5 Life Lessons from Explorer Personality Types

Explorers, in all of their diverse forms, tend to be spontaneous and adaptable people who revel in soaking up the environment around them. This Role group is made up of Virtuosos (ISTPs), Adventurers (ISFPs), Entrepreneurs (ESTPs), and Entertainers (ESFPs) – four free-spirited personality types who share the Observant and Prospecting personality traits.

The Explorers of the world tend to have a remarkable knack for connecting to the present moment, openly trying new things, following where their inspiration takes them, and so much more. And whether you vibe with this go-with-the-flow attitude or find it to be completely foreign to you, the ways that Explorers live their lives can offer every personality type some important insights.

In this article, we will discuss five major life lessons, taken from the ways that Explorers move through the world, that we could all stand to benefit from. Every personality type has their strengths and weaknesses, and we should absolutely honor who we are and what feels right for us. But it never hurts to look at different behaviors and perspectives that might just help us enrich our own lives and work toward balance as we navigate our personal journeys.

1. Stay Grounded in the Present

Individuals from the Explorer Role group tend to be naturally attuned to the present moment. They are able to stay connected to the now by engaging all of their senses and fully investing their energy into whatever the present moment has to offer, whether that’s a hands-on activity, a creative project, a thrilling new experience, a problem that needs to be solved, a chance to connect with their close circle, or whatever the case may be.

Notably, when responding to the question, “Do you find it easy to enjoy the present moment?” from our “Thought Patterns” survey, 76% of all Explorers report that they do find it easy – more than any other Role.

Being able to stay grounded in the present is an incredible gift. Some personalities, such as those with the Intuitive trait, might easily get swept away by their thoughts. From dwelling on something that happened in the past to constantly trying to figure out what’s going to happen in the future, some people have a very hard time simply existing in the now. And this is incredibly valid when considering both the seemingly endless number of distractions in our world today and the many uncertainties that we all face in our day-to-day lives.

However, if we’re in our heads every second of the day and wrapped up in our thoughts or our worries or our to-do lists, are we able to fully appreciate the beauty of what’s happening around us at any given moment? It would serve us all to try to step into the now more often with the same radical acceptance that Explorers tend to carry.

2. Stop Ruminating and Take Action

Explorers tend to have a propensity toward action. Instead of coming up with an idea and thinking about it and thinking about it and then thinking about it some more, these personalities are more likely to take their idea and spring into action.

Entrepreneurs and Entertainers in particular tend to embody this willingness to actively turn their ideas into a reality, though Introverted Explorers have their moments too. Entrepreneurs aren’t afraid of taking risks, and they revel in situations where they have to respond on the fly. Similarly, Entertainers are happy to step outside of their comfort zone and experiment with new styles and ideas without overthinking their choices.

This fearlessness to act on certain ideas is something that we could all try to incorporate into our lives. So many great ideas get lost in the planning stages. If we could all spring into action more often, like Explorers, and take the necessary steps to turn our ideas into a reality, we might be able to move closer to our goals and, ultimately, our dreams.

3. Let Things Go with Less Resistance

Is it easy for you to let things go and move on? Maybe your answer is yes. But for a whole lot of people out there, accepting change and letting go of the way that things once were is incredibly challenging.

Explorer personalities tend to let things go with the least amount of resistance out of all the Roles, followed closely by Analysts (personality types who share the Intuitive and Thinking traits). In fact, according to our “Giving Up and Letting Go” survey, Explorers are the most likely Role to say they find it easy to accept that they cannot change someone or something, with 57% agreeing. And while that is far from 100% (we are all only human, after all), it is still a fairly large percentage of people who say they can accept when something is outside of their control.

According to our data, out of all Explorers, Entrepreneurs and Virtuosos are perhaps the two personality types who are able to accept change and let things go with the most ease. This might be, in part, because Entrepreneurs and Virtuosos embody the Thinking rather than the Feeling trait, which may help them let go of their emotions and move on more quickly than others.

But regardless of how or why someone is able to let go, for every personality type, letting go is a freeing process that allows us to evolve and create space for new possibilities.

4. Go with the Flow

One of the greatest superpowers of Explorer personality types is that they are usually able to go with the flow of wherever life is taking them in any given moment. They are not big fans of precise plans or strict schedules, which allows them to embrace unexpected opportunities, moments of inspiration, and spontaneity in general.

In our “Lifestyle Preferences” survey, we ask whether participants like to have a general plan for each day or if they prefer to see where the day takes them. Not so surprisingly, 81% of Explorers report that they prefer to see where the day takes them over following a plan – more than any other Role. And out of all Explorers, Adventurers are the personality type most likely to say they prefer to go with the flow on any given day, at 88%. This way of living aligns with their innate curiosity and their creative spirit, as it gives them the chance to explore new experiences and pursue their whims.

We see a similar trend with Explorers when it comes to working toward specific tasks or goals. Roughly 90% of Explorers prefer to be more flexible rather than following a strict schedule when they are trying to accomplish something, according to our “Taking Initiative” survey.

When it comes to day-to-day life or a specific project, going with the flow is something that might feel chaotic and stressful for personality types who like to plan out their days with diligence and precision. (My fellow Judging types, I’m right there with you.) While there are huge benefits to structure and planning, sometimes it is more beneficial to deviate from our plans and to lean into wherever the present moment is taking us.

5. Learn through Trial and Error

In our “Learning Style” survey, we ask whether people feel they learn best through speaking/listening, reading/writing, images/spatial understanding, or touch/experience. Out of all the Roles, Explorers are by far the most likely group to report that they learn best through touch or experience, at 47%. This might be due to their preference for activities where they can get their hands dirty, their open willingness to try new things, or their tendency to be rooted in the now.

But regardless of the reasons why Explorers tend to prefer learning through hands-on trial and error, this skills-based approach to learning and improvement offers a wide range of benefits.

For one, it serves as a more tangible, active approach to learning that can help people develop new skill sets and build their confidence in real time. By contrast, people who use more theoretical or intellectual approaches might get stuck in the thinking phase and have a hard time when it comes to applying the things that they are learning about.

Learning by doing also helps Explorers develop their problem-solving abilities. When something goes wrong or things aren’t quite working out the way that they should, the skills gained through this learning style give them the chance to reevaluate the situation and try again. It might be tempting for some people to just throw in the towel in moments like these, but pushing forward with perseverance to find solutions helps people develop more resilience.

Unleashing Personal Growth through the Explorer Mindset

Each personality type carries its own unique set of strategies for how to tackle day-to-day life, and it’s crucial to embrace our true selves and follow our instincts. But that doesn’t mean that we should always stick to our own status quo. Stepping outside of our comfort zone and embracing new behaviors and viewpoints can help us make new discoveries about the world and about ourselves.

When it comes to Explorers, the ways that these off-the-cuff personalities lead their lives can teach us all some pretty invaluable lessons about adaptability, taking chances, and living life in the now. By taking a page from their playbooks every now and then, we can cultivate more adventure in our lives, build resilience, and better appreciate what the present moment has to offer us.

Are you an Explorer with another pro tip to offer other personality types? Or perhaps you’re an Analyst, a Diplomat, or a Sentinel who could stand to benefit from the life lessons of Explorers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.