writings
It seems I’m a self-disciplined ENTP...
Clever describes ENTPs best. They deal imaginatively with social relationships as well as physical and mechanical relationships. They are alert to what is apt to occur next, and sensitive to possibilities. ENTPs are the engineers of human relationships and human systems.
Verbally as well as cerebrally quick, ENTPs enjoy arguing: for its own sake, and to show off their impressive verbal skills. They often have a perverse sense of humour, and play devil’s advocate regardless of consequence. They sometimes confuse, even hurt, those who cannot understand the concept of argument as a sport.
Because they depend on being challenged to stay interested, they’re likely to challenge others, and they enjoy being one up on almost anything that interests them-even if it’s just knowing the latest gossip about mutual friends. Accordingly, they may not realize the others can be exhausted by their relentless pursuit of reactions and contest.
ENTP’s can be fascinating conversationalists, able as they are to follow the complex verbalizations of others. They may deliberately employ debate tactics to the disadvantage of their opponents, even when the “opponents” are close associates and valued friends. ENTP’s are the most able of all types to maintain a one-up position with others. They value adaptability and innovation and thus respond quickly and adeptly to another’s shifting position. They may even be several jumps ahead. The ENTP, talkative and motivating, is often the life of an enterprise. The ENTP can be an entrepreneur and cleverly makes do with whatever or whoever is at hand, counting on ingenuity to solve problems as they arise, rather than carefully generating a detailed blueprint in advance. A rough draft is all that an ENTP needs to feel confident and ready to proceed into action, counting on the ability to improvise as a situation develops. Because of this tendency to depend on ingenuity and improvision, they may neglect very necessary preparation at times. After repeated failures in situations where improvising has met with defeat, the ENTP may develop ways of avoiding such situations as a substitute to thorough preparation.
A self-disciplined ENTP is extremely attractive to others, because people sense the kind of power that has been harnessed to the task. Once Introverted Thinking is helping to balance Extraverted Intuition, ENTPs begin to draw from their less-developed functions more consciously-to recognize the value of others beyond their immediate utility and to stick with something until it’s fully realized.
The full maturation of an ENTP usually depends on the type’s willingness to use Introverted Thinking for perspective on-as well as support for-the aims of dominant Intuition. All Extraverted Perceivers emphasize the value of personal freedom, and ENTPs are inclined to draw from their tertiary function, Extraverted Feeling, to disarm people before they’re able to exert control.
When they learn to apply Introverted Thinking to their own behaviors, they begin to work their will on the inner rather than the outer world. They develop more self-discipline, and they recognize their responsibility to others in the larger scheme of things. ENTPs who manage to do this are natural leaders, humanitarians, whose efforts may extend beyond their own lifetime to change the way we understand reality. Such types are so alert to systemic logic that they often see relationships among elements that no one has ever considered before. In this respect, their intelligence is more fluid than an Extraverted Thinker’s, unpredictable, and given to idealism.
ENTPs are easily bored, and their attention span can be ruthlessly short. Unless they are discovering something new, pursuing a hunch, or acquiring another angle on a persistent question, they are likely to be restless and agitated. On the other hand, the type’s disinterest in hierarchy and displays of status can result in a disarmingly direct and unpretentious style of relating. A shipping clerk who had been talking to a famous ENTP scientist in the hall of a major research center was amazed to find out who his conversational partner had been. “He didn’t talk like he was important; he seemed like the kind of guy you’d go bowling with.”
Once engaged, ENTPs are completely invested in their work-eating, sleeping, and dreaming their particular vision. A quote attributed to comedian Jim Carey accurately conveys the viewpoint of many ENTPs: “It’s hard for anybody who’s with me not to feel starved for affection when I’m making love to my ideas.” Such types usually generate more possibilities than can be implemented, follow their own rules, and find it difficult to delegate any part of the creative process. They may, however, use their powers of persuasion to talk followers, admirers, and fellow travelers into doing the tedious follow-through chores once an idea is being implemented.
