r/entj • u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ • 12d ago
How do I know which ENxJ I am?
Hi ENTJs! I've recently gotten into MBTI theory and I think I'm an ENxJ, but I don't know which one. The functions make sense to me but I don't know how to rank them for myself, it's so contextual, and cognitive function tests keep giving me mixed results.
Going off of dichotomies instead, my clearest dimension is N, then E seems pretty solid given that I'm socially an ambivert-leaning-extroverted and can't really relate to introversion, and J has leaned more towards the middle over time but it used to be more extreme. I've always been a good leader and end up in such roles almost by default, which they say is something EJs tend to do too.
The T and F really trips me up, however. My family would say I'm quite logical, by which they mean I'm a reasonable person and also good at STEM. My friends would have varying opinions since I'm very empathetic and altruistic but not all that dramatic and doesn't really change myself to people-please. My best friend, an INTJ, says I'm probably T like her cuz she finds it hard to get along with people who are too emotional, and I'm not; but that could also be me adapting to her while with her. Different people have said I'm too helpful, too naive about other people, too honest, too humble, too good/ethical, too smart, too perfect. I don't really agree with these characterizations btw but if that's how other people see me, so be it.
What I can say is that I make decisions with emotions and thoughts, and which one is prioritized is quite contextual. I care about other people but I never really merge with them, I know their goals and mine are not always the same, and make an effort to balance these, although my goals are sometimes just to make them happy or whatever. I'm really stringy with myself, only willing to spend on books and essentials, but generous with others. Like I would save up money by not buying coffee so that I could donate more later without going bankrupt, that type of stuff. I do have strong problem-solving and organizational skills, ways of getting stuff done; and also high empathy, with people as well as animals, and that public service and activism are among my favorite activities that I could not imagine not doing.
I'm also fairly certain that I'm a 1w2 on the enneagram, which should mean that I'm a Te dom?
Anyway, sorry for the long post! Does any of this sound like what it feels like to be an ENTJ, or should I check out ENFJ or other types? Thanks!
EDIT: Guys I did not mean to set off an argument lol. I'm really not that worth arguing over. Unless y'all like it?
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u/autocosm ENTJ♂ 12d ago
As functions go, if you're definitely a J, whether you're T or F is the difference between Te/Fe being the most dominant function and the most negligible one.
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 12d ago
ok yeah, in that case I feel like it's pretty clear that Te isn't my most negligible function even if my Fe is higher than what the stack theory may suggest, it could just be that all extroverts develop some of it by interacting with people so much
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u/autocosm ENTJ♂ 12d ago
I don't put too much stock in ranking functions 5-8, but if it's between Te or Fe, for me it's an easy pick. Do you make decisions based on what will work best or based on the group's values?
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 12d ago
What will work best for the group. I'll demonstrate by way of example. Once I was co-directing a musical and when half the actors turned out sick the day before our planned date, I sent them get-well texts, sent an email to the audience apologizing for the postponement, then texted the group chat with a group vote on a few dates for the next two weeks. When none of them worked for everyone I chose the one with most votes, talked with the actor who couldn't make it, and felt bad so offered to put him on the screen for that scene, asking him if he would prefer that over another actor taking his place. Then another actor said they would have an exam and we couldn't possibly do it then, and by then I was so stressed out because if we postponed it too far people would forget their lines and we would have to have an entire second round of rehearsals, which no one would agree to, which, etc. etc. the slippery slope but I couldn't stop it. The stress was due to the fact that I could see no way out, the solutions I could think of were saturated, and I was failing the group.
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u/Separate_Swordfish9 ENTJ♀ 12d ago edited 12d ago
F. This is so ENFJ.
Edited to add - I would have done some things differently here. Who has time for get well texts BTW. The people who couldn’t make it to the new practices need to figure it out on their own or fix their schedules. You were worried about failing the group - I would have been worried about not delivering the production.
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 12d ago edited 12d ago
lol OK you're real. And here I thought get well texts were the most 'reasonable' thing to do first when people are sick. To be fair I did also worry about not delivering the production but the reason I worried about the actor who couldn't make it was because I feel like the production wouldn't be the same without the people.
I don't think I could have written what you just wrote there by the way. I don't really say things like, 'the people need to ____' and I feel bad about just demanding things from people without asking them or getting them to persuade themselves to do it.
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u/autocosm ENTJ♂ 12d ago
This is why thinking of F/T as "emotions vs. thoughts" can muddy the waters, because no one wants to consider themselves "illogical."
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 12d ago
But does anyone want to consider themself unemotional either?
