[Karen]

It seems every month or two I’m back in this section, trying to figure out who I am. :laughing: I’ve narrowed it down quite a bit and recently went from ESTP to ESFP. Now I’m wondering if I might be ENFP. I thought I was ESTP because logic has been such a strong part of my life, but, after discussing it on a thread, finally realized I’ve likely been using tertiary Te. My personality does seem to fit descriptions of ESFP better than ESTP.

I researched quite a bit and it’s inconclusive if I use Se or Ne more often. I’m present oriented when it comes to the physical universe and future and possibility oriented when it comes to spiritual issues and subjects I'm studying, all of which are very important to my life.

I’ve tried reading descriptions in various books and in some, I’m clearly ESFP, in others, I’m clearly ENFP, in still others, such as Gifts Differing, I’m in the middle. For example. in Survival Games Personalities Play, by Eve Delunas, I play some of the SP games and none of the NF ones. In What Color Is Your Personality, by Carol Ritberger, she divides people into SF, ST, NF, NT, and her description of NF fits me better than any description of any personality type I’ve read anywhere. For page after page, she might as well have been following me around, taking notes. If it helps, I’m a Carol Tuttle Energy Type 1 (fun loving), with a secondary Type 4 (precise).

I don’t use metaphors or analogies or play around with words often, as ENFPs supposedly do, but I talk about ideas and meanings frequently. I’m also very much into nature and am thrilled by flowers, sunsets, views, hiking and skiing, and I’m usually the first person to spot an interesting flower or animal. I’m just kind of enthusiastic about all areas of life, and maybe the book Why Him, Why Her sums me up best by saying I’m an Explorer, who explores through the physical environment and ideas.

Does any of this sound clearly like ESFP or ENFP to anyone?

 

[limelight3]

I don’t use metaphors or analogies or play around with words often, as ENFPs supposedly do, but I talk about ideas and meanings frequently. I’m also very much into nature and am thrilled by flowers, sunsets, views, hiking and skiing, and I’m usually the first person to spot an interesting flower or animal. I’m just kind of enthusiastic about all areas of life, and maybe the book Why Him, Why Her sums me up best by saying I’m an Explorer, who explores through the physical environment and ideas.

Okay that is spot on me, and I'm having the same problem! (I do use analogies, but people never know what I'm talking about, so I just don't do it anymore. :tongue Looking at everything that there is on ENFP, my guess is that's what we are, but just about every ENFP who I've talked says that I seem more ESFP. Who knows anymore? I opt we just make a new category. You and I can start it.

 

[Karen]

Okay that is spot on me, and I'm having the same problem! (I do use analogies, but people never know what I'm talking about, so I just don't do it anymore. :tongue Looking at everything that there is on ENFP, my guess is that's what we are, but just about every ENFP who I've talked says that I seem more ESFP. Who knows anymore? I opt we just make a new category. You and I can start it.

It's EXFP, but I don't wanna be an X. :tongue:

Putting me in the Silly People category should work quite well. :happy:

 

[limelight3]

It's EXFP, but I don't wanna be an X. :tongue:

Putting me in the Silly People category should work quite well. :happy:

Okay this is it. We now belong to the E:crazy:FP group! (EXDFP) That translates to the Silly person group, right? :laughing:

 

[Karen]

Okay this is it. We now belong to the E:crazy:FP group! (EXDFP) That translates to the Silly person group, right? :laughing:

We do sound like we belong in the same group! :laughing:

Before I settle there permanently, I'll make sure no one can stuff me securely in another group, lol.

 

[limelight3]

We do sound like we belong in the same group! :laughing:

Before I settle there permanently, I'll make sure no one can stuff me securely in another group, lol.

Haha that's a good idea! Maybe we should get the Admin on this so they can make us our own category of threads. E:crazy:FP....hmmm...I feel like I'm bleeping out something by putting that smiley there. eh. *shrug* DOWN WITH THE MAN! Try and stuff me in a category will you! I say Fie! Fie to your categories that actually exist

:crazy:

 

[Linnifae]

You seem more ESFP to me, but I just get a more concrete, as opposed to abstract vibe from you.

