Articles > The ISFP in Relationships
Most ISFPs share a common interpersonal style and set of challenges.
Reading time: 5 minutes
Most ISFPs share a similar interpersonal style, and this style impacts most of their relationships, including those with friends, families, work colleagues, and romantic partners.
For comparisons between ISFPs and other types, jump straight to these personality type comparisons.
Your interpersonal style describes your social tendencies in terms of dominance, submissiveness, warmth, and coldness. This style impacts how you interact with others, and in turn, it can affect how they act around you.
The circular graph below shows the average interpersonal style of ISFPs. The vertical, up-down axis shows their style in terms of dominance, with a highly assertive style at the top (Assured-Dominant) and a highly passive style at the bottom (Unassured-Submissive).
The horizontal, left-right axis shows their style in terms of warmth, with a cold and impersonal style on the left (Cold-Aggressive) and a friendly, empathetic manner on the right (Warm-Agreeable).
The shaded blue area shows the average interpersonal style of ISFPs across eight dimensions. Notice the areas where the blue area extends closer to the outer edges of the circle. These are the aspects that most heavily influence ISFPs’ interactions.
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To summarize the graph above, three aspects most heavily influence ISFPs’ interpersonal style:
Unassuming-Trusting
- ISFPs often respect others, conform to expectations, and ask for guidance.
- At their best, ISFPs are loyal and reliable, and encourage others to guide and help.
- ISFPs may be overly clingy, gullible, and have difficulty expressing anger, even when appropriate.
- At their worst, ISFPs will try to please others too much, put others’ needs ahead of their own, and allow others to take advantage of them.
Aloof-Introverted
- ISFPs are realists who perceive things and people clearly, without being overly optimistic.
- At their best, ISFPs are practical skeptics who are comfortable holding and sharing unorthodox, unpopular views.
- ISFPs may be too skeptical and suspicious, and they may have difficulty trusting others.
- At their worst, ISFPs can struggle to make new friends and socialize, and have a hard time showing affection and admiration for others.
Unassured-Submissive
- ISFPs have a strong sense of duty and obligation.
- At their best, ISFPs make modest, reliable teammates, and allow others to take the lead.
- ISFPs may undervalue their own needs, ideas, and contributions, acting overly shy and not taking credit when due.
- At their worst, ISFPs can be excessively submissive, ineffectual, and too dependent on direction from others.
ISFP compatibility with other types
For comparisons between ISFPs and other types from the 16 Personality typology, visit any of the type pairings below:
