Personality and Personal Growth: The ENFJ Personality

Falling into the ENFJ category gives you a starting point for personal development, but only if you actually study what the type involves. Get familiar with the traits first, then you can put them to work for you. People in this group tend to be pulled toward improving humanity according to their own vision. Think of them as idealist organizers, acting again and again to push human growth forward.

Energy and drive define the ENFJ. They pile a lot onto their plates and stay busy, yet they remain tuned in to what the people around them need. Human suffering registers with them strongly. Rather than sinking under that weight, they stay optimistic and keep hunting for ways to ease it. Ambition and forward thinking come naturally, usually pointed at helping other people and the wider world.

Selfishness rarely shows up in how an ENFJ operates; altruism runs through most of what they do. Their compassion stretches to everyone, and when someone else is feeling something, the ENFJ tends to feel it too. They want close, supportive bonds. When there's work to finish, they lean on cooperation and tend to do their best alongside others.

Looking at the ENFJ across the population, this is among the rarer types, and in men it ranks as the second most uncommon. A few numbers help put the frequency in perspective. Many people assume the extroverted types must be plentiful, so the scarcity often catches them off guard. In the general population, roughly three percent carry this personality. Among men the figure drops to about two percent, while women land near three percent.

Hobbies matter more than people give them credit for; they're part of who you are and they feed your growth. If you're an ENFJ, certain pastimes fit the shape of your character almost perfectly. The ones that suit you tend to be enjoyable on their own terms while also doing something practical, like taking the edge off stress.

A handful of facts round out the picture and explain some of the choices ENFJs make. Of every type, this one is the most likely to turn to exercise when stress hits. Psychologists also peg it as one of the types least prone to trouble at school. Job satisfaction tends to run high among ENFJs, though so does the likelihood of planning an exit from that same job. On trait scales they show up as pleasant, demanding, appreciative, sociable, impatient and compromising. They're also the type most likely to believe in a higher spiritual power. Their stated values lean toward friendships, creativity, learning and education, and community service.

Plenty of well-known figures share the ENFJ label, which tracks given the extroverted side of the type. Learning who they are lets you watch the personality play out in people you already recognize.

With a firmer grasp of the ENFJ type, you can take these traits, tendencies and characteristics and aim them at your own development. Use what you know to find a career that matches your personality, your goals and what you actually want out of life. It also sharpens your sense of who you are and why you tend to do the things you do. References: truity.com and a Pinterest ENFJ board.