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[ENFJ] What's the difference between ENFJ and INFJ?

a24kar

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This is very true.

The noticeable difference that I would like to comment on from your post, referring to INFJ's and ENFJ's behavior in social situations, is that ENFJs will have a tendency to feed more easily off of the energy of others in a social situation where the INFJ may have the same capacity to seem "bubbly" in a friendly way, because of their auxiliary Fe, but definitely lack the endurance that an ENFJ naturally has in these situation due to their dominant extroversion.
 

fill

"Everything in its place"
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PinkPiranha said:
Plus, I've known rather a lot of INFJs irl and they all seem to get a free pass somehow, no matter how they behave.

Ahaha, that's so damn true. I've never been put in a situation that will completely mess up my life. It's like I've never "lost" in the game of life. I don't know if it's a.) I'm really lucky, b.) I'm doing it right, or c.) I naturally live to have only enough to get by (or at least try to).

I think the largest difference between INFJs and ENFJs is feeling over intuition and vice-verse. Both of us contain a large amount of the two, but we prefer one over the other. ENFJs, I would assume, would prefer to check what lines up with their feelings before relying on intuition, while INFJs-- or at least I-- turn to what is constructive or destructive to the human race before turning to my feelings.

And I definitely agree with Skyward. I'm a much more "behind the lens" type of person. I don't want to be seen, I just want my effect on the world to be seen (hence the Jesus Christ-like figure ;)). I've noticed that ENFJs are constantly "on the move." I don't think I've ever seen my ENFJ friend not doing something.
 

The Grand Chameleon

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As an INFJ --> ENFJ convert, I will share the unhealthy version:

Unhealthy INFJ experience:
Always paranoid of people's underlying motives, fearful of expressing true sentiments (always against the majority) for the potential reprimand, vengeful against rivals and enemies, constantly writing passions, ideals, values in private blogs, avoiding social contact like the plague, extremely judgmental to newcomers in social circle. Highly sensitive to conflict and would always fall prey to ad hominem and non-sequitur reasoning.

Unhealthy ENFJ experience:
No longer fearful of man and his motives; instead, seek to obtain information regarding the enemy and use trust against himself. Constantly making new contacts in order to strengthen resources with which to wage war. Fear of reprimand disappears as a secondary party's morals and values are temporarily adopted for social gain. Expressing personal ideals are the last, final defensive mechanism that will never be broken (these ideals are ingrained in stone). Conflict situation provides a venue to discover your opponent's weaknesses, therefore welcomed and challenged with purely logical argumentation.

From this, I can deduce that as an INFJ, I was always on the defensive. Upon becoming an ENFJ, I took the offensive. I was/am at war with people.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
As an INFJ --> ENFJ convert, I will share the unhealthy version:

Unhealthy INFJ experience:
Always paranoid of people's underlying motives, fearful of expressing true sentiments (always against the majority) for the potential reprimand, vengeful against rivals and enemies, constantly writing passions, ideals, values in private blogs, avoiding social contact like the plague, extremely judgmental to newcomers in social circle. Highly sensitive to conflict and would always fall prey to ad hominem and non-sequitur reasoning.
After converting to ENFJ (embracing Fe as opposed to demonizing it), I am becoming a much happier individual. I love to build rapport with others and I finally stopped being in my head so much and living in the moment more.
 

proteanmix

Plumage and Moult
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Unhealthy ENFJ experience:
No longer fearful of man and his motives; instead, seek to obtain information regarding the enemy and use trust against himself. Constantly making new contacts in order to strengthen resources with which to wage war. Fear of reprimand disappears as a secondary party's morals and values are temporarily adopted for social gain. Expressing personal ideals are the last, final defensive mechanism that will never be broken (these ideals are ingrained in stone). Conflict situation provides a venue to discover your opponent's weaknesses, therefore welcomed and challenged with purely logical argumentation.

From this, I can deduce that as an INFJ, I was always on the defensive. Upon becoming an ENFJ, I took the offensive. I was/am at war with people.

Eesh, I identified with this more than a little bit.

