Mediator Personality (INFP, Mediator Personality) is a personality type among the 16 personalities. Among them, I stands for introversion, N stands for intuition, F stands for emotion, and P stands for dependence.
Mediator personalities tend to be quiet, open-minded and imaginative, taking a caring and creative approach to everything they do.
Although they may appear quiet or unassuming, Mediators (INFPs) have vibrant, passionate inner lives. They are creative and imaginative and are happy to lose themselves in daydreams, making up all sorts of stories and conversations in their heads. These personalities are known for their sensitivity - Mediators can have profound emotional responses to music, art, nature and the people around them.
Idealistic and empathetic Mediators desire deep, affectionate relationships, and they feel called to help others. But because this personality type makes up only a small portion of the population, Mediators can sometimes feel lonely or invisible, adrift in a world that doesn’t seem to appreciate the qualities that make them unique.
Personality Traits
The gift of empathy
Mediators have a genuine curiosity about the depths of human nature. Introspective at their core, they are very attuned to their own thoughts and feelings, but they also desire to understand those around them. Mediators are compassionate and non-judgmental, always willing to hear other people’s stories. When someone opens up to them or turns to them for comfort, they feel honored to listen and help.
Empathy is one of this personality type’s greatest gifts, but sometimes it can be a burden. The troubles of the world weigh heavily on the shoulders of mediators, who easily internalize the negative emotions or mindsets of others. Unless they learn to set boundaries, mediators may feel overwhelmed by how many wrongs there are to correct.
Tell the truth
Nothing makes a mediator more uncomfortable than pretending to be something you are not. With their sensitivity and commitment to authenticity, people with this personality type often crave opportunities for creative self-expression. It is therefore not surprising that many famous mediators are poets, writers, actors and artists. They can’t help but think about the meaning and purpose of life, dreaming up all kinds of stories, ideas, and possibilities along the way.
Through these imaginative landscapes, mediators can explore their own inner nature and their place in the world. While this is a beautiful trait, these people sometimes show a tendency to daydream and fantasize rather than take action. To avoid feeling frustrated, unsatisfied, or incompetent, mediators need to make sure they take steps to turn their dreams and ideas into reality.
Looking for a call
People with this personality type tend to feel directionless or stagnant until they gain a sense of purpose in their lives. For many mediators, this purpose has to do with uplifting others and their ability to feel the pain of others as if it were their own. While mediators want to help everyone, they need focus and effort—otherwise, they may eventually burn out.
Fortunately, like the flowers of spring, the Mediator’s creativity and idealism can bloom even after the darkest seasons. Even though they know the world will never be perfect, Mediators still care about doing whatever they can to make it better. This quiet belief in doing the right thing explains why these people often inspire compassion, kindness, and beauty wherever they go.
Representatives
- John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, British writer, poet, linguist and university professor.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French Enlightenment thinker and philosopher.
- Soren Aabye Kierkegaard, Danish poet and existentialist philosopher.
- Augustine of Hippo, Catholic bishop and philosopher.
- Jean-Paul Sartre, French existentialist philosopher.
- William Shakespeare, English Renaissance playwright and poet.
- Alicia Keys, American female singer, musician, actress, and writer.
- Tom Hiddleston, British actor, film producer, and musician.
-Julia Roberts, American film and television actress and producer. - William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet.
- Johnny Depp, American film and television actor, producer, and musician.
- Frodo Baggins, the protagonist in the novel ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
- Amelie Poulain, character in the film Amélie.
- Arwen, the protagonist in the novel ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
- Fox Mulder, character in the science fiction television series ‘The X-Files’.
- Anne, a character in the novel ‘Anne of Green Gables’ written by Canadian female writer Lucy Maud Montgomery.
- Sybil Branson, Lady Sybil Crawley, character in the British period miniseries Downton Abbey.
