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ENFJ

ENFJ Definition:

Extroverted: Enjoys social interaction and gathers energy from being with other people; likes interacting with larger groups; works well in a team.

Intuitive: Imaginative and open-minded; future-oriented; good at reading into the deeper meaning behind facts, events, and data; focus on the possibilities rather than the concrete facts.

Feeling: Emotionally driven, rather than logically driven; sensitive, caring, and empathetic; focus on harmony and cooperation; emotionally expressive.

Judging: Decisive, structured, and organized; objects to breaking rules; prefers clarity and predictability; creates and enforces order.

A character with the ENFJ personality type could be labeled as "The Giver". ENFJ characters are bold, charismatic, sacrificial, empathetic, and driven. With high ideals and immense compassion, ENFJ characters reach out to everyone they can, ready and willing to offer support their support and assistance wherever possible. Like the ENFP, ENFJs care deeply about the people around them; however, ENFJs are more structured, authoritative, and efficient.

With their generous, charismatic nature, ENFJs often find themselves a rock for many other characters, who are drawn to the air of leadership, steadiness, and empathy that they radiate. ENFJs are more than happy to help everyone -all at once- which can result in draining them physically and emotionally. However, ENFJ characters are willing to sacrifice themselves for others needs, no matter how drastic. This willingness to give anything and everything sometimes allows other characters to take advantage of their kindness, and even abuse them.

ENFJs are warm and sympathetic, with finely tuned intuitive skills that allow them to "read" other characters with uncanny precision. Like their INFJ counterparts, ENFJs can use these intuitive abilities to discern urgent (but hidden) needs and find tactful ways to meet them. ENFJ characters are usually willing to step into leadership positions, using their extroversion to their advantage. Combining their Extroversion and Intuition becomes powerful when other characters come to an ENFJ for help; these qualities allow ENFJ characters to read emotions and tune their response to be just what another character needs to hear.

Some ENFJ character strengths include:

-Compassion

-Generosity

-Loyalty

-High tolerance levels

-Strong leadership skills

-Charisma

Some ENFJ Character Weaknesses include:

-Tendency to be too tolerant

-Sensitivity

-Tendency to be too idealistic

-Take on too many challenges at once

-Ignoring their own needs

-Indecisiveness

-Low self-esteem

ENFJ characters as a Protagonist:

ENFJ characters make excellent protagonists. With their vision, daring, and generosity, they are the ones that other characters will look up to and rely on during the ups and downs of the story's conflict. Ready to drop everything in order to help someone, ENFJ Protagonists will often sacrifice their personal goals for someone else's- which, while it may slow them down, only makes them more lovable.

While female ENFJs may seem significantly over-represented (both in literature and in population), male ENFJs actually make strong, captivating mentor figures and protagonists. Female ENFJ characters will have a tendency to show their strong emotions more than male ENFJs, but both are driven by the innate desire to make life better for others, regardless of the cost. Male ENFJ Protagonists will probably be more assertive than female ENFJ protagonists, and will be excellent at taking authoritative positions and possessing leadership roles- all while maintaining their deeply ingrained sense of compassion and generosity.

With their charisma and courage, other characters will feel comfortable following them, and they will likely accumulate a crowd of friends, followers, and grateful admirers. Their greatest weakness, however, stems from their very strength: ENFJs are so willing to take on anyone's problems that they become overwhelmed, and may even allow themselves to be abused -physically or emotionally- if they believe that it will help someone else. All of this pressure will eventually weaken the ENFJ, finally forcing them to step back for a while if the pressure does not recede; this can be used to a writer's advantage, however, as their sacrificial nature helps intensify internal and external conflict in the story. ENFJ Protagonists are motivated, generous, loyal, and "good", inspiring readers and other characters to be the best that they can be.

ENFJ characters as an Antagonist:

With their caring nature, it's hard to picture an ENFJ as an Antagonist. However, writers should keep in mind that an Antagonist isn't necessarily inherently evil- but they are someone who stands in the way of the Protagonist meeting his or her goals, someone whose viewpoint clashes with the Protagonist's viewpoint, and the main source of conflict in the story.

