Background
In 1989, when I was 21 years old, the Career
Development Office at Guilford College had this program for students
to use called, Please Understand
Me. Basically, it was a Kiersey Temperament sorter. At the
insistence of a friend, I went through the program, answering all the
questions. When I was done, the system printed out the following
breakdown (with grammatical errors). The first half deals with ENTP
behavior, and the second half deals with the more generic NT
information. The ENTP info fits me very well, where the NT
information is perhaps only partially-correct but still fairly
indicative of my personality.
The four axes are:
- Extroversion - Introversion
- Intuition - Sensing
- Thinking - Feeling
- Perceptive - Judging
So I'm extroverted, intuitive, thinking, and
perceptive. Or, at least I was at the age of 21. I have tested
myself with other software since then, but they all keep coming up
with the same profile. I only include this one because it is verbose
and covers many of the bases.
ENTP Profile for Jeff Bentley
Personality
ENTP's wish to exercise their ingenuity in the world
of people and things. Found in about five out of every hundred
people, ENTP's extravert intuition; thus they deal imaginatively with
social relationships as well as physical and mechanical relations.
They are very alert to what is apt to occur next, and always
sensitive to possibilities.
ENTP's are good at analysis, especially functional
analysis, and have both a tolerance for and enjoyment of the complex.
Usually enthusiastic, ENTP's are apt to express interest in
everything, and thus are a source of inspiration to others, who find
themselves caught up by the ENTP's enthusiasm. This type is delighted
over many things and so is easy to please, often showing the
effervescence of their NF counterpart, the ENFP. The ENTP is the most
reluctant of all the types to do things in a particular manner just
because that is the way things always have been done. They
characteristically have an eye out for a better way, always on the
lookout for new projects, new activities, new procedures.
ENTP's are confident in the value of their pursuits
and display a charming capacity to ignore the standard, the
traditional, and the authoritative. As a result of this open
attitude, they often bring a fresh, new approach to their work and
their lives. The ENTP is a keen judge of the pragmatics of both the
social and the mechanical, and may become expert at directing
relationships between means and ends.
Where the introverted NTP sees design as an end in
itself, the extraverted NTP sees design as a means; the end is the
invention that works, the prototype that is replicable. Ideas are
valuable when and only when they make possible actions and objects.
"It can't be done" is a challenge to an ENTP and elicits a reaction
of "I can do it." They are not, however, the movers of mountains as
are INTJ's. Rather, the faith of the ENTP's is in their ability to
improvise something, and they display an unusual talent for rising to
the expediency of a situation. Superficially, ENTP's resemble ESTP's
in their derringdo. But the focus of the ENTP is on the competency
and the sense of power this gives, rather than on the feeling of
freedom of action experienced by the ESTP.
ENTP's can be fascinating conversationalists, able as
they are to follow the complex verbalizations of others. They may
deliberately employ debate tactics to the disadvantage of their
opponents, even when the "opponents" are close associates and valued
friends. ENTP's are the most able of all types to maintain a one-up
position with others. They value adaptability and innovation and thus
respond quickly and adeptly to another's shifting position. They may
even be several jumps ahead. The ENTP, talkative and motivating, is
often the life of an enterprise. The ENTP can be an entrepreneur and
cleverly makes do with whatever or whoever is at hand, counting on
ingenuity to solve problems as they arise, rather than carefully
generating a detailed blueprint in advance. A rough draft is all that
an ENTP needs to feel confident and ready to proceed into action,
counting on the ability to improvise as a situation develops. Because
of this tendency to depend on ingenuity and improvision, they may
neglect very necessary preparation at times. After repeated failures
in situations where improvising has met with defeat, the ENTP may
develop ways of avoiding such situations as a substitute to thorough
preparation.
Career
ENTP's can succeed in a variety of occupations, as
long as the job does not involve too much humdrum routine. At this
point, they become restless. If a project in which they are engaged
is no longer challenging, they tend to lose interest in that project
and fail to follow through -- often to the discomfort of
colleagues.
Seldom are ENTP's conformists. ENTP's enjoy
outwitting the system and use rules and regulations within the system
to win the game -- whatever it may be. They understand well the
politics of institutions and deal with these realities very well,
always aiming to understand the people within the system rather than
to judge them. ENTP's are good at innovative projects and can
administer them well if dull routine is not involved. They usually
are outstanding teachers, continuously devising new participative
ways to make learning exciting for the students. As an employee, an
ENTP may work against the system just for the joy of being one-up.
