ENTP: The Visionary

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ENTP is one of the 16 different personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. People with this personality type are often described as innovative, clever, and expressive. Psychologist David Keirsey, creator of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, suggests that ENTPs account for approximately two to five percent of all people.

ENTP Characteristics

The MBTI analyses personality in four key dimensions: 1) Extraversion and Introversion, 2) Sensing and Intuition, 3) Thinking and Feeling and 4) Perceiving and Judging. As you have probably already realized, the acronym ENTP stands for Extraverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Perceiving.

    • Extraverted: ENTPs enjoy interacting with a wide variety of people. They are great conversationalists and love to engage other people in debates.
    • Intuitive: ENTPs are more focused on the future rather than on immediate details. They may start projects and never finish them because they are so focused on the big picture rather than the present needs.
    • Thinking: ENTPs are logical and objective. When making decisions, they place a greater weight on rational evidence instead of subjective, emotional information.
    • Perceiving: ENTPs tend to reserve judgment. Instead of making a decision or committing to a course of action, they would prefer to wait and see what happens.

Some common characteristics of the ENTP personality include:

  • Innovative
  • Very creative; full of ideas
  • Excellent conversationalist
  • Enjoys debating topics with other people
  • Places a great deal of emphasis on knowledge
  • Dislike schedules and routines
  • Good at leading others
  • Does not like to be controlled
  • Very logical

Since they are identified as extraverts, it may come as no surprise that ENTPs have very good people skills. They are skilled communicators and enjoy interacting with a wide circle of family, friends and acquaintances. In conversations, other people often find them quick-witted. ENTPs will often engage in debates simply because they enjoy having a good battle of the wits. Sometimes, their love of debates lead ENTPs to take on the role of the devil’s advocate, which can sometimes lead to conflicts with others who feel like they are being intentionally combative and antagonistic.

ENTPs are also known for be idea-oriented, which is why this personality type has been described as “the innovator,” “the visionary,” and “the explorer.” However, as perceivers, ENTPs are less interested in the here-and-now details than they are in generating ideas and theories. Because of this, they sometimes tend to come up with one idea after another without actually going forward with plans and actions to bring their creative notions into fruition.

Famous People With ENTP Personalities

Experts have suggested that the following famous individuals exhibited characteristics consistent with the ENTP personality type.

  • Thomas Edison, inventor
  • John Adams, U.S. president
  • Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president
  • Alexander the Great, king and military leader
  • Lewis Carroll, author
  • Julia Child, cook
  • Alfred Hitchcock, director
  • Walt Disney, filmmaker

Some famous fictional ENTPs include:

  • Bugs Bunny, cartoon character
  • Garfield, comic strip character
  • Shirley Feeney, television character, Laverne and Shirley
  • Mercutio, Shakespearean character, Romeo and Juliet

Best Career Choices for ENTPs

“Inventors are usually non-conformists in the workplace, and can succeed in many areas as long as the job does not involve too much humdrum routine,” explains Keirsey, who developed a personality assessment closely aligned with the MBTI. Some career options that are well-suited to ENTPs include:

  • Engineer
  • Lawyer
  • Scientist
  • Psychologist
  • Inventor
  • Psychiatrist
  • Journalist