Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsENFJ CharacteristicsPersonality Type and Cognitive FunctionsPersonal RelationshipsCareer PathsInteracting With ENFJsNext in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator GuideENFP: Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
ENFJ Characteristics
Personality Type and Cognitive Functions
Personal Relationships
Career Paths
Interacting With ENFJs
Next in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide
Close
Verywell / JR Bee
Of all the personality types, the ENFJ is often perceived as being the strongest “people person.” They can forge friendships with all personality types, even with moreintrovertedor reticent individuals.
The ENFJ personality is one of the rarest types. Psychologist David Keirsey suggests that approximately 2% to 5% of all people have an ENFJ personality.
Key ENFJ Characteristics
Some versions of the test distinguish between two different types of ENFJ: the ENFJ-A and the ENFJ-T. A representsassertive, whereas T representsturbulent. An ENFJ-A is more outgoing and likely to speak out about their feelings, while an ENFJ-T often holds on to emotions until things reach a breaking point.
One common myth about the protagonist’s personality is that they are always sociable. While they love people, they needtime aloneto assimilate and organize their thoughts.
StrengthsOutgoing and warm-heartedEmpatheticWide social circleEncouragingOrganizedAffectionatePersuasiveWeaknessesApproval-seekingOverly sensitiveIndecisiveSelf-sacrificingRigid and uncompromisingOverprotectiveManipulative
StrengthsOutgoing and warm-heartedEmpatheticWide social circleEncouragingOrganizedAffectionatePersuasive
Outgoing and warm-hearted
Empathetic
Wide social circle
Encouraging
Organized
Affectionate
Persuasive
WeaknessesApproval-seekingOverly sensitiveIndecisiveSelf-sacrificingRigid and uncompromisingOverprotectiveManipulative
Approval-seeking
Overly sensitive
Indecisive
Self-sacrificing
Rigid and uncompromising
Overprotective
Manipulative
There is also ahierarchy of processesthat describes how each person accesses these cognitive functions as they interact with the world. For the ENFJ, the hierarchy is as follows:
Dominant Process (Fe): Extraverted Feeling
The dominant process is your go-to personality preference that you primarily rely on. It is the most developed and conscious aspect of your personality.
ENFJs express this mental function through their engaging social behavior and harmonious social relationships. They are in tune with other people’s feelings, often to the point that they ignore their own needs in order to please others.
People with a protagonist personality place a stronger emphasis on personal, subjective considerations rather than objective criteria when making decisions. How a decision will impact others is often a primary concern.
Auxiliary Process (Ni): Introverted Intuition
The second personality preference (auxiliary) is what you rely on next, and it serves to support or balance out the dominant process.
As ENFJs take in information about the world, theirintroverted intuitionprocesses this data in order to create impressions, ideas, and thoughts. This allows them to spot patterns and make sense of complex or abstract data.
ENFJs like to think about the future rather than the present. They may often become so focused on the larger goal that they lose sight of the immediate details.
Tertiary Process (Se): Extraverted Sensing
The tertiary personality preference in a person is going to be the opposite of the second process and is less developed and less conscious in the ENFJ
Extraverted sensingcauses ENFJs to take in the present moment, gathering concrete details and sensory information from the environment (sights, sounds, touch, smell, taste, etc.) and act on it. Because of this, they will often seek out novel or interesting experiences and sensations.
People with the protagonist personality type tend to be very aware of their present environment. This can lead to a great appreciation of the finer things of life in food, art, music, and culture, and a desire to create a pleasing space.
Inferior Process (Ti): Introverted Thinking
The inferior personality process is the opposite of the dominant process and is a source of insecurity or weakness in the ENFJ.
Withintroverted thinkingbeing their last resort, they tend to build their logical system around external factors rather than internal ones. This means they do not have their identity rooted in internal qualities, values, and skills, but rather, they become dependent on the roles they play in the community around them.
Because this is an inferior function, ENFJs can be defensive when people point out issues or challenge their ways.
ENFJs are organized and enjoy structure and careful planning so sticking to a predictable schedule helps ENFJs feel in control of the world around them. However, they tend to rely heavily on the values of the group they are connected to and often work to maintain the status quo when making decisions.
Developing this inferior function can help people with this personality type feel more balanced and in control of their decision-making process. Neglecting this aspect of personality can cause you to feel incomplete, leading to unhealthy decisions, poor career choices, and relationship challenges.
