Debater (ENTP-t)

Mind
This trait determines how we interact with our environment.
74% Extraverted 26% Introverted

Energy
This trait shows where we direct our mental energy.
67% Intuitive 33% Observant

Nature
This trait determines how we make decisions and cope with emotions.
54% Thinking 46% Feeling

Tactics
This trait reflects our approach to work, planning and decision-making.
39% Judging 61% Prospecting

Identity
This trait underpins all others, showing how confident we are in our abilities and decisions.
46% Assertive 54% Turbulent

Insight of the Day: Debaters are the most likely personality type to want to travel to space someday.
Artist By “Debater” (ENTP-T)

Tell us about your chosen career path. Where do you work? Would you consider this your dream job? Why? Because I'm all about creativity.
I'm always up for sharing new ideas, whether it's a good idea or not. I like expressing things differently. I like being different.

How did you get to where you are now? Long story short; I saw something that sparked sth in me, it just inspired me to start doing what I do now.

Looking back at your career, what do you regret most? What makes you feel happy? I probably regret not thinking anything through. I look
back, and now that I think about it (ironic, isn't it), I feel that if only I were to think things through, I would've gotten a better outcome. I just love that
whatever happened, I fixed it. Now I'm able to live a continuously, happy career.

What is the best thing about your job? What is the worst? Whose to say.

What would you like to achieve in 10 years? Have your goals changed since the beginning of your career? Many things, my friend. Many
indeed.

If someone with your personality type was just about to start looking for their first job, what advice would you give them? Indifference,
honesty, and the ability to express your desire; a few things you should learn to feel and do more often. That'll get ya somewhere you belong.

In your opinion, which traits of your personality type help you the most? Which ones are the most problematic? Quick wit, but I willingly ask
for arguments in an exceeding amount; It's ridiculous.

If there was one thing you could change about your personality type, what would that be? I'd change nothing, even with a chance to. It's pathetic
to think so low of myself, even for one of the cons to my personality. I'd change absolutely nothing.
Debater Personality (ENTP, -A/-T)
Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak
your mind and fear less the label of ’crack-pot’* than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem
important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost.
*an eccentric or foolish person.

The Debater personality type is the ultimate devil’s advocate, thriving on the process of
shredding arguments and beliefs and letting the ribbons drift in the wind for all to see. Debaters
don’t do this because they are trying to achieve some deeper purpose or strategic goal, but for the
simple reason that it’s fun. No one loves the process of mental sparring more than Debaters, as it
gives them a chance to exercise their effortlessly quick wit, broad accumulated knowledge base, and
capacity for connecting disparate ideas to prove their points.

An odd juxtaposition arises with Debaters, as they are uncompromisingly honest, but will
argue tirelessly for something they don’t actually believe in, stepping into another’s shoes to argue a
truth from another perspective.

Playing the devil’s advocate helps people with the Debater personality type to not only
develop a better sense of others’ reasoning, but a better understanding of opposing ideas – since
Debaters are the ones arguing them.

This tactic shouldn’t be confused with the sort of mutual understanding Diplomat personalities seek
– Debaters, like all Analyst personality types, are on a constant quest for knowledge, and what
better way to gain it than to attack and defend an idea, from every angle, from every side?

There Are no Rules Here – We’re Trying to Accomplish Something!

Taking a certain pleasure in being the underdog, Debaters enjoy the mental exercise found
in questioning the prevailing mode of thought, making them irreplaceable in reworking existing
systems or shaking things up and pushing them in clever new directions. However, they’ll be
miserable managing the day-to-day mechanics of actually implementing their suggestions. Debater
personalities love to brainstorm and think big, but they will avoid getting caught doing the “grunt
work” at all costs. Debaters only make up about three percent of the population, which is just
right, as it lets them create original ideas, then step back to let more numerous and fastidious
personalities handle the logistics of implementation and maintenance.