ENTP’s primary interest in life is understanding the world that they live in. They are constantly absorbing ideas and images about the situations they are presented in their lives. Using their intuition to process this information, they are usually extremely quick and accurate in their ability to size up a situation. With the exception of their ENFP cousin, the ENTP has a deeper understanding of their environment than any of the other types. ENTps are the intuitive protectors of society. They do not want to see people being exploited out of ignorance or to see the unmerciful destruction of individuals for the gain of a chosen few.
ENTPs want everyone to be strong, independent, and able to stand on their own. They can use their intuitive understanding of situations and their ability to see the internal workings beyond smoke and mirrors, and to warn of danger. However, they can at times see danger where none really exist, which often causes people to not take them seriously. But, ENTps really want the best for others, even in a world that does not really understand them or really cares to for that matter.
ENTPs are actually pretty positive people, who enjoy life greatly. Unless circumstances prove it necessary, they rarely find reason to think negatively about people. They seek to accept and to understand people for who they are inside. They do not like to condemn people for their personhood, and they can often be sought out by others for matter of practical solutions to common every day problems. People typically have respect for the intuitive understanding of ENTps towards them and appreciate their loyalty in personal matters. It is not like an ENTp to betray a friend in need. This ability to intuitively understand people and situations puts the ENTP at a distinct advantage in their lives. They generally understand things quickly and with great depth. Accordingly, they are quite flexible and adapt well to a wide range of tasks. They are good at most anything that interests them. As they grow and further develop their intuitive abilities and insights, they become very aware of possibilities, and this makes them quite resourceful when solving problems. ENTPs are high rollers and risk-takers with their own resources and others’. Like other Extraverted-Perceivers, when they win, they win big, and when they lose, they lose their shirts. As a result, life for an ENTP (and for those around them) can be a roller-coaster event with great highs, thrills, scares, occasional stops–and lots of unexpected jerks and turns.
ENTPs are idea people. Their perceptive abilities cause them to see possibilities everywhere. They get excited and enthusiastic about their ideas, and are able to spread their enthusiasm to others. In this way, they get the support that they need to fulfill their visions.
ENTPs are optimists. They tend to regard problems as personal challenges, and have little patience with those they consider wrong or unintelligent. However, they are often extremely genial and quite charming, when not being harassed by life in general.
Good at analysis, especially functional analysis, ENTPs have a tolerance for, and enjoyment of the complex. Enthusiastic, ENTPs are apt to express interest in everything, and thus unwittingly inspire others who find themselves caught up in an ENTP idea. The ENTP is the most reluctant of all types to do things in a traditional manner.
Non-conformists, ENTPs enjoy outwitting the system and use rules and regulations within the system to win the game - whatever it may be. ENTPs are good at innovative projects and can administer them well if dull routine is not involved. For ENTPs to be manipulated by another is humiliating.
ENTPs tend to be high-scoring Extraverts who want to exert an external effect on a grand scale. They have real vitality, enjoy life, like to laugh, and relish socialization that involves a freewheeling exchange of views and ideas. Like all Intuitives, they can be playful, but their sense of play is generally confrontational, and they may have a tendency to “test” people with a barrage of puns of bantering remarks.
Even though they are extroverts, ENTps may demonstrate a subtle tendency towards reservation. Those who have had problems establishing friendships may manifest a quiet nature and a lack of general outgoingness, one day appearing social and friendly only to be indifferent or avoidant the next. Over a period of time specific social patterns may develop, appearing unfriendly and reserved to some and friendly and open to others. With their sporadic nature, they may unwittingly convince others of a general dislike and social discontentment, even though it is not their intention. Because of this, ENTps feel a need to receive positive emotions more than any other type, and often use their intuitive logic to concoct clever social schemes to gain required social attention; ENTps crave great emotional attention from others.
ENTPs are methodically very abstract and thought driven, constantly seeking the pure potentialities of the unseen. They naturally see the big picture as others see it, while actively comparing their own beliefs without bias and consideration to their own personal belief. It is not uncommon for an ENTp to think in his mind ‘A man believes this, another believes that … I see the potentialities of them both, so what is the real deal?’ Often an ENTp may logically qualify these abstractions to make personal solutions to problems, though they actively avoid solving logical problems the same as others do. Since they avoid deriving known conclusions, their ideas maintain a unique and personal originality that others may not have considered. ENTps have little loyalty to personal beliefs and tend to abandon old inferior beliefs for newer ones with better potentialities.
