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Famous ISFJs

ISFJ

ISFJ

David Petraeus

General in the U.S. Army

Petraeus: "My job as a commander is to be concerned about the safety and security of our troopers."
Petraeus: "Live our values. Do not hesitate to kill or capture the enemy, but stay true to the values we hold dear."
[On consoling clan-leaders in Iraq:]
Petraeus: "You can shout, but please don't shoot. ... Shouting, I think, is a very acceptable alternative to shooting."
[Asked about commanding the 101st Airborne Division:]
Petraeus: "The emotions of that were just incredible! You're aware of the weight of history, the legacy..."
USA Today: "A soft-spoken officer ... Petraeus has achieved near legendary status in the military."

ISFJ

ISFJ

George Marshall

U.S. general and Secretary of State

Marshall: "[We Americans] have a feeling and a concern for the problems of [others]. ... A deep urge to help [and] give aid to those upon whom great and sudden hardship has fallen."
[Asked why he ensured the troops were supplied with candy during WW2:]
Marshall: "Many of our people forget the importance of little things to morale."
Jack Uldrich: "His career is filled with stories of him doing hundreds of small things that ... paint a ... picture of a caring and compassionate man."
Dwight Eisenhower: "[He] typified all that we ... look for in [a] patriot."
Colin Powell: "The quiet power of the man lay in his utter selflessness ... his hard work and his immense personal sacrifice."

Keirsey & son identify Marshall as ENTJ.

More quotes on Marshall

ISFJ

ISFJ

Robert E. Lee

General in the American Civil War

Lee: "Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character."
Lee: "Despite my heavy workload ... I find time to answer each and every piece of correspondence I receive, from friend and foe [alike]. Business etiquette demands it, and should it not, my personal etiquette would surely do!"
Lee: "I am astounded not only by the viciousness of men, but by their compassion as well."
Lee: "If I can make gentlemen out of the boys in my [army] I shall count my days well spent. For there is no higher calling than to be the soul of courtesy when passions dictate otherwise."

Keirsey & son identify Lee as SP.

ISFJ

ISFJ

George A. Custer

U.S. Cavalry Commander

Custer: "I am ... minute in giving ... details in order that the events ... may appear in their proper light."
Custer: "A leader ... aside from being a thorough soldier [should also] feel that esprit de corps which is so necessary to both officers and soldiers."
Custer: "[One must] inculcate [into men] the absolute necessity of promptness and strict obedience to orders."
Marguerite Merington: "[As a child] he performed speedily and well any task assigned to him."
Marguerite Merington: "Custer's method [was] the meticulously careful preparation, the sure, cautious approach. ... When biographers describe him as 'dashing,' they do scant justice to [his] technique."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Jimmy Carter

U.S. President (D)

Carter: "The small individual contributors of caring, friendship, forgiveness, and love [from] each of us ... can form a phalanx, an army, with great capability."
Carter: "I especially like [this] comment about our administration: 'We obeyed the law, we told the truth, and we kept the peace.'"
Carter: "[My father] seldom, if ever, ordered me to perform a task; he simply suggested that it needed to be done."
John M. Berecz: "Carter ... mastered almost everything [using] motivation, hard work, and attention to detail."

ISFJ

ISFJ

George H.W. Bush

U.S. President (R), father of George W. Bush and Jeb Bush

Bush: "I am a practical man. I like what's real. I'm not much for the airy and abstract. I like what works."
Bush: "I am not one who flamboyantly believes in throwing a lot of words around."
Bush: "I really believe there can be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others."
John Suhunu: "[People like him because] he's the guy next door. If they had a problem, he's the kind of next-door neighbor they would go to."
Lech Walesa: "Bush always gave more than what was asked of him."
Lesley Stahl: "It was hard not to like George Bush."

Keirsey & son identify Bush as ISFJ.

