A dark blue TraitLab logo
Sign Up

Have an account? Sign In

Articles > INTP and INFP

INTP and INFP Compatibility: Relationships, Friendships, and Partnerships

How compatible are INTP and INFP patterns of communicating, thinking, and working?

Reading time: 5 minutes

Share this article:

In this article, you’ll find a comparison of INTPs and INFPs across five important personality domains: Interpersonal/Communication Style, Emotional Style, Intellectual Style, and Organizational Style.

One important note: the following comparisons cannot be made simply by comparing the cognitive functions (letters) of each personality type.

For this analysis, TraitLab gathered data about personality traits from thousands of participants who identified themselves as a particular type in the 16 Personality or Myers-Briggs framework.

The comparisons here show the average similarities and differences between INTPs and INFPs. However, remember that all personality types are oversimplifications. For an assessment of your unique position in these areas, you’ll need a personalized assessment that doesn’t rely on personality types.

Jump to any section with the links below.

Learn about your type and so much more with TraitLab's comprehensive personality assessment.

Get started for free

Do you know your personality type?

Learn about your type and so much more with TraitLab's comprehensive personality assessment.

INTP and INFP Interpersonal and Communication Styles

Your particular style of communicating and interacting with others can be described fairly well by two dimensions: assertiveness and warmth.

Assertiveness describes your tendency to assert yourself, lead, and influence others in social situations, while warmth describes your tendencies to empathize and put others’ needs ahead of your own.

People with the same personality type often share some similarities in assertiveness and warmth. In the graph below, you can see where most INTPs and most INFPs fall along both of these dimensions.

First, take a look at where people in each type, on average, fall in this interpersonal space.

INTP and INFP comparison across interpersonal dimensions
A comparison of INTPs and INFPs along interpersonal dimensions. The blue dot shows the average position of INTPs, and the blue circle shows where roughly 50% of INTPs fall in interpersonal space. The orange dot and circle show similar positions for INFPs.

INTPs are realists who perceive things and people clearly, without being overly optimistic. At their best, they are practical skeptics who are comfortable holding and sharing unorthodox, unpopular views. INTPs may be overly skeptical and suspicious, and they may have difficulty trusting others. At their worst, they can struggle to make new friends and socialize, and have a hard time showing affection and admiration for others.

INFPs often respect others, conform to expectations, and ask for guidance. At their best, they are loyal and reliable, and encourage others to guide and help. INFPs may be overly clingy, gullible, and have difficulty expressing anger, even when appropriate. At their worst, they will try to please others too much, put others’ needs ahead of their own, and allow others to take advantage of them.

As an INTP, one notable difference between you and most INFPs is in your interpersonal warmth. You are likely on the colder, more combative side of the spectrum. Compared to you and other INTPs, INFPs’ can sometimes feel overly focused on feelings and intentions, rather than the facts of the matter at hand.

However, you and most INFPs both tend to be on the more reserved and passive side in social situations. On one hand, this is a benefit: both of you tend to be reliable partners, ready and willing to help each other when needed. On the other hand, your mutual passivity can stall decisions and action, especially if both of you are waiting for the other to take the lead.

INTP and INFP Emotional Styles

Another characteristic of your personality is your emotional style — your tendencies towards different kinds of moods. There are two dimensions that influence emotional style: arousal and valence.

Arousal describes your relative energy level across different situations. Those with high baseline levels of arousal tend to be generally more alert, active, and engaged, while those with a lower baseline are more reserved, subdued, and inhibited.

Valence describes whether these moods tend to be positive (pleasant) or negative (unpleasant). People with a more positively valenced style are more likely to experience emotions like joy, enthusiasm, satisfaction, and serenity. People with a more negatively valenced style are more likely to experience sadness, frustration, dissatisfaction, and anxiety.

The graph below shows where each type, on average, usually sits in this emotional space.

INTP and INFP comparison across emotional (affective) dimensions
A comparison of INTPs and INFPs along emotional (or affective) dimensions. The blue dot shows the average position of INTPs, and the blue circle shows where roughly 50% of INTPs fall in interpersonal space. The orange dot and circle show similar positions for INFPs.

Most INTPs and INFPs overlap heavily in their emotional style.

INTPs and INFPs have a tendency to be quiet and inhibited. Compared to most people, they can easily drift into gloom and melancholy. They see the glass as half-empty and have a more skeptical outlook and a hesitant approach to life. For better or worse, INTPs and INFPs tend to notice the negatives in most situations. In stressful times, they are more likely to withdraw quietly and retreat inward, rather than share their frustration with others.

Like many INTPs, you and most INFPs tend to be on the more reserved and quiet side. You both prefer to sit back and observe, and the two of you are usually perfectly happy with lower levels of excitement and stimulation. You understand each other’s need for personal space and solitude, and you are both content to leave each other to do their own thing.

Likewise, INTPs and INFPs often default to the negative side of the emotional spectrum. While you may not always express them, you are both more likely to experience negative emotions like sadness, worry, frustration, and impatience. It’s rare to find INTPs or INFPs in a bubbly, cheerful mood. Like most people, they have moments of joy and satisfaction, but these dissipate quickly. They often point out the negatives in most situations and have a more pessimistic outlook.

