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The Ultimate Guide to the ENTP Personality

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Ever since Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel have created their personality types classification based on Carl Jung’s studies, the 16 personalities test has become increasingly popular. This popularity soared with the appearance of the Internet and social networks. Consequently, numerous companies and institutions have used this personality classification system in their recruiting processes. Whether you are a fervent fan of 16 personalities categorization and you want to learn more about the ENTP personality, or you are making your first steps in this field, we will provide you with a complete ENTP profile by the end of this article.

Katherine Briggs founded her research on the four pairs of contrasting preferences that largely determine someone’s perception of the world. She focused on the way people direct their energy, absorb information and learn, make decisions, and approach various projects or tasks. Besides predominant preferences, cognitive functions also play a significant role in determining the personality traits of a specific type.

Not sure what your personality type is? You can easily find out by taking our comprehensive personality test.

We have gathered everything you need to know about the ENTP personality in this article to help you put together a vivid portrait of this fascinating personality type. Keep on reading to find out all about their preferences and functional stack, and how these reflect on ENTP’s strengths and weaknesses. You will see what to expect from an ENTP personality in various social roles, as well as their compatibility with other personality types. Shortly, you will learn more about the best matches for an ENTP, and the personality types that will struggle to create a lasting relationship with. This article will also provide a shortlist of perfect careers for the Debater personality, accompanied by several occupations ENTPs should avoid. To keep things on the light side, we will address ENTP’s sense of humor and see who the famous ENTPs are.

Let’s start with some interesting facts and numbers about the ENTP, hoping that you will have at least one “Aha moment” by the time you’ve finished reading this ultimate guide to ENTP personality.

ENTP Facts

ENTPs draw attention by their inexhaustible energy and drive to devise creative and untraditional concepts. People also see them as charismatic and persuasive people who like engaging others in intellectual debates where they can show their expertise. ENTPs are curious and will question everything, seeking knowledge.

Besides these well-known ENTP characteristics, there are some other facts related to this exceptional personality type, according to the 16 Personalities Manual:

  • Some of the distinctive ENTP traits, besides those mentioned above, are enterprising, resourceful, friendly, strong-headed, self-centered, and independent.
  • The least likely of all the personality types to suffer from heart conditions or high blood pressure.
  • Least likely to complain about stress related to family or health circumstances.
  • ENFPs have scored high among other personality types in finding ways to cope with stress.
  • They are one of two personality types most likely to violate college’s alcohol policy.
  • Among types who are not happy with their jobs despite the fact that they are also among the personality types with the highest income.
  • ENTPs are commonly found in science, management, technology, and the arts.

ENTP Percentages

Now that we have discovered some facts indicative of an ENTP personality, let’s turn to ENTP numbers and statistics. According to the statistics that refer to the frequency of the ENTP personality among the US population, only 3.2% of Americans belong to this personality type, with males prevailing with 4.0% over females with 2.4%. These numbers place the ENTP personality type fourth on the rarest personality types list.

For those who may want to have an insight into the percentage of each ENTP preference, The 16 Personalities Institute has provided the following data:

Extroverted 49.3%

Intuition 26.7%

Thinking 40.2

Perceiving 45.9%

As for the distribution of ENTP type worldwide, according to the research by David Keirsey, this personality type makes for 2-5% of the global population.

ENTP Nicknames

The growing popularity of the 16 personalities theory and its assessment methods has resulted in the expansion of personality sites and literature. Numerous authors that have tackled various personality types gave them names that reflected their dominant personality traits. ENTPs are best known as tireless innovators, always ready to tackle intellectual challenges. They are also exceptional entrepreneurs adaptable to any unexpected situation. It is not surprising then that this personality type is also known as:

  • Explorer Inventor (Linda Berens)
  • Enthusiastic Innovator (Alan Brownsword)
  • Inventor (David Keirsey)
  • Precocious Planner (Johnatan P. Niednagel)
  • Enterprising Explorer (official 16 personalities site)

Some of the remarkable nicknames used online for the ENTP personality are The Debater, The Visionary, and The Originator. After offering some interesting numbers and facts about this creative personality, let’s now try and provide a detailed description of an ENTP by discussing their preferences and cognitive functions that largely determine ENTP personality traits.

ENTP Description

Many who may wonder who the ENTP is and what makes them so special compared to other 15 personalities may find their answers in this short description of ENTP’s character.

These extroverted personalities will enthusiastically search for intellectual challenges to learn from. They will also enjoy sharing these opportunities for learning and personal growth with their emotional partners and close friends. Therefore, they will be annoyed and easily frustrated when someone fails to keep up with their quick wit.

