INFJ and ESTP: Compatibility, Love, Marriage, and Romance
The creative INFJ and the practical ESTP combine to make an interesting pair. Despite their differences, these two opposites can build a happy and long-lasting relationship. Balancing each other out is what this couple is all about, and they have the potential to do it very well.
Compatibility
Generally, an INFJ and ESTP relationship has the potential to be a match based on mutual growth. Because they are both strong in areas that the other is weaker in, they can become authentically connected and begin to look on each other as a source of support and growth.
Both the INFJ and the ESTP are passionate types, and their combination can yield a relationship that’s passionate and deeply fulfilling. Since both INFJs and ESTPs can be slow to trust and cautious in love, their relationship may be slow to start.
INFJs are intuitive and organized individuals who seek partners that they can have deep and meaningful connections with, while ESTPs are present-focused people who live in the moment and seek partners with whom they can have fun with. Together, what makes their relationship strongest is its potential to balance them both and make them more well-rounded.
Summary Chart: INFJ and ESTP Compatibility vs. Possible Conflicts
| Compatibility | Possible Conflicts |
| They balance each other | They have different approaches to life |
| They are both independent | They have conflicting energy levels |
| They share the same love languages | They communicate in contrasting ways |
3 Reasons Why INFJ and ESTP Are Good for Each Other
Given that they’re opposite types, INFJs, and ESTPs are quite different from each other. INFJs tend to be quiet, idealistic, and sensitive individuals who feel things strongly and take life seriously. ESTPs, on the other hand, are sociable and fun-loving people who don’t like to take life too seriously and aren’t really concerned with what they can’t see or experience beyond their senses.
Even though they are quite unalike, these two types have a few reasons why they are good for each other:
- They can help each other grow
- They can respect each other’s independence
- They love in similar ways
While being idealistic and imaginative is a good thing, INFJs can sometimes get so caught up in their dreams and visions that they lose sight of reality and the people around them. INFJs are abstract and intuitive, and because of this, they can sometimes miss out on noticing or picking up on the finer details.
ESTPs, however, have the opposite problem where they can get so hyper-focused on minute details that they miss out on seeing the bigger picture. Also, because they focus on what is “real,” they lose out on seeing other potentials that could expand their worldview and enhance their thoughts.
When INFJs and ESTPs are together, they can fill in the gaps that the other person has. For example, if an INFJ and ESTP couple share a love for music or art, and they listen to a song together or view a painting together at an art gallery, they INFJ may help the ESTP notice things about the song or art piece that they didn’t pick up on initially because for ESTPs, subjective things like art and music are often just enjoyed aesthetically, so they don’t dig that deeply into them.
The INFJ may notice symbols in the artwork or song that the ESTP didn’t think about, and when they share their ideas and opinions on what the song or painting may mean, the ESTP may be able to enjoy that song or painting more comprehensively. Likewise, because ESTPs are typically good at noticing the small details in things when listening to the song or looking at the artwork, they may notice things that the INFJ missed completely. When they share their findings with their INFJ partner, their partner will likely be very intrigued by this new information and will want to know more.
INFJs and ESTPs can balance each other out in other ways as well:
- The INFJ can help the ESTP notice other people’s feelings so that they can be more aware of how their actions and behaviors affect other people.
- The ESTP can ground the INFJ and help them get their heads out of the clouds so that they can experience life more richly.
- The INFJ can organize things for the ESTP so that they can keep on track towards, and focus on, their goals.
- The ESTP can increase the amount of fun and spontaneity in the INFJ’s life so that their life can feel more fulfilling.
As mentioned above, both INFJs and ESTPs are independent people. Because they share this trait, they are more likely to respect each other’s need for independence, and this can be good for them as a couple and as individuals. Sometimes, when a relationship is made up of two dependent individuals or one dependent individual and an independent one, the relationship can dissolve into something that’s unhealthy or toxic.
By both the INFJ and the ESTP being independent individuals, they should be able to avoid this pitfall, though things could still get out of hand if both parties in the relationship aren’t mature.
INFJs and ESTPs love similarly. For both of these types, quality time, physical touch, and words of affirmation are their most common love languages. This means that when they’re together, they should be able to love and be loved in ways that they understand and prefer.
3 Reasons Why INFJ and ESTP Are Not Good for Each Other
While INFJs and ESTPs have a few reasons why they can be good for each other, they also have a few reasons why a relationship between them may not be so good for them as well:
- INFJs and ESTPs have differing approaches to life.
- INFJs are reserved and introverted, while ESTPs can be hyper and loud.
- INFJs are abstract communicators, while ESTPs are realists.
INFJs like things to be structured and ordered, while ESTPs are impulsive people who prefer to go with the flow. This can obviously spell trouble when it comes to their daily life and relationship together as a couple because this issue is a hard one to find a middle ground for.
