Are ESFP and INFP personality types compatible? See how ESFPs and INFPs get along in this guide to ESFP/INFP relationships. If you're an ESFP in a relationship with an INFP, discover how you'll communicate, interact, and relate to each other in daily life.

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How ESFP and INFP Get Along

ESFPs and INFPs have some common themes that often arise when they get to know each other. As an ESFP, you'll want to keep these issues in mind when you get to know an INFP.

As a Sensing Perceiver type, your approach to relationships is perhaps the most straightforward of all the types—you look for connections with people who are up for joining you on all of life's adventures. You may tend to gravitate towards people with a similar background to yours, but you just as easily accept people from all walks of life, so long as you can enjoy your time together. You especially value relationships with people who share your hobbies and interests and a can-do approach to life.

When relating to your counterpart, bear in mind that as an Intuitive Feeling type, they will tend to be highly idealistic about their relationships. They want authentic connections that reflect their true values, and they want to see who you really are as a person. Intuitive Feelers want to go deep, and revealing yourself to them is a worthwhile endeavor—once they feel they know you, they'll be a tireless cheerleader for your dreams and ambitions.

At first glance, it may seem as though the two of you have nothing in common—and in fact, you do have very different ways of seeing the world and thinking about things. The first time you meet this person, unless you discover a shared interest, it may seem that you have nothing to talk about.

You are an active, hands-on person who likes to live in the moment. You enjoy building things, doing things, and experiencing the world around you without judgment or expectation. You have little interest in fantasy, and like to stay firmly grounded in reality. You spend very little time wondering about the meaning of things or theorizing about how the world could be different; you're too busy enjoying it as it is.

In contrast, your counterpart is idealistic, sensitive, and empathetic. They feel things deeply and take their values seriously. They are very much in tune with the state of the world and the feelings of the people in it, and are always thinking about how to make the world a better place. They are drawn to fantasy and imagination and can sometimes lose track of what's going on in the real world.

So what might draw you together? Your differences mean that you actually have a lot to offer one another. Your counterpart may inspire you to slow down and think more deeply about the meaning of things, rather than just doing what feels right in the moment. In turn, you can help them to get out of their heads and enjoy life for what it is.

This person tends to prefer a slower, calmer pace in social interactions and life in general. They may find your energy level exhausting, especially when you are excited about something. Be mindful of their energy level, and don’t take it personally if they need some time to themselves.

Although there are some common problems that can arise in ESFP/INFP relationships, it's important to remember that there's no such thing as a perfectly compatible pair in personality typing. Whether you get along with someone has more to do with your own self-knowledge and your sensitivity to your friend's needs and preferences—not some magic formula. Learning more about your own type with an in-depth assessment is a great place to start to build the self-awareness that is key to successful relationships.

Communication Between ESFP and INFP

Communication can be a challenge between any two people, and communication between ESFP and INFP personality types is not the exception. By being aware of the issues that often arise when ESFPs and INFPs communicate, you can learn how to reach an understanding more quickly.

You have a different style of communication from this person, and you’ll need to make some accommodations if this relationship is to reach its full potential. 

You tend to communicate in a straightforward, concrete way, focusing on facts, details, history, and real-life experiences. You focus on the "what" when discussing something, and convey information that you observed directly or can back up with real-life evidence. When making plans, you tend to focus on the specific steps that will occur. And generally, you're interested in talking about real things, not ideas or theories.

In contrast, your counterpart tends to communicate in an abstract, theoretical way. They focus on making connections and interpreting meaning, the "why" of the thing in question. Much of what they communicate is their idea, theory, or interpretation of what they see, rather than a direct observation. When making plans, they are inclined to spend a lot of time talking about the overall goal or theme of the plan without having much interest in the details. 

While it may sound like you are speaking different languages, the truth is that although you have different comfort zones when it comes to communication, you are well able to get out of those comfort zones to meet halfway—and you'll both be the better for it. Your partner can help you stretch to look beyond the obvious of things and explore the deeper meaning. And in turn, you can help them to come back down to earth and discuss the details and facts of a situation, not just the big idea. 

When communicating with this person, you'll probably find that you tend to do more of the talking. You're naturally more inclined to express yourself, and you tend to translate your thoughts into speech more easily than your counterpart.

Your partner may be happy for you to take the floor; many Introverts prefer friends who can carry the conversation, so they don't feel pressured to come up with lots of things to say. However, watch out that you don't steamroll your friend. Everyone likes to be listened to, and Introverts especially appreciate it when someone takes the time and attention to listen carefully to what they are saying.

To be sure you're hearing out your friend, give them plenty of time to think through their ideas before sharing. You may need to learn to tolerate some silence in your conversation as they get their thoughts together. Don't be tempted to fill every lull in the conversation with chatter! The best of your Introverted friends will come out when you give them time and space to share. Slow down, listen carefully, and ask thoughtful questions to draw out your friend.