ISFJ

ISFJ

Mike Pence

U.S. Vice President (R) to Donald Trump

Pence: "There's a lot wrong with our national government, but there's not a lot wrong with our nation. The people of this country are every bit as strong, as caring, as patriotic, as generous, as hard-working as they've ever been. ... We've just got to have a government as good as our people."
Pence: "I believe in servant leadership and the servant always asks, 'Where am I needed most?' ... [I] will approach [leadership] from that perspective - prayerfully, carefully, with humility and with a servant's heart."
Pence: "I ... believe in finding a way forward on the basis of authentic common ground."
New York Times: "[He has a] small-town, plain-spoken personality."
Kristina Cooke: "[Even] his opponents ... describe him as extremely disciplined and cordial ... polite, professional and gentlemanly."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Mitt Romney

U.S. Governor and presidential candidate (R)

Romney: "The divisiveness in politics I think is very dangerous. I'm concerned about that. America united - the whole idea of ... 'out of many, one' - that's what has allowed us to overcome the challenges we faced."
Romney: "Obama and I agree on the importance of family. I think he is a fine husband and father and I think that [his being a] role model for our nation of being a good father is a very good thing. I appreciate that."
[Asked what people don't know about Mitt Romney:]
Ann Romney: "[That he is a] person that cares. ... They don't know what kind of heart he has."
Romney: "Obama's campaign promises were like Kim Kardashian's wedding wows; she said, ''till death do us part' - it didn't work out that way."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Marcus Aurelius

Roman philosopher and Emperor, author of 'The Meditations'

Aurelius: "Labor not unwillingly, nor without regard of the common interest, nor without due consideration, nor with distraction."
Aurelius: "We are all made for cooperation, like feet, like hands ... like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature."
Aurelius: "Be not a man of too many words."
Edward Gibbon: "The virtue of Marcus Aurelius was severe and laborious."
Immanuel Kant: "Who ever reigned better than Titus and Marcus Aurelius?"

Keirsey & son identify Aurelius as NT.

More quotes on Aurelius

ISFJ

ISFJ

Roger Scruton

Philosopher, mentor of Vaclav Havel, student of Elizabeth Anscombe

Scruton: "The old-fashioned view that faith, love and family are the best that we have has yet to be refuted."
Scruton: "The more I live, the more I see that humanity is always poised on the brink, and can fall into chaos and disaster at any time."
Scruton: "I am far more respectful towards my [political opponents] than they or their supporters would be towards me."
The Guardian: "He has always spoken for the preservation of existing order over radical change, for tradition and stewardship [and] against 'progress.'"
The Spectator: "He has spent his adult life thinking and writing about the nature of love ... belonging, alienation, beauty [and] home."

Scruton identifies himself as an introvert.

More quotes on Scruton

ISFJ

ISFJ

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist

Parks: "The advice I would give any young person is ... to be concerned about what they can do to help others."
Parks: "We have so many broken homes. ... Young people ... need to be organized to work together, instead of being so scattered about."
[Asked how to accomplish something:]
Parks: "I think it's important to believe in yourself. ... And of course, it all depends upon the cooperation of the people around."
Parks: "I was really impressed by [Martin Luther King], because he seemed to be a very genuine and very concerned person."

Keirsey & son identify Parks as ISFJ.

ISFJ

ISFJ

Mother Teresa

Catholic nun and charity worker

Mother Teresa: "Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do."
[Asked what we can do to promote world peace:]
Mother Teresa: "Go home and love your family."
Mother Teresa: "The family that prays together stays together, and if we stay together we love each other as God loves each one of us."
Mother Teresa: "Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you."

Keirsey & son identify Teresa as ISFJ.

ISFJ

ISFJ

Rand Paul

U.S. Senator (R), son of Ron Paul

Paul: "I do think it unacceptable not to hate war. I'm dismissive of those who champion war as sport and show no reluctance to engage in war. Any leader who shows glee or eagerness for war should not be leading any nation."
Paul: "I'm a guy that ... [finds] common-sense solutions to things as opposed to esoteric mumbo-jumbo."
Paul: "[I'm] a family man and a good husband. I mow my own grass. I compost because I care. ... And I truly [want] to make the country a better place for everybody."
Dustin Hawkins: "[His] personality and presentation style is ... welcoming."
New Republic: "[He is] a team player."

