ENFJ Personality: The Protagonist

Updated October 6, 2022by BetterHelp Editorial Team

The famous MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) personality test from 16personalities or the Myers Briggs Personality Test gives you an acronym result for you personality traits, such as personality ENFJ protagonist. The ENFJ personality type is pretty rare, but what is this personality?

16 Personality Types

The purpose of the MBTI personality test is to discover what your traits are and to use that knowledge to achieve a happy and prosperous life. Similar to how people identify with particular Pokemon, the MBTI test will tell you more about who you are and how you can succeed in life. 

Knowing your personal traits opens the door to the deep self-understanding that will motivate you to enhance your strengths and learn to overcome your weaknesses. Your growth, relationships, and career are much more likely to be successful and happy if you have a deep understanding of why you do the things you do and think the way you think. Online therapy is another great way to learn more about yourself and your personality type.

Myers-Briggs identifies 4 major personality types, each divided into 4 sub-types.

  1. Analysts: architect (INTJ), logician (INTP), commander (ENTJ), debater (ENTP).
  2. Diplomats: advocate (INFJ), mediator (INFP), protagonist (ENFJ), campaigner (ENFP).
  3. Sentinels: logistician (ISTJ), defender (ISFJ), executive (ESTJ), consul (ESFJ).
  4. Explorers: virtuoso (ISTP), adventurer (ISFP), entrepreneur (ESTP), entertainer (ESFP).

In this advice series, we're exploring each one of these types, and how they affect you.

ENFJ Protagonist Type

ENFJ is the abbreviation for extraversion, intuition, feeling, and judgment. This is known as the protagonist.
Extraversion: these types are motivated by interacting with people. Protagonist types sociable and generally have a wide circle of acquaintances. They are very outgoing and friendly, even though they are independent. Social events energize these types. These personalities listen to others before making decisions and enjoy the approval of others, but definitely are not shy.

Intuition: these types focus on the big picture and future possibilities; they tend to pay less attention to detail and the current situation. They tend to be a creative and abstract thinker. They are very intelligent and curious.

Feeling: these people consideration the feelings of others before making decisions. This type of individual attaches importance to the social implications when making a decision, instead of using cold logic.

Judgment: Protagonist types are planners and quick decision-makers. This individual likes predictability so that they can plan and control situations. They can sometimes come across as assertive when they set their mind to something.

This individual tends to be extroverted and sensitive to the feelings and needs of others. The dominant characteristic is their genuine desire to make the world a better place as they are very imaginative, while still be determined and hardworking. These types look for harmony in relationships and broader social groups. When they claim that they're tough-minded and logical you can bet it's because those are the values of their environment. the values of their social group creates the harmony that they crave in all situations. These types are warm and charming; they're also charismatic and can be very talkative. They excel in the social arena, and people love to be in the company of a protagonist because they're fun and have a good sense of humor. People like this are excellent leaders.

The protagonist type makes up between 1-5% of the population. Some famous protagonists include Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and David Keirsey. 

Insightful

Protagonist types have a talent for reading others quickly, and they easily establish rapport with all sorts of different people. These insights allow them to understand those they are speaking with, while still giving off a warmth that is an almost contagious force. Their extraverted personality traits and compassion allow them to become fast friends with everyone. Their gift is to assess someone they've just met, and then to take on their emotions, expressions, and body language.

Social Intelligence

Social interaction energizes this type. They're formidable networkers and generally have a wide circle of friends and social connections giving them energy.

 Persuasive

Protagonists use their charm and charisma to easily persuade others to their way of thinking without expectations of changing anyone. Protagonists are hard to resist, and they need to be careful of using their formidable powers to encourage others to achieve their goals.

The Type Is A Leader

Protagonists are passionate about making the world a better place. Their biggest joy is to inspire the development of others like students to go along with them to improve the world and the rights of those within it. Protagonists are confident and fearless when it comes to speaking their minds about social injustice, and their charisma and genuine desire to help others to a better life can influence millions. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama are Protagonists.

