Like the INFJ personality type, the ENFJ is among the rarest of the sixteen types, comprising only about 2-3% of the population.
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The ENFJ is warm, engaging, charismatic, persuasive, và talkative. These personality traits contribute to their status as kings & queens of the social realm. ENFJs can quickly read and establish rapport with others. Because of their love for people và formidable social intelligence, ENFJs develop extensive networks of friends, acquaintances, và social connections; they are networkers par excellence. Just as ESPs seek a breadth of sensory experiences (Se), so it is with ENFJs’ relationships and interactions with people (Fe).
Like INFJs, ENFJs excel when it comes khổng lồ reading people, quickly assessing & mirroring their emotions, expressions, and body language. This grants ENFJs great insight into people, contributing khổng lồ their effectiveness in education, counseling, sales, public relations, và other ENFJ careers.
ENFJs discover their people skills rather early in life. Indeed, their self-esteem và self-image develops in large part around their social prowess. With each new person they encounter and connect with, their self-concept và self-worth are reinforced. Over time, ENFJs gradually become aware of their power to lớn influence & persuade others. At some point, they realize they can use their powers of persuasion khổng lồ get nearly anything they want. From that point forward, they must wrestle with the degree khổng lồ which they are willing to use their charm and charisma lớn achieve their goals. They can take an “end justifies the means” approach, manipulating và politicking their way to the top. Or, they can forgo the temptation of quick success & preserve their integrity.
While “working a crowd” or charming an audience is undoubtedly invigorating for ENFJs, their desire to lớn engage with people goes beyond mere superficials. Their auxiliary function, Introverted Intuition (Ni), adds a degree of depth that is less apparent in their ESFJ counterparts. Lượt thích INFJs, ENFJs see it as their job lớn help others live more authentically, ethically, & healthily. Utilizing their insight into people, they can be quite effective at diagnosing problems và formulating solutions that spawn personal growth. Và because ENFJs are the most convincing (even if a bit forceful) of all the personality types, others often respond well lớn their counsel.
Although ENFJs certainly want to help and support others, their reasons for doing so are not always entirely altruistic. After all, as sắt types, their own sense of self is inextricably interwoven with that of others. So while ENFJs genuinely want those they help khổng lồ succeed, if those individuals kết thúc up failing, the ENFJ may come down hard on them. After all, failure on the part of their students can seem threatening lớn ENFJs’ ability lớn self-actualize, since their students are extensions of themselves. Deep down, the ENFJ may feel that a “poor student” is a reflection of a “poor teacher.”
Another element of ENFJs that cannot be overlooked is their desire for self-mastery. As we will discuss later, this pertains khổng lồ their inferior function, Introverted Thinking (Ti), which compels them khổng lồ be self-controlled, self-directed, and self-regulated. Unfortunately, lượt thích other types, ENFJs often overestimate the skill & development of their inferior. So while they may aspire khổng lồ or even believe they have achieved self-mastery, they are typically far better at evaluating and managing others (Fe) than they are themselves (Ti).
In sum, ENFJs are driven by several things. They are invigorated by social novelty & networking with people. They are also motivated by personal excellence và self-mastery, including the sense of validation that comes from being esteemed & admired by others. Lastly, và perhaps most importantly, they strive khổng lồ quicken the personal growth of others, which, in turn, fortifies their sense of purpose and self-worth.
ENFJ Personality Type Development & Functional Stack
ENFJs’ functional stack is composed of the following functions:
ENFJ Functional Stack
Dominant: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition (Ni)
Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Inferior: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
ENFJs’ personality type development can be broadly conceived as consisting of three phases:
Phase I (Childhood)
This phase is characterized by the emergence & differentiation of ENFJs’ dominant function, Extraverted Feeling (Fe). In developing and strengthening their Fe, Phase I ENFJs can seem inflexible và opinionated, quick to lớn make judgments & draw conclusions about the world. Since their judgments are not yet being weighed and balanced by their auxiliary Ni, they are prone to jump khổng lồ conclusions.