That said the idea of the perfect entertainment for an ENTP will include a vivid discussion and a glass of wine. Also known as the Debater, ENTP will enjoy diving into a discussion about the burning global issues just for the sake of it, questioning even their own standing point.

However, this tendency does not mean that ENTPs will be a boring company. Contrary to this, ENTPs are charismatic communicators who will gladly involve others in witty conversations bursting with an exceptional sense of humor. Besides, they are open-minded personalities always ready to see both sides of a story, which prevents them from falling for various stereotypes and prejudices.

Due to the prominent Intuition preference, ENTPs are curious and creative inventors. They are people of ideas, who prefer devising innovative ideas to taking real action. This preference allows ENTPs to create complex relationships and patterns between various impressions that they absorb from the outer world. The results of this intuitive thinking process are creative, future-oriented solutions that may significantly advance traditional working processes. However, they may also tend to overanalyze these ideas, slowing down the practical execution, which may lead to clashes with people with predominant Sensing preference. For this reason, ENTPs will be in charge of coming up with the creative solution, and then will let others do what it takes to turn this idea into reality.

ENTPs are one of the most intriguing personalities because they possess two contrasting preferences; Intuition and Thinking. Thinking preference determines the way someone is making decisions, meaning that ENTPs rely their choices on facts and logic. They are reasonable people, tending not to involve emotions in the decision-making process. On the other hand, their inner intuitive world is the whirlwind of extraordinary ideas that ENTPs express by brainstorming aloud. They are so immersed in this creative world that they may jump from one exciting concept to another within seconds, confusing everyone around them. Also, they may seem unreliable and easily distracted by this surge of various ideas which may prevent them from finishing the ongoing projects. Therefore, this thinking preference may introduce much-needed logical order into their turbulent inner world. This balance between logical and creative thinking is best reflected in ENTP’s quick-witted nature.

The negative side of the “T” preference is that it prevents ENTPs from grasping the importance of emotions. Being outspoken communicators, ENTPs will openly express their opinions and thoughts, not thinking whether this will hurt someone’s feelings or not. They will not shy away from conflicts, being keen debaters, and Feeling types may find it hard to cope with this behavior. For this reason, people would often refer to ENTPs as inconsiderate and rude. ENTPs may need to learn to better express their feelings and understand and acknowledge the feelings of others.

They are fervent advocates of the freedom to do things their way. Due to their Perceiving preference, ENTPs are also flexible and easily adaptable to changed circumstances. For this reason, they will despise structured organizations and will tend to break the rules to achieve wanted results faster. Since ENTPs like to influence others and act from a position of power, they will struggle with subordinate roles, clashing frequently with the authoritative figures.

Although this non-conformity is sometimes necessary for bringing revolutionary ideas to life, ENTPs may need to learn to control their temper and follow rules in certain situations.

ENTP Meaning

This short description is only a piece in the puzzle needed to complete the ENTP portrait and offers a definite answer to the “What does the ENTP stand for?” question. Every one of the 16 personality types is marked by an initialism that refers to their dominant preferences. Thus, ENTP stands for Extroversion (E), Intuition (N), Thinking (T), and Perceiving (P). Let’s see how each preference influences ENTP’s actions and the perception of life.

Extroversion

Personality types with this preference tend to direct their energy towards the outer world. Thus, they are usually communicative, confident, charming, and friendly. ENTPs are typical extroverts, energetic, and always ready for new intellectual challenges. ENTP’s tendency to see each day as an opportunity to discover something new perfectly depicts their enthusiasm. They enjoy involving others in witty debates where they can show the diversity of opinions and arguments. ENTPs are open-minded, always full of exciting ideas and ready for new experiences. They are also known as charismatic people, easily convincing others to follow their lead. Add their sense of humor to this mix of desirable characteristics, and you will get an irresistible combination of intelligence and charm that makes ENTPs a desirable company.

Intuition

People with Intuition preference use their imagination to process the information they absorb from the outer world. Therefore, ENTPs are idea-oriented people who enjoy devising innovative concepts. Unlike Sensing types who live in the moment, and focus on solving practical problems, Intuitive personalities tend to look at “the big picture” and anticipate what the future would look like. Therefore, the ENTP personality type is believed to be an invaluable source of ideas that they share with others by “brainstorming” aloud. Also, they despise traditional ways of doing things and will always strive to come up with new, creative solutions. This preference allows ENTPs to create complex connections between the information they absorb from the environment so that they can envision possible future results. However, being people of ideas ENTPs may lack practical and organizational skills. This is why they prefer to come up with an exciting idea and then let others work towards its realization.

