ENFP and ESFJ Compatibility: Relationships, Friendships and Partnerships (2023)

See this article for a comparison ofENFPsjESFJin five major personality areas: interpersonal/communicative style, emotional style, intellectual style and organizational style.

An important note: the following comparisonsI can'tbe done simply by comparing the cognitive functions (letters) of each personality type.

For this analysis, TraitLab collected data on the personality traits ofmilesof participants who identified as a specific type in the 16 personality or Myers-Briggs framework.

The comparisons here show thatAverageSimilarities and differences between ENFP and ESFJ. However, remember that all personality types are oversimplifications. To assess your unique position in these areas, you need an individual assessment that is independent of personality types.

Go to any section using the links below.

• ENFP and ESFJ Interpersonal and Communication Styles
• ENFP and ESFJ emotion styles
• Intellectual styles of ENFP and ESFJ
• ENFP and ESFJ organizational styles
• ENFP compatibility with other types

ENFP and ESFJ Interpersonal and Communication Styles

Your special communication and interaction style can be described quite well on the basis of two dimensions:assertivenessjheat.

Assertiveness describes your tendency to assert yourself, lead, and influence others in social situations, while warmth describes your tendency to empathize and put the needs of others ahead of your own.

People with the same personality type often share some similarities in assertiveness and warmth. In the table below you can see where most ENFPs and most ESFJs fall on these two dimensions.

First look at where the people are located in each type,on average, fall into this interpersonal space.

ENFPs are often supportive, openly compassionate, and actively offer help to others. At best, they are gentle sympathizers who are easily trusted and accepted. ENFPs can be overly revealing and have a hard time being alone. At worst, they may require too much attention and admiration from others and be overly involved in others' affairs.

ESFJs often agree, trust and cooperate with others. At their best, they are friendly, loving, and bring out the warmth and sympathy of others. ESFJs can be too cute and easy to bond with. At worst, they may seek approval and approval too much and rely on other people's approval.

One aspect you and many ESFJs have in common is your interpersonal warmth. Both ENFPs and ESFJs tend to be kinder and more attentive to other people's needs and interests, sometimes at the expense of their own goals.

A key difference between you and most ESFJs is your relative assertiveness and dominance in social situations. Like many ENFPs, you tend to be more assertive and more comfortable taking responsibility and making decisions. This often pairs well with the more reserved and passive ESFJ style, but care should be taken not to be overly dominant, forceful, or direct. Unlike you, ESFJs may need extra time and space to share their thoughts and ideas.

ENFP and ESFJ emotion styles

Another characteristic of your personality is your emotional style: your tendency towards different moods. There are two dimensions that affect emotional style:excitementjValencia.

Arousal describes your relative energy levels in different situations. Those with a high baseline of arousal tend to be more alert, active, and engaged in general, while those with a lower baseline are more reserved, reserved, and inhibited.

Valence describes whether these moods tend to be positive (pleasant) or negative (unpleasant). People with a more positive valence style are more likely to experience emotions such as joy, excitement, contentment, and serenity. People with a more negative valence style are more likely to experience sadness, frustration, dissatisfaction, and anxiety.

The graphic below shows where each type,on average, usually sits in this emotional space.

Most ENFPs and ESFJs largely overlap in their emotional styles.

ENFPs and ESFJs tend to be energetic and enthusiastic in most situations. You accept new challenges with enthusiasm, self-confidence and a spirit of adventure. ENFPs and ESFJs tend to be more optimistic than most people and generally feel like they can handle whatever life throws their way.

Like most ENFPs, you and many ESFJs share relatively high energy levels. Both prefer to be on the move and actively participate in something interesting rather than watching. At best, the pair feed off of each other's energy and enthusiasm, and there's rarely a quiet moment when they're together.

Likewise, both ENFPs and ESFJs are generally positive rather than negative. They are more likely to express enthusiasm, contentment, happiness, and other positive emotions in most situations. Like everyone else, they occasionally experience negative emotions like sadness, fear, and anger, but they soon revert to their usual comfortable selves. Together, ENFPs and ESFJs tend to share an optimistic attitude and a resilience to stress.