-Lance Sweets, character in the forensic crime series Bones. - Konstantin Levin, a character in Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina and its derivative works.
advantage
- Empathetic – Mediators do not just care about other people in an abstract sense. These characters can actually feel another person’s emotions, ranging from joy and elation to sadness and regret. Because of this sensitivity, mediators tend to be considerate and kind, and they hate the idea of hurting anyone, even unintentionally.
- Generosity - Mediators rarely like to achieve success at the expense of others. They feel called to share the good things in their lives, give credit where credit is due, and uplift those around them. These people want to contribute to a world where every voice is heard and no one’s needs go unmet.
- Open-minded – Tolerant and accepting, the mediator tries not to judge anyone’s beliefs, lifestyle, or decisions. This is a personality type that prefers empathy to criticism, and many mediators feel empathy even for those who have done wrong. Because they are so receptive, mediators often become confidants to their friends and loved ones—and occasionally complete strangers.
- Creativity – Mediators enjoy looking at things from unconventional perspectives. Nothing makes them happier than letting their minds wander with ideas, possibilities, and daydreams. It’s no wonder, then, that many Mediators are drawn to creative pursuits—or that this personality type is well represented among writers and artists.
- Passionate – When an idea or movement sparks their imagination, Mediators want to be fully committed to it. People with this personality type may not always be outspoken, but that doesn’t diminish their strong feelings for causes that align with their beliefs and beliefs.
- Idealism - Mediators strive to follow their conscience, even when doing the right thing isn’t easy or convenient. They rarely lose sight of their desire to live a meaningful, purpose-filled life—a life that helps others and makes the world a better place.
Weakness
- Unrealistic – Nothing in this world is perfect – This can be a difficult truth for the mediator to accept. People with this personality type may be hopeless romantics, with a rose-tinted vision of what their lives should be like. This can leave mediators disappointed when reality inevitably falls short of their dreams.
- Self-Isolation – Mediators crave connection with others, but they don’t always know how. Especially in new situations, mediators may be reluctant to put themselves out there in ways that help them make new friends or participate in new communities. Therefore, people with this personality type may feel lonely or isolated at times.
- Inattention - The mediator’s imaginative, introspective nature does not always contribute to productivity. Many mediators are frustrated that they find it difficult to stick with it and get the job done. The problem is not that they are incompetent, but that they have problems when they are so wrapped up in different ideas and ideals that they fail to act.
- Emotional Vulnerability – The emotional attunement of these people is one of their greatest strengths. But unless mediators establish boundaries, they may absorb negative emotions or attitudes from others.
- Desperate to Please – Conflict often puts pressure on mediators who crave harmony and acceptance. When someone doesn’t like or approve of them, these people may focus on trying to clear the air and change that person’s mind. Unfortunately, mediators’ desire to please others drains them of their energy, eclipsing their inner wisdom and awareness of their own needs.
- Self-Criticism – Mediators believe in their unique potential and they are eager to realize it. But this can lead to them having unrealistic expectations of themselves. When mediators fail to realize these visions, they may accuse themselves of being useless, selfish, or woefully inadequate. Taken too far, this self-criticism can deter mediators, causing them to give up on even their dearest dreams.
in love
Mediators (INFPs) are dreamers and idealists, especially when it comes to romance. People with this personality type believe in the power and beauty of true love, and they sincerely wish to never settle for anything less.
So it’s fair to say that The Mediator approaches the world of romance with high expectations. They may have spent years dreaming about the perfect relationship, imagining what it would be like to share their innermost self with another person. But the realities of dating can shock mediators, forcing them to grapple with a challenging question: whether they must compromise on their ideals if they want to be in a relationship.
Hopeless Romantic
Mediators don’t just want to find a partner - they want to connect with a soul mate. These people are thoughtful and open-minded, and are generally willing to consider interacting with a variety of people. Mediators pride themselves on their ability to look beyond superficial characteristics of a potential partner (such as appearance, social status, or possessions) and focus on deeper, more meaningful signals of compatibility.
But it would be a mistake to think that a mediator has no preconceived criteria for a significant other. With active minds and imaginations, people with this personality type tend to develop and carry with them a vision of their ideal partner—a vision that might be based on a favorite fictional character, someone they once knew, or simply their story. I told myself what love “should” look like.
When they meet someone new, most mediators can’t help but compare that person to what they envision as their ideal soulmate. Unsurprisingly, such comparisons tend to eliminate several potential partners. It can be difficult—if not impossible—for a real, flesh-and-blood person to realize the dreams a mediator holds dear.
effort
Over time, many mediators come to understand that true love doesn’t magically happen—it requires compromise, understanding, and work. After all, no partner is perfect, and even the most beautiful relationships have challenges. Fortunately, people with this personality type can find a lot of joy in their efforts to strengthen their relationships.
As they fall in love, the mediator reveals how much passion lies beneath their quiet exteriors. They are devout and loyal, but respect their partner’s independence and aim to accept their partner for who they are. That is, these people also want to help their partners learn, grow, and pursue their goals. Mediators are always looking for ways to improve themselves and the world around them, and the last thing they want is to make their partner unhappy or stuck.
Many people with this personality type are dedicated to helping their partners improve their lives. While this is a lofty goal, mediators must make sure to keep track of their own needs and ensure that their partners are truly ready for change. As long as they do this, the mediator’s support and dedication will make a difference in their partners’ lives.
Looking for the real thing
Mediators tend to promote harmony rather than disagreement. While this can help stabilize their relationship, it can also cause problems. To avoid sparking conflict, mediators may avoid talking openly about what’s bothering them—instead, they may mentally focus on the problem or try to solve it themselves. They may also focus on making their partner happy to the detriment of their own priorities and sense of self.
People with this personality type may need to remind themselves that open communication is necessary in a relationship, even if it’s not always easy. In fact, this kind of candid moment can make a relationship better.
As long as they communicate openly and honestly, mediators are perfectly capable of being true to themselves in a relationship—and encouraging those they care about to do the same. By committing wholeheartedly to their relationship, mediators can find out what it truly means to love and be loved.
Friendship
Mediators (INFPs) may find themselves caught in a web of contradictions when it comes to their social lives. People with this personality type crave time alone, but they are also susceptible to feelings of loneliness. They long to feel accepted and welcome, but they hate pretending to be someone they’re not. While they are hesitant to call attention to themselves, they also don’t want to be invisible.
The good news is that in the company of real friends, mediators can get off these hamster wheels of insecurities and focus on what really matters. For these people, friendship is a precious commodity—an opportunity for two people to lift each other up and make each other’s lives better. Mediators truly believe in the old saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” Few things reinforce their sense of purpose like being together for the people they care about.
Perhaps because of their heavy investment in these relationships, Mediators tend to feel most fulfilled when spending time with a small, close group of friends. Acquaintances may come and go, but this inner circle is likely to include lifelong friends of the mediator.
Looking for like-minded souls
Although mediators are warm and receptive, they don’t always find it easy to make friends. This may be because superficial, casual relationships can leave these people feeling a bit empty. Mediators are looking for lasting, genuine friendships with people who share their desire to think and feel deeply, to do what is right, and to give more to the world than they receive from the world.
That is, mediators are able to make friends with a wide variety of people. Their combination of intuitive and forward-thinking personality traits draw them to different perspectives, which helps them appreciate friends whose experiences and worldviews are completely different from their own. Mediators may actually find it invigorating to connect with people who, on the surface, have little in common with them.
For mediators, true friendship is based on shared values, not just shared experiences. People with this personality type are less likely to form strong friendships simply out of convenience. For example, while their feelings for a coworker may be strong, simply working in the same office or store is not enough for a mediator to guarantee a strong friendship. A deeper connection has to come into play.
Lifelong friends
When a mediator befriends someone, they may secretly (or not so secretly) want to remain close to that person for life. These people are able to build strong, stable relationships that are marked by warm support, subtle poetry, and deep emotional insight. Long-term friendships often bring out less obvious aspects of the mediator’s personality type, including a strong protectiveness. Many mediators find that they can stand up for their friends in ways that are difficult to manage for themselves.
