentimes, videos on INFPs resurface her presence in my life. Not that it is lost, but this brings her back in a more constructive way as opposed to feelings of grief masked in : I will live life for the both of us and achieve things that would make you feel proud of me. Thank you 🙏🏻

Wow, so good, Nathan. As an INFP, I always feel 'seen' in your often poetic descriptions.

I described INFPs as as people of synthesis as opposed to INTPs as people of analysis. I think it aligns with idea of Alchemist very well.

As an INFP I feel like an unorganized organizer

If you want to see an INTJ fall head over heels for someone, show us an INFP. I think we are baby INFPs inside.

INFP, adhd, anxiety & depression. No compass sounds right. At 48 years old, I feel uneasy and on the edge. Mentally exhausted of life with humans. I shut myself of from most ppl and prefer things over people. Thankfully I don't work, I can stay in my world and keep most out. I need this to survive .

I’m an INFP type 4 Enneagram.

"The alchemists of identity"...Wow, I'll take that!

Thirty-plus years ago, while doing some career counseling, I learned I was an INFP. At that time -- pre-internet -- there weren't many resources for exploring what that meant. I sort of forgot about my type until a couple of years ago when your videos (and others') about MBTI starting popping up on my RU-vid feed. Now that I'm 65 I have several decades of living to reflect on and am amazed at how accurate the INFP typing was. This video in particular makes complete sense to me. Even 5 years ago I might not have seen myself as well as I do now. So I guess I'm saying to all the INFP's who are younger, your qualities will become clearer to you with each passing year. It is so much easier to own my alchemist self now! And videos like this one have helped me do that.

Absolutely LOVED this vid/perspective on this! My fiance' is an INTJ while I'm an INFP- and we constantly joke and say that I am a "quantum alchemist" haha. Because, there have been so many various situations that I've been in, or ideas that I've had, perspectives, and outcomes (of things that I do), etc etc- that have ended up leading to results that people almost think are "magical". Because they "don't make sense" to them. Which, to me is kind of silly because so much ends up coming down to caring enough to pay attention (to everything and anything) and wanting to learn how it all works. And ultimately caring about each other. Chaos is basically just patterns we don't recognize yet. And I'm naturally low-key obsessed with trying to understand the world and human nature so that I can help even a little in pushing for things to fall into place and mesh together in positive ways around me in an attempt to create a realistic but good outcome for whoever I come into contact with. I know that I can't save the world, but if I can make someone smile or laugh for even a second- man, I know how much that little stuff means to me. And while I have gone through a ton in my life and my curiosity and awareness from a young age has led to severe depression- I have been working on re-wiring some of that into focusing on how beautiful those small moments of calm between the chaos are and remind people that we are all a lot more powerful than we think we are too. We can all be alchemists in a way, if that makes sense. Oh gosh, I've rambled into oblivion now. Whelp, you get what I mean! (I think). Anyhow, yes, absolutely love this video and I resonate with SO much of it.

You know, people try to tell me that mbti is hokum, and then I see something like this. My default setting on the world is curiosity and I love integrating new things. Everything you described is 100% me. I'm Catholic and have never explored other spiritualities in anything but an intellectual way, but I did choose to learn more than most people about other religions just for the human context.

"Wonky compass" I have never felt so well described 😆 Thank you for this, Nathan! It helped me understand my own chaos.

One of the best descriptions of an INFP I have run across to date.

I'm a INFP and I'm giggling at wonky compass🙃

Indeed my identity will forever be a work in progress, and your videos always help me to fill up my infinite canvas with intricate details. Us INFPs are eternally grateful for you, Nathan! You inspire us to soldier on in our search when we may feel like our inner world is too vast and dark for anything meaningful to be found. Your videos are like rays of light, encouraging us to carry on. So i suppose this is me encouraging you to do the same 😊

I think INFPs may be interested in astrology, but one with a developed Ne who ends up being curious about all sorts of belief systems will just use it for the language it introduces because introduces words that can more concisely convey what they feels. They would also see the patterns in how it’s popularity gained traction amongst a whole sea of human beliefs humans developed to explain the “unknown” that science hasn’t yet convincingly explained to the masses, and would look for patterns with other popular or pervasive belief systems to see why it has gained popularity over other systems. That said, I don’t think INFPs will be too involved with actually buying into astrology too much as their actual belief system (if they have one) because our other research and our screaming inferior Te will always think it’s not grounded with empirical evidence and there are just so many other systems that have equal or more plausibility to be true… how do we pick one? I actually find those with strong Fe and who have Ni in their function stack will be more likely to actually believe in it.

