Theories Personality Psychology Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide Overview Intuitive-Thinking INTJ INTP ENTJ ENTP Intuitive-Feeling INFJ INFP ENFJ ENFP Sensing-Judging ISTJ ISFJ ESTJ ESFJ Sensing-Perceiving ISTP ISFP ESTP ESFP ENFJ: Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging An Overview of the ENFJ Personality Type, Sometimes Called the "Giver" By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MSEd Facebook Twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." Learn about our editorial process Updated on August 09, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents ENFJ Characteristics Cognitive Functions Personal Relationships Career Paths Interacting With ENFJs Next in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide ENFP: Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving ENFJ, also known as the giver or protagonist personality, is one of the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). ENFJ stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging, with each component representing different MBTI categories. People with ENFJ personality type are often described as warm, outgoing, loyal, and sensitive. Some other types are known by the acronyms ESFJ, ENFP, INFP, ISFJ, and INTP. Verywell / JR Bee Of all the personality types, the ENFJ is often perceived as being the strongest "people person." They can forge friendships with all personality types, even with more introverted or reticent individuals. Because of their ability to sense what others feel and affect how people behave, they do have the ability to influence and even manipulate others. This is balanced by their strong value system and desire to help others be the best they can be. ENFJ is the opposite of the ISTP personality type. The ENFJ personality is one of the rarest types. Psychologist David Keirsey suggests that approximately 2% to 5% of all people have an ENFJ personality. Key ENFJ Characteristics ENFJs are strong extraverts and enjoy spending time with other people. Because of this, they are rarely lonely. ENFJs have great people skills and are often warm, affectionate, and supportive. ENFJs are great at encouraging others and derive personal satisfaction from helping others. ENFJs are not selfish and are often so interested in devoting their time to others that they can neglect their own needs. ENFJs also tend to be too hard on themselves, blaming themselves for when things go wrong and not giving themselves enough credit when things go right. Because of this, people with this personality type must regularly set aside time to attend to their needs. ENFJs are good at bringing consensus among diverse people. For this reason, they can be outstanding leaders and bring enthusiasm to a group that can be motivating and inspirational. Some versions of the test distinguish between two different types of ENFJ: the ENFJ-A and the ENFJ-T. A represents assertive, whereas T represents turbulent. An ENTFJ-A is more outgoing and likely to speak out about their feelings, while an ENFJ-T often holds on to emotions until things reach a breaking point. One common myth about the protagonist personality is that they are always sociable. While they love people, they need time alone to assimilate and organize their thoughts. Strengths Outgoing and warm-hearted Empathetic Wide social circle Encouraging Organized Affectionate Persuasive Weaknesses Approval-seeking Overly sensitive Indecisive Self-sacrificing Rigid and uncompromising Overprotective Manipulative Cognitive Functions Each Myers-Briggs personality type can be identified by a hierarchical stack of cognitive functions that represent how each person interacts with the world. These functions focus on how people take in information about the world and how they then use this information to make decisions. Dominant: Extraverted Feeling ENFJs express this cognitive function through their engaging social behavior and harmonious social relationships. They are in tune with other people's feelings, often to the point that they ignore their own needs in order to please others. People with a protagonist personality place a stronger emphasis on personal, subjective considerations rather than objective criteria when making decisions. How a decision will impact others is often a primary concern. Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition ENFJs like to think about the future rather than the present. They may often become so focused on the larger goal that they lose sight of the immediate details. As ENFJs take in information about the world, their introverted intuition processes this data in order to create impressions, ideas, and thoughts. This allows them to spot patterns and make sense of complex or abstract data. Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing Extraverted sensing causes ENFJs to take in the present moment, gathering concrete details and sensory information from the environment. Because of this, they will often seek out novel or interesting experiences and sensations. People with the protagonist personality type tend to be very aware of their present environment. This can lead to a great appreciation of aesthetics and a desire to create a pleasing space. Inferior: Introverted Thinking ENFJs are organized and enjoy structure and careful planning. Sticking to a predictable schedule helps ENFJs feel in control of the world around them. Because this is an inferior function, ENFPs may not have a great deal of confidence in their own ability to be logical and organized. Developing this function can help people with this personality type feel more balanced and in control of their decision-making process. Neglecting this aspect of personality can lead to relying solely on personal values when making decisions. ENFJs You Might Know Abraham Maslow, psychologist Peyton Manning, football player Barack Obama, U.S. president Bono, musician Elizabeth Bennet, character in "Pride and Prejudice" Personal Relationships ENFJs value other people highly and are warm, nurturing, and supportive in personal relationships. At times, they can become very wrapped up in other people's problems. They are altruistic and interested in helping others, which can sometimes come off as a bit overbearing. Despite this, they are usually very well liked and people appreciate their genuine concern and care. As parents, ENFJs are nurturing and warm, although they can sometimes be accused of being so-called "helicopter parents." They are directly involved in their children's lives, although they can sometimes be quite strict and even rigid at times. ENFJs need to remember to give their children room to explore and express their individuality, particularly as children age into adolescence. ENFJs have an outgoing personality and enjoy spending time with other people. Being in social settings helps them feel energized. In friendships and other relationships, people typically describe people with a protagonist personality as supportive and fun to be around. They are particularly good at relating to others and are known to help bring out the best in the people with whom they spend their time. Career Paths ENFJs often do best in careers where they get to help other people and spend a great deal of time interacting with others. Because of their strong communication and organizational skills, ENFJs can make great leaders and managers. They are good at organizing activities, helping each group member achieve their potential and resolving interpersonal conflicts. They strive to create harmony in all situations, and always seem to know what to do to ease tensions and minimize disagreements. Popular ENFJ Careers CounselorTeacherPsychologistSocial workerHuman resources managerSales representativeManager Tips for Interacting With ENFJs Friendships One of the best ways to be a good friend to an ENFJ is to accept the care and support that they naturally offer. People with this personality type enjoy helping their friends, and it is important to show that you accept and appreciate what they have to offer. However, it is also important that you offer your support in return. ENFJs are not always good at asking for help when they need it. In many cases, simply being willing to listen to whatever they have to share can be very helpful. Parenting Children of ENFJs might find it difficult to live up to their parents' high exceptions. At times, the ENFJ parent's hands-on approach to parenting can be stifling and make it difficult for kids to explore the world on their own terms. Parents of ENFJ children should recognize that their children are extremely empathetic, sometimes to the point that they may feel overwhelmed by the strong emotions that other people evoke. These children are giving and caring but may find it difficult to burden others with their own struggles. If your child has a protagonist personality, encourage your child to care for others while still taking care of their own emotional well-being. Relationships Because ENFJs are so sensitive to the feelings of others, your happiness is critical to your partner's happiness. Remember that your partner may even put their own needs last in order to ensure that your needs are met. Let your ENFJ partner know how much you appreciate all the support and care that they offer and be willing to provide the same support in return—even if they struggle to ask for help. A Word From Verywell Like all personality types, ENFJs have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Learning more about your personality type can help you understand qualities that might affect your relationships and well-being. The protagonist personality tends to be altruistic, caring, and loyal, but they can sometimes be overprotective and manipulative. They care about others and strive to help make the world a better place, but this sometimes means that they neglect their own needs. How Your Personality Type Affects Your Health 1 Source Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Murie J. Knowing me, knowing you: Personality and peer appraisal. Br J Gen Pract. 2010;60(574):382–384. doi:10.3399/bjgp10X502001 Additional Reading Myers, I. B. (1998). Introduction to Type: A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Mountain View, CA: CPP, Inc. By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit