16 Personalities (MBTI) - Diplomats

Written by: Stacey Lim & Valerie Soon

The 4 types of Diplomats

INFJ (Advocate) – Diplomats

Quiet and mystical, yet very inspiring and tireless idealists

Personality Traits – Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging

Strengths – Creative, Insightful, Principled, Passionate, Altruistic

Weaknesses – Sensitive to Criticism, Reluctant to Open Up, Perfectionistic, Avoiding the Ordinary, Prone to Burnout

General Description:

Idealistic and virtuous, Advocates (INFJs) are not content to simply coast through life – they passionately desire to make a difference. For INFJs, their notion of success does not derive from financial rewards or status but from enacting a positive influence on the world. Distressed by injustice, INFJs typically have stronger regard for altruism than personal gain. Hence, they often employ their strengths, including creativity, imagination, and sensitivity, to inspire others and spread compassion.

As highly conscientious individuals, they navigate life with a clear sense of their values and aim never to lose sight of what truly matters. With their rich inner lives and strong desire to find their life purpose, INFJs do not always fit in with those around them and sometimes feel misunderstood or at odds with the world. INFJs may even be perceived as mysterious or private. Still, they profoundly value deep, authentic connections with select, committed few individuals. They relish meaningful conversations far more than small talk and tend to communicate in a warm and sensitive manner. Additionally, their emotional honesty and insight can make a powerful impression on those around them. However, with the tremendous amount of care and thought they put into their relationships, they do not always feel appreciated. When people do not recognize their good intentions, they are likely to feel exasperated. As a result, even constructive criticism may feel personal or distressing to these personalities.

With an innate ability to balance the heart with the mind, INFJs are hardwired to right the world's wrongs, no matter how big or small. When INFJs are confronted with inequity or unfairness, they rarely despair. Instead, they consult their intuition and compassion to find a solution. However, INFJs should bear in mind that, amidst caring for others, they should not neglect their well-being.

Romantic Relationships:

Advocates (INFJs) seek depth and meaning in their relationships – and their romantic relationships are no different. Some people might view INFJs as overly picky, and these personalities can indeed be prone to unrealistic expectations. With their perfectionistic, idealistic nature, INFJs might be inclined to wait for a "perfect" partner or relationship that ultimately does not exist.

Keenly attuned to their core values, INFJs look beyond surface-level attraction and pursue a partner who can connect with them on a deeper, more meaningful level. Hence, they tend to avoid matches not built on authenticity or shared principles. Once INFJs find a suitable relationship, they rarely take it for granted. Instead, they seek ways to strengthen their connection with their partner and grow as individuals. In addition, due to their finely tuned empathy, INFJs make their partners feel heard and understood.

Friendships:

Advocates (INFJs) endeavor to foster authentic and meaningful friendships, those that allow them to share their aspirations, intimate thoughts, and feelings and feel understood and accepted for who they are. Beneath their quiet and reserved exterior, INFJs brighten up around their close friends. While they enjoy the pleasure of their own company, INFJs find it liberating to let their guard down and be their true selves with a friend they trust.

Besides authenticity in friendships, INFJs desire to befriend individuals who propel them to learn and grow. For them, the best way for friends to deepen their bond is by supporting each other in achieving their respective life goals. Yet, characterized as the rarest personality type, INFJs meet relatively few people who remind them of themselves. As a result, they may worry that they need to settle for less-than-fulfilling friendships. Fortunately, INFJs are more than capable of finding the types of friends they yearn to meet and might just have to devote additional energy to it. Once they find genuine friendships, INFJs make fiercely loyal and caring companions.

Ultimately, the only way to be regarded as an INFJ's faithful friend is to be sincere and authentic. Over the years, INFJs may end up with just a few true friendships rather than a wide social circle. However, as long as those friendships are built on a richness of mutual understanding, INFJs would not have it any other way.

INFP (Mediator) – Diplomats

Poetic, kind and altruistic people, always eager to help a good cause

Personality Traits – Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Prospecting

Strengths – Empathetic, Generous, Open-Minded, Creative, Passionate, Idealistic

Weaknesses – Unrealistic, Self-Isolating, Unfocused, Emotionally Vulnerable, Desperate to Please, Self-Critical

General Description:

While they may appear quiet or unassuming, Mediators (INFPs) have vibrant and passionate inner lives. Recognized for their sensitivity, INFPs can have profound emotional responses to music, art, nature, and the people around them. Creative and visionary, INFPs often lose themselves in daydreams, imagining various stories and conversations in their minds.

Introspective to the core, INFPs are exquisitely attuned to their thoughts and feelings. At the same time, they also yearn to understand those around them. Compassionate and nonjudgmental, INFPs are always disposed to listen and be of help to others. Empathy is among this personality type’s greatest gifts. Still, it can sometimes be a liability as INFPs can be vulnerable to internalizing other people’s negative moods or mindsets. Unless they learn to set boundaries, INFPs may feel overwhelmed by how many wrongs there are that need to be set right.

