The idea of an ENFJ conjures up the image of the class president that you had in high school. We all know ENFJs as warm personalities, but this type might have a dark side. Could your ENFJ spouse or friend secretly be manipulating you behind your back without you even realizing it?
Some traits of ENFJs include using manipulation in passive ways and almost always improving others. They tend to be selfless, empathetic, authentic, and considerate of others’ emotions. ENFJs value what others think of them, and they make excellent leaders, teachers, and social workers.
If you’re an ENFJ or know one and you want to know a bit more about the interesting traits of this personality type, then read on.
ENFJ Traits: The Good And The Bad
ENFJs, according to the Myers-Briggs Test developed by Katherine Myers and her daughter Isabelle Briggs can be classified as Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. These diagnostic traits form part of sixteen personalities used to give the recipients an idea of their personalities and how they function.
ENFJs are often suited to the professions of teaching, especially those involving small children, due to their gentle and patient nature. This type of personality makes gestures of affection towards those they love very frequently as they love to make others happy.
Are ENFJs Manipulative?
Since ENFJs are some of the most influential and inviting personality types, it comes as no surprise they can often manipulate others to get what they want. However, this must be taken with a grain of salt as they are also highly empathetic and aware of the emotions of those around them.
Rather ENFJs manipulate others without any conscious intent and often to obtain things that won’t pose any risk or threat to others. ENFJs love to uplift those around them, so they will often persuade others to improve themselves but in a more subtle manner.
ENFJs are very different from other types, such as ENTJs or INTJs, in the sense that they often avoid conflict, which can occasionally come across as sly or manipulative. These types of people also tend to be empaths, that being individuals who can feel the emotions of others, so they naturally avoid arguments.
Loyalty is also a trademark of this personality, so they are very unlikely to actively betray others by engaging in manipulative behavior with negative consequences.
Can ENFJs Be Selfish?
Since ENFJs are highly in tune with the feelings of others, they frequently tend to favor the happiness and contentment of others over themselves to avoid hurting them. Therefore, ENFJs are some of the most selfless personality types, often to their own detriment.
On the rare chance that an ENFJ makes a selfish decision, they will often realize upon seeing the emotional reactions of the person whom their decision affects. ENFJs care deeply about how others see them, reducing the likelihood that an ENFJ would do something others consider selfish.
ENFJs also prioritize extrospection, allowing them to understand the causes for upset or disagreements with others, which, combined with their empathic traits, limits their ability to be selfish.
Do ENFJs Have Narcissistic Tendencies?
Since Narcissists prioritize themselves and discard the importance of others’ emotions, this makes them very different from ENFJs, who are almost unable to do so. ENFJs deeply value trust; therefore, breaking this principle for selfish reasons is almost unheard of for ENFJs.
Although ENFJs often struggle with introspection, which is the ability to analyze and criticize one’s own thoughts and actions, this does not mean they cannot understand how they can hurt others.
They also tend to be sensitive to negative feedback from others since they value how people see them, though, again, this does not mean that ENFJs do not value this feedback as they really like to engage in personal growth and self-improvement.
Are ENFJs Passive Aggressive?
If you know anything about ENFJs, it should be that they are inclined to seek peace, which can often manifest in unresolved conflicts for this type of personality.
In order to avoid damaging any intimate bonds with loved ones, an ENFJ will do almost anything to avoid fighting, even if it hurts them mentally or emotionally. This is because ENFJs are generally very self-sacrificing and giving.
This often leads to pent-up anger and frustration, which can sometimes be expressed so subtly that you might not even pick up on unless they do something drastic. Therefore, they can sometimes seem passive-aggressive.
How Do ENFJs Interact With Others?
As ENFJs often project authenticity towards others and rarely lie for personal gain, they intensely dislike when others lie to them or present themselves falsely. Although they might be considered one of the most compromising personalities, they are very unlikely to compromise on the truth.
People-pleasing is an ENFJ’s main area of interest when it comes to interacting with others; therefore, they often strive to show signs of support and love to others. They also often feel the need to create intimate bonds with others as they always search for ways to be near people.
ENFJs also have incredible leadership qualities since they have a tendency to be very encouraging and helpful to others in their times of need. They are very nurturing and understanding; therefore, they are perfect for positions where others need emotional support.
Because of these traits, ENFJs do very well as Social Workers, Teachers, Psychologists, Human Resources Managers, and any other fields of work that center on people and require a lot of interactions with others.
Interesting Facts About ENFJs
Some famous ENFJs include Emma Stone, Denzel Washington, Maya Angelou, Barack Obama, Dr. Phil, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King, Reese Witherspoon, and Michael Jordan.
ENFJs are one of the least common Myers-Briggs types. ENFJs make up around 3% of the population, making up about 3% of overall females and 2% of overall males.
ENFJs are the most likely personality to use exercise as a method of coping with stress, and they are also the personality type that is the most likely to believe in a God.
Conclusion
So, know that you’re well versed with the ins and outs of the ENFJ, and you’ll come to realize that they’re not as bad as you might have suspected. Genuine and loyal, the ENFJ will rarely intentionally cause you harm; they might even try to make your life better.
