You might never guess that the hilarious guy you recently met at a party hides a fiery ambition to take the world by storm with his innovative idea or that his ability to command a room is indicative that he is an ENTP or a “serious type” – who means business!
ENTPs can be the “serious type” as their greatest ambition is to be the best in their field, continue learning and growing, and hold sway over powerful decision-makers. They especially come across as overly serious or non-responsive with people they can’t relate to intellectually.
Most ENTPs are fascinating, multi-layered trailblazers who, on the face of it, might appear to be either overwhelmingly enthusiastic or as serious as a heart attack. However, like most human beings, they are fascinating, complex characters. So, if you want to know what makes them tick – read on!
The Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment
The insightful Myers-Briggs personality evaluation was conceived by mother and daughter Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers, who based their questionnaire on the leading Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung’s work.
Jung ardently believed that human beings endeavor to understand life by turning inwards (introverted), outwards (extraverted), through intuition, or by means of sensations.
Additional means of understanding life include emotionally (feelings), intellectually (thoughts), and based on their insights (perceptions) or beliefs (judgments).
Sixteen core personality types are abbreviated with four capital letters encapsulating an individual’s overarching character traits.
ENTP Personality Traits That Sets Them Apart From Others
The ENTP personality type is incredibly rare as a mere 3% of the world’s population are classified as ENTPs, of which 2 % are females and 4% are males. So, no wonder they have taken our world by storm in every sector of industry ranging from politics, and tech, to politics!
The ENTP abbreviation describes a person who is extraverted and fuelled by their insightful discussions, uses intuition(iNtuition), has outstanding reasoning or logical thinking skills (a thinker), and is less rigid or organized (perceiving), with a preference for spontaneity.
They are often described as great visionaries or inventive personalities due to their profound ability to generate cutting-edge ideas to address complex problems in various industry sectors.
Intellectually gifted ENTPs are innately curious about what makes people tick to exert influence over them, quickly spotting inefficiencies in products and processes and figuring out how to improve them due to their above-par analytical skillset vastly.
Eccentric ENTPs are open-minded and thrive on garnering other people’s input, especially if it pertains to their next great idea. However, they don’t suffer fools gladly and will become frustrated or bored if they are amongst people who possess intellectual acuity.
A typical “class clown” – ENTPs love cracking jokes and bantering mostly at their own expense! They are extremely articulate and can hold their own in a robust debate. Intellectual sparring comes naturally to these types of personalities.
ENTPs are so passionate about implementing a new idea that they will often delve into a new project without devising a project plan or considering potential risks. They are so confident in their abilities to overcome obstacles along the way and are incredibly resourceful.
Born rebellious, ENTPs refuse to uphold society’s norms and values or adhere to any standard procedures, so they are forever “reinventing the wheel” and will employ a different approach each time.
In essence, they are serial entrepreneurs who thrive in unstructured environments where they don’t have to comply with stringent rules or regulations.
So, they will often be at loggerheads with traditionalists in the workplace who believe in following policies and processes to the letter.
Can ENTPs Be Serious?
While charming ENTPs may at times appear to be optimistic characters, they are highly ambitious people, focused on continual learning, and harnessing their skills to be thought leaders who move in powerful circles.
They value excellence over mediocrity and, as a result, may appear to be too serious during interactions with people, especially if the subject of the discussion appears trivial and not conceptual, in which case they will be more reserved and less inclined to engage with others.
So, it’s highly likely that people will get the wrong impression about an ENTPs true personality if they are not engaged in a conversation that “pushes all their buttons” – in a good way.
Other Insightful ENTP Personality Traits
Now that you know more about ENTPs, and why they are accurately described as visionaries, let’s have a look at other fascinating traits.
- ENTPs predominantly work in leadership positions in the tech, scientific, and artistic fields.
- Other core character traits include being obstinate, friendly, enterprising, resourceful, self-absorbed, and highly independent.
- Although they are not prone to heart diseases, or stress-related hypertension, they sometimes lean towards being hypochondriacs.
- ETPs are highly adept at dealing with stressful situations in their professional and personal lives, even though they tend to be Type A personalities who are highly ambitious and driven.
- ENTPs are one of two personality types who are more prone to ignoring college alcohol policies.
- They are highly creative thinkers who excel in looking at the world in unusual ways, which fuels their drive for innovation.
- While they generate higher income in comparison with other personality types, they are more inclined to be disgruntled at work.
Famous ENTP Personalities
To put it all in context, the following well-known trailblazers are all ENTP personalities who have excelled in their respective fields: Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Niccolo Machiavelli, Richard Feynman, “Weird Al” Yankovic, John Stuart Mill, Conan O’Brien, and last, but not least Jon Stewart.
Conclusion
Although ENTPs have a razor-sharp wit and are prone to self-deprecating banter, especially if they are excited about a revolutionary concept or idea with a receptive audience, that is only one aspect of their multi-layered personalities.
ENTPs are highly driven, ambitious thought-leaders who are continuously focused on empowering themselves and holding sway over others in their field. In that sense, ENTPs are serious types of people.
