Could an INFJ be happy/successful as a physicist?

[aerosol]

namely me haha. It's that time of year when I apply to universities and make all sorts of horrible monetary commitments which will dictate the course of my life.

I've taken physics, in high school and I was good at it, and found it to be interesting and challenging. I can be pretty good at using S & T (although I naturally use NF if its an option... like in a social interactions and solving personal problems), and I found math and physics in high school to be someone relaxing and an escape from my normal state of mind

I was wondering if pursuing physics in school full time at an university level, and later as a career would be to ST heavy for an NF such as myself.

(I speculate that if I needed to later I could go on to teach physics if I need to fulfill my F more in my career)

herpederp
I don't expect anyone to make career choices for me, but do you forsee a career in physics to be a viable option for an INFJ type?

INFJ's can be anything they want!
Except for maybe a career driving buses, or perhaps that's just me? I admire bus drivers a lot. I could never do that -- the driving, the dealing with people, the pressure of keeping your time schedule, the having to be alert all the time, the idea that I could very easily hurt/kill a person on accident today if I make a slight mistake or if I lose my concentration for 2 seconds. The list goes on...

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

I've been wondering a similar sort of thing.

As for ability - nothing beats Ni backed with Ti in conceptual understanding. Precision
will be lacking, as will anything more procedural/sequenced (experiments), but there is most
certainly great potential in certain, perhaps more abstract, areas.

What I think will be much harder is staying motivated. Basically, to keep motivation with any
external activity, Fe is going to need to be utilised, and since science is quite T dominated,
it's going to be hard to get this stimulation. I think what is needed is 1: a long term F-based
goal to keep you driving towards something, as well as 2: constant social stimulation to keep
you on track.

For 1. you'll probably find what you're looking for via prospects for social change as a result of
your developed understanding. For 2. you could luck out and find a nice social position in the
scientific community, so that you're not just a scientist doing work with other scientists, you're
a person doing work with other people. Alternatively, your source of motivation may be found
through teaching (tutoring perhaps) and your mind will be set on the subject because you're
mind will naturally be set on developing the understanding of others. Basically some way of
allowing your knowledge to be of use socially, in the short and long term (#17).

Bottom line is: yes, an INFJ can certainly succeed in science,
however their must be a source of inspiration beyond the work itself.

Also, see: The Many Faces of INFJ - "The Academic".

 

[bickelz]

Yeah but there's not enough ambiguity.

 

[Matariki]

Sure, us INTP's would love some INFJ company.

At the end of the day though It comes down to passion over personality, if you really enjoy it then go for it. You can't really go wrong with following your talents and passions (depending on what they are of course )

If jobs were based on personality then I would be a Engineer. Obviously I'm not... I'm an artist and animator. My ENFJ sister wipes the floor with me when it comes to physics, but I do the same to her when it comes to art.