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Extraverted Intuitive Thinking Prospecting
Debater

ENTP Personality

ENTP-A vs. ENTP-T

Debaters are curious and flexible thinkers who cannot resist an intellectual challenge.

A scene depicting the ENTP personality type (Debater). Two central ENTP figures stand facing each other in a discussion. Between them are models of the Earth – one a globe, the other flat and on the back of a turtle – as well as charts and graphs on a computer screen. They are surrounded by three other people seated in chairs, leaning forward attentively, hanging on their every word. The setting conveys an atmosphere of spirited debate and intellectual discourse, highlighting ENTPs’ natural ability to captivate an audience with their quick wit and innovative ideas.
E Extraverted N Intuitive T Thinking P Prospecting

Parenthood

One might think that the blustery and flighty nature of people with the ENTP personality type (Debaters) would make parenting a particular challenge for them, and in many ways, they’d be right. However, one thing that these personalities love more than just about anything is a good challenge or a problem to fix – even if it means that they have to address their own weaknesses in the process.

ENTPs take their roles as parents seriously, and they are bound to be affected profoundly by this development in their lives. For their kids, they set out to provide a world full of possibilities in the hope that their children will develop a love for learning, an open-minded perspective, and the confidence to express themselves without worrying too much about what other people have to say about it.

Raising Freethinkers

From the beginning, ENTPs’ distaste for rules and regulations is evident, and they are likely to give their young children the freedom necessary to explore on their own. Independence is one of this personality type’s greatest needs, and they feel that no person is complete without an independent mind.

ENTP (Debater) parents
ENTP parents create relaxed, unorthodox environments for their children, founded on enthusiasm and the joy of discovery through the development of reason, not heavily structured settings designed merely to be safe.

As their children grow and develop, people with the ENTP personality type encourage them to voice objections, opinions, and alternatives. They teach their children to approach these options from a position of impartiality and logic – to state what is more effective rather than what would make them feel good. As in their other relationships, this quality of emotional inaccessibility is where ENTP parents struggle.

As their children grow into adolescence and learn to find a balance in healthy emotional expression, ENTP parents may find themselves exasperated. While always up for a good debate on just about any subject, they may need to work on how they handle their kid’s emotional outbursts and arguments. ENTP personalities are perfectly capable, but even they have their limits and rules when it comes to emotional conflict.

Finding a Better Way

Luckily, ENTP parents recognize what’s at stake: they want their children to grow into smart, independent, honest adults. To convey those values, these personalities know that they need, like with any other debate, to communicate in terms that are accessible to all sides. If that means learning how to use varied tools of emotional expression in order to become more emotionally adept, so be it.