The 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types
S = Sensing Types - SJ & SP N = iNtuitive Types - NF & NT
TRADITIONALISTS (SJ) EXPERIENCERS (SP) IDEALISTS (NF) CONCEPTUALISTS (NT)
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ENFJ

"The Teachers"

Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging

ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it's usually not meant as manipulation -- ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are.

ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.

ENFJ's are outstanding leaders of groups, both task groups and growth groups. They have the charming characteristic seeming to take for granted that they will be followed, never doubting that people will want to do what they suggest. And more often than not, people do, because this type has unusually charisma. ENFJ's place a high value on cooperation from others and are most willing to cooperate themselves.

ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.

ENFJ's place people as being of highest importance and priority. As a result, ENFJ's may find find themselves feeling responsible for the feelings of others to an extent which places a burden on the relationship. An ENFJ communicates caring, concern, and a willingness to become involved. Thus people turn to ENFJ's for nuture and support, which an ENFJ is usually able to deliver. At times, however, these kinds of demands can overwhelm ENFJ's, who find at this point that they lack the skills to dissociate. ENFJ's do not seem able to turn away from these demands even when they become unreasonable. Or, if forced to, let go of the burden through sheer unavailability of time or energy, ENFJ's experience a guilt all out of proportion to the realities of the commitment made to the relationship.

ENFJ's are especially vulnerable to idealizing interpersonal relationships, raising these relationships to a plane which seldom can sustain the realities of human nature. Because of this tendancy to raise interpersonal relations to the ideal, ENFJ's may unwittingly overpower their friends, who believe that they cannot possibly live up to an ENFJ's prescription of them. The fact is, ENFJ's are extraordinarily tolerant of others, seldom critical, and always trustworthy.





ENFJs are, by definition, Js, with whom we associate organization and decisiveness. But they don't resemble the SJs or even the NTJs in organization of the environment nor occasional recalcitrance. ENFJs are organized in the arena of interpersonal affairs. Their offices may or may not be cluttered, but their conclusions (reached through feelings) about people and motives are drawn much more quickly and are more resilient than those of their NFP counterparts.

ENFJ's like to have things settled and organized. They prefer to plan both work and social engagements ahead and tend to be absolutely reliable at honoring these commitments. ENFJ's are very much at home in complex situations which require the juggling of much data. At the same time, they can handle people with charm and concern. ENFJ's are usually popular wherever they are. Their ability to be comfortable either leading or following makes them easy to have around, whatever the situation.

TRADEMARK: "The first shall be last"
This refers to the open-door policy of ENFJs.

Extraverted Feeling rules the ENFJ's psyche. In the sway of this rational function, these folks are predisposed to closure in matters pertaining to people, and especially on behalf of their beloved. As extraverts, their contacts are wide ranging. Face-to-face relationships are intense, personable and warm, though they may be so infrequently achieved that intimate friendships are rare.

Like their INFJ cousins, ENFJs are blessed through introverted intuition with clarity of perception in the inner, unconscious world. Dominant Feeling prefers to find the silver lining in even the most beggarly perceptions of those in their expanding circle of friends and, of course, in themselves. In less balanced individuals, such mitigation of the unseemly eventually undermines the ENFJ's integrity and frequently their good name. In healthier individuals, deft use of this awareness of the inner needs and desires of others enables this astute type to win friends, influence people, and avoid compromising entanglements.

ENFJ's, just like the ESFJ's, value harmonious human relations above all else; but ENFJ's are not so easily crushed by indefference as are the ESFJ's and are more independent of other's valuations.

ENFJ's have an unusual ability to relate to others with empathy. Taking into themselves the characteristics, emotions, and beliefs of others. This can pose a danger for ENFJ's, because they can unconsciously over-identify with others and pick up their burdens as if they were their own. In the process, ENFJ's may risk their own sense of dignity. They have a natural ability to mimic because of this highly developed ability to empathize by interjection. They are likely to be very concerned about the problems of those close to them, but they also may get as deeply involved in their problems of those not so close and may find themselves over-extended emotionally.

ENFJ's would do well to follow their hunches, for their intuition tends to be well developed. Decisions made purely on the basis of logic may not be so sound, and checking with a person who has a strong "T" preference might be at times advisable for the ENFJ. In the framework of values, however, the ENFJ is on certain ground. Generally, they know what they prefer and can read other people with outstanding accuracy. Seldom is an ENFJ wrong about the motivations or intent of another, hidden or not.

ENFJ's are socially adept and make excellent companions and mates. They are also deeply devoted to their children, yet tend not to be domineering to either the children or a mate. In fact, the ENFJ is so even-tempered that she or she can be victimized by a mate who might have become more and more demanding. ENFJ mates always try to please and feel personally responsible when home life does not go smoothly. They are tireless in their efforts to see that it does, providing generously from available income, time, and energy. This dedication often exists, however, side by side, with an ENFJ's dream of the perfect relationship, a characteristic of all NF's, but one which is particularly strong in ENFJ. Thus an ENFJ has that longing for the ideal that results in a vague dissatisfaction with whatever is in the way of relationships, mating, as well as friendship.

This longing for the perfect carries over into the careers of ENFJ's, who experience some degree of restlessness whatever their jobs. And, as with ENFP's, ENFJ's have a wide range of occupations which offer success. Being verbally adept, ENFJ's contribute to an unusual level dealing with people, particularly face to face; the media, the ministry, and stage and screen are populated successful ENFJ's. They make superior therapists, charismatic teachers, excellent executives, personalized salespersons. Areas that would not permit utilization of the intereactional talents of the ENFJ's, for example, accounting, should be avoided, otherwise, almost any people to people occupation where personal, sustained contact is involved capitalizes on the personality of the ENFJ.