The ENTP Type
Frequently
Asked Questions
Hal Dendurent
Want to join the ENTP
discussion group?
What does ENTP mean?
It's just a label that attempts to pin down the
qualities of a certain grouping of
people, one of 16 psychological types defined in the
famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Keirsey put a
temperament spin on the idea, and there are other related approaches as
well. The whole
thing originated with the Swiss psychiatrist C. G. Jung
in his book Psychological
Types.
So ENTP means nothing?
I didn't say that. It does depend
somewhat on who you ask, though. I
describe ENTPs as persons with dominant extraverted intuition and
auxiliary introverted
thinking. This is a standard definition in Jungian and Myers-Briggs
circles.
Intuition?
It's sort of an indirect perceiving function that seems
to complement direct
sensory observation. People with extraverted intuition tend to be good
at seeing patterns
in things and are interested in the possibilities for change, for
rearranging (or at least
re-imagining) the world. With auxiliary introverted thinking, ENTPs
especially like to
relate ideas of a logical nature.
So are ENTPs introverts or extraverts?
They're usually pretty outgoing, but they definitely
have an interior life. They
probably know a lot of people but may have only a few close friends.
They're not likely to
be the loudest at a party unless there's an intellectual debate going
on.
Can you describe ENTPs some more?
Well, yeah, but there are lots of descriptions of ENTPs
and the other types, both
in books and on the web.
Do you have any recommendations for books and
web sites?
Sure. I particularly like Lenore Thomson's Personality
Type: An Owner's
Manual (Shambhala, 1998). An old standby is Gifts
Differing by Isabel Briggs
Myers. Less
well known, but very good, is Steve Myers,
Influencing
People Using Myers Briggs (1995).
For a list of type-related web sites, see Schools of Psychological Type.
Here are some sites specifically related to ENTPs.
ENTP Learning Style
http://www.careerfulfillment.com/learning_styles/lrn_12entp.htm
Keirsey.com ENTP description
http://keirsey.com/personality/ntep.html
Team Technology ENTP description
http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mb-types/entp.htm
socionics.com ENTP description
http://socionics.com/prof/entp.htm
typelogic.com ENTP descriptions
http://typelogic.com/entp.html
http://www.personalitytype.com ENTP description
http://www.personalitytype.com/types/entp.html
The Personality Page Portrait
http://www.personalitypage.com/ENTP.html
Sandra Krebs Hirsch and Jean Kummerow's ENTP profile
http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/entp.htm
Insight System's ENTP profile
http://www.insightgame.org/ENTP.php
What are ENTPs really like?
Now you know I'd never tell you that ;-). Look around, find
some ENTPs, and decide for yourself.
Where can I get to know
more ENTPs?
One way is through the ENTP discussion group. ENTPs and
those interested in ENTPs
are welcome to participate.
How do I join the ENTP discussion group?
See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/entp/.
Anyone who likes can read or sign up for this discussion group.
Do you guys have a sense of humor?
Those interested in type can be light hearted. See my A Light
Look at Psychological Type and my joke collection.
As far as I know, the book on Psychological Type and Humor has not yet been written. Maybe I'll write it. Lessee. That title sounds pretty dry. How about:
Don't worry, there are even more possibilities!
By the way, one title has already been taken: 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' A lot of people think Nobel prizewinning physicist Richard Feynman was an ENTP.