ISFJ

ISFJ

James Comey

Director of the FBI

Comey: "[I have] a sense of what victims feel. ... 'No one was physically harmed,' doesn't mean no one was harmed. ... [It makes] me a better prosecutor and investigator for being able to feel ... what victims of crime experience."
Comey: "We would give up so much [if we were not] rooted in the rule of law that I'd never want to make that trade."
Politico Magazine: "[He] is affable and open, with a reputation for honesty."
Newsweek Magazine: "Comey's supporters, of which there are legion ... hold [that he possesses] independence, moral fortitude, and fierce determination to place the law above politics, even in the most trying of circumstances."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Heinrich Himmler

Minister of the Interior in Nazi Germany

Himmler: "My honor is my loyalty."
Himmler: "We must be honest, decent, loyal, and comradely to members of our own blood."
Himmler: "We Germans ... are the only people in the world who have a decent attitude towards animals."
Himmler: "I shall not accept people whom I expect to quit, to complain, to become disloyal and traitors, to have bad soldierly manners and the like."
Himmler: "I still lack to a considerable degree that naturally superior kind of manner that I would dearly like to possess."
Oxford University Study: "[Himmler was] introverted and approached his responsibilities methodically and with careful attention to detail."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Wilhelm Keitel

Chief of the armed forces in Nazi Germany

Keitel: "It isn't right to be obedient only when things go well. It is much harder to be a good, obedient soldier when things go badly and times are hard. Obedience and faith at such time is a virtue."
Keitel: "I am a soldier and I worked for the Kaiser [in the same way as I did for] Hitler, all the same way, for the past forty-four years."
Keitel: "My original youthful inclinations were farming and forestry. ... I grew to like being a soldier, but I always nurtured the quiet hope and plan to become a farmer later on."
Albert Speer: "[He was] an honorable, solidly respectable general."
Walter Gorlitz: "Keitel was conscientious, loyal, and an outstanding expert in those fields that were his own."

At the Nuremberg Trials, Keitel's IQ was tested to be 129.

ISFJ

ISFJ

Francisco Franco

Dictator of Fascist Spain

Franco: "Discipline shows its true worth when the mind advises otherwise."
Franco: "[Our goal] must be pursued with constancy and sacrifice. Fortitude, as well as good-will, is needed."
Time Magazine: "Franco was a man of rigid decorum, methodical habit and deep ... piety."
Jason Watts: "[Franco] devoted great care to the preparations of his units' actions and paid more attention than was common to the troops' well being."
Life Magazine: "[He is a] dictator who has ... no fads and frenzies, and who is obviously a well-balanced man."
Adolf Hitler: "Franco guarantees a certain uniformity and steadiness in Spain."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Bashar al-Assad

Dictator of Syria

Assad: "[Always give people] nice words. ... They will be happy [and do] good things."
Assad: "The ... different sectors of our society are all members of the same body: Whilst they differ in shape ... they are fully integrated in the service of each other and the body to which they belong."
Eyal Zisser: "[He has a] highly developed ... methodical approach to everything."
Edmund Schulenberg: "[He has the] obsessive trait of doing things accurately. He [has] a high sensitivity for perfection."
Edmund Schulenberg: "He [is] pleasant. ... His behavior [is] reserved and gentle."
Clive Migdal: "I can't recall a single occasion when he behaved inappropriately towards anyone around him."

ISFJs in popular culture

ISFJ

ISFJ

Christopher Walken

Actor

Walken: "I believe in saving money. I believe in having a house. I believe in keeping things clean. ... Slow and steady is a very good thing for me. It works for me."
Walken: "In order to improvise, you first have to know exactly what you're doing. ... I don't think you can be an abstract painter unless you know how to draw."
Walken: "Somebody asked me, 'If you had to give advice to a young actor, what would it be?' ... I said, 'Always, even in a limo, wear your seat belt.'"
Michael Wechsler: "The man couldn't be farther from the toxic characters he's played. He's instantly likeable, very accessible, down to earth, and ... just a regular good guy."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Anthony Hopkins

