The ENTP Friendship Experience

ENTPs are curious. They love to explore the world, to see how everything works and what changes when they push buttons or take action. They’re more likely to be found out on the road, trying to find out what’s over the next hill, than at home and this can make them exciting and sometimes baffling friends. Their way of being friends can seem strange to some types, but to others it can be exactly what they’re looking for.

General Overview

ENTPs like to argue. That’s not to say that they’re violent or disagreeable people of course, but the great love of their life is to engage in heated intellectual debates. And to win those debates. This is what ENTPs love and it’s what they look for in their friends. They are much more likely to choose a friend because they can debate well than for the emotional connection. In fact, ENTPs can sometimes completely dismiss the importance of the emotional connection in favor of someone who can keep up with them intellectually. ENTPs are abstract, speculative thinkers who like nothing more than to share their thinking with the people around them.

“ENTPs can sometimes completely dismiss the importance of the emotional connection in favor of someone who can keep up with them intellectually. ENTPs are abstract, speculative thinkers who like nothing more than to share their thinking with the people around them.”
Photo by Antenna on Unsplash

ENTP debates can sound fairly heated. When they’re deep in discussion, they usually think of nothing more than getting their point across and changing the other person’s opinion. This can sometimes result in harsh, cold language that can upset more sensitive types. But the ENTP doesn’t take these debates personally, and expects the same from others in the argument. And people who can hold their own in this type of argument often win a friend for life in the ENTP.

When it comes to emotions, ENTPs are at a bit of a disadvantage. Their feeling function is in the tertiary position, which means it appears mostly when they’re feeling defensive or attacked. This can result in emotional outbursts that the ENTP doesn’t fully understand as well as very little emotional understanding. ENTPs aren’t the best people to help in an emotional crisis. They may want to help, but have little idea of how to do that apart from offering a range of rational solutions, which often just makes the situation worse.

ENTP friendships with NTs

A friendship between an ENTP and a NT will be one of exploration and growth for both types. The shared intuitive function, either introverted or extraverted intuition, will make conversations between these types long and interesting. In fact, they will probably spend a lot of time just talking, exploring the world of ideas and abstracts. And NTs, with their thoughtful nature, will often enjoy the spirited debates that the ENTP loves. They’re also very likely to have the emotional distance to both stand up to the ENTP and not take anything they say in a debate personally.

“NTs, with their thoughtful nature, will often enjoy the spirited debates that the ENTP loves. They’re also very likely to have the emotional distance to both stand up to the ENTP and not take anything they say in a debate personally.”
Photo by Andrea Tummons on Unsplash

ENTPs will definitely enjoy spending time with the NTs who use extraverted intuition as a dominant or auxiliary because they use that same adventurous function. ¹ Together they can explore the world, pushing buttons just to see what happens. But they’ll probably enjoy the NTs who use introverted intuition just as much for their deep, abstract thinking and ability to see the patterns that make up the world and the people who live in it. Both of these types of relationships will encourage the ENTP to grow, learn and change, and this is what this type most wants from life.

ENTP friendships with NFs

ENTPs usually find NFs fascinating for a number of reasons. Their shared intuitive function gives them a similar way of seeing the world and learning, giving them a bond which can cement their friendship. It also allows ENTPs to share deep, meandering, abstract conversations with NFs. But because NFs use a feeling function either as their dominant or auxiliary, it gives them a unique view on the world that ENTPs often find mesmerizing.

As thinkers, ENTPs often have trouble understanding emotion. They use introverted thinking as their auxiliary, which likes to gather and evaluate facts that are completely divorced from emotional content. This function can make it difficult for ENTPs to understand emotions with any real sophistication. Their emotional function is in the tertiary position, which means that it’s underdeveloped, and usually activates under stress. Because of this, NFs understanding of emotions can seem almost magical to ENTPs, and give them a much needed insight into a previously unseen facet of the world. As long as the NF is strong enough to withstand the ENTPs bluntness and bouts of emotional insensitivity, both of these types can learn a lot from each other.

ENTP friendships with SPs

“SPs also share the independent streak that ENTPs are famous for, which means that neither of these types are ever eager to be tied down. And this will only fuel their desire to travel and explore the world in any way they can.”
Photo by Kawtar CHERKAOUI on Unsplash

ENTPs can enjoy friendships with SPs. SPs use extraverted sensing as their dominant or auxiliary function, which means that they’re often driven to explore the external world and to seek new things. ENTPs are one of the few personality types that can match the SPs adventurous nature, and these two types often make great companions on long and fascinating adventures. SPs also share the independent streak that ENTPs are famous for, which means that neither of these types are ever eager to be tied down. And this will only fuel their desire to travel and explore the world in any way they can.

ENTP friendships with SJs

ENTPs often have a little trouble with SJs. SJs lack an intuitive function, which means that they often actively dislike the deep, abstract conversations that ENTPs love. SJs are also deeply tied to the past, to traditions and to routines, and ENTPs often outright hate all of these things. SJs use introverted sensing as their dominant or auxiliary function, which gives them this love of the past. But for the ENTP, this is their inferior function, their blind spot, the thing they’re least interested in and something they usually outright avoid. This combination of differences can make relationships between these types difficult.

Final Thoughts

ENTPs are curious and they like to have people around them to share in their exploration of the world. They can be very social people who enjoy friendships with a lot of different types, but they bond best with those who use an intuitive function as a strength. These relationships are the ones that will really test the ENTP, and encourage them to learn and grow. A friendship with an ENTP isn’t for everyone, but for some personality types ENTPs can be fascinating, confusing and always interesting companions on the journey that is life.