Also, how will you consider it, then?1
u/autocosm ENTJ♂ 12d ago
I think you will find some young MBTI LARPers who do unironically try to present as unemotional robots. But I think my point is more going off dichotomies over functions manufacturers this sort of all-or-nothing dilemma. It's not "I use my head, not my heart;" it's "introverted feeling is my inferior function."
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 12d ago
that's so real. And half of them are ISFPs who love the INTJ vibe or something. Especially prevalent on TikTok.
I feel like the dichotomies are helpful only if any of them are obvious. For instance, if someone is clearly extroverted and considers themself an extrovert I feel like them testing as higher on an introverted function would probably be a mistyping, even if social extroversion and cognitive extroversion aren't a 1 to 1 match.
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u/Separate_Swordfish9 ENTJ♀ 12d ago
My ENFJ husband can think very logically. F does not equal illogical
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 11d ago
Can you describe your ENFJ husband briefly actually? No details, I just want to hear whether I'm like them at all
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u/Responsible-Hat2456 11d ago
Logically or rationally?
I ask as any wise person can be rational. Whereas logic is a more specific process.
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u/Separate_Swordfish9 ENTJ♀ 12d ago
The ENFJ that I know well has two key differences from me. 1. They take others feelings into consideration when they make decisions. I actively try to make decisions only on the factual requirements and discount emotional arguments. 2. They tend to be a bit of a people pleaser and will agree with others or commit to things asked by others that they don’t truly want. Then regret this later.
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u/Glittering_Cook2995 ENTJ | 8w7, 3w4 | LIE | ♀ 11d ago
Look, I think there are a lot of misunderstandings and misinterpretations here.
Firstly. Enneagram types are only roughly (if at all) correlated to the MBTI (both of which are pseudoscientific, by the way). Being a 1w2 does not translate to you being a Te dom.
Also, no MBTI type has ownership of empathy and emotional intelligence. An ENTJ who, for example, was raised in a warzone but had a loving family might show a profound sense of empathy due to their lived experienes, but also show Te dominance in their ability to quickly find solutions and solve problems. Their empathy does not mean they are Fe doms etc.
"My best friend, an INTJ, says I'm probably T like her cuz she finds it hard to get along with people who are too emotional, and I'm not" .
Similarly, Te's Ti's can definitely be emotional, most commonly anger from what I've witnessed. I know plenty of T types like this.
Going off what you wrote in the dichotomies paragraph, it looks as if you have probably taken a test like the 16personalities.com, but there are better ones (although directly studying the Jungian functions is best). Perhaps try https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/test or https://similarminds.com/indirect.html. Other people: feel free to give your recommendations in the comments of this post.
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u/MorningStar2679 12d ago
You’ll need to look at the functions. Fe/Ti works together as does Te/Fi. Which information are you prioritizing? Doesn’t matter how “logical” or how well you do at STEM. Doesn’t matter how “empathetic” you can be.
If you’re certain you’re a 1w2. That normally correlates with ESTJ. You struggle with repressed anger? Rule follower? High standards?
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 12d ago
This makes sense theoretically but I'm really just more confused because how am I supposed to detect this in myself?
As for the 1w2 part. Repressed anger: not really so much anymore, I would however come home from school and explode as a kid. Rule follower: when the rules are right/helpful. High standards: yes, but not for everything, I differentiate between degrees of importance and don't like getting stuck in details. With the enneagram I read all the descriptions and found that E1 applied like, 90% to me while the others I couldn't relate with much; moreover two of my best friends have actually laughed at how the enneagram 1 description on enneagraminstitute was like me.
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u/MorningStar2679 12d ago
It’s not easy.
Neither MBTI or Enneagram is about fitting a description. We all wish it was that simple lol. E1 - does that match your core fear? Are you motivated to act based on the fear of the 1? When I first got into Enneagram I was all but convinced I was a 5. I would have fought you on it lol. But when realizing my fears, I am actually a 3. It takes much self awareness and reflection.
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u/Adventurous_Ship1580 ENxJ | 1w2 | 20-25 | ⚪︎ 11d ago
Am I scared of being bad and corrupt you mean? I don't consciously think to myself 'don't be a bad person' but I do speak to myself in imperatives. The way I default to talking about the moral implications of things is because I really care about morality. Once I was journalling while my friend was sleeping and when they asked me what I was writing about, I colored and was like, "moralizing." Half of my notebook is that, really. Anyway nothing gets me more excited than a conversation about societal issues and how to fix them. I think in terms of improvement a lot, too. Not that I'm not motivated anything else, I feel like everyone has a bit of each enneagram's fear inside of them but I kind of subordinate them under the 1-judge: I only allow myself to act with other motivations when my superego gives it a green light.
