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Your Childhood Memories

[INFJ] 
3K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  Miasmatic Domino 
#1 ·
Every person in this world is gifted with memories. In particular, I want to know how your childhood went, INFJs.

When I was a child, I was always a bookworm. I took particular interest in fantasies (because of my mom's encouragement and fairy tales) and science fiction (because of my dad). I usually isolated myself from my classmates in nursery and I did well in my studies 'cause all I did at home was a usual routine; naps, reading, playing video games and doing homework. But still, isolation was already evident during my childhood. Some of the kids gravitated toward me while others fought with me. I had a rebellious streak when I was small :tongue:. I LIED a lot when grade school came because I felt insecure about the achievements of others. This particular thing didn't make me an outstanding honor student, but I had good grades during those times. ISOLATION is still present, up until now. OMGEE what have I been doing with my life? :unsure:
What about you? How was your childhood like?
 
#2 ·
I am an INFP and my childhood was a horror show. I grew up in a home where I was not wanted. My mother has an affair with the neighbor man and I come in existence because of that affair. The dad I lived with hated me because I was the bastard of the family. He threatened to kill me for the first 10 years of my life. So I would prefer to never have memories of that time period.

Anyway the only reason I am sharing this is so others can more appreciate their childhood.
 
#3 ·
I think I repressed most of it not because it was awful but I’m getting an aversion from remembering the past because of some bad memories. What I do remember is playing with a lot of stuffed toys all alone and talking to them not sure about what though. I would play teacher alone (I have this theory that what we play as children may predict what we might be as adults) with a whole room of imagined students with and h.w, tests, etc. :confused: I used to play with legos, puzzles, and had many coloring books. In school I was quiet and had good grades but I did play with others if they came over I think.
 
#4 ·
My childhood was pretty normal, i think. My parents worked a lot and i was an only child so i spent a lot of time entertaining myself. I consider myself lucky because I've noticed many people on here have not had very good childhoods. I'm not saying it was all good, but it wasn't all bad either and I couldn't see it any other way.

Also Blue Butterfly I'm sorry that you didn't have a loving childhood that every child deserves, but so few seem to get:sad:
 
#6 ·
I took so much interest in making up my own stories. I've always been the shyest one in school. I loved drawing and putting together puzzles. I'd always become obsessed with things, from deer to monster trucks. P:
In kindergarten, I yearned to be friends with people so strongly but they never would be my friend. That's all I'm really wanting to share.
 
#7 · (Edited)
My childhood was quite good.. Barely got teased for a girly boy.. The boys just avoided me, so I hung out with the girls. In elementary I'd always pick one person in the class and hang out with her (usually a her) for the rest of the year and I'd get a new one in the next grade. I've always had "one-friends" till high school, when I'd have several circles all at once.

grade1- I'd ask my teacher with my friend for extra assignments. She'd give us pictures and we'd write a story with them
I also collected animal and dinosaur cards for several years
and I'd have notebook after notebook translating dinosaurs' names into English.
grade2- My friend taught me how to braid and we'd braid each other's hair while the teacher read stories to us. Then all the girls started copying us.
grade4- I hung out for the first time with a group of boys. I was in the vicinity while someone got hurt during some kind of ball game, and I was added into detention with them. I left them after that and went back to girls.
grade5- Alanis Morisette and Sailor Moon! woot. This is when I started hanging out with extroverts and the feelings of alienation begin.
grade6-7 very much alone period.. But it wasnt till end of high school where I am completely alone and I sort of breakdown. Because of this, I sometimes think that it's now that I am living part of my childhood.. Most of my childhood was based on other people, friends etc, and I think I missed a lot of things by not embracing my personality completely.

I often moved to different neighbourhoods
One of my fondest memories were the walks home from school
They were quite distinct.. One trail was behind a bunch of apartment buildings an old houses. It's like when Snow White runs off into the forest from the Huntsman.. very spooky, especially when it's rainy and it gets very dark. Thorns, mud, gnarly trees and also strange insects. And another trail where you cross a farm.. it was so strange to find a farm with cows in that part of the city. I remember wishing to go into the meadows but they were gated and I never break rules so...
The last school I was at before going off to high school, it was on top of a very tall hill and very brilliant during sunny days-- the sun seemed so close to the ground. And so much space and air,
Nature definitely played a huge part when I was a kid and I didn't know it then ... so it's interesting for me to go back to it nowadays when I need a break.
 
#8 ·
wow... uhm.. is it ok if I ask to all of you?

Do you think isolation is an INFJ thing even during childhood? If so, why do you think it might be?

:crazy:
 
#10 ·
I never blossomed as an extrovert until middle/high school, up till that point I was always shy, because I had a lot of surgeries. I moved around a lot from grade 2-6, and never really was able to keep what few good friends I made, so I stopped really bothering at one point...and it led to something very bad that I try to block out.

I lived in my imagination, I loved reading fantasy (or reading in general), I wrote short stories and drew monsters in my notebooks. I scared people, by being so weird, but that's how I was/am, and that's how I've always been. It's just that now, I'm less introverted and more outspoken about my crazy...to everyone and somehow they accept me...most of the time.

Just going to put that in there, because some of us ENFJ's had similar style isolation as kids, so it all depends on how you handled/adjusted to it.
 
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#11 ·
I have so many memories, that I really can't write them :tongue:
I remember almost everything I've experienced since I was about 2 years old, until I became around 10-12 years old.
When I told mum and dad things I remembered, they got speachless... Those things happened
when I was 1 1/2 years old.
I remember a lot until I became about 10 years old, than my
anxiety really began to take control over my life (-and my defencemechanism is to forget/hide away. I still almost don't remember anything from the time I was 12-16 years..)

But, from I was a child I remember everything from which clotes I wore, what I did at home, a bunch of situations, people I met and what they made me feel, what I ate, what I was thinking.
 
#12 ·
Hello all. This is my first time post in the forum :)
Well, I see a pattern of solitude in INFJs. I was a loner, most of my friends are girls, but even that I'm not really that comfortable being around them. I didn't have any close friends til high school. My family was kinda messy, mom and dad fought a lot, but still i find that my childhood is pretty ok, I guess I'm able to appreciate small things, be happy for just candies and toys in my hand, and never have to think a lot about future plans or stuff (like now). I remember playing kites is my favorite thing to do :)
 
#13 ·
Welcome to the forum. I see... there really is this kind of solitude pattern in INFJ's, but like what walkawaysun09 said, it's how we see our isolation that seems to affect our personality. Thanks for replying though :)
 
#14 ·
Thanks for your great replies, guys. I wanted to post this up to see if isolation was a pattern in an INFJs childhood :shocked: but what I got was something far better than seeing the pattern; its your treasured childhood memories. I feel that I can relate with you guys a bit now :laughing: thanks for opening up. Don't be afraid to open up alright? It's a free forum, after all.

Peace :crazy:
 
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