Intellectual styles of ENFP and ESFJ

Your intellectual style describes how you receive, process, and seek different types of information. Differences in intellectual style are well captured in two dimensions:ideasjaesthetics.

ideasdescribes your appetite for new information and your interest in complex and challenging subjects. Imaginative people appreciate complexity and technical details. People with fewer ideas are less interested in learning for the sake of learning and prefer to simplify complex topics to the essentials.

aestheticscaptures your interest and sensitivity to aesthetic information and its emotional impact. People with a higher aesthetic dimension often have strong artistic interests and a deep appreciation for beauty in many forms. Those with a lower aesthetic level tend to prioritize practicality over artistic value and generally adhere to more conventional standards of beauty.

In the graphic below you can see where ENFP and ESFJ,on average, fall into this intellectual space.

ENFPs are idealistic and creative dreamers. You tend to be interested in the nuances of emotional and artistic experiences and look for patterns and meaningful ideas. ENFPs are comfortable with ambiguity and abstract concepts, and tend to focus on the big picture rather than technical details. You often practice some form of creative expression and are likely to hold some outlandish and eccentric beliefs.

ESFJs are practical realists. They focus on developing practical skills and basic knowledge and spend less time learning for the sake of learning. Additionally, they typically value conventional, tangible achievement over artistic expression and rarely feel compelled to develop a creative outlet.

As an ENFP, you and most ESFJs are down to earth and simple thinkers. They both prefer to keep things basic and focus on the practical, and they try not to overcomplicate things. When you and your ESFJ colleague are together, your conversations revolve around concrete details, facts, and conventional topics rather than theoretical or philosophical ones.

Another difference between ENFPs and ESFJs is their relative interest in aesthetic, artistic, and emotional experiences. As an ENFP, you tend to value artistic expression and unconventional ways of thinking, while your ESFJ counterpart is more practical and traditional. ENFPs tend to think more about emotional experiences, seek pattern and context, and are more receptive to eccentricity and imagination. In contrast, ESFJs often avoid reading too much into their emotions and may be dismissive or skeptical of unconventional ways of thinking.

ENFP and ESFJ organizational styles

Your organizational style describes your habits of organization and planning. Your organizational style affects how you structure your time and physical space. Organizational style differences fall into two dimensions:diligencejcommand.

Diligence describes your perseverance, your willingness to perform and your level of concentration. The hardest working people tend to organize their behavior around a few important long-term goals. People with less diligence tend to focus more on the present and will more easily shift their focus as new opportunities arise.

Order describes your need for regularity, order and structure in your environment. The neatest people prefer orderly and organized physical spaces, detailed schedules, and reliable routines. People with less order can tolerate more disorganization and prefer a more spontaneous and unstructured approach.

The graphic below shows theAverageENFPs and ESFJs position themselves along these organizational style dimensions.

ENFPs thrive in unstructured environments with fewer constraints and more room for improvisation and chance. They usually focus on enjoying the present instead of preparing for the future. ENFPs value spontaneity and flexibility to change their minds, and resist strict deadlines or rigid expectations.

ESFJs tend to be systematic and highly organized. They like to set big, long-term goals and then create detailed plans to achieve them. ESFJs are generally good at ignoring distractions and making steady progress through consistent routines and habits.

Like many ENFPs, you and most ESFJs often differ in your need to achieve explicit goals and use your time productively. While accepting the here and now, your ESFJ peer often thinks and plans for the future. ESFJs generally work with their heads down in search of new and exciting opportunities. This difference between your present-oriented mindset and your future-oriented mindset can create tension at times. However, this difference also helps you balance the other at times. Your fellow ESFJ often needs you to relieve them of their need for productivity and efficiency, while they can provide you with extra focus and motivation.

A second difference between ENFPs and ESFJs is their relative need for routine, structure, and order. You and most ENFPs are more comfortable with a spontaneous, unplanned approach to life, while your ESFJ counterpart often desires well-defined plans, schedules, and procedures. ESFJs thrive on routine and predictability, while ENFPs find the same level of organization overbearing and restrictive. These differences in orderliness, punctuality, and convenience in deviating from social expectations can be a constant source of conflict between the two of you.

How to identify your closest personality type

Most people have complex personalities and don't fall into just one personality type.

To see which of the 16 types is most like you, try TraitLab's free program.16 Personality Type Assessment.

ENFP compatibility with other types

For comparisons between ENFP and other personality types, visit one of the following pairs of types: