# Really just a smart ENFP instead of an ENTP?



## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

Hello there, it is IIII, again.

Well, MBTI has been a big part of my life for months now already.
Ever since starting to read more into it, I started questioning my type.
I got ENTP in 7 out of 10 tests (1 was inbetween) and my first result was only 6% on the thinking side.

The thing is, I am direct and honest, I say things that I shouldn't and sometimes I simply think of people as ideas, I know what to say to get people to do x and I won't shut up if I see an injustice or a flaw in someones argument.

I am 100% an ENxP and I prefer to make objective decisions that have a logical reasoning behind it, I strive to be the best at what I am really interested in and I usually prefer the leader role. I perceive many males I meet as very emotional and if people are too feelings-driven it simply drives me nuts, because I prefer facts and valid arguments.


BUUUUUUUUUUUT - I am not cocky, I am very empathetic, I don't chase for influence, if it happens, it happens. I recently watched a video on youtube about a smart enfp vs. entp and this was written in the comments:

"EF: Desire to connect, bond with others: Highest meaning is to have true access to others, to experience oneness with people, animals, or nature.
ET: More intimidating and more "cocky": Highest meaning is to be respected and seen as competent at what they do
TP: Primary mission is learning and acquiring and testing skills. 
FP: Primary mission is understanding the deeper aspects of human nature and what human nature looks "underneath" all its makeup and all its layers. Authentication.﻿"

- yes yes yes. I want to be authentic, I want to crack the code of human behavior and the way they think and speak. I want to know other people's darkest secrets, what they fear and love. I am highly interested in psychology, body language, social science and education.

So, I do prefer unterstanding how the system works, but rather when it comes to people instead of other scientific topics. 

I really resonate with the idea of "transcendence" and making decisions that are mind-based rather than heart-based.
What am I then? Am I a very empathetic ENTP due to past trauma or a very rational ENFP due to past trauma? I either got a good grip on my Fe or Te, I am not sure.

Can someone help me out? 
Thank youuuuu!


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## Captain Cam (Apr 27, 2012)

I have never really taken a crack at typing people (besides just ~vibing) because I feel I need to increase my knowledge in functions and whatnot BUT I can speak to being an ENFP. 

Sometimes I can be blunt and say things with cold rationality as well but perhaps when you say you can think of people as "ideas" which I assume means you can dissociate their identity as human beings, I would find that a very difficult thing for me to do. I think the value that ENFPs put in each person as an individual and their quirks and personalities involved actually increase our interest and we enjoy the mess when it comes to humanity. Idk if that makes sense but that was something that I noticed in your post that sounded more ENTPish, I guess. 

I like to find flaws in someone's argument as well because I enjoy debate. Instead of the thrill of being right, though, it's merely that my opponent sees value in my argument and can see a different side of it. 

I do want to seem competent, intelligent, etc. Impressing people is actually very important to me. I don't think that's cocky, really. And not just in emotional pursuits, but intellectual ones as well. Really, all areas of life. 

To say, "Am I an ENTP or just a smart ENFP?" also requires the belief that ENTPs are inherently smarter than ENFPs, which is not true. ENTPs probably grasp logical equations better and perhaps are more rational than ENFPs, but it does not mean that they have a higher standard. Not saying you're trying to dog ENFPs or anything; just observing.

I don't think your love for understanding psychology, body language, and all else to do with humanity has to negate your ENTPness. If I were to peg you for anything, you do remind me of a few ENTPs I've met before in your short description. Lots of them were interested in those same things.


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

Oh hey thank you for your answer! The reason why I chose this title was because of the video that I saw in YouTube, so it kind of had to do with that. 

The think is that I do care what others think of me, but over the years I simply accepted that I am not for everybody and my self confidence helps me stay on top of potential conflicts. I have been hurt in the past and that's why I might stepped away from being a harmony-seeking and rather a rational and logic-seeking person. 

I can be very bubbly and loving and I am very emotional and not as carefree as many Entps are described... I long for creativity and freedom, but I avoid playing social games or hurting people intentionally because I do think that everyone deserves respect unless they don't give me that in return. 

I am just really not a cold person, that seeks influence and being the best at everything... I don't know, maybe I am generalizing too much. 

I just hate being in between two types and not being sure ??


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## Taciterse (Mar 31, 2017)

It sounds to me like you're an ENTP with concern and solicitude for others. Keep in mind that Feeling and Thinking are auxiliary/tertiary functions for both types, so an ENTP is not dealing with an inferior F (just as an ENFP is not dealing with an inferior T).

From your description, it seems like you are driven by a strong desire to understand (Ti) and then act on that understanding in a way that is considerate of others (Fe). This would be in contrast to the ENFP, who is driven by personal convictions of their own flavor (Fi) that they try to accomplish through pragmatic efforts, regardless of resistance (Te). Generally, Fe is more concerned with the welfare of others, whereas Fi is concerned with the welfare of others so long as they agree with the sentiments of Fi (hyperbole obviously, but hopefully you understand the conceptual distinction).

