INFP-T vs INFP-A: 25 Secrets of the Turbulent and Assertive Mediators

The INFP personality is a personality that is as rare as it is interesting. Making up just around 4% of the personality, INFP personalities are always searching for the best in the world while using their inner drive to inspire others.

Within INFP personalities, there are both turbulent and assertive subdivisions that get even more interesting. Let’s look at 25 secrets of these personalities.

The INFP-T Personality

1. Utilize Dissatisfaction to Grow
The INFP personality, in general, is one that is centered on personal growth as a way to better one’s overall value in the world. For the turbulent mediator, this means using a sense of personal dissatisfaction to grow and learn.

This doesn’t necessarily mean being overly harsh on one’s own achievements and actions, but turbulent mediators are more likely to use their flaws as ammunition to inspire change. An idealistic filter of life allows the turbulent personality to see what areas of their own life could use improving. This helps them work harder to improve in general.

2. Highly Idealistic
Something that is commonplace with the mediator personality in all regards is a sense of idealism when approaching most situations. Looking at the bright side of opportunities and situations allows these people to push others forward and makes them suited for excellent opportunities regarding self-growth and improvement.

The nature of the turbulent mediator in many regards can get too idealistic for their own good. A healthy amount of idealism is good, but too much can become a burden for their personality to carry.

3. Can Become Easily Overwhelmed
Tailing off of the sense of idealism among turbulent mediators, a sense to keep looking forward to a bright outcome can overwhelm them. Growing personally means that turbulent personalities are often going to be substantially harsher on themselves then they are to others. Setting high goals for themselves is common as it enables them to look forward.

Other personalities tend to get overwhelmed by a burden placed on them from external factors, but the turbulent mediator is more often than not their own harshest critic. The idealism that helps them grow can easily turn around and become a weakness.

4. Enhance Negative Self-Criticism
The turbulent personality designation is not just one used for those classified as mediators. Combined with other personality types, the turbulent subdivision will be likely to engage in more self-criticism than is seen with other subdivisions. Unfortunately for the turbulent mediator, this self-criticism is only further enhanced.

A sense of imagination and emotional sensitivity can often act to harm the individual on a deeper level than other turbulent personalities. Self-criticism for a turbulent mediator often results in intense damage brought on by internal criticisms.

5. Try to Make Up for Weaknesses
Following the trend of asking a lot from themselves, the turbulent mediator will be likely to try and correct their perceived weaknesses. The presence of extreme self-labeling drives the turbulent mediator to look for any possible route in which they can work towards correcting their own perceived weaknesses.

The turbulent personality is going to work hard and put their heads down to try and overcome a perceived self-weakness. This is great for growing as a person, but thinking too much about a weakness that is hard to fix leads a turbulent personality to become aggressively self-doubting.

6. Outwardly Emotional
The basis for decision-making of the mediator in any regard is going to be their emotions. These people are commonly known to use a heightened sense of empathy for others when making decisions. Applying this to the turbulent mediator label, we can see that they are more likely to use their own emotions to connect with others.

This open sensitivity is interesting in that instead of coming off as a weakness, it allows them to better connect with others. The turbulent mediator is more likely to cry than the assertive mediator, but this only furthers their connection with others.

7. Value Other Opinions
Once again, we see a unique situation in which the turbulent personality and the mediator personality use each other to enhance a specific personality trait. The turbulent personality connected to any other larger category is going to naturally let opinions weigh on themselves heavier. Being concerned about what others think of them is very common for turbulent personalities.

When combined with the mediator trait, the concern for opinions gets even more intense. A common reason for this heightened concern for the opinions of others is due to the desire to silence the inward-facing negativity that turbulent the mediators create.

8. Use Others for Feedback and Reassurance
The turbulent mediator’s desire for the opinions of others can also help them grow in many respects. Getting reassurance from others is something that can help the turbulent mediator to feel more assured in taking action. The opinions and feedback of others are taken to heart often with this personality type.

The value others give to the turbulent mediator plays a large role in the self-worth of the turbulent mediator. A turbulent mediator is someone who takes out their notebook to really remember what others are saying so that they can use them to confirm their personal opinions.

9. Sensitive to Stress
The sense of idealism that is so prevalent in the mediator is something that allows them to do whatever they can to inspire and facilitate change. This is great for helping to boost others, but it can very quickly turn around and become a point of stress.

The turbulent personality is one that has a wide array of ambitions and goals that they are setting out to achieve. The turbulent mediator heightens this feeling even more to the point where they take on too much. Having so much to deal with takes a toll on anyone and leads to a greater amount of stress.

10. Think Frequently
It is in the very nature of the turbulent personality to be someone who thinks a lot. In most cases, a turbulent will overthink and only cause themselves more stress in the process. The search for fulfillment that the turbulent personality is constantly on allows them to always be thinking about how they are acting and how they can interact with others.

It takes a good deal of energy for the turbulent mediator to accept certain flaws in themselves and others as they are always thinking about change. It is good for someone with this personality type to use their active mind for growth instead of constraint.

11. Very Creative
As we have seen, those who are seen as mediators are people who tend to see things as they could be and not what they are. A sense of vision helps tremendously when these types of people look to the creative fields where their imagination can run free and generate incredible ideas and results.

The act of reevaluation that is shared among turbulent personalities allows them to look at their creative works and reflect on what they have made. There are many artists and writers who have a turbulent mediation personality which is seen when they work and create things that impress many.

12. Don’t Jump into Friendships
The deeper connection that is felt between a turbulent mediator and a friend is something that takes time and fostering to create. While they are an emotional and open personality, the turbulent mediators are reserved in creating new friendships upon first meeting someone.

