ENFPs love being around people. They want to help them and uplift them. They are creative and adaptable, always ready for new situations. They are easy to be around and enjoy bringing out the creative potential in others.
They are creative problem-solvers who are stimulated by new challenges. Outgoing and lively, they enjoy seeking the company of others and meeting new people. They can fall into people-pleasing and being unfocused, but their intentions are usually in the right place.
Campaigner
Outgoing, Friendly, Adaptable, Disorganized, People-Pleasing
Motivations: Pursuing joy and creative self-expression for self and others
Values: Authenticity, individuality, personal freedom, and self-expression
Fears: Being disconnected from relationships and society
8% of General Population; 6% of Men; 10% of Women
Extrovert (E):
Energized by being around others
Intuition (N):
Focused more on ideas, abstracts, and patterns
Feeling (F):
Decisions are made from the heart
Perceiving (P):
Perceived by others as flexible, spontaneous, and adaptable
Strengths & Weaknesses
Healthy personality types will often relate more to the strengths, while unhealthy types relate more to the weaknesses. However, most people are a combination of both.
Strengths:
ENFPs have a great ability to relate to others emotionally and communicate personally. They are naturally warm, open, and friendly. They are comfortable with change, and encourage others to also step outside of their comfort zones. They are great at creatively solving problems.
- Curious
- Perceptive
- Enthusiastic
- Excellent communicators
- Festive
- Good-natured
Weaknesses:
ENFPs struggle with focusing on specific tasks or minor responsibilities. They tend to be disorganized and chaotic. They have the habit of overthinking and worrying about small issues by exploring too many “what if” scenarios. They seek approval from others and try to adapt to what others want.
- People-pleasing
- Unfocused
- Disorganized
- Overly Accomodating
- Restless
- Hypersensitivity
Development
Like any personality type, ENFPs can be healthy, unhealthy, or anywhere in between. Here is what they look like at their best and at their worst.
At Their Best
At their best, ENFPs are inspiring visionaries. Their inspiration to others leads them to naturally become leaders at work or in their personal lives. They are excited by life in any circumstance, keeping a positive and enthusiastic attitude. They are adaptable and inspired by new points of view.
At Their Worst
At their worst, ENFPs are prone to extreme emotions, especially when they are stressed. Their tendency to overcommit leads them to abandon projects, struggle to prioritize, and burn out. They get stressed and overwhelmed easily which makes it difficult to make decisions.
Personal Growth
Though ENFPs have many great qualities, there are always areas for any type to grow in. Here are some tips for growth.
- Be realistic with your commitments: ENFPs are prone to burnout because they get excited about many things and tend to overcommit. They may also abandon projects, struggle to prioritize, and get overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. Instead of saying yes to many projects, try saying yes to one at a time and see how that goes before agreeing to another.
- Be open about your goals and expectations: ENFP’s free spirited nature does not like restriction. When it comes to relationships, they should be open about what others can expect from them. ENFPs require a lot of free time and flexible commitments to plans. They should let the people in their life know they’re up for a spontaneous adventure, but strict plans are harder for to keep.
- Learn to validate yourself: ENFPs are natural people-pleasers. When they pay too much attention to what others think, they can end up ignoring their own instincts and being open to manipulation. Listen to your gut and let yourself know what it wonderful about you.
Managing Conflict
Typically, ENFPs communicate in an open and stimulating way. They like socializing and relying on flexibility. They are people and relationship-oriented. They do not like routine tasks or being alone, because it makes them feel too disconnected from others. When confronted, they may appear manipulative, impulsive, and unrealistic.
When ENFPs find themselves in conflict with others, it’s important for them to get credit for something positive they did. They deeply care what others think of them and need to feel like they aren’t hated or disliked for who they are. It will be hardest for ENFPs to communicate with those who are too slow to act or narrow-minded. When under stress, ENFPs tend to challenge or attack, or withdraw and avoid the conflict altogether. Here are some tips for ENFPs to manage conflict:
- When communicating with someone close-minded, practice patience and listening
- Strive to find solutions and making concrete decisions
- Listen to the facts
- Understand that not everyone is looking to grow or to reach their potential, so meet them where they’re at
Types they may struggle to communicate with:
Nurturing ENFPs
To take care of an ENFP, it’s important to know what stresses them out and what they need to fill at ease. Below are some stressors for ENFPs, and also what others can do to help them feel cared for.
Stressors
- Too much predicatability
- Too much time alone
- Lack of independence or freedom
- Conflict with others
- Unmet idealistic expectations
Nurture
- Doing something spontaneous
- Socializing with new people
- Personal autonomy and freedom
- Resolving conflict
- Practicing self-awareness and acceptance
The Human Connection 