Thinking

This preference affects the way a person is making decisions, meaning that people with thinking preferences tend to rely on logic and reason in the decision-making process. As we have already mentioned, It may seem that Thinking and Intuitive preferences clash since Thinking types prefer facts over elusive ideas and will be bored with endless intellectual debates. However, people with this dominant feature will gladly start a discussion that will lead to logical, visible, and practical results. Eventually, the combination of T and N preference will turn ENTPs into self-confident innovators who always have a logical explanation for their actions. T preference prevents ENTP personalities to fully grasp the importance of emotions. For this reason, they may unintentionally hurt those who cannot understand their complex ideas or follow their quick wit. They will be outspoken when expressing their opinions and explain their ideas which can seem aggressive and rude to others. Simultaneously, ENTPs will care deeply for the loved ones investing time and energy to meet their needs.

Perceiving

ENTPs will approach various tasks and projects demanding the autonomy and freedom to do things of their own accord. Due to their Perceiving preference, they will adapt quickly to new, unexpected situations, thinking on their feet. ENTPs will enjoy working in fast-paced environments without being stifled with strict plans or deadlines. Being confident and focused on their ideas ENTPs will try to avoid rules or at least find some loopholes to achieve set goals faster. That said ENTPs will also enjoy discussing various ideas with like-minded people. However, when they are faced with ordinary or repetitive tasks, ENTPs will become disinterested quickly and may leave projects unfinished. Therefore, ENTPs need to learn how to cope with strict plans and become better organizers if they want to fulfill their creative potentials.

ENTP Cognitive Functions

Cognitive functions accompanied by preferences are significant factors in shaping someone’s world outlook, core values that lead to decisions and actions. For this reason, we will offer an insight into ENTP’s functional stack to provide a complete answer to “What is an ENTP?”

Here are four cognitive functions of the ENTP personality type:

  • Dominant Function – Extroverted Intuition (Ne)
  • Auxiliary Function – Introverted Thinking (Ti)
  • Tertiary Function – Extroverted Feeling (Fe)
  • Inferior Function – Introverted Sensing (Si)

Extroverted Intuition (Ne)

People with the Ne function are constantly seeking new experiences, challenges, and ideas. They may do this in a playful, outgoing, and enthusiastic way, which resembles Se types. On the other hand, unlike people with the dominant Extroverted Sensing function, Ne types are focused on devising innovative ideas looking for invisible patterns and connections that enable them to see what the future will bring.

However, many people may find their thinking process confusing because ENTPs will try to explain an array of ideas at once, which may make them sound incoherent. Because they like to jump from one idea to another within seconds, many people may doubt or underestimate the significance of their Ne function. However, ENTPs believe that the Extroverted Intuition function will help them reveal truth and wisdom over time.

Ne dominant function turns ENTPs into open-minded personalities, considering various aspects of an issue before making judgments. In this way, they will avoid making premature conclusions.

For all these reasons ENTPs may enjoy significant benefits of this Extroverted Intuition function, provided they use it wisely. It will keep them open to different perspectives, enabling them to see the big picture and plan their moves ten steps ahead of others.

Introverted Thinking (Ti)

Ti function is ENTP’s auxiliary function and it affects the way this personality type makes decisions. Since this function is introverted, ENTPs will be intensely focused on analyzing facts to make logical decisions inwardly, but out lookers may hardly notice this tension. ENTPs use Introverted Thinking based on logic and reason to better understand various situations, systems, and circumstances. Ti also brings a much-needed structure into ENTP’s inner world and offers them a sense of control.

ENTPs will benefit from their Ti function if they use it to apply some analysis and introduce a logical order into their hectic world full of exciting ideas. This ENTP function determines the way a person addresses emotions. Thus, feelings do not play a significant role in the ENTPs system of values. For this reason, they may struggle with coping with the feelings of others or expressing their emotions and may come across as insensitive and inconsiderate to others.

Extroverted Feeling (Fe)

ENTP’s tertiary function is Extroverted Feeling. This function drives a person towards creating balanced and harmonious interpersonal relationships. However, since Fe is not ENTPs dominant function, their efforts to make things work between people may easily stay unnoticed.

For the same reason, ENTPs may find it hard to share their emotions and this can be overwhelming to their potential partners. On the other hand, they will be vocal when expressing their opinions or defending their creative ideas, especially if they feel constrained and controlled.

Introverted Sensing (Si)

Si is ENTP’s inferior function, meaning it has a minor influence on their behavioral values or understanding of the world around them. That said, ENTPs who are curious and like to accumulate knowledge may need to make a significant effort to understand how this inferior function affects their personality.

Given their dominant Extroverted Intuition, ENTPs will tend to disregard details related to their daily routine. But when immersed in bringing a creative idea to life, they will turn into perfectionists, paying attention to the smallest details due to the Introverted Sensing function. This may be one of the benefits of their Si function. If you want to learn more about ENTP personality preferences and cognitive functions, check out our article on ENTP personality traits.

