[ENFP] enfp's fact or fiction

[CzeCze]

I have a running theory that All ENFP's have a tendency towards being Bipolar.

I think people jokingly refer to ENFP types as running from extreme to extreme, I know if I'm any indication, 'even keeled' is not a good description. I think 'mercurial' is probably the most complimentary and romantic way of describing the swings of an ENFP.

ENFP is also easily influenced by the people and moods around them, so if you are extroverted and like different types of people, you will find yourself around different groups of people frequently and you will probably act a little differently or at least your energy levels will be different to reflect what's around you. I know I used to have a habit of getting lazier around lazier people. It was actually too much of a problem for me so I made a concerted effort to be more active and pull myself out and away from influences I didn't want. Plus we're easily excitable.

Edit/Announcement: This is post 666! About ENFPs! Hahahaah.

 

[Athenian200]

I think people jokingly refer to ENFP types as running from extreme to extreme, I know if I'm any indication, 'even keeled' is not a good description. I think 'mercurial' is probably the most complimentary and romantic way of describing the swings of an ENFP.

ENFP is also easily influenced by the people and moods around them, so if you are extroverted and like different types of people, you will find yourself around different groups of people frequently and you will probably act a little differently or at least your energy levels will be different to reflect what's around you. I know I used to have a habit of getting lazier around lazier people. It was actually too much of a problem for me so I made a concerted effort to be more active and pull myself out and away from influences I didn't want. Plus we're easily excitable.

My perception of them has been that they oscillate between all the NF types and ENTP in their behaviors, depending on their mood and environment. They have a little bit of everything in there. I think it's just the result of having Ne unrestrained by Ti, and intensified by Fi.

 

[arcticangel02]

Yay! This thread is revived. I did always miss it.

It is funny how ENFPs seem to lose their sense of self too easily, when very few others have that problem. Maybe we're just designed to counterbalance all that self-absorbtion?

 

[LadyJaye]

Yay! This thread is revived. I did always miss it.

It is funny how ENFPs seem to lose their sense of self too easily, when very few others have that problem. Maybe we're just designed to counterbalance all that self-absorbtion?

I like this - I say we all adopt this as proof of our supreme awesomeness.

 

[Dom]

Yay! This thread is revived. I did always miss it.

It is funny how ENFPs seem to lose their sense of self too easily, when very few others have that problem. Maybe we're just designed to counterbalance all that self-absorbtion?

I Insist that we do not lose ourselves, merely emphasize those aspects of ourselves best suited to fit these other people... In someways I feel I absorb a little piece of everyone I get close to; mannerisms, thought processes, jokes, even personalities... it's like we become a slight amalgam of everyone we care about, at the same time, a version of them heavily filtered through ourselves..

 

[alcea rosea]

Very good posts here!
I think I have to read the whole thread all over again and learn more about myself.

 

[Vortex]

I Insist that we do not lose ourselves, merely emphasize those aspects of ourselves best suited to fit these other people... In someways I feel I absorb a little piece of everyone I get close to; mannerisms, thought processes, jokes, even personalities... it's like we become a slight amalgam of everyone we care about, at the same time, a version of them heavily filtered through ourselves..

That is so true. Actually I think that is why I for one like a good measure of time alone, if nothing else then to find myself beneath the layers of thoughts and other people.

 

[alcea rosea]

I think Pink(Piranha) wrote the best description of ENFP to my blog for some time ago.

I was wondering

Based on my writings, do I seem a typical ENFP?

Pink answered to my question with this brilliant theory of ENFP's: (Thanks Pinkie!!) :hi:

You certainly sound like one to me Equal parts sense, whimsy and good vibes.

I responded:

I started to think about this, Pink. I think the bolded part is the best description of me ever.

One third of time I like to think, to be analytic, philosophical, organizing and to make sense -> I'm NT wannabe. (Te working there?)
One third of time I'm very moody, whimsy, weird, having arguments and being stubborn. I do things my way -> I'm very FP (F gone wrong here? + strong P)
One third of time I like to have a good time, I laugh and tell jokes and I take nothing seriously. -> I'm ESP wannabe. (my S working here I guess)

+ I'm very much interpreting, finding connections between things and finding hidden meanings all the time (NE working there)

One thing thought - I'm probably never calm, analyzing and serious at the same time.