Personally, I find the concept that T types are "object-driven" and F types are "people driven" to be very misleading, as Ts can be every bit as concerned with others as Fs. The dichotomy preference has more to do with cognitive stacks than it does measuring how interested you are in people.


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## Shroud Shifter (Sep 9, 2015)

You seem a lot more like ENTP to me.

First off, when you regard a stereotypical ENFP as rather stupid right off the bat, it tells me you don't really value Fi.

Secondly, people with thinking preference are not cold and calculating machines, especially when their feeling function is tertiary. ENTP's especially will begin to seem more empathetic once they start developing their tertiary function and applying ethics and moral value to their naturally just mindset. Usually it doesn't happen until after they hit their thirties, but some people mature earlier.


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## Falling Foxes (Oct 19, 2016)

I agree with the others here. You sound like an ENTP. The biggest hint to this is you see people as a code to crack. This is most definitely a use of Ti in a social situation. If you were an ENFP you would look at understanding people from drawing from most gut feelings, personal experiences on how you would feel in their shoes. ENFPs will want to understand people so that they can develop strong connections or so that they can help them due to it being a part of their Fi morals. You, however seem more interested in psychology, in understanding how people tick, understanding their motives/coding, which is practically Ti by definition.

Anything which you said about feeling was either due to Ti in a social circumstance or it was actually Fe from what I could see. No sign of Fi in your posts.

Also I've never known an ENTP who across as cold. They have always been charming, engaged with others.

Another way of me being able to tell if you are an ENTP is if I knew a bit about how you deal with emotional conflicts whether personal or with a friend. What do you do if you are overwhelmed by negative emotion? What do you do if a friend approaches you in a similar situation?


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

Okay, first of, please excuse my terrible wording in the title, it really just stemmed from me watching a video on YouTube, which had this title, so please don't be biased  

If I have a problem regarding people o try to tackle the issue immediately, talk it out or do whatever I can to fix it. If it's with me or I can't change something right away, I usually keep to myself first and sometimes I am a sad blob, but it helps me to rationalize the situation and get a hold argument why or why not I should be sad. But I like love and hugs too in order to get me out of there. I can be the counselor of others if they have issues, but I help by talking through what people are concerned with, what goal they are aiming for and how to get there. Hugs are also a part of what I do, but only if I know the person well, it takes time for me to get close to someone though. But maybe I'm just simply shy when it comes to physical things?


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## Taciterse (Mar 31, 2017)

I have a close friend who approaches conflicts with people in almost that exact way. He is an ESTP, but as you know, they share the same auxiliary/tertiary functions as the ENTP (Ti > Fe).

You really look to be ENTP, from what you've shared.


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

Hmh alright, it's just that i don't force to be competitive, I don't like influence for the sake of it, I am very warm and I care a lot and I always try to uplift people surrounding me with concepts of optimism and self-love - I just felt like I wasn't cocky enough to be an entp since I hate playing social games...


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## Taciterse (Mar 31, 2017)

I don't think that "cocky" is a good adjective to ascribe to ENTPs. Sure there are cocky ENTPs, but there are plenty of cocky ENFPs as well (I was just enduring one the other day, as a matter of fact).


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## Falling Foxes (Oct 19, 2016)

Congrats, you break the shallow stereotypes of ENTPs, use this to spread the word that ENTPs aren't manipulate/competitive/uncaring/cold. Because they aren't. I come across stereotypes of ENFPs that I don't fit in with and dislike a lot, too.

My other half is an ENTP. When I have problems the first thing my ENTP will do is ask "why?" and will try to get to the root of the problem before we can work on a solution. The why part is never my priority, it actually often gets neglected and sometimes that can only prolong the issue. I'm often taken aback when my ENTP asks "why" because it wasn't even considered or because I never tried to put my feelings into words. More often than not I'll explain "I'm upset, I don't need to know why to validate my feelings, I just need comfort and encouragement and I'll be back on track." And that's how I offer help to others too. My ENTP is slow to come to me with issues and it's normally just to get a different perspective/opinion on what has already been thought through and to see if there's another solution to the problem.


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## Personality Profiles (Apr 2, 2017)

Why do you assume ENFPs can't be smart? They can. It's got nothing to do with it. The only letter even correlated to intelligence in any significant way at all is N. And that still is pretty meaningless on the individual level.


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## GeekChic (Feb 27, 2017)

I am an ENTP woman, who started out typing at your age testing much more evenly between ENTP and ENFP. I suspect the justice drive hints at ENTP.... ENFP would be more concerned about mercy. 

As women we are expected to be Fs by society... so I think when we answer which do you "prefer" we will be influenced to answer a little more towards F out of wishful thinking.

I don't think ENTP women would likely be cocky- especially when they were young. You get very knocked back as a young female ENTP. However, even at my age I find myself unintentionallly offending people because I get carried away winning a debate, and am mortified afterwards. I hate this aspect of being ENTP- I love debating and just forget that others aren't able to distance themselves from their ideas as easily as I can. I don't think ENTPs and empathy are mutuallly exclusive- empathy to me requires imagination, and we have active imaginations. All that ENTPs need to do to be empathetic, is pay attention to people and think about them.

