Confidence is a coveted quality, but some people exude it effortlessly. They're the friends or colleagues who are sure of themselves and never doubt their abilities or decisions—all without any air of arrogance. There are a multitude of factors that contribute to how much faith you have in yourself, but according to experts, certain Myers-Briggs personality types that tend to be more confident than others.
"It’s clear that some personality types lend themselves more naturally towards leadership and high confidence," say experts at The Eternity Rose. "While some are always second-guessing themselves and find it difficult to make independent decisions, others have complete conviction that they’ve taken the best course of action under the circumstances."
The Myers-Briggs Typic Indicator (MBTI) is a self-reported questionnaire first published in 1943 by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katherine Briggs. The personality test determines whether you lean more toward Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I); prefer to use Sensing (S) or Intuition (N) when interpreting information; make decisions by Thinking (T) or Feeling (F); and are more Judging (J) or Perceiving (P) when facing the outside world. These dichotomies are then arranged to make 16 distinct combinations that identify different personality types.
If you've ever taken the time to find out your Myers-Briggs type, you know that it can tell you quite a bit about yourself and reveal things you might not even realize. It's not a perfect science, but according to experts, some types are indeed more self-assured than others. Read on to find out which five Myers-Briggs personality types are the most confident.
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1 | ENTJ
Rawpixel.com / ShutterstockPeople who are extroverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging are among the most confident, according to The Eternity Rose. "ENTJs are highly confident and have excellent leadership skills as their dominant extroverted thinking traits make them effectiveness oriented. This personality type is also the most obviously confident of all the personality types since they are natural solution offerers who are automatically decisive."
Their ability to remain down to earth and see the bigger picture enhances ENTJs' adept decision-making process. Sameera Sullivan, relationship expert and matchmaker, agrees, noting that these people are both "decisive and forward-thinking."
"They are unlikely to let the opinions of others influence them personally, and as a result, they are also unlikely to lose faith in their own judgment," Sullivan says. "Since they are frequently self-assured visionaries and have high levels of extroversion, ENTJs are adept at adjusting to their surroundings."
Where this confidence can cause a problem, however, is when an ENTJ has a leadership position. "The decisions that they make must reflect their own ethics and values, which may not be in alignment with those of the collective," The Eternity Rose explains. "Nevertheless, they can easily justify their actions and decisions, and the arguments that they give make them seem unbeatable."
2 | INTJ
GingerKitten / ShutterstockMuch like their extroverted counterparts, INTJs are also known for their self-assurance—and it's actually this introverted intuition that contributes to their confidence.
"They’re focused on what’s going on in their own heads rather than being concerned with what other people around them are thinking or doing," The Eternity Rose explains. "Although this may make them an unlikely choice when it comes to leadership, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have confidence. There is a common misconception that introverts cannot be confident, but in fact, in the case of INTJs, their confidence comes from their internal strength and not what’s happening on the outside."
When making decisions, INTJs don't waver, she adds, as they've already processed their thoughts before coming to a conclusion. "Essentially, although INTJs may not be as obviously confident on the outside as ENTJs, they exude a calm and confident strength as they don't need to display their confidence like a badge—they simply know that they have confidence before they speak," The Eternity Rose says.
Emma Williams, certified strengths and career coach and chief research officer at HIGH5, adds that the thinking component of ENTJs and INTJs also adds to their confidence levels, as they're logical, analytical, and have a "sense of certainty and control that others may lack."
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3 | ENFJ
Artie Medvedev / ShutterstockThose who tend to do more thinking when making decisions aren't the only Myers-Briggs personality types that exude confidence—feeling types are up there as well. The Eternity Rose calls ENFJs "natural jugglers," who can take on a variety of tasks thanks to their "great confidence in their own abilities."
"They know they’ll get everything done that needs to be accomplished and they’re unshakeable in their belief in themselves," they explain. "They are confident, too, to embrace new tasks and challenges and know that they have what it takes to accomplish any goal they set themselves."
This confidence also serves ENFJs well in a crisis, meaning they're the type of person you can turn to when things take a turn for the worse. "They're confident they can manage everything without falling apart or breaking down," they say.
4 | ENFP
chaponta / ShutterstockExtroverted, intuitive, feeling, and perceiving people are known for their bravery and ability to take on challenges, The Eternity Rose tells Best Life.
"This personality type isn't fearful of their unknown—rather they're excited about what is coming," they say, adding that like ENTJs, they are sure of themselves, their abilities, and their skillsets. "They know what they can do well and are happy to do anything that showcases those abilities."
Their extroverted nature also serves them well in terms of confidence, as they're able to effortlessly interact with others, and "strike up a conversation" with strangers. "Extremely charming and great communicators, ENFPs will happily walk up to someone they've never met and find ways to learn about them without any fear of what might happen," The Eternity Rose explains.
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5 | ESTJ
Monkey Business Images / ShutterstockThe only sensing type to make the list is also extroverted, thinking, and judging. These people are natural leaders and tend to pull focus (in a good way), experts say.
"With their amazing ability to command a room and to draw attention to anything they desire, ESTJs exude natural confidence in a very obvious and eye-catching way," The Eternity Rose says. "They have a skill at instructing others and are frequently outstanding teachers."
Complementing their confidence is efficiency, which allows them to see areas for improvement and correct them "effortlessly," they add.
Williams also cited ESTJ as another confident thinking-judging type, albeit "to a lesser extent" than other intuitive-judging types like INTJs and ENTJs. ESTJs, as well as ISTJs, "are known for their organizational skills and ability to stay calm under pressure, both of which can contribute to confidence," she explains.
