Is Impatience an ENTJ Vice or a Virtue?

Impatience is often viewed as a negative personality trait, associated with irritability, agitation and restlessness.

But is impatience always a bad thing?

In the case of ENTJ personality types, their natural impatience can be both a vice and a virtue. And it’s part of what makes the personality type unique.

As an ENTJ myself, I’m a big believer in the idea that impatience can be a virtue, within reason. No one likes wild impatience – it can be really annoying to be around – but a little bit of impatience can be great for motivating you to do more with your time and drive you on to bigger and better things.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here are 6 outcomes of being an impatient ENTJ!

1. They want to be the best

ENTJs want to be the best at what they do. They love to find success in every corner of their work and their life, and this desire to always come in first can make them impatient.

This aspect of the ENTJ personality can be both a vice and a virtue, depending on what side of the fence you sit on. It can drive them to reach the top, but it can also mean they miss out on other joys along the way. 

2. They skip the details

The downside of impatience is that ENTJs can often skip the small details. They tend to be big picture people, enjoying a broad brush approach to most things. They don’t have the patience for endless administrative tasks and box-ticking exercises.

This can be a problem at work, especially if their job calls for good attention-to-detail. This impatience can sometimes get them into trouble, unless they have people on their team to pick up the slack. ENTJs are good at strategizing and leadership, but not the small details…

3. They’re naturally ambitious

The ENTJ style of impatience often plays out as ambition – they’re impatient to get where they want to go and achieve their goals. Like today.

They don’t want to wait too long for the good times to come so they’ll do everything possible to hit their targets as soon as possible. This means their impatience motivates them to achieve their goals and avoid wasting time.

4. They can be blunt

In day-to-day life, impatience can cause some problems for ENTJs thanks to their natural directness. They tend to be assertive and blunt and when they’re feeling impatient, this part of their personality type really comes out.

Don’t leave an ENTJ in a situation where someone is being vague – whether it’s on directions, what they want for dinner, or anything else – or you’re likely to get the full brunt of their frankness. ENTJs don’t beat around the bush and when something triggers their impatience they can be pretty straightforward about it. Awkward!

5. They can even be intimidating

The next step from that directness is an almost intimidating air that some ENTJs have. The impatience of the ENTJ personality type means they demand a lot of the people around them and can sometimes be overbearing in the process. Not everyone can get on board with this aspect of the ENTJ character and that means it’s often a vice for them.

6. They’re energetic

ENTJs don’t like to sit and wait their turn, they’re energetic and enthusiastic with tons of ideas and opinions. They want everyone to know what’s on their mind and love motivating the people around them to follow them in their latest plans.

ENTJs see themselves as organizers and change-makers with a passion for leading others. This energy makes them charismatic and fun to be around, even if it can be a lot to handle! This is an aspect of the ENTJ life when their impatience can be an infectiously exciting trait.

7. They’re efficient

One big advantage of the impatient aspects of the ENTJ personality is that they’re really efficient. They can be hugely focused and sharp, making them very productive. They take on tasks with a determined mindset and they usually complete things quickly and efficiently. Unlike other personality types, they don’t struggle with procrastination.

8. They can rush into things

On the flip side, ENTJs’ impatience can also lead to quick decisions. This can be a vice or a virtue, depending on how it plays out.

They know their own minds and that means they don’t linger too long over making an important decision. They don’t have the patience for pondering things for days or weeks on end, so they dive headfirst into their choices and encourage everyone else to get on board too.

This means they always have a strategy ready to face a challenge or take a new path in their lives. And that can be fun and frightening in equal measure. ENTJs have the confidence and self-assurance that they can tackle anything that comes their way, and so they don’t get too worried about making big decisions in record time.

How to tackle ENTJ impatience

Whether impatience is a vice or a virtue, it can be helpful to keep a lid on it and slow down once in a while. Whether you’re dealing with an impatient ENTJ or trying to work on this personality trait in yourself, here are some tactics you can use:

• Manage your body

Did you know that being hungry, thirsty or tired can make you more impatient? If you’re finding that your impatience is becoming more of a vice than a virtue, work on managing your body’s signals first.

If you’re feeling really impatient, take a breather, drink a glass of water and have a snack and see how the new you chooses to tackle the situation. It can make a huge difference.

• Listen to others

ENTJs can always benefit from listening more. The impatient aspects of the ENTJ personality can be improved from trying to listen to the people around them and taking their opinions and ideas on board.

Focus on listening to others and really hearing them, rather than deciding what you’re going to say next or already making your mind up about what you’re going to do.

• Consciously slow down

Tackling impatience starts with recognizing that you’re being impatient. If you can consciously slow down and know that it’s ok to slow down, you can work on being more patient in your daily life.

The ups and downs of ENTJ impatience

ENTJs are one of the most impatient personality types around but that’s both their strength and their weakness. The natural impatience of many ENTJs is what drives them to do more and be more, but it can also lead to conflict and restlessness.

To be happy, ENTJs need to find a balance in their lives and learn to manage their impatience in order to keep it firmly on the side of virtue rather than vice.