Portrait of an Introverted Intuitive Child (INJ)

(Introverted iNtuitive Judging)

INJ Traits
1. They have vivid imaginations
2. They're curious about everything, and are always asking "Why?"
3. They enjoy spending time one-on-one with others, rather than in large
groups
4. They're often off in their own world, and have a dreamlike quality
5. They enjoy art and music
6. They love books, and especially enjoy fiction
7. They're likely to hang back and watch before participating in a social
situation
8. They're intensely private, and don't always share their thought and
feelings
9. They like structure and are unsettled by chaos or unplanned events
10.They prefer sports that focus on individual performance rather than team
sports
11.They are perfectionists
12.They're serious and intense
13.They often seem older than they are, and may have older friends
14.They are original and independent, and value their uniqueness
15.They're not overly concerned with grades, but they want to completely
understand a subject that interests them
Potential Strengths
1. They're usually very intelligent
2. They can grasp the big picture easily
3. They can see any far-reaching consequences of their actions
4. They're very resourceful
5. They are extremely creative and imaginative
6. They easily come up with good ideas
7. They're usually well-liked by their peers
8. They will completely master a subject that interests them

9. Their desire to be in control of themselves makes them take responsibility

for their actions
10.They are usually confident in their ideas, and know instinctively when they
are right about something
Potential Weaknesses
1. They have short attention spans
2. They get bored easily with details or routine tasks
3. They won't put any effort into doing something that doesn't interest them
4. They frequently don't hear people
5. Once they have made up their mind about something, they can be very
stubborn about it
6. They ignore details
7. They are unsettled by change, and don't usually adapt well to new
situations
8. They're uncomfortable and somewhat overwhelmed by large groups
9. They are rather unaware of their environment, and seem "out of it"
10.They are rather self-centered, and may be unaware of how their actions or
words affect others
11.They can be controlling and bossy
12.Although they come up with ideas easily, they don't do as well
implementing their ideas
INJ Learning Style
INJs are extremely curious and intellectual children who need a wide variety of
mental stimulation. When they are interested in a subject, they will naturally
want to know everything about it. Teachers should be prepared to point INJ
children towards sources where they can learn more about the subject.
INJ children don't do well with tasks that require following prescribed steps in a
plan or rote memorization. They find these kinds of things extremely boring, and
they will resist doing them. They also don't like to do things repetitively. Once
they have done something once, they are done with it and want to move on to
the next thing. To keep things interesting for the INJ, teachers should give them
the basic theory and the desired outcome, and let them figure out how to get
there on their own.
Teachers should realize the INJ's weakness of not always being aware of their
environment, and recognize that if an INJ didn't hear the teacher, it doesn't
necessarily mean that they weren't listening. Sometimes the INJ's private world
overtakes the INJ to the point that they completely tune out their environment.
As much patience as possible should be shown with this characteristic. INJs will
develop some control over this as they grow older.

INJs love to come up with ideas, and naturally want to put their ideas into some
kind of structure or plan. They want to do this on their own, with little or no
direction. They highly prize their ideas and their competence at performing their
projects, and are threatened by someone giving them too much direction. This is
almost an insult to the INJ, who bases a great deal of their self-esteem on their
independence.
INJs thrive doing independent projects that require creativity, such as science
projects or writing projects. They will probably not enjoy group projects as much,
although they are likely to be fine working with one partner on a project.
Answer the INJ's many questions as thoroughly as possible. If you don't know the
answer to a question, be honest and tell them that you don't know. Offer possible
avenues for discovering the answer, such as library research.
Present the rules and expectations clearly and consistently. INJs naturally crave
structure and order. Although they don't want to be told exactly how to do
something, they need to understand any rules clearly.
INJ Special Needs
INJ children need a good amount of time alone. They get most of their energy
from within themselves and their rich imaginations, so they need adequate time
alone to recharge their batteries. After a long day of school, the INJ may head to
their room to spend some time alone. Respect this need of your child's, and
understand that once they have spent time alone they will be ready to interact
with you. Don't push them to be around yourself or others until they have spent
some quality alone time. An INJ who doesn't get the chance to spend any time
alone will be irritable, cranky and tired.
INJs who have made up their minds about something can be quite stubborn and
unwilling to compromise. When faced with an INJ who has "dug in their heels"
about something, take some time to present them with clear and valid
alternatives to their way of thinking. This will help the INJ to not become overly
rigid, pompous and unbending in their views.
Socially, pre-teen INJ's are usually fairly reserved and may be intimidated by
large numbers of people. They like to watch for awhile before participating. It's
best not to push the INJ to interact socially before they are ready. Allow them to
watch first, and jump in when they want to. If you are a very extraverted or
gregarious adult, don't expect the same behavior your INJ child. INJs usually
prefer to interact with one person at a time, and enjoy having a couple of close
friends rather than a number of acquaintances. As the INJ gets a bit older, he or
she will probably become more social. In the meantime, understand that your
child is probably uncomfortable with large groups of people, and don't make
them feel guilty for that fear. If your child is afraid of walking into large social
situations alone, you might arrange to walk in with your child, or have your child
go to the event with a friend.
Too many suggestions or feedback on a project while it is still going on may
interfere with the INJ's creative energy. Much of the interest in actually doing the
project comes from the INJ's drive to prove their inner visions and independence.
Any "interference" from the external world will confuse the INJ, and it may cause
them to doubt themselves or their idea. In any event, it will usually cause them

to lose interest in the project and abandon it. It's probably best to wait until an
INJ's project is finished before commenting.
Talk through their ideas with them one-on-one. This will help the INJ to put their
ideas into context within the external world. The INJ doesn't naturally have a high
awareness of how their intensely personal visions fit into the world. Getting them
into the habit of talking through their ideas while they are young will help them
develop the ability to apply their ideas realistically and effectively.
The "Missing" Letter
Adult personality types contain four letters, while for kids aged 7-12 we use three
letter types. What happened to the missing letter? It's there, we just can't usually
determine what it is until after a child is in their teens. Sometimes it becomes
apparent when a child is around thirteen years old, sometimes as late as
eighteen years old. INJ kids will grow up to be either INTJ "Scientists" or INFJ
"Protectors". At this stage in their development, it's not obvious whether they
complement their Intuitive function with Thinking or Feeling. You may have a
sense which one the INJ prefers, but we often have to wait until a person is well
into their teens before we can determine their adult personality type.