Since fe is a rational Judging function, ENFJs tend khổng lồ take themselves and their lives quite seriously. Even from a relatively young age, ENFJs are self-disciplined and goal-oriented, striving for excellence in whatever they do. They can differ markedly from INFJs in this phase, whose dominant function (Ni) is a Perceiving function. Ni prompts INFJs to lớn be more open and take life less seriously than Phase I ENFJs are wont to lớn do. While both types utilize Fe, INFJs are more concerned with ingesting và digesting the world (Ni), while ENFJs are already working lớn change or control it (Fe).
Phase II (Adolescence-30s)
Once their dominant fe reaches a certain threshold of strength and dominance, ENFJs’ inferior function, Introverted Thinking (Ti), enters the picture & begins khổng lồ play a more influential role. This can be confusing because Ti is not next in line in their functional stack. Its undue influence derives from its bipolar relationship with ENFJs’ dominant Fe. It is somewhat unfortunate that the influence of the inferior peaks in Phase II, when most people are making life-altering decisions about their careers và relationships. ENFJs’ Fe-Ti tug-of-war will be elucidated later in this profile.
In addition to the increasing presence and influence of their Ti, Phase II ENFJs are also developing their auxiliary function, Introverted Intuition (Ni). As they encounter complex problems and situations that hotline for greater patience và reflection, they turn lớn their Ni for assistance. In doing so, they become increasingly capable of grasping & incorporating the bigger picture (Ni) into their fe Judging process. Ni insight may also compel them to rescind or revise some of their previous premature judgments.
Phase II ENFJs may also begin to lớn differentiate và incorporate their tertiary function, Extraverted Sensing (Se). For ENFJs, Se represents a further relaxing and opening of their judgments. It helps them loosen their grip on life, tempering their need for constant outer control (Fe). As their Ni và Se develop, ENFJs take on more Perceiving qualities, displaying more openness, flexibility, và acceptance.
Phase III (30s, 40s, và Beyond)
If all goes well and they are fortunate enough to enter Phase III, ENFJs become increasingly aware of the insidious manifestations of their inferior Ti. By increasing their inferior awareness và learning to function more authentically as ENFJs, they experience greater balance between their Fe & Ti. They learn that integrating their Ti happens naturally and indirectly as they go about authentically using their Fe & softening its judgments và its need for control through their Ni và Se. As they cultivate conditions that tư vấn their natural strengths, Phase III ENFJs come lớn experience a heightened và enduring sense of peace, wholeness, và satisfaction.
ENFJs’ Dominant Function: Extraverted Feeling
Extraverted Feeling (Fe) is ENFJs’ dominant & most preferred function. As a Judging function that is extraverted in its direction, ENFJs are considered Extraverted Judging types. In laypersons’ terms, this means they are quick to outwardly express their feelings, opinions, and grievances. They Judge before they Perceive, speak before they listen. This can be both a strength & a weakness. On the one hand, it contributes khổng lồ ENFJs’ quick responsiveness và capacity for leadership. On the other, it can dispose ENFJs lớn judging too quickly or too severely.
Fe also imbues ENFJs with a propensity to lớn manage or otherwise influence other people. This desire for control should not immediately be considered “bad” or unhealthy. As we’ve seen, Judging is a viable and commonly used approach khổng lồ navigating life. While ETJs are more quickly recognized as controlling commanders, ENFJs’ Feeling preference makes their means of control more subtle and in some ways more effective. Because of their ability lớn read and understand people, ENFJs can quickly & intuitively discern the quickest and most effective route to lớn influencing them. This often involves schmoozing through eloquent language packaged in sắt warmth & friendliness.
While ENFJs are subtle and smooth in the public sphere, those who work with or have a closer relationship them will eventually see their more controlling or judgmental side. While sắt involves a penchant for maintaining interpersonal harmony and good feeling, this can be trumped by its commensurate desire for outer control and assertiveness. ENFJs are in many ways wired to express their feeling judgments as soon as they come about. This is obviously of great importance for their intimates to understand, recognizing that what comes out of the ENFJ’s mouth is often their first reaction, one they may later come lớn reverse upon further reflection (Ni). Unfortunately, parents và teachers often fail khổng lồ understand this about their ENFJ children & end up stifling their sắt expressiveness. This most certainly produces great frustration và possibly even psychological harm in young ENFJs.