With the INFJ being the one who wants things to be clean and organized, a lot, if not all, of the responsibility for achieving this will fall onto them even if their arranged way of doing things actually benefits both of them. This is obviously unfair to the INFJ and can result in their growing feelings of resentment towards and dissatisfaction with their relationship and partner.
For the ESTP as well, they can grow tired of feeling like they’re being nagged and stifled by the INFJ’s need for a structured and sometimes regimented life.
INFJs also tend to live life more modestly than ESTPs, which can cause problems in their relationship if the INFJ feels like the ESTP is spending money too extravagantly and the ESTP thinks that the INFJ is wanting to live life too prudently.
Another reason why INFJs and ESTPs may not be good for each other is because of their different energy levels. INFJs are usually quiet and reserved people who do not want too much social interaction and prefer to spend time alone. ESTPs, though, can be very hyper and loud, and they need to interact with others. For this reason, ESTPs can sometimes struggle with the INFJ’s need for alone time and personal space.
Also, because INFJs are more introverted and quiet, ESTPs can dominate their conversations and social interactions with others. While INFJs may actually love and appreciate this dynamic at times when they don’t want to talk or be socially active, at other times, they may feel bulldozed and suppressed.
ESTPs, too, may wish that their INFJ partner was more sociable so that they wouldn’t have to limit their social calendar or go to things alone.
The final main reason why INFJs and ESTPs may not be good for each other is because of their different ways of communicating. Because INFJs are abstract thinkers and idealists while ESTPs are realists who focus on what’s concrete, they can have a hard time communicating with each other and may not find their conversations to be satisfactory.
INFJs may want more depth from their ESTP partner, while ESTPs may wish that their INFJ partner communicated more straightforwardly and was more rational in their thinking.
Communication
INFJs and ESTPs share the same cognitive functions: Introverted Intuition (Ni), Extroverted Feeling (Fe), Introverted Thinking (Ti), and Extroverted Sensing (Se). Their functions are just ordered in opposite directions, so while the functional stack for INFJs looks like this: Ni, Fe, Ti, Se, the cognitive function stack for ESTPs is ordered like this: Se, Ti, Fe, Ni.
This means that while INFJs and ESTPs communicate in vastly different ways, they still have the potential ability to understand each other well.
Where are they strong, and why?
Where INFJs and ESTPs are strong is in their abilities to understand each other. Though these two types are different, they share the same functions. This means that with practice and patience, these two types can get each other well and in ways that they may not feel understood with other people.
Where do they have problems, and why?
Where INFJs and ESTPs have problems is not only in the way they think, but also in the way they talk.
INFJs can be indirect and passive-aggressive. They can also often choose to avoid having difficult conversations by just running away from them or pretending that things are fine.
INFJs hold a lot in, and then when they can’t keep it bottled up anymore, they erupt. This obviously is not a healthy way to communicate, and it can drive ESTPs crazy.
ESTPs also have their problems. They can be too blunt and too unconcerned with how their actions and words are affecting others. Extraverted Feeling, which aids in preventing this issue, is lower on ESTP’s cognitive function stack, so they can really struggle with this at the expense of their INFJ partner, whom they may regularly unintentionally hurt with their harsh or overly direct words.
Also, ESTPs tend to look down on thoughts and ideas they don’t think are real or rational, so they can undervalue the opinions and beliefs of their INFJ partners.
How might they improve communication?
INFJs and ESTPs can improve their communication if INFJs take the time to fully process their thoughts and ideas and express them more straightforwardly and with more detail. INFJs can also help their communication with their ESTP partner by not trying to avoid it when the conversation is on a topic that’s difficult or emotionally challenging.
To improve their communication with INFJs, ESTPs need to be more mindful of what they say and how their words come out. While Fe is low on the ESTP functional stack, it is still there, so this type does have the ability to do this better than many others. To do so just requires being more patient and taking the time to think before they speak.
If need be, it may be better for the ESTP to write out what they want to say first sometimes, so they can see plainly what it is they’re actually saying to a sensitive INFJ partner and make some adjustments accordingly.
Where do they connect? Why?
INFJs and ESTPs connect in their shared need for independence. They also both like experiencing new things, and because INFJs are more introverted and reserved, ESTPs don’t have to worry about competing with their INFJ partner for the spotlight or attention.
INFJ & ESTP: Values
Both INFJs and ESTPs have strong values since they can both be quite passionate people.
3 Things an INFJ Values
- Structure and Order
- Connecting with others
- Achieving goals
3 Things an ESTP Values
- Freedom and flexibility
- Experiencing new things
- Solving problems or figuring out how something works
How do their values match up?
INFJ’s desire for structure and order conflicts with ESTP’s need for freedom and flexibility. However, the INFJ’s yearning for connecting with others and the ESTP’s wish to experience new things in life offers an opportunity for the two of them to interact and grow closer through shared interests and experiences.
Also, the INFJ’s ambition to achieve goals and the ESTP’s ability to solve problems and figure out how things work means that the two of them can connect by working together on projects or to solve problems.
