According to the popular Myers-Briggs classification, there are 4 types of intuitive introverts (IN): INTP, INFP, INFJ and INTJ.
If you are an Intuitive Introvert, you may often have good instincts about how things might turn out. While this can seem quite magical, these realizations often come from the way intuitives perceive the world. Consciously, or subconsciously they notice subtle clues as to what is really going on.
For example, they may notice that a person’s tone of voice or body language contradicts the actual words they are saying. This may allow them to understand something about a situation that others can’t. Intuitive introverts ask questions like “what’s really going on here?” or “where have I felt this way before?” They often put things together to come up with great ideas and plans. It also means the predictions of an intuitive introvert are often startlingly accurate.
However, because intuitive introverts spend a lot of time in their own inner world, they can have trouble putting their ideas and insight into action.
Here are 3 struggles an intuitive introvert may face in the real world. And some actions they can take to turn their dreams into reality.
Intuitive introverts often have great ideas. Their intuitive insights mean they often know what is needed and when. They may dream up the perfect business to fill a gap in the market or have plans for a dystopian novel that maps out the problems of the future. However, when it comes to taking action on these dreams, intuitive introverts find it hard.
Contemplating dreams and ideas is fun. Implementing them involves practical action and risk. It can be easy to give up on these ideas when we become critical or doubting. The intuitive introvert often moves on to the next dream without giving the first idea a chance. For this reason, introverted intuitives often have piles of half finished ideas.
Overcoming this is not easy. The introverted intuitive needs to learn to focus on one idea and bring it to fruition. Often it is a good idea to start with something small. Write a short story rather than a trilogy, or start a side business rather than giving up the day job to plunge into a new venture.
It is also important to focus on the process rather than the outcome. Intuitive introverts can be disheartened because the words on the page don’t match up to the huge visions in their head. But by starting with the process and learning to complete things we can hone our skills so our actions and dreams come closer.
Intuitive introverts often get lost in their own thoughts and inner life. This can make them lose their grounding in the real world. Living always in our heads can also lead to stress and anxiety. We may feel regret for past actions, or nostalgia for a past situation, or we may be focusing on the future.
\Either way, we miss out on the here and now which is the only place we can really make a difference in our lives. If we are always living in our heads we are unable to change our lives. Dreaming can become a crutch that helps us to avoid taking action and changing our lives.
It is essential to get out of our heads for at least some of the time. We need to pay attention to what is right in front of our eyes and the things that we can actually influence. Practicing mindfulness can help. This means paying attention to what we are actually doing in the moment.
We can start with simple things such as savoring our food, watching a sunset or being completely focused on having a conversation with a loved one. Being in nature can also help us to become more grounded, especially if we pay attention to our senses. We can focus on the feel of the earth beneath our feet, the breeze on our skin, the sound of the birds and the fresh smell of grass.
Intuitive introverts are often happy with their own company. However, as human beings, we are social creatures. For the introvert, the problem can often be finding the right people and the right activities to stimulate their social side.
Introverts do like spending time with others, just not necessarily large groups at noisy parties. But connecting with others is often essential to making our dreams come true. We need the practical and emotional help of others, whether that is the input of an editor or web designer, or the support of a good friend to encourage us to keep going for our dreams.
Social networks are essential for our mental and emotional health. But we don’t need to have lots of people in our lives to make us happy and healthy. Focus on developing a few key relationships with people you feel comfortable with.
Join a group that is focused on the subject of your goals and interact with like-minded people. There are lots of people who think and feel deeply and who are also interested in meaningful conversations and relationships. It’s just a matter of finding the right ones for you.
In a busy, noisy, extroverted world, it can be hard for intuitive introverts to find their place. Ultimately, though, we will achieve this by being true to ourselves rather than trying to fit in.
Having said that, we sometimes need to come out of our comfort zones and face our fears. This will help us to reap the benefits of our rich inner worlds and create something in the world that we feel proud of.
If you are an intuitive introvert, what struggles do you find hold you back from creating the life you dream of?
View Comments
"Good instincts about how things will turn out," is incompatible with other articles you and others here have written about introversion. Introverts naturally have lesser social skills and thus, at least in interactions involving humans, less ability to figure out what's going on or what's going to happen next, intuition and intelligence notwithstanding.
I think it's more like good intuition about how things will work out outside of social situations. It's when put in social situations that we lose that ability.