ESFP vs. INFP Values

Values are intensely personal, and while an ESFP and an INFP can find common ground, there will always be some differences in what you hold dear. However, understand how your ESFP approach to values compares with your INFP counterpart's will help you to appreciate and overcome your differences.

Both of you share a deep empathy and compassion for others and probably make plenty of time in your lives to be of service to your family, friends and communities. You both enjoy jobs that allow you to help people, in health care, social services, education or the like, or you both may spend time volunteering for causes that are important to you. However your sympathy plays out, you’ll both agree that the thoughtful helping of others is an important value for you.

Where you differ is how your values are directed. You are a deeply practical and logical person. You show your concern by offering pragmatic solutions, delivered in the here and now, such as giving a helping hand to a friend in need. You offer support that can be useful immediately—that’s today instead of someday—which is the exact opposite of the future-focus your partner prefers. While you certainly care for others, you are unlikely to feel another’s problems as if they were their own.

Your counterpart has a similar value system, but theirs is more deeply idealistic. They can easily imagine how the world could be a better place and enjoy empowering others to explore possibilities, whether they act on these ideas or not. They are not content to simply accept the injustices and cruelties of this world; they want to see right into the souls of others and make the world a better, gentler place. They are so passionate about what they believe.

For your partner, then, the instinct to serve is born of an empathetic heartache, rather than the sense of dutiful social responsibility that's more familiar to you. There is no reason why the two approaches cannot exist side by side, although you may find your partner’s approach too fanciful and soft-headed compared to your pragmatic ideas. While you’ll appreciate your partner’s tender heart, you may worry that they are striving to meet a potential that’s impossible to attain.

There’s an opportunity here to introduce one another to new ways of thinking. You both excel in sticking to values that are important to you, but you can help you partner understand the practical reality of these values. On the flip side, your partner can bring a sense of romanticism to your value system, helping you gain a passion for big ideas. The challenge for you is to not get too annoyed if your partner tends to ignore tradition and the wisdom of lived experience, preferring to use pie-in-the-sky imagination to forge a better way.

ESFP and INFP in Daily Life

Lifestyle is an under-appreciated—but extremely important—element of compatibility. Your values and ideals may coincide perfectly, but if you can't agree on how to conduct day-to-day matters, your relationship will always have friction. As an ESFP in a relationship with an INFP, you can expect certain issues to arise in your daily life. Discussing these in advance, and figuring out how to deal with them, will make things go much more smoothly as you develop your relationship.

You take a similarly unstructured approach to life and are fairly relaxed about schedules, plans and household systems. If you share space, it’s likely that neither of you will be motivated to take on household responsibilities. You both prefer to play first and work later, and there may need to be some discussion about getting the chores done.

Since neither of you want things to be fully planned and predictable, you’re rarely overwhelmed by disorganization. You both enjoy leaving room for creativity, and enjoy setting a pace together that will allow you to do things on the fly.

Finding harmony in your life together may take some effort because you see and communicate different things. While you experience the world with your body and your senses, your counterpart looks behind the scenes and figures out the patterns between disconnected pieces of information. For you, daily life is for living. For them, it’s a springboard for testing out ideas and imagining how things might play out.

In your mind, actions speak louder than words. You are one of life’s ‘doers’ and you like to take concrete action. You tend to choose activities that will stimulate your senses or your body in some way whether that’s cooking, bungee jumping or arts and crafts. People call you down-to-earth since you’re very matter-of-fact.

The reverse is true for your counterpart. They are less focused on facts and personal experience, and more focused on feeding their intellectual curiosity and learning new things. For them, discovering new ideas is a lifelong pursuit and they tend to read widely, take classes for fun and explore the ‘yet to be discovered’. There are plenty of hobbies here that you could both be interested in, but it can cause rifts between couples who can’t come to an agreement on what they want to do in their spare time.

Routines can be another area of conflict. While you certainly have a sense of adventure, you have a low tolerance for shaking things up for the sake of it. You counterpart, by contrast, may dream of adventure to keep things exciting. You have much to offer each other here, as you can remind your partner what is important in the moment, and they can offer up angles and possibilities that give you a broader understanding of the world.

Communicating your needs is crucial, as you both have a different tolerance for social stimulation. You are energized by activity and probably make plenty of room for friends, family, and social events. By contrast, your counterpart needs plenty of down time to re-energize and may not always be up for parties. They won’t appreciate you invading their alone-time or repeatedly overbooking the social calendar.

Communication is another challenge, since you prefer to deal with issues immediately while your counterpart may try to sweep problems under the rug. You know how to speak your mind and defend your position, and it can be frustrating for you if you’re constantly having to drag a conversation out of your partner. On the flip side, your partner needs time to think something through before having an important conversation, and may not appreciate you being pushy and naggy.

None of these differences is insurmountable and with a little compromise you can easily meet each other’s needs. Being an introvert is not a get-out-of­-jail-free card, and your job is to simultaneously respect your partner’s need for solitude while making sure they know when their participation is important to you. Compromise is a two-way street, and in return your partner must be fine with you going out and finding the social stimulation you desire, without resenting you for leaving them alone.

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