ENTP Personality Type (Ne-Ti)

What is an ENTP Personality Type?

ENTP stands for Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving. Originally, it was a term from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI), which was developed by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs. The Myers-Briggs theory (which many incorrectly refer to as just “MBTI”) originally labelled 16 personality types. Myers and Briggs drew their inspiration from Carl Jung’s theory of the cognitive functions. The 4-letter acronyms have now become commonplace within various offshoots or interpretations of Carl Jung’s original work.

ENTP Meaning

The ENTP personality type is Extraverted, which does not necessarily mean that they are socially extraverted, although many may be. They will, however, be cognitive extraverts. In Carl Jung’s description of the cognitive functions, Extraversion simply means a focus on the objective or external world.

The ENTP personality type values Intuition, which means they prioritize abstract information over concrete information. Being an Intuitive does not mean the ENTP is incapable of interacting with the concrete world in an effective way, but rather they will prioritize abstract information when making decisions.

The ENTP personality type values Thinking, which does not mean they have no emotions or are unaffected by their emotions. Rather, they will have a natural focus on impersonal data, in an attempt to approach things in a way that they believe to be the most logical.

The ENTP personality type prioritizes Perceiving, which means they prefer a spontaneous and flexible lifestyle. Perceiver types are prone to feeling smothered by too much structure or organization.

ENTP at a Glance

ENTP types approach reality with possibilities in mind. They see reality for more than what it is, whether that means constant negative possibilities or constant positive ones. Regardless, these will be very real to them, and will be a driving force in their life. The confident ENTP will act on these possibilities, wanting to explore many ideas further. However, they may quickly grow bored and jump to the next big idea. ENTPs excel at systematic thinking, and rely on an internal sense of consistent logic. Assuming they are socially extraverted, they are often warm and likeable individuals who are good at getting others on the same page.

Common Strengths (when healthy)

Curious
Adaptable
Analytical
Candid
Energetic
Speculative
Verbally Expressive

Common Weaknesses (when imbalanced)

Impulsive
Scattered and unfocused
Sharp-tongued and divisive
Facetious or phony
Indecisive
Avoidant of reality

Cognitive Functions of an ENTP

The cognitive functions for the ENTP personality type, in order, are Ne-Ti-Fe-Si. Below, we attempted to break down each cognitive function and practically explain how it will surface in an ENTP. Please realize however that everyone is unique, and the entire world cannot fit into 16 personality type boxes. Ergo, it’s unlikely that an ENTP will relate to or demonstrate every single quirk or trait mentioned below. However, an ENTP should relate to the underlying principle of each function, and most of what is described below. Exceptions may occur when the ENTP is stuck in a Ne-Fe loop or in the grip of Si. These scenarios may be briefly mentioned in the description below, but this page is not specifically written with those scenarios in mind. With all that said, we hope you find this description useful for self-analysis or understanding the minds of others.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)

The ENTP personality type leads with Extraverted Intuition (Ne). As dominant Ne users, this personality type primarily focus on patterns and connections in the external world. (Click here for a more in-depth description of Ne.) People with this personality will do this subconsciously, because use of one’s dominant function is natural and easy. They’ll notice how things relate and connect together, and may find vague ways to connect things that non-Ne users would never have thought of. Dominant Ne users will be the people with lots of creative ideas. They’ll love to theorize, debate, and discuss. New thoughts and ideas will excite and energize them. However, unlike the Se users, dominant Ne users, like ENTPs, will not be driven by a desire to make their ideas tangible, but rather to explore different ideas and how they connect. Therefore, because of their relationship with new concepts and ideas, ENTPs will be prone to having many different hobbies, or dabbling in many different things. They may struggle to stick to one particular interest for very long. Once something has been fully explored and they feel like they completely understand it, ENTPs will likely get bored of it and jump to something else. They may one day loop back and develop that hobby a little further, or they may never touch it again. This personality will have a tendency to not finish things they start, and never see their ideas through to completion. However, a disciplined ENTP can learn to fight that tendency (since one’s personality does not determine whether or not they can be disciplined and productive).

In conversation, ENTPs will probably span many subjects or deeply analyze one particular one. However, in the process, they’ll probably connect many thoughts together, making the conversation fraught with random references and “off-the-wall” comments. You or even the ENTP may end up wondering “How did the conversation end up here?” or “what was the point I was trying to make?” When telling a story or lecturing, an ENTP will be prone to rabbit trails and may struggle to stay on point. (They should eventually make it back to the original point… maybe. ) Ne users are especially good at ‘falling down the rabbit hole’ of YouTube, or Wikipedia, or the internet in general. They go online to look up one thing, and then several clicks later, find themselves somewhere completely unrelated. Their humor will likely be referenced based, quirky, witty, and possibly very… punny. The Ne-Ti combo is especially prone to witty, sarcastic jabs. In general, Ne is a rather talkative trait because of it’s enjoyment of entertaining ideas and calling out patterns in the real world, so once you get the ENTP personality talking, you may find that they have a lot to say.

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Thinking (Ti)

The second function for the ENTP personality type is Introverted Thinking (Ti). Strong Ti users desire to make everything they see and experience in life fit logically into what they already know. However, since ENTPs are not a dominant Ti users, they won’t necessarily be in a constant state of processing information. Instead, their Ti will be used to either help determine the focus of their Ne or aid in logical analysis of their Ne ideas. As a dominant Extraverted Perceiver (Ne, in this case), ENTPs will desire to explore and perceive first and foremost, and then Ti will come in to help order their observations and make judgement calls. Like the dominant Ti users, ENTPs will have a need to make sense of things, but not everything – only whatever their dominant Ne is currently focusing on.

