Extroverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving, ESFP
The PerformerESFPs are friendly, outgoing, fun loving and naturally drawn to people. They are quite enthusiastic and exuberant, and are usually well liked by others. They are good at meeting people and helping them enjoy themselves. They are sympathetic toward people and generous with their time and money. At their best, they are able to realistically meet human and situational needs in a fun and lively way.
LivingESFP children are friendly, warm, active, and enthusiastic. They are very giving and concerned about others. They like to make others happy, believing that "it is better to give than to receive." Being on the receiving end may make them feel self-conscious. They tend to be good at comforting others, regardless of whether others are in need.
ESFPs are aware of what is happening around them and notice much that escapes the eyes of others. They are tied into the present, particularly with people, they may sense what is happening with others before others know it. They may also notice what is going on in their environment and take delight in a spring flower, a bird's song, or a bright fabric, pointing these out in their enthusiastic way for others to enjoy. They are popular and gregarious, and are often busy in social activities with others.
As teenagers, they are likely to be instigators of activities with their friends. It is difficult to catch them sitting still. They tend to be bright and sunny in disposition and enjoy laughing at themselves and others. It is hard for them to be "down," mainly because of the excitement of each upcoming event.
As adults, ESFPs lead what might look like "a charmed existence,\' even when things are not going well for them. They live with the idea that "the glass is half full" and seem to land on their feet, even when they are not sure how. They usually find a niche for themselves in any situation because of their spontaneity and flexibility. Their social skills may attract the eye of a boss. For ESFPs bring a liveliness to a groups to which they belong. Life is meant to be enjoyed and is not taken too seriously.
ESFPs often are able to interact with all ages, backgrounds, and types of people. Most individuals who connect with ESFPs feel that they are treated as equals by them, regardless of age or convention. They enjoy sharing their love of life with others, not just their mates and children. People around them benefit from this.
In retirement, ESFPs continue their fun-filled, people-focused, actively-oriented life. They keep close friendships and continue to provide amusement to those who have been important to them in the past.
Learning and workingESFP like action and excitement, and are able to link together people and resources. Because they accept and deal with people as they are, they are able to understand what is necessary in order to motivate them to get jobs done. They prefer a work setting that is lively, action oriented, and harmonious.
The atmosphere and overall attitude of the work setting means a great deal to them. They like adaptable people who are energetic, easygoing, and focused on the present realities. If something is not immediately useful or of intrinsic value, it may be quickly reflected by ESFPs. They notice what is going on with people and focus on these happenings intently. ESFPs are likely to adapt as the situation requires.
ESFPs like occupations that allow them to be with people. They want to be direct and practical service to others and seek work that is self-fulfilling and rewarding. Being a resource to others is an important part of their work.
Some occupations seem to be more attractive to ESFPs: childcare worker, clerical supervisor, coach, designer, factory supervisor, food service worker, receptionist, recreation worker, religious educator, respiratory therapist, and other occupations that allow them to be responsive to others.
LeadingThe ESFP leadership style is one that promotes good will and team work. ESFPs are quickly adaptable and thus able to guide others in crisis situations, unless that crisis is one of disharmony among people. They are able to focus on immediate problems and using their ability to work with people. They are more relationship oriented but will work hard on the task part when the people part is going well.
LeisureESFPs are quick to take leisure, give it a new twist, and create new enjoyment. They love being active, whether in craft projects, exercise classes, sporting events, or going out to dinners, parties, or movies with friends.
ESFP reading tastes run toward what is useful or historical accounts about what happened, which they can use to make predictions for the future. They are more likely to read short things, such as newspaper and magazine articles, than long books. Whatever the case, they like to discuss their readings with others.
ESFPs are fun to be with; they find enjoyment in most situations. Being out and about is more comfortable to them than sitting still with long periods of quiet. Their friends are very important to them, and they are likely to let them know how much they care through small mementos, special poems, or cards. They regularly reach out and touch someone.
Loving
Love means enjoyment of one another. ESFPs want to share values with the loved one. They way people are treated is usually one value they care about. They may move in and out of relationships quickly when the situation feels uncomfortable. They are not likely to take man interpersonal risks since they fear rejection themselves. They are warm and become more generous and outgoing in the face of approval. They can become quite hampered by disapproval.
Even when a relationship ends, ESFPs tend to be very respectful of the former partner. They do not want to call undue attention to the breakup and thus move on rather quickly, surrounding themselves with their valued friends.
ESFP RelationshipsESFPs are fun and delightful to be with. They live for the moment, and know how to make the most of each moment. They are genuinely, warmly interested in people, and love to make others happy. They're usually very kind-hearted and generous, and are always going out of their way to do something nice for someone.
Their affection is simple, straight-forward and honest. They dislike theory and complexities. They often resist forming relationships which require them to function on a high Intuitive or Thinking level. They prefer for things to be light and happy, although their warmth and affection runs deep.
Their potential downfall is the tendency to live entirely for the present moment, and therefore to sometimes be unaware of the direction that their relationship is heading, or to be easily distracted from long-term commitments.
