#allathat

On the other hand, such intuitiveness and sensitivity can also cause significant difficulties for ENFJs – they may be too altruistic and empathic, getting too involved in other people’s problems, and then finding it difficult to detach and stop worrying. In extreme cases, this can even affect the ENFJs’ perception of themselves. ENFJs instinctively mimic another person’s emotional state, connecting to them at the level that is unreachable for most other personality types. Such empathy is both a gift and a curse – it makes ENFJs excellent counselors, but can also overload them with negative emotions if they are not careful.

Highly fluctuating self-esteem. ENFJs’ self-esteem depends on whether they are able to live up to their ideals and fulfill their goals, while at the same time making sure that everyone around them is happy. If the ENFJ’s ideas are being constantly criticized or they are unable to help people close to them, their self-confidence is likely to plummet. 

Since being genuine is crucial to their confidence, not knowing oneself may cause a kind of “identity panic”. This overcompensation may cause them to fill in the blanks with ideas of who they think they should instead of who they actually are. On top of that, should ENFJs begin to suspect that they possess flawed self-knowledge, it can lead to further loss of confidence and a vicious cycle.

ENFJs are prone to underestimating their abilities. As most of their strongest traits revolve around communicating and relating to other people, they cannot be quantified that easily; the ENFJs’ strong self-consciousness and idealism do not help here either. Consequently, an ENFJ may sometimes feel that they are falling behind their peers academically and professionally, while in reality they may simply not have had a good opportunity to use their gifts.

Unsurprisingly, people with this personality type are very sensitive and vulnerable to conflicts – even the most rational ENFJs may find it quite difficult to not take criticism personally. This is the ENFJ’s Achilles’ heel – if someone with an ENFJ personality cannot escape the conflict, they will do their best to deal with it head on, but this will result in a lot of stress and may also potentially lead to health problems or highly irrational behavior. Inability to handle criticism in a positive manner may also encourage the ENFJ to refrain from asking for other people’s feedback or opinion, which may then create distance in personal and professional relationships.