# An ENFP philosopher?



## Karen (Jul 17, 2009)

The quick version of this question, if you don't want to read multiple paragraphs.  My friend has a degree in philosophy and possibly because of it, uses objective Thinking to make decisions with regard to people, based on her decision that it's a fair way to deal with people and the world. She is enthusiastic and alternative but doesn't have that warmth that many Feelers have, yet the rest of her life seems kind of ENFP-ish. Would it be possible for conditioning to change an ENFP into a pseudo-ENTP to this degree and/or that an ENFP would make a value-based decision to be more like an ENTP, or is she more likely a flakey ENTP since she stands back with people to make decisions? I don't know what she was like when young, other than she was somewhat sensitive.

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I have a friend who seems to be 50/50 between ENTP and ENFP and I've been wondering if conditioning in someone's late teens and early 20's could change their type characteristics to this extent. She received her undergraduate degree in philosophy and appears to be an ENTP and, though I didn't know her before, I see so many aspects of ENFP in her thinking and behavior that I wonder if her degree could have changed her orientation to the world to that extent.

She's very idea oriented, fun loving and freedom loving, and those seem to be her ruling passions. She's also very alternative and keeps an open mind about almost anything, including such subjects as bigfoot and UFO's. She has a strong spiritual aspect to her personality and believes in enlightenment, though spiritual subjects are usually in the background of her life and not often talked about, except with certain trustworthy people.

That side of her personality seems ENFP to me but her decisions with regard to people seem somewhat clinical for a typical ENFP. She remains objective when it comes to philosophical issues and, to her, everything with regard to people is a philosophical issue. Unlike a typical ENFP, or at least from what I've read, she doesn't move in and make exceptions but stands back and uses principles and logic when it comes to making people- or world-related decisions. She believes that's the only fair way to resolve issues, that moving in and making exceptions for one can harm others, so everyone and everything needs to be taken into account as much as possible, which can only be accomplished by standing back and being objective.

She also doesn't fit David Keirsey's idea of an NF Idealist in that she isn't particularly cooperative but more utilitarian as an ENTP would be, and likes to go her own way. Would it be possible for an ENFP to be a Keirsey utilitarian? Or not? [Keirsey Temperament Sorter/Wiki: "People who are cooperative pay more attention to other people's opinions and are more concerned with doing the right thing. People who are pragmatic (utilitarian) pay more attention to their own thoughts or feelings and are more concerned with doing what works."] Another question from Keirsey... He seems to think all ENFP's are into helping people. She is, but that doesn't seem to be her primary focus in life. She's more into learning and experiencing all life has to offer in the physical, relationship and idea-oriented sense and when talking to people, more often focuses on ideas than on what's going on with the individual.

Maybe she's an ENFP who has learned to use Te with regard to people, as taught by her philosophy instructors, or maybe she has a strong Ne and doesn't choose to use Ti with many subjects outside of people. I see her make a lot of logical decisions, yet many of her beliefs and her life as a whole seem to be more ENFP.

Any opinions as to whether she could be ENFP? Could an ENFP be so pushed into ENTP by training that they would be comfortable, and in fact believe in, using T and logic when it comes to making decisions with regard to people? Could T be a value she's chosen to use as the best and most fair way of dealing with people? Or is she a typical ENTP? I've been very curious and haven't been able to work this out for myself. I know this is long-winded, but just an ENTP or ENFP answer/guess would be appreciated.


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## jd_ (Feb 5, 2011)

Not sure why this one went unanswered. 

According to type functions, it seems to me she is being an ENFP to the T. The ENTP would actually show more outward Fe than the ENFP. 

I could easily see how this would work... the ENFP in defending their internal Fi could protect it with Te... Fi users often employ Te systems to protect their values, as they see them better than Fe systems trying to tell them what their values SHOULD be. Te doesn't necessarily deal with moral implications, but a Te system could serve to protect them. It could serve to be fair to all people. Fe is often about doing what is best for people, yet, it can also homogenize people.

"though spiritual subjects are usually in the background of her life and not often talked about, except with certain trustworthy people."
this seems to be a totally Fi trait.

"She's more into learning and experiencing all life has to offer in the physical, relationship and idea-oriented sense and when talking to people, more often focuses on ideas than on what's going on with the individual."

This also seems very Ne/Fi...


"She believes that's the only fair way to resolve issues, that moving in and making exceptions for one can harm others, so everyone and everything needs to be taken into account as much as possible, which can only be accomplished by standing back and being objective."

Sounds like a perfect use of Te defending everybodies Fi, instead of trying to give everybody an Fe prescription or saying everybody all shares the same ideals (Fe is group oriented) ... Fi is about the individual needs, she is just using Te to protect others individual needs. Outwardly this might seem like an Fe decision, but really it's about protecting her, and everybody elses Fi.

Also her age is usually when tertiary function comes into use...so makes complete sense.


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## quadrivium (Nov 6, 2011)

Sounds like an ENFP with a developed Te function.


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## Karen (Jul 17, 2009)

I posted that months ago...thanks for answering! I used to hang out with her quite a bit, since we're so much alike. Since then I've somewhat come to the same conclusion, so I'm glad to have the feedback to verify.


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