ISFJs are dependable, generous, and sensitive people. They are at their best when helping those around them. They have an excellent memory for details, and they love to create structure and organized systems. ISFJs are very in tune with their surroundings, they value security and traditional living, and they take their responsibilities seriously.

1. They Put Your Needs First

The ISFJ personality type is referred to as “The Nurturer.” Whether the individual is male or female, ISFJs value their relationships and place a great deal of importance on them. They are loving and giving people who place the needs of others above their own. They are very dependable and put a lot of effort toward keeping their environment running smoothly, both at work and at home.

None of that should come as a big shock to anyone who has a close relationship with an ISFJ, but the degree to which an ISFJ puts your needs first might be surprising. ISFJs are often taken for granted because they will rarely say “no” when asked to do something. They take their commitments so seriously, and they so genuinely want to provide for others, that they will do anything they can to help you.

2. They Need Your Support

Since ISFJs always focus on the needs of others, it’s easy to miss the fact that they need to be supported, too. They need it even more than other personality types because they create their sense of self-worth by serving others and being helpful.

ISFJs need positive feedback so that they know their efforts are being appreciated. Without positive feedback, and especially in the face of criticism, ISFJs will become discouraged and even depressed. ISFJs are very sensitive to negative criticism and they take it personally. It makes them feel like they can’t do anything right, and they start to worry that everything is going to go wrong.

3. They Remember What You Said and Did

ISFJs have great memories for what people have said and done in the past. They use this talent to give people perfect gifts or just the right compliment. They also use their excellent memories to connect with the people around them. Although they are Introverts, they have a unique ability to make special connections, both personal and professional.
ISFJs will also use their exceptional memories to detect lies or discrepancies. If you try to change your story, an ISFJ will remember the way you originally told it. Since ISFJs are sticklers for the rules, they probably won’t let you get away with it.

4. They Enforce the Rules

ISFJs do things by the book. They value order, and they’re good at creating it and enforcing it. They can’t stand chaos or messiness, so they’re always coming up with a new structure or set of rules to be followed. They might feel uncomfortable with enforcing these rules, but they do it anyway because it’s so important to them. From their viewpoint, they rules are in place to help everyone, so you’d do best to follow them. They have little tolerance for rule-breakers.

5. They are Perfectionists

ISFJs feel that they must do their best in every situation, and most become perfectionists. Perfectionism can be a strength and a weakness. ISFJs want everything in their lives to be perfect, and that includes their work, their relationships, their family, and their coworkers. ISFJs can get lost in a feeling of never having done enough, or well enough, and since they don’t give themselves enough credit, this can spiral out of control. ISFJs must relax their strict standards enough to let go of some details and situations.

6. Their Stubbornness is Due to Discomfort

ISFJs can sometimes be seen as stubborn and even judgmental, which comes as a surprise since they are naturally so kind, generous, and comforting to others. ISFJs are traditionalists who have strict values for morality. They find it difficult to accept new opinions if they challenge their established habits or principles. ISFJs simply feel uncomfortable with it. It feels unsafe to them, as if their carefully constructed world is being threatened, so their inflexibility is a defense mechanism more than a negative judgement of other people.

7. They Achieve More Than You Realize

As people who put the needs of others before their own, ISFJs have a tendency to downplay their own accomplishments. They shy away from showing how much they’ve done, and they’re also reluctant to give their true opinions. ISFJs can be overlooked for promotions or other recognition at work, and their contributions at home will often be taken for granted.

This is unfortunate because ISFJs need approval and positive feedback to shore up their self-esteem. Being more open about their achievements would bring them more acknowledgement, which would then give them a boost to continue the work that they place so much importance on.

If you have an ISFJ in your life, don’t ignore everything they do, even if it seems like they don’t want recognition. Acknowledge their dedication and hard work, and give them the support and encouragement they need to keep going.

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