Joseph Conrad

[Lotr246]

Joseph Conrad, author of Heart of Darkness--INFJ

[Uytuun]

Aha, interesting.

I am very fond of Joseph Conrad.

Any other opinions?

[Peguy]

I must admit I don't know too much about him, but he certainly is an author Ive been interested in knowing better.

And the probability that he was INFJ only furthers my interest. :)

[ragashree]

INFJ could be a good call from the books I've read. Those amount only to "Heart of Darkness" and "Nostromo", but I believe they are considered pretty representative books. I remember a lot of overt moral judgement of people and situations; something of a didactic tendency at times; a profound, haunting sense of isolation; and persistent self-questioning and self doubt, at least in the major characters. I would have thought these are classic INFJ preoccupations.

His natural linguistic abilities must have been remarkable too - I think I remember hearing that English was not even his second, but his third language, and that he was largely self taught in it. I know he had quite a chaotic, travelling life at sea for many years (which informed much of his later work), and came relatively late to writing. If a long slow road to self-realisation and a particular gift for verbal self expression are to be taken as typical INFJ characteristics he appears to have had those too.

But maybe someone else has read him more widely or studied his life. I'd be interested to find out. :)

[whatever]

I wouldn't say that he was either an introvert or a j!

the man was a sailor from a young age and he left his home country and sailed to various regions around the world because he found living on land to be boring. He knew a lot of people and liked to tell and listen to stories and actually HAD adventures instead of just imagining them.

I'd say ExxP instead of IxxJ any day ;)

[dynamiteninja]

INFJ

[ragashree]

I wouldn't say that he was either an introvert or a j!

the man was a sailor from a young age and he left his home country and sailed to various regions around the world because he found living on land to be boring. He knew a lot of people and liked to tell and listen to stories and actually HAD adventures instead of just imagining them.

I'd say ExxP instead of IxxJ any day ;)

I get your point (I thought of it too), but I don't think you have to be either an e or a p type to do a lot of travelling. If he was experiencing a lot of existential discomfort from staying where he was (I can imagine an INFJ doing so) or didn't have too many other positive options in his life, it could be due to that, rather than the sheer lust for adventure that would be more typical of an E**P type. This being so, I would be interested to see if anyone knows what actually motivated him to travel so much, and if there are any INFJ's posting who have found travelling to be a necessary part of their self development!

[sanveane]

I get your point (I thought of it too), but I don't think you have to be either an e or a p type to do a lot of travelling. If he was experiencing a lot of existential discomfort from staying where he was (I can imagine an INFJ doing so) or didn't have too many other positive options in his life, it could be due to that, rather than the sheer lust for adventure that would be more typical of an E**P type. This being so, I would be interested to see if anyone knows what actually motivated him to travel so much, and if there are any INFJ's posting who have found travelling to be a necessary part of their self development!

^Yes, I wasn't going to say, but if that was Joseph Conrad's way of life it wouldn't preclude INFJ. I have traveled all over the place and on my own... and I was very shy. It was invaluable for my personal growth and is addictive. I am highly adventurous and I love people too. hehe one of my childhood 'bones of contention' was that I wasn't born a man in the times of exploration cos that's what I wanted to be off doing. Curiousity about the wider world trumps any kind of 'shyness'. (Curiousity in general trumps any kind of shyness for me.)

[Peguy]

This being so, I would be interested to see if anyone knows what actually motivated him to travel so much, and if there are any INFJ's posting who have found travelling to be a necessary part of their self development!

Yes and no in my case. Since I was young I always yearn to travel and explore the world. I have done some travelling in my day, and yes it has benefited my own self-development. But at the same time, I also strongly note the limitations of what travel can actually achieve in terms of self-development.

Flannery O'Connor made the great observation that the more you know of a place, the more you see the world in it. One doesn't need to travel all over the world to gain a view of how humans really are, one can easily gain that knowledge from the humans they encounter everyday at home.

Need we forget that Immanuel Kant never travelled 30 miles away from his home town. This is true of other great thinkers and writers of history.

As one colleague of mine stated: a man of true thought and experience prefers inner travel, which is much more pleasant and interesting. I have to agree.

[Uytuun]

There is a certain kind of intense primal madness in his writings that might be related to Ni.

I'm reminded of The Scream.

His work is very intense, IMO.

His starting to travel might be related to the situation in his homeland - in fact he didn't have much of a home when he decided to go to France. His very patriotic Polish father died after being banished somewhere where the climate wasn't very pleasant by the Russians and his mother died as well. He was taken in by an uncle, but it wasn't what he was looking for apparently.

He's also said to have attempted suicide when he was still in France.

[whatever]

I get your point (I thought of it too), but I don't think you have to be either an e or a p type to do a lot of travelling. If he was experiencing a lot of existential discomfort from staying where he was (I can imagine an INFJ doing so) or didn't have too many other positive options in his life, it could be due to that, rather than the sheer lust for adventure that would be more typical of an E**P type. This being so, I would be interested to see if anyone knows what actually motivated him to travel so much, and if there are any INFJ's posting who have found travelling to be a necessary part of their self development!