ENTP Strengths and Weaknesses

Learning about ENTP’s preferences and cognitive functions helps people better understand their actions and behavior. It also answers the question “How to spot an ENTP” by defining numerous personality traits typical for this type. Keep on reading to find out more about ENTP’s strengths and weaknesses.

ENTP Strengths

  • They are future-oriented inventors. ENTPs will invest their immense energy and effort into devising unorthodox solutions to various situations. For this reason, they will be invaluable team members, bringing a fresh perspective to the table.
  • They are fearless fighters for ideas. ENTPs will gladly take risks if they are convinced this will improve their concepts. They see failures as opportunities for growth.
  • They are adaptable. ENTPs can adapt quickly to changed and unexpected circumstances in life and at work, thinking on their feet to come up with creative solutions.
  • They are confident. ENTPs firmly believe in their skills and the power of intellect. For this reason, they do not fear failure or take criticism to heart.
  • They are communicative, easily persuading others to follow their lead.
  • They are charming people with a sharp sense of humor.
  • They are curious and highly value the power of knowledge.
  • They are open-minded and are able to see the bigger picture.

ENTP Weaknesses

  • ENTPs may get hyperexcitable. ENTPs tend to get overly excited about several different ideas simultaneously, jumping from one to another in a matter of seconds. This may be confusing to others, making ENTPs seem unreliable.
  • They may struggle with practical tasks due to their Intuitive nature. This can be frustrating for people around them, especially those with a dominant Sensing preference.
  • They do not play by the rules. Being Perceiving types ENTPs highly appreciate freedom and flexibility and will break or bend the rules to get the wanted results, defying authority.
  • They are prone to procrastination. Their Perceiving preference makes ENTPs ignore deadlines or set schedules. They will rather continue analyzing hypothetical steps towards the goal than get to work and make things happen. This does not mean that ENTPs are lazy, they simply may struggle with prioritizing tasks.
  • They get frustrated easily when people can not keep up with their quick thinking.
  • They like to be in charge of things, acting from the position of power.

ENTP Relationships

ENTP personalities are energetic, enthusiastic, and curious. They are also friendly, and outgoing communicators that can easily attract others with their charisma and sense of humor. However, not all personality types will be fascinated by the Debater personality. They are seeking new discoveries and love initiating intellectual debates just for the sake of it. Namely, as people of ideas, they are continually thinking of personal growth and broadening their horizons, expecting their emotional partners to share the same excitement about this process.

However, some personalities may find these ENTP interests overwhelming over time, which can be a burden to their relationship. For this reason, we decided to offer an analysis of the personalities which can be ENTP’s best matches, accompanied by the personality types that may have hard times coping with this extraordinary personality. Here, you will find a snippet of the ENTP compatibility chart, and if you want to find out more, check out our “ENTP Relationships” article. This section will also reveal what to expect from ENTPs as lovers, friends, parents, and coworkers.

ENTP Best Matches

Here is a section of the ENTP compatibility chart, containing personality types that ENTPs are most likely to create meaningful relationships with.

ENTP and INTJ

INTJs are deep, imaginative individuals who look towards the future to uncover groundbreaking ideas. As Thinking types, they will rely on logic and hard work to turn these advanced, abstract concepts into reality. ENTPs being NT temperament types themselves may fit in perfectly with an INTJ personality sharing their drive for devising futuristic ideas and relying their choices on logic and reason. This said ENTPs and INTJs may share the drive for learning new things and constant personal growth.

With their prominent Introversion preference, INTJ personalities will have a hard time opening up until they get close to someone. But when they decide to enter a conversation, INTJs will enjoy deep intellectual debates about future inventions and solutions. Given their Introverted and Intuitive preferences, INTJs often seem unapproachable and aloof to others when they are immersed in their thoughts. This may not be an obstacle for ENTPs who prefer contemplating ideas to talking about feelings.

ENTPs may find an INTJ person a desirable partner because both being Intuitive types, they will enjoy the intellectual debates about their groundbreaking ideas. They may also be impressed with their quick wit and ability to absorb and process various information almost instantly. This said extroverted ENTPs may influence private and detached INTJs to become more outgoing and sociable over time.

ENTP and ISTP

ISTP personalities share ENTPs affinity towards different challenging situations. However, they will tend to take things to extremes. One moment they may be in the heat in the action, only to become disinterested and withdraw to the background the next minute. Shortly, when they tackle the challenge, they will not see the need to stay around and follow through with the ongoing activity. In addition, as private and introverted personalities, ISTPs will struggle with expressing feelings.