Debaters’ capacity for debate can be a vexing one – while often appreciated when it’s called
for, it can fall painfully flat when they step on others’ toes by say, openly questioning their boss in a
meeting, or picking apart everything their significant other says. This is further complicated by
Debaters’ unyielding honesty, as this type doesn’t mince words and cares little about being seen as
sensitive or compassionate. Likeminded types get along well enough with people with the Debater
personality type, but more sensitive types, and society in general, are often conflict-averse,
preferring feelings, comfort, and even white lies over unpleasant truths and hard rationality.
This frustrates Debaters, and they find that their quarrelsome fun burns many bridges, oftentimes
inadvertently, as they plow through others’ thresholds for having their beliefs questioned and their
feelings brushed aside. Treating others as they’d be treated, Debaters have little tolerance for being
coddled, and dislike when people beat around the bush, especially when asking a favor. Debater
personalities find themselves respected for their vision, confidence, knowledge, and keen sense of
humor, but often struggle to utilize these qualities as the basis for deeper friendships and romantic
relationships.

Opportunity Is Missed Because It Looks Like Hard Work

Debaters have a longer road than most in harnessing their natural abilities – their intellectual
independence and free-form vision are tremendously valuable when they’re in charge, or at least
have the ear of someone who is, but getting there can take a level of follow-through that Debaters
struggle with.

Once they’ve secured such a position, Debaters need to remember that for their ideas to
come to fruition, they will always depend on others to assemble the pieces – if they’ve spent more
time “winning” arguments than they have building consensus, many Debaters will find they simply
don’t have the support necessary to be successful. Playing devil’s advocate so well, people with this
personality type may find that the most complex and rewarding intellectual challenge is to
understand a more sentimental perspective, and to argue consideration and compromise alongside
logic and progress.

Debater Relationships

If there’s one thing Debaters are good at, it’s coming up with a never-ending stream of innovations
and ideas to keep things moving forward, and this is evident in their romantic relationships as well.
For people with the Debater personality type growth is key, and even before they’ve found a dating
partner, they imagine all the ways that they can experience new things together, to grow in tandem*.
This can be an overwhelming process if their partner doesn’t match up, but when Debaters find
someone who shares their love of intellectual exploration, watch out.
*a bicycle with seats and pedals for two riders, one behind the other.

Show Me a Satisfied Man, and I’ll Show You a Failure

From the earliest dates, Debaters test their partners’ limits for this kind of potential, pushing
boundaries and traditions, looking for open-mindedness and spontaneity. Dating Debater
personalities is hardly a boring experience, and they make use of their enthusiasm and creativity by
delighting and surprising their partners with new ideas and experiences.

Debaters’ idea of fun is often rooted in self-improvement, and people with this personality
type bring their partners along the way, as much in a spirit of sharing as in a spirit of expectation.
Debaters see either growth or stagnation and don’t buy into the idea of a happy status quo, making
them demanding as much as they are exciting.
Some may tire in the face of this constant improvement – while Debaters’ vigor can be
attractive, it can also wear down even the most patient partners. A little time to breathe and a chance
to rest on one’s laurels for a moment is necessary for many people, but not something Debaters are
likely to appreciate. However, if their unwavering enthusiasm is met in kind, it can lead to a
magnificent relationship characterized by its strength, depth, and spark.
Genius Is One Percent Inspiration and Ninety-Nine Percent Perspiration*(transpiration)