Although Mediators value their friendships, they also need personal space and alone time to recharge. At times, people with this personality type may even withdraw from their closest friends in order to reconnect with themselves and regain their energy, something all introverts must do. These departures are usually temporary, but mediators may need to ensure that their friends do not feel left out by their absence.
Mediators find ways to improve their friendships and share their feelings with the people who matter to them. Often, this takes the form of spending quality time with friends—proposing a grand vision for the future and sharing their secret dreams and ideas with people they know they can trust. But even when mediators are entirely on their own, they always have their friends in mind.
Parent-child
For the Mediator (INFP), life is a journey. But even as they find their way in the world, these people feel called to help others on their journeys to meaning, fulfillment, and happiness. In their low-key, non-overbearing way, Mediators enjoy guiding others to learn and grow—and parenthood is a very rewarding opportunity for them to do just that.
From the beginning, the goal of mediator parents is to be warm, caring, and open. People with this personality type like their children to open their eyes and be curious about the world, and they want to give their children freedom—the freedom to form their own opinions, discover their own interests, and grow into their own unique selves. Mediator parents balance these freedoms by building a stable foundation of support and acceptance in the hope that their children will never forget how much they are loved.
Meeting the challenge
Mediators may like to cultivate free spirits, but that doesn’t mean they are completely hands-off. They want to teach children key values, including the importance of honesty, compassion and caring for others. They also want their children to understand the meaning of personal responsibility, especially when it comes to not harming others.
Like parents of any personality type, mediator parents inevitably face challenges. They take their parenting responsibilities seriously, so when their children misbehave in ways big or small, it can feel like a personal failure. These people may be particularly frustrated when they see their children behaving in ways that appear to be inconsiderate or immoral.
When their children do something wrong, mediators may find themselves wondering, did I fail as a parent? The danger here is that people with this personality type may become so focused on blaming themselves that they fail to establish appropriate consequences for their children’s behavior. Discipline may not come easily to Mediators, but when balanced with their caring, gentle nature, it can be a powerful tool for them in teaching their children the difference between right and wrong.
Balance structure and spontaneity
Parents of mediators naturally want to be good role models. They try to show their best side to their children and hide their problems, negative emotions, and frustrations. This maintains a sense of harmony in the family and helps their children feel safe and cared for. By the same token, mediators often try to protect their children from the larger problems in the world. This is certainly appropriate when their children are young, but ultimately, mediators need to find ways to discuss tougher issues with their children.
Another obstacle for many parents with this personality type is establishing practical daily structure and rules for their children. Fortunately, mediators can use their creativity to impose boundaries without stifling children’s curiosity and enthusiasm. These parents have a great ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes, which allows them to create schedules and rules that truly meet their children’s individual needs.
When they balance structure with spontaneity, mediators can help their children grow into their most loving, responsible, and happiest selves. And that’s exactly what these parents are after—raising children who recognize their own unique gifts and talents and share them with the world.
Career Path
Many Mediators (INFPs) long for a career that not only handles the bills, but also feels fulfilling. They want to spend every day doing something they truly enjoy, preferably without too much stress or drama.
As idealists, mediators may have difficulty finding a career that meets their practical needs and fulfills their dreams. These people may become frustrated, waiting for the perfect job to come along, and end up feeling stuck or worried that they are not living up to their potential.
There is no perfect job, and the question of whether to settle for less than ideal positions can seriously affect people with this personality type. Fortunately, Mediators’ creativity, independence, and genuine desire to connect with and help others can help them shine and find fulfillment in almost any job.
A place for everyone
Certain careers and occupations seem to have a special appeal to these people. With curiosity and a love for self-expression, many mediators dream of becoming writers. They might write a novel, find interesting freelance work, or even find themselves in the corporate world or communicating for a nonprofit. An imaginative mediator can breathe new life into even the dullest fundraising or marketing materials.