ESFP Strengths• Enthusiastic and fun-loving, they make everything enjoyable
• Clever, witty, direct, and popular, people are drawn towards them
• Earthy and sensual
• Down to earth and practical, able to take care of daily needs
• Artistic and creative, they're likely to have attractive homes
• Flexible and diverse, they "go with the flow" extremely well
• They can leave bad relationships, although it's not easy
• Try to make the most of every moment
• Generous and warm-hearted
ESFP Weaknesses• Don't pay enough attention to their own needs
• May be frivolous and risky with money
• Tend to be materialistic
• Extreme dislike of criticism, likely to take things extremely personally
• Likely to ignore or escape conflict situations rather than face them
• Lifelong commitments may be a struggle for them - they take things one day at a time
• Tendency to neglect their health, or even abuse their bodies
• Always excited by something new, they may change partners frequently
ESFPs as Lovers"To love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive - to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before." -- Rollo May
ESFPs embrace their love relationships in a big way - similar to the way they approach their lives in general. They love to be in love, and will try to make the most of each moment. They take things on a day-by-day basis, and are uncomfortable thinking too much about the future, or making plans far in advance. For this reason, ESFPs are not natural long-term commitment people. They may feel tremendously committed on a day-by-day basis, but they do not naturally plan for their futures.
This commitment issue is a potential pitfall for the ESFP. Many people of this type overcome this potential weakness, and become involved in truly satisfying, lifelong relationships. Others do not address this weakness, and move from relationship to relationship without forming real commitments, convincing themselves that this is what they truly want.
Sexually, the ESFP is a very earthy and sensual individual who seeks and enjoys intimate contact with their partners. Living in the here-and-now, they thoroughly embrace and enjoy the experience with all five senses. They are generous and warm, and highly interested in making their partners happy.
ESFPs tend to be materialistic, and somewhat caught up in "what others think" of them. They should take care that this doesn't interfere with their personal relationships, since many of the others types will not be able to relate to their perspectives on these matters.
ESFPs do not handle conflict well at all. They take any sort of criticism very personally, and consider it to be a general indictment of their character. They may react with anger and harsh words which they would later like to take back. ESFPs would do themselves a favor if they would come to realize that criticism can be looked at constructively, rather than destructively. If they can hear criticism without feeling personally threatened, the ESFP will have come a very long way towards greatly improving the strength and health of their relationships.
ESFPs are extremely literal and concrete when communicating. They say things in a very direct, abrupt manner, and can sometimes even unintentionally seem quite harsh. They like things to be communicated to them in a similar, concrete fashion. They dislike theory and abstraction, and will frequently misunderstand the gist of a communication if it is not communicated in a factual, present-tense manner. Discussions regarding the future or the past are not the ESFP's strong suit, and in fact they're likely to misconstrue future-looking statements as something that needs immediate attention. When they discover that the discussion is not regarding an immediate concern, they become disinterested.
ESFPs are in general very warm and giving people, with simple needs and demands from their partners. They just want to be happy, and want to bring happiness to others. They are energetic and popular individuals who will liven up the social life of the couple, and keep many new experiences on the horizon.
Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ESFP's natural partner is the ISTJ, or the ISFJ. ESFP's dominant Extraverted Sensing function is best matched with a personality that is dominated by Introverted Sensing.
ESFPs as ParentsThe ESFP's "go with the flow", fun-loving attitude will extend to the raising of their children. They are warm and affectionate parents, and are great for giving practical care to their children. They like to do things in a big way, and enjoy big families.
The ESFP will freely give love and affection to their children, but they frequently have a problem with defining a structured, orderly environment for them, and they may rely on their mates in this regard. Ultimately, the ESFP likely believes that too much structure is not a healthy thing for anyone, and so they're unlikely to enforce a highly structured or disciplined environment. If this trait is strongly present in the ESFP, and is not counteracted by their mate's perspective, it could be considered a potential pitfall for the ESFP parent. Children need some structure which can be depended upon as they grow up.
The ESFP is very practical and concrete in their daily needs, and are usually quite good at taking care of their children's daily needs. Although their approach to life is frequently "ad-lib", and their lives are almost always extremely full of exciting events, the ESFP is very good at juggling many things at once, which makes them especially good at handling the various issues which come up in a large family.
ESFPs tend to have difficulty with the authoritarian role, preferring to be their children's friend. However, they do expect to be given respect and to be obeyed when necessary, and will fall into the role of parental authoritarian at times. This can be frustrating for some children, especially those with strong Judging tendencies, as they will not know what to expect from their ESFP parent.
ESFPs are usually remembered fondly by their children for being fun-loving, upbeat, and affectionate, although somewhat scattered.
ESFPs as FriendsESFPs are highly enthusiastic and effervescent. They are usually very popular, because people are naturally drawn towards them. They get such genuine delight and enjoyment from experiences which they encounter in life, and they love nothing better than to draw a crowd of people along with them for the sheer fun of it. ESFPs try to turn every day into a party, and they're usually successful at doing so.
ESFPs are highly valued for their ability to have a good time, and for their genuine warmth and interest towards people. They are extremely in tune with their five senses, and may be prone to overload them with too much alcohol, food, or drugs. They get along with all sorts of people, although they're not interested in spending time with people who they find boring, or who expect the ESFP to communicate with them on an Intuitive or Thinking level. Some people may disapprove of the ESFP's fun-oriented lifestyle. Others may be put off by their very straight-forward and blunt speaking style.
The ESFP is likely to especially enjoy spending time with other Extraverts who have the Feeling preference, although they may have a special place in their hearts for people of any preference.
._. only have time for this quiz! shall post the rest of 10 days another time this week! \: crap, school's starting tomorrow already. i'm so not ready for school at all. boohoo.
