Are ENFJs Fake? (A Complete Guide)

In this guide, we will answer the question : Are ENFJ Fake?

ENFJ stands for Extraversion(E), Intuition (N), Feelings (F), and Judgement (J). It is one of the sixteen personality types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. They are considered to be outgoing, cheerful, and sensitive. They are often touted to be a “people’s person” due to their ability to engage with people with ease. They often come under the radar for being “fake”.Is this the truth? Let’s find out in the following section.

Are ENFJs Fake?

Friendliness, helpfulness, and empathy are natural qualities in a healthy ENFJ. They are likely to put the needs of others before their own. In the process of doing this, the ENFJ person might often be labeled as fake. To people, it might appear to be ingenuine.  They may feel the ENFJ person’s actions are intended to please others.

Fake?

The ENFJ personality types constitute individuals who are extroverted, outgoing, empathic, and supportive. They tend to place the needs of others, before their own. They will go out of their way to help someone in distress. Often times, many qualities in a healthy ENFJ may be misconstrued as “fake” or “ingenuine”.

The cognitive functions of the ENFJ personality type are:

Dominant Function: Extraverted Feeling

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition

Tertiary Function: Extraverted Sensing

Inferior Function: Introverted Thinking

The dominant function of Extraverted Feeling (Fe) allows the ENFJ to engage socially. They are able to find a way through the complexities of human connections. The ENFJ person is able to sense others’ emotions and feelings. Hence, they tend to make decisions based on how it will affect the people involved. Often times, the ENFJ person’s social behavior can be misconstrued as “fake”. The term “fake” can be defined as “one that is not what it purports to be” (Merriam Webster). 

Generally, individuals with Extraverted Feeling (Fe) as a dominant function are labeled as “fake”. To people, they might appear to be “not real”, “putting on a facade of niceness” due to their outgoing and friendly personalities. As mentioned earlier, the ENFJ is a people’s person. They will take the effort to learn about a person. In a room full of people, the ENFJ will talk to almost every person. Their friendliness and warmth can often be misjudged to be “fake” or ingenuine. They might be misconstrued by individuals with Introverted Feeling (Fi) as a dominant function.

The ENFJ person always seeks to see potential in each other. They appreciate the uniqueness of every individual. The ENFJ will motivate a person in need. Many times, they might help others become aware of the potential they carry within. They will embrace people with all their qualities and flaws alike. In general, they place emphasis on people in situations. They will always wonder “How will this affect the people?”. Their deeply empathic self is able to step into the shoes of others and experience situations from within their frame of reference. In case a conflict arises, the ENFJ person will try to find a middle ground to bring about peace and maintain harmony. If someone has a different point of view, the ENFJ person is more likely to understand them. They will not instantly jump into a fight wielding their idea. They will make the effort to listen and understand their perspective. This does not necessarily tantamount to them being “fake” or making an effort to look good in someone’s eyes.

They tend to make decisions on the basis of emotions, wondering how this will affect the people involved. This might be misjudged as them being fake or pleasing people. However, it is only the ENFJ person’s natural tendency to bring about happiness and harmony in the situation. They naturally tend to place the needs of others above theirs. In an unhealthy ENFJ, this might stem from the desire to please people. However, a healthy ENFJ is naturally drawn to helping others.

As a feeler, the ENFJ person strongly adheres to their morals and values. However, sometimes their personal values might be influenced by morals and feelings promoted by their external environment (“a friend in need is a friend indeed”). This might make it difficult to step back in situations where they might not be in a space to offer help. They might be unable to say “no”, even when they may want to. Not being able to offer help might lead to feelings of guilt.

Hence, they might have to make an effort to ensure they develop a more individualistic set of values and morals.

Mature Extraverted Feeling

The mature extraverted feeling is deeply empathetic and understanding. Their sensitivity radars allow them to pick on how others might be feeling. They are able to put themselves in another’s shoes. They will be able to comfort them with the right words. A healthy ENFJ is warm, polite, and empathic. They will be able to communicate their emotions with articulation. They are adept at listening, motivating people. They make for very good counselors. They are always giving people the space to be themselves. They are unlikely to judge someone. Rather, the ENFJ person will be the friend around whom you might be able to express yourself freely!

Immature Extraverted Feeling

Every personality type will have an unhealthy manifestation of their cognitive functions. Due to the unhealthy manifestation of Extraverted feeling (Fe), the ENFJ person will tend to please people. They will try to fit in with the opinions of others, even when it goes against their own personal values. They tend to let go of their individuality in the process of fitting in with the crowd. Further, they might be highly influenced by pressure from their social circle. This may cause them to lose their perspective, giving in to the opinion of the crowd.

The unhealthy manifestation of the dominant function may lead them to completely invalidate their own feelings and needs. In the quest to make people happy, they might find it difficult to stay true to themselves. Oftentimes this may cause them to experience unpleasant feelings like resentment. However, in order to not disappoint anyone, they may put on a facade of happiness.

In an immature ENFJ, manipulation may also be seen. Generally, a healthy ENFJ would use manipulations as a means to influence a person to make a decision that will benefit the person. There is rarely an undertone of selfish motives when the healthy ENFJ tries to influence others’ decisions. However, in an immature ENFJ, manipulation can be used to sway people to make decisions that will be advantageous to the ENFJ.

ENFJ Personality Type – Strengths

Individuals belonging to this personality type are adept at ensuring peace and harmony in a situation. They are master peace-keepers!

They are known for their confident communication style. They are able to put their thoughts into words with great ease. They can converse proficiently in diverse settings; from small crowds to larger gatherings.

The ENFJ person is great at persuading people. They are able to get people to do what they want them to. However, the ENFJ intention is not manipulation or personal gain. It is generally to benefit people or help them notice their potential.

ENFJ individuals make for great leaders. they can motivate people. They thrive in situations that allow them to work towards implementing change in society. they have a beautiful way while engaging with people. Their personalities are replete with a sense of idealism that allows them to see the potential in people around them.

ENFJ Personality Type – Weaknesses

They can be very selfless. So much so, that they lose sight of their own needs and desires. They tend to prioritize others over themselves.

The ENFJ person finds trouble saying “no”. They tend to say “yes” to every situation that comes their way. This is partly due to their openness to the many opportunities that life has to offer. However, in the process of over-committing, they end up with more than they can handle. They end up starting tasks without being able to finish all of them.

The ENFJ person may find it hard to make decisions that require them to leave their heart out. They struggle with impersonal reasoning.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Famous ENFJ Personalities:

Maya Angelou

Mother Teresa

Martin Luther King Jr.

Leo Tolstoy

Dante Alighieri

Pope Francis

Mahatma Gandhi

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Conclusion

In this blog, we answered the question : Are ENFJs Fake? We delved into understanding this aspect of the personality, outlining the qualities of a healthy and unhealthy ENFJ.

Frequently Asked Questions: Are ENFJs Fake?

References

Are ENFJs and ESFJs “Fake”?

https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/2017/04/05/enfjs-esfjs-fake/