Are you curious about the rarity of the ENFJ personality type?
If so, you’re not alone. ENFJ, also known as the giver or protagonist personality, is one of the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
But just how rare is this type?
In this article, we’ll explore the statistics and characteristics of ENFJs, and delve into what makes them such a unique and valuable addition to any community.
So sit back, relax, and let’s dive into the world of ENFJs.
How Rare Is An ENFJ
ENFJs are among the rarest personality types, comprising only about 2-3% of the population. This means that out of every 100 people you meet, only 2 or 3 are likely to be ENFJs.
Interestingly, male ENFJs are even less common than females. To be more precise, ENFJ is the second-least common personality type among men, making up only 2% of them. On the other hand, the percentage of female ENFJs is a bit higher, making up 3%.
In particular, ENFJs make up 3% of the general US population, which means that it’s the fourth-least common personality type after INFJ, INTJ, and ENTJ.
However, it’s important to note that the distribution of personality types is not even. S-types take the top six most common personality types and a couple are over 12% each (ISFJ and then ESFJ). The most common N type is ENFP, which ranks 7th at 8%. The top 6 types take 63% of the population which leaves little room for the N types to divide up.
What Is An ENFJ?
ENFJ stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. This personality type is also known as the “giver” or “protagonist” personality. ENFJs are often described as warm, outgoing, loyal, and sensitive individuals who have a strong desire to help others. They are very people-oriented and can forge friendships with all personality types, even with more introverted or reticent individuals.
ENFJs are insightful and compelling types who tend to know just the right buttons to push to motivate people towards their goals. They have a gift for motivating people towards personal growth and are usually very directive and decisive in achieving goals that they feel are best for communities as a whole.
ENFJs prefer to learn new things and prefer environments that offer variety, problem solving, a focus on the future, and opportunities to be supportive of others and fulfill their humanitarian values. They have the ability to sense what others feel and affect how people behave, which gives them the ability to influence and even manipulate others. However, this is balanced by their strong value system and desire to help others be the best they can be.
The Statistics: How Rare Is An ENFJ?
According to a global distribution chart, ENFJ is roughly in the middle at 4.9% of the population. This means that ENFJs are rarer than ESTJs, ESFJs, ISFJs, ISTJs, ESTPs, ESFPs, ISFPs, ISTPs, and ENFPs. However, they are more common than INFJs, INTJs, ENTJs, INFPs, ENTPs, INTPs, ENTPs and ENTJs.
It’s also interesting to note that the rarity of ENFJs varies by country. For example, in Ireland, Mexico, and South Africa, ENFJ is ranked as the most rare type. Likewise in the UK, Australia and Canada, ENFJ is ranked as the 2nd most rare type. In France — 3rd. In Netherlands — 4th. In Germany — 6th. In China — 7th.
ENFJ Characteristics And Traits
ENFJs are known for their warm, engaging, and charismatic personalities, which make them the kings and queens of the social realm. They are often described as gregarious, friendly, and outgoing, with a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
One of the defining traits of an ENFJ is their ability to sense what others feel and affect how people behave. This gives them the power to influence and even manipulate others, but it is balanced by their strong value system and desire to help others be the best they can be.
ENFJs are also highly intuitive, which means they have a natural ability to understand complex ideas and see things from multiple perspectives. This makes them excellent problem solvers and strategic thinkers, which is why they often excel in leadership roles.
Another important characteristic of ENFJs is their sensitivity to the emotions of others. They are deeply empathetic and compassionate, which makes them great listeners and supportive friends. They are always willing to lend a helping hand or a listening ear to those in need.
Despite their many strengths, ENFJs can also have some weaknesses. They can be overly idealistic at times, which can make it difficult for them to deal with harsh realities or negative feedback. They can also be prone to burnout if they don’t take enough time for self-care.
The Strengths And Weaknesses Of An ENFJ
ENFJs possess a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that make them stand out from other personality types.
One of the most notable strengths of ENFJs is their ability to promote harmony and morale while defusing potential conflicts. They are highly cooperative and have a talent for persuading and motivating others to work together towards a common goal. ENFJs are excellent communicators, whether it’s in writing, speaking, or storytelling. They thrive on good conversation and enjoy being the center of attention.