 

[Scruffy]

It seems every month or two I’m back in this section, trying to figure out who I am. :laughing: I’ve narrowed it down quite a bit and recently went from ESTP to ESFP. Now I’m wondering if I might be ENFP. I thought I was ESTP because logic has been such a strong part of my life, but, after discussing it on a thread, finally realized I’ve likely been using tertiary Te. My personality does seem to fit descriptions of ESFP better than ESTP.

I researched quite a bit and it’s inconclusive if I use Se or Ne more often. I’m present oriented when it comes to the physical universe and future and possibility oriented when it comes to spiritual issues and subjects I'm studying, all of which are very important to my life.

I’ve tried reading descriptions in various books and in some, I’m clearly ESFP, in others, I’m clearly ENFP, in still others, such as Gifts Differing, I’m in the middle. For example. in Survival Games Personalities Play, by Eve Delunas, I play some of the SP games and none of the NF ones. In What Color Is Your Personality, by Carol Ritberger, she divides people into SF, ST, NF, NT, and her description of NF fits me better than any description of any personality type I’ve read anywhere. For page after page, she might as well have been following me around, taking notes. If it helps, I’m a Carol Tuttle Energy Type 1 (fun loving), with a secondary Type 4 (precise).

I don’t use metaphors or analogies or play around with words often, as ENFPs supposedly do, but I talk about ideas and meanings frequently. I’m also very much into nature and am thrilled by flowers, sunsets, views, hiking and skiing, and I’m usually the first person to spot an interesting flower or animal. I’m just kind of enthusiastic about all areas of life, and maybe the book Why Him, Why Her sums me up best by saying I’m an Explorer, who explores through the physical environment and ideas.

Does any of this sound clearly like ESFP or ENFP to anyone?

The red parts are more attributed to Fi than Ne or Se.

Also you are following a more step by step and straight forward manner of speaking in your post, which would point at ESFP. Ne-Doms tend to be a little more scattered, their thoughts spill out from one train to another.

I find Se to be a more coherent function, and I'd peg you at an ESFP.

 

[Liesl]

Another ESFP.

Most of the descriptions of ENFPs out there are inaccurate, so it's no surprise to me if an ESFP fits them well. Hmm, I'm starting to think I should just write an ENFP description myself.

 

[Karen]

Thanks for the input, everyone! :happy:

I'm really hooked on ideas, on personality typing of all kinds, and my favorite types of books are psychology, of which I read dozens a year. I also read quite a few books about bears, another interest of mine, and on spiritually-oriented subjects, and I'm somewhat of a conspiracy theorist. My life has also been a quest to find out who we are and who I am, both spiritually and personality-wise. I forgot to add those items to my first post.

Could I still be an ESFP, taking those into account? I don't care what type I am, I just want to know.

Also, all my writings are more organized as opposed to creative or random, and I go back and edit to make them more so after I post. :blushed:

To add: One of my gifts is to bring clarity to people, and my husband thinks I'm more an Inspirer than Performer.

 

[Edmond Zedo]

To add: One of my gifts is to bring clarity to people, and my husband thinks I'm more an Inspirer than Performer.

This, the fact that you're very contemplative about your personality, and other minor details all lead me to think ENFP. This quote specifically because according to a (very important) theory of mine, the task of the ENFP is "Advisement on meaning and purpose." The ESFP's task is "bringing of joy," which refers to entertainment.

 

[Karen]

This, the fact that you're very contemplative about your personality, and other minor details all lead me to think ENFP. This quote specifically because according to a (very important) theory of mine, the task of the ENFP is "Advisement on meaning and purpose." The ESFP's task is "bringing of joy," which refers to entertainment.

Oh boy, if those ways of defining ENFP and ESFP are accurate, you just described what I do in life. I bounce back and forth between the two, and always have. I'll have to think about this.

I've always been able to fit with a wide variety of people, whether they're fun-loving sports enthusiasts or discussers of ideas, though I'm not an expert at either. The idea people think the back-country hiking and skiing I do are amazing, and the mountain people think I'm a deeper thinker, but within both those groups, I'm more of an amateur when compared to them.

