16 Personalities: Writing an ENFP Character

Today is the fifth of our Writing the Personalities posts, spotlighting the ENFP! As an INTJ, I get flocked with XNFPs, and ENFPs can be some of the most complex but fun personality types there are, so I feel like I got a pretty good understanding of this type (especially since I live with one!) But as always, if you are this type and see that I’ve gotten anything wrong, please comment it below!

Again, as a reminder, the disclaimer. Every person is a unique and different, therefore the things I post in here may not, and probably will not apply to ever single human or character. These are the vague generalities of which the people with this type seem to generally have, but it does not apply to everyone. That is the most important thing to recall. These are not a formula to force a person or character in, as each person (and therefore character) is and must be unique to themselves.

Regardless, I hope some of these facts today help you to write your ENFP character!

General Overview:

ENFPs are some of the funnest people you can encounter. They’re curious and creative, fascinated by almost anything, and they want to know how things work, and they aren’t afraid to venture beyond their comfort zone to find out. They’re also enthusiastic, eager to tell others about something that interests them, but also hear others’ ideas. They like to talk, but they can also listen, liking to have genuine, heartfelt conversations with those they cherish, especially since they can pick up on others’ moods and needs and naturally want to help them. Typically, they strive to get along with everyone, desiring meaningful emotional connections, and they can have a wide variety of friends, since they are capable of both intense thoughts and feelings, but also just having a good time. 

However, these types can be people pleasers and sometimes overly accommodating. They can do things they don’t really want to do or compromise their values just to feel liked. Many may read too far into others’ actions as well, causing social stress. Their inner idealism compounds this, sometimes leaving them feeling like they aren’t good enough in some area of life, whether it’s in their relationships, home life, or occupation. Some other weaknesses, like becoming unfocused on a task when the enthusiasm for it has worn off, becoming disorganized by avoiding basic tasks in favor of more exciting experiences, making naive decisions and/or believing people too easily can attribute to this sense of failure. These people sometimes just need a little encouragement from others to help them get back on their feet. 

In romantic relationships, this type tends to feel empty or uninspired when single. They tend to fall in love easily, and hard, but can be a little too intense for other types who need more space. When this happens, the ENFP may feel they’re doing something wrong because their partner isn’t matching their level of enthusiasm, and if the relationship starts to feel like work, it may alarm them, especially when they’re expected to do their level of the mundane tasks. However, these affectionate and playful types often can turn a mundane chore into an act of love for their partner, fueling their desire to please into making things the best they can. ENFPs can be great romantic partners, but they do need to be careful that they do not wrap their identity up in the relationship, especially if it doesn’t work out in the end. 

ENFPs can be some of the best friends out there. They’re typically uplifting and supportive, make things adventurous and fun, and make friends easily, often going to the shy and reserved types to help them open up and feel understood. Despite their appearance of making a lot of friends, they crave deep and meaningful friendships, and are sensitive to the needs of others. However, sometimes they can give too much of themselves and either become burnt out or resentful towards their friends for not giving their ideal amount of time, emotion, and/or effort into the relationship, creating misunderstandings. They just need to remember to balance their desire to help their friends with seeing to their own needs.

A note for those familiar with the Four Temperaments personality types: ENFP is the equivalent of Sanguine Phlegmatic. 

Words that Can Describe ENFPs:

• Empathetic 
• Fun
• Outgoing
• Affectionate
• Idealistic 
• Sensitive 
• Optimistic 
• People Pleasing
• Unfocused 
• Curious 
• Creative 
• Intense

Writing ENFPs as Characters:

First, as in every one of these 16 Personalities posts, I advise not creating a character solely because you want an ENFP character. Like I said above, every single person is different, therefore creating a character and shoving them into the box is not a wise thing to do. Each person is different, and the character should fit the role in the story first and foremost. And if the character happens to be an ENFP, awesome!

ENFPs, like others are diverse and multi-faceted. Of course, this applies to all types, but this type especially seems to be different when it comes to gender. Male ENFPs are different than female ENFPs, but inherently have similar strengths and weaknesses. Male ENFPs especially seem to be emotional in a different way than females.

And not all ENFPs, regardless of gender, will be alike. Your ENFP may be more quiet and only have a few friends. Maybe she doesn’t like big parties due to trauma. Maybe your ENFP is into really science-y stuff and feels fulfilled being single. Maybe your ENFP suffers from acute depression. The above mentioned things are all vague generalities which will not apply to every ENFP.

Character Roles for ENFPs:

These characters are often shown to be main or side characters in fiction and movies today–and for good reason. With their optimism, eagerness to learn new things and go on adventures, and ability to make friends easily, they’re perfect for the main roles of most typical storylines.

ENFP Villain: As I mentioned above, tons of ENFP characters are main characters. Look at Disney characters–Anna from Frozen, Ariel from the Little Mermaid, and Rapunzel from Tangled are all ENFPs. But what about an ENFP villain? Just like ENFP heroes are cute and endearing, an ENFP villain could be quite chilling and creepy. A villain, optimistic that his evil plans will succeed? Or maybe he thinks his plans will better humanity? What if the ENFP wants to get back at an old friend who hurt them, or their emotions get the better of them, causing something terrible to happen?

ENFP Sidekick: Of course, I couldn’t go without mentioning this. A sidekick is my favorite way to write ENFP characters, as both of my all-time favorite ENFP characters of mine are sidekicks. These characters can breathe new life into an otherwise dark and dull situation, they can both offer comic relief but also contemplate the meaning of life, or why the characters are doing what they’re doing, bringing about new plot details, character arcs, and even motivations. And since these characters are great peacemakers, they oftentimes can be the sole character keeping a group of characters from killing each other.

ENFP Mentor: We don’t think too much about these easygoing optimists being mentors, but since ENFPs can be deep thinkers, are empathetic to others, and are idealistic, they actually could make great ones. Of course, the ENFP would have to be mature in order to teach the immature hero, but think of all the wealth of information the ENFP mentor could share with them from their variety of life experiences. Not to mention passing down their empathy for others to their young pupil.

Common Misconceptions About ENFPs:

Here are a few common misconceptions about ENFPs to help you avoid when writing your ENFP character!

• Fake
• Feminine (for ENFP males)
• Incapable of being Responsible 
• Want to be Everyone’s Friend
• Flirts
• Has ADHD
• Dumb/Brainless
• Can’t focus At All 
• Aren’t Planners

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Are you an ENFP? Do you have some ENFP characters? What type are you? Let me know in the comments below! ~ Kay Adelin