Have you ever intimidated someone without realizing it? Has anyone ever told you that you initially “scared” them? Each of us has a way that we may put people on edge without even knowing it! This article will explore the different ways that each type has a tendency to intimidate certain people. To start us off, here’s an infographic to cover the basics! Keep scrolling for more information in the article!

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Here’s How You Intimidate People, Based on Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type

The ENFP

You intimidate people by questioning the traditions and societal norms that so many find comfort in. You’re willing to step outside-the-box and see things from angles and perspectives that nobody imagined before – and that can feel scary for a lot of people. The fact that you shake up their worldview and question long-standing norms and viewpoints can be terrifying to some people. It’s as if you are removing the fences that guard them from the edge of a cliff and saying, “Hey! Look at this view now!” but it’s all too dizzying and steep for them.

The ENTP

Like the ENFP, you’re also someone who likes to flip tradition on its head and show people new ways of seeing the world around them. You’re an iconoclast, a rebel, and someone who doesn’t mind debating your views with precision and accuracy. The fact that you can face the void of the unknown and see nothing but possibilities can frighten people. They are afraid of what you might open their mind to and what cherished viewpoints they might leave behind in the process.

The INFP

You’re keenly aware of the emotional distance between yourself and others. In a one-on-one situation you listen and observe with intense empathy and awareness. However, this attentiveness can be off-putting to some because beneath your quiet demeanor it’s clear that you are perceptive of intentions and authenticity levels. One gets the feeling when they are talking with you that none of their lies or cover-ups will pass beneath the radar. They feel “seen” – and while some people may appreciate that, it can terrify others who have ulterior motives or wish to present themselves in a perfectly curated light.

Read This Next: A Look Inside the INFP Mind

The INTP

Your cool, detached demeanor can be intimidating to people who want to be able to easily “read” you. You’re not easily de-coded and your independence, unpredictability, and enigmatic demeanor can put some people on edge. You don’t typically intend to intimidate people – in fact, you enjoy close, warm relationships. You just don’t tend to spend a lot of time engaging in small talk, gossip, or wearing your emotions on your sleeve. This can make you hard to figure out – and the mystery can scare some people off.

The ENFJ

“Intimidating” is one of the last words most people would use to describe you. Empathic and insightful, you attempt to put people at ease in your presence. That said, the same things that comfort some can be nerve-wracking for others. They find themselves intimidated by what you see in them. They know that just being in your presence opens them up to your perceptive insight. You might see something in them – some gift or potential that you try to motivate them towards. You might sense feelings that they’re trying to keep hidden. You emotionally X-ray people and sometimes this can be a scary experience for those who want to stay hidden.

The ENTJ

Confident and visionary, you have no patience for trivial activities or procrastination. You intimidate people with your boldness and insight. There’s a feeling that you could win any argument, see past any excuse, or point out any inefficiencies that are keeping someone from their goals. Some people enjoy this – they want to be challenged. But other individuals would rather stay in their comfort zone, getting by rather than achieving. They are intimidated because you’ll remind them of how much they could do if they stopped making excuses and getting in their own way.

The INFJ

Although you’re an introvert, you have a warmth, insight, and empathy that can emotionally disarm people. This can be intimidating to some because there’s a sense that sooner or later you’ll be the audience for some of their joys, fears, and more private life stories. You’ll understand the hidden motivations and implications that have led them to where they are at today. You can appear like an emotional detective – picking up clues and connections that have, until now, passed other people by. While some people love this, it can be equally unsettling to others.

Read This Next: The Nine Types of INFJs – Which One Are You?

The INTJ

You have an intense, perceptive nature that tends to make people feel disarmed and exposed. While some types (we’re looking at you FJs) will alter themselves for other people’s comfort– you have an intense focus and directness that has no patience for such things. You also have no fear of pointing out flaws and inconvenient truths. This fearlessness can make some people intimidated because they don’t want to have their plans or ideas de-bunked or altered in any way. That said, for people who are looking for insight, sincerity, and strategic advice, you’re a welcome breath of fresh air.