ENFJs You Might KnowAbraham Maslow, psychologistPeyton Manning, football playerBarack Obama, U.S. presidentBono, musicianElizabeth Bennet, character in “Pride and Prejudice”
ENFJs You Might Know
Abraham Maslow, psychologistPeyton Manning, football playerBarack Obama, U.S. presidentBono, musicianElizabeth Bennet, character in “Pride and Prejudice”
ENFJs value other people highly and are warm, nurturing, and supportive in personal relationships. At times, they can become very wrapped up in other people’s problems.
They arealtruisticand interested in helping others, which can sometimes come off as a bit overbearing. Despite this, they are usually very well liked and people appreciate their genuine concern and care.
As parents, ENFJs are nurturing and warm, although they can sometimes be accused of being so-called “helicopter parents.” They are directly involved in their children’s lives, although they can sometimes be quite strict and even rigid at times.
ENFJs need to remember to give their children room to explore and express their individuality, particularly as children age into adolescence.
ENFJs have an outgoing personality and enjoy spending time with other people. Being in social settings helps them feel energized.
In friendships and other relationships, people typically describe people with a protagonist personality as supportive and fun to be around. They are particularly good at relating to others and are known to help bring out the best in the people with whom they spend their time.
ENFJs often do best in careers where they get to help other people and spend a great deal of time interacting with others. Because of their strong communication and organizational skills, ENFJs can make great leaders and managers.
They are good at organizing activities, helping each group member achieve their potential and resolving interpersonal conflicts. They strive to create harmony in all situations, and always seem to know what to do to ease tensions and minimize disagreements.
Popular ENFJ CareersCounselorTeacherPsychologistSocial workerHuman resources managerSales representativeManagerJournalist
Popular ENFJ Careers
CounselorTeacherPsychologistSocial workerHuman resources managerSales representativeManagerJournalist
Tips for Interacting With ENFJs
Friendships
One of the best ways to be a good friend to an ENFJ is to accept the care and support that they naturally offer. People with this personality type enjoy helping their friends, and it is important to show that you accept and appreciate what they have to offer.
However, it is also important that you offer your support in return. ENFJs are not always good at asking for help when they need it. In many cases, simply being willing to listen to whatever they have to share can be very helpful.
Parenting
Children of ENFJs might find it difficult to live up to their parents' high expectations. At times, the ENFJ parent’s hands-on approach to parenting can be stifling and make it difficult for kids to explore the world on their own terms.
If your child has a protagonist personality, encourage your child to care for others while still taking care of their own emotional well-being.
Intimate Relationships
Because ENFJs are so sensitive to the feelings of others, your happiness is critical to your ENFJ partner’s happiness. Remember that your partner may even put their own needs last in order to ensure that your needs are met.
Let your ENFJ partner know how much you appreciate all the support and care that they offer and be willing to provide the same support in return—even if they struggle to ask for help.
Final Thoughts
Like all personality types, ENFJs have their own set of strengths and weaknesses.Learning more about your personality typecan help you understand qualities that might affect your relationships and well-being.
The protagonist personality tends to be altruistic, caring, and loyal, but they can sometimes be overprotective and manipulative. They care about others and strive to help make the world a better place, but this sometimes means that they neglect their own needs.
How Your Personality Type Affects Your Health
2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Murie J.Knowing me, knowing you: Personality and peer appraisal.Br J Gen Pract. 2010;60(574):382–384. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X502001Myers & Briggs Foundation.Type dynamics: Overview.Additional ReadingMyers IB.Introduction to Type: A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.CPP, Inc.; 1998.
2 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Murie J.Knowing me, knowing you: Personality and peer appraisal.Br J Gen Pract. 2010;60(574):382–384. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X502001Myers & Briggs Foundation.Type dynamics: Overview.Additional ReadingMyers IB.Introduction to Type: A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.CPP, Inc.; 1998.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Murie J.Knowing me, knowing you: Personality and peer appraisal.Br J Gen Pract. 2010;60(574):382–384. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X502001Myers & Briggs Foundation.Type dynamics: Overview.
Murie J.Knowing me, knowing you: Personality and peer appraisal.Br J Gen Pract. 2010;60(574):382–384. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X502001
Myers & Briggs Foundation.Type dynamics: Overview.
Myers IB.Introduction to Type: A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.CPP, Inc.; 1998.
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