sculpting
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- Jan 28, 2009
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You can be directive all you want, but an ENFP is motivated by Fi--so the ENFP is ultimately going to reject any directives which do not gel with her/his internal reasoning(personal values).
(Of course, I'm talking about adults here, not children, who are, theoretically, not fully differentiated. People under a certain age may not have developed strong preferences yet.)
When an ENFP does actually follow directives, that means that the ENFP found a personal reason for doing it.
Even if you have legitimate authority over an ENFP (boss, parent, legal authority, etc.), the only reason they will follow any of your directives is if they personally see value in following them.
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Wonka what if you have an enfp in a coorporate environment where they must comply even if it violates a sense of Fi idealism?
For me-this translates as I must do something I am directed to, not unethical, just stupid-however I can NeTe see the long term poor strategic, logistic, and operational implications of the choice. I can then NeFi see how it will cause stress, sufferring and unhappiness in others. So I MUST do the thing, yet I know it will perpetuate unhappiness.
Another ENFP I work with has my same job and we are both stuck at this junction. We must comply yet Fi screams. We end up being disheartened, sluggish and apathetic. "why do anything above and beyond the absolute required to reduce suffering, when we just did something massive that will increase suffering.
On the converse-I posted a thread about "whiny, apathetic ISTJs" awhile back. In this situation it is TeFi in reverse. They can clearly see the Te operational stupidity of said choice, and they respond with a sense of childlike Fi remorse. "why attempt anything efficient, when you never listen to what I say in the first place" They will not respond openly but become passive aggressive and build walls out of regulations.
Most of the decision makers are TiFe and utterly lack the ability to understand the strategic, operational impacts, let alone the human impacts of the choices they make.
This innate miscommunication forms the basis of an organizational war. Interesting to watch.
And yes, I have always been told I have an old soul. Even as young as three, strangers would approach my mom and grandmother and say this.