10 Things That Terrify ENTJs – According to 308 ENTJs
Have you ever wondered if the things that frighten you are unique to your personality type? I know I have! This is why I’ve been doing a series of blog posts on fears and the Myers-Briggs® types. I’ve talked to thousands of people to find out which fears come up the most in each group. ENTJs have been a tricky group to survey for this series! More than many types, ENTJs are known for being fearless and bold. This is why you’ll see that the #3 fear that I got from ENTJs was ‘Nothing.’ Many ENTJs believed that fears are irrational and easily controlled. However, there were other fears or worries that seemed to come up quite often in the responses I received.
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There Are Always Variations
Not every ENTJ is going to be afraid of the exact same things. Enneagram type, environment, childhood experiences, and beliefs all play a part in what we fear. These ten fears came up the most among the 308 ENTJs who responded to me, but I am definitely not trying to imply that every single ENTJ is going to feel exactly the same way.
Table of contents
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
The Top 10 Fears Mentioned By ENTJs
1 – Mediocrity
ENTJs are natural-born leaders with enormous visions and dreams for the future. They are driven by an intense desire to make their mark on the world. They hate the idea of living a less than remarkable life, and they desire to stand out and achieve their dreams at all costs.
2 – Being helpless
ENTJs are extremely independent people, who like to be in control and in charge of their lives and their surroundings. The idea of being physically helpless, paralyzed, or mentally incapacitated in some way is horrifying to them. Take away their freedom to achieve their dreams and be in charge and you take away a key facet of their personality.
3 – Nothing
A large number of ENTJs said that they had no fear, or that fears were irrational, so technically, I really only have nine top ENTJ fears for you. But I decided to count this anyway considering just how many ENTJs responded to the question “what do you fear?” with “nothing”. In general, ENTJs experience some of the lowest stress levels of all the types; in fact, only ENTPs and ESTPs have less according to the MBTI® manual. It’s possible that since they experience low stress, perhaps they experience less fear and worry as well.
4 – Stupidity
Mental stamina and sharpness are vital to the ENTJ. They thrive on achievement and mental precision. Because they are dominant Extraverted Thinkers, they prefer to have their outer world organized in a logical, efficient way. Dealing with stupidity is completely exasperating to them, and the idea of being led by someone ignorant or having to deal with stupidity can cause them a great deal of stress. This may be more of a worry than a goosebump-inducing fear, but it was definitely mentioned a lot so we’re going to count it anyway.
5 – Being controlled
ENTJs are driven by achievement and thrive on being their own bosses. They hate feeling trapped, controlled, or micro-managed. The idea of being physically trapped was a major fear of many ENTJs, while others hated the idea of being emotionally trapped in a bad relationship or in a workplace they can’t stand.
6 – Not meeting potential
Meeting goals is of paramount importance to the strategic ENTJ. The idea of dying before accomplishing goals, of wasting time, or not fulfilling their dreams is a real fear to many.
“I think to most ENTJs we fear failure more than anything else. We have high standards and won’t accept anything less than perfection in many cases. Not meeting my potential or living a meaningless life is something I worry about a lot.”
– Jennifer, an ENTJ
7 – Alzheimers
Because ENTJs rely so heavily on their quick thinking abilities and mental alertness, they greatly fear losing this capability. Life to an ENTJ is meant to be full of purpose, accomplishment, and strategizing. Many feel that they wouldn’t be able to live out their purpose and dreams if they have to struggle with Alzheimers.
8 – Compromise
ENTJs are unflinching in their commitment to their goals. They can seem ruthless to some, but their determination is what makes them some of the most unstoppable leaders in our world. It’s rumored that Julius Caesar and Napolean Bonaparte were ENTJs, and I doubt they compromised very much in their lifetimes.
9 – Being stagnant/Not Improving
Wasting time and being a couch potato aren’t satisfying to most ENTJs. They live and breathe to accomplish their dreams and visions. They want to continually expand their minds and reach new heights of ingenuity. Being stagnant or stuck in a repetitive, mundane existence is extremely agitating to them.
