Friendships

Connecting with other people makes Protagonists (ENFJs) feel alive and purposeful. It’s no surprise, then, that they are anything but apathetic about friendship. Protagonists put sincere, dedicated effort into staying close with their friends. For these personalities, friendships are far from expendable or insignificant – instead, they’re a key component of a life well lived.

Protagonist (ENFJ) friends

A Wealth of Perspectives

Few personality types can match Protagonists’ sincere desire to get to know people. For Protagonists, discovering someone’s quirks and opinions and hopes and follies is one of life’s purest pleasures. Most Protagonists can’t help but be fascinated by other worldviews, even those with which they wholeheartedly disagree. Encountering a wealth of perspectives is what keeps life interesting for these types.

Protagonists surround themselves with all sorts of friends and acquaintances, including those whose experiences and ideas differ wildly from their own.

That said, most Protagonists find it difficult to respect anyone who takes shortcuts, disrespects others, or refuses to challenge the status quo. Instead, they find it easiest to connect with people who share their core ideals, particularly their commitment to doing the right thing and leaving the world better than they found it.

It is with these closest friends that Protagonists truly open up, sharing their vulnerabilities and their most precious dreams for their lives. These personalities maintain warm, caring, and supportive connections with many people, but they tend to show their full selves – including their insecurities – only to an inner circle of friends who have earned their trust.

Through Thick and Thin

Protagonists can be among the best friends anyone could wish for. Kindhearted and trustworthy, people with this personality type dedicate incredible amounts of energy and attention to their friendships. They want their friends to feel not merely validated but supported, not merely heard but understood.

From their closest friends to their wide circle of acquaintances, Protagonist personalities approach relationships with a sense of purpose, creating bonds that are not easily broken.

They can also be trusted to show up in ways both large and small – whether by taking time after a grueling day at work to help a friend spruce up their resume or by putting together a weekend-long destination birthday party for a friend who needs a boost. Nothing makes Protagonists happier than seeing the people they care about doing well, and few things could stop them from trying to help make that happen.

Finding Balance

While Protagonists enjoy lending a helping hand, they aren’t always happy with the results. The truth is that some people don’t have the energy or the drive to take full advantage of Protagonists’ offers of help – or they simply might not want to. For example, their friend might ignore that resume advice, or they might decide to kick back and relax instead of using that new resume to send out job applications.

When this happens, people with the Protagonist personality type may feel unappreciated, frustrated, or resentful. They may even become judgmental in an effort to push their friend forward – an approach that all too often backfires.

As they mature, many Protagonists learn to avoid taking their friends’ behavior personally.

Paradoxically, having a more flexible attitude can guide these types to support the people they care about even more effectively. As many Protagonists discover, the most enduring friendships are based not only on mutual growth but also on acceptance, compassion, and genuine respect.