:huh: If you read much else that he wrote or about him he speaks of a pure lust for seeing the world and adventure- not an existential discomfort.

George Orwell seems like a MUCH more likely candidate for INFJness any day :)

[Eileen]

Bleh, Joseph Conrad. Probably INFJ. Definitely annoying writer.

[Peguy]

George Orwell seems like a MUCH more likely candidate for INFJness any day :)

He's generally classified as INFP. Although I certainly wouldn't mind accepting him into our ranks.

[whatever]

He's generally classified as INFP. Although I certainly wouldn't mind accepting him into our ranks.

Newsweek just had a piece on him that made him seem MUCH more INFJish- I think 2 weeks ago. Good piece actually. :)

[Peguy]

Newsweek just had a piece on him that made him seem MUCH more INFJish- I think 2 weeks ago. Good piece actually. :)

Do you have a link?

Besides, I have several biographies of the man.

[whatever]

:) here (http://www.newsweek.com/id/166816) it is

[ragashree]

Yes, I REALLY wouldn't think Orwell was an INFP. *thinks about searching for existing thread on Orwell, then realises can't be bothered*

[dynamiteninja]

Orwell: INFP
Conrad: INFJ

[whatever]

proof? :huh:

[ragashree]

proof? :huh:

Is always better than just a bald assertion. Orwell seems more T than F to me, but if someone wants to assert that, they can create an Orwell thread :D I'm too lazy right now.

[whatever]

I HATE it when people assert things without proof!

Orwell's obsession with the poor and social justice issues make him seem more F than T to me, his paranoia seems rather Ni-ish as well- the Ni, Fe combo makes the INFJ claim rather sensible to me! :)

Conrad though was a more outgoing and adventurous fellow- just because an INF can identify with him doesn't mean that he was one. Just sayin' :tongue:

[ragashree]

I HATE it when people assert things without proof!

Conrad though was a more outgoing and adventurous fellow- just because an INF can identify with him doesn't mean that he was one. Just sayin' :tongue:



That's why I thought it would be nice to hear from some INFJ's about their travel habits. And to see if anyone knew anything about what made him travel. There hasn't been so much on the latter yet :sad: But there has been some evidence that INFJ's are quite capable of travelling through discontent, curiosity, or a desire for personal development. This is why some research on Conrad's motivation would be nice, as then we could see whether it tied together or not.

[whatever]

:( I pointed out why he traveled earlier, having read a few other writings of his on the topic at one point- he wanted adventure and to see things that had never been seen before! :)

[ragashree]

:( I pointed out why he traveled earlier, having read a few other writings of his on the topic at one point- he wanted adventure and to see things that had never been seen before! :)

Oh, sorry, I missed that. Has anyone had a detailed look at his personality, though? There must have been some bigraphies written. To say you wanted to go off and adventure as a young man is mostly to state what people expected you to say: especially in the days of the British Empire and before psychological self-analysis or speaking in those terms gained common currency. I would at least want some corroboratory evidence to be sure that was the whole story, and something about how he came across to others would be good. I have difficulty seeing such things as his concern with isolation and moralising tendencies as coming from, for instance, an EN*P type. Don't get me wrong, by the way, I actually think an extraverted intuitive might have naturally tended to make his novels more FUN, which is something I didn't have while reading them, worthy literature though they undoubtably are. (See below)

Bleh, Joseph Conrad. Probably INFJ. Definitely annoying writer.

:cheers:

Or maybe I would have read more of them. :whistling:

[Uytuun]

That's why I thought it would be nice to hear from some INFJ's about their travel habits. And to see if anyone knew anything about what made him travel. There hasn't been so much on the latter yet :sad: But there has been some evidence that INFJ's are quite capable of travelling through discontent, curiosity, or a desire for personal development. This is why some research on Conrad's motivation would be nice, as then we could see whether it tied together or not.

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/popular-culture-type/8979-joseph-conrad.html#post417908

I don't believe it's as simple as saying he wanted adventure as a young man.

[Peguy]

Orwell's obsession with the poor and social justice issues make him seem more F than T to me, his paranoia seems rather Ni-ish as well- the Ni, Fe combo makes the INFJ claim rather sensible to me! :)


Perhaps......like I said, I have nothing against allowing Orwell into our ranks. I have great admiration for the man.

And Lionel Trilling's introduction to my copy of Homage to Catalonia; I find it odd that the men Trilling claims shares the most affinity with Orwell are both INFJs(and Catholics!) - GK Chesterton and Charles Peguy(;)).

However, much of the rest of the description given of him seems to point to INFP.

I'll certainly be interested in discussing this in another thread.

This reminds of the one thread about Leon Bloy, who I originally thought was INFJ, but upon posting facts about his life and personality - others concluded INFP.

[ragashree]

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/popular-culture-type/8979-joseph-conrad.html#post417908

I don't believe it's as simple as saying he wanted adventure as a young man.

No, nor me. I did read your post, BTW, and just took it for granted (wrongly it seems) that others would have too, which is why I didn't bother referencing it :D