[ibage]

There have been studies that have many believing introversion and extroversion can be observed at a very, very early stage of life. I read it in a book about introversion and I'd love to give the specifics and such but the book is no longer here (Introvert Power was the book). Anyways, those I or E traits were claimed to be observable in infants. I believe we're hardwired at birth to be intro or extroverted. Beyond that, I think our types develop as we grow up. I also doubt genetics plays a huge role in things as my family is all sensor types.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

[Hokahey]

I believe it's both, first you're born with the genes that give you the ability analyze information from your senses. Then through filters of self through growth using that information with your filters and self-vision/world-vision combine and that combination leaves you to absorb/analyze/respond situations.

[Intricate Mystic]

Life has absolutely made me an INFJ. Maybe this topic is related to the parent topic. My parents are ENFP and ISTJ, not good for me, keeping up with their moods and expectations.

My parents are the same types! We should compare notes. :D

[Aquarian]

I kind of question the initial question itself.

I was born what I am, and what I am is not something I discuss with strangers but it's quite clear to me (sorry for being cryptic). Anyway, what I am is not an INFJ - or any other MBTI type.

One reason that "what I am" is not INFJ is that for me, INFJ is not a what-I-am kind of thing. Instead, it is for me a code describing a set of information processing preferences. INFJ, to me, is nothing more than a shorthand way to describe those preferences. It makes a lot of sense to me that I chose and developed those preferences given the interaction between what I am and the environment in which I have moved in this life.

I don't know if I could have chosen other information processing preferences, but I do know that doing so would have distorted my ability to perceive and move in the best possible way given what I am and what I'm in.

The more I attend to the MBTI stuff, the more strongly I feel inclined to openly question the use of the type codes as identities (or even personalities) rather than simply descriptions of information processing preferences.

[Nicole Hobbs]

Well, I remember being the way I am as long as I can remember. So, I'm inclined to think that it's a born thing, but I suppose that nurture has something to do with it. I did seem to turn more inward when my parent's divorced though, when I was around 7 years old.

[chanting]

This is a hard question actually, because I feel like both has made me into an INFJ.

Since I was born, I've always been shy and quiet. I didn't see that as a problem but other mums and my teachers (well two of them, really) had a problem with it. I didn't feel like I didn't fit in because that came up much later, which was during my teens. Even when I was little I had few friends, I had best friends but they never lasted because they moved or I moved. Or I just felt like I didn't fit in and moved to a different group of people - but I STILL don't quite fit in =\

I've always loved to read, which has helped me with a bit of trivia knowledge as well as expand it academically and psychologically (? <-- I wanted to say 'my soul' but yeah...). My overly imaginative mind created lots of stories and 'imaginary friends' when I was young as well, so books were my 'friends' (I wrote that in my diary before, haha). They took me to places I wouldn't ever imagine going in real life, people I wish I had as friends in real life, and all that jazz =P

I think having lived overseas and then went back to Taiwan to study changed me a lot - the cultural differences between New Zealand and Taiwan was just too much and too great. I didn't know how to understand it (hey I was only 13 then). I was also ostracised because I was different... and I continued to emphasis that difference until high school graduation. So in reaction to that, I was very much introverted and looking internally.

Despite that introvertedness I was also very sensitive. During high school in particular - how my classmates were feeling really affected my mood sometimes. I could also easily tell if someone was hiding something from me, or whether so-and-so is 'easy to read', if that makes any sense. To me, my classmates in high school were never their true selves - they were never at all quite honest - manipulative and calculative; always hiding something. While here I am, plain as a sheet of paper, someone that's quiet but nice, for them to take advantage of, which scared me and prevented me from becoming too close to them.

Then close to graduating from high school, I felt like I needed to change certain aspects of myself, or at least tone down and tweak some of my traits a bit to 'function normally'. And it just so happened that I studied (and am still studying) journalism - which forced me to call people up for interviews, ask them questions, listen (actively too), and respond with more questions - which is a lot of extroverted-ness if you ask me.

It freaked me out at first, but I got better at it and I think it has helped tremendously in overcoming the fears and anxieties I had towards people and strangers.

That's the 'born this way'-slash a bit of experience part, full on experience is just learning things the hard way that made me an INFJ.

Few people wanted to understand how I think - one of my high school friends tried and I really appreciated his effort - but I didn't understand a lot about myself back then (due to low self-esteem) so it frustrated him sometimes and me as well. It also caused a lot of misunderstandings, thankfully that is behind us and we keep in touch every now and then, just chat and talk about 'deeper' things I can't with a majority of people around me.

I have trouble communicating my thoughts verbally - albeit this problem is less of an issue than it was during my teenage years, but I still find it hard to say 'no' to people and find time for myself and my own things, rather than always saying 'yes' without putting much thought into my commitments.

Because of all the circumstances of what I wrote above - I read and wrote more than I spoke. I picked up the habit of writing diaries when I was studying in New Zealand - an outlet I later found calming, particularly when I'm overly stressed, upset, or have too much I want to say but no one to listen to.

I'll stop here before this becomes an essay, hopefully I still answered the question =v="

[Gamfret]

This is a stupid question.way to go

[jayyy]

INFJs are not born, they are made. personality is not given, it is created.

human behaviour is shaped by our personal, social, cultural, environmental, biological experiences and conditions, and our behaviour continues to be shaped throughout our entire lives. people change.

we don't come with personalities, we develop them as we go along. it's a "nature and nurture, not nature vs. nurture" thing.

[Theosophie]

INFJs are not born, they are made. personality is not given, it is created.

human behaviour is shaped by our personal, social, cultural, environmental, biological experiences and conditions, and our behaviour continues to be shaped throughout our entire lives. people change.

we don't come with personalities, we develop them as we go along. it's a "nature and nurture, not nature vs. nurture" thing.

I respectfully disagree. I've spoken with my parents about this, and even as a baby, I was serious, bright, keen. I was a "spontaneous" reader, reading by age 2-2.5, which I've read in one description is a sign of strong introverted intuition. I don't think my family situation contributed to that at such an early age. I don't think everything is biological, as our science-focused society would have us believe -- I just don't want to live in a world where love and emotions are chemical, not real. But I also don't think everything is cultural either.

[Ramysa]

I've been asking myself the same question. Although it's true that family , environment and other factors have a great impact on one's life ,it's actually what is inside u that makes u react in a certain way to everything. They say u cannot change who u are so u must be born like that . Just that , some are more experienced than others and react differently . Or they were taught otherwise . Either way , we all feel the same stuff, but just understand it and explain it as we learned. At least that's my opinion.