10 – Incompetence
Being incompetent or dealing with incompetence are mortifying experiences for ENTJs.
“I’m scared that someday I’ll realize I was stupid or incompetent and I had no idea. I hate when I feel like I don’t know how to do something or I appear unprepared around others. I always like to be the one who knows in advance what to do, how to complete something, and how to come up with logical solutions.”
Demetra, an ENTJ
What Do You Think?
Do you relate to these fears? Do you agree or disagree with them? Let me know in the comments!
Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type, The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
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wow I discovered your blog only today and I’m impressed at how relatable I found this article. I didn’t realise these were actually “things”- I thought I found them annoying by myself.
The headers 1, 4, 6, 9 and 10 strike particularly close to the bone, although I’m not sure how far I follow the descriptions.
Number 5 is really interesting. I don’t “fear” being controlled- rather, self control is so essential to me I can’t imagine the opposite. Not having control- or not taking control or not owning situations is hard to even contemplate. The interesting part comes from the fact that I had a strict upbringing and my parents were very controlling (and can still be)- to the extent of even trying to dictate my feelings and reactions. So I made a mental space where I conformed because I chose to. Most life situations are actually not at all in our control, but we can take control of ourselves..
The only thing that I greatly disagree with “entjs experience less stress.” Maybe they do in general, but all of these things- stupidity, stagnation, incompetence…they all cause me stress.
I am a 34 yo entj that has been stressed since childhood
This list literally made me so afraid. Because it was useless I decided not to read it until I need it and to do something worth my time instead. “Stagnation” Fuckkkk
Wow, this was tough to read for me as an ENTP. ALL TRUTH. The tough part is that after a motorcycle accident 20 something yrs ago and 8 frontal lobe craniotomys 3 yrs ago; I now have a pretty serious injury that has fluid on my brain. I seem normal but my cognitive restricts me from who I was. Talk about fear.. I’ve faced EVERH SINGLE ONE OF THESE. Now what?
I found this list very accurate, and laughed out loud at ‘stupidity’, because one job I had involved working with many, many stupid people and being nice about it–soooo difficult, and I did get in trouble a few times for letting them see my frustration. I have a similar situation now, and it’s only slightly easier. Most people are annoyed by stupid people, but it’s REALLY a problem for us ENTJs….reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllyyyyyyyyyy! The one fear I did not relate to was ‘compromise’ — I can see how it made the list, but I think really well-developed and adjusted ENTJs don’t have an issue with some compromise. Of course, we’ll still try to talk the other party into seeing that our way is better for everyone, but life teaches us that we can’t always get our way, and then we simply have to sit back and watch their way fail….which is not efficient, but can’t be helped sometimes.
This is so cool, i can see how many of these points would tick off my son.
This spoke to me on a spiritual level. Most of these are so accurate wow!
Okay, cue inappropriate laughter at Alzheimer’s being on this list. I am absolutely terrified of Alzheimer’s, brain damage, dementia, whatever. It makes perfect sense that that’s an ENTJ thing.
Also lol’ing at ENTJs being one of the least stressed types. Sometimes I feel like I’m on another planet when I hear people talking about how stressed they are or describing a situation as inherently stressful, as if there’s no possibility that someone could bear an exhausting or hectic situation without getting “stressed” over it. And talking about fun and leisure in terms of “relieving stress”! I love my hobbies because they bring me joy, not because of anything negative! That drives me up the wall. Like, what, you wouldn’t engage in your hobbies or have any fun or take candlelit bubble baths or whatever if you had no stress in your life?
Damn, so true.
TRUE!
As an ENTJ, I haven’t really ever considered my fears…what would be the point? If I find I am afraid of something, I imagine it is more because I don’t know enough about it. The practical solution would then be to learn more about the subject of which I am “afraid”…amiright?
I’m not an ENTJ, but my partner is… and this sounds very accurate from what I have observed.
Yes. They ring true except for Alzheimer’s and Compromise. I usually (unfortunately and ridiculously) think I’m “right,” as I “do my homework,” but after decades, I’m much more interested in group-think-synthesizing ideas that all involved accept. Of course, I prefer to be the “synthesizer.”