Fe also plays a prominent role in reading và empathizing with others’ emotions. It helps ENFJs recreate another’s emotion state within themselves, allowing them to feel what the other person is feeling. Interestingly, ENFJs have a more difficult time when it comes to perceiving & making sense of their own emotions. This is due to the fact that fe is directed outwardly rather than inwardly. Unlike IFPs, ENFJs don’t spend much time trying lớn independently sort out their emotions. Inwardly, they giảm giá khuyến mãi largely in the currency of Intuition (Ni). Hence, when ENFJs find themselves in emotionally troubling circumstances, they often (and should) turn to lớn others for support or guidance. Expressing themselves through their sắt is critical to their psychological và physical health và well-being. Even if doing so does not provide them with an immediate solution khổng lồ the problem at hand, they tend khổng lồ feel better once they have expressed their feelings, be it through words or through tears.
Fe is more influenced by cultural norms & expectations than Fi is. Just as Extraverted Thinking (Te) involves collective methods for evaluating và ordering information (e.g., the scientific method), fe entails socially accepted ways of engaging with people. For instance, ENFJs typically display ample warmth, friendliness, & congeniality in their interactions. While Fi types may disparage ENFJs as emotionally superficial or disingenuous, most ENFJs have good intentions of improving morale or finding consensus. Even their attempts to control or schmooze others may be rooted in a larger desire for peace, diplomacy, & mutual understanding.
Finally, the dominant position of their Fe, combined with their auxiliary Ni, makes ENFJs among the most consistently goal-oriented of all types. ENFJs tend khổng lồ take themselves, their lives, and their endeavors quite seriously. Khổng lồ the casual onlooker, this may not always seem evident, since ENFJs spend so much of their time engaging with people. But for ENFJs, their interactions with people are a key part of their life’s work. ENFJs are highly intentional và often have an agenda—to teach, motivate, unite, persuade, etc. If they see little opportunity to lớn effectively execute their agenda, they can quickly become restless & move on to something different.
ENFJs’ Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition
As stated earlier, ENFJs Judge before they Perceive. In many cases, it is only after making an upfront judgment by way of their sắt that they mở cửa themselves khổng lồ alternative perspectives presented by their auxiliary function, Introverted Intuition (Ni). They differ in this respect from INFJs, who use Ni first và are therefore slower to express an initial judgment. ENFJ-INFJ differences emerge in social contexts as well.
As sắt dominants, ENFJs are first và foremost concerned with shaping what is happening in the immediate social environment (Fe). They want lớn ensure that good feelings are maintained or lớn accomplish whatever social objective they have in mind (e.g., teaching, advising, motivating, etc.). For ENFJs, Ni concerns take a backseat lớn Fe.
INFJs, by contrast, are more concerned with obtaining an accurate perception of what is happening (Ni) than they are with accomplishing any specific social objective. If they are faced with the dilemma of stating truth versus saving face, INFJs are more inclined toward the former. ENFJs, by contrast, are more likely to lớn take an “ends justifies the means” approach than INFJs are. In order khổng lồ accomplish their J agenda, ENFJs may be willing to lớn say or withhold things that would not sit right with INFJs. They may also be more willing lớn feign happiness. ENFJs might reason, even if unwittingly, that if good feelings can be cultivated out there (Fe), then a sense of inner happiness will likely emerge in due time.
All of this is not lớn say that INFJs are somehow more moral or upstanding than ENFJs. Rather, this discussion illustrates the importance of the relative ordering of the functions in the functional stack, which invariably influences a given type’s priorities, motivations, and actions.
ENFJs’ Tertiary Function: Extraverted Sensing
Extraverted Sensing (Se) serves as ENFJs’ tertiary function. While si mê involves an intensive connection khổng lồ the remembered past, Se is more extensive và present-oriented. It amasses concrete details and sensory information from the environment by way of the five senses (i.e., sight, smell, touch, sound, & taste).
Unlike Si, Se is not content with the routine và familiar. Rather, it seeks sensory và material novelty. Se types love novel sensations & appearances, physical thrills, and material comforts. They are more liberal than mê man types in their approach to và use of the material world.
Se can also be linked with a concern for beauty và aesthetics (especially in Feeling types). ENFJs often have refined tastes when it comes lớn their material surroundings, their physical appearance, as well as their palate. They commonly display a taste for the finer things in life—fine arts, food, music, culture, etc. Consequently, some ENFJs may be perceived as snobbish or uppity, taking themselves or their sophisticated tastes a bit too seriously.