I've always wondered with knowing how I'm a Fe-dom and I'm supposed to seek harmony and get people to play nice jives with the fact I'm terribly argumentative and instigating mutiny half the time. I'm not take care of other people's feelings Fe (I actually resent doing that) but I know I'm Fe. I've been told more times than I can count I should be a lawyer and I'm not being complimented.
 

Afkan

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My sister tested as an ENFJ... She is certainly more... explosive, than I am. Whatever it is she's feeling at the time, good or bad, it's right there for everyone to see, right in your face, no escaping it.
Me too. I am explosive. I believe that if I am not, no one will get to know the true me, so I take that risk.
She misses people much more quickly than I do, but we both seem to worry about and want to help people in our own ways.
I miss ppl so much that I am around ppl 24/7. Literally. Constantly. I have to pull myself off all social arenas like a leech so I can rest. But I would ALWAYS prefer to not rest, to be right in the thick of it. If I don't rest, I explode in a BAD way.
A good example of an ENFJ is Eve from the movie 'Driving Lessons.' She's zany, intelligent, sophisticated, and just a wee bit of a nutter.
ENFJs always seem to be moving. Movemovemovemove. If they aren't doing something they burn themselves up with their intensity.
Oh YEAH. If I am not moving I surely do burn myself up w/ my intensity.
... in control of the wheel like with ENFJs.
I think this is the influence of the stronger Se among ENFJs when compared to INFJs. I am so right there, up front and center, with life. Constantly. Its too exciting not to be. I do my best to compute self-awareness stuff as I go just so I can be up front and center, and take fewer breaks. This actually helps quite well- really does increase my stamina.
I find the ENFJs I know tend to be warmer more quickly to people ...an ENFJ is diving in: "The best way to find out how deep the water is is to jump in!" .
:yes:
She will try to hide this when around people she doesn't know so well, but to friends and family, she's very bad at keeping us out of the know. Her face really says it all. She's also more likely to react and say things without thinking them through.
I have found a way to let my less than pleasant emotions out in a way that makes others comfortable.

Its true, if I am unhappy I am a bit of a nutter. I am rather out in the open, however, with this awareness. I am more than happy to own up to my weaknesses, and enjoy telling the most dramatic, funny stories of my life. In fact, I am happy to entertain all friends and family...and just those passing by...with hysterical stories of self mishaps. Its that ENFJ TRAGIC sense of humor. It entertains me AND those around me- and lets off my "nutter" steam. Cause I can't stop laughing at myself.

This is from wikisocionics, excerpt from the EIE type:
GAMLETKA seems self-sufficient and irresistable with her striking skill, before people, to be in an excellent, elevated mood... ...her emotions are so beautiful that next to her one cannot fail to yield to her good mood... But if she is not in the spirit - woe befall all, woe! But we will not focus our attention on this.

Do you see how quickly the tune changes? LOL This is such a great descriptor of me. I read this to my girls at work, for fun, and we laughed for days. They say to me now all the time, "Woe be unto all, WOE."
 

iwakar

crush the fences
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When a wrong-doer (or do-gooder) has been spotted, an INFJ will plot their demise (success) with chilling (loving) detail.

ENFJs will execute aforementioned plot (plan).
 

Skyward

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When a wrong-doer (or do-gooder) has been spotted, an INFJ will plot their demise (success) with chilling (loving) detail.

ENFJs will execute aforementioned plot (plan).

INFJs will have a very thought out plan. ENFJs just find out all the dirtylittlesecrets (happy-makers) and use those within the week.
 

nozflubber

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well, since INFJ's have Ti higher..... they will be more sane and level-headed, IN THEORY!

You know, since Ti is everything. WATCH MORE NOVA AND PBS FUGGAZ
 

nightning

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As long as noz didn't mean phosphate buffered saline (PBS) it's all good. :newwink:
 

mwv6r

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To be honest, externally, in a social setting, I don't know that the differences between INFJ and ENFJ would be terribly apparent. Both would be relying on Fe. I have known INFJ's who can be much more talkative and babbly than ENFJ's in the same setting, and of course the reverse could be true too. I don't think you can use talkativeness (or lack of) as an indicator.

I could tentatively say that ENFJ's, as most extroverts, would be more prone to talk or blurt something out before thinking it through, whereas introverts by definition tend to ponder before speaking - there's that delay. But I don't even know how useful this would be, either, because a more mature ENFJ may have learned this as well.

