Table of Contents

THEORIES PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Part of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide

ESTP: The Persuader

(Extraverted, Sensing,
Thinking, Perceiving)
An Overview of the ESTP
Personality Type
By Kendra Cherry Updated on July 09, 2021

Medically reviewed by David Susman, PhD

Table of Contents
Key ESTP Characteristics

Cognitive Functions

Personal Relationships

Career Paths

Tips for Interacting With ESTPs

ESTP is one of the 16 personality types

identi:ed by the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI). People with this
personality type are frequently described
as outgoing, action-oriented, and
dramatic. ESTPs are outgoing and enjoy
spending time with a wide circle of friends
and acquaintances. They are interested in
the here-and-now and are more likely to
focus on details than taking a broader
view of things. [1]

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People with this personality type are

logical. When making decisions, they
place a higher value on objectivity rather
than personal feelings. ESTPs don't like to
be pinned down by excessive planning.
Instead, they like to improvise and keep
their options open.

According to psychologist David Keirsey,

the creator of the Keirsey Temperament
Sorter, approximately 4—10% of people
exhibit an ESTP personality. It is believed
to be one of the most common personality
types. [2]

Key ESTP Characteristics

ESTPs tend to exhibit a number of
characteristics centered on their tendency
to be extraverted sensors. They tend to be
decisive thinkers with strong people skills.
ESTPs also tend to:

Make decisions quickly

quickly: When
confronted by problems, people with
this personality type quickly look at
the facts and devise an immediate
solution. They tend to improvise
rather than spend a great deal of
time planning.

Prefer the practical over the

abstract
abstract: ESTPs don't have a lot of
use for abstract theories or concepts.
They are more practical, preferring
straightforward information that
they can think about rationally and
act upon immediately.

Have strong social skills

skills: They are
very observant, often picking up on
details that other people never
notice. Other people sometimes
describe them as "fast-talkers" who
are highly persuasive. In social
settings, they often seem like they
are a few steps ahead of the
conversation.

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Act impulsively at times

times: ESTPs
are not planners. They react in the
moment and can often be quite
impulsive or even risk-taking. This
'leap before they look' attitude can be
problematic at times and it may lead
them to say or do things they regret.

Strengths
Gregarious, funny, and energetic

In]uential and persuasive

Action-oriented

Adaptable and resourceful

Observant

Weaknesses
Impulsive

Competitive

Dramatic at times

Easily bored

Insensitive

Cognitive Functions
The MBTI suggests that personality is
composed of a number of di\erent mental
functions (sensing, thinking, intuition,
and feeling) that are either directed
inwardly (introverted) or outwardly
(extraverted). The most prominent of
these plays the largest role in personality,
while the secondary function acts as a co-
pilot. The tertiary and inferior functions
tend to have smaller in]uence.

Dominant: Extraverted Sensing

Extraverts gain energy from social
engagement. Because of this, they tend to
be outgoing, engaging, and novelty-
seeking. Because they are more outward-
turning, they also tend to seek stimulation
through the senses.

Reality focused
focused: Because they are so
focused on the present world, ESTPs
tend to be realists. [2] They are
interested in the sights, sounds, and
experiences that are going on
immediately around them, and they
have little use for daydreams or
]ights of fancy.

Sensation seeking
seeking: As sensors,
people with this personality type
want to touch, feel, hear, taste, and
see anything and everything that
might draw their interest. When
learning about something new, it's
not just enough to read about it in a
textbook or listen to a lecture – they
want to experience it for themselves.

High energy
energy: ESTPs also have lots
of energy, so they can become bored
in tedious or in learning situations
involving a great deal of theoretical
information.

Action-oriented
Action-oriented: ESTPs are the
quintessential "doers." They get
straight to work and are willing to
take risks to get the job done. ESTPs
enjoy being active, but they also like
that activity to feel practical and
productive. For example, they might
grow bored by the same exercise
routine or by running on the
treadmill; they'd prefer seeking novel
activities or doing something useful.

Auxiliary: Introverted Thinking

When making judgments about the world,
ESTPs focus inwardly and process
information in a logical and rational way.
Because this side of personality is
introverted, it is something that people
may not immediately notice.

Highly disciplined
disciplined: This inner
sense of control gives ESTPs a great
deal of self-discipline. They are
skilled at working independently and
can be very goal-directed when they
want to achieve an objective.

Very observant
observant: They have excellent
observational skills, noticing things
that others may overlook. As they
take in information, they then apply
their sense of logic to look for
practical and immediately applicable
solutions.