While ISTPs will seek real-life problems to solve, ENTPs will prefer intellectual challenges where they can devise various innovative solutions. As people of ideas ENTPs do not have a strong practical side needed for the successful realization. Therefore, crafty and efficient ISTPs may help them bring their ideas to life. On the other hand, ENTPs may persuade private ISTPs to step out of the shadows. However, if these two personalities want to create a lasting relationship, both ENTPs, and ISTPs, with a prominent Thinking preference, need to learn how to share their and appreciate the emotions of others.

ENTP and INFJ

Although they do not have similar preferences, ENTPs may be intrigued by the INFJs because they foster values and perceptions of the world opposite to those of the ENTP. This means they may complement each other perfectly in the long run. INFJs are serious, caring, and deeply devoted to core human values. As Introverted and Intuitive personalities, INFJs will tend to stay behind the scenes and work hard to maintain harmony. Even though they are gentle and withdrawn, they will speak their mind when they feel these values are disregarded. ENTPs as keen debaters will enjoy having heated discussions with INFJ partners. However, they need to learn to tone down their enthusiasm to avoid hurting INFJ’s feelings.

Both being Intuitive types, they will enjoy devising fresh concepts, while structured and well-organized INFJ may help ENTPs to accept rules and follow strict plans. In return, ENTPs may motivate their introverted partners to step out of the shadows more often.

ENTP and ENFP

ENFP personalities are future-oriented, optimistic, and full of energy. They are also curious people who see possibilities wherever they go. Having an Intuitive preference, ENFPs will be inexhaustible sources of fresh ideas.ENTPs share the same preferences with ENFPs, except for the Thinking/Feeling contrast. This may be an amazing base for a meaningful relationship. Namely, ENTPs are enthusiastic, communicative witty people immersed in devising extraordinary ideas. They will enjoy spending time discussing various topics and seeking opportunities for further growth. Both ENTPs and ENFPs despise routines and rigid systems, preferring to do things of their own accord. Also, they may get easily bored with routine and repetitive tasks, so they will be most productive in flexible, dynamic environments where they can share their ideas freely. In any social setting, they will easily be able to engage others to follow their lead and implement their innovative ideas.

Yet, as Feeling types, ENFPs will make sure everybody’s opinion is heard and appreciated, striving to make people around them feel special. On the other hand, ENTP may tend to disregard the feelings of others and may seem rude and inconsiderate due to their Thinking preference. Therefore, ENTPs can learn a lot about sharing emotions and being empathetic to others from their ENFP partners.

ESTP Challenging Opposites

Let’s see the other end of this compatibility chart and what types may be challenging opposites for ENTPs due to clashing preferences. The red section presents the personality types ENTP may want to stay away from. However, if they do decide to start a relationship with one of these types, they will need to invest a significant amount of time and energy to make it work.

ENTP and ISTJ

When you look at these two personalities, it is obvious that they may need to make significant compromises to make the relationship work. ENTP personalities with three contrasting preferences are direct opposites to ISTJs. Namely, they are playful, innovative people who enjoy being in charge, making sure that everybody supports their ideas. They will break the rules and defy authorities if they feel constrained or controlled. They highly appreciate the flexibility and freedom to do things their way.

On the other hand, Introverted Judging ISTJs are serious, reliable, hard-working people who will stay in the background, making sure everything runs smoothly towards their goal. Also as Judging types, they prefer following well-devised plans rather than taking a flexible approach to problems. Furthermore, ISTJs are determined, and persistent personalities that will make sure they finish what they have started.

For all these reasons, ENTPs and ISTJs will struggle to find a common ground to build a stable and lasting relationship. But, no matter how contrasting their preferences may be, these two personalities can learn so much from each other, provided they stay open-minded and tolerant.

ENTPs and ISFJ

Due to their Introverted and Sensing preferences, ISFPs are withdrawn people-pleasers who will work quietly behind the scenes, making sure everyone is satisfied. Because ISFJs tend to stay away from the limelight, extroverted people, like ENTPs, tend to overlook their numerous qualities.

Feeling preference makes ISFJ personalities deeply care about their core values, and they will get insulted when someone tries to question these. This can be a serious deal-breaker in a potential relationship with an outspoken ENTP who can unintentionally hurt ISFJs feelings with their blunt opinions. For these reasons, ENTPs are highly unlikely to find ISFJs a suitable partner.