In general, ENTPs are upbeat visionaries. They highly value knowledge, and spend much of their lives seeking a higher understanding. They live in the world of possibilities, and become excited about concepts, challenges and difficulties. When presented with a problem, they’re good at improvising and quickly come up with a creative solution. Creative, clever, curious, and theoretical, ENTPs have a broad range of possibilities in their lives.
The ENTP sees the parenting relationship as one more opportunity for the growth and development of everyone involved. The ENTP’s house may be crowded with the latest books, gadgets, fads, or all of the above. Children will be introduced to all of these things, which are used to challenge them–something far more important than neatness, schedule, and order. The ENTP’s parenting model is “Stretch thyself,” and successful parenting involves whatever helps the child to achieve this goal. Most ENTP parents generate more ideas and possibilities per day than their children will ever be able to complete. This in itself can be tiring and, to a child of a different type, very frustrating. It was probably an NT parent, most particularly an ENTP parent, who first said, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Helping the child to realize and expand the self is the ENTP’s most basic principle of child-rearing. This quest may be made at the expense of hugs, kisses, and expressions of affection, although for the ENTP parent the process itself is the ultimate expression of love.
This focus on challenge, extremes, pursuit of ideas, and independent thinking characterizes all aspects of the ENTP’s living style. The result can be a variety of kinds of instability. There may be big financial swings, as well as a lot of physical disarray and disorganization. When intellectual sparring and “doing your own thing” take precedence over completing yesterday’s tasks–cleaning the house, the office, the yard, or whatever–the result can sometimes be chaos. Generally, the ENTP’s home is an open haven to all, especially to those who are interested in whatever current scheme is unfolding and those who are interested in whatever current scheme is unfolding and those who, like the ENTP, thrive on the intellectual stimulation of one-upmanship–whether they are one-upping or being one-upped.
Being allowed to dream up and pursue possibilities without any follow-through or accountability is the ultimate form of relaxation for the ENTP. It is also probably the greatest source of ENTP creativity. To give free reign to the imagination, instead of getting bogged down in the sticky details or dull routines that may be part and parcel of the idea, allows ENTPs’ creativity to flourish. They find not only stimulation and growth in the process, but relaxation too. Stress comes from being tied down by too many details.
Like their adult counterparts, ENTP children are often whirlwinds. Lots of friends, laughter, projects, and ideas fill their waking hours. Each new day is a new opportunity to design systems, challenge friends, and scheme. A single request by a parent–”to take out the garbage,” for example–can lead an ENTP child to spend hours if not days designing some sort of invention that will get the garbage from the kitchen to the backyard without human intervention. The design might demand calling friends, experimenting, or any number of other possibilities–all of which will be more exciting than actually completing the chore.
This is exactly the way an ENTP approaches learning. It is a group exchange of ideas, arguments, challenges, and projects. ENTPs would much rather learn by “getting involved” than by being lectured to. In true entrepreneurial spirit, if their involvement results in something that can be used, shared, and marketed (a new garbage-removal system), so much the better. Teaching that encourages such exchanges and opportunities is exciting to an ENTP. That which is routine, redundant, rigid, or overly detailed is boring. Assignments may be completed late (or early) and may be done sloppily. If dull or unchallenging in their original form, the ENTP may even change or reconstruct assignments in the name of “learning.” This typically ENTP behavior may be frustrating to students and teachers of different types and may result in a no-win situation–for the teacher, because he or she loses the ENTP’s respect and attention, and for the ENTP student, who may do poorly in school.
ENTPs usually find work that involves an analytical, entrepreneurial, and creative focus. They tend to tolerate ambiguity well. They want to be in situations in which they can take intellectual risks and meet challenges. To perform in their best fashion, they prefer flexibility and versatility. While they like status and titles, they ultimately want to be judged on their innovative accomplishments. They take advantage of changing circumstances and work those circumstances into their plans. As a result, they function effectively in chaotic times.