[ENFP] The Big Book of ENFP Flake Moments

[gromit]

I literally had 12 hours of stuff to do packed into 4-5.

I have a lot of trouble with this. I tend to think it's going to take me less time to do things than it actually does.

 

[Esoteric Wench]

Slightly related... this morning on my way to work I stopped at a drive through to get a drink. The lady at the window greeted me with "good afternoon."

Stalemate, I don't get it.

Are you illustrating ENFP's hallmark tendency to segue mid-conversation?

 

[Esoteric Wench]

While some ENFPs may have more control on these issues than others (due to socialization, personal work, being chewed out one time too many), it seems that all ENFPs struggle with activities that required sustained attention to detail.

I, for example, absolutely HATE having to do detailed, mundane tasks. For example, filling out expense reports. I certainly can and do turn in expense reports. But I despise filling these out and often put off working on them, if I can think of anything else that needs to be done.

Another problem I have has to do with estimating the time it takes to do something. I am very future oriented. I also can always see all the permutations in any given scenario. So, it's only with much effort that I've gotten better at lopping off options and asking myself, is what I'm doing mission critical to X.

For those of you who are ENFPs and don't struggle with these issues, I've gotta wonder if

#1 - You used to struggle with these issues, and now you've had some success keeping them in check
#2 - You are mis-typed (ENFJ?)
#3 - Or, you were raised with the fear of God in you about such issues.

I think a true ENFP would have to at least struggle with these tendencies. These are the inherent weaknesses that come with our natural strength to take in new abstract information all the time (at the expense of taking in concrete details) and keeping our options open (at the expense of not deviating from the plan).

 

[Snuggletron]

send several texts about getting together to play some D&D (like we had been discussing we'd get back to after classes let out) to my ENFP friend over the past couple weeks (some were just forwarded inbox bombardments of the same vulgar word over and over), plus called his phone like 2-3 times, no response. I realize this may look like I'm annoying or pestering but with him sometimes I have to be persistent for him to actually get back to me. Only this was more so than usual.

Then I get a call from him last week and he said he got all my texts and calls (but for some raisin couldn't find time in his busy/lazy day(s) to shoot me back a short confirmation text/call)

I've known him for like 5 years and he is not that busy!

 

[OrangeAppled]

Id be pissed. =/

I was mildly annoyed, but she claimed illness, so I couldn't blame her much. Besides, it's not out character for her to flake (certainly not all ENFPs are that way).

I think the main reason I am less flakey than the ENFPs I know is simply that I avoid taking on responsibility more. I simply don't make many promises to begin with.

I'm terrible with phone messages too. "I'll call ya back!" I say. I genuinely mean to everytime.. but usually my mind instantly dumps that call later memo into the "suggestion box" which happens to be linked to a furnace. My mind has no idea that it's phone message memos alone have been keeping my entire body warm for most of my life. I'm actually cold-blooded.

Text messages? If I get them right then and there and am capable of responding to them, I'll do so. Otherwise, tough luck. I'm just no good with the phone.

I'm awful about the phone too. I rarely return phone calls, and I rarely even answer the phone. Family members resort to emailing me most of the time (I respond to that much faster). The only person worse than me about this that I know is my INTP uncle.

As for texts, even if I can text someone back, I don't always do so immediately; but then, I also get anxieties about what to say. The phone has always scared me a little. Other times, I admit it boils down to: "I just don't feel like it".

Got a birthday? You better have a facebook to remind me of it. Or send me a not-so-subtle hint on it. If It isn't my immediate family or best friend, I have no idea when your birthday is. I guarantee it. Like the furniture commercial, but more reliable than that. ...Not me, the guarantee

I barely remember my own birthday

 

[Clonester]

A very important tool for me to prevent flakiness is the calendar on my smartphone/PDA (or a robust calendar on a dumbphone). I've been doing this for the past three years or so and it helps a lot. I couldn't be bothered to use a regular calendar (it's detail work for me, see below), but I always have my phone with me and whip it out whenever a plan comes up.

While some ENFPs may have more control on these issues than others (due to socialization, personal work, being chewed out one time too many), it seems that all ENFPs struggle with activities that required sustained attention to detail.

I, for example, absolutely HATE having to do detailed, mundane tasks. For example, filling out expense reports. I certainly can and do turn in expense reports. But I despise filling these out and often put off working on them, if I can think of anything else that needs to be done.

I HATE them too. I can be quite good at them, like I'm sure a lot of us can. But while the 1% of my brain in use doing the detail work is just fine, the other 99% of it is bored to tears and coming up with a million better (more interesting) things to do. So I usually end up putting it off until the very last minute when I HAVE to do it, or never end up doing the task at all.

 

[Emectar]

I was going to interview this math whiz for the school paper. I told him to meet me after school. After he got really upset and told me about it the next day, i apologized really heartily and proceeded to once again forget about meeting him after school.

2nd place- I was in a concert in which i played a solo. I was also 1 fourth of the band. I forgot about it and didn't show up.