People Skills

Protagonists are undoubtedly the type with the best people skills. This type genuinely understands and cares about people, and they bring out the best in others. They love and support others; they want others to have good and happy lives, and they often make it happen. Nothing gives that type more satisfaction than improving the lives of others. This tendency for actual results in improving others' lives makes them great with people, cooking up great relationships and inspiring others. 

Career Options

The ENFJ type makes excellent teachers, counselors, and ministers; they are successful in any career that allows them to improve the lives of others. Because this is also one of the creative personalities, they have many career choices that will satisfy them.

Relationships

Protagonists are dedicated and committed partners. This person puts a great deal of time and effort into making their relationships work, and bring out the best in their partners. ENFJ's may constantly ask their partners if they're okay and how they're feeling, which some may find a bit smothering, but they genuinely want to know so that they can maintain a happy and healthy relationship. The right partner will find protagonists warm, loving and fun to be with.

This person can be overprotective of their children and may involve themselves in every aspect of their lives. As this person's children reach puberty, they may resent this, wanting to have more freedom and less intense supervision. These personalities can also be quite strict with their children, but always with the intention of bringing out the best in them. Children of Protagonists generally describe their parent as warm and supportive, although a bit strict.

The single biggest relationship problem Protagonists may have is their deep dislike of conflict. This person tends to agree to something they don't actually agree with, or ignore a serious issue, or give in and back down, rather than have a confrontation. This can cause severe problems as Protagonists have strong ideals and values, and backing down on an issue that is important to them will only cause further conflict down the road.

Understanding ENFJ's (The Protagonist) Strengths And Abilities

Protagonists understand other people's feelings and motives better than all other personalities.

Protagonists are inspiring and charismatic verbal communicators. These personality types have the talent to motivate and persuade others to help them make the world a better place.

Protagonists are altruistic and generous. These personality types put the needs of others before their own, and when someone needs help, they are sure to be there.

Protagonists are warmhearted and don't hesitate to show affection and admiration for others.

Protagonists are fun. ENFJ personality types have a great sense of humor, and people love to be around them.

Protagonists are team-players; they build strong teams and maintain them to reach their ultimate goal.

Protagonists are loyal and committed. Anyone who is loyal and committed to one of these personality type will be rewarded in kind.

Protagonists are excellent leaders. Their followers admire and support them, and are inspired to help protagonists reach their goals.

Weaknesses

ENFJ's can be rigid and unbending. Protagonists are idealistic and struggles to understand why others may have different ideas.

Protagonists may be oversensitive and so hard on themselves that they don't function at their best. Protagonists blame themselves when things go wrong, and can dwell on the negative for too long.

Protagonists are insecure about their appearance and presence, even though they are supremely confident public speakers. Protagonists can get despondent when criticized.

Protagonists can be indecisive because they want consensus and harmony. Protagonists struggle to decide if even a minority of people disagree with them.

Protagonists may be manipulative. Protagonists want the total support of their group and will sometimes manipulate the nay-sayers into embracing their beliefs.

Protagonists tend to be demanding. Protagonists are committed and loyal, and demand that others are too. Also, these people are generally intolerant of mistakes and shortcomings.

Protagonists can be overprotective and smothering. Protagonists can sometimes care too much about others and overdo helping and nurturing them.

Protagonists can sacrifice their well-being in pursuit of improving the lives of others. The selfless Protagonists can lead them to neglect their own mental and physical health.

In Conclusion

These people are warm, caring and altruistic. Their goal in life is to make the world a better place, and their charisma and excellent people-skills inspire others to follow their lead. These types are loyal and committed partners, parents, and friends. These people are selfless and will help anyone in need. ENFJ types attract others; they're popular and fun to be around. Most of all, these people have the skills and talent to make a difference in the world.