ENFJs are also natural leaders who excel at teaching, mentoring, and educating others. Their idealism allows them to see the potential in people and entities, while their judging element helps them map out the path to get there. They are reliable, passionate, and altruistic individuals who take great pleasure in pursuing their hobbies and interests.
However, ENFJs also have some weaknesses that they need to be aware of. One of their biggest weaknesses is their tendency to be overly idealistic and have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. This can lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration when they fail to meet their high standards.
Another weakness of ENFJs is their tendency to be overly empathetic. They often put others’ needs ahead of their own, which can leave them feeling unsatisfied or unfulfilled. It’s important for ENFJs to learn how to balance their desire to help others with their own needs and well-being.
ENFJs In Relationships And Friendships
ENFJs are known for being warm, friendly, and focused on others, which makes them great friends and partners. They are excellent at expressing their feelings and have no trouble supporting their loved ones. They are also great at organizing their time and money, making them superb examples for those around them.
In friendships, ENFJs are thoughtful, considerate, and expressive. They quickly perceive the emotional needs of others and tend to make their friends feel valued and understood. Because they care deeply about other people’s values, they will often try to help their friends achieve success or find happiness.
However, ENFJs may take a while to open up to new people. They tend to feel most comfortable with a small, tight-knit group of close friends. They won’t often share their own emotions or problems with their friends either, which can make it difficult for others to understand them on a deeper level.
When it comes to romantic relationships, ENFJs approach them in relatively similar ways. They place relationships high on their list of priorities and are deeply interested in people and human psychology. ENFJs are in touch with their own emotions and other people’s feelings, making them thoughtful, kind, and appreciative partners.
Sharing a deep connection and building emotional intimacy is important for ENFJs when developing a bond. They certainly aren’t the types to experience shallow emotions. ENFJs have a complex emotional nature that can take time for them to open up and share with their partner. Feeling understood by their partner is essential for ENFJs.
Couples in an ENFJ-ENFJ relationship often embark on personal growth journeys together. There is a risk that they may gloss over the details while focusing on the big picture. However, they dream big together and reach for the stars.
ENFJs have a dynamic, go-getting energy as extroverts. They understand each other’s need for social interaction and often enjoy doing activities and going to events together. As innately empathetic personality types, they look deeper and notice traits about each other that other people don’t see. They tend to have high emotional intelligence which can be hugely beneficial in relationships.
ENFJs In The Workplace
ENFJs are known for their outgoing and proactive nature, making them a great fit for jobs that involve talking with people on a regular basis. They thrive in sociable environments and enjoy being at the forefront of events and occurrences. ENFJs have a natural talent for convincing or influencing others, making them excellent in sales-related roles. They also have an altruistic side to them, always wanting to reach out and help others, which makes them natural caregivers. As such, they can adapt well to careers that require this aspect of the human personality, such as nursing, therapy, teaching, counseling, or customer service.
ENFJs also have a strong affinity for rules and regulations. They strictly follow established norms and want others to do the same. For this reason, many ENFJs tend to take up jobs related to law enforcement, such as police officers, lawyers, and judges. However, they may not be suitable for certain roles like that of a traffic police officer as it can truly dishearten an ENFJ.
It is important to note that ENFJs tend to become upset with job roles that lack interaction with other people. They would not like to be professionally involved in individual sports like cycling or chess or adventure sports like paragliding and skydiving. Normally, ENFJs can thrive in a wide variety of roles and are comfortable with any level of seniority.
As colleagues, ENFJs are interpersonally focused, understanding, tolerant, appreciative, and facilitators of good communication. They are known for their strength of character and extend their standards to their colleagues as well as the organizations for which they work. To ENFJs, every individual employee is an ambassador and representative of their employer and team. As such, the company culture and behavior overall reflect on the individual and vice versa.
As managers, ENFJs are known for their ability to sense what others feel and affect how people behave. They have the ability to influence and even manipulate others but balance this with their strong value system and desire to help others be the best they can be. ENFJs can be valuable assets to their teams if their personality traits and strengths are understood and leveraged while bolstering their areas of improvement.
As subordinates, ENFJs are loyal team players who thrive in sociable environments where they can interact with others. They are excellent communicators who take feedback well and are always willing to improve themselves. However, they may become disheartened if they feel their efforts are not appreciated or if they perceive a lack of collaboration within the team.
Overall, ENFJs bring a unique set of skills and strengths to the workplace that can benefit any organization if leveraged properly.
