Zombies Ruin Everything

As much as it pains me to write on a Disney character, ENFPs just seem to fit into the Disney mold so well. I’m a guy; Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules were the only ones I cared about. I’m a guy, my taste is limited.

It could be their cheery, upbeat disposition. It could be their readiness to jump into unfamiliar situations and their proneness to involving themselves in on-the-spot romances (while keeping it “G” in the films of course). Or it could be their way of motivation for change that allows an hour-and-a-half long film to feel even shorter by keeping things funny and exciting.

Whichever the reason (psst…it’s all three), none fit ENFP as well as Hans Christian Anderson’s Ariel.

Ariel’s knack of getting into trouble seems to be the Extraverted Intuition way. Always seeing the different possibilities in the world around, it seems tough for Ariel to not fight the power. It’s not that she means to screw things up, she’s just so fascinated by the possibilities in the world around her, how could you blame her for getting lost in discovery? Ariel has got an especially good reason seeing that her home is the ocean, 75% of the planet.

Her way of accepting all the explanations for the different utensils she finds is a love for the greener grass that’s only really matched by the movie’s most well known song.

To be so fascinated by the surface world (or some place else you’ve never been) is what brings Ariel’s Ne out in spades. The ESFP cousin may have gotten caught in a net by getting too close too often without any idea of the consequences but the ENFP makes a deal with the devil to walk on land, never realizing how permanent the effects could be.

Would YOU make a deal with this thing? Don’t answer, ENFP.

Ariel’s Introverted Feeling second is what backs her possibility-driven lifestyle. Her rebelliousness (unique to Disney princesses at the time) isn’t so much out of spite of her father as much as it is inquisitiveness. She wants to be where the people are, can you blame her? Total Extravert.

In comparison to the ENTP (whose Ne is first and Ti second), the ENFP’s motives hinge on a much more personal level. The ENTP wants to know what the reaction will be to making a seemingly crazy decision while the ENFP wants to know what it will be like to live the difference. Hence, Ariel’s acceptance of the deal with Ursula to become human…even though she’ll lose her voice and eventually, her soul.

It’s not that the ENFP is dense- they’re just so freaking curious. This can get them into trouble from time to time if their decisions aren’t thought through. Such as Ariel’s deal to get a pair of legs without any experience in the human world.

Not to mention the ENFP’s attraction to even the idea of love that leads them into potentially harmful situations. Everything she does is rooted in desire to be with Eric; a guy she doesn’t even know. But hey, that’s what makes it fun, right?

Like real-life ENFPs, Ariel hates the dull routine aspects of life and does jut about anything to escape it. ENFPs will got out of their way just to avoid something they perceive as boring and tedious.

A personal work-place relationship with an ENFP has had my co-workers and I searching for this employee for an extended period of time- only to find out he’d literally left the building to someplace down the street. How he wasn’t fired could also be a testament to his way of bringing people back to his side no matter how much he may have screwed up.

Overall, Ariel has a legacy that perfectly befits the ENFP: fun, curious, and imaginative. The tough part is allowing the strengths to flourish without being turned into weaknesses; All three are vital to the ENFP’s life but can be damning if not reigned in.

This entry was posted on 07/30/2013 at 1:16 am and is filed under MBTI Idealists, MBTI Stuff with tags ariel, disney, enfp, mbti in fiction, the little mermaid. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.