How Can an INFP Stop Being Depressed? | CS Joseph Responds
CS Joseph responds to the Acolyte question how can an INFP stop being depressed?
Transcript:
Welcome to the CS Joseph podcast, today’s question, how to get an INFP out of depression? Or how can they prevent depression, I think is a nother way of looking at it. So there’s a bunch of ways, but let’s actually look at the source of INFP depression and where is it actually coming from? I personally maintain and this is actually an opinion, not really presenting this as fact. But my opinion is, is that the number one source of INFP depression is feelings of powerlessness, feelings of powerlessness, that lead to a feeling of a lack of authority over their own life. Or from their perspective, it’s like, hey, if I don’t have authority over my life, why should I even bother getting up in the morning, that would be a serious problem for most people.
That’s ultimately why they ended up slothful, very depressed. Because from their perspective, it’s like, well, I don’t actually have any real authority in my life, no authority over my relationship, no authority over my own self, no authority at my job. I am powerless. And it’s powerlessness that ultimately leads to INFP.
Depression, consistently. So let’s imagine for a second that you have an INFP daughter or son, who is a teenager, right? I feeling pretty powerless. It’s kind of interesting, because I’ve been watching the Miss Marvel show on Disney plus, which is about an INFP. Kamala, who’s the main character is an INFP girl.
And she’s always talking about how she just doesn’t have any power in her life. And all of a sudden, she gets superpowers, she goes from having no power to all of the power, right? That lasts, she finally feels alive. Power is what makes INFJs feel life power that leads to them becoming an authority of respected authority figure, every INFP out there wants to be an authority figure. But when you’re an INFP teenager, when you are forced with having to submit to so many different authorities, instead of actually being an authority yourself, it can be pretty daunting, you’d be pretty depressing.
The thing is, though, is that all inf peas out there need to be educated on one simple fact, you can have power, you can have authority in your life. thing is you have to work for it. You have to put in the effort. You have to get off your ass and go out there and earn it.
It can happen. It is available to you. You can have it. And why not? Why wouldn’t you have it? You know, like Robert Greene, I know I keep using as an example over and over 48 Laws of Power, right? Really important.
That’s why, you know, it’s like, that is the cure to INFP powerlessness, or, you know, depression in the source of depression is really just a form of powerlessness. Having authority and being respected as an authority figure, it’s like, hey, you know, this is I actually do have power, and then they’re not depressed anymore. Because it’s proof of power, having authority is proof of power. They really, really want that power.
Power is ultimately everything to an INFP. And as much as it is, to an ESTJ, right. The problem is, is that they have an eye critic, and ni critic is like, I’m not going to be motivated to do anything. Well, I’m not gonna be motivated to put my effort into something unless I’m guaranteed to get it.
This is why I NPS both imp types or that’s why their outcome focused. Because really, at the end of the day, they’re not going to make a decision unless they’re guaranteed to get what they want to guaranteed to get what they’re looking for. And a lot of people just don’t understand that. They don’t get that they don’t even respect it.
I’m working on a suspension bridge right now. Kind of interesting. So you Okay so nice hike. Pretty beautiful out there.
Although the light is making it difficult to actually see what’s out there. So, yeah, this INFP teenager, right? They’re completely unmotivated do anything. They know that as a teenager, they’re not really going to have much authority. So you as a parent need to find a way to give them or help them earn authority in some capacity, because eventually their super ego will come out their ICP, super ego, super ego will just take the authority, eventually, kind of like Kamala did in the first episode of Ms.
Marvel. She actually took authority, she went to a venture con without permission of her parents. And she just left. She did it.
She just went out on her own, literally, out the window, snuck out, and then snuck back in. Although she got caught, so they go, I’m not this person that you think I am? Well, yeah, her ego is not that way. But her super ego is because her parents were too stifling. are super egos like you guys are all way too power hungry? And there’s no reason there’s no reasonable explanation, why can’t go to this convention with my friends.
It’s not like I’m going to a party. So like I’m drinking alcohol. It’s not like I’m having sex with people. I’m a responsible person.
You don’t respect me to have enough responsibility and authority over my own life, as I’ve exercised this entire time to let me have this one privilege. I don’t even often ask for much. That’s how it happens. And I critics like, look, I don’t often want things.
But when I do, you know, as the most interesting man in the world would say, but when I do, it’s making important. And it’s very important for me than anything else in my life. I often times and just pretty passive. Sometimes they’ll let you walk all over me.
Sometimes I let you obligate me to doing things I don’t want to do. But there’s one thing that I really want, I’m going for it. And the super ego. The ICP super ego is trying to work with the INFP to prove that INFP is respectable, and actually has authority in their life, right.
So they have to take this concrete action to prove that prove that to others and prove that to themselves. Right. So the INFP ends up having these consequences, negative consequences, these issues, because they’ll have to clean up later as a result of that ni choice made by their super ego. But it’ll still be worth it to them.
Because they got to exercise their own freedom of choice, they got to exercise authority in their own life. So if you’re a friend, or a family member, or in a sexual relationship with an INFP, you really need to encourage them and show them that choices that they make will increase power in their life, and increase their respectability, but also increase their authority. Show them a pathway with which they can become an authority figure. If you show that to them, then they’ll have all the motivation in the world.
They’ll be able to get off their slothful, and I critic ass and actually make it happen as long as you can prove to them or show them how it’s a guarantee. It’s a guaranteed outcome. Guaranteed authority, guaranteed power. And then oh yeah, that’s everything I wanted, ever.
I’m going for it. Right. That’s how you motivate them. That’s how you get them to not be depressed anymore.
Oftentimes, the reason why INFPs are so depressed, again, that powerlessness, but they’re triple affiliative. That makes it difficult for them to just handle that situation on their own. Being triple affiliate, if means they really need they’re very interdependent. They need to be on a team, a team that is devoted to getting them more power, right, a team devoted to getting them more authority.
Kind of like an INFP candidate with campaign staff, a campaign team to help them campaign to win power. You see, you think this is not how Russell Brand works. It’s literally how he lives his life. It’s all about being an authoritarian.
So be aware of that. I understand that is how to get them out of their depression. And to keep depression away, it’s feelings of powerlessness. So work hard to give them feelings of power, or help them, earn it or show them how they can get it.
And how, by their own effort, they can get power and ultimately authority, then the depression will be going away. In fact, while they’re working towards it, the depression will go away, because they have something they actually want something they actually desire. And they’re gonna go for it. Their Philosopher’s Stone, their eye when button in life, which they oftentimes imagined, is authority, you know, not unlike the ENFP and ISTJ.
With their deadly sin of wrath. Oftentimes, they use the deadly sin of wrath as their I win button in life. Or, hey, I can accomplish anything, as long as I’m justified enough, right? That two ends up becoming an issue. So yeah, please be aware.
INFP is a very subtle, they’re very covert, they’re very secretive. They almost never be willing to admit these things to anybody. But they are as power hungry as you can get. They’ll just never look like they’re power hungry to anyone.
And that ends up becoming one of their biggest issues. Like I said, feelings of powerlessness is why they’re so depressed. So work to help solve that problem, or help them solve that problem. And it’s wiser to have them solve that problem on their own.
That way, it’s like, teach me a fish versus give a man a fish. And you would definitely have a much better human being on your hand, instead of like, you know, a highchair tyrant. So Alright, folks that answers that question. I’ll see you guys in the next episode.
Later.
