ENFJ: Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging

ENFJ, also known as the giver or protagonist personality, is one of the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). ENFJ stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging, with each component representing different MBTI categories.

People with the ENFJ personality type are often described as warm, outgoing, loyal, and sensitive. Some other personality types are known by the acronyms ESFJ, ENFP, INFP, ISFJ, and INTP.

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 more introverted or reticent individuals.

Because of their ability to sense what others feel and affect how people behave, they do have the ability to influence and even manipulate others. This is balanced by their strong value system and desire to help others be the best they can be. ENFJ is the opposite of the ISTP personality type.

Key ENFJ Characteristics

• ENFJs are strong extroverts and enjoy spending time with other people. Because of this, they are rarely lonely.
• ENFJs have great people skills and are often warm, affectionate, and supportive.
• ENFJs are great at encouraging others and derive personal satisfaction from helping others.
• ENFJs are not selfish and are often so interested in devoting their time to others that they can neglect their own needs.
• ENFJs also tend to be too hard on themselves, blaming themselves when things go wrong and not giving themselves enough credit when things go right. Because of this, people with this personality type must regularly set aside time to attend to their needs.
• ENFJs are good at bringing consensus among diverse people. For this reason, they can be outstanding leaders and bring enthusiasm to a group that can be motivating and inspirational.

Some versions of the test distinguish between two different types of ENFJ: the ENFJ-A and the ENFJ-T. A represents assertive, whereas T represents turbulent. 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 need time alone to assimilate and organize their thoughts.

Personality Type and Cognitive Functions

Each Myers-Briggs personality type can be identified by a hierarchical stack of cognitive functions that represent how each person interacts with the world. These functions focus on how people take in information about the world (orientations) and how they then use this information to make decisions. (mental processes). For the ENFJ, they are described as follows:

• Orientations: How you interact with the world (introverted/extraverted and judging/perceiving). Extraverted (E) people direct their energy outward and are energized by their social interactions. Those who prefer judging (J) prefer schedules, routines, and plans.
• Mental processes: How you take in information and make decisions (sensing/intuition and thinking/feeling). Intuitive (N) people pay attention to patterns, deeper meaning, and future possibilities. Those who prefer feeling (F) tend to make decisions based on the impact their choices will have on others.

There is also a hierarchy of processes that 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, their introverted intuition processes 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 sensing causes 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.

With introverted thinking being 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.

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.

Personal Relationships

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 are altruistic and 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 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.

Career Paths

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.

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.

Parents of ENFJ children should recognize that their children are extremely empathetic, sometimes to the point that they may feel overwhelmed by the strong emotions that other people evoke. These children are giving and caring but may find it difficult to burden others with their own struggles.

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 type can 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.