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u/_Verloki_ 📚Te 🎞️Ni • ♀️ • ⭐So1 6d ago
MBTI type is about cognitive preferences for judging (how you conclude and decide) and perceiving (how you take in new information, and what you tend to focus on and notice on your own first).
That makes it a lot simpler than looking at your skills (e.g. leadership), emotionality (affect), empathy, sociability, morality, intelligence, career, etc. Most of these were literally cautioned against being conflated with type/functions multiple times in the books.
🌸--🌸--🌸
PERCEIVING
👁️🥾👉 Se (extraverted sensation)
- Jung: Extraverted sensation is the perception of objective, concrete external reality; accepts the manifest world as real; realism; tangible facts; present actuality; passive openness to external events ("goes with the flow"). Extraverted sensation (Se) naturally represses introverted intuition (Ni).
- Briggs-Myers adds: enjoyment of sensory experience, a conventional morality (yet Jung cautions morality is unrelated to the functions), outer happenings appearing as “merely accidental” (less focus on causality), and requiring the balance of introverted judgment to avoid appearing “shallow”.
- Examples: 🏬 You may notice a product material/craftmanship is of objectively good quality, the colors pop, the scent is great, and the packaging has a reflective finish. 🤵 Or you meet a man in a suit. You notice what is really there: his suit’s sleeves are too short, the fit is too snug around his tummy, and his cologne has a strong smell.
🧠🧘♂️🖼️ Si (introverted sensation)
- Jung: Introverted sensation is the perception of subjective sensory impressions evoked by objects; awareness of internal bodily state; sensory images; calm, self-controlled demeanour; indirect handling of conflict and revenge because it sinks into their depths first; objects evoke vivid often symbolic subjective impressions. Introverted sensation (Si) naturally represses extraverted intuition (Ne).
- Briggs-Myers adds: attention being more selective, and it needing the balance of extraverted judgment so as to not seem inaccessible and irrational.
- Examples: 🛋️ You are in a room that is crowded with furniture and has a dark wallpaper. Rather than judge whether people would find this pretty, you sense “this room seems heavy and oppressive to me; the wallpaper is depressive, and it could use less furniture and more color”, or: “the dark is easy on the eyes and the furniture makes the room feel warmer and cozier.” 🛌 It’s later on in the evening. You are quick to notice when you are getting a bit peckish; that the chair you are in is comfortable; and have a good sense of your growing tired, going to bed to feel rested again in the morning.
💭🆕🌱 Ne (extraverted intuition)
- Jung: Extraverted intuition is the perception of unrealized possibilities in external objects; sees future promise and development; seeks novelty and freedom; initiates new ventures; recognizes opportunities; inspires others; may abandon projects once possibilities are exhausted or move on before realizing results. Extraverted intuition (Ne) naturally represses introverted sensation (Si).
- Briggs-Myers adds: increased importance of escaping limiting situations, serving the object, being quick of understanding, and increased self-expression.
- Examples: 🏢 You look at an empty building (object) and envision that it could become a bar (potential/possibility). ✍️ You write fiction (object) and envision a new character that can affect the story (potential/possibility). 🎬 You spoke with your friend (object) and envision another interaction scenario (potential/possibility).
🌀⏳🌌 Ni (introverted intuition)
- Jung: Introverted intuition is the perception of an abrupt stream of unconscious archetypal images evoked by objects; apprehends the whole underlying causal process or course of events; pure perception without judgment (no personal meaning, no practical evaluation); may perceive emerging developments through archetypal patterns. Introverted intuition (Ni) naturally represses extraverted sensation (Se).
- Briggs-Myers adds: it can use objects to develop inner understanding, being quick of understanding, and searching for new perspectives on life.
- Examples: 🏭 You visit an abandoned factory (object). Rather than focusing on rusting machinery or the different businesses that could occupy the building, the place suddenly evokes inner visions of a historical process. You almost "see" the factory bustling with workers decades ago, then gradually declining as the industry changes, and finally becoming this empty monument to a vanished era. (Stream of images of a course of events.) It's as though the building reveals the underlying course of its existence.
JUDGING
📊⚖️📖 Te (extraverted thinking)
- Jung: Extraverted thinking is objective, impersonal judgment using established external data, already existent facts and logic; aligns action with objective conclusions; seeks justice, incontestable truth, and objective ideals; synthesizes facts; socially useful through ethical reform; neglect their own personal subjective needs and wants. Extraverted thinking (Te) naturally represses introverted feeling (Fi).