Tertiary: Extraverted Feeling

This function focuses on creating social
harmony and relationships with others.
While emotions are not an ESTPs
strongest suit, they do have a great need
for social engagement.

Outgoing
Outgoing: They enjoy being at the
center of attention and are good at
establishing a friendly rapport with
other people.

People pleasing
pleasing: While they are
social, ESTPs are sometimes less
comfortable sharing their opinions
and judgments with others. Rather
than rock the boat, they are more
focused on pleasing others and
maintaining harmony. They may
overlook their own needs at times to
ensure that other people are happy.

Humanitarian
Humanitarian: This aspect of
personality also drives ESTPs to want
to use their skills to help others and
make the world a better place. They
feel concerned for others and are able
to see practical solutions to
problems.

Inferior: Introverted Intuition

This aspect of personality focuses on
looking at information in order to see
patterns and develop a "gut feeling" about
situations. It allows ESTPs to gain
impressions of incoming data and develop
a sense of the future.

Seek connections
connections: They may look
for connections that will help them
gain a sense of what to expect will
happen next.

Sometimes distrust instinctive

reactions
reactions: Intuition is not an ESTPs
strong suit, but they will sometimes
develop strong gut reactions to a
situation that may actually be
completely inaccurate. Because of
this, they may feel that they do not
have good instincts.

Because this aspect of personality is not as

strong, it can sometimes become
something of a weakness. When well
developed, people with strong intuition
will use the ability to take what they have
learned through their senses to look for
patterns and make connections. When
poorly developed, people may make leaps
in judgment that are not backed up by
evidence.

ESTPs You Might Know

Donald Trump, businessman and
U.S. President

Madonna, singer

Ernest Hemingway, novelist

Thomas Edison, inventor

Captain James T. Kirk, :ctional

character, Star Trek

Personal Relationships
As extraverts, ESTPs gain energy from
being around other people. In social
settings, people with this personality type
are seen as fun, friendly, and charming.

Strong people skills

skills: According to
Keirsey, people with this personality
type are particularly skilled at
in]uencing people. ESTPs are not
only great at interacting with other
people, but they also have a natural
ability to perceive and interpret
nonverbal communication.

Diaculty with commitment

commitment:
While they are great with people,
ESTPs prefer to live in the moment,
which can sometimes make it hard
for them to commit to a relationship.
Because they are so focused on the
present, it can be diacult to think
about their long-term plans.

Can seem insensitive

insensitive: ESPTs
sometimes have a hard time tuning
in to what others are thinking or
feeling. As a result, they can
sometimes say things that might be
perceived as insensitive and may
need to put in extra e\ort to pay
attention to their friends and
partners.

Career Paths
The MBTI also suggests that certain
personality types may exhibit preferences
and strengths that align them with certain
careers. [3] People with an ESTP
personality type feel energized when they
interact with a wide variety of people, so
they do best in jobs that involve working
with others. They strongly dislike routine
and monotony, so fast-paced jobs are
ideal.

ESTPs have several di\erent personality

characteristics that make them well-
suited for certain careers. Because of their
strong people skills, ESTPs tend to do very
well in careers that involve sales and
marketing.

Because they are action-oriented and

resourceful, they are great in :rst-
responder positions that require fast-
thinking and quick responses, such as
emergency medical personnel and police
oacers.

Popular ESTP Careers

Computer support technician

Detectives

Entrepreneur

Marketer

Paramedic

Police oacer

Sales agent

Tips for Interacting With

ESTPs
If your friend, co-worker, loved one, or
partner is an ESTP, there are some things
you can do to improve your
communication and interaction with
them. Learning more about what makes
this personality type tick can help you
understand them better. [4]

Friendships
ESTPs have an inexhaustible thirst for
adventure. You can be a good friend by
always being ready to head out for a new
experience, or even by coming up with
plans that o\er excitement, novelty, and
challenge.

Parenting
ESTP children can be adventurous and
independent, so parents need to set
boundaries and ensure that fair,
consistent discipline is used. Kids with
this type of personality need lots of
hands-on activities to keep them busy,
but they may struggle in classroom
settings where they quickly grow weary of
routines.

Relationships
ESTPs are exciting and fun-loving, but
they can grow bored with routines quickly.
They do not enjoy long, philosophical
discussions but like to keep the
conversation ]owing as they talk about
shared interests and passions. Be aware
that your partner prefers to take things
day by day, may struggle with making
long-term commitments, and have
diaculty making plans for the future.

Related: Reasons to Learn About Your

Personality Type

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