This personality trait is interesting because turbulent mediators can empathize extremely well and still choose to be selective with their close friends. It is in their nature for them to heavily weigh the comments and criticisms of others, which is likely why turbulent mediators take the time and energy to create meaningful relationships.

INFP-A Personality

1. Comfortable Being Themselves
The assertive nature of the assertive mediator is something that makes it seem very different from its turbulent mediator relative. Unlike the turbulent mediators who are likely to beat themselves up from mistakes and flaws, the assertive mediators are far more likely to accept and even embrace their flaws.

The assertive personality is one that is comfortable being themselves and is not as caught up in the opinions of others. When paired with a mediation type, this assertive personality means that this person will be able to take in the opinions of others while not being critical about their meanings.

2. Look on the Brighter Side
The mediation personality is one that is primarily framed with an idealistic vision and sense of the better things in life. Mediators are people that believe that things are inherently good so that they can see things in a better light. Paired with the assertive personality trait, that feeling can become even stronger.

Assertive personality types are ones that see things as good more often than they see things as being bad. This combines with the idealism of the mediation personality to create a mix of both positive forward-thinking and a feeling that everything will be okay.

3. Discount Their Mistakes
Whether you see it as a good or a bad thing, the assertive mediator is very quick to dismiss their flaws and mistakes after they are noticed. This comes from the idea that they do not want the negative thoughts to take up time or space in their heads. The assertive mediator would rather think about ways to get better than to dwell on negative emotions.

An assertive mediator is going to be far more likely to look for ways to better themselves and their flaws than to get caught up in them and just feel bad. It is personality traits like these that allow this type of person to take things less seriously so that they can get on with growth and improvement.

4. Consider More Positive Thoughts
While it is still normal and common for assertive mediators to apply labels to themselves, they do so with substantially less weight than the turbulent mediators would. For example, if an assertive mediator deemed themselves “boring” and a turbulent mediator did the same, the turbulent mediators would take it much more to heart than the assertive mediator.

It is said that the assertive mediator sees life through “rose-tinted lenses” because they are often looking to see the best side of things. This optimistic attitude helps them to think better of themselves as well as to see others as better people.

5. Express Self-Assurance
The turbulent mediator’s personality, as we have seen, can face some serious struggles when faced with stressful situations, but the assertive mediator seems to be the exact opposite. The sense of optimism and self-assurance that everything will be alright helps drive the assertive mediator to achieve their goals.

Despite the benefits of having a heightened sense of inner confidence, this can also come back to hurt assertive mediators if they are not careful. Not taking the time to address more serious issues as they arise can have those issues compound and get worse if not addressed.

6. Great at Encouraging a Group
Something that helps the assertive mediators to lead groups effectively is their sense of confidence in themselves and in others. They do what they want, the way they want to, and very little is going to get in their way to stop them from achieving their goals.

An assertive mediator can stand before a group and share their vision without caring about the negativity or alternate viewpoints that go against their vision. This ability to take charge and get a group to a final goal is something in which the assertive trait helps greatly.

7. May Not Be Great at Conveying Desired Outcomes
Despite being good at leading groups to a goal, everything in between is often where the assertive mediators can have some rough patches. Leading a team requires playing to the strengths and weaknesses of a team so that the job gets done. This is not always easy for the assertive mediator.

Since they believe highly in the abilities of others and value their work, the assertive mediator can struggle to outline concrete goals and aspirations to a team. They can get the group eager to work, but they may not always provide the clearest direction.

8. Don’t Outwardly Express Many Emotions
The ability of the assertive mediator to simply brush off the comments of others is both a blessing and a curse. While they can get over some rude or insulting comments, they also find it harder to outwardly express their emotions due to a more subdued desire for the approval of others.

This can make the assertive mediator appear cold, as they are not searching for anyone’s compliments or praise in a relationship.

9. Live with Less Regret
Mediators, in general, are a category of personalities that are known for their ability to keep learning throughout their entire lives. This can have negative consequences on the turbulent traits as it leaves them feeling a sense of regret. For the assertive, however, their continued learning just leaves them with more confidence.

The ability to not get too caught up in their own failures and pitfalls allows assertive personalities the freedom to not feel much regret.

10. Have Quieter Behavior
Even though the assertive mediator would seem like someone who would be very outgoing and one to share their ideas, they are actually rather reserved. Their quieter behavior means that it is often hard to get to know these kinds of people because they are less likely to expose their emotions and inner feelings.

Assertive mediators are perfectly content with being themselves, and that allows them to be just fine with not having many people with whom to talk.

11. Comfortable Being with Themselves
One of the standout features of the assertive mediator is that they really don’t need to value how others see them. This often-sighted freedom from judgment allows them to be themselves openly as they know that the opinions others have of them hold little weight.

Compared to the turbulent mediator, the assertive mediator is going to be very open to who they are and what they stand for.

12. Don’t Take Criticism Seriously
Branching off the idea that they are very open about themselves, assertive mediators are not going to really take criticism to heart. They will listen to what others have to say and criticisms of them, but they are not very likely to change anything. This is often a good way to preserve themselves, but it can lead to arrogance.

13. Hesitate to Ask for Help
Even when they need it the most, the assertive mediator may appear stubborn as they fail to reach out for the needed help. This is not a healthy trait, as it is entirely human to reach out and ask for help when it is needed the most. Assertive mediators are very good at brushing off opinions, but they are just as hesitant to accept help.

Conclusion

Who would have thought that two small variations in a larger personality would have so many differences between them. We see the turbulent mediator look inward and remain reserved and the assertive mediators speak their minds and live without regret. Understanding how each of these personalities lives and acts will give you the power to better understand yourself and work better with others in every interaction going forward.