My husband is also caught between S and N: INTJ and ISTJ. I was wondering if that's part of the reason we got married. We discuss ideas, frequently but not always related to psychology and sometimes for hours, then rush to the mountains or out in nature for hours for our Sensing fix.

Thanks for answering, and I'm curious if anyone else has an idea about who I am. I'm hoping to find out if it's more likely I'm an ESFP more into meaning and possibilities or an ENFP who spends quite a bit of time in yippee! type activities.

 

[Liesl]

Oh boy, if those ways of defining ENFP and ESFP are accurate, you just described what I do in life. I bounce back and forth between the two, and always have. I'll have to think about this.

I've always been able to fit with a wide variety of people, whether they're fun-loving sports enthusiasts or discussers of ideas, though I'm not an expert at either. The idea people think the back-country hiking and skiing I do are amazing, and the mountain people think I'm a deeper thinker, but within both those groups, I'm more of an amateur when compared to them.

My husband is also caught between S and N: INTJ and ISTJ. I was wondering if that's part of the reason we got married. We discuss ideas, then rush to the mountains or out in nature for our Sensing fix.

Thanks for answering, and I'm curious if anyone else has an idea about who I am. I'm hoping to find out if it's more likely I'm an ESFP more into meaning and possibilities or an ENFP who spends quite a bit of time in yippee! type activities.

Well, here's something that might help you discern your type one way or another. One of my close friends is ESFP and she would probably fit the majority of ENFP descriptions out there better than I would. ESFPs can be adorable, random, lively, and wonderful advisors on personal matters. I'd say the difference is that I am constantly trying to understand the world and life in its entirety, trying to grasp the global context. This process of trying to 'get the whole picture' begins the moment I wake up and goes on until I go to bed. It's not quite like this with her. She's equally curious about her life, but her thoughts from moment to moment are mostly about what she's doing, where she is, and who she's with.

We both rely on each other for guidance but in different ways. She counts on me as a someone who will remind her of what is profoundly significant in life, someone who never loses sight of the big picture, the ultimate vision of what the world should be like. On the other hand, I can count on her to be a voice of sense and sensibility (at least in comparison to me). She's much more in touch with the 'reality' of a situation and what the likely outcomes are in a situation than I am.

When we spend time together, there's a lot of chatter about relationships and people. But when we part ways, she goes back to her life of joyous activities, and I go back to my life of finding profundity in everything in the world. I'm much more detached from physical, 'real' life than she is.

There are very few people out there that would describe me as 'jovial' or 'lively' or any of those terms. Most people would describe me as enigmatic and astoundingly observant of life and constantly talking about my perceptions and beliefs.

That's as clearly as I can describe it right now. :happy:

 

[Liesl]

This, the fact that you're very contemplative about your personality, and other minor details all lead me to think ENFP. This quote specifically because according to a (very important) theory of mine, the task of the ENFP is "Advisement on meaning and purpose." The ESFP's task is "bringing of joy," which refers to entertainment.

I think you underestimate how contemplative ESFPs are.

 

[Scruffy]

"Advisement on meaning and purpose."

Fi brah, if you wanted to apply an N/S function to something similar I would look to Ni, and that will still point to ESFP.

 

[Karen]

Well, here's something that might help you discern your type one way or another. One of my close friends is ESFP and she would probably fit the majority of ENFP descriptions out there better than I would. ESFPs can be adorable, random, lively, and wonderful advisors on personal matters. I'd say the difference is that I am constantly trying to understand the world and life in its entirety, trying to grasp the global context. This process of trying to 'get the whole picture' begins the moment I wake up and goes on until I go to bed. It's not quite like this with her. She's equally curious about her life, but her thoughts from moment to moment are mostly about what she's doing, where she is, and who she's with.

We both rely on each other for guidance but in different ways. She counts on me as a someone who will remind her of what is profoundly significant in life, someone who [doesn't often lose] sight of the big picture, the ultimate vision of what the world should be like. On the other hand, I can count on her to be a voice of sense and sensibility (at least in comparison to me). She's much more in touch with the 'reality' of a situation and what the likely outcomes are in a situation than I am.

