IEEs-ENFps getting lost with too many options and possibilities

[Kim]

my little enfp brother is trying to decide on what major to spend the next four years of his life studying, i have suggested cool shit like film or pyrotechnics because he is pretty kick ass. of course there is the feeder majors like psychology or journalism that socionics might suggest, but he remains undecided. any suggestions?

I can only speak for myself, but I am very happy having gone the literature/African studies route to become a professor. I can do research and teach, both of which I enjoy very much. I can also change my research focus, get into interdisciplinary stuff and thus always start new things when I feel like it. And I have a flexible schedule, which is essential for me.

I'm also doing stuff in cultural anthropology because I love learning about people and their lives (duh!).

I also would have enjoyed the following (and might pick one or the other up sometimes and combine with my field): Psychology (I think it leaves enough room for creativity and seems a good field for ENFps), journalism, video production (documentaries), development studies, women's studies, ...I might add more later.

I would say don't push it. I have studied American Studies, Sociology, Political Science, American literature, Postcolonial literature and Anthropology and have now arrived at something that I think I want to do for a while. Not for the rest of my life, mind you! Just for a while! :wink:

Good luck for him - it's tough, I know!

[anndelise]

I also would have enjoyed the following (and might pick one or the other up sometimes and combine with my field): Psychology (I think it leaves enough room for creativity and seems a good field for ENFps)

Every Enfp I've met who actually went to work in the psychology field, quickly became disenchanted. When they moved down to a "Lower" level of counselor (w/ psychology training) they were finally able to relax and enjoy their work. The happiest ones are into career counseling and life coaching.

[science as magic]

in order to make important decisions there are only two things you need:

an iron resolution
a quarter

Why?

because everyone should major in physics until they wise up and switch over to mathematics

[Kim]

I also would have enjoyed the following (and might pick one or the other up sometimes and combine with my field): Psychology (I think it leaves enough room for creativity and seems a good field for ENFps)

Every Enfp I've met who actually went to work in the psychology field, quickly became disenchanted. When they moved down to a "Lower" level of counselor (w/ psychology training) they were finally able to relax and enjoy their work. The happiest ones are into career counseling and life coaching.

I would be much happier with the theoretical route, actually. Research and teaching and I would not enjoy career counseling and life coaching in the least. In any case, type should not discourage anyone from doing anything, I think.

[meatburger]

I have just made the desicion this week to go to uni and study behavioural science, probablly with sociology. I have always liked helping people and hope that i find something similar to Councilling that i can do.

Im quite good at IT but i have found that i like it more as a hobby than as a career. A lof of people it IT are thinking types who can be quite stuck up. Computers can annoy me too

I have worked for 3 years now in the call centre and i still love it. Im good at it too but its time to move on.

[Rocky]

Why?

because everyone should major in physics until they wise up and switch over to mathematics

Hmm... Fabio gave me the answer that I probably would have given, but you gave me the answer that would leave me frustrated because you didn't quite answer the question, but only opened up a new one.

So I'll ask again- why is mathematics important? There are plenty of majors (biology, business, psychology, etc...), but what I want to know is the reasoning for your personal choice.

[schrödinger's cat]

I find my job fulfilling, but "stay-at-home mom" isn't an easy gig for a guy to get.

i guess i could interpolate that into gigolo for my brother. it fits too.

This is the post where I try to ignore the comparison of stay-at-home mom to prostitute.

This is the post where I ignore the obvious conclusion that Mariano probably thought "hm... what could a man do that involves staying at home and living off a spouse... well, obviously not housework, ha ha ha... goddit, gigolo!"

Twerp.

Nicky, did you read the one about www.salary.com who've calculated how much a stay-at-home-Mum in the USA would earn if she actually got a salary? She'd earn 134.121 Dollars per year. One of the reasons it was that high is because of the overtime. Imagine we got PAID normal rates for all the times we get up at two o'clock in the morning because little dear has thrown up all over his bed?

Or what about a special "dealing with GROSS stuff" rate? Like changing a nappy and it's full of dark green stuff that has the consistency of melted cheese? Or when the nappy is too small and little dear gets diarrhea and the nappy is so full it starts to drag him down, and then some idiot gives him a tight hug?

[schrödinger's cat]

anyone (enfp's) find their line of work extremely fulfilling?

Yes. Studying Applied Linguistics and Cultural Science. Reasons:
- German universities let you assemble your own curriculum, so there's plenty of freedom.
- It's a mix of theory and real life.
- It's about everything. Databases, Edgar Allan Poe, pronunciation of the letter R, everything. Yummy.
- And it involves stuff about people, about how they think and see the world.
- And you get to travel. Only a fool would study a foreign language without spending at least six months in the country. Imagine - live abroad for six months, do nothing but immerse yourself in the culture (heh) and it counts as work.

[Mariano Rajoy]

I find my job fulfilling, but "stay-at-home mom" isn't an easy gig for a guy to get.

i guess i could interpolate that into gigolo for my brother. it fits too.

