ENFP – Impassioned Evangelist

by  John Uke Last update: March 4, 2024

ENFPs (also known as Enthusiasts, Reporters, Evangelists, Campaigners, IEE, Huxley) feel most alive when caught up in an excited group rallying around progress or a higher cause. This is especially true if the ENFP is the spokesperson for this progress. The expression of their creativity and passionate beliefs can move people in ways that reason alone cannot.

Able to quickly imagine a large number of possibilities from just a small amount of information, ENFPs easily envision alternate realities and feel responsible for spreading the word to others who can’t imagine them as clearly. While speaking, their eyes wildly dart as their words flow from a place outside of the past or present. These movements are also symbolic of how ENFPs often jump around between many facets of life, such as between seemingly unrelated topics in a conversation. To the ENFP though, there is always a relevant trail in their mind of how one thought inspired a distant other. So too is there a consistent set of values motivating what may appear to others as random behavior.

Their curious nature leads ENFPs to love adventures, to which they will bring their attractive positive energy. During these adventures, ENFPs are likely to compound reality with their imagination to make reality grander. They are also more in-tune with the deep truth that everything is connected. Most people of this type end up developing a large variety of talents paralleled by their equally various pursuits and interests.

Games ENFPs Like

Recommended Genres: MMO’s, roguelikes, eSports, and real-time strategy games.

Recommended Platforms: Tabletop, computer, mobile, Wii

Recommended Games: DotA 2, League of Legends, Left for Dead 2, Minecraft, Total War: Warhammer, XCOM 2, Darkest Dungeon, Helldivers, Settlers of Catan, Cranium, Monopoly, Runewars, Twilight Imperium, Warhammer 40k

• Least likely to finish games they start
• Dislike card games
• Like RPG’s
• Like stealth games the least
• Love strategy games more
• Love multiplayer more
• Are the most tricky in games

ENFPs love exploring new things and imagining possibilities, as such the most fun part of games is the beginning when anything seems possible. Likewise, most card games lack the stimulus and infinite complexity that keep ENFPs engaged.

RPG’s espouse stories that resonate deeply with the ENFP, giving achievements the sense of meaning ENFPs crave. They also often cast the player as the center-of-attention protagonist. It makes sense that stealth games are the least attractive to ENFPs of all types because taking the long road and avoiding attention go against what it means to be their type.

ENFPs want to make things happen, so prefer attacking roles where pacing is most often placed in their hands. Combined with their preference for distant abstract things, strategy becomes all the more important, so ENFPs also tend to enjoy strategy games the most of the idealists, and more than most types in general. It goes without saying that their preference in these games is innovating new strategies rather than perfecting popular ones.

Due to their focus on people, ENFPs enjoy playing games with others. This is in contradiction to a general trend for more abstract thinkers, such as themselves, to prefer the single-player sanctuaries for their minds. Being highly emotional, the moods, and strategies, of the ENFPs can change throughout the course of a game. Combined with their limitless thoughts on unconventional strategy, ENFPs are the most likely of the idealists to engage in dishonest gaming strategies.

Why Be Friends With an ENFP

1. They give your life meaning

ENFPs are extremely ideal driven. They will help you make slight adjustments to make your actions more meaningful or even just open your outlook to see more while changing nothing else. If nothing is exciting you too much right now, be prepared for a rollercoaster!

2. They give you the push you need

Prepare to be helped, even if you don’t want it. Being outgoing, curious, and compassionate, ENFPs are more than ready to step in to improve the lives of others. If they have a strong hunch, the ENFP will push your comfort zones to open you up to entirely new games and activities, even if you are reluctant at first.

3. You will have fun adventures

An ordinary day can turn into an exciting one with the flick of a light. ENFPs have a  talent to make the boring interesting, and the interesting magical.

4. They generate ideas for you

Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you don’t like your options, talk to your ENFP friends. They will generate possibilities you never even knew existed, and get you feeling excited and free when you are otherwise feeling down and trapped.

How to Make Friends With an ENFP

1. Let them shine

Though not dependent on it, ENFPs do love the spotlight. It is not a bad idea to give it to them though because they make use of it to shift attention to problems they see in the world. By listening to them, ENFPs will feel important and love you for it.

2. Be positive and open

ENFPs are greatly energized by brainstorming and doing new things. Meet them at their level by adding your own ideas to the mix then happily delve down the ensuing rabbit holes.  

3. Carefully steer them

ENFP’s are better at generating ideas than deciding which is the most practical to implement. They will appreciate your help filling in the details of the broad brushstrokes they paint.

4. Be mysterious

They tend to be intelligent yet fair, so let them call the shots while not hesitating to contribute your own well-reasoned input. They will often delegate decisions back to you if they think you are more qualified.

Advice for ENFPs on Making Friends

1. Take productive criticism positively

Often times, when your friends say something mean to you, they are actually trying to help you. If the words can be boiled down to genuine advice, consider it without taking it personally. Living in our own points of view, it’s hard for us to see ourselves impartially, it’s hard for us to grow.

2. Connect the dots for others

Your mind makes larger intuitive leaps than other people’s. Most will have trouble following along because they can’t follow your logic, mistaking your genius for crazy. Slow down for them to bridge the gaps so your words seem less random.

3. Follow through

The idea phase is the most fun for you because you can imagine so many possibilities and there is a lot of energy there. Practice meditation and slowing down to build your willpower to work through the less exciting parts of follow-through. Ideas are meaningless without execution.

4. Separate ego from causes

It can feel good to think big and spread helpful information. Remember though, that the causes are not about you. You will lose followers and friends if you become lost and fake.

5. Check facts

Your belief and willpower are often enough to move people by themselves, they are not substitutes for reason, reality, and hard facts though. The next time a cause or fact inspires you, check the source of the information and other sources as well. The media lies very often, accidentally or not. Repeating these lies often cause damage, and your attention will sometimes be better spent caring about other issues.

Famous ENFPs:

• Renly Baratheon
• Hunter S. Thompson
• Mark Twain
• Walt Disney
• Ellen DeGeneres
• Salvador Dali
• Robin Williams
• Ice King (Adventure Time)

What’s next?

Now that you know everything about this type, try making friends with one, or arrange a game using our app. GameTree is 100% free and available both on the App Store and Google Play.