Skip to Content

ENFP vs ENFJ: 11 Differences Between These Unique Personality Types

ENFP vs ENFJ: 11 Differences Between These Unique Personality Types

If you are familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, you will know that there are sixteen different personality types in the world.

Perhaps you have done the test, and found out which personality type you are! 

In this article, I will be taking a look at two personality types and understanding the differences between them: ENFP vs ENFJ. 

ENFP Definition

So, how can we define an ENFP personality type? These people are pretty charismatic and outgoing, with a great care for their social circle.

They are motivated by emotions and feelings and wear their hearts on their sleeves. 

ENFPs love to have fun in life and take joy in helping others.

They care deeply for social causes and thrive when connecting deeply with those around them. 

People with the ENFP personality type are free thinkers and will stand out from the crowd.

They are the first to speak out when things are wrong and the first to get the party going!

ENFJ Definition  

Those with the ENFJ personality type are often described as the teacher.

They are natural leaders and speak up for those in need, defined by altruism and empathy. 

Despite being extroverted, ENFJs are in tune with their emotions and the emotions of those around them.

They think and feel deeply and crave connections and understanding. 

ENFJs are great communicators.

They know how to get their point across, but don’t like to argue when it is not necessary.

When they find someone they disagree with, they tend to try and find what they have in common in order to overcome any conflict. 

ENFP vs ENFJ: The Key Differences

ENFP vs ENFJ

Now we know the general definitions of both personality types, let’s look compare ENFP vs ENFJ and see their key differences.

How They Deal With Emotions 

When looking at ENFP vs ENFJ in their personality types, they are pretty in tune with their emotions.

They tend to listen to their heart over their head and care about the emotions and feelings of those around them. 

However, ENFJs will often put their own emotions to one side in order to help those around them.

They are not as open as ENFPs, who will never shy away from showing their emotional side. 

Of course, ENFPs care about the emotions of those around them, too.

However, they will often be overwhelmed by their own feelings, and this sometimes means they are blinded to the feelings of those around them. 

Those with an ENFJ personality type will keep their emotions to themselves, caring more about the feelings of others.

This can sometimes cause them pain, as they can feel stretched and under pressure from the weight of emotions of others. 

Leadership 

Both ENFPs and ENFJs have strong leadership qualities and enjoy being the center of attention.

However, they approach leadership pretty differently. 

People with an ENFP personality type are free spirits, and this means that they can get bored easily with a certain plan or situation.

When it comes to leadership, things can start off well, but then get sidetracked quickly. 

In contrast, ENFJs are more structured when it comes to leadership.

They like to stick to their plan and work with others to achieve goals.

They tend to be much more organized than ENFPs, enjoying forward planning.

This means they are able to lead others well. 

Organization 

ENFP vs ENFJ in organization

One huge difference when looking at ENFP vs ENFJ personality types is their approach to organization.

ENFJs are much more organized than ENFPs, sticking to their plans and schedule.

In contrast, ENFPs tend to go with the flow and see where life takes them.

They like changing things up and don’t really like schedules and planning. 

Workplace Relations

Because of the ENFJs natural inclination for organization, they find it easy to follow rules and regulations in the workplace.

They don’t mind having someone higher up in their workplace than them and follow orders easily.

They like to help others, so don’t mind going the extra mile for those they work with. 

In contrast, ENFPs have a big disdain for hierarchies and workplace structures.

They don’t like being bossed around at all and prefer to work when they want. 

This can cause conflict for ENFPs in the workplace, as they might argue against the hierarchy and leave projects unfinished. 

Creativity 

ENFPs are naturally more creative than ENFJs, and this impacts both their work life and their social life. 

They will often put forward fresh ideas in a workplace situation, and have new perspectives on an issue.

However, they lack the structure to fully achieve the change that they are wanting. 

ENFJs, however, can be creative but will mostly see the world in a more structured way.

They enjoy exploring their creative side from time to time, but this isn’t their main focus in life, unlike ENFPs.

They prefer to explore their creative side through details and a deep understanding of the world around them. 

Conflict

ENFP vs ENFJ in conflict

Comparing ENFP vs ENFJ in conflict, they handle and view things in completely different ways.

Both don’t really seek out conflict, however, ENFPs tend to run away from it rather than face it.

Being people-pleasers, ENFPs will take disagreement to heart and really get upset when someone has an issue with them. 

This can sometimes make the issue worse, as ENFPs might act a bit too dramatically when facing conflict.

Instead of rationally trying to solve the situation, they will ignore it instead. 

In contrast, ENFJs are pretty good at facing up to conflict and trying to see ways of solving issues.

When they have had an argument with someone, they tend to try to find common ground.

They value connection and therefore understand the importance of understanding things from different points of view.  

This means that ENFJs will not shy away from having discussions with people who hold different political and moral views.

These discussions might upset them, but they know that they will have things in common with every person, despite their different backgrounds and views. 

Relationships With Those Close To Them

Both ENFPs and ENFJs are outgoing and extroverted.

