Physical expression of personality.

AzulSoul

AzulSoul

Community Member
MBTI
INFJ
Enneagram
1w9
I was wondering, are there any body language traits that INFJs share.... do we tend to stop between thoughts like the INFPs? How do you enunciate? Do you stare people in the eyes when talking with them?

Much Thanks. Peace for the future!
 
NO eye contact, no! Yikes! I do stop between thoughts, and I definitely mumble quietly when tired or uncomfortable, or talk reeeally quickly & animated when excited.
 
(Personal manner, not professional) I don't stare people in the eyes. When I listen, I often look at something else ... as though I am focusing only on the listening aspect. I glance at their eyes often, then look away. Glued eye contact makes me very uncomfortable.

I talk with my hands. I find myself very expressive or animated. I cannot wipe expression from my face, it is the toughest thing ... so it makes me a terrible liar.

I am often very aware of my body language and how it could be perceived in certain situations ... such as listening to someone in order to solve a conflict, I make sure I am not closed off (arms folded) ... I honestly think it invites the other person to speak more freely so we can work toward resolution.

I don't know so much that I stop between thoughts. I'm the type that is more susceptible in going off on a tangent (and then forgetting what the original conversation was about.) When I need to focus on a topic I have to make a conscious effort to stay on topic.
 
Sriracha said:
(Personal manner, not professional) I don't stare people in the eyes. When I listen, I often look at something else ... as though I am focusing only on the listening aspect. I glance at their eyes often, then look away. Glued eye contact makes me very uncomfortable.

I talk with my hands. I find myself very expressive or animated. I cannot wipe expression from my face, it is the toughest thing ... so it makes me a terrible liar.
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Thank you for fleshing that out. :) I am tired.
 
Sriracha said:
I cannot wipe expression from my face, it is the toughest thing ... so it makes me a terrible liar.
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That surprised me a lot because I'm very good at altering my facial expression. Now I use it to make people feel more relaxed and generally happier whenever possible.
 
AzulSoul said:
That surprised me a lot because I'm very good at altering my facial expression. Now I use it to make people feel more relaxed and generally happier whenever possible.
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I think I have gotten better at it, but it takes extreme control, looking away, or leaving the room to compose myself, depending on the type of emotion I am determined not to show.
 
purplecrayons said:
I think I have gotten better at it, but it takes extreme control, looking away, or leaving the room to compose myself, depending on the type of emotion I am determined not to show.
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I don't mind it. It's better the person know my response. The only time it is imperative that I do not show any emotion is when I go to court. When the judge is slapping around deadbeat parents I have to bow my head down ... as does just about everyone else!

(disclaimer, I am not one of the deadbeat parents ... I am a volunteer.)
 
I get a dreamy-eyed look when abstracting.
Hands are very animated, helps with expression.
Eyes are very "clear" and "focused", according to friends. Contradicts #1 sometimes.
Smiling lights up entire face and makes my eyes shine.
Random accent changes. American <--> English <--> French <--> German
Very expressive face, emotions dance on it for some cursed reason. When body language, which I can't seem to control, and facial expressions don't match, people get confused; this has caused rather heated argument before.
Love of symbolism.
Will switch from "I" to "we" reference unconsciously when discussing/ranting about society.
 
I avoid steady eye contact a lot because it distracts me from what it is that I am saying. If I'm talking I need my thoughts to be uninterrupted and I can't sit there and analyze the other person's expression while I'm trying to get it out. This changes when I am very angry and confrontational though. My expression will go blank, my eyes will be very intense and I will not break eye contact. This usually makes the person I am dealing with very uncomfortable. It's like a switch flips.

Otherwise, if I'm feeling comfortable, I will use my hands a lot. I tend to be conscious of my body language as well and try not to be too closed off and distant but it can be uncomfortable for me.

I don't always stop between thoughts but it does happen if I catch myself getting off track of the original topic. I re-calibrate a lot.
 
after years of teaching crisis intervention I have become very aware of personal space and body alnguage. . I am always careful with both in interpersonal situations. . I avoid eye contact other than to make and break. I talk slowly. . i get nervous in rapid fire talking situations. .
 
Great feedback all, though it would seem that most of us have trouble looking people in the eye... I wonder if that's to do with being introverted?
 
Radiant Shadow said:
I get a dreamy-eyed look when abstracting.
Hands are very animated, helps with expression.
Eyes are very "clear" and "focused", according to friends. Contradicts #1 sometimes.
...
Very expressive face, emotions dance on it for some cursed reason. When body language, which I can't seem to control, and facial expressions don't match, people get confused; this has caused rather heated argument before.
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i've really noticed these things with the INFJ friends I have IRL. (I happen to have 4 close INFJ friends I know IRL... all male.. weird eh)

Only one of them seems to avoid eye contact. I seem to make a lot of eye contact with the other three. Two of them I always exchange glances with, like a silent "are you thinking what I'm thinking" .. a LOT. haha

Although, they probably do often avoid eye contact with people they aren't close to so my POV is skewed.
 
I forgot to mention that I've noticed all of them have kind of retarded body movements lol. Like, kind of a combination of moving like a fairy (kind of light and airy, very delicate hand movements), and also kind of clumsily with lots of yanking, sudden jolts, awkwardness. Consequently, this helps make my INFJ male friends look kinda effeminate or gay at times.

Lol but I've heard the way I move is "like an angel" >_> apparently because I walk calmly with my back very straight, with very smooth gliding movments. My ISTJ best friend said I move like this, and she'll watch me and feel all relaxed, then suddenly I'll trip or something and she'll remember how gimpy I am.
 
This is really touching on the VI elements of socionics.
 
I intentionally maintain eye contact because I find it helps make a connection between people, and to communicate trustworthiness - if I can't look you in the eyes, it means there's something there I'm trying to hide from you, that I don't want you to see that what's going on inside my head isn't matching my speech. I like to show people, as much as possible, that I'm honest, and that I respect them enough to not look away, that my attention is solely on them at the moment/that I'm not distracted/that their words are what mean the most to me in that point in time.

Everyone communicates this differently, though, and for some not making eye contact could be a means to communicate that they're pondering what the other has said.
 
I have a hard time making eye contact, too. I can do it if I really pay attention to it. But, my default setting is I have trouble looking people in the eyes (especially if I don`t know them or don`t trust them). I also tend to cross my arms, and do other closed off behaviours, sadly.
 
CoffeeShopDiva said:
I have a hard time making eye contact, too. I can do it if I really pay attention to it. But, my default setting is I have trouble looking people in the eyes (especially if I don`t know them or don`t trust them). I also tend to cross my arms, and do other closed off behaviours, sadly.
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zomg when did you get back? we never really knew each other at all, but I remember your nick from when I first signed up here ages ago.
 
That was my first post - in a long time. :P I'm very impressed someone noticed : )
 
Well I'm pretty animated. I simply can't talk without my hands. I also look up when thinking...kind of like this.
 
I talk with my hands A LOT, and can be very animated, but at the same time, maintaining a calm serene presence. I usually don't make eye contact when talking to people I know well, unless we are talking about something rather emotional, but with strangers, eye contact is a must to build trust. My eyes/expression gets dreamy when I am imagining a situation, and I also have a tendency to look up when I'm thinking.
 
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