I'm also very sentimental at times. Almost too much. Great emotions are lurking inside even if I try to hide them. And I have habit of caring too much. I try to hide that side too. :rolli:

One more thing. I also have the weirdest habit of withdrawing when I notice somebody likes me.

What do you other ENFP's say about this?

(I really have lots of spelling mistakes in my posts even if I use spelling check. That might be also very ENFP'ish?)

 

[LadyJaye]

I'm also very sentimental at times. Almost too much. Great emotions are lurking inside even if I try to hide them. And I have habit of caring too much. I try to hide that side too. :rolli:

One more thing. I also have the weirdest habit of withdrawing when I notice somebody likes me.

What do you other ENFP's say about this?

I do it as well. I used to think I was behaving bizarrely, but I realise now that I just do it initially as a way to gauge what's happening. Like I need to reassess the dynamic between myself and the other person. It's not total withdrawal, but more like stepping back a minute. I tend to do it when I've had a revelation about my relationship, usually in the form of an "A HA!" moment, and then I feel like I need to regroup. It's frustrating because people frequently misinterpret this as me being upset with them, or repelled somehow, despite my attempts to explain.

 

[Athenian200]

I'm also very sentimental at times. Almost too much. Great emotions are lurking inside even if I try to hide them. And I have habit of caring too much. I try to hide that side too. :rolli:

That sounds very much like Fi. People with Fi tend to have greater emotional depth beneath the surface than above it. They can be frustrating and confusing to people with Fe, though.

The saying I've heard used to describe them is, "Still waters run deep." It seems true enough.

 

[alcea rosea]

I do it as well. I used to think I was behaving bizarrely, but I realise now that I just do it initially as a way to gauge what's happening. Like I need to reassess the dynamic between myself and the other person. It's not total withdrawal, but more like stepping back a minute. I tend to do it when I've had a revelation about my relationship, usually in the form of an "A HA!" moment, and then I feel like I need to regroup. It's frustrating because people frequently misinterpret this as me being upset with them, or repelled somehow, despite my attempts to explain.

I wrote about this withdrawing in my blog and very many ENFP's told me that they feel the same. We started to wonder why that is?

That sounds very much like Fi. People with Fi tend to have greater emotional depth beneath the surface than above it. They can be frustrating and confusing to people with Fe, though.

The saying I've heard used to describe them is, "Still waters run deep." It seems true enough.

Yes, you described it very well!

It's funny because my mother, my dad, my sister and I all have Fi higher than Fe. So there was not too much emotion showing in my family but lots of deep caring (if I could put it that way).

My Fi must be very difficult to understand by my ISTP husband because his weakest function is Fi.

What makes me confused is that I'm very (almost too) empathic person and that is usually related to Fe (or is it). I always have Fe quite high in the function test, but my Fe doesn't show to other people the way Fe usually shows. I don't like to touch other people at all (except my family members, my children particularly sometimes live in my laps )

I do A LOT of comforting and consolation if I feel somebody is down and I do comforting to totally strangers sometimes. On those deep empathy times I do touch (e.g. put my hand on other persons shoulder) and I call it my empathy touch. (But I hate if those people try to cling on to me (mentally pr physically) after the comforting).

I react to other people's feelings too much. I get carried away with those feelings. Is that Fi or Fe playing its part there?

 

[allie bug]

I'm also very sentimental at times. Almost too much. Great emotions are lurking inside even if I try to hide them. And I have habit of caring too much. I try to hide that side too. :rolli:

One more thing. I also have the weirdest habit of withdrawing when I notice somebody likes me.

What do you other ENFP's say about this?

(I really have lots of spelling mistakes in my posts even if I use spelling check. That might be also very ENFP'ish?)

By "likes", do you mean you withdraw when you notice someone is attracted to you?

-either way, I think it may be that reluctance to keep people at some sort of a distance until you feel comfortable enough to show that you really care if they like you or not....that second skin thing i think. It's like you can give everybody this image of being totally there, but you know that you are withdrawing to figure it out.


