[ENTP] Ask an ENTP!

[lunalum]

Not much, with that lack of explanation and attitude

I'm looking for clues (serious or not) from what you know about you

 

[Santosha]

Question!

What do you ENTP's think about ISFJ's?
I haven't head much about this pairing.. but IRL.. I know 3 OLDER male ENTP's (all over 45) that have been married to ISFJ's since their late twenties/early thirties. The pairing seems to work out really well! Ofcourse they are extremely different.. but they are all very happy and claim they couldn't be with anyone else. What do you think abotu that?

 

[Sarcasticus]

Question!

What do you ENTP's think about ISFJ's?
I haven't head much about this pairing.. but IRL.. I know 3 OLDER male ENTP's (all over 45) that have been married to ISFJ's since their late twenties/early thirties. The pairing seems to work out really well! Ofcourse they are extremely different.. but they are all very happy and claim they couldn't be with anyone else. What do you think abotu that?

I find ISFJs to be a little too traditional and rigid for my taste but to each his own.

 

[Tamske]

OK, since you asked: (I'm sure this has been asked before, but there are 50 pages to look through)

Actually it hasn't been asked before

Could I be an ENTP? Given a balance on I/E, what are some clues to look for?Being a weird sort of INTP, my type has been under question a lot. But I think that if I switch it to something that's a little less common on the forum, there won't be as much as that. Functionwise though, the only other type that makes sense is ENTP. I'm rather ambiverted on some measures of I/E, and Ti and Ne show up pretty close to equal. And it's not as much about turning me to the extravert side, it's about seeing if I was really in an introvert disguise all along and I am part of your club

That's of course possible... Well, I'm quite I/E balanced, too, and tests place me in the INTP category almost as often as in the ENTP...
Most ENTPs aren't good at traditional socializing (smalltalk, being together for the sake of being together, remembering the details of other people's lives), actually, so mistaking yourself for an I is quite common.
Clues: 1) ENTPs get unproductive and grumpy when left alone for too long. They need other people as sounding board and external pressure. Even traditional socializing, while they don't like it, can get them on track again.
2) About theories: do you understand them first and discuss about them later? Or do you discuss about them first and understand them later (with the help of the discussion)?

Of course, it's also very well possible you're borderline E/I.

Question!
What do you ENTP's think about ISFJ's?
I haven't head much about this pairing.. but IRL.. I know 3 OLDER male ENTP's (all over 45) that have been married to ISFJ's since their late twenties/early thirties. The pairing seems to work out really well! Ofcourse they are extremely different.. but they are all very happy and claim they couldn't be with anyone else. What do you think abotu that?

Why not? I don't think type can predict whether things work out or not. Differences are okay if you accept them from each other. I know of an ENTP-ESFJ pair who will celebrate their 40th anniversary next month I don't know if that would be the case if the ESFJ wasn't allowed to go playing cards each week and if the ENTP wasn't allowed to preside some school boards. The ESFJ can't understand what's interesting about school boards, the ENTP can't understand what's interesting about playing cards, but they allow each other to enjoy something they think is boring.

Now I need to get into my head that if my ESTJ watches sports, it does NOT necessarily mean he's bored and should rather use his free time for creative endeavours...

 

[funkadelik]

Not much, with that lack of explanation and attitude

I'm looking for clues (serious or not) from what you know about you

Haha...sorry. I just didn't know what you wanted.

I still don't know how to answer your question. It's pretty vague. Tamske scratched the surface a bit. Um...look through posts made/answered/derailed by ENTPs and see if you resonate with them, I guess. Or look at type descriptions.

I will say this: I'm not extraverted in the people sense, but more in the idea and object sense. I'm not really all that interested in people dynamics and people interaction, but I DO need external stimulus to feel all balanced and stuff. If I'm alone for too long doing in the same place I get all squirrely. I gotta get out. I gotta see my friends. I gotta do something.

Anyway, was this kinda what you were looking for?