Actor

Hopkins: "I always distrust the word art when it is applied to acting. I've always liked to be a meat and potatoes kind of actor who doesn't believe in any of the highfalutin stuff about acting."
Hopkins: "I always had a practical, realistic sense of what it's all about."
New York Times: "It is somewhat surprising to find that this specialist in restraint is open, friendly, practically warm. ... [He exudes] kindness [and] gentleness."
Jessica Biel: "He's the most lovely man ever. So sweet and kind."
Daniel Kilkelly: "He has to be the nicest guy in showbiz."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Naomi Watts

Actress

Watts: "I'm a woman's woman. I never understood women who don't have woman friends."
Watts: "The thing that I love about acting is the fact that I can help people feel things, know themselves or feel less alone."
[Asked why her marriage is so stable:]
Watts: "We feel like we're married because we're deep in the trenches, with kids, and we're committed."
Red Magazine: "Her brand of classical ... beauty may hint at ice-queen but, underneath that flawless exterior, there beats the heart of a no-fuss ... woman's woman."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Halle Berry

Actress

Berry: "[My part in 'Things We Lost in the Fire'] validated that I was meant to be a mother because every day I dealt with the character and it let me know that I must be a mother."
[On being pregnant for the first time:]
Berry: "It's an amazing feeling. ... You realize that [the child] is part of you and it's in your care. [It's] life-changing."
Berry: "I'm not obsessive [about looking sexy] but I like the idea of feeling strong and healthy."
Penelope Cruz: "She's so sweet. I connected with her immediately. ... It was the best connection I've ever had with an actress. She made me feel like I could trust her."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Dr. Dre

Rapper, producer, mentor of Snoop Dogg and Eminem

Dre: "[You] have to build for your family. ... They're going to have a foundation. I'm going to set the foundation."
Dre: "You can't criticize something that somebody has worked real hard on for. That can shatter their shit."
Dre: "[Hip hop] isn't about who has the fliest car, who has the most jewelry. ... It's about saving and preparing yourself for when [you] aren't happening no more."
Dre: "Take care of your taxes, take care of all that shit. You've got to make sure you're prepared when the shit gets thick."
The Guardian: "He's so open and friendly. ... He actually comes across as modest, relaxed and entirely likeable. [He's] not as intimidating as his build might suggest."

ISFJ

ISFJ

50 Cent

Rapper

[Oprah: "You seem like a gentle soul. ... You don't seem anything like your persona. ... Are you a nice guy?"]
50 Cent: "Yeah. ... I think that everybody who interacts with me leaves with that as the description of me."
50 Cent: "I've always had to be two people. I've had to be my grandmother's baby in the house and be more like what people perceive 50 Cent as outside. I'm not even allowed to curse around her."
50 Cent: "I never understand how artists get [rich] and then not ... count [their] money. ... I'll sit there and count the money. I never have issues with that part. That's security."
Kendrick Lamar: "You've got to have ... work ethic. 50 Cent told me ... 'When talent is not working, hard work will.' And ... it's true."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Kanye West

Rapper, was married to Kim Kardashian

West: "You can't choose to be [a popular] rapper. ... People choose you and then you have a responsibility."
West: "We [rappers] practiced so hard because we wanted to live up to the tradition."
West: "Sometimes honesty can be used improperly. You can use it to hurt somebody. ... You have to have more tact and class than to blurt out honest statements. People can't handle the truth sometimes."

Unusually for ISFJs, West also has Narcissistic traits.

On West and the ISFJ Type

More quotes on West

ISFJ

ISFJ

Kendrick Lamar

Rapper

Lamar: "My ... meaning [of] 'keepin' it gangsta' is ... taking care of your family, handling your business and putting positive energy out there where everybody can benefit from it, not just yourself."
Lamar: "My role as an artist is to create music that people can genuinely relate to. ... That's where I feel my responsibility is."
Lamar: "When the OGs like RZA or Dr. Dre [show respect] ... it lets me know that what I'm doing is appropriate. It's what the game needs."
New York Times: "Lamar is quiet and gentle by nature."
Billboard Magazine: "[He has] a modest demeanor that suggests nothing of his status as rap's leading visionary."
The Guardian: "Up close, he has a certain aura but it's something calmer and weightier than star quality."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Gwyneth Paltrow

