What things deeply terrify you or worry you? Do you ever wonder if they are related to your personality type? I’ve been talking to thousands of people from different Myers-Briggs® personality types over the last few months, and I’ve found numerous patterns between type and fear.

While some fears were universal and saw no considerable difference between type (things like spiders, heights, and cockroaches) there were certain fears that came up considerably more often among each unique personality type. For example, NT types nearly always mentioned mediocrity as a major fear, whereas this was hardly ever mentioned by the other types. NF types were more afraid of their own moral corruption, which would make sense because their values are so important to them. SJ types were afraid of a loss of security far more than any other temperament group, and SPs hated the idea of losing physical freedom or control.

Today we’re going to talk specifically about ENTP fears. I spoke with 300 ENTPs to determine if there were any fears that were particularly relevant to their type. While some ENTPs said they had no fear, or others simply joked around with me instead of giving me any actual answers, I finally was able to get 300 responses by self-confirmed ENTPs.

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A Disclaimer:

Before I get a bunch of ENTPs mad at me, I have to say that just because you’re an ENTP this does not mean you will automatically be terrified of all these things. These fears just got the most votes; far more than any other fears that were mentioned. For every 10 ENTPs who mentioned fear of being controlled, there was probably one ENTP who said they didn’t fear anything at all. There will be variations from person to person within any personality type.

The Top 10 Things That Terrify ENTPs

1 – Being Controlled or Trapped



Although ENTPs often enjoy many relationships and friendships, they are also very independent individuals. They love the freedom to explore numerous ideas and possibilities and the ability to investigate the outer world for inspiration. Their masterful Extraverted Intuition is always pulling concepts and innovative thoughts from the outside world; to be trapped, controlled, or stifled in any way can make them feel anxious and extremely agitated.

2 – Never Feeling Truly Connected to Another Person



This fear actually tied with being controlled or trapped. ENTPs love a meeting of the minds to discuss exciting ideas and innovations. They love the camaraderie and comfort of close friendships and relationships where they can bounce ideas back and forth. Never feeling connected or free to share ideas with another person can make the ENTP feel like their life is shallow and meaningless.

3 – Mediocrity



ENTPs have great ambitions and innovative ideas that they long to see come to life. They pride themselves on having unique conceptual insights and independent ways of viewing the world. They hate the idea of being stuck in an ‘ordinary’ life and living the 9-5 grind day in and day out.

4 – Not Meeting Their Potential



This concern goes hand in hand with mediocrity because it stems from the same fear. ENTPs want their lives to have meant something, and they want to have made a difference in the world in some way. This could mean inventing something, expanding human knowledge, improving systems, or any other number of things. Many ENTPs mentioned wanting to leave a legacy behind when they get to the end of their life.

5 – Boredom



ENTPs are constantly searching for new ideas and possibilities to explore. They hate to be stifled or have to focus on mundane daily routines. The ENTP wants to be stimulated by new creative options and ideas to think about and discuss and experiment with.

6 – Commitment



While many ENTPs mentioned that they wanted to settle down and find true love at some point in their lifetime, many more mentioned a terrible fear of commitment. ENTPs love to keep their options open, and prefer to keep things open-ended. They like decisions that can be easily changed, so major commitments can cause the ENTP quite a bit more anxiety than they would a Judging (J) personality type.

7 – Stupidity



ENTPs find much of their significance and identity in their ingenious and innovative way of viewing the world and thinking. They have an incredible knack for figuring out new theories and concepts. The mind is of such importance to the ENTP, that they hate the idea of finding out someday that they are stupid or were making irrational decisions.

8 – Loss of A Loved One



Every personality type I’ve surveyed so far has mentioned loss of loved ones in some for another as a major fear. However, there have been differences in how each type has mentioned the fear. INTPs and ENTPs usually mentioned a specific person instead of just ‘loved ones’ in general. Most other personality types mentioned loved ones or friends and family, or INFJs mentioned loss of children specifically.

9 – Incompetence or Inadequacy



ENTPs pride themselves on their ability to be original, inventive and capable. They greatly fear being incompetent, or unable to quickly access their normally ingenious thought process. They also fear being seen as inadequate or stupid.

10 – Insanity



If you look at all of the ENTP fears mentioned so far, you might notice a common thread. Many of their fears have to do with losing mental independence, freedom, and coherence. They long to be original, to stand out, to leave a legacy, and to explore numerous ideas and mental pathways. The idea of losing rational use of their mind is a terrifying prospect for them.

What Do You Think?

Do you agree or disagree with these fears? What are your experiences? Let me know in the comments!

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type, The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

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