Opinions??? I'm trying to figure this out as well

 

[alcea rosea]

By "likes", do you mean you withdraw when you notice someone is attracted to you?

No I don't mean attraction. I just get confused just by the feeling somebody liking me and me noticing it.

 

[allie bug]

i totally agree......maybe bc then you worry about doing something to mess that up?

 

[alcea rosea]

i totally agree......maybe bc then you worry about doing something to mess that up?

It might be that.

 

[Metamorphosis]

No I don't mean attraction. I just get confused just by the feeling somebody liking me and me noticing it.

Wow, ENFPs must be confused a lot. I'm pretty sure everyone likes them.

 

[alcea rosea]

Wow, ENFPs must be confused a lot. I'm pretty sure everyone likes them.

I'm not that sure about it. I just act; I don't think how I have an impact on people. I never thought of it. I get confused when I do notice I have impact on them and then I get embarrassed. It's really weird because I really LOVE people!

 

[LadyJaye]

What makes me confused is that I'm very (almost too) empathic person and that is usually related to Fe (or is it). I always have Fe quite high in the function test, but my Fe doesn't show to other people the way Fe usually shows. I don't like to touch other people at all (except my family members, my children particularly sometimes live in my laps )

I do A LOT of comforting and consolation if I feel somebody is down and I do comforting to totally strangers sometimes. On those deep empathy times I do touch (e.g. put my hand on other persons shoulder) and I call it my empathy touch. (But I hate if those people try to cling on to me (mentally pr physically) after the comforting).

I react to other people's feelings too much. I get carried away with those feelings. Is that Fi or Fe playing its part there?

Well, I can only speak for myself, but I think I withdraw because of the depth of the connection I'm having to the situation or person. If it's particularly intense or consuming emotionally, I know at some point I won't be able to sustain it and I'll have to pull back. We're the sprinters of the love world - we give it in intense bursts. I've noticed that some people seem to get a high off of that kind of consuming interaction, and they don't want to disconnect, or they won't allow me to disconnect and reconnoiter when I need to. That's when I start to feel like I have someone clinging to me, which I really hate. I give love to people as a way to affirm what they are, but not to artificially supplement them with self esteem.

I'm not that sure about it. I just act; I don't think how I have an impact on people. I never thought of it. I get confused when I do notice I have impact on them and then I get embarrassed. It's really weird because I really LOVE people!

I do this as well. Because I want to give love and affirmation to someone, and have it be just for them, and so I don't think about how it's making me look, or that I might be doing something "noble". I hate becoming aware of the "niceness" of what I've just done for someone else because then it looks as if I were doing it in hopes for future praise from others, and that was the last thing in my mind.

 

[arcticangel02]

Ooh, interesting, very interesting. I did wonder about the withdrawing thing - I mentioned on Alcearos's blog that I do that same.

I do it as well. I used to think I was behaving bizarrely, but I realise now that I just do it initially as a way to gauge what's happening. Like I need to reassess the dynamic between myself and the other person. It's not total withdrawal, but more like stepping back a minute. I tend to do it when I've had a revelation about my relationship, usually in the form of an "A HA!" moment, and then I feel like I need to regroup. It's frustrating because people frequently misinterpret this as me being upset with them, or repelled somehow, despite my attempts to explain.

That could well be the reason - I (thankfully?) don't do it often enough to really understand it, but this will give me something to think about as to why. Thanks, Jaye!

 

[allie bug]

I want to give love and affirmation to someone, and have it be just for them, and so I don't think about how it's making me look, or that I might be doing something "noble". I hate becoming aware of the "niceness" of what I've just done for someone else because then it looks as if I were doing it in hopes for future praise from others, and that was the last thing in my mind.

I do this too....it's hard to be an anonymous giver in most situations. Especially in ones where it could be construed as means to get something out of the situation.
I myself have problems accepting compliments or any sort of praise, and immediately try to rationalize it to the person who is giving it.
like "Well I owed you lunch bc you gave me jolly rancher in 3rd grade"

Even gratitude. Do any other ENFPs have problems accepting "Thanks" ? Even if you know its deserved?