When we spend time together, there's a lot of chatter about relationships and people. But when we part ways, she goes back to her life of joyous activities, and I go back to my life of finding profundity in everything in the world. I'm much more detached from physical, 'real' life than she is.

There are very few people out there that would describe me as 'jovial' or 'lively' or any of those terms. Most people would describe me as enigmatic and astoundingly observant of life and constantly talking about my perceptions and beliefs.

That's as clearly as I can describe it right now. :happy:

Thank you, that was great! I bolded what I'm most like, which unfortuntely covers both ESFP and ENFP. I never forget that spiritual issues underlie everything, that the world is in bad shape and seems to be going down, and that's constantly the backdrop to my life. I have to sometimes work at letting that emotional grayness go, the knowledge of what's happening to people and animals around the world, so I can enjoy life on a daily basis. That sounds selfish, but if I'm not helping at the moment, I try to have positive vibes and appreciation of what I've been given. I frequently talk about these subjects, also. On the other hand, I can throw myself into activities and be very joyful, and people frequently see me as enthusiastic and animated. Not always, because I can be shy, get bored, or not be interested in someone. I'm very logical and have great common sense and I'm not very creative. And last, whatever I do needs to have fun or enthusiasm as part of it, or I likely won't last long, but fortunately I can find fun in small things.

Edit: I'm thinking I might sound more like your friend than like you, maybe near the middle but on the ESFP side.

 

[Karen]

I think you underestimate how contemplative ESFPs are.

That's one of my main problems with saying I'm ESFP. I can definitely appear to be an airhead, but I'm not underneath, I'm fairly grounded and intelligent. As I've said before in relation to personality typing, my IQ has been tested officially at 141, but I've been told more than once that type of logic isn't one of the strengths of ESFPs so I'm unlikely to be that type. I can also be contemplative, and don't consider myself shallow, but then I'm not really deep, either, compared to some people I've come across on forums. If I had to choose between a good conversation about ideas I'm interested in or a fun time in nature, I'd be 50/50, I really couldn't choose, lol.

Off to bed, I'll be back tomorrow, thanks everyone!

 

[Liesl]

Yup. ESFPs are definitely not airheads.

The way you write comes off as very ESFP-like to me.

 

[limelight3]

Yup. ESFPs are definitely not airheads.

The way you write comes off as very ESFP-like to me.

I don't know that I agree that writing is the best way to tell if a person is an Ne or a Se. When people write, they have time to think of what they're going to say and how they're going to say it. When I talk I'm very sporadic and fast. however, when I write, I will go back and erase, fix grammer, and sometimes edit because people don't have my vocal inflections nor body language to help them understand my meaning. Because the difference lies in the cognitive functions, it's a little harder to tell if it's not through conversation. It also depends on what I'm writing about. I can seem really goofy and airheaded, but I'm also spending time posting online, so I don't feel terribly motivated to show my inner, deeper thoughts. That's just my opinion though.

...Wow. That was a novel for me. I'm impressed!:laughing:

 

[Karen]

Yup. ESFPs are definitely not airheads.

The way you write comes off as very ESFP-like to me.

I forgot to say something so I came back, and caught what you said. I wonder why ESFPs have that reputation on forums, that of all the types, ESFPs are least bright and most flakey.

I was going to say that I'm not very coordinated, not very good with tools, and I mainly interact with the physical environment in an enthusiastic manner. If I have to do any type of work, what I love doing is helping people work out their issues, which I'm fairly good at. I'm frequently able to bring clarity to people's lives, help them decide for themselves on the right course of action by laying out and organizing facts and emotions they've discussed with me. I also inspire people to find more enjoyment in life, helping them see that life isn't all about work and drudgery, and following a passion has great importance. Last is that when I PM with people, I go between logical PMs teaching or explaining something, such as personality typing, those that share in depth who I am and who others are, and those that are full of yippee! and jokes, lol, all about equally.

Does this still sound like ESFP, do you think?