INFJs are the rarest personality type of people. They typically prefer to be alone and require minimal social interaction. If you have an INFJ in your life with a personality type that can quickly feel overwhelmed by someone getting too close to their personal space, it makes you wonder, do INFJs like physical affection?
The INFJ personality type person likes physical affection from specific people they are incredibly close to or genuinely comfortable with. They are very cautious about who can or cannot touch them. They will quickly get annoyed or withdraw when someone they don’t have a connection with gets touchy.
To understand why INFJs are so picky about who they allow to touch them and why physical affection can be such a complex thing in their lives, you have to understand why they feel that way and what makes them inclined to or reluctant to physical touch. You can read more to get all the info you need.
Do INFJs Like Physical Touch?
Physical affection is something that INFJs are incredibly cautious about. They are hesitant to let just anyone and everyone touch them, even if it is only casually. Basic touch actions like hugs, handshakes, and a pat on the shoulder are something INFJs are reluctant to engage in.
There are certain situations and people that INFJs will feel comfortable or more inclined to engage in physical touch with, e.g., someone they are incredibly close to, have a genuine emotional connection to, or someone that makes them feel safe and secure.
On the other hand, physical touch can actually be a preferred love language for some INFJs when they feel deep love and connection for a loved one. Physical affection can be extremely meaningful in those situations; however, it rarely happens that way.
Why Is Physical Affection Complex For INFJs?
The topic of physical affection, touch, and intimacy for an INFJ can be pretty complex. While INFJs don’t necessarily dislike physical affection, they can be reluctant to the action. Here are several reasons why it may be that way:
INFJs are introverts
Being an introvert, INFJs don’t like attracting attention to themselves. In PDA situations, they can feel highly uncomfortable and prefer not to be touched. Generally, introverts are not major fans of sharing personal space or being touchy-feely with others unless it is someone they genuinely love and care for and is super close to them.
INFJs are natural introverts that seem like extroverts because they can create natural, genuine connections with others. People tend to mistake them for being open and receptive, often resulting in unwanted physical touch.
INFJs Prefer Being Alone
INFJ people enjoy time alone. They are rarely around people, which means they are not used to physical touch and often don’t crave it either because they enjoy solitude by choice. When someone is always by themselves and is used to their own company, they don’t usually have people close to them and in their personal space.
When an INFJ is around others after being alone most of the time, especially with others who might like to get close up, hold a hand, hug, lean in, or touch an arm when casually chatting, it can feel highly invasive to an INFJ. It feels out of place, and they prefer to socialize from a distance.
INFJs Have Difficulty Trusting
It is challenging for an INFJ to trust people. It takes a lot of commitment and emotional connection to feel secure with someone. An INFJ won’t simply let someone that they don’t trust be touchy with them. People close to INFJs have probably been in an INFJs life for some time. The INFJ would have already scrutinized the relationship to get to the point of trusting them.
An INFJ goes through a process of feelings, judgments, and decisions on whether someone is good for them and their life. If they trust you, they have put a lot of thought into it and have come to a place where they feel secure. Once they get to that place, they will feel more comfortable and receptive to physical touch.
INFJs Prefer Emotional Intimacy
Emotional intimacy is significantly more important for an INFJ in relationships. Once a level of safe, secure emotional connection and trust is established, the INFJ will feel better about physical intimacy. It takes a unique emotional and intellectual connection to get close to an INFJ.
If that level of connection is missing, an INFJ will never feel comfortable or close to you, and if they don’t have that emotional comfort, there will be no physical connection, even if it is casual. They will probably still interact with you, but at a distance, and they will always have their guard up.
INFJs Are Sensitive
INFJs have high sensitivity towards loud noises, crowds, and people in their personal space. Physical affection with someone in your space can highly trigger someone with an INFJ personality type. INFJs do not like anything foreign in their environment. It includes having anyone they are not close to in their space.
An INFJ is an incredibly sensitive personality. It is super easy to trigger them if their boundaries are overstepped. Touching an INFJ without them feeling comfortable or secure with you can feel almost like an attack on personal space and privacy. Sometimes they even feel resistance from people close to them because they can’t handle the physical touching.
INFJs Are Highly Intuitive
INFJs live most of their lives on intuition. Most times, their instinct will not fail them. In a case of physical touch, an INFJ will be able to tell if a person is safe or not and whether they should let the person into their personal space or not. They will be hesitant to someone who comes up as unsafe or discomforting to their gut feeling.
One of the descriptions in the abbreviation of INFJ is for intuition. That tells you how significant they feel and rely on being intuitive. Their intuition often leads them to safety, which is why they will have their guard up around certain people. When their intuition holds them back from specific interactions, they will not want to get close and experience any form of physical touch – not even a handshake.
Conclusion
INFJs don’t necessarily like physical affection, but they can be highly affectionate with those with whom they feel comfortable, secure, and safe. If they trust you and are a part of their close circle, they will happily allow physical touch with you.