An ENFJ's shadow side will probably stem from being emotionally overwrought or unjustly treated. Like most Intuitive Feeling types, ENFJ Antagonists will have a reason for why they're doing what they're doing- and they probably won't enjoy torturing people just to watch them squirm. In fact, like the ENFP, ENFJ Antagonists may carry a lot of guilt with them if their actions consistently violate principles in which they once believed.

ENFJ Antagonists may use their intuitive abilities for evil, to accurately "read" and effortlessly manipulate others. Their quick minds, thorough assessment of situations, and sensitivity to mood, environment, and small behavioral changes will make them dangerous enemies. They are by no means unintelligent or naive, and may often be more than one step ahead of the Protagonist. Their combination of intuitive, feeling, and judging traits allows ENFJ Antagonists to be quite effective if they want to be. They are driven by their passions, strengthened by their intuition, and fully capable of carrying out their detailed, long-term plans.

ENFJ characters as a Sidekick/Minor character:

Supportive, good-natured, and full of energy and drive, ENFJ characters make loyal sidekicks. Like the INFJ, they may even fill the Mentor character role. They have strong potential to train and guide the main character along their path, and will sacrifice almost anything (even themselves) to help the main character meet his or her goals. While INFJs make quieter Mentor figures and will probably counsel only a few individuals at a time, ENFJ Mentor figures have a commanding presence and will be more likely to take on large numbers of characters at once. They're willing to teach pretty much everyone, and are usually patient and tolerant of mistakes. ENFJ Mentor/sidekick figures will offer the main character valuable advice and insight, seeing most situations in their true light, and perceiving difficulties and deceptions that the main character may overlook. They are valuable catalysts and motivators, inspiring every character around them to keep pressing on, and believe that they can reach any goal.

ENFJ Conflicts:

No good writer can create a story without conflict. After creating a character, observing his or her strengths and weaknesses can give a good idea of what kind of conflict would be most difficult for the character to overcome. Readers like stories where the stakes are high, the conflict seems insurmountable, and the character must fight external or internal battles waged against their own beliefs. To make conflict moving and believable, use your character's weaknesses to your advantage!

ENFJs are authoritative, charismatic individuals with high values placed upon compassion, genuineness, and empathy. Conflict for an ENFJ may include:

-Inability to help other people

-Being unappreciated

-Failure in their efforts to help (even when this failure is not their fault)

-Being criticized

-Powerlessness

-Being isolated/lonely

An ENFJ is likely to be:

-The Mentor/Counsellor

-The Idealist

-The Medic

An ENFJ may conflict with:

-The Rebel

-The Villain

-The Strategist

Other Personality Types the ENFJ May Work Well With:

-INFP

-INFJ

-ISFP

-ENFP

-ISFJ

Other Personality Types the ENFJ May Conflict With:

-INTJ

-ENTP

-ENTJ

-ESTJ

-ESTP

Want to know more about the ENFJ personality type? Check out these resources:

http://www.16personalities.com/enfj-personality

https://www.personalitypage.com/ENFJ.html

Not sure if your character is an ENFJ? Take one of these personality tests as if YOU were your character- and see for yourself!

http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

http://www.25quiz.com/

ENFP

ENFP Definition:

Extroverted: Enjoys social interaction and gathers energy from being with other people; likes interacting with larger groups; works well in a team.

Intuitive: Imaginative and open-minded; future-oriented; good at reading into the deeper meaning behind facts, events, and data; focus on the possibilities rather than the concrete facts.

Feeling: Emotionally driven, rather than logically driven; sensitive, caring, and empathetic; focus on harmony and cooperation; emotionally expressive.

Prospecting: Free-spirited, go with the flow; prefers spontaneity and adaptability to organization; likes to plan on the go.

A character with the ENFP personality type is enthusiastic, people-oriented, imaginative and idealistic. They are driven by the connections that they make with other characters in the story, and interacting with others on a deep and personal level. Usually quite optimistic, passionate, spontaneous, and creative, ENFP characters can play many roles. Of all extroverted types, ENFP characters are the least extroverted. They are introspective and thoughtful, and spend more time alone looking inward than most other extroverts do. This results in a character who loves new experiences, feels everything very deeply, and wants to share their emotions and imagination with others.