This is perhaps most evident as Debaters’ relationships progress into more intimate
situations. All that exploratory curiosity and enthusiasm has a chance to be expressed in new ways
when Debaters and their partners come together, and they readily encourage their partners to try
new things, to enjoy their intimacy without preconceived limitations.
For people with the Debater personality type, this phase of their relationships is a chance to improve
and develop in areas that are outside the realm of academia, though they approach it in much the
same way – as a physical and intellectual process of striving towards excellence, rather than a
spiritual or emotional expression of affection.
Debaters’ desire to improve in this department makes them fantastic partners when the
relationship reaches that point, but their attitude towards this process is also evidence of their most
glaring shortcoming – their emotional obliviousness. While Debaters are more open-minded than
other Analyst personality types about others’ perspectives, they are also more likely to express their
disdain for such things as emotional sensitivity in cuttingly well-phrased and clear terms, easily
hurting their partners’ feelings without realizing it. Debater personalities may even ignore their
partners’ feelings altogether, instead immersing themselves entirely in some distant idea or
opportunity, inaccessible.
Where Debaters’ unwavering desire for self-improvement comes in most handy is in their emotional
development, as they may actually be willing to work on areas such as sensitivity and emotional
communication with their partners.
Debaters’ best compatibility rests with other Intuitive (N) types, with one or two opposing traits
which help to create both balance and opportunities for growth. If they are with a more sensitive
partner, this can be an excellent way for them to find another quality that they can work on together,
making this weakness yet another opportunity to be creative, challenge themselves, and to deepen
the attractiveness that this sense of progression brings to their relationships.
Debater Friends
Loyalty, support, emotional feedback – these are not what Debaters look for in their friendships.
The last thing people with the Debater personality type want to hear is “you’re right”, not unless
they have absolutely earned the distinction in a heated round of intellectual debate. If they’re
wrong, Debaters want to be told so, and they want every detail of the faults in their logic to be laid
bare, partly in their quest for oftentimes arbitrary truth, and partly just so they have to work to
defend that logic with counterpoint and parry.
It’s often easy for Debaters to test compatibility with a potential friend – they just need to test
combatability. Debater personalities are quick-witted, and their primary means of expressing this is
in the form of arguments and discussions, where they will easily spend an entire evening debating
an idea they may not even believe in.
The epitome of Debaters’ friendships is when someone can hold their ground in these arbitrary
debates with valid, rational arguments.
These debates are never taken personally, no matter how heated they become or how striking the
disagreement. Much as an athlete competes for the physical exertion and the spirit of competition
itself, Debaters debate for the sake intellectual stimulation and for the debate itself, and even in
overwhelming victory or crushing defeat, it’s never about dominance, only inspiration to try harder
next time.
When You Play, Play Hard
They know how to relax and have fun too, it’s just that “fun” to Debaters – a bottle of wine and a
discussion about the causes of and solutions to the European migrant crisis – could be described as
“an evening from hell” by many other personalities. But Debaters are a genial and enthusiastic
personality type for the most part, and pretty much any situation that allows for conversation and a
little wordplay is an enjoyable outing.
Debaters are actually remarkably good at communicating with friends and acquaintances of other
personality types. Their natural tendency to argue as effectively as possible means that Debaters are
accustomed to communicating in other people’s language and frame of reference, and this translates
well into normal conversation. Where people with the Debater personality type do have difficulty
relating to others is in emotional expression, the Achilles’ heel of all Analyst types.
The Worst Thinking Has Been Done in Turmoil
Being inclined to suppress their emotions and feelings, when Debaters are faced with a friend who,
figuratively or literally, needs a shoulder to cry on, they have no clue how to handle the situation.
They are perfectly willing and happy to offer a series of rational, reasonable solutions to the
problem at hand, as Debaters do for any situation where a problem needs to be fixed, but they are
certainly not known for their sensitivity or outward affection, no matter how intuitively they may
understand another’s position.
Worse is when Debater personalities try to turn these emotional situations into something they find
more comfortable: a debate. Given how remarkably good Debaters are at arguing both sides of a
point, they are remarkably bad at putting themselves in someone else’s shoes from an emotional
standpoint. Debaters should avoid at all costs the temptation to turn a discussion about the causes of
a friend’s recent breakup into competitive intellectual fodder.
So long as everyone understands not to take their words too personally, anyone who isn’t afraid to
discuss new ideas – and have them converted into so much confetti – is likely to find stimulating
and thought-provoking friends in Debaters. It’s not a compatibility that clicks with everyone, but
Debaters don’t really care about being liked by everyone anyways. As long as they get to alternate
between being the sounding board and the megaphone, Debaters and their friends are bound to
enjoy each other’s company for a long, long time.
Debater Parents
One might think that the blustery and flighty nature of Debaters would make parenting a particular
challenge for them, and in many ways, they’d be right. However, one thing people with the Debater
personality type love more than just about anything is a good challenge, a problem to fix, even if it
comes to addressing their own weaknesses. Debaters take their roles as parents seriously, and they
are bound to be affected profoundly by this development in their lives – if anyone is able to take an
outside influence, like their children, and use that influence to address their own faults, it is
Debaters.
Be Brave, Have Faith, Go Forward!
From the beginning Debaters’ distaste for rules and regulations is evident, and they are likely to
give their young children the freedom necessary to explore on their own. Independence is one of
Debaters’ greatest needs, and they feel that no person is complete without an independent mind.
Debater personalities create relaxed, unorthodox environments for their children, founded on
enthusiasm and the joy of discovery through the development of reason, not heavily structured
settings designed merely to be safe.
As their children grow and develop, Debaters encourage them to think independently and voice
objections, opinions and alternatives. But unlike Diplomat parents, who encourage their children to
express their thoughts in terms of feelings and needs, Debaters teach their children to approach
these options from a position of impartiality and logic, to state what is more effective rather than
what would make them feel good. As in other relationships, this quality of emotional inaccessibility
is where Debaters struggle.
As their children grow into adolescence and learn to find a balance in healthy emotional expression,
people with the Debater personality type may find themselves exasperated. While always up for a
good debate on just about any subject, Debaters often need their partners’ help in managing more
emotional outbursts and arguments. Debaters are more able than most, but even they have their
limits and rules when it comes to vocal conflict.
There’s a Way to Do It Better – Find It.
Luckily, Debater personalities recognize what’s at stake: they want their children to grow into
smart, independent, honest adults. To convey those values, Debaters know that they need, like with
any other debate, to communicate in terms that are accessible to all sides. If that means learning
how to use the tools of emotional expression and appeals, and in so doing becoming more
emotionally expressive in real, personal terms as well, so be it.
Debater Careers
In the world of careers, Debaters have the benefit of being naturally engaged and interested in being
productive and helpful. But rather than the sort of people-oriented helpfulness that Diplomat
personality types bring to the table, Debater personalities are focused on developing solutions to
interesting and diverse technical and intellectual problems. Debaters are a versatile personality type,
and while it may take time for them to get to a point where they can fully utilize their skillset and
qualities, they are likely to find that those qualities translate well into pretty much any career that so
much as piques their interest.
If there’s anything Debaters love, it’s flexing their mental muscles, and any environment that lets
them devise new approaches, new ideas and new projects, that allows them to push the limits of
their creativity, will benefit strongly from what Debaters bring to the table.
Not every career allows this level of unbridled brainpower, but there are those that demand nothing
but: entrepreneurship, engineering, even acting and photography. So long as Debaters are honest
with themselves about their strengths and weaknesses, they can thrive in most any career that is in
need of a new line of thinking.
The Value of an Idea Lies in the Using of It
All this intellectual power can be intimidating, but unlike their Introverted (I) cousins, people with
the Debater personality type have the added benefit of being excellent communicators, in the
written word but especially in face-to-face conversation. Though they dislike the constraints of
managing others (and of being managed), this social adaptability allows Debaters to be natural
leaders, showing the way forward and inspiring others with sound logic and intellectual prowess.
While others may object to these plans with emotional considerations or general resistance to
change, things Debaters place little value in, these competing comments are usually outmaneuvered
by Debater personalities’ deft arguments and subtly shifting goals.
The best careers reward intellectual competency and curiosity, allowing Debaters to utilize their
never-ending flow of ideas productively by affording a degree of spontaneity in how they engage
their intellectual pursuits. People with the Debater personality type value knowledge, rational
thought and insight very highly, and they make brilliant lawyers, psychologists, systems analysts
and scientists. It’s even possible for Debaters to thrive as sales representatives, as they rationalize
purchase decisions that may otherwise seem discretionary – so long as their managers know to give
them the space they need to work their magic.
Being Busy Doesn’t Always Mean Real Work
Really it all comes down to a sense of personal freedom, for Debaters to know that they are allowed
to apply themselves fully to understanding and solving the problems that interest them, without
getting bogged down by social politics and trying to figure out what makes other people “tick”.
Routine, structure and formal rules all feel like unnecessary hindrances to Debaters, and they may
find that their best careers yet allow them to engage their intellectual pursuits on their own terms, as
freelance consultants or software engineers.
The key for Debaters is to have the patience to get to a position that allows for these freedoms, to be
in an environment long enough that not just their colleagues, but their managers and, in time, their
subordinates, recognize what it is that they bring to the table. Debaters have exceptional qualities –
it’s quantifying their achievements and skills that presents the biggest challenge. But once they’ve
