# ENTP or ENFP?



## stick (Feb 19, 2010)

I'm very definitely Ne dominant, which makes me either ENTP or ENFP. I score as both types on tests, with either thinking or feeling ahead by a margin of a few percentage points. Lately, I have more frequently been testing ENFP. When trying to analyze functions, I feel that I use both Fi and Ti pretty strongly, with one or the other being employed strongly in different times of my life. I'll use one more for awhile and then rebound back to the other. Sometimes I wonder if I naturally express a thinking preference that I've been socialized away from because I'm a chick, but then I remember being a child who cried when somebody squished a bug. It's difficult for me to differentiate between functions in general, though, and I think that I mistake Ne for other functions, particularly Fi.

Oh yeah and tertiary preferences. I know fuck-all about those. I employ both Fe and Te in grasping-at-straws attempts to improve my life. When I feel a lack of control, I make a lot of detailed schedules that I then completely fail to follow, and I make a lot of efforts to conform to the expectations of others.

For discussion's sake here are a few points that might sway me in either direction:

Feeling:
I am very moody and emotional.

I like things because I like them. Example: I'll put on a certain outfit because it "fits." I do things because they just feel right.

I care a lot about getting people to like me.

I like to discuss how I feel. I annoy the hell out of my INTJ boyfriend by doing this.

I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what I really want in life, what matters to me the most, and what I really value.

Thinking:
I love puzzles, and games, and logic. I like determining the rules by which they can be beaten.

I score very highly on abstract reasoning tests, such as IQ and standardized tests. This may be an N thing.

I love math, and I'm very good at it. I'm also great with probability theory, which I've read is a common ENTP interest.

Although I feel things very strongly, I oftentimes have trouble putting a name to what I'm feeling. It's difficult to describe an emotion, how it feels, and what makes me feel it. My best friend since childhood frequently helped me put feelings into words and understand them better.

I really like to systematize things. See: theory, personality. I also dislike many discussions about personality because I feel that people lack an in-depth understanding of the concepts and apply them willy-nilly. I find myself annoying when I say things like "oh that's so T!" or "oh that's clearly Fi at play" because, really, I don't have a much of a clue what I'm talking about. I suspect most people don't have much of a clue, either, including the people who began these theories, because personality is such an undefined concept. But I love analyzing undefined concepts, it's just that sometimes the imprecision involved in talking about them pisses me off.

Yeeeeeaaaah. And all this hemming and hawing about type is pretty unnecessary, since I'm obviously borderline either way, but I like it so whatever. God forbid I get any useful work done.


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## Vaka (Feb 26, 2010)

I can relate to everything you put under the 'thinking category'...Puzzles and logic...that kinda stuff energizes me!
We had a thread about ENFPs and their math skills, so from that I can say that it's VERY common for ENFPs to be good at mathematics. From my stand point as an ENFP, I can say that I don't see anything that points to you not being an ENFP, if that helps any.


It's funny though, I know I'm an ENFP, but I'm crap at discussing my feelings lol
Does that feel like Fe to you?

What you put under the feeling category is Fi...and ENFPs do have a need for people to like them, but they also have a need to express themselves and have a sense of authenticity in their lives. 

*I've heard that authenticity is gonna be one of the most important things to an ENFP...do you feel that way?*


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## Monte (Feb 17, 2010)

Maybe you're balanced?


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## Vaka (Feb 26, 2010)

You're still gonna have a preference though; that's what I'm reading about right now. I think you can have a preference, but still have more skill in some of the other cognitive functions. Like what I've heard, it measures 'preference, not capability'...it's about 'type, not stereotype'...and that makes a lot more sense to me as I look at the confusions I've had with MBTI xD


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## Linnifae (Nov 13, 2009)

Anti-Helena said:


> it's VERY common for ENFPs to be good at mathematics.


