ISFJs are known as one of the loveliest personality types because of their kind nature and willingness to care for others. They are caring, empathetic, intelligent, and goal-driven individuals. But do you ever wonder why you hardly hear of their dark side? Do you think that ISFJs are capable of evil?
ISFJs are not born evil, nor do they mean to be. ISFJs have flaws like every other personality. They can be passive-aggressive, distant, judgmental, and argumentative when things don’t go their way or their feeling are invalidated. They will preserve peace till they can’t handle it anymore.
ISFJs don’t mean to be nasty or hurtful. They try their best to avoid conflict at all costs, but there is a side of them, like everyone else, that will come out negatively. There are times when ISFJs seem evil because of their behavior, but they are simply protecting themselves. You will get to understand this more in detail through the article.
Are ISFJs Evil?
ISFJs are not naturally evil. They don’t plan to hurt people or decide to wake up and be nasty, but they have a darker side, as all people do. You wouldn’t expect an ISFJ to have evil traits, and that is because they are not destructive by nature. They are some of the most loyal, loving, caring, and kindest individuals across the MBTI.
Somehow, their adverse side tends to show up occasionally, and it can get awful, especially if you are dealing with an emotionally unhealthy ISFJ. There are a few ways ISFJs get nasty and show their unintended evil side. Let us discuss that further:
Cause of Evil Traits In ISFJs
If you are dealing with an ISFJ that turns horrible sometimes, these are some of the reasons why it could happen:
- They believe everyone must conform to the values they have set. Going against it will cause them to become agitated with you and can shut you out of their lives. They will find ways to punish you by passive-aggressive behaviors such as avoidance, silent treatment, indirect comments, etc.
- They are people-pleasers, and they love to receive validation and praise. They dislike not receiving that validation, and it can cause them to become bitter and pull away from helping you out again.
- If you question their behavior or actions or call them out for something, they will play victim mode, feel self-pity, and turn it around to make you feel guilty.
- If they have a goal, with will challenge systems and authority to get where they need to be. They work hard, but sometimes they hurt people on the way to success.
- ISFJs despise being controlled, and if you try to rule over them or make them conform to your way, they will absolutely rebel against you. They are not law breakers, but they dislike rules and are not afraid to bring some down if needed.
- They have a deep fear of being hurt, rejected, and judged. In their quest to protect themselves and stay shielded from being harmed, ISFJs will be judgmental of others and can blurt out snarky comments in the process.
- If they are unhappy with you or you pushed them too far, they will lash out if they cannot avoid you (which they prefer). ISFJs hate drama and complaining and can’t tolerate people overstepping their boundaries.
Pushing ISFJs Too Far
If you push an ISFJ too far or hurt them too many times, they will start to react after trying to be patient and preserve their feelings and relationships for as long as possible. Once they reach breaking point, things can be complicated because their negative side will release with a vengeance. Here is how you can know that you have pushed an ISFJ too far:
They have passive-aggressive behaviors like:
- They avoid you by ignoring texts, calls, and conversations, turning down invitations, and staying far from you if possible.
- They become snappy and snarky by hinting at things you do, giving indirect side comments, and using sarcasm instead of directly expressing themselves.
- They give you the silent treatment by ignoring you even when you are around them.
They become assertive and aggressive like:
- They have anger outbursts and snap at you for everything, even if it is minor. They lose their patience with you entirely, so anything you do will trigger their frustration, and they will say horrible things out of anger.
- They jump to conclusions by making assumptions about how you could have meant something, what you said, and why you did certain things. They would assume that you meant to hurt them even if it had nothing to do with them.
- They shut you out of their life and cut you off completely. They will cut ties with you and distance themselves, so they never have to speak to or see you again.
Can ISFJs Be Toxic?
ISFJs can be toxic just the way everyone else has some toxic traits. No one is perfect, and all people are flawed in some way or the other. Here are some ways ISFJs show up as toxic:
- When they are unhappy in relationships, they can become bitter, critical, selfish, and distant instead of dealing with it head-on and expressing their feelings. They will avoid the whole situation to prevent conflict or have emotional outbursts and overreact.
- When they are under stress, instead of voicing their feelings and working through it, they can become gloomy, raise their voice, jump to conclusions, and don’t listen to anyone else’s perspective. They can be highly unreasonable and make life difficult for people around them.
Only unhealthy and emotionally immature ISFJs act in a toxic manner. Healthy ISFJs will deal with situations with high morals and integrity and be respectful of the people they are dealing with. Healthy ISFJs will also deal with things by taking some quiet time alone to process their thoughts and face their issues instead of being passive-aggressive or showing evil and nasty behavior.
Conclusion
ISFJs can be evil if they are emotionally unhealthy or don’t know how to deal with their emotions wisely and respectfully. Everyone has evil traits, and ISFJs are not excluded. They are typically kind, loving, and empathetic, but if you cross their boundaries or hurt them badly, they will not hesitate to bring out their dark side.