ENFP characters dislike superficiality, and when they connect with others, they want to do it on a meaningful level. They often have robust social skills and can be counted on to bring energy and enthusiasm to groups or projects that lack motivation. ENFP characters are easily inspired- by beauty, by their emotions, by the strength they see in others- and use this inspiration as fuel to motivate themselves and others. They almost always have their heads in the future, and live in imaginary worlds nearly as often as they live in the real one.

ENFP characters are sensitive, however, and though they love connecting with many people, they often only truly open up to a few. An ENFP character will take rejection or unkindness very personally, and may become cynical or mistrusting if they are badly treated. However, they can be incredibly passionate about the people and principles they care about, becoming deeply emotionally invested, with loyalty that knows no bounds.

Some ENFP character strengths include:

-Enthusiastic

-Optimistic

-Full of creative energy

-Have good social skills

-Kind and compassionate

-Imaginative

-Focus on harmony

-Generous

Some ENFP character weaknesses include:

-Sensitivity

-Tendency to procrastinate

-Stubbornness

-An extreme need for independence

-Unrealistic mindset

-Prone to anxiety

-Tendency to overthink things

-Too clingy

ENFP characters as a Protagonist:

An ENFP protagonist is usually motivated by their search for meaning in life, by their drive to help other characters, or by their allegiance to their core values. ENFP characters are extremely curious, and this curiosity leads them to explore new worlds and people and places with unquenchable interest. An ENFP Protagonist will enjoy having others accompany them on their journey, and will need the consistent support and reassurance of a friend or mentor figure to help them succeed. Without this support, the ENFP can become drained and lose all motivation. ENFP Protagonists find it hard to be unpopular or unappreciated, yet they do enjoy being unconventional. This sense of individualism can isolate the ENFP from characters around them, allowing them to shine, but preventing them from ever completely fitting in.

ENFP Protagonists will have a strong need to be true to themselves, and must fully grounded in their identity and principles in order to feel secure. ENFP protagonists are often light-hearted, compassionate, imaginative, and inspiring, encouraging other characters and the reader to live joyfully and look more deeply into the hidden meanings of life.

ENFP characters as an Antagonist:

With their usual vivacity and gentleness, ENFPs may seem like unlikely candidates for an Antagonist. However, ENFP characters are strongly driven by their passions and beliefs- even if those beliefs are wrong. ENFP characters can be surprisingly stubborn, tyrannical, and obsessive if placed in the proper circumstances. These traits allow ENFPs to be surprisingly effective antagonists, if their positive side is twisted into being cynical and power-hungry. An ENFP antagonist will likely be driven by passion- whether this passion flames from their feelings toward a cause, a person, or a principle. ENFP antagonists can allow their emotions to completely cloud their judgment, becoming irrational and impulsive at best. ENFP "dark sides" may also exhibit obsessive-compulsive behavior, inability to focus, and extreme over-thinking. ENFP antagonists will likely carry heavy weights of guilt with them, as they are usually quite sensitive and well aware of how their actions affect other people.

ENFP characters as a Sidekick/Minor Character

ENFPs make intuitive, inspiring sidekicks and minor characters. They have a knack for getting along with almost anyone, even personality types that conflict with theirs. While they may be bubbly and excitable when they are young, more mature ENFP sidekicks can show wisdom and foresight beyond their years. This trait helps the ENFP character assist their friends through the story, and sometimes allows them to perceive deeper motives and anticipate situations before they occur. This intuitive nature is both a blessing and a curse, however; they have the tendency to worry and obsess over conflict, and their ability to foresee rough waters ahead can torment them long before the difficulty occurs. ENFP sidekicks are usually supportive, dedicated, and passionate, willing to do anything for the people they care about even at their own expense. They will struggle side-by-side with the main character until the end, unwilling to rest until the conflict is resolved.

ENFP Conflicts:

ENFPs are imaginative, creative individuals, with high values placed upon affection, sincerity, and freedom. Conflict for an ENFP may include:

-Inability to help someone they care about

-Constant criticism from others

-Being ignored/supressed

-Their own guilt

-Loneliness

-Betrayal

-Insecurity

An ENFP is likely to be:

-The Dreamer

-The Idealist