 

[guesswho]

ENTPs are not necessarily social extraverts.
ENTPs need external stimulation, same with ENFPs. It means that they need more experiencing than processing. And I believe this is the main difference between ENTP and INTP, INTPs will process things more, and experiment less, and they won't bounce form one idea to another that much, they will analize things more profoundly. The ENTP can't because, while analizing, the need for stimulation will appear again...so the cycle will restart, and the previous thing will be semi abandoned. But this is how they process information.
Another difference is that ENTPs like being the center of attention...acting like some sort of comediants INTPs don't do that as much...also, ENTPs would TALK ALL DAY LONG about what interests them, while INTPs won't talk THAT much...
While the INTP will process an idea, an ENTP will say it to everyone on the face of earth, looking for random feedback (stimulation). I don't think INTPs will do that as much.

This is the best explanation I can give for now.

And because of this dynamic, ENTPs need INTPs, and INTPs need ENTPs.

 

[lunalum]

Actually it hasn't been asked before

That's of course possible... Well, I'm quite I/E balanced, too, and tests place me in the INTP category almost as often as in the ENTP...
Most ENTPs aren't good at traditional socializing (smalltalk, being together for the sake of being together, remembering the details of other people's lives), actually, so mistaking yourself for an I is quite common.

Interesting…

Clues: 1) ENTPs get unproductive and grumpy when left alone for too long. They need other people as sounding board and external pressure. Even traditional socializing, while they don't like it, can get them on track again.

I do this sometimes. And I often need to rely on people to get me back on track, though I am very reluctant to do so. This was particularly evident in group work the other day. It was frustrating because I desired so much to idea-collaborate with the group, but since the people understood the assignment way better than I did, I feared they would just tell me the answer and then I wouldn't be able to analyze the problem myself.

2) About theories: do you understand them first and discuss about them later? Or do you discuss about them first and understand them later (with the help of the discussion)?

I am sort of in-between on this... I would need to consider this further.

Of course, it's also very well possible you're borderline E/I.

‘tis starting to appear that way…

Um...look through posts made/answered/derailed by ENTPs and see if you resonate with them, I guess. Or look at type descriptions.

I have done this, but I’ll do this some more.

I will say this: I'm not extraverted in the people sense, but more in the idea and object sense. I'm not really all that interested in people dynamics and people interaction, but I DO need external stimulus to feel all balanced and stuff. If I'm alone for too long doing in the same place I get all squirrely. I gotta get out. I gotta see my friends. I gotta do something.
Anyway, was this kinda what you were looking for?

Yes. And I am relating to this. Wow, this is looking a whole lot more plausible…

ENTPs need external stimulation, same with ENFPs. It means that they need more experiencing than processing. And I believe this is the main difference between ENTP and INTP, INTPs will process things more, and experiment less, and they won't bounce form one idea to another that much, they will analize things more profoundly. The ENTP can't because, while analizing, the need for stimulation will appear again...so the cycle will restart, and the previous thing will be semi abandoned. But this is how they process information.

In this regard, I am very much in between the two.

Another difference is that ENTPs like being the center of attention...acting like some sort of comediants INTPs don't do that as much...

This is something that I often do not relate to in the INTP profile. I like being comfortable being the center of attention sometimes, even if I am sometimes very awkward with it.

also, ENTPs would TALK ALL DAY LONG about what interests them, while INTPs won't talk THAT much...

Talking all day along about what interests me is as a possibility, but it’s also very out-there because I rarely talk at all.

While the INTP will process an idea, an ENTP will say it to everyone on the face of earth, looking for random feedback (stimulation). I don't think INTPs will do that as much.

I am in-between on this as well.

This is the best explanation I can give for now.
And because of this dynamic, ENTPs need INTPs, and INTPs need ENTPs.

Excellent explanations from everyone here =)

It has actually led me to a much cooler perspective on this… part of which is my last post here: http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42733&p=1507329&viewfull=1#post1507329

Strong evidence of this dynamic at least, if I was correctly typed all along =P

But also it has led me to this question: is it common for an ENTP to look very introverted when chronically understimulated?

The main reason why I have thought that I could not be ENTP is that, from what I’ve seen so far, they have this “energy” about them that I could only dream of matching. And I assumed that this energy difference is what made me of the introverted variety. But perhaps this is just what happens when one is introverted in the layman’s sense but not in the typological sense and the extraverted functions (Ne in particular) are kind of starved.

Does this make any sense?

