Levels of the ISFJ
Ideal:
- Willingly helps others without any expectations but doesn’t neglect their own needs
- Extremely giving even if they don’t have a lot
- Highly caring and compassionate
- Ability to address and handle conflict in a mature manner
- Enjoys interacting with others and getting involved in social justice type activities because they want the world to be a better place
- Easily able to stand-up for their own viewpoint without feeling intimidated
- Works towards personal self-growth because they want to improve
- Open to listening to others viewpoints even if it does not align with their own
- Agreeable and sociable even if it creates some internal anxiety
- Enjoys hosting small gatherings and events
- Wants their family to be in a safe and calm environment
- Naturally organized and pays attention to important details
Medium:
- Not as altruistic and compassionate but will maintain the appearance in order to look good
- May struggle with expressing their emotions openly to their closest friends and family
- More withdrawn and reserved when they are under a lot of stress and has trouble communicating with others
- Can fluctuate between being productive and not wanting to complete assignments – due to stress
- Less likely to engage in debates and conversation unless they’re in a good mood
- Not as good with focusing on details unless it’s an area they enjoy
- Will begin to protect themselves if they feel people are encroaching on their values and beliefs – will have difficulty standing up for what they believe in
- Will begin to engage in unhealthy escape methods and will spiral out of control if not careful
- Will start to allow things to get messy and out of place but will typically clean it up relatively quickly
Unhealthy: Can be prone to dependent personality disorder; eating disorders; anxiety and depression. As a whole it takes a lot for an ISFJ personality to get to the unhealthy levels. If a person has had a lot of trauma they may display more unhealthy characteristics if untreated.
- Prone to resentment, anger, and bitterness because they feel that people are taking advantage of them
- Ignores social norms and cues and stays in their own world, self-absorbed and withdrawn
- Insensitive to others needs but may be extremely needy themselves
- Controlling and wants things to go their way all the time
- Difficulty listening to others unless it serves their own need or matches their own viewpoints (like it makes them look better as a person or provides them with a source of income)
- Comfortable in their prejudices and does not care to work on their own personal issues
- Can become very apathetic
- Will tell little white lies under stress to not have to deal with reality
- Dislikes crowds and will cancel plans and appointments even if it’s important and will not cause them emotional harm
- Prone to passive aggressive behaviors – i.e. silent treatment/ignoring people
- Difficulty improving their well-being because of fear and anxiety (i.e. not leaving a bad job because they’re too afraid they will not find something better so they do not try; staying in a harmful relationship even if it’s damaging their children’s welfare)
- Will avoid their problems by using unhealthy escape methods