You Have A Truly Rare Personality Type If People Always Seem To Do These 11 Things Around You
How people act around you may tell you more about the rarity of your personality type.
AirCam.PRO / Shutterstock One of the rarest personality types is the INFJ or “The Advocate” personality type. A person who possesses this type of personality will typically be more introverted, will be extremely empathetic, and usually will base decisions on this empathy, and they are typically committed to their values.
Sometimes others may have difficulty interacting with someone who has a personality that they do not often run into, and this will cause them to do things that they may not do around people more similar to them. You may find that they attempt to mimic your behaviors or mood in an effort to gain your approval. If you notice people doing these things, you may have a rare personality type.
You have a truly rare personality type if people always seem to do these 11 things around you
1. Overcompensate in conversation
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If you have a truly rare personality type, you may recognize that the people around you try to overcompensate in conversation. When you possess traits that others find significantly appealing, it is common that they may seek your validation and feel inferior to you.
They overcompensate in conversation to try and overcome their feelings of inadequacy and aim to seem as unique as you. This behavior is done in an attempt to respond to the social comparison that is taking over their emotional state, or if the conversation seems awkward to them, they will become exaggerated and excessive in order to keep the conversation alive.
2. Mirror your behavior
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When you notice someone tends to mirror your behavior often, there is a good chance that you have a rare personality type. Mirroring, also known as the chameleon effect, “is considered a type of social glue that keeps us connected to others as it makes us feel that others are more like us than not,” explains Suzanne Degges-White, Ph.D., a licensed counselor and professor at Northern Illinois University.
Mirroring can look like using similar vocabulary and verbal expressions as someone else during conversation. More empathetic people may mirror emotions. People behave in this way when they feel unsure of themselves in certain situations, but still want to build a connection with the person they are around.
Not everyone will know how to talk to someone with a rare personality type because they do not commonly have to communicate with someone who is rare, so mirroring your behavior is their way of trying to be engaged and build a connection despite this barrier.
3. Seek your validation
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People constantly seeking your validation is a sign that you most likely possess a rare personality type. The scarcity principle “explains why we tend to place greater value on things that feel rare or at risk of being lost,” according to Mark Travers, Ph.D., a psychologist with degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder.
When you are viewed as being rare, people around you will value you more. In relationships, you will seem unattainable or someone whom people long to be loved by and crave the attention and validation of. Although this may seem like an ego boost for you, the scarcity principle can be harmful for the partners you have because it causes them to feel as though they always have to prove their worth to you. It is important to never weaponize this principle in relationships when you notice your partner seeking your validation.
4. Be extra polite
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If it seems like every time you are around people, they make it a point to be extra polite, you may have a rare personality type. Interacting with someone like you may be unfamiliar to them, which causes them to want to avoid any conflict or offense that could arise.
When having a conversation with someone who has a rare personality type, the social cues may not be entirely clear at first. They may have a fear of saying the wrong thing and not making a positive impression on you, so they will aim to be as polite and respectful as they possibly can.
5. Confide in you
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Someone with a rare personality type will typically possess a high level of empathy, so if the people around you often feel comfortable enough to confide in you, there is a good chance you have a rare personality type. If you are someone with the INFJ personality type, you will most likely have an easier time understanding other people’s emotions rather than your own.
This is a trait that most people around you will be able to pick up on, and while also recognizing that you are an attentive listener, they will feel more comfortable opening up to you about different things. When you have a rare personality, others will also have a desire to connect with you, and they may see the best way to do that is by confiding in you.
6. Become reserved
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At times, instead of someone being very open with you, you may notice they become more reserved. Seeing this opposing behavior when someone is with you may also be a sign that you have a rare personality type that the other person is not used to being around.
Considering their uncertainty with socializing with you, they may resort to mirroring your behavior. Most people with a rare personality type, like INFJ, tend to be more reserved individuals. Therefore, those around them who wish to mimic their behavior will also become more reserved.
“Because they are reserved and private, INFJs can be difficult to get to know. Interacting with an INFJ friend involves understanding and supporting their need to retreat and recharge,” according to Kendra Cherry, MSEd, a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist.
7. Give you extra attention
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When first meeting someone who has never encountered someone with your rare personality type, you may find that they are giving you a lot of extra attention. This is partially due to something called the novelty effect.
The novelty effect causes individuals to become more attentive when they encounter something or someone that is new. This boost in attentiveness explains why interacting with you, considering your newness and rarity, would cause the brain to put more attention and focus toward you since it becomes attracted to new stimuli.
8. Try to keep up with your energy
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You may notice that the people around you try to match your energy. This suggests that you may have a rare personality type. Out of a desire to obtain social acceptance even in the midst of uncertain interactions, people will try to match your energy. They might not fully understand how to act around you, so they will choose to follow your social cues in hopes that they might fit in with you.
“Conformity is the act of changing your behaviors to fit in or go along with the people around you. In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as "normal" by the group,” explains Cherry.
Conforming to your energy is their way of aiming to be accepted by you.
9. Change their behavior to match your mood
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Similar to when someone adjusts their energy to match yours, if you notice someone changing their behavior to fit the mood you are in, you may have a rare personality type. Not only is this to achieve social acceptance, but it may also be an attempt to create a connection by trying to appear very similar to you.
Sometimes, matching your mood and changing their behavior to match yours can be done because the person around you values you and is inspired by you. You influence them to grow, and by having such a rare personality type, it acts as extra motivation for them to adapt certain traits you possess.
10. Act genuine and open
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When you notice someone finding it easy to act genuinely and be open around you, even shortly after meeting one another, it may be a sign that you have a rare personality trait. Due to your personality, you may be seen as non-judgmental, and you may offer those around you a novel experience.
By feeling as though they can be open and honest with you without being judged and the heightened liberation to be authentically themselves that they feel due to the new environment you create, they will act more genuinely. They notice that you create a space that does not feel like it must conform to social norms. Therefore, they feel it is safe to be open.
11. Ask a lot of questions
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When someone around you tends to ask you a lot of questions, there is a good chance that you have a rare personality type. When they seem interested in your unique perspective and how you would respond to certain situations, it stems from the curiosity they have about you due to your rarity.
When trying to determine whether or not your personality type is rare, carefully consider the way people behave around you. You may realize that your rare characteristics add to your value and make others curious to get to know you.
Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor's degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.