While this personality type isn’t known for seeking the spotlight, other Mediators have found their life purpose in the performing arts. These mediators can draw from deep within themselves to create exquisite interpretations of the creator’s work. They may also create their own works as playwrights, composers or choreographers.
No matter what they do, mediators want to feel that their work is helping others. It’s no surprise, then, that many people with this personality type choose careers focused on service, such as counseling, psychology, teaching, health care, social work, massage therapy, or physical rehabilitation. For these caring, supportive people, there is nothing more meaningful than seeing their work help change someone’s life for the better.
Find your own way
Mediators are adaptable, but they may find working in a high-stress, bureaucratic, or busy environment demotivating them. They may also be frustrated by a highly selective or competitive workplace. Workplaces that reward independence tend to be great for mediators, although they may appreciate some structure and supervision to help them avoid procrastination and rumination.
That is, mediators do not need ideal conditions to develop professionally. These people want to be consistent with their values in their careers and in every other aspect of their lives. When they pursue a sense of purpose at work, they can endure and overcome any challenge.
working habit
Mediators (INFPs) want to feel a sense of purpose in their work. No matter where they find themselves on the job ladder, they try to create an emotional and moral connection to what they do—seeking reassurance that their daily efforts are helping others in some shape or form. This desire to serve influences how mediators respond to authority in the workplace and how they express authority.
As a subordinate
As employees, mediators tend to be loyal, optimistic, and considerate. They pride themselves on being honest and doing the right thing no matter the situation. People with this personality type also find satisfaction in pleasing others, from their bosses to their clients. Mediators feel most motivated when they are thinking of ways to help others, rather than worrying about lists or bottom lines.
This explains why praise and positive feedback can make them shine. Criticism, on the other hand, can cause these people to shut down. When faced with punitive expectations or a highly negative boss, they may find it difficult to get things done. Add to that a constantly ringing phone or an overflowing inbox, and you have a recipe for a stressed-out mediator.
Mediator employees enjoy freedom and freedom. Their creativity and insight enable them to change old, ineffective ways of doing things—if only they are given the opportunity to speak up and make a difference. That said, they tend to benefit from deadlines and clear expectations to keep them on track. Otherwise, people with this personality type may fall into procrastination, jumping from one idea to the next instead of settling in and crossing tasks off their to-do lists.
As a colleague
Mediators value equality and fairness, so it’s no surprise that they can feel stifled by workplace hierarchies. They prefer a professional environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged to share their ideas—regardless of their position. As colleagues, mediators do their best to make this ideal a reality.
In their quiet way, mediators can be the glue that holds the workplace together. While they may not have the loudest voices, their insights are often admired and colleagues often turn to them for advice. Delightful and kind-hearted mediators don’t like conflict, drama, or workplace politics. Instead, they try to behave in ways that promote harmony and cooperation. When someone needs help, mediators often step in without any praise or recognition.
As a boss
As managers, mediators are one of the personality types least likely to act as if they are in charge. They respect their employees as mature human beings, not just workers. Rather than making all decisions themselves, mediators often ask for employees’ ideas and opinions to be heard.
Generally speaking, people with this personality type do not micromanage. Instead, they look to the big picture. They believe it is their responsibility to support their employees rather than telling them exactly what to do and how to do it. Whenever possible, they encourage those who work for them to develop their own ideas and use their best judgment.
There is a drawback to this management style. Sometimes mediators can have difficulty setting boundaries, digging into inefficiencies, or offering criticism, even when necessary. This can slow down their teams and put unnecessary stress on moderators and their staff. At times, bosses with this personality type may need to be demanding for the good of their team and the workplace as a whole.
Preferred occupation
Preferred work fields: creative, artistic, education, consulting, research, religion, health care, technology and other fields.
Preferred typical occupations: human resources workers, social science workers, team building consultants, career planners, editors, art directors, architects, fashion designers, journalists, art directors, interpreters and translators, entertainment industry people, legal mediation People, masseurs, counselors, psychologists, consultants.
Path of Discovery
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