ENFP
From
Conversations with
Discoverer Advocates
The following
is adapted from Linda V. Berens and Dario
Nardi, The
16 Personality Types: Descriptions for
Self-Discovery (Telos Publications,
1999) *Used with permission.
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I have to be directly in contact with
people and know that somehow I am influencing
what happens for them in a positive way.
That is a kind of driving force in my
life, actualizing potential, giving encouragement,
letting people know what I think they
can do. I have been told I have this uncanny
ability to absolutely zero in on and intuit
what people need. I sometimes recognize
something about them that they have not
said to anybody else. And they say, “How
did you know?”
I
see myself as a facilitator. It’s
not about imposing what I want to see
happen, although I have some grand ideal
of everyone having a better life or feeling
better or dealing with a particular issue.
Being able to understand people in depth
gives me a feeling I have been friends
with them forever, and when I act too
much that way, they may not be able to
handle it. But I feel sad when I see potential
in someone and they are either denying
it or not able to access it in some way.
I’m very sensitive too, but sometimes
easily discouraged, and I still go on
thrilled to meet new people, with an interest
in assisting them in whatever they are
seeking. I give them both knowledge and
meaning. I bring a fresh perspective and
my appreciation for people’s goodness.
If
I’m stuck for hours working at a
monotonous task, I get peculiar, zonky,
and weird. I get very tired if I can’t
get out and exchange information. I’ll
lack bounce, the bubbling of ideas that
makes me run through life. I absolutely
have to have a fulfilling job or I get
depressed. I want to use my talents, make
a difference, and have autonomy. If not,
I struggle to retain a sense of self and
it’s like my spirit is dying.
People
talk about being drawn to me. Friends
are so important to me and I have good
intentions. I like to think I’ll
do whatever I can do to hold on to them,
but often I don’t get around to writing
or calling. They know that if they create
a friendship with me, then the friendship
is going to be intense and loyal and I
will be there for them when they really
need me. And I can engage with people
that I care about who are a distance away
and feel like they are a part of my life
on an ongoing basis, picking up a lot
of feeling from what they write or when
they call. It would be easier to spin
straw into gold than be totally alone.
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a kid I did a lot of imaginary things.
It’s like acting. I am very enthusiastic
about many different things and very romantic.
I have a child-like quality and like to
get others roped into that too. Fun is
a feeling of satisfaction as opposed to
just an activity, the feeling of being
able to smile all the time and get others
to smile. What’s fun is watching
other people find out they can really
do something they otherwise never thought
of themselves as capable of doing.
I
have a strong sense of ethics and fairness
and I can be a little too aware of an
imbalance. I am a perfect mimic. I can
be someone else and get enormous insight
about that person, and I want to tell
them about it. I admire authenticity,
the person who can just be, and speaking
the truth with clarity and tact, to get
this magic bond where we are transfixed
in that moment. That’s something
I seek.
The
way to tick me off is to either do something
really unethical or question my integrity.
I get very annoyed when people jump me
for not doing things their way, but I
often don’t defend myself because
I fear losing control. I’d rather
be in control when I talk to them about
the situation. They don’t know what
effect they’re having and it tears
me up inside. It makes me crazy if I am
in conflict with someone who wants to
walk away and I need to engage with them
until we work it out. I need to be supported,
not just always the giver and catalyst.
And I need contact—emotional, intellectual,
just words—for fun and connection.
I
remember this wonderful little boy, but
he was conning everyone. I kept looking
straight at him, “in the soul,”
and finally he put his hands up over his
eyes and said, “You’ve got to
quit looking at me like that. I can look
at people like that, but you can’t
look at me like that.” And I completely
understood him and I said, “I know
who you are, and it’s not bad. It’s
good, you’re good, and you have promise.”
That’s what people don’t want
to hear—I see you, I value you, I
care what you’ll become, and I wish
to be a part of that if you need me.
Search & Apply to New Jobs The
following is adapted
from Linda V. Berens and Dario Nardi,
The
16 Personality Types: Descriptions for
Self-Discovery (Telos Publications,
1999) *Used with permission.
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