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The ESFP "stupid" myth.

Mort Belfry

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I've noticed a trend in television sitcoms for "stupid" characters to be ESFPs.
Notably, Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, Joey Tribbiani and Kelly Bundy.

Obviously this a stereotype unfounded in reality, but what is it about ESFPs that makes Hollywood writers make them stupid characters, or alternatively make stupid characters into ESFPs?
 

Metamorphosis

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I've noticed a trend in television sitcoms for "stupid" characters to be ESFPs.
Notably, Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin and Kelly Bundy.

Obviously this a stereotype unfounded in reality, but what is it about ESFPs that makes Hollywood writers make them stupid characters, or alternatively make stupid characters into ESFPs?

An I character that is stupid isn't funny, because you can't tell that they are stupid. A T character isn't funny, because they aren't as expressive (when it comes to slapstick humor like you mentioned). as for the others...who knows
 

Magic Poriferan

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An I character that is stupid isn't funny, because you can't tell that they are stupid. A T character isn't funny, because they aren't as expressive (when it comes to slapstick humor like you mentioned). as for the others...who knows

As far as comedy hijinks go, the present-minded, face value nature of the S is a lot easier to work with.
 

cafe

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The ESFPs I know irl, one of whom is frigging brilliant, seem to have a less than intelligent persona and sometimes make pretty wild decisions because they aren't thinking about the future very much.
 

Athenian200

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The ESFPs I know irl, one of whom is frigging brilliant, seem to have a less than intelligent persona and sometimes make pretty wild decisions because they aren't thinking about the future very much.

That makes sense. I think it's probably that ESFP's have a personality that lends itself to a perception of being stupid, thoughtless, and funny, even if they don't necessarily act this way all of the time (which they may, if they're truly stupid, but that could apply to any type).
 

INTJMom

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I knew an ISFP who had a son who had severe allergies and you would not believe everything she needed to know in order to protect him - she had to be a rocket scientist to keep it all straight!
 

Splittet

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Some ESFPs are stupid, some are highly intelligent. Their average IQ is probably slightly below average, but they would probably come out better in a multiple intelligence theory perspective, probably being above average in musical, bodily-kinesthetic and interpersonal intelligence. My best friend is an ESFP (at first thought to be ENFP, but cognitive processes test revealed she is clearly ESFP) with an IQ of about 150 and a musical genius, so for sure highly intelligent ones exist.
 

The Grey Badger

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As a matter of fact, converning the intelligence of ESFPs, I give you two words:

Bill Clinton.:D
 

Xander

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The ESFPs I know irl, one of whom is frigging brilliant, seem to have a less than intelligent persona and sometimes make pretty wild decisions because they aren't thinking about the future very much.
Very well put Cafe.

Something else to consider is who is making their characters ESFPs and stupid? Hollywood is as ESTJ as the rest of the states, how would you expect and ESTJ to view an ESFP (typically I mean)?
 

Night

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MBTI has little in common with legitimate empiricism.

Personality is organic to the stimuli offered within one's environment and draws few falsifiable parallels with intelligence.

Some of the dullest individuals I've encountered were NTJs.
 

Jae Rae

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As a matter of fact, converning the intelligence of ESFPs, I give you two words:

Bill Clinton.:D

And relating this to another thread - "I did not have sex with that woman." :smile:

I have a loveable ESFP friend who is quite intelligent; she scored high enough on her SATs to get a full scholarship to UC Irvine. She's certainly not stupid, but her life would make a great dramedy.

Jae Rae
 

cafe

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Heh. An ESFP at the top of their game can play you so good that you know you're being played and you keep coming back for more. It's worth it just for the pleasure of their company. Not so stupid if you ask me.
 

The Ü™

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Can't we just pretend they're stupid so we can feel superior?
 

INTJMom

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MBTI has little in common with legitimate empiricism.

Personality is organic to the stimuli offered within one's environment and draws few falsifiable parallels with intelligence.

Some of the dullest individuals I've encountered were NTJs.
You're not really an ESFJ, are you.

... but her life would make a great dramedy.

Jae Rae
Yay! A new word! :static:
 

Varelse

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Hmm...the one ESFP I know is a ditz. Nice, hyper-social, ditz.

The other one I know (probable ESFP), seems reasonably intelligent, but doesn't seem interested in utilizing such. He's not pursuing any higher education or a career. He likes to talk about how he pwned someone in Battlefield 2142, generally.
 

INTJMom

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Maybe not.

If it helps, my quoted reply was intended as an offering of humility.
I was not affronted by anything you said.
One of the things I do on this forum is try to learn more about the different types and how they communicate.
Your post was out of character for an ESFJ.

OH! LOL! What you said about NTJs being dull! :smile:
Meh. What do I care about that?
Like you said, it's not empirical.
I am only slightly above average intelligence myself,
yet I am clever enough to get along very well in life.
After all, I was clever enough to figure out you are not an ESFJ. :)
 

Nocapszy

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I've noticed a trend in television sitcoms for "stupid" characters to be ESFPs.
Notably, Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, Joey Tribbiani and Kelly Bundy.

Obviously this a stereotype unfounded in reality, but what is it about ESFPs that makes Hollywood writers make them stupid characters, or alternatively make stupid characters into ESFPs?

What are you talking about?

The producers aren't writing characters based on MBTI. It comes from interaction with people. Characters are based on co-workers, colleagues, friends, enemies (maybe all hollywood producers, by some coincidence hate people who happen to be ESFP), etc. If ESFPs are stupid in real life, they're going to be portrayed as stupid on TV, because the producers know that most people want down to earth shows.

The Office comes to mind; Kelly Capoor, is particularly unintelligent. No one would really know that she's an ESFP. They just relate to either the ESFP herself, or the people around her as they also knew an overbearing loud party girl with no concern for anything outside her local stimulus.

Stereotypes might be 'wrong' but they're not always incorrect.
 
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