ENFP is an abbreviation for Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceiving. It is one of the 16 personality types from the Jung personality test. ENFPs are often referred to as Campaigners or Motivators or Champions of Others.
ENFP Personality Traits
The ENFP personality type is one of the 16 different types identified by Carl Jung.
People with this type of personality are often described as …
- Warm and enthusiastic
- Empathetic and caring
- Charismatic
- Creative
- Strong people skills; relates well to others
- Able to think abstractly and understand difficult, complex concepts
- Needs approval from others
- Disorganized
- Strong communication skills
- Fun and spontaneous
- Highly creative
Psychologist David Keirsey suggests that ENFPs account for approximately three to four percent the population.
ENFP Characteristics
The test looks at personality in four key areas: 1) Extraversion and Introversion, 2) Sensing and Intuition, 3) Thinking and Feeling and 4) Perceiving and Judging. As you can see, the ENFP acronym stands for Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving.
- Extraversion: ENFPs love to interact with lots of people. Socializing helps them to feel energized and renewed.
- Intuition: ENFPs generally focus on the world of possibilities. They are good at abstract thinking and prefer not to concentrate on the tiny details. They are inventive and focused on the future.
- Feeling: When making decisions, ENFPs place a greater value on feelings and values rather than on logic and objective criteria. They tend to follow their heart, empathize with others, and let their emotions guide their decisions.
- Perceiving: ENFPs are flexible and like to keep their options open. They can be spontaneous and are highly adaptable to change. They also dislike routine and may have problems with disorganization and procrastination.
ENFPs are extraverts, which means that they love spending time with other people. Socializing actually gives them more energy, helping them to feel renewed, refreshed, and excited about life. While other types of extraverts tend to dislike solitude, ENFPs do have a need for some alone time in order to think and reflect.
Psychologist David Keirsey identifies ENFPs as “Champions,” which he suggests are rather rare. “Champions can be tireless in talking with others, like fountains that bubble and splash, spilling over their own words to get it all out,” Keirsey suggests. “And usually this is not simple storytelling; Champions often speak (or write) in the hope of revealing some truth about human experience, or of motivating others with their powerful convictions.”
They also have excellent people skills. In addition to having an abundance of enthusiasm, they also genuinely care about others. ENFPs are good at understanding what other people are feeling. Given their zeal, charisma, and creativity, they can also make great leaders.
People with this personality type strongly dislike routine and prefer to focus on the future. While they are great at generating new ideas, they sometimes put off important tasks until the last minute. Dreaming up ideas but not seeing them through to completion is a common problem. ENFPs can also become easily distracted, particularly when they are working on something that seems boring or uninspiring.
ENFP Functions
Every personality type is defined by four cognitive functions. These determine the traits of each type as well as the order of their prominence.
For an ENFP, these functions are Extraverted Intuition, Introverted Feeling, Extraverted Thinking, and Introverted Sensing. Accordingly, ENFPs are known most of all by their capacity for quickly gathering ideas from multiple perspectives, a result of their Extraverted Intuition. Their other traits, such as their strong moral sense and occasional drive to organize themselves, are caused by the other functions, and show themselves differently in various situations.
The cognitive functions surface with the stages of development of the ENFP. At first, Extraverted Intuition is almost the only noticeable characteristic of their personality. By their early adulthood, their auxiliary and tertiary functions, Introverted Feeling and Extraverted Thinking, begin to show themselves and eventually they come to terms with their inferior function, Introverted Sensing.
ENFP Compatibility
Due to their open and generous character, ENFPs are compatible with many personality types. However, they do better with some than with others.
ENFPs are most compatible with INFJs and INTJs. The differences in these relationships help both parties learn, and their traits complement each other well.
ENFPs are least compatible with ISTPs. While it may seem that ENFPs are unconditional with their affection, they really need a partner who is capable of reciprocating it and sharing their own feelings in turn. Since ISTPs have trouble with this, ENFPs tend to have trouble with ISTPs.
ENFP Women
Women with the ENFP personality type are supportive, spontaneous, and artistic. They prioritize communication and are always willing to make a new friend.
Due to their strong creativity and propensity for interaction, ENFP women do well in careers such as acting, journalism, and psychology. If they feel unfulfilled in a career, they will likely take the steps to switch to a different one, but they usually succeed in whatever they set their minds to, and often end up running their own business.
ENFP women enjoy literary, musical, and artistic hobbies that allow them to exercise their creativity, even while engaged in a profession that compels them to do so. They especially enjoy hobbies that allow them to share these things with other people, such as visiting art museums and acting in community theater programs.
ENFP Men
Men with the ENFP personality type are born leaders. They are very charismatic and flourish in social situations. Their intuition helps them set themselves and those around them on the right path.
Because of these traits, ENFP men are often found in careers such as education, anthropology, and photography. They can assess a situation on their feet and take everything they need from it.
The many strengths of ENFP males also come with some weaknesses. Their curiosity often takes them away from the task immediately at hand, and they are prone to excessive emotion at times. It is necessary for these men to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their personality type in order to make the best of their lot in life.
Famous People With ENFP Personalities
Some experts have suggested that the following famous figures display characteristics of the ENFP personality type:
- Andy Kaufmann, comedian
- Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter
- Charles Dickins, author
- Dr. Seuss, children’s author
- Robin Williams, actor
- Will Smith, actor
- Charlotte Bronte, author
Best Career Choices for ENFPs
When choosing a career path, it is a good idea for people to understand the potential strengths and weaknesses of their personality type. People with the ENFP personality type do best in jobs that offer a lot of flexibility.
Because they are empathetic and interested in people, they often do well in service-oriented careers. They should avoid careers that involve completing a lot of detailed, routine tasks. Some career options that might appeal to an ENFP include:
- Psychologist
- Journalist
- Actor
- TV Anchor/Reporter
- Nutritionist
- Nurse
- Social Worker
- Politician
- Counselor
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