ENTPs will be analytical, and they’ll probably enjoy things that have a problem solving element. Due to Ti’s desire to analyze and Ne’s desire to consider every possibility, they may frequently come across as indecisive when they can get away with it. However, since they are ultimately extraverts, they will make snap decisions much more readily than their introverted counterpart (INTP) might, and once they get an idea in their head, it may be hard to stop them from acting. Since their judging function is both internal and auxiliary, ENTPs will probably appear more open-minded and non-judgemental as a general rule. However, when Ti is extraverted, it may come across a couple of different ways, the first being external analysis. Statements such as “I think that makes sense” or “I’m not so sure about that” tend to be characteristic of strong Ti users. ENTPs will probably struggle to outright dismiss or accept any new logical “fact” until they have had time to analyze it fully, but they will initially run it through their Ti “database” to produce one of the previously mentioned statements. The other way Ti might extravert is through a sudden, sharp statement or jab, amidst matter-of-fact analysis, in a debate or in conversation. As a result, ENTPs may find themselves accidentally offending someone or hurting someone’s feelings. They will probably be aware of what they have done the moment the words leave their mouth, or not long after (as a result of low Fe). While ENTPs can be incredibly friendly and easygoing, they won’t strike people as very emotional, nor will they be prone to sharing personal information unless they have a close relationship with whomever they are conversing with.

In arguments or debates (which they’ll probably be involved in a lot as a result of Ne idea exploration), ENTPs will be among the personality types to call out logical error and inconsistencies rather than appealing to emotions or arguing about values. (This doesn’t mean ENTPs will never argue about personal beliefs, but rather that the style of argument will be centered around poking logical holes in the arguer’s reasoning, instead of appeals to one’s emotion or values.) ENTPs will ignore rules that don’t make logical sense to them, and won’t have a natural respect for authority in the external world. ENTP’s may come off as a rebel at times when they choose to ignore a rule, regulation, or authority figure that is deemed illogical or useless. ENTPs will probably also enjoy strategy centered games which utilize their Ti.

Tertiary Function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)

The third function for the ENTP personality type is Extraverted Feeling (Fe). Fe in this spot will cause ENTPs to appear more emotionally expressive than their INTP counterparts. Healthy ENTPs should have fairly strong use of their tertiary Fe, being able to utilize it as a strength. They may feel somewhat inadequate regarding their ability to read and empathize with others, yet this shouldn’t be an extreme insecurity for them. Of course, on the other hand, they may view themselves as completely competent in this area. They may also feel a heightened need to help or connect with others.

However, less healthy ENTPs might also be prone to using Fe more mischievously (to argue, jest, or provoke conflict), or simply as a warning signal, telling the ENTP when it’s time to leave a situation that is slowly unraveling into disharmony. They may be the types that slip out before a situation gets too emotionally intense, or on the flip side, they may be right in the center of it all, egging it on. Tertiary Fe can cause this personality to manipulate the emotions of those they are interacting with when they’re trying to get what they want or achieve a certain goal. They’ll also probably be more charismatic as a result of this function.

In the negative, Fe desires validation from others. In the case of ENTPs, they will probably appear very confident, while secretly desiring that their actions or arguments be validated. While an Fi user wants to be agreed with, Fe users are more looking to have their arguments, viewpoints, or actions deemed valid, even if disagreed with. For instance, they may be prone to arguing something out until they can get the recognition that their argument or viewpoint isn’t illogical.

Inferior Function: Introverted Sensing (Si)

The last function for the ENTP personality type is Introverted Sensing (Si). In healthy ENTPs, this function will help them to stick with a goal that they have set for themselves and see it through. It will allow them to settle on something instead of constantly switching course, and allow them to approach it in a detail oriented way. They also use this function to create stores of information for their Ne to sift through.

When undeveloped, inferior Si may show up as a blatant disregard for the past. It may also make them seem paranoid, obsessing over one specific thing or detail. They can get tunnel vision, fixating on very specific, insignificant facts. They may lock themselves into insignificant routines that they are unable to deviate from. For instance, having a certain meal at the exact same time every day, regardless of whether or not they’re actually hungry. Weak Si use may also manifest as forgetfulness, mostly in the way of overlooking significant details. For instance, ENTPs may go take out a screw only to realize that they forgot to grab a screwdriver.

When unhealthy, inferior Si will show up as an obsession with the good old days or how things used to be. Unhealthy ENTPs may have an inability to move on from the past, and find themselves obsessing over one particular event or instance in their life.

ENTP Careers and Job Ideas

At Practical Typing, we hesitate to list specific careers, because each person is far more than their personality type. Cognitive functions do not determine skills, only cognitive preferences. However, there will be certain aspects within a given career field that play better to an ENTP’s strengths. For instance, ENTPs will enjoy a type of job that grants freedom to explore possibilities. They’ll want variety within the type of work that they do, in order to prevent boredom and avoid getting stuck in monotonous routines. They often enjoy the opportunity to rely on their imagination to come up with novel ideas or solutions. They often appreciate a job that is technical in nature, or focuses on problem-solving. As a result, they may prefer to avoid jobs that are overly structured, overly repetitive, restrict creative exploration, or are too emotionally involved.

ENTP Relationships and Compatibility

Within a relationship, ENTPs value the exchanging of ideas and are always ready to share something new or exciting that they have on their mind. They can bring a lively energy to conversations and love exploring new possibilities with their loved ones. They tend to enjoy engaging in an intelligent debate with those they are close to, as a means to further explore the subject or sharpen their way of thinking. Being naturally spontaneous, they will need to be granted the flexibility to explore whatever strikes their fancy.