So true! I prefer hanging out with my extrovert friends where I get to be my true self -- an INFJ, or I at least like to have an extrovert in the bunch amidst a group of pals, because oftentimes if it's just myself and other introverts I move straight into ENFJ mode temporarily and start talking a freaking mile a minute. I become super-outgoing and life-of-the-party-ish, but the whole time I'm feeling like I'm racing down a rollercoaster and can't stop. I really value that INFJ trait of thinking something over before I speak (because I dunno about you other INFJs but there are some really crazy, inappropriate things that float into my head on a regular basis that are not meant for public consumption!). But when I'm on an ENFJ streak that think-before-you-speak ability totally goes out the window and I end up putting my foot in my mouth a lot.

There are moments when I'm around people that I've known a long time / am very comfortable with (as well as when I'm drunk), that I can slip into ENFJ mode and yet really enjoy myself and not feel like I'm about to derail.
 

mwv6r

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ENFJ's = bigger smiles and larger repitoire of facial expression. Also, we talk with our hands and our behavior is generally the one that all public speakers try to emulate when they give speeches.

I talk with my hands A LOT. And I'm a confident and animated public speaker. Maybe I'm a closet ENFJ.

Seriously though, I often do feel like there's an ENFJ inside of me dying to get out. I have a strong drive to connect connect connect with others. But then after a couple hours of connecting, I just feel so damn TIRED and suddenly have a strong urge to be at home with a cat in my lap. lol
 

CzeCze

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*Note*

Threads on same topic merged.

Have a good day! ;)
 

Wellspring

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One difference I’ve noticed (and, admittedly, I don’t know that many ENFJs) is that INFJ are just much less likely to get involved in other people’s lives unless asked to do so. An ENFJ might be out to save you against your own will, but this concept is truly foreign to an INFJ.

I mean, I and other INFJ's I know will happily help you to get out of a deep hole if you are miserable there and crying out for help. But we are not going to convince you to get help if you are singing happily in the darkness and convinced that your old hole is actually a piece of paradise. The person standing nearby, shouting down that you have to get real and throwing a rope you don’t want is most likely an ENFJ, not an INFJ.
 

The Grand Chameleon

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One difference I’ve noticed (and, admittedly, I don’t know that many ENFJs) is that INFJ are just much less likely to get involved in other people’s lives unless asked to do so. An ENFJ might be out to save you against your own will, but this concept is truly foreign to an INFJ.

I mean, I and other INFJ's I know will happily help you to get out of a deep hole if you are miserable there and crying out for help. But we are not going to convince you to get help if you are singing happily in the darkness and convinced that your old hole is actually a piece of paradise. The person standing nearby, shouting down that you have to get real and throwing a rope you don’t want is most likely an ENFJ, not an INFJ.

:yes:
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
Also, I think the stares are different. I think ENFJ stares are more intense and overpowering. I had an ENFJ teacher and we had intense staredowns to the point of unnerving. He would stare at people (as a way to connect with them) and then call their name to give him an answer. The INFJs that I know don't seem to have quite as bad of staring problem. INFJ stares seem a bit more muted, whimsical while ENFJ stares are more energized, passionate.
 

Afkan

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well, since INFJ's have Ti higher..... they will be more sane and level-headed, IN THEORY!

You know, since Ti is everything. WATCH MORE NOVA AND PBS FUGGAZ

Yeah, Ti is so totally superior. INTPs and ISTPs are the master race. Far superior to the rest of us lowly beings.
Evolution at its finest. That's why the rest of us are dying out so quickly. I don't know why the master race keeps mixing w/ all the other types.
 

Afkan

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Also, I think the stares are different. I think ENFJ stares are more intense and overpowering. I had an ENFJ teacher and we had intense staredowns to the point of unnerving. He would stare at people (as a way to connect with them) and then call their name to give him an answer. The INFJs that I know don't seem to have quite as bad of staring problem. INFJ stares seem a bit more muted, whimsical while ENFJ stares are more energized, passionate.

Maybe, but not everyone seems to think the ENFJ stare is unnerving. In fact, most ppl think ENFJs are hitting on them. :rolli:
 
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