Why are INFJ descriptions (relatively) so lacking?
A lot of INFJ descriptions seem more focused on preserving an altruistic therapist archetype than describing the actual type and it's contradictions.
I understand some of why this happens, but it still confuses me nonetheless. It took me nearly three years to type myself. While I partly attribute this to my reluctance to use labels, I also think that if INFJ descriptions (yes, even ones that correctly reference cognitive functions) were more accurate, I may have figured it out sooner.
This is obviously subjective, but the INFJs I know tend to agree that the altruistic archetypes and blanket terminology often feel incomplete… To me, they feel heavily idealized and strangely devoid of internal experience (like inner contradictions). Generally, it feels like the flattering traits are emphasized while the contradictory or less appealing ones are minimized as irrelevant.
I understand MBTI is pseudoscience and therefore vague terms can be inevitable. Still, I feel like these descriptions could be far more nuanced. You may argue that this is why it’s important to learn cognitive functions and look beyond descriptions, and I completely agree. At the same time, I’ve read descriptions of other types that felt significantly less abstract.
I thought the Humanmetrics one was alright in comparison to others, but I still found it lacking. Maybe I just haven’t come across one that sounds well written yet. I’m more than open to recommendations if anyone has any.
Note: I am not saying no one relates to these descriptions, I am merely describing my personal relation to INFJ descriptions that I think some people can agree with.