Actress, was married to Chris Martin, dated Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck

Paltrow: "You need to be accountable and you need to be responsible. You need to honor your commitments."
Paltrow: "I'm a bit traditional [and I believe in] doing something with care and putting time into it."
Paltrow: "I grew up seeing [my parents] produce very high quality work, so that's something that I innately strive for."
Paltrow: "I think that [people confide in me] because they know I'm very loving. ... I'm a bit of a mother hen."
Paltrow: "I really believe in the family dinner. I think that's a nice time to bring the family together."
Alison Owen: "She's one of the most loyal people I know."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Katie Holmes

Actress, was married to Tom Cruise

Holmes: "I identify with people who work really hard. ... I love strong [people] and I love being inspired by people who fight for what they believe in ... work hard ... and have integrity."
Holmes: "I love [my] community. ... I ran into someone on the street the other day that I went to high school with. ... I love talking to my neighbors in the elevator. I like feeling a part of something big."
Holmes: "Your outside appearance doesn't mean anything if you don't have depth and kindness and sincerity. I think about that all the time."
Holmes: "I was a good [kid]. ... I was very uptight and kind of nervous about my grades. ... I wasn't ... funny or flashy."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Kirsten Dunst

Actress, dated Andy Samberg

Dunst: "People always tell me, 'Don't work so much,' but I can't help it. I feel like all the things I've done are important to get to this adult stage and now I'm getting all these adult offers, so it's working."
Dunst: "You need your family. ... It's one of the most important things to keep you grounded."
Dunst: "I was really afraid [of working with Lars von Trier] because I had heard stories about him almost torturing his female actors [but] I found him so nurturing and kind."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Alicia Vikander

Actress

Vikander: "[I like] coming together in a group, and [feeling] that people believe in the [project], and everyone wants to bring their little bits. ... It's a wonderful feeling when you feel that belief ... together."
Vogue Magazine: "Colleagues tend to point out Alicia's self-discipline, her drive, her seriousness of purpose."
Vogue Magazine: "Though a reserve prevails in her demeanor, there seems always to be the threat of giddiness, muted by a natural air of gravity."
Wired Magazine: "She deftly deflects effusive compliments in conversation ... and retrains the focus onto the collective achievements of her film's cast and crew."

ISFJ

ISFJ

King Charles

U.K. royal, married to Camilla Parker Bowles, was married to Diana, son of Elizabeth II, father of William and Harry

Charles: "I feel more than anything else it's my duty to worry about everybody and their lives in this country, to try to find a way of improving things if I possibly can."
Charles: "One has to get to know the people ... before you can influence and encourage."
Charles: "None of the wonderful landscape we have in this country happens by magic. Somebody has to look after it and manage it and maintain it and sort out the hedges and the walls and these other things that everybody loves."
Charles: "The farmers and their wives play such a vital part in [their] communities in so many different and unseen ways."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Kate Middleton

U.K. royal, married to Prince William

Middleton: "I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way. I am looking forward to helping as much as I can."
Middleton: "[When I first met William] I went bright red ... and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy."
Hello Magazine: "As a child she demonstrated the calm competence and strength of character which would serve her so well in the future."
Hello Magazine: "Childhood friends describe [Kate] as a kind-hearted and sensible soul who rarely caused upset among her peers."
Daily Mail: "Some [of William's friends] thought she was a bit too sensible and serious."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Princess Mary

Crown Princess of Denmark, married to Prince Frederik

Mary: "[I] crave details. ... [I] want to have as much information as possible."
Mary: "I've never been a person who sought to be at the center. It was always my friends who were at the center, and I enjoyed [observing] them."
Mary: "My way to cover up insecurity [is] trying to control everything that can be controlled."
Mary: "[What is most important to me is whether my] family is happy. To experience all the siblings together. You just sit quietly and observe. The love that flows between them. That is what wealth is."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Kim Kardashian