Love Language/Love Style
INFJs and ESTPs share quality time, physical time, and words of affirmation as their most common love languages. Many ESTPs also have Acts of Service as a top love language for them as well. Because their love styles tend to be similar, INFJ and ESTP relationships can do well.
Ways INFJs Show Their Love
INFJs show their love by doing the following things:
- Sacrificing their time alone to spend quality time with their partner
- Asking their partner questions often with the purpose of getting to know everything about them
- Forgoing their usual need for personal space by being casually physical
- Doing their best to be helpful to their partner
Ways ESTPs Show Their Love
ESTPs show their love by doing the following things:
- Showing enthusiasm towards their partner and their hobbies or interests
- Being flexible to satisfy certain needs or interests of their partner, like doing chores if their partner likes things tidy while they don’t care
- Being caring, present, and attentive toward their partner
- Protecting their partner
INFJ and ESTP in Bed
INFJs and ESTPs can both enjoy experimenting in bed. INFJs see sex as more of a way to connect than ESTPs do emotionally, but ESTPs can take sex seriously as well.
INFJ and ESTP Couples/Marriage
INFJ Male and ESTP Female
INFJ males may be drawn to how wild and unpredictable their ESTP female partner is, while the ESTP female may love how attentive and sensual their INFJ male partner is. The ESTP female may feel like she can express her emotions to her INFJ partner without fear or restraint, and she may appreciate how well he listens to her and validates her feelings.
The INFJ male may be happy with how much fun and spontaneity the ESTP female adds into his life, and he may be glad that she grounds him and keeps him out of his head and connected with the real world.
ESTP Male and INFJ Female
Relationships between an ESTP male and INFJ female can often fall into traditional gender roles down to the INFJ female often being the one responsible for managing the household affairs and keeping things clean and orderly.
While the couple may be comfortable with this arrangement, they may notice some judgment from others because of this relationship arrangement which is seen as being old-fashioned and backward. This can be a little concerning to the INFJ, who has strong Fe and may notice others’ judgments and care about them more than their ESTP partner.
The INFJ female may want more warmth and emotional support from their ESTP partner than he can provide. If she has a great friend that she can turn to for emotional support outside of the relationship, then this may not be too much of an issue for the couple.
INFJ and ESTP Conflicts
Conflict is present in every relationship, and it can be internal or external. For INFJ and ESTP relationships, the conflict is often internal.
Possible Areas of Conflict (and Why)
The following are some of the possible areas of conflict for INFJs and ESTPs:
- INFJ’s passiveness and ESTP’s directness
- ESTP’s impulsivity and INFJ’s sensitivity
- INFJ’s need for structure and ESTP’s need for freedom and flexibility
- ESTPs and INFJ’s conflict avoidance
- INFJ’s abstract thinking and idealism and ESTP’s rationality and realism
These traits of INFJs and ESTPs can lead them to hurt and misunderstand each other at times unintentionally, and because neither of them is particularly good at confronting emotional issues head-on, the problems can get bigger and eventually spiral out of control.
How do INFJ and ESTP resolve conflict?
INFJs and ESTPs can resolve their conflicts by being honest and confronting their problems directly. Also, if the ESTP is more patient and takes the time to think before they act and say hurtful things to the INFJ, they can prevent more problems from cropping up.
The INFJ also needs to work on being less sensitive to the ESTP, and they should work on recognizing that not everything the ESTP says is meant to be hurtful or taken as an insult.
How do INFJ and ESTP build trust?
INFJs can gain the ESTP’s trust if they are more direct about their thoughts and more honest about their feelings. ESTPs can get the trust of INFJs if they are more reliable and follow through on their commitments with INFJs.
INFJ and ESTP Friendships
Given both their similarities and their differences, INFJs and ESTPs can form a great friendship with each other that is built on mutual growth and understanding.
INFJ vs. ESTP: Approach to Friendship
ESTPs are likely to approach the INFJ first because they are more direct with relationships, including friendships. The ESTP will likely want to spend a lot of time with their INFJ friend. INFJ take relationships, including friendships, seriously, so they are likely to devote a lot of themselves to their friendship with the ESTP.
INFJ & ESTP Friendship Dynamics
The ESTP will likely bring a lot of fun and energy to the friendship while the INFJ will be a great source of emotional support for the ESTP. The INFJ will likely help the ESTP to be more socially aware, while the ESTP will help the INFJ be more grounded.
What makes them good for each other as friends?
What makes INFJs and ESTPs good for each other as friends is their ability to understand and accept each other for who they are.
Could they be close friends?
INFJs and ESTPs can be close friends and will likely come to rely on each other a lot.
What are some areas that might cause them problems as friends?
INFJs may feel overwhelmed by ESTPs’ attention and energy, and ESTPs can feel distant from INFJs because of how much they can close themselves off sometimes.