Read This Next: What It Means to be an INTJ Personality Type

The ESFP

Enthusiastic, perceptive, and impulsive – you intimidate people by pushing them towards possibility. You challenge people to step outside of their comfort zone and get into the real business of living life. When someone is in your presence there’s a sense that you’ll reveal opportunities and adventures that might scare and inspire them. You’ll challenge individuals to take those leaps, get up on those stages, or buy those plane tickets to far-off destinations. You make people aware that they can take life by the horns and risk everything to feel the intoxicating rush of freedom and beauty that life can give.

The ESTP

Your sheer confidence and impulsive bravery make you intimidating to quite a few people. There’s no challenge too steep that you won’t face it head-on. Risk and uncertainty don’t scare you – and you’d rather speak truth than tiptoe around other people’s feelings. Your courageous nature and logical directness can be dizzying to more timid or safety-seeking types. You will challenge them to embrace adventure, to face their fears, and to unshackle themselves from distractions and excuses. That reality can be spine-chilling (but exciting) for many to face.

The ISFP

You are someone who is by nature a walking contradiction. You are idealistic yet realistic, amiable but no-nonsense, flexible but determined. You can intimidate people simply because they’re not quite sure what to expect from you. There’s a sense that you’ll perceive any efforts at manipulation and be too practical to fall for lies or fanciful stories. You might initially seem easy-going and relaxed and later show steely resolve about an unexpected cause or belief. This series of contradictions can both excite and unnerve people.

The ISTP

Capable and clever, you have a restless energy and intellectual prowess that sets you apart. There’s an electricity behind your gaze – a certain sense of knowing paired with a readiness to respond. Nothing slips by you; you notice every flinch, every sideways glance, and every effort someone takes to hide something. You intimidate people because in a world full of distractions you’re paying attention and speaking truths that other people are too afraid to reveal.

The ESFJ

You seem to know the ins and outs of every social sphere you enter. Almost instantly you guess who’s connected to who, which rivalries are in place, which friends are loyal, and who needs what. You “get” people. You understand what people enjoy and perceive the tiny details that influence them. Some people can find this perceptiveness intimidating. They might go to a party wanting to blend into the background and within minutes of meeting you they’ve been invited to dinner, introduced to five people, and inadvertently involved in a heated game of Apples to Apples. But with time they realize that they’re enjoying themselves, and there wasn’t anything to be scared of after all.

The ESTJ

You push people to take responsibility for their lives; and in a world where excuses run rampant, you aren’t taking the bait. You challenge people to do their part and to live with truth and purpose. You make people realize they are capable of more than they realized – you break down their goals into step-by-step plans and then pull them off their backs and push them towards action. You have no patience for complaining, procrastination, and laziness. You intimidate people because you’ll challenge them to do more and become more than what they currently are.

The ISFJ

Gentle and generous, you may not seem intimidating to many. There’s something beautiful about your quiet, reflective nature. You lack the sharp edges that emotionally surround so many people, and that alone can be disarming and surprising. People feel that by being with you they’ll be motivated to be kinder, gentler, and more self-aware. Without even realizing it you make people slow down and take notice of the little details in life that they’ve been overlooking. By your actions you can make individuals aware of their own self-seeking ways, and that can be scary for some.

The ISTJ

Thorough, systematic, and sensible – you’re someone who takes your responsibilities seriously and expects others to do the same. You can’t stand it when people make excuses for bad behavior or complain about the hand they’ve been dealt without taking action. Your serious, formal, and hard-working demeanor can seem intimidating to more scattered types. You believe in honor, responsibility, and consistency and those who are morally ambiguous and irresponsible tend to feel exposed in your presence. Little do they know that underneath your stoic, serious demeanor you have a quirky, offbeat, affable side.

What Are Your Thoughts?

Do you agree with this article or disagree? Let us know your thoughts or experiences in the comments!

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