I'm starting to wonder if I'm truly an N. I have no math ability what so ever. :sad:


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## Vaka (Feb 26, 2010)

Linnifae said:


> I'm starting to wonder if I'm truly an N. I have no math ability what so ever. :sad:


I mean it's not set in stone lol


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## Linnifae (Nov 13, 2009)

Anti-Helena said:


> I mean it's not set in stone lol


I know that :tongue: but sometimes I feel I have the negative aspects of N and not the postiive ones


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## Vaka (Feb 26, 2010)

Linnifae said:


> I know that :tongue: but sometimes I feel I have the negative aspects of N and not the postiive ones


I'm not even completely sure what about the basic cognitive function order of an ENFP would make them good at math though lol



Ok, for the OP, I know it might be hard to find your definite preference, but there should be one you value more or more-so lean towards. These might give you a basic idea:

ENTP - ENFP Differences? - INTJ Forum
ENFP vs. ENTP - Typology Central


With me, I feel like I might be balanced because I use both F and T to some degree, and in some situations, I do see more value in the basics of T; Sometimes I feel like I switch...but at the core, I know that I'm definitely an ENFP...that makes a lot more sense for me.


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## Everyday Ghoul (Aug 4, 2009)

Taken from an old intpforum thread, as this is something I'm still questioning, myself (probably always will). I can't get anything beyond xNxP to fit me. Doubt seems to be an excessively infuriating Ne byproduct. 

If I have anything to add to the following, I do notice, in some INTP's a very rigid way of thinking, which is said to be a trademark of strong Ti, perhaps with a weak Ne. Personally, certainty in belief is just unsettling to my Ne. Also, if there is any truth in the following, I'm giving very serious consideration, to the possibility I'm an INFP. I seem to base all my judgments on Good/Bad, Right/Wrong, Like/Dislike, Nice/Awful, in the way discussed below. Fi is actually rather noticeable and Ti almost non-existent, according to the following logic. Also, I've encountered the description of Te logic below, before, and it's definitely something I relate to. Te is also the logic system said to be used and useful for following another person's reasoning, which would explain my ability to keep up with NT's fairly easily. When an NT is around, I have little problems following their trains of logic and reasoning, but I suck it up, when left to my own devices. Also, some odd combination of Te/Si seem to account for any personal compliance to (or belief in) "social standards" or "stereotypes", as opposed to Fe.

Ti and Fi Differences 
I notice a couple of terms seem to come up frequently that get interpreted in a myriad of ways depending on a person's preferences. The two terms are "analyze" and "categorize."

What I notice is that many times INFPs will claim that they are "analyzing" and "categorizing." What they really SEEM to be doing instead is sorting out and examining their feelings about something, and weighing whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. And when they categorize, it is often just these categories they are considering -- whether they like it or dislike it, whether it feels nice or awful. Whether to move toward or away from; whether it is pleasurable or unpleasurable.

When a person is trying to weigh between INFP and INTP and they suppose they are "analyzing" and "categorizing," it's important to pay attention to whether the analyzing is employing impersonal frameworks to analyze from. An INTP is more likely to analyze an experience through neutral notions, such as whether a light is red or green, or a test result is malignant or benign. Whether a person is drunk or sober. Whether a glass is empty or full. These are all value-neutral frameworks. And when categorizing is done, it again reflects neutral categories: rainy weather or sunny; on time or late; up or down; liquid or solid. There are NO value judgments being made.

I remember some time ago I was delivering a class with somebody over the phone to explore cognitive processes. I asked them to organize several objects in some way and then let me know what ways they were organized. After a moment of silence, the client said, "I can organize them according to which ones I like best!" This did not reflect objective organizing -- he was betrayed by his favorite function (introverted Feeling), and drawn to do what he does best in place of the objectively organizing exercise I was asking of him. 