 

[Kasper]

Shorthand:

INTPs do not often question if they're ENTP. If you think you're INTP and question if you're ENTP, you probably are.
ENTPs frequently question if they're INTPs If you think you're ENTP and question if you're INTP, you probably aren't.

 

[Kasper]

But also it has led me to this question: is it common for an ENTP to look very introverted when chronically understimulated?

The main reason why I have thought that I could not be ENTP is that, from what I’ve seen so far, they have this “energy” about them that I could only dream of matching. And I assumed that this energy difference is what made me of the introverted variety. But perhaps this is just what happens when one is introverted in the layman’s sense but not in the typological sense and the extraverted functions (Ne in particular) are kind of starved.

When stressed or depressed ENTPs tend to internalise, which results in further stress and depression as the lack of bounce off other people is draining. Lack of energy is a killer for me, I know it's there but due to dietary issues it's not seen often. If anyone irl were to type me based on dichotomies not functions they would call me an Introvert.

I'm an ENTP 7w8 sp/so and not many people would call me energetic. Enthusiastic when excited yes, energetic not so much.

 

[guesswho]

ENTPs are more reactive than INTPs, because of their need for stimulation, INTPs observe stuff more, while ENTPs interact.

Who knows these things...maybe you're in the middle...

I'm an ENTP 7w8 sp/so and not many people would call me energetic. Enthusiastic when excited yes, energetic not so much.

Me too. People have actually said that to me.

I'm usually excited when I meet new people...so I was more talkative when I met them, but with time I'd be less and less energetic...because we'd go out everyday.

 

[lunalum]

Shorthand:

INTPs do not often question if they're ENTP. If you think you're INTP and question if you're ENTP, you probably are.
ENTPs frequently question if they're INTPs If you think you're ENTP and question if you're INTP, you probably aren't.

Hehehehe, this kind of makes sense. Though the same has been said many times for INTP vs. INFP for me too.

When stressed or depressed ENTPs tend to internalise, which results in further stress and depression as the lack of bounce off other people is draining. Lack of energy is a killer for me, I know it's there but due to dietary issues it's not seen often. If anyone irl were to type me based on dichotomies not functions they would call me an Introvert.

I'm an ENTP 7w8 sp/so and not many people would call me energetic. Enthusiastic when excited yes, energetic not so much.

I think some of my lack of energy is partly a health issue as well, so maybe I won't be able to determine the I/E for sure until I fix that.

Okay, I'll add another question. Anyone out there a 5w4 enneagram-wise?

 

[Kasper]

Okay, I'll add another question. Anyone out there a 5w4 enneagram-wise?

No but I thought I was for a long time, because of the energy thingo.

ETA: way back when, when I was having troubles with E/I, I looked at Socionics, yes it is a different system and shouldn't be mixed but the way it defines E/I is quite different and specific, for me that helped. See if it answers anything for you: http://www.socionics.us/theory/ext_int.shtml

 

[lunalum]

I forgot I had posted in this thread over a year ago, so I went and looked it over.

Don't worry. I just wanted to get this clear. Sometimes I've got this feeling I've got to battle against the stereotype image of "ENTP = cool but useless". Actually, I guess lots of people on this forum either battle against the stereotypical image of their type, or just go with the flow and use their type as excuse for their behaviour. I just want to make clear I'm of the first kind.

I think you have won that battle. There’s no way I would think of ENTPs as useless. It’s the opposite for me at least (though I could be a little biased here…)

INTPs are more introverted versions of me. They don't need external input to function.

I’m beginning to doubt that one…

They are more independent. They don't blurt out inconsistencies. They won't initiate contact.

Yes on those.

They don't like to speak for a public and be the center of attention. They don't need the reassurance from other people to know they are interesting.

Ummm…

Instead of looking back how they interacted with other people, they feel awkward at the moment of the interaction itself.

Yep on that one.