As an ENTP, my Fi function is now nearly as well developed as my Ti function. My understanding is that during our lives we start developing our primary process (Ne) in early childhood then our secondary function (Ti for ENTP, Fi for ENFP), and thirdly (in middle age) we develop our tertiary function (Fi for ENTP, Ti for ENTP). Hopefully if we keep growing throughout our older years we will develop our Se function. So another clue might be how were you as a child. As a preschooler you were probably imaginative (Ne), and if you are ENTP at school age you would have developed problem solving based on principles- rationality (Ti). If you are ENFP you would have instead started making decisions based on your personal values- striving for inner harmony (Fi). 

(It strikes me that there is a subtle difference between principles and values, and that is why ENTP and ENFP get along so well together! However, it is also how ENTPs can hurt ENFPs- we can mistake a discussion that the ENFP thinks is about their personal values, for a hypothetical discussion about principles.)

BTW, all the ENFPs I have met have been very smart- definitely my intellectual equal.  

Not sure why you think ENTPs chase "influence" BTW. I think you are confused with ENTJs? They earn twice as much as ENTPs (and all the other personality types) because they actually want to be successful and are pretty damn good at thinking and doing. ENTPs want to understand the world but we fall down on the latter.... Sure, I now have some pretty cool plans for solving all the worlds biggest problems, but my personal ambitions are pretty modest. I hate stupid people stuffing up the world, so don't want them having influence, but I'm not exactly running for President myself.


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

Hello there everyone, thank you for your help, I just want to make sure you know that I don't believe that Entps are smarter than enfps, as I said I chose the title because of a video that I watched with that exact caption! In that video it was also mentioned that Entps want to gain influence and like to compete with others. The misconception that they are cocky stemmed from my personal experience with others but if I really am an entp after all I know that it's utter Bullshit  dont get me wrong 


The reason why i am questioning whether I was mistyped was because I recently found a note from my childhood with the new years resolution to listen to my mind rather than my heart. I questioned whether the high-school bullying and my upbringing (very controlling estj dad) made me become a rational person or if I am just that after all... I just wanted to know in order to realize whether I am internalizing emotions and developed a behavior to protect myself from potential hurt


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## NipNip (Apr 16, 2015)

I'm getting more of an ENFP vibe actually. Your picture might have something to do with it, and I receive more Fi than Fe signs, which points to two things: your F being higher up the stack, as well as the lack of Ti. But female ENTPs are known to be a bit wacky, so maybe a little harder to type, or appear more feely/emotionally impulsive. Anyway, the question simply remains whether you're a Fi-Te user or a Ti-Fe. You may simply be experiencing/developing Te. Plenty of cognitive function tests/information on the internet, I suggest you just study it for a while, focussing on Fi/Te and Ti/Fe.


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## jetser (Jan 6, 2016)

_I am not cocky_

vs

_Really just a smart ENFP instead of an ENTP?_

Something is not right.


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

If I could correct the title I would - 

search on YouTube "smart enfp or entp" - it's a video that made me question my type


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

-


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## yentipeee (Jun 19, 2013)

CursedKitten said:


> Hello there everyone, thank you for your help, I just want to make sure you know that I don't believe that Entps are smarter than enfps, as I said I chose the title because of a video that I watched with that exact caption! In that video it was also mentioned that Entps want to gain influence and like to compete with others. The misconception that they are cocky stemmed from my personal experience with others but if I really am an entp after all I know that it's utter Bullshit  dont get me wrong
> 
> 
> The reason why i am questioning whether I was mistyped was because I recently found a note from my childhood with the new years resolution to listen to my mind rather than my heart. I questioned whether the high-school bullying and my upbringing (very controlling estj dad) made me become a rational person or if I am just that after all... I just wanted to know in order to realize whether I am internalizing emotions and developed a behavior to protect myself from potential hurt



I didn't trust MBTI test initially so I took all different tests I could get my hands on. It always comes up ENTP, except ENFP 10% of the time, like here.

http://personalitycafe.com/myers-br...le-free-online-post32855506.html#post32855506



another personality test you could try

http://personalitycafe.com/myers-br...rsonality-test-post34604026.html#post34604026



cognitive functions test. Note Fi is nearly non-existent, so likely *not* ENFP

http://personalitycafe.com/personal...functions-test-post34985658.html#post34985658




You are who you are, so why does your type label matter?


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## CursedKitten (Dec 19, 2016)

Hmh it's a personal thing. I recently got diagnosed with a childhood trauma and I push a lot of feelings aside and I get told that I try to rationalize and explain everything even though some things are simply feelings and should be accepted and dealt with the way they occur. 

So if I really am an Enfp it would give me a hint on how to understand myself better and find out what my feelings towards certain things are, it's a selfish thing.


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