Sensitive and committed to authenticity, INFPs tend to covet opportunities for creative self-expression. They muse about the meaning and purpose of life, imagining all types of stories, ideas, and possibilities along the way. Despite this, INFPs tend to feel directionless until they connect with a sense of purpose for their lives. For many INFPs, this purpose correlates to uplifting others and their ability to experience other people’s sufferings as if they were their own. While INFPs desire to help everyone, they must focus their energy and efforts. Otherwise, they could end up exhausted.

Romantic Relationships:

As dreamers and idealists, Mediators (INFPs) approach the world of romance with high expectations. They may have even spent years envisioning the perfect relationship, daydreaming about how it would feel to share their innermost selves with another.

Thoughtful and open-minded, INFPs are generally willing to consider meeting diverse people. They pique themselves on their ability to look past a potential partner’s superficial traits, such as appearance and social status, and instead focus on deeper, more meaningful signs of compatibility. However, equipped with active imaginations, INFPs tend to develop and carry a vision of their ideal partner. Hence, when interacting with someone new, most INFPs compare that person with the perfect soulmate they have imagined.

In relationships, INFPs are incredibly passionate lovers. Devoted and faithful, they not only aim to accept their partners as they are but also support their partners in learning, growing, and accomplishing their goals.

INFPs also tend to promote harmony over disagreement. Although this lends stability to their relationships, issues could arise. To eschew conflicts, INFPs may avoid consulting others when something concerns them. Instead, they might mentally fixate on the problem or attempt to resolve it independently. They may also overtly focus on making their partner happy, to the detriment of their priorities and sense of self. Thus, INFPs may need to remind themselves that open and honest communication is integral in a relationship, even if it is difficult. By communicating openly, INFPs are more than capable of staying true to themselves in a relationship – and encouraging their loved ones to do the same.

Friendships:

For Mediators (INFPs), friendship is regarded as an opportunity for two people to uplift and change each other’s lives for the better. Perhaps due to their intense investment in friendships, INFPs tend to feel most fulfilled by spending time with a small, tight-knit group of friends.

While INFPs are warm and accepting in their treatment of others, they do not readily make friends. They seek long-lasting, authentic friendships with individuals who share their desire to think and feel deeply, do the right thing, and give more to the world than they take from it. Yet despite that, INFPs are capable of befriending all types of people. Their personality traits draw them to diverse perspectives, enabling them to appreciate friends whose experiences and beliefs are vastly different from their own. INFPs may even find it revitalizing to connect with someone who, on the surface, has little in common with them.

In light of the great value INFPs place on their friendships, they also need personal space and alone time. At times, INFPs may withdraw from even their closest friends to reconnect with their inner selves and restore their energy. While these departures are usually temporary, INFPs should ensure their friends are not disdained by their absence. For INFPs, a true friendship is founded on shared values, not just shared experiences. They also seek ways to strengthen their friendships, and often, this takes the form of spending quality time with their friends – coming up with grand visions for the future and sharing their secret dreams and ideas with someone they know they can trust.

ENFJ (Protagonist) – Diplomats

Charismatic and inspiring leaders, able to mesmerize their listeners

Personality Traits – Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging

Strengths – Receptive, Reliable, Passionate, Altruistic, Charismatic

Weaknesses – Unrealistic, Overly Idealistic, Condescending, Intense, Overly Empathetic

General Description:

Protagonists (ENFJs) feel called to serve a greater purpose in life. Thoughtful and idealistic, ENFJs strive to impact those around them positively. Thus, they rarely shy away from an opportunity to do the right thing, even when doing so is challenging.

Born leaders, ENFJs' passion and charisma enable them to inspire others on professional fronts and in every facet of their lives, including their relationships. When guiding their loved ones to grow into their best selves, ENFJs derive a deeper sense of joy and fulfillment.

ENFJs tend to be vocal about their values, including authenticity and altruism. When they recognize a situation as unjust or wrong, they are likely to speak up. However, they rarely come across as brash or aggressive. Their sensitivity and insight lead them to communicate in ways that resonate well with others. Additionally, ENFJs are equipped with an uncanny ability to discern people's underlying motivations and beliefs. Thus, these flashes of insight can make ENFJs incredibly persuasive and inspiring communicators.

When ENFJs care about an individual, they want to help resolve that person's problems – sometimes at any cost. However, ENFJs ought to remember that involving themselves in other people's problems could be doing themselves a disservice. While ENFJs tend to have a clear vision of what people can or should do to better themselves, not everyone is primed to enact those changes. If ENFJs push too hard, their loved ones may feel aggrieved.