Television personality, was married to Kanye West

Kardashian: "[If I ran things] I would just make sure that everyone was kind of in check and everyone was nice."
Kardashian: "I hardly drink; I go to church on Sundays. I'm so far removed from my image."
[On her relationship with Kanye West:]
Kardashian: "It's very comforting to have someone that knows everything about you, that respects you, [and] understands [you]. ... I feel like I'm at a really happy, good space."
Kim Kardashian: "When I was little I always [pictured myself having] lots of kids ... making breakfast for everyone, packing lunches, driving all the kids to school. I just always wanted to be [like that]."
Kanye West: "As a man, your whole life is to provide for that girl in that white dress, that missing picture in your wedding photo."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Brian May

(Queen and Ph.D. in astrophysics)

May: "[I stand for] a way based on compassion, respect for all life, and common sense."
May: "[Being famous] gave me a voice [to speak on issues] and I feel a great obligation to use that voice responsibly."
May: "My best and my worst quality is ... perfectionism. ... I can never rest until [things] are right. ... Sometimes ... it's perfectionism in the wrong areas ... but I can't let it go."
May: "My Ph.D. I really earned. I have a number of honorary degrees, which is nice ... but this one, the one that I really worked for, is the one that I really treasure."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Tiger Woods

Golf champion

Woods: "[To become the World's No. 1 golf player it takes] discipline ... preparation ... dedication."
Woods: "My practice and preparation - all [my] hard work [is] instinctive."

Keirsey & son identify Woods as ISTP.

ISFJ

ISFJ

Lance Reddick

Actor

Reddick: "I often bemoan the fact that I don't have a thicker skin. ... In my work I feel like [being sensitive] gives me an advantage, but in real life it's a bit tough."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Jessica Simpson

Singer, dated John Mayer

Simpson: "I cry at all weddings."
Simpson: "I've always felt a calling to be a positive role model."
Simpson: "[When you're a star] there is a lot of pressure to lose weight. But I want to be healthy for my daughter."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Bruce Willis

Actor, was married to Demi Moore

Willis: "When you meet the love of your life ... the hard work has just begun. You've got to keep working on it all the time. 'Love and marriage' is like a little garden that needs to be tended every day."
Willis: "[When making movies, I like] to be directed and not just told 'do whatever you want to do.'"
Willis: "[I take things seriously] that I'm not sure are meant to be taken seriously. ... I read all kinds of stuff into the emotion of it."
Emily Blunt: "He's so sweet. He is this big muscle man of the action world, but [in real life] he's a sweetheart."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Karl Logan

(Manowar)

Logan: "[Manowar is about thanking] the people who have given you the gift of doing what you love every day."
Logan: "A lot of [guitarists] don't understand that the guitar solo is not just an ego trip for the guitar player. It's an alternate voice."
Logan: "Nowadays, [guitarists] learn a couple of two-finger ... chords ... and [just] make a lot of noise. ... People are not putting enough time into learning their instruments."
CMJ Music Magazine: "[He is] capable of superhuman stringwork [and characterized] by seriousness of purpose."

ISFJ

ISFJ

Mark Hamill

Actor

Hamill: "One of the greatest things [about being a famous actor] is the ability to give back. It feels wonderful."
Hamill: "Over 900 people worked on [Star Wars] so when people come up to me and say, 'I loved the movie!' it's hard to say, 'Thank you!' and feel justified - I want to ... show them the other 948 people."
Harrison Ford: "He is not a grandstander. He has a quiet, sincere, workmanlike presence."

About ISFJs

  • Respectful and considerate caregivers
  • Strongly linked to the Dependent personality
  • Somewhat linked to the Compulsive personality
  • More common in women than in men
  • Repress their Extroverted Intuition function, meaning they sometimes have a hard time 'letting loose' and doing things in novel and unconventional ways
  • Another Look at ISFJ
  • ISFJ Career Interview 1

ISFJ Functions

ISFJ Functions
1. Dominant:Introverted Sensing
2. Auxiliary:Extroverted Feeling
3. Tertiary:Introverted Thinking
4. Inferior:Extroverted Intuition