For ENTP's to be taken-in, to be manipulated by another, is
humiliating; this offends their joy in being masters of the art of
uneupmanship. ENTP's are the natural engineers of human relationships
and human systems. Their good humor and optimistic outlook tend to be
contagious, and people seek out their company.
Home
As mates, ENTP's tend to create a lively living
environment. They are gregarious, laugh easily and often, and are
typically in good humor. Orderliness in the routines of daily living
is not apt to inspire them; they usually solve this problem by
mobilizing those around them. Tom Sawyer illustrated this talent when
he solved the problem of getting Aunt Polly's fence whitewashed. Life
with ENTP's is likely to be a daring adventure; they can lead
families to physical and economic dangers. ENTP's improvise to remain
unaware that they do not have the necessary knowledge of the
situation to ward off such dangers.
If the mate of an ENTP is not competitive, he or she
is likely to find the one-up/one-down transactions somewhat wearing.
If the mate is competitive, the result might be conflict. Although
usually good providers of economic necessities, ENTP's at times
engage in brinkmanship with their careers, placing them in jeopardy
and behaving as if unaware of the consequences; they may thus offer
unnecessary challenges to those who have power over their
professional success. When challenges elicit negative responses from
superiors, ENTP's are apt to react with delight at having an
opportunity to improvise a solution to the crisis and, more often
than not, they succeed in doing so.
ENTP's are likely to have all sorts of hobbies and to
be experts in unexpected areas, but they are not apt to share these
hobbies with their mates or children in the sense of teaching them.
In fact, ENTP's may be very inconsistent in the attention given to
offspring. Usually, it is feast or famine. ENTP's have a lively
circle of friends and are interested in their ideas and activities.
They are usually easygoing, seldom critical or nagging. At their
worst, they can show undependable, fickle characteristics and may be
rather easily discouraged.
Midlife
At midlife ENTP's can allow their tendency to
experiment recklessly to get out of hand and may destroy or discard
the work of half a lifetime, both in personal relationships and in
careers. Energy spent in sorting out priorities and values may be a
good investment at this time. Developing an increased awareness of
emotional reactions and expanding the intensity and range of these
through self-development work may be something ENTP's might want to
consider at midlife. An increased repertoire of introverted-type
activities; for example, gardening, painting, or reading may be a
source of pleasure to ENTP's.
Mates
The inventive ENTP finds in the ISFJ a neat
complementarity for his enterprise, for in the ISFJ he finds the
supreme conservator. The conservator, broadly conceived, is morally
bound to ensure the material and legal welfare of his or her charge.
The inventor, also broadly conceived, is bent on replacing whatever
tools, operation, or enterprise now exists with a better one. Out to
exercise his ingenuity in bettering things, the ENTP is of necessity
iconoclastic and tends to be so seen. So he can get into a bit of
trouble with the elders, who usually are not all that pleased to see
their tried-and-true tools, operations, and enterprises blithely set
aside for the ENTP's better mousetrap. The ISFJ, mated to this
inventive rascal, takes on the task of squaring things with the
establishment.
The ENTP also may be attracted to his opposite on the
N side: he approaches the INFJ. But the INFJ is humorously and
preposterously different from the seemingly similar ISFJ. In the INFJ
lies the soul of the "author" -- the meaning-giver, the mystic, the
oracle. Perhaps the INFJ is a conservator of the soul, a sort of
messiah. At any rate, there is something about the "author" (very
broadly conceived) which the ENTP covets. Prometheus had to pay
dearly for giving fire to man. The Promethean ENTP may figure that,
though his INFJ mate may not rescue his body from the vultures, at
least the INFJ might rescue his soul from Hell.
NT Information for Jeff Bentley
Courting
The mate of Promethean NT may well believe that the
NT is quite oblivious to his welfare, and may see him as unaware of
daily events which make up the stream of homely family life. The mate
of an NT may long for more frequent verbalized expressions of
affection and concern on the part of the NT. The NT, on the other
hand, would probably be amazed that his or her way of relating and
loving is experienced by the mate as being aloof or uncaring.