As devoted altruists, ENFJs readily stand up for the people and ideas they believe in. ENFJs show how seemingly ordinary situations can be handled with compassion, dedication, and care in their day-to-day lives. For ENFJs, even minute choices and actions – from how they spend their weekend to what they say to a struggling colleague can turn into an opportunity to lead the way to a brighter future.

Romantic Relationships:

Although Protagonists (ENFJs) may come across as outgoing or even a bit flirtatious, few of them are satisfied by fleeting attractions. They acknowledge they have high standards, and when ENFJs fall for someone, they readily express how they feel. Often, they find themselves making the first move rather than playing games or waiting for reassurance that the other person feels the same.

Even on the first date, ENFJs may steer the conversation toward more serious topics. They wish to know their partner's dreams and aspirations and the changes they hope to make to themselves and the world. However, some ENFJs may take on their partner's goals as their own, and this can be problematic. If ENFJs become overinvested in helping their partner, they may neglect themselves. Alternatively, they may also coerce their partner to change their lives in ways that they are simply not ready for. Hence, their partner may become insecure, fearing that they are not good enough. They may also become vexed, feeling exasperated by the hint that they need to change. Either way, ENFPs must learn to encourage their partner to grow without pushing too hard.

Few personality types are keener than ENFJs in establishing a loving commitment with their chosen partner. They take dating and relationships seriously. Even in the earliest days of a relationship, ENFJs tend to focus on its long-term potential. As the relationship progresses, they desire to bring that potential to fruition. Essentially, ENFJs care about pleasing their partner, and their sensitivity helps them attune to their partner's moods and desires. As long as they do not forsake their own needs, ENFJs can enjoy enriching relationships built on trust, mutual support, honesty, and love.

Friendships:

Connecting with other people makes Protagonists (ENFJs) feel alive and purposeful. For ENFJs, friendships are far from dispensable or insignificant – instead, they are a vital constituent of a life well-lived. Hence, ENFJs put dedicated effort into maintaining friendships.

Few personality types can match ENFJs' sincere desire to get to know people. To ENFJs, discovering someone's whims, opinions and dreams are one of life's greatest pleasures. Most ENFJs are captivated by a wealth of perspectives, even those from which they diverge. However, ENFJs struggle to respect those who take shortcuts, disregard others, or refuse to challenge the status quo. Instead, they find it easiest to connect with people who share their core ideals. They especially click with those who share their commitment to doing the right thing and leaving the world better than they found it.

In friendships, ENFJs are thoughtful, trustworthy, and expressive individuals who will dedicate significant energy and attention to their friends. Nimble to perceiving emotional needs, ENFJs make their friends feel supported and understood. Conversely, ENFJs are less quick to share their own emotions and vulnerabilities in friendships. They often take a while to open up to a new friend. However, with an intimate circle of friends who have earned their trust, ENFJs will feel comfortable genuinely opening up and showing their whole selves. ENFJs can also be trusted to show up in big and small ways. From taking time to help a friend proofread their essay or organizing a weekend-long destination birthday party to boost their friends' morale. Ultimately, ENFJs care deeply about their friends' values and dreams and often try to support them to the best of their abilities.

As many ENFJs discover, the most enduring friendships are based not only on mutual growth but also on acceptance, compassion, and genuine respect. While ENFJs relish helping others, some friends do not possess the energy or the drive to take full advantage of ENFJs' assistance, or they simply might not want to. Hence, when this occurs, ENFJs may feel underappreciated or indignant. Paradoxically, having a more flexible attitude can guide ENFJs to support their friends even more effectively.

ENFP (Campaigner) – Diplomats

Enthusiastic, creative and sociable free spirits, who can always find a reason to smile

Personality Traits – Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Prospecting

Strengths – Curious, Perceptive, Enthusiastic, Excellent Communicators, Festive, Good-Natured

Weaknesses – People-Pleasing, Unfocused, Disorganised, Overly Accommodating, Overly Optimistic, Restless

General Description:

Campaigners (ENFPs) are free spirits – outgoing, open-hearted, and open-minded. While they can be the life of the party due to their abundance of enthusiasm, ENFJs do not just care about having a good time; they also desire meaningful, emotional connections with others.

Beneath their friendly and easy-going exteriors, ENFPs have rich inner lives. They often ponder the more profound meaning and significance of life, believing that everything and everyone is connected and desiring insights they can potentially gain from these connections. ENFPs radiate positive energy that captivates others and may find themselves being supported by their peers as a leader. However, ENFPs may grapple with self-discipline and consistency once that initial spark of inspiration dwindles.