ENTP and ESTP

Although they have only Intuition/Sensing contrasting preference, this difference affects their personalities in a way that prevents them from creating a significant relationship. They are both energetic personalities prone to taking risks and enjoying challenges. However, while ENTPs enjoy intellectual challenges and witty discussions, ESTP will chase real-life action and dangerous situations to dive into. Furthermore, ENTPs will tend to overanalyze various solutions, slowing down the working process. This is something practical and goal-oriented ESTPs simply can’t stand. They prefer getting the job done fast, applying the most practical solutions. For this reason, they may often get into a conflict with an equally blunt ENTP

ENTP and ESFJ

There are numerous reasons why ENTPs and ESFJs wouldn’t make a great match. First of all, ENTPs who are focused on ideas may struggle to understand ESFJs constant need to help others. Due to their Feeling preference, ESFJs are ultimate people-pleasers who will go above and beyond to make others feel special by doing practical things. As action types, ESFJs may see ENTP’s wish to analyze and discuss various topics as a waste of time. Furthermore, they like to do things according to fixed plans, which clashes with the ENTPs flexibility and a need to do things their way. This may lead to frequent conflicts which ESFJs as Feeling types tend to avoid at all costs. Due to these major differences in interests and values, it will take a significant effort from both ENTPs and ESFJs to build a relationship.

ENTP in a Romantic Relationship

This compatibility analysis shows that ENTPs will be attracted to persons who share their appreciation for knowledge and learning new things. Once they fall in love, ENTPs will tend to engage their loved ones in various activities that provide opportunities for personal growth.

The ideal evening for ENTPs will be filled with inspiring discussions about various topics with a glass of wine in hand. Furthermore, as spontaneous and open-minded types they will look for the same traits in their partners, pushing the boundaries as the relationship deepens.

Being the charming and charismatic people that they are, ENTPs will make sure to keep their relationship fresh and exciting by surprising their partners with new ideas and experiences.

However, this tendency to improve constantly and be open to various ideas may become overwhelming for ENTP partners after some time and put a strain on the relationship. For this reason, ENTPs need to curb their enthusiasm and take into consideration their partner’s feelings and needs.

ENTPs as Friends

The Debater personality will choose their friends according to their affinity to fiery debates. They won’t look for loyalty and unconditional support from a friend. Instead, ENTPs will expect to be told when they are wrong, backing this statement with relevant arguments. They will make friends easily due to their Extroverted nature but they will make meaningful connections with like-minded people who share similar interests and curiosity.

ENTPs as Parents

ENTPs tend to take parenting seriously and address their weaknesses through this most important role in life. As personalities who despise rules and value freedom above all things, they will encourage their children to be independent and express their opinions and thoughts freely. On the other hand, they may struggle with their children’s emotional outbursts because they struggle with handling emotions. This is one of the weaknesses they have to work on to become better parents, and ENTPs are aware of this fact.

ENTPs at Work

As energetic sources of original ideas, ENTPs will be invaluable members of any team. They will thrive in a dynamic environment where they will exchange ideas with like-minded people. As people who like intellectual challenges, they will enjoy working on demanding and versatile projects. This said they like influential and powerful roles that match their intellectual strength. Therefore, they will defy authoritative figures, often questioning their decisions or breaking set rules.

ENTP Careers

Now that we have presented ENTPs in different social roles let’s see what are the best jobs for ENTP. Choosing the right job which will lead to a rewarding and successful career is one of the crucial steps in life. For this reason, we have prepared the list of desirable jobs for an ENTP according to their preferences. This list will be complemented with the jobs ENTPs should avoid if they want to have a meaningful career.

ENTP Career Matches

  • Stock Trader
  • Engineer
  • Lawyer
  • IT Professional
  • Film Producer
  • Actor/Actress
  • PR Specialist
  • Training Manager
  • Advertising Sales
  • University Professor

ENTP Careers to Avoid

  • Data Entry
  • Receptionist
  • Teacher

To find out more about the best and the worst ENTP occupations, refer to our separate article on ENTP careers.

Famous ENTPs

Many people like to discover what they have in common with their favorite celebrities. For this reason, the online search for various famous people’s personality types has soared over the years. This article will offer an insight into the extended list of famous ENTPs from various walks of life accompanied by the number of ENTP fictional characters.

ENTP Actors and Filmmakers

Being an actor or filmmaker requires the ability to think quickly, react accordingly and, most of all, be exceptionally creative. For people with an ENTP personality, using different forms of expression and being able to articulate their emotions is incredibly important. That’s why this particular type thrives in the acting industry.