NTs do seem rather cold and unemotional to other
temperaments. They tend to control and hide their emotions behind an
immobile facial stance, with only the eyes transmitting depth of
reaction. A public display of emotion or affection is particularly
repugnant to an NT.
Because of the NT's distaste for stating the obvious
or being redundant, the NT is apt to verbalize expressions of
affection rather infrequently. To other types this seems cold and
miserly, and they often are hurt by the withholding. To the NT,
stating what is already established is raising doubt where there is
none. The commitment has been made, the position has been taken. And
this commitment stands until notified. Therefore, clearly, it is
unnecessary and inappropriate to restate the established and
obvious.
In establishing sexual relationships NT's are not
likely to give in to impulse, getting involved on a
spur-of-the-moment basis. Rather they are likely to think through
relationships carefully, giving prolonged consideration to
projections. Once the matter is thought through, the NT is ready to
proceed with investing in the relationship. If it does not work out,
the NT is likely to shrug his or her shoulders and turn away, perhaps
with only mild regrets. Once an NT has made a decision, however, a
change of heart is not likely to occur on his or her part, provided,
of course, that a response has been forthcoming from the recipient.
And, in all likelihood, the NT will develop the relationship as he or
she conceived it. If the situation calls for a long-term commitment,
a long-term commitment is made. If the situation calls for a
short-term commitment, a short-term investment is made. A peculiar
dynamic is here likely to occur: When the NT's intent is a long-term
commitment, this fact is not likely verbalized, since for the NT,
this intent is obvious. But if the relationship is to be short-term,
this fact is likely to be verbalized, just in case it is not obvious.
NTs are likely to honor a personal commitment once made, even though
the relationship was not consummated as satisfactorily as
anticipated. Nor is the NT likely to verbalize any disappointment or
dissatisfaction if such is the case.
The NT mate is not apt to hold mates responsible for
discord; usually the burden of doing whatever needs to be done will
be seen by NTs as their own responsibility. The NTs, as a group, do
not thrive on conflict at a personal level. They do enjoy
intellectual dispute, but quarreling on an emotional level is
something NTs find destructive; generally an NT will walk away from
this kind of interaction.
Sex
NTs often have a curious amorality related to the
generally-accepted standards of sexual behaviors. The rules of
society have little pressure for NTs, but their own idiosyncratic
standards of conduct do. These usually have been carefully
considered, and are followed with or without society's approval. The
sexual ethics of an NT are generally his own; they may or may not
conform to the general mores of sexual behavior current in any given
time.
Establishing a sexual or social relationship with an
NT, especially introverted NTs, usually requires more investment of
time and energy than with other types. This is especially in contrast
with SPs, who are more ready to establish relationships. Often, types
who are not NTs are unwilling to invest the time and energy required
to relate to an NT. Even the extraverted NTs, although apparently
easy to get to know, are actually fairly difficult to understand, for
the personality structure of an NT is characteristically complex and,
at times, even convoluted. Friends and mates of NTs repeatedly
express surprise at a facet of character they find in the NT, one
that had not been apparent previously.
Female NTs, in particular, are apt to have their
sexuality overlaid with intellectualism. Their preference for the
logical can obscure expressions of their feelings, which may or may
not be well developed. If not, the NT female may have difficulty with
orgasmic responses unless her partner takes the time, makes the
effort, and understands the necessity of making a sexual approach
through mutual exploration of intellectual concepts. It is unlikely
that an NT female will be sexually stimulated by a partner who is not
her intellectual equal. Male NTs have a somewhat different
expectation concerning intellectual equality. The preference here is
for equality at most and some -- but not too much -- inferiority at
best. Obviously, this places the intellectually-gifted female in a
position of limited appropriate NT choices.
In any event, both female and male NTs can bring to a
sexual relationship a willingness to explore possibilities of erotic
arousal. If they have so marked it out as one of their areas of
competency, NTs can be quite expert in sexual technology. They are
very apt to possess skill in both the physical and psychological
logistics involved in sexual intercourse, and to understand well the
necessity for this relationship to be based on a wide variety of
common interest outside the bedroom. Unlike the NF, who might
consider it unromantic to study carefully scientific treatises on
sexuality (e.g., Masters and Johnson, 1966), NTs would be likely to
do so, finding it relatively easy to translate these objective
findings into creative sexual, sensual behavior.