ENFPs are a testament that seeking life's joys and pleasures is not synonymous with being superficial. Even in times of enjoyment, ENFPs wish to connect emotionally with others. Holding onto a strong belief that everyone deserves to express their feelings, ENFPs' empathetic nature and warm disposition create spaces where even the timidest spirits feel comfortable opening up. However, ENFPs need to be cautious as they tend to overanalyze the behaviors of others. Instead of simply seeking clarification with the other party, they may end up baffled over their motivations.

ENFPs will spend a great deal of time exploring different relationships, feelings, and ideas before setting a path for their lives. However, when they finally do, their imagination, empathy, and grit can brighten up others' lives and their own.

Romantic Relationships:

As a passionate and open-hearted personality type that brims with hopes and dreams, Campaigners (ENFPs) bring every ounce of this vibrant energy to their romantic relationships.

As gregarious individuals, many ENFPs desire to share their lives with others. As a result, they may feel relatively empty or uninspired when they are single. While their dedication to relationships is laudable, ENFPs may need to guard against investing too much of their sense of self in their relationship status.

When ENFPs are interested in someone, they rarely hold back. They also tend to fall in love quickly – and they fall hard.

Optimists at heart, ENFPs are undaunted by the potential challenges of a new relationship, which might explain why they generally do not shy away from long-distance relationships. Physical distance is unparalleled to the power of true love. Rather than focusing on possible issues, ENFPs constantly seek ways to prove their dedication and delight their partner. Needless to say, not everyone can match ENFPs' ardor and intensity. Some people just need more space – physical, emotional, or both. Hence, if their partner's enthusiasm does not seem to match their own, ENFPs may find themselves feeling insecure or needy. Perhaps because they are so unsparing with their affection, ENFPs struggle with the enigma of why some relationships do not succeed. Thus, ENFPs must remember that relationships are mutual – mutual interest, mutual growth, and mutual responsibility. As many ENFPs learn, the fate of a relationship is contingent on how partners treat and communicate with each other.

ENFPs approach their relationships with the highest of ideals. They desire to know and wholeheartedly accept everything about their partner. They long for that person to know and unconditionally accept them in return. With this intensely passionate approach to love, ENFPs may feel more energized in the early stages of a courtship than they do in established relationships. Ultimately, long-term relationships require two people to enjoy each other's company and to navigate practical matters together, such as chores, budgeting, and family obligations. For ENFPs, such issues can seem painfully unromantic. Hence, if they do not undertake their share of the responsibilities and help keep matters functioning smoothly, ENFPs may exacerbate feelings of stress and resentment in the relationship. Fortunately, ENFPs are apt to balance their zealous and passionate nature with the stability and consistency that long-term relationships necessitate.

Friendships:

As friends, Campaigners (ENFPs) are cheerful and supportive. They are nearly always up for light-hearted, good-natured banter or intimate conversations. As one might expect, ENFPs' sociable energy allures other extroverted personality types. Yet, their warmth and sincerity captivate diverse kinds of people. In actuality, many ENFPs feel drawn to befriend relatively shy or reserved individuals. Given that they are attracted to depth and nuance, ENFPs are immensely satisfied when people gradually open up and reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings to them. With a unique combination of their sensitivity and zeal, ENFPs can help quieter friends feel understood and accepted.

From the outside, friendships seem to come easily to ENFPs, and to some extent, they do. However, this does not mean that ENFPs always experience the deep, meaningful relationships they long for. Some people simply do not wish to connect emotionally in the manner that ENFPs desire. Alternatively, others may be closed-minded or judgmental in ways that do not complement their values. To ENFPs, it can sometimes seem as if the rest of the world is satisfied with superficial, casual relationships. In these moments, they cannot help but wonder whether their sincere longing for human connection is just too much for others to handle.

ENFPs' idealism can also lead to issues within their close friendships. Recognized for going the extra mile to be caring and helpful, ENFPs take pride in being unfailingly generous and having much to offer in their friendships. However, at times, ENFPs may give so much that this disparity leads to bitterness and misunderstanding. Fortunately, ENFPs' sharp insight enables them to respond to their friends' needs and their own. ENFPs need to learn to balance their altruism with their need to stay true to themselves. Once achieved, they can harness the full potential of their empathy, curiosity, and joy in their friendships.

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Now that you know a little more about the Diplomats personality types, are you a Diplomat? To find out, you can try this quiz, https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Check out our other articles on the 16 Personalities (MBTI):

Analysts

Explorers

Sentinels

Overview of MBTI personalities

References

Advocate. (n.d.). 16 Personalities. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality.

Campaigner. (n.d.). 16 Personalities. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality.

Mediator. (n.d.). 16 Personalities. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/infp-personality.

Personality Types. (n.d.). 16 Personalities. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/personality-types.

Protagonist. (n.d.). 16 Personalities. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/enfj-personality.

Roles: Diplomats. (n.d.). 16 Personalities. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/articles/roles-diplomats.