So the thing to notice when you believe you like to do "analyzing" and "categorizing" is to notice whether these activities are impersonal or personal; whether they include values judgments or whether they are values neutral. That will provide the best indication as to whether the activity is rightly defined as Ti or Fi. To really drive the point home, make an effort to consciously perform each form of "analyzing" and "categorizing" in order to see how easily you can do it. That ought to burble up a sense of how unconscious one of the processes is for you.
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and remember the 'frameworks' part. frameworks means when my INTP chem teacher says "but you are still thinking in terms of classical mechanics" when I don't understand wavefunctions. Ti activity actually usually LACKS the kind of if-then-therefor stuff we associate with logic. And if you hear a log of if-then, then you're probably hearing extraverted thinking. Which brings me to...INFPs have inferior Te. What ends up happening is that INFPs are actually more likely than INTPs to use extraverted thinking. And the likelyness of seeing an INFP using Te increases the older they are and also just is pretty high because the U.S is an ESTJ culture. In fact, Te is likely to be a pretty important activity for an INFP-many.


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## Vaka (Feb 26, 2010)

Dude...thank you, I actually did not understand introverted thinking before...but that added to what I've read about it really helped me. Now I have an abstract idea of what it is and can definitely say that I have none of it. It would seem that that a lot of people get confused in that way with T vs. F. That's what was confusing me. Those situations where I seem to use more T are really just instances of me using extroverted thinking which still point to being an ENFP.

stick, with that idea, there's nothing that really pointed to Ti in your post.


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## stick (Feb 19, 2010)

Thank you guys so much. There's a ton of great information in this thread that I have been wading through over the past couple days (soooooo busy. oy.) I think I'm starting to appreciate some of the subtleties of function. It's really hard to identify just what is going on in my brain (slash subconscious.)

I think I will go compulsively take another test now haha. I'm so hot tonight I can barely function, but I can't sleep either.


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## RhoAlphaNuAlpha (May 23, 2010)

Ive been currently mulling over which one I am too. 

This website is good and that test seems pretty thorough: http://www.socionics.com/sta/sta-1-r.html?0:::

The only reason Ive been mulling it over is because I feel really strongly towards ENFP/ENTP and ENTJ. And it's not a thing of I like or dislike any of them, I just seriously dont know which I fit into. I also remember giving Anti-Helena a copy of Cognitive Functions test that said I am INTJ? 
I took that one several times and got the same result. I know I am not like an INTJ. Maybe sometimes like XNTJ.

These are the results I got:
Normal mode	Reversed mode	Combined mode
ENxp ENTx ENTp 
Further analysis of the results shows a possibility that your type could be a judging type. This summarises your type as one of the following (in alphabetical order):

ENTj a.k.a. Logical-Intuitive Extratim "The Pioneer",
ENTp a.k.a. Intuitive-Logical Extratim "The Inventor".

SO...in conclusion Im very confused as well.
Also did this one twice.

I tend to be really reserved in comparison to other ENFPs (not all). For example I dont feel particularly "whimsical" or "free spirited"...AT ALL as a matter of fact. I feel like a douche most of the time around people like that because I feel like Im ruining their fun just by not participating. I have nothing against people like that at all! I just dont want to partake.

I tend to appreciate the sciences and related topics over...any other topic. But...I also study that so thats a give or take.
I know I have a generally negative attitude towards other people although I dont seem to have any shortcomings of friends.

I wont even bother with the "I like math and puzzles" bit because it seems like all three of those types like that, and ENFPs are also good at those so there isnt really anything significantly different there.
I just feel like Im extremely opinionated and judgmental by comparison. Also not very ENFPish.
I tend to like arguing (in a constructive manner) but tend to dislike criticism when unnecessary. 

But Ive never been told Im cold hearted or hard to talk to or connect to or unsympathetic.
Hmm

I think all those other things might just be my Type 8 thing. Any ideas?


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## Dashing Hysteria (Aug 13, 2015)

It cleared everything up, I'm definetively an ENFP, Thanks!


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