ENFJs’ Inferior Function: Introverted Thinking
For those unfamiliar with the workings & powerful influence of the inferior function, as well as strategies for dealing with it, I encourage you khổng lồ explore some of my posts on the inferior function. Like other types, ENFJs can be easily blinded to the degree to which their inferior function impacts their decisions & behavior. Without sufficiently understanding their inferior function, Introverted Thinking (Ti), ENFJs will continue to lớn feel incomplete & be prone to lớn unhealthy decision-making in their careers, lifestyle, & relationships.
Like ITPs, EFJs can be seen as trying lớn find the right balance between their Ti and Fe, independence (Ti) & interdependence (Fe), self (Ti) và others (Fe). For ITPs, Ti is far more conscious than it is for EFJs. While ITPs may feel they have little control over or influence with regard to lớn the outside world (Fe), the inner structuring granted by their Ti confers a strong sense of inner control. This allows them to independently manage & order their thoughts và experiences so as to lớn better cope with a world they see as outside their control. ITPs also use their Ti powers of xúc tích và ngắn gọn to discern their own truth.
Because their Ti is inferior, ENFJs don’t enjoy the same sense of inner control that ITPs do. Nor vì they experience the same aptitude or confidence in their ability lớn consciously wield logic. Just as feelings are slippery and elusive for ITPs, so it is with logic for ENFJs.
However elusive their Ti, ENFJs are still captivated by it (as all types are with their inferior). In many ways, Ti represents a source of wholeness và self-actualization for ENFJs. Since Ti and Fe comprise a functional whole, they intuitively realize the importance of integrating these two functions for them to feel whole and complete. Consequently, ENFJs can be seen as striving for a greater sense of inner control and logical competence (Ti), which is why they may exhibit some of the same interests or self-conceptions as INTPs.
For instance, ENFJs may conceive of themselves as highly logical, independent, & self-sufficient. They may extol the virtues of independent thought (Ti), lauding the value of “cognitive-behavioral” strategies. They may also fancy themselves as self-aware or self-taught. When indulging their Ti, they may đại bại themselves in stacks of non-fiction books or journals. Their Ti may even impel them lớn take up formal study in subjects lượt thích mathematics, science, or philosophy. Some ENFJs may even consider themselves Introverts because of their Ti attraction to heady or intellectual topics.
But just as other types misinterpret or overestimate the skill và competence of their inferior function, so it goes with ENFJs. In truth, ENFJs are not as logical or independent in their thinking as they imagine themselves khổng lồ be; the majority of their Thinking-related ideas are typically culled from without. Moreover, as Extraverts, ENFJs are far better at reading, understanding, và controlling others (Fe) than they are themselves; they are more “other-aware” (Fe) than “self-aware” (Ti).
Since ENFJs are ultimately unsure of the soundness of their own lô ghích (Ti), they may unwittingly try to convince themselves through the act of convincing others. The more people they can convince that an idea is sound (Fe), the more confident they hope khổng lồ feel about its veracity (Ti).
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Personal Growth for the ENFJ
As I’ve described elsewhere, personal growth is more about utilizing our natural strengths & enhancing the conditions for functioning authentically according khổng lồ our type than it is about directly developing or “improving” the inferior function. In this light, integrating ENFJs learn to lớn regularly employ their Fe and Ni, while allowing the Ti endpoint to lớn take care of itself. Rather than over-emphasizing their skills as independent logicians (Ti), for instance, they are better off focusing on their relationships & social networks (Fe). While it may sound paradoxical, the best way for ENFJs to lớn self-actualize & discover themselves is through consistent engagement with other people. By helping others discover & actualize their potential, ENFJs move ever closer toward self-understanding and personal wholeness.
For a more extensive look at each of the ENFJ’s personality preferences & functions, be sure to explore our latest book, My True Type: Clarifying Your Personality Type, Preferences và Functions:
Related Posts:
Related Personality Profiles: INFJ | ENFP | ESFJ
ENFJ Careers, Jobs, & Majors
ENFJ Relationship Challenges
Famous ENFJs / Celebrities:
Frasier Crane, Princess Leia, Neil Patrick Harris, Raymond Reddington (Blacklist), Simon Cowell, Melissa George, David Copperfield, Merve Emre, Darren Criss