Here is a list of famous ENTP actors and filmmakers:

  • Alfred Hitchcock, British film director, producer, and screenwriter (Psycho; The Birds) 
  • Amy Poehler, American actress (Parks and Recreation; Mean Girls)
  • Ashton Kutcher, American actor (That ‘70s Show; Dude, Where’s My Car?)
  • Federico Fellini, Italian writer and director (La Dolce Vita; Nights of Cabiria)
  • John Candy, Canadian actor (Home Alone; Planes, Trains and Automobiles)
  • John Cleese, British actor (Monty Python’s Flying Circus; Fawlty Towers)
  • Martin Scorsese, American producer, director, and actor (Taxi Driver; Goodfellas)
  • Neil Patrick Harris, American actor (How I Met Your Mother; A Series Of Unfortunate Events)
  • Rowan Atkinson, British actor (Mr. Bean; Johnny English)
  • Sacha Baron Cohen, British actor (Borat; The 11 O’Clock Show
  • Stephen Fry, British actor (V For Vendetta; Bones)
  • Tom Hanks, American actor and producer (Forrest Gump; Cast Away)
  • Elizabeth Olsen, American actress (Avengers; Sorry For Your Loss)
  • Claire Danes, American actress (Romeo+Juliet; The Hours)
  • Terry Gilliam, British film director, actor, and writer (Monty Python’s Flying Circus; Brazil)
  • Hugh Grant, British actor (Love Actually; Notting Hill)
  • Bryan Cranston, American actor (Breaking Bad; Malcolm In The Middle)
  • Christian Slater, American actor (True Romance; Mr. Robot)
  • Cole Sprouse, American actor (Friends; Riverdale)
  • Danny DeVito, Italian-American actor (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia; Batman Returns)
  • David Harbour, American actor (Stranger Things; Hellboy)
  • David Spade, American actor (Joe Dirt; Tommy Boy)
  • Dax Shepard, American actor (Parenthood; Employee Of The Month)
  • Haley Joel Osment, American actor (The Sixth Sense; Pay It Forward)
  • Hank Azaria, American actor (The Simpsons; Free Agents)
  • James Van Der Beek, American actor (Dawson’s Creek; The Rules Of Attraction)
  • Jason Sudeikis, American actor (Colossal; The Last Man On Earth)
  • Jeff Goldblum, American actor (Jurassic Park; The Grand Budapest Hotel)
  • John Leguizamo, Colombian actor (Moulin Rouge!; Romeo + Juliet)
  • Paul Rudd, American actor (Friends; Ant-Man)
  • Stanley Tucci, American actor (Big Night; The Lovely Bones)
  • Val Kilmer, American actor (Batman Forever; The Salton Sea)
  • Tom Arnold, American actor (True Lies; Exit Wounds)
  • Vince Vaughn, American actor (The Break-Up; Wedding Crashers)
  • Zach Galifianakis, American actor (The Hangover; Due Date)
  • Lizzy Caplan, American actress (Mean Girls; Masters Of Sex)
  • Lulu Wilson, American actress (The Haunting Of Hill House; Sharp Objects)
  • Maya Rudolph, American actress (Bridesmaids; Saturday Night Live)
  • Ryan Reynolds, American actor (Deadpool; The Proposal)
  • Eugene Levy, Canadian actor, writer, and producer (Schitt’s Creek; American Pie)
  • Alexander Skarsgård, Swedish actor (True Blood; Big Little Lies)
  • Louis de Funès, French actor and writer (The Wing Or The Thigh?; The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob)
  • Peter Dinklage, American actor (Game Of Thrones; The Station Agent)

ENTP Musicians

ENTP musicians are passionate, charismatic and they know how to make an impression. Embracing their little quirks and character perks, these creatives enjoy being in the spotlight and don’t shy away from any attention. This said some of the popular ENTP musicians are:

  • Dave Matthews, American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record label owner (Dave Matthews Band)
  • David Evans (the Edge), Irish musician and songwriter (U2)
  • Harry Connick Jr., U.S. singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host
  • Serj Tankian, Armenian-American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and political activist (System Of A Down)
  • Imogen Heap, British singer-songwriter
  • Tom Waits, American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and actor
  • ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, American singer, songwriter, and musician
  • Siouxsie Sioux, British singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer (Siouxsie and the Banshees)
  • Kevin Barnes, American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter (Of Montreal)
  • Igor Stravinsky, Russian-born composer, pianist, and conductor
  • Azealia Banks, American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress
  • Kesha, American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress
  • Princess Nokia, American rapper
  • Aaron Gillespie, American musician and vocalist (Underoath; The Almost)
  • Alex Gaskarth, British singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician and actor (All Time Low)
  • Ezra Koenig, American musician, rapper, and singer-songwriter (Vampire Weekend)
  • Josh Tillman (Father John Misty), American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer
  • Ludacris, American-Gabonese rapper and actor
  • Mike Patton, American singer, producer, voice actor, and film composer (Faith No More)
  • Lady Sovereign, British rapper
  • Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), British musician, DJ, and record producer
  • Peter Hammill, British singer-songwriter
  • Ian Anderson, Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter (Jethro Tull)

ENTP Writers

As writers, ENTPs enjoy the process before the actual writing. They’re abstract thinkers, constantly overflowing with ideas but often without enough time or patience to help them come to life. Passionate brainstormers and creative idea generators, ENTP writers invest all their energy into devising concepts and themes that ignite their curiosity and display their vivid imagination.