INTP and INFP Intellectual Styles

Your intellectual style describes how you receive, process, and pursue different kinds of information. Differences in intellectual style are captured well by two dimensions: ideas and aesthetics.

Ideas describes your appetite for new information and your interest in complex, challenging material. People high on the ideas dimension have an appreciation for complexity and technical details. People lower on ideas are less interested in learning for learning’s sake, and they prefer to simplify complex topics down to the essential details.

Aesthetics captures your relative interest and sensitivity to aesthetic information and its emotional impact. People higher on the aesthetics dimension usually have strong artistic interests and a deep appreciation for beauty in many forms. Those lower on aesthetics tend to value practical application over artistic merit and usually adhere to more conventional standards of beauty.

In the graph below, you’ll see where INTPs and INFPs, on average, fall in this intellectual space.

INTP and INFP comparison across intellectual dimensions
A comparison of INTPs and INFPs along intellectual dimensions. The blue dot shows the average position of INTPs, and the blue circle shows where roughly 50% of INTPs fall in intellectual space. The orange dot and circle show similar positions for INFPs.

INTPs are usually highly effective, efficient thinkers, capable of processing large amounts of complex information and distilling it down to its most useful elements. They are pragmatic and grounded and prefer to apply their knowledge to conventional, practical pursuits.

INFPs are idealistic, creative dreamers. They tend to be interested in the nuances of emotional and artistic experiences, looking for patterns and meaningful insights. INFPs are comfortable with ambiguity and abstract concepts, focusing on the big picture rather than technical details. They often practice some form of creative expression and are likely to hold a few unconventional, eccentric beliefs.

As with many INTPs, you tend to have a stronger need for information and complexity than most INFPs. You are much more likely to become enamored with a fascinating new idea and dive head first into learning everything you can about it while your INFP counterparts are focused on the practical matter in front of them. You may find yourself pulling the conversation to a more theoretical level when you’re together, while your INFP partner resists and keeps things down-to-earth.

Another difference between INTPs and INFPs is their relative interest in aesthetic, artistic, and emotional experiences. As a INTP, you tend to be more practical and focused on tangible results, while your INFP counterpart is more likely to be drawn into the emotional and artistic aspects of an experience. In addition, INTPs and INFPs often differ in their receptivity to unconventional and eccentric ways of thinking. Like many INTPs, you often lean towards well-worn, conventional approaches and view new alternatives with healthy skepticism. In contrast, INFPs are quicker to do away with convention and embrace a new approach.

INTP and INFP Organizational Styles

Your organizational style describes your habits around organization and planning. Your organizational style influences how you structure your time and physical space. Differences in organizational style fall along two dimensions: industriousness and orderliness.

Industriousness describes your persistence, need for achievement, and intensity of focus. People higher on industriousness usually organize their behavior around a few important long-term goals. People lower on industriousness are usually more focused on the present and will more easily change their focus when new opportunities appear.

Orderliness describes your need for regularity, order, and structure in your environment. People higher on orderliness prefer tidy, organized physical spaces, detailed schedules, and reliable routines. People lower on orderliness can tolerate more disorganization and prefer a more spontaneous, unstructured approach.

The graph below shows the average position of INTPs and INFPs along these dimensions of organizational style.

INTP and INFP comparison across organizational dimensions
A comparison of INTPs and INFPs along organizational dimensions. The blue dot shows the average position of INTPs, and the blue circle shows where roughly 50% of INTPs fall in organizational space. The orange dot and circle show similar positions for INFPs.

Most INTPs and INFPs share a similar organizational style.

INTPs and INFPs thrive in unstructured environments with fewer constraints and more room for improvisation and serendipity. They generally focus on enjoying the present rather than preparing for the future. INTPs and INFPs highly value spontaneity and the flexibility to change their mind, and they resist setting hard deadlines or rigid expectations.

Like most INTPs, you and many INFPs often set ambitious goals but struggle to stick to those plans in the long run. As new opportunities arise, you easily change direction, losing interest or motivation to pursue your past goals. As a result, the two of you often postpone important or difficult decisions, which sometimes creates tension between you due to lost opportunities or last-minute rushing. Both of you tend to perform better under external pressure rather than being left to your devices. You can benefit greatly by holding each other accountable and providing gentle motivation when needed.

Similarly, INTPs and INFPs share a more intuitive, unstructured approach to most areas of their lives. Both of you take life as it comes, and you avoid overly detailed plans and high levels of organization. Compared to most people, the two of you also have higher tolerances for messiness and disorganization.

How to identify your closest personality type

Most people have complex personalities and don’t fall into a single personality type.

With TraitLab’s comprehensive analyses of your traits, strengths, and interests, you can see how your personality compares to all 16 types. Start building your personality profile by creating a free account today.

INTP compatibility with other types

For comparisons between INTPs and other types from the 16 Personality typology, visit any of the type pairings below:

INTP Compatibility with Other Enneagram Types

For comparisons between INTPs and other Enneagram types, visit any of the type pairings below:

Share this article:

Get the TraitLab Newsletter

Subscribe for personality news, product updates, and special offers.

    Spam-free. Unsubscribe at any time.