keirsey makes me crazy...

so i recently took the keirsey personality test again... i hadn't taken it since undergrad. this is what i found out: INFP: you have a capacity for caring that is deeper than most. you strive for unity, are fascinated by the battles between good and evil, and can be something of an Idealist. only 1% of the population shares your type.


all Idealists (NFs) share the following core characteristics:

• Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom.
• Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic.
• Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials.
• Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders.

Idealist portrait of the Healer (INFP)

Healers present a calm and serene face to the world, and can seem shy, even distant around others. but inside they're anything but serene, having a capacity for personal caring rarely found in the other types. Healers care deeply about the inner life of a few special persons, or about a favorite cause in the world at large. and their great passion is to heal the conflicts that trouble individuals, or that divide groups, and thus to bring wholeness, or health, to themselves, their loved ones, and their community.

Healers have a profound sense of idealism that comes from a strong personal sense of right and wrong. they conceive of the world as an ethical, honorable place, full of wondrous possibilities and potential goods. in fact, to understand Healers, we must understand that their deep commitment to the positive and the good is almost boundless and selfless, inspiring them to make extraordinary sacrifices for someone or something they believe in. set off from the rest of humanity by their privacy and scarcity (around one percent of the population), Healers can feel even more isolated in the purity of their idealism.

also, Healers might well feel a sense of separation because of their often misunderstood childhood. Healers live a fantasy-filled childhood-they are the prince or princess of fairy tales-an attitude which, sadly, is frowned upon, or even punished, by many parents. with parents who want them to get their head out of the clouds, Healers begin to believe they are bad to be so fanciful, so dreamy, and can come to see themselves as ugly ducklings. in truth, they are quite ok just as they are, only different from most others-swans reared in a family of ducks.

as a romantic partner, you are usually supportive and nurturing, however, you have a high need for individuality. harmony is extremely important to you as you are very affected by conflict and tension, which also makes you resist confronting your partner directly about problems. when you get angry, you usually blame yourself, rather than your partner. you can also be stubborn and unyielding when you feel you are being criticized or mistreated. you feel the most appreciated when your partner listens to you carefully. you need to be understood. you need to hear your partner express their feelings, the more often, the better.

at work, Healers are adaptable, welcome new ideas and new information, are patient with complicated situations, but impatient with routine details. Healers are keenly aware of people and their feelings, and relate well with most others. because of their deep-seated reserve, however, they can work quite happily alone. when making decisions, Healers follow their heart not their head, which means they can make errors of fact, but seldom of feeling. they have a natural interest in scholarly activities and demonstrate, like the other Idealists, a remarkable facility with language. they have a gift for interpreting stories, as well as for creating them, and thus often write in lyric, poetic fashion. frequently they hear a call to go forth into the world and help others, a call they seem ready to answer, even if they must sacrifice their own comfort.

princess diana, richard gere, audrey hephurn, albert schweiter, george orwell, karen armstrong, aldous huxley, mia farrow, and isabel meyers are examples of Healer Idealists.