See how the ENFP's personality dimensions combine to yield several remarkable patterns
Reading time: 5 minutes
Like most MBTI personality types, ENFPs tend to have distinct patterns on the Big Five personality traits, and these patterns lead to a few common strengths among ENFPs.
However, out of all the MBTI types, ENFPs are one of the most diverse in terms of underlying personality traits. This means that one ENFPs may have very different strengths than another ENFP.
ENFPs can fall almost anywhere on the entire range of Conscientiousness and Neuroticism, leading to a huge variety of emotional and planning styles all within a single type.
In the graph below, you can see how ENFPs (blue dots) compare to all non-ENFP types (grey dots) on these two dimensions. The takeaway here is that the ENFPs are almost as widely spread around as all non-ENFPs. In other words, being an ENFP doesn’t distinguish someone on these particular dimensions.
To put it another way, imagine four different people, all classified as ENFP, with these combinations of traits:
How can all of these different personality patterns belong to the same personality type? Oddities like this are common with personality type systems, which is one of many reasons why personality scientists and researchers avoid using types at all. Instead, a trait-based approach is often preferred, so these important personality differences can be captured more precisely.
If you are an ENFP and wonder if you are more Edward, Nora, Fran, or Peter, take the free personality test here at TraitLab and see where you fall on Conscientiousness and Neuroticism.
Fortunately, ENFPs have much greater consistency in their interpersonal strengths. With some exceptions, most ENFPs are above average in Extraversion and Agreeableness, leading to a friendly, gregarious, and confident style of interacting with other people.
ENFPs’ blend of high Extraversion and Agreeableness allows them to naturally and effectively navigate most social situations. While they can sometimes loud, bold, and boisterous, their cheerful and friendly nature keeps them from coming off as overly dominant or pushy.
Though ENFPs tend to be warm, empathetic, and sensitive to others’ feelings, they are not pushovers. ENFPs are often quite comfortable asserting themselves and ensuring that their needs are met, as well. This combination of empathy and self-assurance can enable some ENFPs to be effective diplomats and negotiators.
ENFPs tend to be highly secure in their interpersonal relationships. They generally trust other people, which allows them to start up new relationships relatively easily and optimistically.
Within relationships, ENFPs are unafraid of leaning on others and happy to let others lean on them, without fearing a loss of dependence or freedom.
However, ENFPs are usually secure in their own independence, and do not tend to worry about being alone. They may comfortably move in and out of phases of independence and dependence on others, easily adapting as needed.
Understanding an individual’s unique strengths requires more than just knowing a personality type or Big Five personality traits. Even among ENFPs, every person has their own set of strengths that they use when they are at their best.
What are your true strengths?
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One easy way to learn about your own strengths is with the Strengths profile in TraitLab Plus.
