ESFP is one of the 16 personalities of the MBTI. It encompasses individuals who prefer the extroverted, sensing, feeling, and perceiving personality traits. People with this set of preferences are often referred to as Performers or Personalities because they encompass all the traits the general public would assign to celebrities.
They are outgoing and love being the center of attention, which prompts them to look for careers where they can take the spotlight and perform for a bigger audience. This is the personality type of many actors and actresses, musicians, and entertainers in general.
ESFPs have an endearing passion for life and all its pleasures, and their enthusiasm can be contagious.
Performers have a very sociable type of personality. They love being surrounded by people, interacting, and sharing experiences but, most of all, they enjoy being given the center stage in any type of social interaction.
They are outgoing, spontaneous and spend their time enjoying the pleasures of life, including a bit of luxury. ESFPs are always ready to throw or attend any event or party where they can simply enjoy the moment, be it through dancing, singing, playing, or entertaining others with their exuberance.
Performers are perceptive of everyone’s feelings and always try to keep everyone in high spirits. Furthermore, they have a natural warm disposition that adds to their charm and allure. They also have a friendly demeanor that prompts them to help others in whichever way they can. However, when they are the ones in trouble, they tend to feign ignorance and pretend the problem does not exist to avoid conflict.
Their preference for the Sensing and Feeling traits means that they enjoy working with concrete criteria and facts, but any decision is ultimately made with their heart. ESFPs let their emotions and feelings rule their lives, not practicality and rationality.
They like to experiment and are often praised for their sense of style. To them, beauty and creativity go hand in hand. They are likely to have a superb sense of decoration and fashion. They are always on the lookout for new designs, new patterns, and new styles, and are not afraid to mix them to create a unique sense of style.
Performers live in the present and have a complete disregard for the future. They want it all, and they want it now. More often than not, they prefer to trust their “lucky star” instead of engaging in any kind of routine or repetitive analysis to plan the future. If things go wrong, they either keep putting their faith in luck or ask their closest friends for help. To them, it is better to patch things up for the moment, than trying to “be serious” about it and find a long-term solution.
As students, the individuals with an ESFP personality type tend to struggle in traditional classroom settings. They are lively and spontaneous which normally does not conform with what is expected in school. Likewise, they usually dislike theoretical discussions and any type of book learning because they prefer to learn about something by doing it themselves. For that reason, although they are prone to failure in a traditional classroom, they tend to do very well in activities that involve interacting with others and with materials and objects.
ESFPs are always curious to try new things and they love being in the spotlight. When the two come together the result is a personality that is infused with originality. They have a very present and unique sense of aesthetics and style.
These individuals like to break away from anything considered traditional. They like to be unconventional and to stand out from the crowd.
ESFPs like to live in the here-and-now. Their sole focus is on the present. Due to this, they tend to pay more attention to their surroundings than individuals with other personality types. It is what gives them their unique sense of style, but it also endows them with a great sensibility for any changes, no matter how small they are.
They are keen observers.
Performers feel at home in any type of social event. They actively seek to participate in as many gatherings and parties as they can, just to be surrounded by others and to bask in their appreciation.
As extroverts, they draw energy from social interactions. They simply love to talk to people. ESFPs are naturally friendly and warm, and their acute perception of any change helps them adjust to any situation to avoid conflict and make others feel important and cared about.
Performers do not care for theories, abstract ideas, or “what ifs”. They live in the present moment, and they like concrete things. To them, something is either black or white, there is no shade in between up to debate.
They do not wait around and spend their time dreaming about possibilities. They enjoy things they can touch, feel, hear, taste, or smell right then and there.
ESFPs live in the present and never stop to think about the future. In practice, this means that they never take into consideration possible consequences in the long term. As perceivers, they also prefer to leave things open-ended and find it more exciting not knowing what tomorrow may bring them.
In other words, people with an ESFP personality type dislike and are bad at any sort of planning. This combined with their appreciation for the best pleasures in life, including luxury, often leaves them in a tight spot money-wise.
It is not uncommon for Performers to have financial problems unless they have someone close to them controlling their spending.
ESFPs want excitement and they want it now. They are always looking for any activity, project, or people that can arouse strong emotions. They want to enjoy life to the fullest.
Therefore, any project that requires time, patience, and focus is a lost one on Performers. They do not have the motivation nor the ability to concentrate on something that extends beyond the present moment.
ESFPs want to be loved and for everyone around them to feel good in their presence. As a result, they try to avoid conflict at all costs. The same goes for problems.
Trying to find a solution for an issue would imply acknowledging it and bringing that “negativity” into their lives. It would also imply thinking in the long-term, which is something that Performers dislike.
Consequently, ESFPs tend to usually turn a blind eye to any problem or conflict. When it becomes impossible to escape it, they try to find a quick fix that could make them go away, even if only for that day.