The ENTJ-Case study, KING SAUL.
ENTJs are nicknamed “, THE COMMANDERS”, and it’s not without good reason. They are outspoken and exuberant personalities that know how to take charge and exude confidence. A good example of such a personality is King Saul in the Bible, our main protagonist in this article. Modern-day ENTJs include Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Jobs, Bill gates, and Warren Buffett.
ENTJ BREAKDOWN.
1.) EXTROVERTED.
These groups of individuals like being surrounded by other people. They draw energy from others and radiate their energy outward. The more the merrier with them.
2.) INTUITIVE.
They have strong gut instincts about things that almost never lead them astray. Because of their ability to learn from experience, they can “foresee” certain events before they occur. They are deep thinkers and quick learners of life, making them wise allies as well as terrible opponents.
3.) THINKING.
ENTJs are deep thinkers and practical workers. It is easy for them to bring plans to fruition because they are solution oriented. Rarely do they rely on their feelings or daydreams. They are in tune with reality and operate within the realms of reality without being scared of facing it.
4.) JUDGING.
ENTJs have a knack for making good judgments about situations and people. Something that is self-taught through experience in most cases. Because they handle many people and lead them toward a particular goal, it is their job to oversee, direct, understand and mitigate. They can easily read the mood of people and their environment and make quick accurate judgments dictating the next course of action with what is presented.
POSITIVE ENTJs TRAITS.
1.] Confident.
This is the first and most obvious sign that you are talking to an ENTJ. They inherently trust themselves and it shows in how they handle themselves. Saul displayed confidence in his leadership through the speeches he made, the control he had when he led armies into war, and how he handled his women and children. He was a tall handsome man who was used to handling servants and being a leader of men made it easier for him to ease himself into the role of King.
2.] Frank.
ENTJs are very forthright in speech. Their candid nature can be shocking and entertaining to watch as they have no fear when discussing something that people might feel uncomfortable discussing. Saul was one such man. His role as King gave him no reason to lie as his word was ultimate in Israel. His role as Commander in Chief of Israel’s army had him direct the soldiers under his authority with brazenness.
3.] Determined.
ENTJs are bull-headed. They don’t listen to neigh Sayers and focus all their energy on pursuing what they want without question. Saul was so in both good and bad decisions. The determination he showed when hunting down David for years for example was unlike any King after him. David was smart and slippery but that didn’t stop Saul who hunted him down until David was forced to confront him. Only after conversing with his soon-to-be successor did, he finally quit his pursuit.
4.] Great planning and Execution.
ENTJs are grandmasters at bringing to fruition what is on their minds. They think of something that they want, they put it down on paper, they choose the right people for the job then they execute what they had planned. Saul conducted several military campaigns against Israelite enemies, the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, and Amalekites being examples of his greatest feats. He was of course helped by God but fighting off all those enemies required great strategy which he executed expertly.
5.] Charismatic.
ENTJs are amazing at giving great shows. They are spectacular in a crowd full of people. They know how to inspire people into being their greatest selves. They also know how to bring the feeling required on any occasion. Say, Saul, for example, knew how to inspire bravery in his soldiers when going to war. Making them feel that the battle was already won before it was. He was also great at inspiring the feeling of piety in the Israelites when they offered sacrifices to God. He was great at exuding the feeling of joy when Israel was celebrating a great feat or holiday. He was a master of occasions, and he knew it. But when David was showing the same capabilities, he started growing jealous of him.
ENTJ NEGATIVE TRAITS.
1.] Low tolerance.
ENTJs know what they like and what they do not like. They also know who they like and who they do not like. If you inspire negative feelings in an ENTJ, disgust, anger, jealousy, envy, annoyance whatever feeling it is, be sure that the ENTJ will let you know. If not directly through words, then through action. David was unfortunate enough to be a target of Saul’s jealousy. He was a great warrior and an even greater musician. The Israelite women went so far as to praise David saying, “Saul has killed a thousand enemies, David has killed ten thousand.” [1 Samuel 18:7]. He felt David to be a threat and he tried to kill him on several occasions by throwing a spear at him as he played the harp for him in his palace and sending soldiers for his head all through the wilderness. Lesson from David people never publicly outshine an ENTJ who has more power than you.
2.] Hardheaded.
ENTJs are very difficult to convince on something that they do not agree with. They are naturally stubborn, and they won’t listen to anything that you have to say regarding something that they do not agree with. They know what they know, and they will not entertain anything besides what agrees with their value systems. Even if they are in the wrong. Saul was the same way. Jonathan tried to convince Saul to get off of David’s back and simply leave him alone. Jonathan’s sister, David’s wife, Michal, also tried asking Saul to let David live. But Saul would not listen and for years he hunted down David. It was only until David himself decided to speak to Saul by proving that he could have killed him in the mountains but chose not to that Saul decided to leave him alone (since God wanted David alive [1 Samuel 24]).
3.] Ruthless.
Scorned ENTJs are dangerous foes because they can go all out in causing havoc in your life. Just ask David what he had to go through because of Saul. When ENTJs are hurt or threatened by you, nothing will stop them from at least attempting to get rid of you directly. The only good thing about them when they are like this is that they will not go silent and cause damage behind your back. They will go full throttle, straight at you without holding back. David, who Saul was jealous of had to escape for his life after several attempts on his life. Saul threw a spear targeting him in his palace. Luckily, he had a terrible aim otherwise David’s story would have ended there. David had a whole team of soldiers chasing after him from one nation to the next, he hid in temples, worked as a mercenary for other nations, and hid in the mountains just to get away from Saul who would not relent. Saul wanted David dead, plain and simple, and if God hadn’t intervened, he might have succeeded.
4.] Insensitive.
ENTJs are blunt and straightforward. This is a good thing in a world full of disingenuous individuals. However, they never use euphemisms in their speech. Their language is blunt and brutal, regardless of who you are. This might get people the wrong way and the thing about ENTJs is, they won’t care if you did. Saul has had numerous blunt conversations with Jonathan concerning David. He said hurtful things to Jonathan because Jonathan couldn’t stop defending David before hurling a spear at Jonathan. [ 1 Samuel 20:32-34] .He also wanted to kill off his son after the war with the Philistines. [1 Samuel 14:44 May God do this to me and more also to you, for you will die for sure Jonathan]. Such things are bitter pills to swallow as a son when you hear them from your father.
5.] Arrogant.
It is unfortunate but this is a common vice in most ENTJs. When things go according to their plans, it gets into their heads, and they become proud. This is what happened to Saul. Saul was humble when he started and was simply the son of a rich man. He became king and accomplished a lot as one and before he even realized it, he got so arrogant that he began to blatantly disobey God. Take the battle with the Amalekites for example, he was supposed to finish off everything there entirely. But instead of leaving the ashes of the nation, he decided to keep the fat spoils of cattle as an “offering to God”. This made God angry and just like that, the demise of his reign began as God started eyeing David as the next option for King. This is because David could do what Saul could not…give complete obedience to God and remain humble throughout his kingship.
BOTTOM LINE.
Remember the Gospel.
God loves us, but He is not crazy about us.
We are wallowing in our own sin for which we have no savior.
We should always repent and believe in the sacrifice of our God, Jesus Christ who was sent by God the
father to die for our sins, so we might get to have eternal life. [JOHN 3:16]
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