What follows is a brief description of the ENTP personality type, including:
• Natural Strengths
• Common Tendencies
• Interaction Styles
• Stressors and Coping Mechanisms.
• Ideal and Corrupt versions of the ENTP
•ENTP Stack

ENTP Basic

Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving. ENTPs are first and foremost explorers and “brainstormers.” They will take one thing (a remark, an item, an image), and they will come up with so many unique and interesting thoughts and ideas that (to an external observer) seem barely related (if at all), but to an ENTP it makes perfect sense.

This emphasis on “ideas” (and the speed with which they generate them) means that ENTPs tend to “act quickly” and rarely hesitate. However, just because they “act” does not mean they “know.” Often they’ll “take action” as a way of “trying something out” and “gathering new information” in the form of “what happens if I do ‘this.” They want to “get things moving” and find it difficult to “wait patiently.” They want to “finish it” and “move on.” When things slow, they often believe that “too much order” and “too many restrictions” are the problem.

ENTPs are very freedom focused. They don’t like feeling “limited” (even by moral or ethical values). They prioritize effectiveness and adaptation, anything to “get things moving.” They need to “be in the thick of things” and “centrally involved.”

When interacting with others, ENTPs can seem “harsh” to others (favoring direct and effective truth over sensitivity). ENTPs can learn to “fake” sensitivity and kindness, but over time they can “fake it” for so long that they start to lose sight of who they really are.

ENTPs long to connect (and on some level recognize that they need others to help them achieve their goals), but worry that their “true self” will be rejected, so they learn to hide it, and only gradually reveal it (and only to those they feel close with). ENTPs also have a tendency to “leap to conclusions,” so it’s important to “choose your words carefully” and “verify with them.”

ENTPs tend to be wary of pleasure, worrying that they may “lose control” or “become distracted from their goals.” They are also stressed by “expectations or obligations” and “solitude” (which is tricky because most connections come with some measure of “expectations”). When stressed, ENTPs can become anxious about “what could go wrong,” and question their own ability to “handle things.” If problems persist, they can become quiet, pessimistic, and “extra sensitive to sensory stimuli (like sound or touch).” They may obsess over small things, coming up with elaborate theories based on minor details.

Solutions often include “time alone to calm their mind and emotions,” activities that help them express their emotions (like a sport), or by expressing their thoughts and feelings with someone they trust (who will not get overwhelmed and knows how to handle them with care).

ENTP Ideal

ENTPs are known for their abundance of creative ideas, tempered by a strong sense of logic and “realistic expectations.” They believe in facing the harsh truths of reality, but never let those “harsh truths” stop them from imagining “what could be,” as they continue to “help others” and strive to “make the world a better place.” If someone has a problem, they’re happy to help.

They will struggle with “do the ends justify the means?” And even though that can be a painful question, it’s important that the ENTP “keep asking themselves that question.” Otherwise they run the risk of “using others” in ways that are unwelcome (alienating them in the process).

ENTP Corrupt

ENTPs enjoy (and sometimes suffer from) an abundance of ideas, and while this is not (in and of itself) good or bad, they can sometimes become overwhelmed by the volume of ideas, and have a difficult time “choosing which ideas to engage and follow through on.”

The corrupt ENTP doesn’t choose (or pause to consider), they race from one idea to the next, each one briefly and enthusiastically embraced. They will pursue each goal using anything or anyone around them. At no point do they ask whether or not “this is wrong,” because “if they succeed” then “it will all be justified,” and if they fail then they need to move even faster, racing to the next idea, because they need something to “work” so that they can justify (and pay for) all the ideas that didn’t.

They are impulsive and whimsical, consistently ignoring the pain they cause (sometimes they even take pleasure in toying with others), as they race to “stay ahead of their growing consequences” (and enjoy the freedom of impulsively embracing whatever pops in their head).

They are charming, charismatic, confident, and very upbeat, but it’s all an act designed to convince others to “go along with them.” And as soon as someone opposes the corrupt ENTP, they can become intensely hostile, mocking the person and “twisting the truth” so that they can cast the other person as the villain (and themselves as the hero). “Perception” has become their reality (which also hints at how an ENTP often becomes corrupted).

ENTPs often “start out” believing in an extreme form of “harsh truth” and “aggressive honesty.” But over time they realize that “most people don’t like that,” so they start to temper and soften their “honesty.” Over time they find that “the less honest” they are, the more they focus on “saying” and “being” what others want them to be, the more they get what they want from others. So they begin “wearing a mask,” and eventually they “never take it off.”

But deep down that “honest streak” persists (in some form). ENTPs will find ways to convince themselves that “they are telling the truth” (it’s just others misinterpreted them).

ENTP Stack

The stack is essentially “what distinguishes one personality type from another.”

1. Ne (Exploration)
2. Ti (Accuracy)
3. Fe (Harmony)
4. Si (Memory)

5. Ni (Perspective)
6. Te (Effectiveness)
7. Fi (Authenticity)
8. Se (Sensation)

If you would like some basic information about what the 8 skills and 8 roles mean (in general, please click the button below.