"The alchemists of identity" - love it 👏🔥

I really love the description. If i were to describe INFPs way of navigating the world. Its more of a feeling radar. Once we get the general idea of something with Fi we mark it as a point of interest (we do that a lot). All of those points stored and refined using Si, then Ne come in and takes all these points and connects the lines while finding new points of interest.While Ne is doing that, Te is learking and making sure everything isn't one big knot. And all of that information is put into the compass so we can find the places we haven't been yet, because that place gives us the most room to grow and explore even more. So im saying we're not trying to find our self in the world, but the world in ourself... I think

No astrology for this iNFP. But alchemist sounds like a cool job😄

Wow i always love your videos, but this one was so eerily spot on! I just made a video on my channel about the ship of theseus inspired by your paradox video. I tried to explain the search for identity as an infp but was at a loss trying to find the right words, which i think you summated perfectly! Kudos! 😊

Wonky compass ahhhh.... i remembered why i always wanted to be in the medical field but tried taking customs administration in the first 2 years of college... ahahah now i transferred to Biology 😂 4 more years to go for me to graduate ahahaha... 😂😭 pray for me 😭😭😭

wonky compass oh nooooooooo and yep always seem to get myself in to positions i don't want to really be in and why? so i can learn who i am? cant say i am always happy about this.

What a wonderful analogy! I've often thought of myself as a patchwork quilt of all the acquired knowledge, experiences and people I've met in my life and I think this resonates with that. The wonky compass is quite on point as well 😁

I know several INFPs who hate being called a feeler so much they often claim to be an INTP, to the point of tears. I agree many of them get a lot of life advice from the stars' alignment (aka astrology).

"searchers after horror, haunt strange and far places" H.P Lovecraft

I like how much I relate to this despite being INTJ

excellent sort through the functions! i love to see how they play together♡ i must admit following that dance sometimes feels like following the hands of a rocket scientist scribbling out a formula... but you have the talent of speaking infp! is like speaking elvish... well without the immortality of course. well done mon Chou

Sounds like i am an infp. ~ Entp The only difference is. “But i still, haven’t found what i’m looking for”. Fi is like a tease. It is there somewhere. Somewhere.

I'm an INFP in a 26-year relationship and marriage to an ISTJ. I think we are a great couple bc she and I do share some of the same values but her values are derived from a different inner source than mine. Also, she's me. She can't relate to my way of being as much as I would like. However, she is a defender in heart and glad to want me to express my true self whether in public or private.

I have had many very different types of jobs, i literally could land anywhere proffessionally. Farming, claims investigator in banking, art therapist, catering, bar work, a buyer in a civil engineering company, community capacity building, oh and a building site, painter, administrator, film extra, social science researcher, mental health worker where the patients thought i was a qualified psychoterapist. Anyway, for infps out there, i have heard that sort of thing looks very good on cvs these days. Tbh, i kind of fell into about half of those jobs. And i wasn't very good at the banking job.

I agree with and love this. I'm an infp and yep this is true. Absorbing things that I love into my identity so they become part of who I am happens on the regular. So, yes. We are always changing but it is very much a "oh my god I love this thing because it fits me so well that it might as well have been a part of me I've only just remembered/discovered/cleaned the dust off. Great vid ❤

Very interesting, hope to see something like this for intp and enfp :)

That was so beautifully and poetically worded, and again, true for me!

I'm an INFP and also an artist, and I often thought about art as a form of alchemy 😌

some time ago I was describing to someone how I feel about my identity - the final scene of Terminator 2, when the liquid robot falls into molten iron and takes up shapes he had assumed before. I am always "trying on" other people's realities. It is quite exhausting

I’m an INFP who thinks astrology is bogus. I am religious so that gives me the fulfilment I need.

I'm an INFP and I have been obsessed with astrology for nearly a decade!

" Я выхожу на улицу с фонарями в поисках себя..." 👍👍👍 Как никогда я чувствую огромную потребность в таком поиске..

I have a request video for you, could you do one that’s 16 Personalities - Most Likely to have ADHD?

This video is very interesting. 🤔 When I first typed myself (back in grade school), I typed myself as an INFJ. However, after about a decade or so, I tested myself again, and my results changed. And there have been times over the years, where I have had more thorough, professional testing done, and my results were all over the place! Each time I test, I try to do so when I am calm. I answer each question as honestly and authentically as I can. The latest test I had done indicated that I am an ENFP. However, my husband swears I’m more of an introvert than an extrovert really. And, like your description of the INFP, I am always trying to analyze who I authentically am. Being true to being me is very important to me. It may be possible that I am a kind of spiritual alchemist. And as such, I may, in fact, be an INFP. I’m curious to see if there are other potential INFP’s out there who have a similar story to mine. 💖hugs💖

✨Not all who wander are lost✨ But yeah this all makes sense why I’m heavily spiritual and literally dive into the craziest places to find a pattern connecting it all. As someone who does see it all, it’s all connected more than you know 💜 everything in life is a tool, don’t be so judgmental on what you are looking at… for things are not always what they seem.

INFP 4w5 checking in 🫡 I really like that breakdown of values/stability-based Fi-Si vs generative Ne - I think that's what makes INFPs seem a bit paradoxical. You're so right about the INFP's internal struggle - wanting to stay true to themselves, but not always knowing what we want / who we truly are. Why are we so obsessed with discovering ourselves? I find that identity is always shifting with new experiences, but yes - it's about forging our own paths in a way that aligns to what feels right. And like you said, "magpie"ing is why INFPs are often eccentric characters. You find the best and most poetic metaphors of describing things - being an alchemist, that's pretty cool

i love your videos in general (intp here) but also love them especially bc i don’t have to set the playback to 1.75x! you talk fast enough for me to understand you normally haha

It's unusual to see your video not ending with "Please like and subscribe..." section.

I'm a magpie chamaeleon 🎶 Nice :D

Amalgamation is one of my fav words. When you used it I had to stop and then start the video over. When someone uses one of my fav words it always gets me, my brain turns off, and I can't hear anything else. 🤣 okay, back to the video...

Love the way you explained it

Brilliant , Absolutely brilliant. As always, Well done Love Who

can you do this for ISFPs too?

Best MBTI channel

It's so true, I totally function lile this. It's great, I mean it's how I am myself so it's my own chance. But that was not always the case, it was more my curse. I'm better now and I'm stable but before all of this curiosity, my obsession of searching further for finding patterns and need of constlantly change and battles of right and wrong against what I naturally like was too strong, I couldn't stop thinking. My intense questioning of identity and existensal philosophy wasn't let me sleep and I wake up with a really bad existential depression one day. I'm fine but still fell like I'm in battle with my own self even to this day

As an INFP exbarkeeper I figured out long ago that I'm a born alchemist. I mix my drinks like I mix a song. The whiskey rocks and the isle is long.

This resonates with me quite a bit. I was watching a different video that compared INFPs to cats (which despite my current RU-vid name, I am very much cat-like; I intend on changing everything about it to where it shows that but uh, yeah, it just hasn’t happened yet 😂😅) but I find it interesting that this video compares us with alchemists, which I also think is cool and accurate. …Just thinking about that made my brain like “What if there was a cat alchemist? 👀”

✅ Wonky compass

That last analogy is so perfect. But yes I do like the idea of Ne being my twine and Fi Si being my spool, spinning things to weave my personality. Te is…just there lol.

It’s so hard for me to figure out what to do for my career, I was considering a psych field

Somewhat disorganised is very kind. Didn't alchemists experiment to try and turn base metals into gold? I guess it is the quest that the fun part no matter if it is impossible or not.

So dreamy. I usually have nightmares abut the English

Great video!

I love being an INFP ❤

Very interesting content. Ty

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Nice.

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