values are threatened by someone they will become aggressive and confrontational. if that isn’t javert then idk what is

Already typed Javert as ISTJ. Relying on type descriptions like that usually doesn’t work for MBTI as they are often too vague. Both INFPs and ISTJs have the same cognitive functions – Si Te Fi Ne.

If he was INFP, he would be much more likely to accept the doubt that Valjean brings into his life with higher Ne. But we see he breaks under anything that breaks from the rules and what he has always known – clear signs of dominant Si and inferior Ne, instead of auxiliary Ne and tertiary Si as INFP would have.

Also, he doesn’t seem to show inferior Te, as INFPs would have – he excels at creating and controlling structure in the world, and tends to make logical decisions. There’s auxiliary Te.

What you’re focusing on is the Fi element, which is Javert’s tertiary function – it’s a lower function, so although he has strong inner morals he also feels the need to force them on the rest of the world. That’s how high Te + low Fi looks – think Alexander Hamilton, with his strong personal ideals always being implemented on the world.

– Rebecca

25 Days of MBTI: Day Ten

Javert from Les Miserables
ISTJ
by Rebecca
requested by anonymous

Introverted Sensing (Si)
“You know your place in the sky. You hold your course and your aim, and each in your season, returns and returns.”

Javert relies on what has already been established, in the traditions and laws found within the world around him. He does not waver on these rules until his death, as he sees all he knows as what has always been and should always be. He strongly opposes the revolution that is firing up, even going as far as to infiltrate their lines in an attempt to spy on them. When he makes a promise to track down Jean Valjean, he continues to search for the man for years, never quite able to let go of his past.

Extraverted Thinking (Te)
“One day more to revolution, we will nip it in the bud!”
Javert is usually seen as cold and logical, always attempting to enforce the rules by whatever means he sees as necessary. He is able to use the structure set up before him in order to achieve the goals he is driven to due to his adherence to the rules (Si) and his personal ideals of right and wrong (Fi). Javert shows his capability to lead and direct in a systematic order as the revolution begins and he tries to shut it down.

Introverted Feeling (Fi)
“Those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward.”
Throughout the show, Javert never wavers on his personal ideals on what he believes is right and wrong. He believes in harsh punishment for anyone who breaks the law, and firmly believes in a stark good and bad. Throughout the show he is always trying to do what he believes is right, even if this ends up causing problems. He cannot understand the beliefs of other people if they do not match him, which is what causes him to struggle with seeing Jean Valjean’s side of the story.

Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
“And must I now begin to doubt, who never doubted all these years?”
Javert doesn’t have room for doubt in his life, but after all he goes through during the events of the show he suddenly finds it entering his mind. He is used to his dominant Si that causes him to follow what has already been established – when he begins to see other opportunities, such as when he finally finds Jean Valjean and then ends up letting him go, he cannot stand them. The uncertainty begins to creep in and haunt him until he is driven to kill himself in “Javert’s Suicide”.

funkymbtifiction:

Les Misérables: Inspector Javert [ISTJ]

Si: Javert is a man devoted to tradition, both in his private life and faith and in his job as a policeman. He has a brilliant capacity for remembering things. He first identifies Valjean by his strength, then by his appearance, despite nearly a decade passing between glimpses of him. Javert wants detailed information. He prefers to live his life based on what he knows rather than speculation.

Te: Society sets the rules and Javert governs by them. His entire purpose is to enforce them, without questioning whether or not they are just. Javert is about structure and control. He believes in equal punishment for all crimes. His logical mind has difficulty accepting that people may change, or that mercy can outweigh justice.

Fi: He is proud of escaping “the gutter,” and rising to the ranks of a respectable man. Javert is also proud that he is such an honorable man, and hopes that heaven will reward him for his virtues and not his failures. He makes decisions based on the law first, and how he feels about the situation second. Javert’s intense internal reflection about Valjean’s mercy toward him is what prompts him to suicide – he not only finds it hard to believe a common criminal is more virtuous than he is, but he has broken the law and must be punished.

Ne: Tradition kicks in before intuition, which allows Valjean to slip through his fingers countless times, but Javert is very good at reading between the lines and connecting things from external evidence. His gut tells him that the mayor is Valjean – so he sets out to prove it.