They like being around their friends and families and find happiness in connecting with others. 

However, they are viewed pretty differently by people in their lives.

ENFPs are often considered as kind and caring, with an ability to listen and actually understand.

They are compassionate individuals, giving love and affection easily. 

ENFJs are kind and caring to those around them, however, they might sometimes hold back and act in a much more reserved way.

They do not show their emotions to their friends and family as much as ENFPs do, preferring to keep some things to themselves. 

ENFJs can also run the risk of being patronizing in conversations.

They love to talk about their views and beliefs and are happy when trying to persuade others.

Because they are strong-willed and passionate, they can be condescending when talking about what they believe in and when trying to get others to change their point of view. 

Judgment 

Because ENFJs are extremely attached to their views and care deeply about their morals and beliefs, they can judge people pretty harshly. 

Of course, they wish to find common ground with those with different opinions.

However, they will struggle to truly accept those that deviate extremely from their own point of view. 

ENFJs have a strong opinion on what is right and wrong, and this means that those who disagree will be seen as immoral in their eyes.

They will judge people who act in ways that go against their own morals, and will not hold back in speaking out when seeing things that they disagree with. 

Those with an ENFP personality type are much more relaxed in regard to judging others.

They may disagree with things that people do or say, but will rarely take it to heart.

They are pretty flexible with their thinking and always listen and understand those who have different viewpoints. 

Decision-Making 

ENFP vs ENFJ in decision making

When it comes to comparing ENFP vs ENFJ on making decisions, they differ vastly.

On one hand, we have those with an ENFJ personality type who loves to plan things out.

ENFJs will think deeply about the long-term consequences of the decision, weighing up the pros and cons of each choice. 

Because they want people to be happy, ENFJs might sometimes struggle with decision-making if the choice involves other people.

They may attempt to figure out a solution that makes everyone happy, but this is often unattainable. 

ENFJs want to find the perfect compromise in difficult decisions, and this might mean they wait a while to really figure things out before proceeding.

Once the plan is in place, however, ENFJs will stick to it. 

ENFPs will frequently find decision-making hard, but for different reasons.

Opportunities are endless in the eyes of ENFPs, and this means that they can struggle to choose exactly what they want. 

Being free-thinkers with a huge creative side, they will sometimes overlook specifics for the abstract.

They find it hard to truly see the pros and cons of each choice, and can typically feel overwhelmed by their options.

ENFPs often find it easier when other people help them make their decisions, and will frequently ask the opinions of friends and family members.

Focus on Detail

One way in which ENFP and ENFJ personality types differ is in their focus on detail.

People with an ENFP personality type will not have a great attention to detail and prefer to look at the bigger picture. 

ENFPs are much more interested in the abstract of life.

They like learning about ideals and belief systems in a theoretical and general way, taking in a range of different opinions and perspectives. 

They enjoy trying out different things and exploring all that is to offer in life, and this means they can sometimes overlook the small details of a situation.

They don’t like repetition and will rush through tasks that they have done before. 

ENFJs are detailed-focused people, and try to take in everything they can.

When it comes to learning new things, they will want to know all the ins and outs.

People with an ENFJ personality type love to learn, and take a lot of time to understand the world around them. 

Because of their attention to detail, ENFJs will thoroughly plan everything out meticulously before acting.

They will often be perfectionists, taking time to go through projects and look for any problems or errors. 

Impulsiveness 

Because ENFPs like to experience new things and enjoy fresh challenges and opportunities, they are typically much more impulsive than those with an ENFJ personality type. 

ENFPs will often say exactly what they are thinking and are totally honest with their emotions.

They will not hold back and are the first to speak their mind when they see an issue in front of them. 

This impulsiveness and openness can get ENFPs into trouble.

Without really thinking things through, ENFPs might make the wrong choices!

However, their impulsivity does mean that they live life to the fullest. 

ENFJs are much more reserved and careful than those with an ENFP personality type.

They are thoughtful with their actions and will consider all the pros and cons of a situation before proceeding. 

This is mostly a good thing, as it means that ENFJs are less likely to find themselves in unforeseen predicaments.

However, it can mean that they hold themselves back a little too much. 

Sometimes, a little bit of impulsivity can be fun!

ENFP vs ENFJ Summary

a group of ENFP's and ENFJ's

Both ENFP and ENFJ personality types value the importance of the people around them and find happiness in friendships and connections with others. 

However, they differ considerably when it comes to emotions, organization, conflict, and decision-making.

ENFPs tend to look at the bigger picture, whereas ENFJs love to focus on the smaller details.

ENFJs are much more organized than ENFPs, yet their judgmental streak can cause them difficulties in their interpersonal relationships!

When it comes to ENFP vs ENFJ, neither personality type is better than the other!

Comparing both ENFP vs ENFJ personality types you can see they have great strengths, and they are important members of our society. 

Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this article on the differences between ENFP vs ENFJ. If you would like to learn more about other personality types please check out our other articles here.

❤️ Related Post: