My ESFP Dad

What was my ESFP (Extroverted Sensing Feeling Perceptive) dad like?  He was fun! I remember his reading the funny papers to me, complete with all the voices. He played the ukulele, sang, danced, and drummed on every surface.  When I was little, he gave me a Sugar Daddy lollypop whenever I went on an errand with him.  With excited shouts of  "Daddy's Home",  my brother and I ran to greet my dad. He would swing me up on his shoulders and carry me around. He taught me to hike, pack, swim, dance, ride a bike, roller skate, canoe, do math, and drive a car.

Dad helped to give us fun birthday parties. He led the games and kept the excitement up. Once he had us play skunk tag where we were only safe if we hopped on one leg and held our nose. He made a tepee house for me of logs, a toy cabinet out of orange crates, and helped us make tents to play in. We didn't have just plain pancakes, but pancakes in the shape of swans, silver dollars, or Micky Mouse. He was creative and tried to amuse us. During the long stretches across the Nevada desert as we traveled from California to Idaho, he would make up Prospector stories to make the time go faster. When my grandpa was fishing and we had nothing to do, Dad would take us on a hike.

ESFP - Enjoying Life!

Motivation
by a desire to freely enjoy life and amuse self- to be happy and satisfied
want to make a difference and do something meaningful
to help other people enjoy life too - find what things they need and things to do in the real world to increase their enjoyment of life; entertain them; motivate them to action
excited about the real world and want to engage others into enjoying it too
to have a wide variety of experiences
keep options open
to escape anxiety (fear about what might happen)

Characteristics
warm, charming, witty, friendly, genuine caring, generous, willing to help, lively, vivacious, eager, spontaneous, resilient, cheerful, practical, productive, free-spirited, fun-loving, energetic, animated, approachable, sensitive, idealistic (freedom), actively engage in life,  honestly want others to be happy, sense of style (like arts) flare,  love to learn, up and positive, observant,

Are ESFP's Irresponsible?

Well, if you ask their wives, they think so. I've known several ESFP (Extroverted Sensing Feeling Perceptive) men who married SJ (sensing judging) women (my dad was one).  I've heard these men being called "lazy", "irresponsible", and "childish". They are admonished to "get going". One wife explained that ,"I made him a list. All he has to do is get it done, then cross it off.  It's that simple. Why doesn't he do it?"  The answer -- he doesn't want to.

ESFP's live to experience and enjoy life. To a J person who believes that work comes first (and sometimes last too),  this attitude is unfathomable.  SJ's (Sensing Judging) know what needs to be done and how to do it. These wives are sure who should get going -- their husband!

Once, a woman who has an SP husband was complaining to me that her husband didn't get things done. She sighed and wished she had a husband like mine who is a professional handyman (SJ). We talked about their life; about their long talks in the evenings, his joking and spontaneity, his playing with their children, his good cooking, his party giving, and his enthusiasm for life. I then looked her in the eye and slowly stated, "If you had my husband, he would be right on the job getting things done -- ALWAYS!  She listened, then her eyes got big, and she said, "OH!"