Interpersonal
Outside the bedroom, NTs seem to have more difficulty
than other types in engaging inplay. They are, on the whole, apt to
be rather serious, finding it amusing to dialogue at what they might
call "seventh plane of irreality," a pastime which other types are
apt to find rather dull. For the NT, the amusing and humorous is
usually subtle and, more often than not, based on a play on words.
They especially enjoy humor which contains an unexpected double
meaning, but -- unlike the SPs and, at times, the SJs -- they do not
enjoy ribald sexual stories or practical jokes and find the
recounting of both somewhat offensive, expecially in mixed
company.
A few deep relationships are the usual pattern of an
NT's emotional history; promiscuity is typically regarded with
distaste. The experience of partner swapping is apt to repel an NT,
who would, in all probability, find this experience psychologically
scarring. The NT mate is not likely to discuss past personal
involvemeNTs with a mate or with others and almost never discusses a
mate with friends.
Sensuality begins for an NT in the imagination, as it
does for an NF; both types are capable of nuances of appreciation of
the erotic which those with S preferences might find irrelevant or
even unfathomable. As a sexual partner, an NT can be highly creative,
imaginative, and exciting. The degree of satisfaction for an NT in a
relationship will be correlated with the depth of the relationship.
Still, mere sexual release is sometime seen as necessary,
particularly if sexual tensions are getting in the way of important
work. In that event, the tension is cared for with dispatch and as
conveniently as possible.
Social
NTs tend to be relatively uninterested in acquiring
wealth and as mates, therefore, tend to be satisfied with modest
comfort. Possessions as an end in itself seem not to motivate NTs;
rather enjoyment in the beauty of an object, pleasures of design and
building, pleasure in elegant functioning in possessions all motivate
an NT. A vintage car, a classic airplane, an elegant art object,
owned or not, give pleasure to an NT. This characteristic NT trait --
enjoying without needing to possess -- often causes mates who do not
share this detachment some impatience. The NT's usual disinterest in
acquiring material wealth beyond that necessary for reasonable
security and comfort can also provide some dissonance in the mating
relationship. Although an NT periodically is inspired to acquire
wealth, this urge seldom lasts long enough to acquire that fortune.
The NT's attention quickly turns once again to the theoretical, and
the momentary interest in becoming wealthy dissipates -- only to
return from time to time with the same result.
NTs seldom, however, lose interest in owning books
and knowledge; these hold their interest year after year, and an NT's
home is likely to be well-lined with books. In fact, the non-NT mate
of an NT often perceives the NT as directing exclusive attention to
the world of theory and techniques, at the expense of giving
sufficient attention to the mate. Although NT's may seem oblivious to
the home life going about them, they usually show interest when these
events are brought to attention. NTs are somewhat vague about social
time, especially the introverted NT's, and may be unaware, unless
reminded, what hour, day, date, or season it is. This can lead to
difficulty in the mating relationship when the mate is a type to whom
anniversaries, birthdays, and the like are important.
Domestic
Both NTs and introverted NFs tend to develop intimate
relationships rather slowly; intellectual development seems to
proceed at a faster rate than does social development. For both NTs
and NFs, communications sent through the physical relationship are
apt to become more and more complex over time, with their approaches
to the sexual encounter threaded with subtleties and symbolism. The
sexual act is usually given meaning beyond mere release from sexual
tension. Sexual contact for the introverted NT may be less frequent
than for the extraverted NT. Routines of daily living, such as
working -- especially if these daily routines are fraught with
conflict -- can be quite repressive to the emotional and sexual
readiness of the NT, especially the introverted NT (as well as the
introverted NF). NTs may engage in the sex act as a profound
expression of love, or, at the opposite extreme, as an act of
self-humiliation and self-denigration, resulting in disgust for
self.
NTs usually take family responsibilities seriously,
particularly their own responsibility to members of their family,
including their parents. They are, however, often perceived by
members of the family as having more psychological distance between
themselves and others than do other types. The NT tends not to "own"
the behaviors (or body) of his mate as might other types. The errors
of others, whether family members or not, are not the NT's errors,
and are handled objectively. The NT's own errors are those which are
inexcusable, and unforgiveable. Parenting is usually a pleasure,
therefore, for an NT, who seems to watch the growth of children (and
a mate!) with joy but as somewhat of a bystander.
Vision Software 1985 - Please Understand Me