Extraversion: I need input to function. When I'm alone for a long time, I get restless. I try to work on my stories but don't have inspiration. Only when I'm among lots of people - where I can't work on stories - I've got all sorts of visions about how it should work out.
I need my daily dose of interaction. Discussing, explaining things, you name it.
The NTP part makes it hard to connect to people. Socializing is boring and draining. In most social situations you can describe me as a true introvert...
Examples.
Teachers during the noon break making small-talk: I zone out or even go away. I've got difficulties to concentrate on people.
Teaching itself isn't as draining as making small-talk. While teaching, there is not only people you've got to take care of (Fe), but also the subject which is interesting (NeTi).
A teacher asking me to explain what's a vacuum? I'm enthousiastic, the connection is made, the interaction is pure E-style replenishing.
I think, in general, an ENTP has difficulties when connection is made on nothing but "connection". This is draining and for all you know, we're Introverts.
If there is a subject to talk about - preferably an abstract, theoretical subject - we feel connected and accepted. These are the interactions we crave and try to initiate. I feel the best whenever I've helped someone understand something.
I guess the most difficulties stem from the fact that our extraversion is picky...

I think I didn’t reply to this when you responded with this about a year ago because I related to it all exactly and could not give my ‘introverted’ perspective on it =P Scary, almost… could explain a lot of my frustrations lately.

Well there is that whole desire to take risks that introverts don't seem to have much of. Also the E part of me seems to be at odds with the NTP part of me at times.
I didn't even consider that I *might* be an extravert until my early 20's, so yeah that NTP part really does cancel out what most people consider extraversion.
I think it really has more to do with having interests that are quite different from most people. If my environment is not stimulating then I end up retreating into my head. If there are fun things to do, or if we are able to talk about subjects that interest me, then I really come alive and you can see my extraversion.

I also find myself retreating into my head sometimes simply because no one will discuss anything interesting with me. My interests are too weird, I suppose. Especially this crazy MBTI stuff

Your Ne is not a Ni. I don't know if this is proper function usage, but I think it's something like this.
Ne generates ideas when triggered by outside events. Free time = Ne kill. So we generate ideas and make plans only when we can not realise them. When we actually have time to realise ideas and plans, we don't have any.

Ne can't conjure up something out of nothing. That's more Ni really. Ne needs external stimulation, and without that...boredom ensues fast.

Treating Ne like Ni was another misunderstanding I had. I expected it to work without much input, and when it was convenient… but I see now in the presence of lots of input and lack of free time, Ne takes over big time.

Ne is, by definition, a wild and random function. I can't "harness" it. I don't know if it is even possible.
One of the fastest and surest ways to shut down my Ne is organizing a brainstorming session or anything else specificially designed to create ideas. I've never understood the purpose of those things, except if they were designed to make you lose time. You can brainstorm while working!

I made this mistake too. Darn blank brainstorming sessions. I’m sure the capacity is there, I just cannot harness it.

I've learnt some tricks along the way. Ne needs triggering. External input. It's an extraverted function indeed. Here are some of my favourite triggers:
- An unexpected question
- Someone explaining or defending something that strikes me as false
- Comments on my work, especially on my creative projects. "You can do this better" gets me grumpy at first, but very soon I'll start generating ideas about how to improve it and I'll be happy as pie and thank you.
- Reading or hearing about a theory or fact I didn't know before. History is climbing along my 'interesting' ladder.
- Manual work, riding the bike or taking the train,... anything which doesn't require that much attention but still takes the "you've got to generate ideas now" pressure from my mind.
- Trying to sleep. That's not really a favourite of mine, because I want to sleep then and not generate ideas.

Excellent list =) *takes note*
And indeed I should be sleeping right now. It is 3:30am, but I am so energized right now.

No but I thought I was for a long time, because of the energy thingo.
ETA: way back when, when I was having troubles with E/I, I looked at Socionics, yes it is a different system and shouldn't be mixed but the way it defines E/I is quite different and specific, for me that helped. See if it answers anything for you: http://www.socionics.us/theory/ext_int.shtml

By this list actually, I think I have a slight introversion preference. But it is still close. I am close on enneagram 4, 5, 7 and 8, but when I look at the descriptions it is pretty clear that I’m some 5/4 hybrid with some 7 and 8 tendencies.

Perhaps I’m just a mild introvert with a very understimulated E-side that wants to see daylight, lol. I’m in one of my weird modes again where I have this nervous energy and I kind of feel like I’m trapped. I think I need to pay more attention to my physical needs, then get outside and try talking to people more, and see where to go from there.

Thank you so much everyone

 

[funkadelik]

Maybe looking at some of the negatives will help, too.