Protagonists types can be manipulative if they don't get the full support of their social circle or group; ENFJ's may trade their integrity in pursuit of harmonious consensus. These people can also be extremely averse to conflicts and confrontations, brushing problems under the rug, until they become much more significant issues that may ruin their relationships or delay their goals. The nurturing character can sometimes smother or oppress their loved ones and others who may turn away from them. Protagonists do not take criticism well and may lose sight of their achievements while dwelling on the negative opinions of others for too long.

Contact us at BetterHelp for additional articles and updates; our trained therapists will help you understand conflict resolution and why it's an important tool in maintaining healthy relationships.

Below are some commonly asked questions on this topic:

Is a protagonist personality good?

The Myers Briggs type indicator looks at eight specific cognitive functions. A protagonist personality or ENFJ is defined by the following traits: Extraverted Intuitive Feeling and Judging. With the Myers Briggs type indicator or MBTI test, no personality type is necessarily “good” or “bad.” Instead, the Myers Briggs type indicator tends to score people on traits such as whether someone is extroverted or introverted intuition focused or logic oriented, and so on. There are strengths and weaknesses affiliated with each type, however. When it comes to a protagonist ENFJ, people with this personality type tend to be receptive, charismatic, and reliable. They often show engaging social behavior and have a strong desire to make a positive impact or positive change. With their intuitive nature, they can be tuned into how other people feel as well as their surroundings or sensory information in the present moment, which many would say is a positive trait. The ENFJ will often derive personal satisfaction from helping other people.

In terms of weaknesses, on the other hand, protagonists tend to be overly idealistic and unrealistic. The protagonist ENFJ is often very sympathetic and experiences genuine concern for others. As a result, people with this personality type may take on other people's problems. The downside of this protagonist ENFJ trait is that an protagonist ENFJ might neglect their own needs. Accordingly, it may be important for the protagonist ENFJ to learn to tend to their own needs. Some say that by working on introverted thinking ENFJs can develop improved decision-making skills. With introverted intuition enfjs can be independent. Despite marked extroversion in the name of their type, people with this personality may seem like an introvert at times. Inferior introverted thinking (or Ti) is the cognitive function that an ENFJ is said to lack - this may be called their “inferior function.”

With the MBTI, every type can be either assertive or turbulent. This will be marked by an A or a T at the end of their MBTI personality type. This means that when a protagonist ENFJ takes the MBTI, they may be an ENFJ A or an ENFJ T. An ENFJ A may have higher self-confidence than an ENFJ T.  An ENFJ T may feel sad more often than an ENFJ A, and an ENFJ A might manage stress better than an ENFJ T. Another possible difference between an ENFJ A vs. an ENFJ T is that the ENFJ A may find it easier to make important decisions. With all of that said, not everyone is the same, of course. Even among two people who are a protagonist ENFJ A, there can be significant differences. For example, two people who get the protagonist ENFJ score could have different personal values or life goals.

What are ENFJs weaknesses?

Weaknesses of an ENFJ might include taking on other people’s problems or feelings over their own needs and challenges with concrete details due to a more abstract thinking process. However, like every type, the ENFJ is also associated with many strengths. Often, an ENFJ will have a deep desire to help other people. Due to strong communication, they may succeed in career paths where they get to help other people and leadership roles. They may find a predictable schedule highly advantageous, and with challenges in taking on other people’s problems in mind, they often make for very caring friends. An ENFJs friendships may make them feel alive and can bring great personal satisfaction.

What is the most rare personality type?

While protagonist ENFJ isn’t the most common personality type, it’s also not the most rare. Instead, it is said that INFJs are the most rare personality type. A protagonist ENFJ can be similar to an INFJ in some ways. For example, both the “feeling” cognitive function.

This page is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

The purpose of the MBTI personality test is to discover your traits. An ENFJ protagonist likes to socialize, thinks in the abstract, takes feelings into account, and an ENFJ protagonist makes quick decisions. If you're an ENFJ or want to learn more about your personality, you can take the MBTI test today. You can also talk to a BetterHelp therapist to learn more about yourself.

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