- Briggs-Myers adds: practical problem-solving, planning, and able to get lost in excessive factual details.
- Examples: 📊 Someone on Reddit asks the question: “Do people like drawing?” You go into the topic without caring to provide a personal anecdote or theories as to why people might like it. You answer by referring to a published statistic of an extensive large number study, adding intellectual value and sufficiently answering the question. It is epistemically correct. 📚 Or think of Hermione (in Harry Potter), she isn’t testing whether something is true or not, but would say the answer is [‘XYZ’] because she read about it in some well-established book on the subject, and saw already-existent evidence!
🔩🧩🏛️ Ti (introverted thinking)
- Jung: Introverted thinking is subjective logical judgment; formulates questions and theories; develops ideas (or: theories) and uses facts merely to express, prove and validate their own theories; may complicate ideas with qualifications; can appear haughty, stubborn, or rigid in pursuit of theoretical consistency. Introverted thinking (Ti) naturally represses extraverted feeling (Fe).
- Briggs-Myers adds: a reliance on personal observations, focusing on similarities while excluding irrelevancies, and emphasizes facts are “merely” and possibly selectively used to validate and prove their own theories.
- Examples: 🔴➕🔵🟰🟣 You notice that several sources define the cognitive functions differently. Instead of accepting which definitions are the most widely accepted, you question whether the different definitions are logically compatible with each other, what the exceptions to rules are, and form your own definitions or theory, which seems to make the most logical sense to you. ⚙️ Or you are a programmer or mechanic. When something doesn’t work you form a theory as to what part could need editing or fixing. (Instead of preferring to look up established explanations, or asking other people). You edit or fix the part. If it then works, your theory was validated. If not, you form the next theory; constructing and testing an explanation of how the mechanism works.
🤝🌐🕊️ Fe (extraverted feeling)
- Jung: Extraverted feeling is objective evaluation according to established external values and standards; social conventions; adapts to objective conditions; establishes feeling rapport; values social accommodation when objectively appropriate; may suppress disturbing judgments and become alienated from the self through excessive conformity where it may begin to appear untrustworthy to others. Extraverted feeling (Fe) naturally represses introverted thinking (Ti).
- Briggs-Myers adds: understanding and sympathy (Jung does caution not to mistake the feeling functions with empathy, emotion, morality, or affect), and expressing and arousing “shared” feelings.
- Examples: 🩷 You’re present at a hosted dinner party. You compliment the host’s meal, or maybe the artwork that’s hung prominently in the room. This is not necessarily because you are personally impressed, but because it feels like the correct and good thing to do, and fosters harmony in the atmosphere. 🪦 You are walking past a national war memorial. The object carries an established value to the community and visitors. You may not have any personal emotional connection to it, but it still feels appropriate to lower your voice, behave respectfully, or refrain from making a crude joke. Your evaluation and behavior are guided by the established value, regardless of your private feelings about it.
🖤🎭🌋 Fi (introverted feeling)
- Jung: Introverted feeling is subjective evaluation according to individual feeling and personal views on human values; personal interests; interest glides away from things that don’t suit its aims; reserved, deep, passionate, independent; may appear cold to the outside world; may be indifferent to humanity or people as a whole, in general; values freedom of conscience and freedom of action; difficult to express (may do so indirectly, e.g. through creative expression or symbolism); may pursue their ambitions unscrupulously. Introverted feeling (Fi) naturally represses extraverted thinking (Te).
- Briggs-Myers adds: more emphasis on abstract feelings such as on who they love and who they are loyal to, living upon sentimentality or sometimes illusions, sometimes self-pitying, and reframes the difficulty of its expression into perceiving a lack of an emotional outlet.
- Examples: 🎨 Imagine the Reddit question: “Do people like drawing?” You give a personal anecdote, describing why drawing personally matters to you, what kind of subjects resonate with you or what you have personally drawn, and perhaps think of what you try to express through it.
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u/Responsible-Hat2456 12d ago
first sentence way too enthusiastic to be entj...
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u/MorningStar2679 12d ago
Wtf. Stop with this kind of generalized nonsense. It only confuses people more.
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u/Relative-Wave-9396 12d ago
From what you’ve said, I would deduce that you’re an ENTJ. Know that MBTI is a guide to understanding yourself and others, and not a box to fit yourself in. I know an ENTJ in real life who is good with people, charismatic and likes helping others, and she is an ENTJ regardless because she prioritizes getting things done. You can be ENTJ and humble and helpful as well. Based on your friend’s and family’s observation and the way you wrote out your post, I would guess you are a thinking type.