got their foot in the door, once they’ve got a willing ear higher in the hierarchy, the sky’s the limit.
Debaters in the Workplace
Debaters have straightforward expectations in the workplace, but ones that aren’t always easy to
meet. Strong believers in meritocracy, people with the Debater personality type expect their ideas to
be heard by those above them, expect robust debate among their peers, and demand that those they
manage offer up new solutions and ideas regardless of their positions. While this isn’t always how
things play out in reality, Debaters know what to look for, and can avoid those strictly hierarchical
institutions that they would otherwise struggle with.
Debater Subordinates
This dynamic is clearest with Debater subordinates, as they are comfortable challenging their
managers’ ideas and have a strong (and well-expressed) dislike for restrictive rules and guidelines.
Debaters back this unorthodox behavior with their keen minds and curiosity, and are as capable of
adopting new methods as they are of suggesting others do so. If something can be done better, it’s
as simple as that, and Debater personalities gladly take criticism, so long as it’s logical and
performance-oriented.
The biggest challenge for Debater subordinates is that it is often the fate of the “lower” positions to
implement the details, do the dirty work and follow through on plans set out by their managers. This
couldn’t be further from what Debaters prefer to spend their time on – they can’t stand simple,
routine work, and monotonous tasks are the stuff of nightmares. Things go over much better if
managers are able to properly utilize Debaters’ preference for tackling complex challenges and
diverse projects.
Debater Colleagues
It is as colleagues that Debaters prove most polarizing, as their passions for brainstorming, debate
and over-analysis drive more practical, task-oriented colleagues crazy, but serve as stimulating
inspiration for those who appreciate the innovation Debaters bring. Nothing bothers people with the
Debater personality type more than getting out of a meeting where everyone agreed with the first
plan presented, only to hear everyone complain about how stupid the plan was ten minutes later –
but they “didn’t want to make waves”. Debaters strive for honest, direct and objective assessments
of these ideas, so much so that they often earn reputations for their insensitivity and condescension.
Luckily Debaters know how to relax too, and their witty wordplay, healthy sense of humor and
outgoing nature win new friends quickly and easily. Always willing to draw on their repository of
knowledge, conversations with Debater personalities are informative and entertaining, which makes
it easy for them to be the go-to person for tough problems that stump more rote approaches. Peer-to-
peer relationships with Debaters aren’t always easy, but it’s tough to argue that they don’t work.
Debater Managers
While not always their goal, management is often where Debaters are most at home, allowing them
the freedom to fiddle with different approaches and come up with innovative ways to tackle new
challenges without having to handle the tedious step-by-step implementation of these plans.
Debaters are open-minded and flexible managers, not just granting but also expecting the same
freedom of thought that they themselves enjoy. This can lead to disorder, conflicting ideas and
approaches being put forward, but Debaters are also great at accurately and objectively assessing
which plan is likely to be most effective.
This doesn’t always make friends, but being liked is less Debaters’ goal than being respected and
seen as intelligent and capable. And liked or no, people with this personality type hold firm ground
in rational debates, making them fearsome advocates for their teams. The challenge for Debaters is
focus, as they may find themselves jumping from project to project in a quest for challenge and
excitement before their teams are able to wrap up the details of their existing goals and obligations.
ebater Personality – Conclusion
Armed with a powerful intellect and vivid imagination, Debaters can overcome or outmaneuver
obstacles that seem unbeatable to most. At the same time, their many quirks, such as often
unconstrained rationalism, lead to many misunderstandings. Those misunderstandings end here.
What you have read so far is just an introduction – we have a great deal more to tell you about the
Debater personality type.
At some point in reading through your results, you probably hit a tipping point. You went from
trademark Debater skepticism to “huh...” to “wait, what?” You may even be a little uncomfortable
because you are really not used to being understood, even by the people you’re closest to.
Chances are, you’ve accepted that as part of who you are, and maybe even grown proud of it. But
embracing that disconnection isn’t a requirement for Debaters. It’s a misused defense mechanism,
leading you down a lonely, inefficient path – gaining insight into yourself and others is so much
more rewarding.

This is no date-of-birth gimmick, and no, we did not spy on you – rather, we’ve spent years
studying Debaters’ life stories, experiences, and patterns in hundreds of our surveys. Step by step,
insight by insight, we discovered how those who share your qualities and outlook have overcome
the challenges they’ve faced. You are a unique individual, but you are not alone in this. It’s wise to
learn from others’ experiences – and we’d really like to share those insights with you.
As you move forward into the e-books and interactive courses we offer, we go much deeper into the
Debater mind. We answer not just “what”, but “why?”, “how?” and “what if?” Why do you act the
way you do? How do you find motivation and inspiration? What if you moved beyond fear to
pursue what you secretly want to achieve in life?
We can show you how to use your strengths to unlock your exceptional potential and avoid
common pitfalls, while also staying true to who you are – after all, that’s the point. To see how you
can grow to be the person you know you’re capable of being, in ways that finally feel right – read
on, Debater.