  • Voltaire, French writer, historian, and philosopher (Candide; Oedipus)
  • Benjamin Franklin, American writer, printer and publisher, and political philosopher (United States’ Declaration of Independence; The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin)
  • George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, critic, polemicist, and political activist (Man and Superman; Pygmalion)
  • Francois Rabelais, French Renaissance writer, and physician (Gargantua and Pantagruel) 
  • Diablo Cody, American writer, producer, and author (Juno; Jennifer’s Body)
  • Dorothy L. Sayers, British crime writer (Busman’s Honeymoon)
  • Marilyn Vos Savant, American magazine columnist and author (The Power of Logical Thinking: Easy Lessons in the Art of Reasoning…and Hard Facts about Its Absence in Our Lives)
  • David Hume, Scottish philosopher, writer, and historian (A Treatise of Human Nature)
  • Samuel Butler, British author (The Way Of All Flesh)
  • Mark Twain, American writer (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
  • Dr. Seuss, American children’s author (Oh, the Places You’ll Go!)
  • Andy Rooney, American radio and television writer (A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney)
  • Charles Dickens, British writer and social critic (A Christmas Carol)
  • Upton Sinclair, American writer (The Jungle)

ENTP Leaders

ENTPs are among the most creative and innovative leaders. They’re always up for a challenge, investing all their energy into solving problems and coming up with effective and logical solutions to difficult situations.

Some of the remarkable ENTP leaders are:

  • Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019
  • Nigel Farage, British politician and activist, serving as leader of the Brexit Party since 2019
  • Alexander the Great, King of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Argead dynasty
  • Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia
  • J. E. B. Stuart, United States Army officer, who later became a Confederate States Army general
  • Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States
  • Henry Kissinger, U.S. politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant
  • Mao Zedong, Marxist theorist, revolutionary, and the first chairman of the People’s Republic of China
  • James A. Garfield, 20th president of the United States
  • Donald Tusk, 14th Prime Minister of Poland
  • Éric Dupond-Moretti, French lawyer and politician, currently serving as Minister of Justice

ENTP Fictional Characters

Sometimes, it’s easy to relate to someone’s personality if you see them on the screen or read about them in a book. This is a genuine approach and, naturally, makes us fall in love with different characters based on their traits and little quirks.

Here we’re going to dive deep into the world of fiction and provide a list of fascinating ENTP characters.

  • Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
  • Damon Salvatore, The Vampire Diaries
  • Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • The Joker, Batman: The Dark Knight
  • Hiro Hamada, Big Hero 6
  • Chandler Bing, Friends
  • 10th Doctor, Doctor Who
  • Fleabag, Fleabag
  • Rick, Rick & Morty
  • Fred and George Weasley, Harry Potter
  • Annie Hall, Annie Hall
  • Cat Grant, Supergirl
  • Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
  • Sirius Black, Harry Potter
  • Jack Sparrow, Pirates Of The Caribbean
  • Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes

ENTP Memes

ENTP’s passion for life and the constant need for challenges makes them a desirable company in any social setting, and their incredible ability to turn literally everything into a joke often puts them under the spotlight at every party.

The downside of this personality trait is that ENTPs tend to joke, even in the most inappropriate situations. Focusing on the big picture while ignoring the finer details, the Debater uses humor as a defense mechanism, and a way to escape uncomfortable situations. Their extroverted nature perfectly corresponds to their constant need for gaining knowledge and new experiences, which is also the reason why they absolutely love to push boundaries and challenge social norms – even if it gets them into trouble.

According to the ENTPs, there are no bad jokes – only wrong audiences. This correlates with the huge number of comedians who share this personality type. If we were to describe the ENTP humor in three words, it would be: dark, sarcastic, and observational. Sarcastic self-deprecating dark humor, with an abundance of absurd puns and politically incorrect memes, not to mention the so-called ‘dad jokes’ that we all secretly love – is what the ENTP personality thrives on.

ENTPs stay true to their self-deprecating humor, they often make jokes just to laugh at themselves. To no one’s surprise, the ENTP personality has a magic hat full of puns and absurd observational scenarios, which often includes every millennial’s weak spot – memes. Due to their dark-humored nature and quick dry wit, the ENTP memes are quite popular all over the Internet and feature in every self-respecting social networking website.

Here is how some meme-makers see ENTP’s sense of humor:

ENTP Telling Joke

ENTP Meme