[lux]

I've read various times that INFJs have a good ability to see pretty easily a person's character.
For me this is true, I feel like when I first meet someone I can ascertain pretty quickly whether or not this person is "good","bad","mundane" or "special" among other things.
I don't know if you would call this an "aura" but I feel like I get a pretty clear picture of a person's overall character without much effort on my part.
Granted, I've been off a few times and have had people surprise me, but overall I feel like my initial understanding is usually confirmed by their further actions.
I know this phenomenon could be explained by social psych terms (confirmation bias, and maybe FAE) but I feel like I am a pretty objective person and keep these possibilities in mind. In the end i still feel like my first observations are more than often right.



Also, I find that because of this people I can't "figure out" right away are the people I am most interested in.

Does anyone else feel they have this ability? Any specific examples of this?

[wyo1234]

Lux, welcome, I hope you enjoy it here! I consider myself to have some of this ability as well. I cannot think of a single specific example I can give you. I think it really helps me in my profession as a probation officer. I feel like I'm really good and picking out the ones who are going to be okay and don't need a lot of guidance versus the one's who are going to be in trouble and need watched. On occasion I'm certainly wrong, but for the most part I feel like my intuition has been very, very good.

[EmmaLeigh]

Yup ^_^. I'm a great big purple-people-reader.
Or something.

Anyway, I've always been able to intuitively "get" people. It helps out a lot. I have only been wrong three times so far (as far as I can tell)

And for me, it IS an aura -- I have something called synesthesia, which means everything has random non-related attributes (wires in the brain cross, making letters and music have colors, etc.) I can walk up to a person, and almost instantaneously "see" their aura. It's added to as I learn more about them. I can interpret that aura as needed.

[country_gamer]

My dad is an INFJ and 2 years ago when I first brought my girlfriend over (ESFJ) he looked at her for a few seconds, then walked upstairs to his room. After she left I went to talk to him. He just said "You should not date her". To me that was really judgmental, but he was right...dangit! haha.

Random questions Ive pondered- when you first meet ISFJ's, do you usually feel like they put on an act or does your senses say it's legitimate?

[Ace Face]

It's not a trait special to the INFJ.

[Hastings]

I hear this, yet I often seem to get pegged in weird ways by others. So I don't know. I certainly think a lot of different types can size people up pretty well, but they do with different aspects in mind.

[lux]

Right I definitely don't think it is INFJ specific. I just feel like it is something we do well, without trying. Like I don't have to think about what I think of a person it just pops into my head, if that makes sense.

[Lost in Oblivion]

I tend to get a good first impression of people when I see them. I just start picking up on a lot of things right away, like how they carry themselves, how they react when people talk to them, etc...I can make a good assessment, but this remains only an assumption. Most of the time, people are pretty much what they appear on the surface, and not too difficult to figure out. Subsequently I also automatically type people in my mind. Like you, if I can't figure them out, I keep pushing it till I find out.

It's difficult to give examples, because I unconsciously do this and I act/think accordingly. I don't "actively" make judgments of people's characters, because then I'm wrong, usually. However, one example is when I was talking to an ENFP friend of mine over Skype about a month ago (college has just started). After she talking to me for 5 minutes, she says, "So guess what..." and I instantly say, "You have a boyfriend." It was really funny watching her reaction. But it's just that I get her personality, albeit unconsciously, so I have a good understanding of it. Just not something I can really articulate accurately.

Random questions Ive pondered- when you first meet ISFJ's, do you usually feel like they put on an act or does your senses say it's legitimate?

I get the sense of legitimacy, but I also find exclusivity. This exclusivity fosters itself in either, the ISFJ is slowly letting you in, or they've already ruled you out with Si+Fe. If it's the latter, then it becomes an act to me, because I notice when you're treating me differently than others.

[Vivid Melody]

I don't feel like I have this ability. Unless it is blatantly obvious that the person is a crap person, I am usually very trusting. I think I trust people too much. Honestly though, it's hard for me to even remember instances where my first impression was right. I have a hard time remembering that stuff for some reason.