If I had to define the essence of my type, it would be all about energy conservation. It's about applying leverage to a situation -- maximizing results with minimal energy spent. A lot of quiet observation and logical thinking, then bursts of action. It's our distaste for wasting energy that may make some of us look lazy.
We enjoy learning by using a hands-on approach. Sure, we enjoy reading about a topic that interests us, but it may only be used as a tool to feed us
just enough information for us to jump into it ourselves. I mention this because one of the ENTPs I know (and an INTP I know, for that matter) can read a textbook front to back in a matter of weeks on a technical topic that interests him. If it were me, I'd read major sections of the book, jump into the subject using a hands-on approach, then refer back to the book when I needed more details.
When I think about the future, it's brief (unless stressed), and only in order to get enough information about what my goal is. It's not usually a refined goal. It's a general direction. For instance, I may not know what I want in X area of my life. I'll spend time playing with different scenarios, and at the least rule out ones I
don't want. In the end, I may still end up with a few different options, but I'll find a common element, and an action needed to be taken for that common element. I'll just focus on that single action, and re-evaluate when necessary. This is my own interpretation of the
Chart-The-Course Interaction style. I realize this can sound pretty similar to the
Get-Things-Going Interaction style, but using the same ENTP I know, he actually entertains each and every possibility. He'll express a lot of them out loud, and may even be intent on pursuing each one for a period of time. Most of those possibilities I entertain (which are probably already an abbreviated version of ALL the possibilities since I've subconsciously discounted several already) are only entertained for a few moments. I may only entertain 2 or 3 for an extended period of a time, while he'd entertain several. The INTP I know may also only entertain a few like I do, but he won't rule out options based on practicality and feasibility like I would.