ISFP vs. INFP personality types share many common traits yet they are functionally different due to their perceptual preferences.
ISFPs are sensing personalities and prefer to remain focused in the small moments whereas INFPs are intuitive types who are focused to visualize future possibilities.
Now, if we select any two personalities from the sixteen different types, we can see that there will be certain similarities and dissimilarities between them.
In this article, we will do a comparison between the INFP and ISFP personality types. Keep reading to find out what these points of comparison are.
ISFP vs. INFP
The Myers-Briggs Test Indicator (MBTI) is a free personality test that divides human personalities into sixteen different types. This classification system relies on four dichotomies. These are:
- Energy: Extraversion or Introversion
- Information: Sensing or Intuition
- Decisions: Thinking or Feeling
- Lifestyle: Judging or Perceiving
ISFP stands for the introverted, sensing, feeling, and perceiving personality type. Individuals with this type of personality are generally shy and love to keep to themselves.
They are kind-hearted and generous. They often possess a strong desire to help others. They prefer to live in the present moment and not think about the future.
On the other hand, INFP stands for the introverted, intuitive, feeling, and perceiving personality type. Just like ISFPs, individuals with the INFP personality type are also compassionate, caring, and non-judgmental.
One can easily see that between ISFP and INFP, three out of the four letters are the same – introverted, feeling, and perceiving. The only difference is in how they process their information – by sensing, or by intuition. But what does this mean?
The main difference exists in their cognitive function stack. For both ISFPs and INFPs, their dominant function, introverted feeling (Fi) governs their behavior and characteristics. This means that they are value-oriented individuals.
They give strong importance to their feelings and emotions while taking important decisions in life.
Their inferior function, extraverted thinking (Te), is the same for both types of individuals. You must be wondering, what does this mean? We will elaborate on this later.
However, the auxiliary function and tertiary function are quite different for both personality types. This is also something that we will discuss in a later section.
The Points of Similarities between ISFP and INFP
Suppose we ask a child, what are the similarities between ISFP and INFP? He or she will probably say, “I, F, and P are common for both of them.”
Although this answer seems ridiculous and funny, it is not entirely wrong. If someone thinks about what the letters I, F and P mean, one can find a detailed meaning.
Let us now take a deep dive into the points of similarities between the ISFP and INFP personality types.
- Both ISFPs and INFPs are introverted individuals. They tend to shy away from the outer world.
- ISFPs and INFPs both enjoy spending time on their own, rather than with friends and family.
- Individuals with ISFP and INFP personality types are gentle and kind-hearted.
- Although both of these personalities are introverts, they do not mind spending time with their close friends whom they trust. Those who become friends with ISFPs and INFPs know that they are great friends and strongly value their friendships.
- Both ISFPs and INFPs have a strong desire to help others. They are altruistic individuals by nature.
- All ISFP and INFP individuals have an in-born, natural, creative, and artistic side.
- Both ISFPs and INFPs strongly appreciate art and aesthetics.
- Both of these personality types are nature lovers.
- ISFPs and INFPs are both animal lovers. They love to own pets.
- Individuals with these two personality types easily trust everyone.
- People with these personality types are non-judgmental and unbiased towards others.
- The dominant cognitive function is also the same for both personality types. This function is called introverted feeling (Fi). This means that both ISFPs and INFPs have a strong sense of morality and individualism. They often do not like to comply with socially established rules and norms. Instead, they prefer to do things in their own way if they think that their method is correct.
- Both of these personality types consist of peace-loving individuals. They tend to avoid direct conflict and confrontation.
- Both these personality types are perceivers. This means that they prefer to have an open-ended approach to everything. If their supervisor or boss asks them to do a particular task or job, they do not want a step-by-step instruction. Instead, they want to reach the end point on their own. They also do not like working with fixed deadlines.
- Lastly, the inferior cognitive function is also the same for both these personality types. This function is called extraverted thinking (Te). This basically means that for both ISFPs and INFPs, concrete decision-making skills, and organized and planned work structures are areas of weakness.
ISFP vs. INFP – Points of Differences
Now let us take a look at the difference between the ISFP and INFP personality types.
| ISFP | INFP |
| This stands for the introverted, sensing, feeling, perceiving personality type. | This acronym stands for the introverted, intuitive, feeling, perceiving personality type. |
| ISFPs are the fourth most commonly found personality type. 9% of people in the world are ISFPs. | INFP is the ninth most common personality type. Only 4% of the global population is INFPs. |
| Their information processing is based on sensing. | Their information processing is based on intuition. |
| Their auxiliary function is extraverted sensing (Se). | Their auxiliary function is extraverted intuition (Ne). |
| ISFPs love to live in the present moment. They do not like to think about the future. | INFPs have the ability to consider long term implications while making important decisions. |
| Their tertiary function is introverted intuition (Ni). | Their tertiary function is introverted sensing (Si). |
| Based on the information they receive from their surroundings, ISFPs seem to develop a “gut feeling” of sorts. Because of this, they can have revelations about others, or even themselves. | INFPs soak in a wide variety of information from their surroundings. They then form a vivid memory of this information, so that they can relive them later when they are alone. |
| An ISFP expresses his needs through action rather than words. | INFPs prefer words and discussion, rather than direct action. |
| ISFPs judge every situation on a case-by-case basis. | INFPs always tend to think of the bigger picture. |
| The artistic side of ISFPs comes out through paintings, artwork, and music. World-famous Mexican famous Frida Kahlo was an ISFP. Similarly, many popular musicians like Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Jimi Hendrix also had an ISFP personality. | INFPs let out their artistic side through their writings. They seem to have a way with words. They are often skilled authors or poets. Renowned authors William Shakespeare and Helen Keller were INFPs. |
| Many people call ISFPs the “happy-go-lucky” type. This means that they do not worry too much about the consequences of their actions, or the actions of other people. They believe that they decide what to do in an adverse situation when that situation actually occurs. | On the other hand, INFPs tend to be anxious and nervous individuals. They often worry about the future. |
| They are good at multitasking. | These individuals prefer to complete one task before moving on to the next. |
To Sum Up
In this article, we have discussed the similarities and differences between the ISFP and INFP personality types.
Although both types of individuals are shy, introverted, kind-hearted, generous, altruistic, and non-judgmental, there are still some differences between them in their cognitive function and information processing.
To sum it up, we can think of it in this way. Both ISFPs and INFPs love and appreciate art, beauty, nature, and aesthetics.
But they will react to it differently. Suppose both types of individuals witness a very beautiful view of a sunset.
An ISFP will probably draw a painting of the scene or click a photograph. But on the other hand, an INFP will probably write a poem describing the scene through elaborate writing.