This is the post where I try to ignore the comparison of stay-at-home mom to prostitute.

i was trying to avoid the comparison by using the word "interpolate" to denote some mental process that removed the implication that stay at home moms get paid for sex. i was far too ambiguous in this instance. sorry. gigolo was the best i could do to come up with a practical yet humurous yet in a way true application for my brother, but it does not follow that stay at home moms are prostitutes.

Twerp

[Slacker]

I wasn't particularly offended, just had a brief twinge.

[schrödinger's cat]

OK, I'll take back the twerp. You aren't one. Sorry.

[implied]

Yes. Studying Applied Linguistics and Cultural Science.

high five! applied linguistics is a great field. (:

[science as magic]

why is mathematics important?

it is capable of representing the information found in the others, or in a more general sense, it is more capable of representation than most other systems

[Raver]

When I'm make a selection for a dish from a menu, I tend to bounce between multiple choices and keep making the transition between them repeatedly until I conclude with possibly the worst choice.

[Topaz]

1 . 2. / 3. 4.
-------------------------------
5. 6. / 7. 8.

This is the true order IMO

Traveler, I think I agree with you on this if what you are saying is that the top line are the conscious functions and the bottom are the unconscious ones! (imo )

[Raver]

1 . 2. / 3. 4.
-------------------------------
5. 6. / 7. 8.

This is the true order IMO

Traveler, I think I agree with you on this if what you are saying is that the top line are the conscious functions and the bottom are the unconscious ones! (imo )

Yes, it's like you read my mind! I was going to do a topic on this, but then I abandoned it, maybe I'll create one.

[Kim]

1 . 2. / 3. 4.
-------------------------------
5. 6. / 7. 8.

This is the true order IMO

Traveler, I think I agree with you on this if what you are saying is that the top line are the conscious functions and the bottom are the unconscious ones! (imo )

Yes, it's like you read my mind! I was going to do a topic on this, but then I abandoned it, maybe I'll create one.

You should! I just read it and thought "OMG, I have been thinking this, too!"
I have been saying for the longest time that is my weakest function.

[ENFperator]

My weakest functions would be or and the is rather conscious.

[Raver]

1 . 2. / 3. 4.
-------------------------------
5. 6. / 7. 8.

This is the true order IMO

Traveler, I think I agree with you on this if what you are saying is that the top line are the conscious functions and the bottom are the unconscious ones! (imo )

Yes, it's like you read my mind! I was going to do a topic on this, but then I abandoned it, maybe I'll create one.

You should! I just read it and thought "OMG, I have been thinking this, too!"
I have been saying for the longest time that is my weakest function.

Thanks for the motivation guys, I had doubt that this idea might be accepted because of the failure of my other systems. However, I have created it now and will post it soon.

[felafel]

I don't think I'm ENFp, but I have a problem making decisions, too. I think it's the "what ifs" that slow me down and give me a headache. For every possibility, there's a million others!

AND I also tend to take everything but the kitchen sink with me whenever I go out. Many of my friends know my for my ability to magically procure tissues, band-aids, nail clippers, batteries, etc. on a moment's notice, even if we're in the middle of nowhere. .

this reminds me of an infj friend of mine. we were in italy for a year abroad and some dudes approach us to ask if, by any chance, we had rolling paper for cigs and more. My infj friend produced rolling papers and a lighter out of her magical bag- and the girl has never smoked (anything) in her life!

[ENFperator]

The happiest ones are into career counseling and life coaching.

I think it also depends on the subtypes. Probably the one's with stronger are more likely to choose counseling, because it's more action oriented. For example, I don't see much use of theoretical knowledge if I can't implement it in real life situations. The more intuitive ENFps seem to enjoy theorizing. I know an ENFp who owns two cafes and he works in the business field. Another option for ENFps might also be tourism or hotel business.

[anndelise]

The happiest ones are into career counseling and life coaching.

I think it also depends on the subtypes. Probably the one's with stronger are more likely to choose counseling, because it's more action oriented. For example, I don't see much use of theoretical knowledge if I can't implement it in real life situations. The more intuitive ENFps seem to enjoy theorizing. I know an ENFp who owns two cafes and he works in the business field. Another option for ENFps might also be tourism or hotel business.

The comment above was specifically linked to those ENFps who went into Psychology/Counseling fields.

I'm an intuitive subtype. I began going into the psychological counseling field. I hated it. During the training I did take, people kept expecting us to do all the change work. It was like..."here i am, i refuse to put in more effort than showing up, now make me better". Even the Fi subtypes I knew had issues with this attitude from "clients".

Career counseling and life coaching allows the ENFp to theorize all they want to because, well, at that point, all the work falls onto the client and if the client fails, "it's the client's fault", not the theory. (ENFps are great at deluding ourselves.)

As for researching in the psychological field...I suppose it's possible....more likely if it's a group thing than a one man/woman show.
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Restaurants, Tourism, Hotels, and Recreation are excellent choices for ENFps too. Again, it all falls into the "short bursts of energy expenditure, topical variety, and long term 'technical' mastery".