Nervous energy and feeling like I'm trapped are all things I experience when I'm not mentally stimulated enough. Or if there's so really interesting conversation around for miles. There's only so much talking about the weather I can take.

In those moods, when I'm craving a new experience and something to analyse/make sense of/engineer, I pick fights with people more. I play devil's advocate more and can be kind of trollish. Tert Fe baits people as much as it charms people. I do it playfully (cause there's nothing like being playful to make me happy), but it lacks the tact of caring for the other person's feeling that I have when I'm more balanced. Like synthesizing new experience just for the sake of new experience, not for the sake of learning anything from it or integrating it with anything that's going on around me.

It's selfish. Pure and simple.

But when I'm stimulated and mentally healthy, synthesizing new experience is still important and it's still the objective, but it's meaningless if I can't learn anything from it and if it does fit in well with the world around it (I'm guessing Fe + Si). It's just childish and narrow-minded (and did I say selfish?).

 

[lunalum]

Nervous energy and feeling like I'm trapped are all things I experience when I'm not mentally stimulated enough. Or if there's so really interesting conversation around for miles. There's only so much talking about the weather I can take.

I suspect this is the case with me as well, but I should point out that this nervous energy thing is very uncommon and weird for me.

In those moods, when I'm craving a new experience and something to analyse/make sense of/engineer, I pick fights with people more. I play devil's advocate more and can be kind of trollish.

I don't want to get with any fights right now, but I am compelled toward debate and 'trolling.'

Tert Fe baits people as much as it charms people.

I would think that Tert. Fe would also play a role in avoiding conflicts and trollishness.... maybe it does both. And I admit, I have probably tried a little bit of both baiting and charming on the forum. If cupcakes don't charm people, I don't know what will =P

I do it playfully (cause there's nothing like being playful to make me happy), but it lacks the tact of caring for the other person's feeling that I have when I'm more balanced. Like synthesizing new experience just for the sake of new experience, not for the sake of learning anything from it or integrating it with anything that's going on around me.
It's selfish. Pure and simple.
But when I'm stimulated and mentally healthy, synthesizing new experience is still important and it's still the objective, but it's meaningless if I can't learn anything from it and if it does fit in well with the world around it (I'm guessing Fe + Si). It's just childish and narrow-minded (and did I say selfish?).

I'm not quite following what you mean here. The unhealthy approach is 'synthesizing new experience' for its own sake, and the healthy approach is to do so to learn something connected to some real situation? Or something like that...

Great, I don't even have a type yet, and I'm taking over the thread

 

[You]

I'm not going to read through all the nonsensicals. I just have one question. How has,the fact that you know you're ENTP affected your personality?

 

[Tamske]

I'm not going to read through all the nonsensicals. I just have one question. How has,the fact that you know you're ENTP affected your personality?

I've become a bit more J-ish Recognized the NP's pattern of starting all sorts of impossible projects and never finishing them. Tried (still trying) to combat it. So far, I'm able to set up a deadline for myself and keeping to it if somebody else knows about it. Still need the external pressure.

 

[Rasofy]

What's generally your goal in an interaction? Watching someone's behaviour changes once you push their buttons?

 

[funkadelik]

What's generally your goal in an interaction? Watching someone's behaviour changes once you push their buttons?

Sometimes.

Usually I don't actively try to push people's buttons, but if it happens, you betcha I'll be watching their behavioural changes with interest.

And even if I don't push anyone's buttons, I'm constantly analysing the other person's reactions and just how far I can go with something. This is especially amusing with morbid topics. Some people's threshold is quite low, but some people I can just keep getting more and more morbid and they'll still laugh and play along.

Not just morbid things, though. But crazy, disjointed things, too. Some people really like it. Some people contribute. Most people I'm in daily real life contact with have a low tolerance for too much nonsense and will get irritated very quickly. Which just makes me want to push it even further.

But I try to see where the upper limits are. I don't want to push it too far that the other person gets upset, but just far enough that they're uncomfortable. A little bit of uncomfortableness never hurt anyone. You can learn a lot from being uncomfortable.

At least that's how I justify my bad behaviour.

 

[Rasofy]

You can learn a lot from being uncomfortable.

A wise statement lol